The Gospel of John – Chapter 1
Wednesday, January 28
Theme: Grace, Truth, and Our Birth into God’s Family
Last Wednesday, we began our journey through the Gospel of John by grounding ourselves in John chapter 1, a passage that sets the theological foundation for everything that follows in this Gospel. Rather than starting with Jesus’ birth or early ministry, John begins with eternity, inviting us to see Jesus not just as a teacher or prophet, but as God in the flesh.
Why John Was Written
We learned that the Gospel of John was likely written between AD 85–95, later than the other Gospels. By this time, the church was more established and facing serious challenges – persecution, theological confusion, and growing questions about who Jesus truly was. John writes with a clear purpose: not just to tell stories about Jesus, but to help readers believe and live in light of who Jesus is.
John himself states this purpose clearly:
“These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)
Belief, life, and identity are at the heart of this Gospel.
What Makes John Different
Unlike Matthew, Mark, and Luke – the Synoptic Gospels – John is deeply theological. He focuses on signs rather than parables, and each miracle or encounter points beyond itself to a deeper spiritual reality. John is less concerned with simply what happened and more concerned with what it means.
Writing to a mixed audience of Jewish and Gentile believers living in a Greek-influenced world, John bridges Jewish theology and Greek philosophy by introducing Jesus as the Logos (the Word), God’s creative, revealing presence made personal and visible.
“In the Beginning Was the Word”
John opens with one of the most powerful declarations in Scripture:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
By starting here, John makes it clear from the outset that Jesus is not created, not merely human, and not gradually revealed. He is fully divine, from the very beginning. Everything else – grace, truth, salvation, and new life – flows from this reality.
The Word does not remain distant.
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)
God doesn’t shout instructions from heaven. God moves into the neighborhood.
Becoming Children of God
One of the most beautiful themes in John 1 is the idea of spiritual birth. We reflected on how becoming a child of God is not based on heritage, effort, or human will, but on receiving Jesus:
“To all who did receive him… he gave the right to become children of God - born of God.”
This marks a shift from religion based on performance to relationship rooted in grace. We are not slaves trying to earn approval, we are children who belong.
Jesus: Full of Grace and Truth
John describes Jesus as being “full of grace and truth.” These two are never separated in John’s Gospel. Truth without grace leads to condemnation. Grace without truth becomes shallow and cheap. In Jesus, they are perfectly united.
Truth in John is not just correct doctrine, it is a person. Jesus reveals reality as God intends it to be, exposing darkness not to shame us, but to heal us. Grace, meanwhile, comes before repentance, before transformation, and before perfection. From Jesus’ fullness, we receive “grace upon grace”, continuous, overflowing grace.
John the Baptist prepares the way, but Jesus brings fulfillment. His ministry does not begin with demands, but with presence.
Why This Still Matters
John begins with divinity because only God can:
- Give true grace
- Define real truth
- Make us children
Jesus doesn’t just teach grace and truth, He is grace and truth. When we hold both together, we move from fear to belonging, from striving to trust, and from slavery to true spiritual childhood.
We closed our time reflecting on these questions:
- Why do you think John insists on holding grace and truth together?
- Where do you see the church today being tempted to emphasize one over the other?
- How does understanding yourself as a child of grace change the way you relate to God?
- After answering the questions above, click the link to take the online quiz: https://wordwall.net/resource/61079703/religion/john-119-who-said-or-did
This study invited us not just to learn about Jesus—but to receive Him, and in doing so, to discover who we truly are.
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