THE WORD BECAME FLESH

(Jn. 1:1-18)
Central truth: God became man in the person of Jesus to fulfill His promise of a Messiah who would come.
to save man from his sins.
Comentarios
In the beginning. This expression refers to the time before the universe was created by God, indicating
clearly the preexistence of the Word (cf. Gen 1:1).
the Word. This term in Greek (lógos) is very rich in meaning (word, message, proclamation, declaration,
mandate, subject, etc.). In the time of the NT, ellógo had very special connotations, both for Jews and
for the Gentiles. For the Jew, it meant the powerful and creative presence of God (Ps 33:6; Gn 1:3). The reader does not
A Jew could very well have thought of the term in a philosophical sense, as a coherent unit that fills and
order the universe. The apostle John transcends this understanding. The Gospel of John grants this title to Jesus.
historical, and thus identifies him as the supreme personal revelation of God in human history (Heb 1:1 –4).
Jesus Christ is called Word (1 John 1:1; Revelation 19:13), alluding to God's creative word (Genesis 1:1-26), to his
revealing word (Ps. 33:4; 119:89), to his saving word (Ps. 107:20) and to divine wisdom (Prov. 8:22-31).
The Word was God. The Logos is equal with the Father in essence and deity. With this explicit statement, John says that
Jesus is God, an emphasis throughout the fourth gospel.
He was...with God. The repetition of this phrase from verse 1 emphasizes that the Word has always been in communion with
God the Father. At no time in the past has this communion ceased to exist. The Word and the Father share a relationship
eternal and personal, in a perfect unity and totality. In other passages, the terms Son and Father describe this
same relationship (1:18; 3:35; 5:20, 36; 14:13).
life. This gospel uses this term 36 times. Here it refers to the vitality and vigor of creation that is subject
to Christ, who is the life (14:6).
Jesus calls himself the light of the world (8:12), and John describes the very essence of God as light (1Jn.
The term here describes the divine nature of Christ and his sinless purity.
Juan. In this gospel, this name always refers to John the Baptist.
witness.This is one of the favorite words of this gospel; it is used 14 times. Faithful witnesses are crucial in a
gospel whose primary purpose is to convince readers to put their trust in Jesus Christ as the
Son of God (20:31). John uses witness in a legal sense to justify the truth about Jesus. The fourth
The gospel mentions seven witnesses: 1) The Father (5:31, 34, 37; 8:18); 2) Christ (3:11, 32; 8:14, 18, 37); 3) the Holy One
Spirit (15:26; 16:14); 4) the works of Jesus (5:36; 10:25; 14:11; 15:24); 5) the Scriptures (5:39, 45 –47); 6)
John the Baptist (1:7, 15, 19, 32; 3:26; 5:33); and several human witnesses (4:39; 12:17; 15:27; 19:35).
world. This word can refer in John to all humanity (3.16), or more specifically to those who do not believe in
Jesus (cf. Jn. 7:7; 12:31; 14:17; 16:8, 11; 17:9, 14). For John, the world can mean: 1) The earth or the universe
created by God; 2) the people who inhabit it, or 3) a system under the control of Satan that opposes God. Here,
perhaps the three connotations could be included.
Believe in His name. Juan strongly highlights the value of believing in Jesus Christ. Believing is man's response to
the mind, with the heart, with the whole person, to the saving action of God through Jesus Christ. When one
the person 'believes' receives eternal life (Jn. 3:14-16). The Greek verbal form emphasizes a constant loyalty and
permanent in Christ. John uses the verb believe (gr. pisteúo) 98 times.
meat: human nature. Juan emphasizes that the pre-existing Word has fully assumed existence.
human, to become like human beings, perfected in afflictions and to manifest the glory of God
(cf. Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 2:10, 11, 14). In Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:17), the invisible God becomes visible (Col. 1:15).
only begotten. This term has been the subject of much study and is very important for Christology (the part of the
theology dedicated to Christ). This term is understood to mean that there was never a time in the past when the Son was not
it would have existed; or that He would have been created as some teach.
of grace and of truth. These are two terms used in the Scriptures that describe the character and work of God,
and that here applies to the Verb. Grace refers to the benefits given to others, especially the salvation that Christ
provided through his death on the cross. In this context, it refers to the fact that only Jesus reveals the Father and the
means of salvation for humanity (cp. 14:6).
 WORKSHEET
THE WORD BECAME FLESH
John 1:1-18
Central truth: God became man in the person of Jesus to fulfill his promise of a Messiah who would come.
to save man from his sins.
Introduction:
The four gospels begin by locating Jesus within a historical context, but John is unique in the way that...
what begins: it does so with a theological prologue, as if to say 'I want you to know Jesus through his teachings and
works. But they will not be able to fully understand the good news of Jesus unless they see Him from the point of
view of what God manifested in flesh is and accept that his words and works are those of God-Man.
18 form a prologue and contain many of the main themes of this gospel.
Read your Bible and respond:
1. The Word in eternity and time, John 1:1-5.
The Verb already existed, no matter how far man's mind can reach back into the past. The term
"Verbo" is the Greek word for "to speak, a message or words." John chose this term because
he was known to his readers but gave it a meaning of its own. 'the Verb was with ______' indicates a relationship
special of eternal communion in the Trinity. John also added that 'the Word was ______.'
The Word has always had a relationship with God the Father, Christ did not begin to exist or started a relationship with Him.
Father at some point in time. Since eternity past, the Father (God) and the Son (the Word) have been in
loving communion with one another. Both the Father and the Son are God; however, there are not two Gods.
God is eternal and Creator of all things; the Word was the agent of creation (v.__) (He. 1:2). All creation
it was made by the Word in accordance with the Father and the Spirit. John emphasized the work of the Word. He came to reveal the
the work of the Father and the work of revelation began with creation, because creation reveals God (see Ps. 19:1).
Juan affirmed that, in the deepest sense (v.4), "life is ___ Christ". Spiritual and physical life comes from him.
Jesus, the source of life, is also the light of men. Light is generally used in the Bible as an emblem of
God; on the contrary, darkness is used to denote death, ignorance, sin, and separation from God. Isaiah
(9:2) described the arrival of salvation this way: “the people who walked in ________ saw great ____”. John summarized his
evangelio: A) la luz invadirá el dominio de las tinieblas. B) Satanás, su gobernante, y sus súbditos resistirán la luz,
but they will not be able to thwart his power. C) the Word will be victorious despite the opposition.
2. Testimony of John the Baptist, John 1:6-8.
In addition to the eternal Verb, a man appeared on the stage of history: his name was _____. This John is not the
author of the gospel, but was the great forerunner of Jesus known as John the _______. The word testimony
(martyria) is important in this gospel (it is repeated 14 times). This John was sent so that the people would direct
their attention to the truth of Jesus, the revealer of the Father. People who are in sin find themselves in such
darkness and needs someone to tell him what light is. Juan's goal was for everyone to believe in Jesus.
3. The coming of the light, John 1:9-13.
The world (kosmos) means its inhabitants and the human society that disobeys God and is under the government of
Satan. The Logos came to dwell among the people in the incarnation, but humanity did not... know its Creator.
(see Is. 1:2-3), due to their ignorance and blindness caused by sin. However, some received the
unlimited invitation of Jesus (v.12) "But to all who received Him, to those _____ in His name, He gave
_________ to be made children of God." People are not by nature children of God, but they can come to
I am receiving the gift of new birth. This new birth does not come from being born of blood, nor
it is the result of the will of (v.13)______ (this is the human and natural desire to have children), nor of the will of
______ (of the husband). The birth of a child of God is a supernatural work of God in the regeneration of the believer.
4. Incarnation and revelation, John 1:14-18.
When the Word was made flesh, humanity was added to the deity of Jesus. By becoming 'flesh', Christ did not
it changed, so the words 'was made' (egeneto) should be understood as 'took for himself' or 'came to the scene'
as." The word "flesh" here means human nature, not sinfulness or weakness. The word "dwelt" is
the tabernacle (eschatology), just as the presence of God was in the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34), so Jesus
He dwelt among the people. Due to the fullness of His grace, believers enjoy grace upon grace.
Juan(v.18) when saying 'No one has ever seen God' means 'God has never been seen in His fullness, now thanks'
In the incarnation in the Word, we can receive the most effective and direct communication from God.
APPLICATION OF THE STUDY.
A gift to enjoy. The incarnation of Jesus gives us an example of the way in which God communicates with the
man, becoming one of us. This challenges us to seek God and come close to Him with confidence.
 JAMIESON-FAUSSET-BROWN BIBLICAL COMMENTARY
CHAPTER 1
1-14. THE WORD MADE FLESH.
1. In the beginning - of all time and created existence, because this Word gave it being (vv. 3, 10); therefore,
“before the world was” (chap. 17:5, 24), or from eternity. was the Word—the one who is to God what the word
of man is to man himself, the manifestation or expression of himself to those outside of him. (See the
note about verse 18). On the origin of this title the highest and now forever consecrated, of Christ,
this is not the place to talk. It happens only in the works of this seraphic writer. it was with God—having existence
personal consciousness distinct from God, yet inseparable from Him and associated with Him (v. 18, where 'THE FATHER' is used in the
same sense as 'God' here). He was God—in substance and essence God; or he possessed essential and inherent divinity. Thus
each of these rich statements is the complement of the other, correcting any false concept that
could cause the others. Was the Word eternal? It was not the eternity 'of the Father', but that of an existence.
personal conscience distinct from him and associated with him. Was the Word thus 'with God'? It was not the distinct and the
companionship of another being, as if there were more gods than one, but rather of One who was God himself, in that sense
that the absolute unity of Divinity, the great principle of all religion, is only transferred from the realm of
vague abstraction to the region of essential life and love. But why all this definition? Not to give us
some abstract information about certain mysterious distinctions in the Divinity, but only to make it known to the
reader who was he who in the fullness of time "was made flesh". After each verse, then, he must say
for the reader: 'It was he who is described as such and such, who was made flesh.'
2. This... —See on what quality of the Word the emphasis is placed: Eternal sub-distinction, in unity, of God, the
Father.
3. All things, etc.—all things absolutely, as is evident from v. 10; 1Co.8:6; but set outside
Of doubt because of what follows: "Without him, nothing that is made, was made." This is a denial of eternity and the non-
creation of matter, which was believed by all the thinking world, outside of Judaism and Christianity; or more
Well, the creation itself was not dreamed of except by the adherents of the revealed religion.
4. In him was life—So he is the Living Word, or, as it is called in 1 John 1:1-2, 'The Word of life.'
life was the light of men—everything that in men is the true light: science, integrity,
intelligence, the voluntary submission to God, love for Him and for others, wisdom, purity, holy joy, the
rational happiness; all this 'light of men' has its source in the original essential 'life' of the 'Word'. (1Jn.1:5).
5. in the darkness it shines, etc.—in this dark and fallen world, in humanity that "lived in darkness
and shadow of death,” without the ability to find the path of truth or holiness. In this dense darkness,
and the consequent intellectual and moral deviation, "the light of the Word" shines, through all the rays, whether they are of the
nature, whether they are those of the revealed teaching (aside from the incarnation of the Word) with which men are
favored. the darkness did not comprehend it— a brief summary of the effect of all the efforts of the Word did not
embodied throughout this vast world from the beginning, and a hint of the need for him to dress in
flesh, if the salvation of men was to be accomplished. (1Co.1:21).
6-9. The evangelist here approaches his great thesis, thus preparing the way for its complete exposition in
the v. 14. by him—through John the Baptist. was not... the light—What a testimony to John having to explain that "he
It was not the light! It was only a leaf that reflected the true light. It shines on every man, etc.—rather,
light, that coming into the world, enlightens every man; or, "is the light of the world" (chap. 9:5).
10-13. In the world was, etc.—The language here is almost as marvelous as the thought—resounding 'the
"world" in each of its three members to solve the splendid enigma of Christ unknown in his own
"The world" in the first two clauses refers to the created world, to which it says, "in the world was"
(v.10). By his incarnation, he came to be aInhabitant of him, and wrapped with him. However, "he was made by him" (v.
3-5). Here, in contrast partially with the estarenél, but even more with the reception he found from him. "The
the world that did not know him” (1Jn.3:1) is naturally the intelligent world of humanity. Taking the two
first clauses as a single statement, we try to understand it by thinking of the Christ child conceived in the
matrix and born in the arms of its own creature, and in the man Christ Jesus who breathes his own air, stepping
his own soil, nourished by substances to which he gave existence, and the Creator of the very men who came to
save. And this is the person of whom it is said thereafter, 'the world did not know him'. To his own - his own
possession, the word (in Greek) is in the neuter gender. It means one's own land, city, temple, rights and
messianic possessions. and his—"His own people", because now the word is in the masculine plural. He wants
to say the Jews, as the 'peculiar people'. Both they and their lands, with everything this included, were 'theirs'.
own”, not so much as part of the “world made by him,” but as an “heir” of the inheritance (Luke 20:14).
His own did not receive him —nationally, as chosen witnesses of God. To all who received him —
individuals, from the 'rebellious and contradictory people.' gave them power - The word means both authority and...
capacity, and both senses are understood here. to be made children— simply "children" (without article), in name
And his nature. Those who believe in his name—phrase never used in the Scriptures for any mere creature, to
to express the credit given to human testimony. In this sense, it is supreme, as due to the one who 'gives to the
"who believe in him, the power to become children of God" is clearly used here.
13. Those who are not begotten—a filiation, therefore, not of mere title and privilege, but of nature, being
Make the soul aware of the capacities, perceptions, and emotions of the child of God, previously unknown.
of blood, etc. —not of superior human descent, not of any human generation. By this denial
elaborated triple from the source human of this affiliation, an immense force is given to what follows: 'but of God'.
The royal gift, whose Giver must be absolutely divine! For who would not adore the one who can
introduce him to the family, and awaken within him, the same life as the children of God?
14. And that Word was made flesh—came to be man, and in the present fragile, mortal condition, indicated by the
The word 'flesh' (Is.40:6). Now, united to our nature, from now on he is personally
aware of everything that is strictly human, as it is also of everything that is properly divine; and
our nature in his person is redeemed and revived, ennobled and transfigured. and he dwelled among us—
"he pitched his tabernacle"; a peculiar word to John, who uses it four times, always in the sense of a
permanent abode (Rev. 7:15; 12:12; 13:6; 21:3). Because always united to our 'flesh', he entered into this
tabernacle 'to not leave anymore'. The allusion is to that Tabernacle, where the Shekinah dwelled, or manifested 'the
Glory of the Lord,” and with reference to the permanent residence of God among His people (Lev. 26:11). This is placed
beyond any doubt for what follows immediately: 'And we saw his glory.' full of grace and truth—Thus it should be
He lived among us, full of grace and truth, indicating the complete fruit of the purposes of love
part of God towards the sinners of humanity, those fruits had until now existed only in promise, and the
fulfillment of that promise in Christ; in a great word: 'the firm mercies to David' (Isa. 55:3;
In his person all that Grace and Truth took permanent possession of human flesh, and the
They were filled. Through this Incarnation of Grace and Truth, the teachings of thousands of years were once and for all surpassed.
and the family of God suddenly came of age. (and we saw his glory—not by the eye of the senses, which saw
in him only the 'carpenter'. His glory was 'spiritually discerned' (1Cor.2:7-15)—the glory of grace, love, tenderness,
wisdom, purity, excellent spirituality; of majesty and meekness, wealth and poverty, power and weakness,
finding itself in a unique contrast of its kind; always attracting and sometimes enchanting the 'children' who it
they followed and abandoned everything for him. glory like that of the only begotten of the Father)—not like, but "like the one that..."
belongs to the only begotten," just as it was appropriate or related to the only begotten of the Father, according to a well-known usage of
how
15. A SAYING OF THE BAPTIST CONFIRMS THIS. comes after me—in official manifestation. before me—in rank and
dignity. because it is before me—in existence; “His goings forth are from of old, from everlasting”
(Mi.5:2); that is: "My Successor is my Superior, because he is my Predecessor." This enigmatic play on meanings
different from the words 'before' and 'after', was undoubtedly used by the Baptist to focus attention, and
hitting home the thought; and the evangelist introduces it to emphasize his own statements.
16-18.CONTINUATION OF THE SAME TOPIC.
16. of his fullness—'of grace and of truth', of which Christ was 'full'. grace for grace—that is, grace
about grace, in successive communications and larger measures, according to each one's ability to receive it.
Note that the word 'truth' has been omitted here, and grace is the word chosen in the NT to express
the full richness of the new covenant, all that resides in Christ for men.
17. Because, etc.—The Law awakens the consciousness of sin and the need for redemption. The gospel, through
on the contrary, it effectively communicates reality and power from above (Ro.6:14). For this reason, Paul calls the OT "shadow",
while it calls the NT 'substance', Col_2:17.
18. Nobody—"None", in the broadest sense. He saw [God]—through immediate sight, or direct intuition.
the bosom of the Father—Notable expression, used here only, that presupposes the conscious existence of the Son, distinct
of the Father, and that expresses his immediate access and absolute knowledge with Him. He - Emphatic; that is to say: "He and He alone..."
he declared," because only he can.
 THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
An introduction

WRITER.
There is external evidence that states that it was John who wrote the fourth gospel. The 'Anti-Marcionite Prologue to
"Juan" and the "Muratorian Canon" documents from the mid-2nd century; as well as Irenaeus, who was a disciple of
Polycarp, who in turn was a disciple of John.
The internal evidence leads us to the same conclusion. The writer calls himself the 'beloved disciple.'
who is an eyewitness to the events (1:14, 19:35, 21:24).

DATE.
Most Bible scholars agree that it was written between the years 85 and 95 AD.
from the city of Ephesus.

Ephesus Environment. By the end of the first century, this city had become a place where Gnosticism was
developed, mainly due to the influence of Corinth, who claimed that the world was not created by God
principal, but by a power emanating from it; moreover, it defended the existence of a duality between matter and the
spirit, meaning that everything material is inherently evil. A syncretism of all the
philosophies of that time. This would explain why John used certain terminology that the Gnostics also used,
but with certain differences and new connotations. Juan possibly decided to use this vocabulary to be able to
to reach more easily those who used these words.

PURPOSE.
In 20:30-31, the purpose of the book is specifically declared. It presents seven signs (1. Turns water into
Wine 2:1-11
Walks on water 6:16-21; 6. Heals the blind man from birth 9:1-12; 7. Raises Lazarus 11:1-46). These signs
They are not given here solely to highlight the greatness of Jesus but for an educational purpose and
theological. John wanted to teach concrete matters related to life itself. These signs were made to
to believe
to completely dedicate life to something concrete: Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God.
The end of believing is 'having life', which in John is much more than human existence. Life according to John (17:3) is
to know God and Jesus; understanding by knowing an intimate, complete, conscious, continuous relationship that
it implies development. “In the signs appears the revelation of God; in faith, the reaction they must provoke; in the
life, the result that faith brings" (Tenney). It is important to note that the gospel repeats the same idea twice
occasions (17:18, 20:21). This may give us a clue to another purpose that John had in mind: our task.
it must have as its only model to imitate the mission of Jesus Christ. In the incarnation, we have the model for our
mission.

HISTORICAL AND THEOLOGICAL THEMES.

According to John's evangelistic and apologetic purposes, the general message of the gospel is found
In 20:31: "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God." The book, then, focuses on the person and work of Christ. Three
predominant words: ('signals', 'believe' and 'life') at 20:30, 31 receive constant emphasis throughout the
Gospel to reinforce the theme of salvation in Him, which is presented for the first time in the prologue (vv. 1-18) and
is expressed again in the gospel in different ways. Moreover, John provides the record of how men
they responded to Jesus Christ and the salvation He offered. In summary, the Gospel focuses on:
Jesus as the Word, the Messiah, and the Son of God,
2. who brings the gift of salvation to humanity;
3. who accepts or rejects the offer.
Juan also presents certain secondary themes of contrast that reinforce his main theme. He uses dualism
(life and death, light and darkness, love and hatred, from above and below) to communicate vital information about the
the person and work of Jesus Christ and the need to believe in Him.
There are also seven emphatic 'I AM' statements that identify Jesus as God and Messiah.
10:7, 9; 10:11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5