Who is the Word of God? Why did he come? How was he made known to God’s people?
John 1:1-5… In [the] beginning the Word (G3056 – Logos) was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god (G2316 – Theos). 2 This one was in [the] beginning with God. 3 All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence. What has come into existence 4 by means of him was life, and the life (G2222 – Zoe) was the light of men. 5 And the light is shining in the darkness (G4653 – Skotia), but the darkness has not overpowered it.
The Logos was to make known to mankind what was true and what is faithful. He enlightens mankind to the true ways of God. He was God’s spokesman.
John 1:6-8… There arose a man that was sent forth as a representative of God: his name was John (Yahweh is gracious). 7 This [man] came for a witness, in order to bear witness (G3140 – testify) about the light, that people of all sorts might believe through him. 8 He was not that light, but he was meant to bear witness about that light.
Who was John the Baptist and why was he chosen by God to be his prophet?
We have Gabriel the angel prophesying about John the Baptist and giving instructions to Zechariah his father who was a priest at the Temple of Jehovah.
Luke 1:13-19… However, the angel said to him: “Have no fear, Zechariah, because your supplication has been favorably heard, and your wife Elizabeth will become mother to a son to you, and you are to call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and great gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth; 15 for he will be great before Jehovah. But he must drink no wine and strong drink at all, and he will be filled with holy spirit right from his mother’s womb; 16 and many of the sons of Israel will he turn back to Jehovah their God. 17 Also, he will go before him with Elijah’s spirit and power, to turn back the hearts of fathers to children and the disobedient ones to the practical wisdom of righteous ones, to get ready for Jehovah a prepared people.”
And then after the birth of John the Baptist we also have his father Zechariah prophesying about John the Baptist. These things are a testimony to the job John had set before him by God.
Luke 1:76-79… But as for you, young child, you will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go in advance before Jehovah to make his ways ready, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender compassion of our God. With this [compassion] a daybreak (G395 sunrise) will visit us from on high, to give light to those sitting in darkness and death’s shadow, to direct our feet prosperously in the way of peace.”
Zechariah spoke about the Messiahs coming and how he was going to give light or enlightenment to those sitting in darkness. He called the Messiah “a daybreak” or a sunrise.
John 1:9… The true (G228 – genuine) light (G5457 – Phos) that gives light (G5461 – enlightenment) to every sort of man was about to come into the world.
So, it was necessary for the people to know the true God. The world needed to be enlightened in a way that they’ve never had been before. God had the prophet Isaiah prophesy about where this enlightenment would start and how it would be perceived with joy.
Isaiah 9:1-3… However, the obscureness will not be as when the land had stress, as at the former time when one treated with contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali and when at the later time one caused [it] to be honored—the way by the sea, in the region of the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people that were walking in the darkness have seen a great light. As for those dwelling in the land of deep shadow, light itself has shone upon them. 3 You have made the nation populous; for it you have made the rejoicing great. They have rejoiced before you as with the rejoicing in the harvesttime, as those who are joyful when they divide up the spoil.
John 1:10… He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him, but the world did not know him. (Colossians 1:15-16) 11 He came to his own home, but his own people did not take him in. 12 However, as many as did receive him, to them he gave authority (G1849 – power) to become God’s children, because they were exercising faith (G4100 – believing) in his name. 13 and they were born, not from blood or from a fleshly will or from man’s will, but from God they were born (G1080 – begotten). (1 John 3:1-3, Romans 8:14-17)
Jesus Christ was the very essence of God as he showed us their love. And he made known to us the deep ways of God. (1 John 5:20) He was going to share his life with us. And we will learn more about being born of spirit in John chapter 3 later on.
John 1:14… So, the Word became flesh and resided among us, and we had a view of his glory, a glory (G1391 – divine quality) such as belongs to an only begotten son from a father; and he was full of undeserved kindness and truth.
When the Word of God spoke, he spoke the inherent truth. He conveyed a deep understanding to those who listened about God and the kingdom. This anointed one’s insight was something like gold for those who valued it. So, who is this Word of God? We know that Word of God existed before John the Baptist because he said so. He even called him the Son of God. The apostle John tells us that he is Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1-6)
John 1:15-18… (John bore witness about him, yes, he actually cried out—this was the one who said [it]—saying: “The one coming behind me has advanced in front of me, because he existed before me.”) 16 For we all received from out of his fullness, even undeserved kindness upon undeserved kindness. 17 Because the Law was given through Moses, the undeserved kindness and the truth came to be through Jesus Christ. 18 No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten god who is in the bosom [position] with the Father is the one that has explained him.
The Testimony of John
John 1:19-23… Now this is the witness of John when the Jews sent forth priests and Levites from Jerusalem to him to ask him: “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed and did not deny but confessed: “I am not the Christ (G5547 – Messiah, the Anointed One).” 21 And they asked him: “What, then? Are you Elijah (Yahweh is my God)?” And he said: “I am not.” “Are you The Prophet?” (Deuteronomy 18:15) And he answered: “No!” 22 Therefore they said to him: “Who are you? that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said: “I am a voice of someone crying out in the wilderness, ‘MAKE the way of Jehovah straight,’ just as Isaiah the prophet said.” (Isaiah 40:3)
Why do you Baptize?
John 1:24-25… Now those sent forth were from the Pharisees. 25 So they questioned him and said to him: “Why, then, do you baptize (G907 – Baptizo) if you yourself are not the Christ or Elijah or The Prophet?”
Baptizing was practiced before John the Baptist showed up. The people practiced baptizing by submerging into water. It was a ceremonial dipping that the Jews practiced. At that time people practice dipping themselves for very specific reasons. Some would be baptized for an upcoming wedding, or symbolize their conversion into the Jewish faith, some before the high holidays, the point was to make oneself kosher, so they could be viewed as genuine or legitimate.
John 1:26-27… John answered them, saying: “I baptize in water. In the midst of YOU one is standing whom YOU do not know, 27 the one coming behind me, but the lace of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
Matthew 3:11-12… I, for my part, baptize you with water because of your repentance (G3341 – metanoia); but the one coming after me is stronger than I am, whose sandals I am not fit to take off. That one will baptize you people with holy spirit and with fire. His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will completely clean up his threshing floor, and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with fire that cannot be put out.”
John 1:28… These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Baptism in the symbol of repentance would be something that the people would want, a change of the inner person to something more genuine or legitimate before God. With these understandings of what the baptism meant to the people we can see, that when John expressed that the Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, people understood that it meant a greater cleansing, one could achieve a truly legitimate standing before God after such a baptism.
Malachi 3:2-4… “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he must clear up a way before me. And suddenly there will come to His temple the [true] Lord, whom YOU people are seeking, and the messenger of the covenant in whom YOU are delighting. Look! He will certainly come,” Jehovah of armies has said. 2 “But who will be putting up with the day of his coming, and who will be the one standing when he appears? For he will be like the fire of a refiner and like the lye of laundrymen. 3 And he must sit as a refiner and cleanser of silver and must cleanse the sons of Levi; and he must clarify them like gold and like silver, and they will certainly become to Jehovah people presenting a gift offering in righteousness. 4 And the gift offering of Judah and of Jerusalem will actually be gratifying to Jehovah, as in the days of long ago and as in the years of antiquity.
John 1:29-32… The next day he beheld Jesus coming toward him, and he said: “See, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one about whom I said, Behind me there comes a man who has advanced in front of me, because he existed before me. 31 Even I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing in water was that he might be made manifest(G5319 – make visible)to Israel.” 32 John also bore witness, saying: “I viewed the spirit coming down as a dove out of heaven, and it remained upon him.
Matthew 3:16-17… After being baptized Jesus immediately came up from the water; and look! the heavens were opened up, and he saw descending like a dove God’s spirit coming upon him. Look! Also, there was a voice from the heavens that said: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.”
John 1:33-34… Even I did not know him, but the very One who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘Whoever it is upon whom you see the spirit coming down and remaining, this is the one that baptizes in holy spirit.’ 34 And I have seen [it], and I have borne witness that this one is the Son of God.”
The word of God, the logos, who existed in the beginning with God came to reveal truth about our father in heaven and the incoming kingdom. He allowed himself to become flesh so that he could become the light of the world. Then God granted him to sit at the right hand because of his faithfulness. God granted him the permission to adopt us into his heavenly family.
Writingwithlogos.com – Last Updated 5/25/24