John 1:34 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."

NIV: I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One."

NASB: And I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.'

CSB: I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

NLT: I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God. '

KJV: And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

NKJV: And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

John, a disciple of Jesus, wrote these words long after John the Baptist, the man mentioned here, had died. During the Baptist's encounters with various people (John 1:19, 29) he often stated that Jesus is the Promised One. He also confirms a title of Jesus first suggested in John 1:14: "the Son of God." The Baptist was told that when he saw the Spirit of God remaining on a man, it would be a sign that this was the Messiah.

John has already told the crowd what he saw (John 1:32). Here, he repeats this claim, something he has seen with his own eyes. The word for "borne witness" is a Greek term implying a specific, direct, personal knowledge. This personal testimony is important, and Jesus will refer to it later. When explaining why people ought to believe Him, one piece of evidence Jesus mentions is the testimony of other people, specifically that of John the Baptist (John 5:32–33).

John 1:29–42 describes more conversations, these between John the Baptist, his disciples, and Jesus. It includes the moment Jesus recruits His first two disciples. Jesus is identified as "the Lamb of God," and "the Son of God." The Baptist describes his vision of the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, landing on Jesus. This confirms that He is the Messiah. The Baptist seems to tell John and Andrew to go and follow Jesus. They, in turn, introduce Jesus to Peter.

The first chapter of John introduces Jesus as "the Word," from the Greek logos. This chapter clearly describes Jesus as God. After this prologue, the chapter describes Jesus recruiting the first of His disciples, as well as a conversation between John the Baptist and the Pharisees. There are seven names or titles for Christ in this chapter, including "the Son of God," "the Word," and "the King of Israel."

The first chapter of the gospel of John equates Christ with God and introduces John the Baptist. The Baptist specifically points to Jesus as the Promised One. Jesus collects the first five of His disciples. In this chapter, Jesus is given seven descriptive names, including "the Word," "the Son of God," and "the King of Israel." This chapter sets the stage for the rest of the gospel, by giving the reader a sense of who Jesus truly is, and why He has come. The rest of the gospel is an exploration of the claims made in this initial passage.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 11/8/2024 8:37:33 PM