John 1:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.

NIV: He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.

NASB: He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.

CSB: He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.

NLT: to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.

KJV: The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

NKJV: This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.

John the Baptist's role as a witness is central to this statement. He is sent to tell other people about the coming Messiah, which is Jesus (Malachi 3:1). "Light" was the ultimate standard for Israel's worldview. Everything good was said to be "light," evil was "darkness." This distinction not only implies good and evil, but also knowledge and darkness. Just as Moses, the Old Testament law, and the temple were small lights pointing to Jesus, John the Baptist is a tiny light leading people to the One True Light. This leading is not merely to make people see, but so that they would believe.

John's ministry heavily revolved around baptism (John 1:25–28), which was already known to Jews of that time. Jews would sometimes baptize a person who wanted to convert to Judaism. But the Baptist was "converting" Jews! This is one reason he was interrogated by local religious leaders (John 1:19): why would God's chosen people need to repent and convert?

John 1:1–18 is a poetic introduction of Jesus Christ. Jesus is referred to using the Greek word logos, meaning "the Word." This passage clearly describes Jesus as God, and co-creator with God the Father. These verses summarize Jesus' ministry and mission on Earth. The passage also explains how John the Baptist—a different John from the author of this gospel—was sent ahead of Christ to prepare for His arrival.

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 1/18/2025 9:48:14 PM