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JOHN CHAPTER 1 KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel Jn 1,1-5 (110k) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit of revelation >> Effect of the spirit on the word – The life of God is synonymous with the Holy Spirit, and where God manifests His presence, truth is sure to follow. An environment that allows truth to reign is a place and time for the miracle of salvation. When the Holy Spirit escorts light into a person's circumstances, He introduces him to the life of God. His life is indistinguishable from His truth. The person with an anointing speaks the word of God, for the Spirit and the word are one. Jn 1,1-3 (212b) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> He is the creator >> The creation glorifies God >> God created all things through Christ -- These verses go with verse 10. The apostle John wastes no time writing about the deep things of God. Starting in verse one, he spoke of Jesus as the word of God existing before the beginning, the beginning of what? The fact that he didn’t say suggests that He was at the beginning of everything, and since Jesus was before the beginning suggests that He did not have a beginning. Heb 7-3 says, “Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually.” This is a description of Melchizedek, used as an analogy for Christ. We know His mother was Mary, but Jesus existed before her, so this is referring to a time before He came to us in the flesh. He was involved in the creation, so He had to previously exist to create it. To say that He existed before the creation, means that He was not created, and if He was not created, then He had no beginning. Therefore, He is eternal, like His Father. He always was and He always will be. The Father is the origin of all things; Jesus spoke His creation into being, and the Holy Spirit performed His word. Jn 1-1 (244h) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> The word of God is eternal >> The word of God transcends the creation (255c) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> God’s word is Spirit >> Jesus is the word of the Spirit >> Jesus is the manifested word of God -- This verse goes with verse 14. People use this verse in conjunction with verse 14 to do battle against the cults, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons, who don’t believe that Jesus was God incarnate, but say he was just a prophet. They confess that Jesus was the Son of God, but they redefine the term to mean that Jesus was created like us, who are sons and daughters of God. In other words, they deny that Jesus Christ existed from eternity past. It is no mark of deity to have an eternal future, since we all have that attribute, but that Christ lacked an origin deifies Him, according to John the Baptist and other passages of Scripture (Heb 7-3). Only God has existed from eternity past, and the cults say Jesus cannot be God because He was born, as though God created Him through Mary. They agree with the virgin birth, that the Father conceived Him in Mary, saying that this marks His point of origin, but John testified about Him that Jesus came after him in the birth order yet existed before him. Jn 1,4-9 (112c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Light >> Jesus’ light overcomes darkness >> The light of His truth – John associates light with life, so whatever he says about light applies also to the life of God within us. Light is in reference to knowledge, as when we get a good idea and the light bulb appears over our heads in a caption cloud. We read the Bible and the light illumines our mind about God. Not all knowledge about God gives us an “Ah-ha” moment, so there must be various levels of knowledge to which John is referring, knowledge that goes beyond the written word, something that is not debatable, knowledge that we understand by faith, His faith. Jesus spoke about the born-again experience, which refers to God imparting His Spirit into the believer. The whole concept of being born-again refers to an ah-ha exposure to the light, not just a moment but a life that is led by the Spirit. It leaves behind the arguments of those who would quarrel about words. Jn 1-4,5 (199i) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Rejecting Christ >> The world rejects God >> World rejects God because it does not know Him -- These verses go with verses 10&11. The spiritual knowledge of God is something we know on a level that exceeds our ability to comprehend with the natural mind; we know things we don’t know how we know them, referring to Eph 3-19, “To know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge.” A person can read the Bible and not believe in God, and it will never change him, but the person who reads the Bible and believes in Jesus, the Spirit personally deposits the knowledge of God in his heart. That person will undergo a transformation by the Spirit, and by that he can change the world. Striving to bring the gospel to light and into the ears of those around us is an uphill battle, especially in an age of apostasy, when Christendom has fallen into systemic corruption with so many poor examples of faith. When John said, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it,” he was not talking about the knowledge of Scripture but the knowledge of the Spirit that is incomprehensible to the world. This defines the true Christian experience, who tries to shine the light into the world, and the world hears only Webster’s words that can be found in any dictionary, but they cannot comprehend the light of God's truth. Jn 1-4 (254f) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is the life of the Spirit >> Jesus is the substance of God’s life >> Jesus is the manifestation of God’s life – Jesus came and visited mankind, and nobody understood Him; not even His own disciples who loved Him and believed in Him understood what He was trying to do. Whatever He was doing they wanted to be part of it, because they saw something in Him and knew He was the Messiah that their Old Testament prophets said would come, but they were a million miles from understanding God’s intentions. It never occurred to them that He would have to give His life for the sins of the world, even though he told them this pointblank. Between His signs and wonders and the fruit of His Spirit, they knew He was the Son of God, but his word was incomprehensible to them, until the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost and enlightened them, then suddenly it all made sense. The resurrection was a big sign; to them he died for the purpose of rising from the dead, but they still didn’t know what was His true purpose. They understood all these things only after He sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar / Parallel Gospel Jn 1-5 (164h) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world is at enmity with God >> The world does not know God -- This verse goes with verses 10&11. Jesus was the embodiment of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is the very substance of the Father, the life of Christ in the form of God's truth, who is the light of men. He shined in the darkness and darkness hanged Him on a cross. The world does not understand Jesus Christ. He is incomprehensible to the natural mind. Everything He said was a mystery to the world. (184c) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Darkness >> Hiding behind your own imagination >> Hiding from the truth – Arguing with cults is fruitless. It is such a rare occasion that anyone drags a person from a cult into the truth of God or to convince anyone about anything. The only reason we should try to persuade cult followers to believe the truth is if they are attacking us. Paul said they believe their lies through the power of Satan, who has permanently seared his deception into their hearts as with a branding iron (1Tim 4-1,2). The only thing the believer needs regarding cults is convincing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He has come in the flesh (1Jn 4-2). The cult follower will heatedly try to dissuade us from this argument, because it is a major threat to his belief system. He knows that if he cannot deny this, he will have to concede to it, and that will spell the end of his cultic beliefs. If Jesus is God, then He must be the centerpiece of his beliefs, but Jesus is not the centerpiece of any cult. All other arguments are inferior. Jn 1,6-9 (71k) Authority >> Ordained by God >> We have His seal Jn 1,7-9 (121d) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Hope >> Expectation >> Hope is the expectation to receive >> God initiates His interest – People were confused about Jesus’ message; even John the Baptist had to ask shortly before he was martyred whether Jesus was the Christ, though he knew all the signs (Mat 11,2-6). All Israel was waiting for the Millennium, even John the Baptist, and we are still waiting for Him. The people expected Jesus to subdue the Romans to begin His thousand-year reign, and it wasn’t happening, and even John lost confidence amidst all the signs performed that proved Jesus' identity. This is why it is important to be accurate in what we hope. If we are expecting the wrong things, we can hear the truth and not hear it at the same time. Jesus preached for 3½ years and hardly a soul understood Him, because they were hoping for the wrong things. The things Jesus preached didn’t jive with what they believed. The people weren't looking for a spiritual kingdom but a physical one. They were looking for a Messiah that would deliver them from Roman rule. They wanted His kingdom to manifest in the natural realm, but they didn’t understand that God was expecting them to obey Him. They didn’t want to meet God’s expectations; they wanted God to meet their expectations. The only thing they showed God over the centuries was disobedience, rebellion and unbelief, so why should God give them their heart’s desire. (233f) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Seek The Kingdom With Your Essence >> Seek the elusive Kingdom of God – John preached a message to prepare for the coming of Messiah, who would establish His kingdom in their hearts. When He said, “The Kingdom of God is at hand,” He was talking about the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is the very essence of God’s Kingdom. All other aspects of His kingdom are of no real significance. Yes, there are street of pure gold and many mansions, and each gate is made from a single pearl, and the walls surrounding the great city are made of precious stones. Many would say this is the substance of heaven, but Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit is the true substance, and everything else is peripheral. Without the fruits of the Spirit heaven would not be heavenly, but with the Holy Spirit heaven is possible here and now on a fallen earth, even in this world. We don’t need the structures of heaven for it to exist; we only need the Spirit, but it takes faith, obedience, the hearing ear and dedication to the truth to simulate heaven in sinful flesh. Jn 1-7,8 (144e) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> The Church bears witness of Jesus >> That He was sent by God -- These verses go with verses 19&20. The apostle John wrote twice that John the Baptist was not the light, emphasizing its importance. He didn’t want anyone glossin g over this, because apparently there was a time when people suspected that John the Baptist was the expected One. People came and listened to him, including the Pharisees, scribes, Sadducees and temple priests, and most of them somewhat respected him, though they failed to believe his message. Had John confessed that he was the Messiah, people would have received him more readily than they receive Christ. Therefore, Jesus made the good confession that He was the Christ, while John the Baptist made the good confession that he was not the Christ. Both John's and Jesus’ messages incorporated repentance. It is interesting the word-choice that Jesus used, “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” There are a couple interpretations to this statement. Israel was essentially waiting for the Millennium, and so they misconstrued what He said as the Millennium was at hand, but of course that was 2000 years ago. After 2000 years of reality with Israel still not repentant of their unbelief, how could God have established the Millennium among them? The only thing He could have done is what He did, which was that Jesus should shed His blood for the sins of mankind. Jn 1-9 (107m) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> The Bible will lead you to truth >> True light (111c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit of truth -- This verse goes with verse 12 (117k) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Seeing through the eyes of your spirit >> Light illumines your spirit KJV WEB / Navigation Bar / Parallel Gospel Jn 1,10-13 (119k) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Curse of sin is broken >> Curse of ignorance is broken – God cursed Adam's soul, and the curse spread to his flesh mutating his physical composition. People fight evil in one another, suggesting there is no good side to war. Satan has the same curse, for there is only one curse, which can be described in one concept: God removed Himself from the creation, leaving a vacuum. Man and Satan have been trying ever since to fill that void called poverty to no avail. The absence of God has turned man’s soul evil, so that no longer is it just a fight against poverty, but a fight against evil. We need Jesus to dwell within us, and when He does, He teaches us to live alongside the curse by faith in Jesus. Our physical bodies need nourishment, but our souls need Jesus, because we were created with an innate ability to know Him. Jesus came to reestablish the relationship between man and God, but He did it through a fallible body, so His remedy did not effect the curse in the flesh. God will do away with that later. He is currently using the natural curse as a form of resistance to test man’s willingness to worship His creator against the will of his flesh. See also: God cursed the creation through Satan; Rom 2,1-11; 26j (209b) Salvation >> Personal relationship >> Counterfeit relationship through religion >> Knowing about God, but not knowing God -- These verses go with verse 26. People ask why God doesn’t show up once in a while; well, He did, and we killed Him. The Jews are no better or worse than any other nation in the world, for God has set the Jew as a microcosm of mankind. Had He chosen the Germans or the Norwegians or any other nation, the result would have been the same, so we can look at the Jews and see ourselves in them. This is exactly what we would have done had we been in their place. Anyone who would deny this should look at the Catholic Church; Israel was charged to keep the word of God, and so they did, but their interpretation of it skewed into error until it was unrecognizable, causing Jesus to quote their Old Testament to them, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men” (Mat 15-8,9). The Catholic Church precisely followed in the footsteps of the Jews, and they will suffer their fate in the last days. Many of the great men of the ages have stood against the Catholic Church and were martyred for it. A day is coming when Christ will address the Church; and when He does, they will melt like wax. Jn 1,10-12 (154d) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> God bears witness against the world >> Witness that the world is godless >> Witness that the world does not know God – Jesus came to Israel and Israel did not receive Him, but He came also for the world and the world did not receive Him either. So the world does not know God, except for those of His true Church, for those who would receive Him, He gave the right to become the children of God. Israel is God's representative, so whatever they did, any other nation would have done. The Jews are no more rebellious than any other nationality. Jn 1-10,11 (26f) Sin >> Consequences of sin >> Death is the fruit of the world (164h) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world is at enmity with God >> The world does not know God -- These verses go with verse 5. The world does not know its creator. On top of that the world is evil, so what does that say about God? He is good! Man has inherited the curse of Adam. The nature of that curse can be described in one word–poverty. The curse has caused man to become selfish and greedy, whereas God is the opposite. He came to give us life by giving up His own on the cross, that we might live by the principles of a new kingdom in a world that is growing old and ready to disappear (Heb 8-13). (168e) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Do not conform to the world who did not recognize Jesus (168h) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world listens to itself >> The world hears it’s own words (199i) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Rejecting Christ >> World rejects God because it does not know Him -- These verses go with verses 4&5. God cannot stand in man’s unbelief; it has the appearance of a landscape strafed by war. Where once there was a beautiful tapestry of nature, there is now broken stumps, charred dirt and gaudy potholes, the ultimate manifestation of man’s unbelief. Man hid from God on the day he sinned, and since then God has been hiding from man, and then one He day showed-up cloaked in sinful flesh, and man didn’t recognize Him, though in their hearts they knew His true identity. He performed all the signs of Messiah and fulfilled all the prophecies of Scripture; He displayed everything they sought in Him, and He spoke the word of God that no one could debate. They knew Jesus was their Messiah, but He came in a form they did not expect to establish a kingdom they did not want, and so they rejected Him, as though they had not been waiting for Him since Moses, or as though another Messiah would come along shortly. Not another one but the same Messiah will return after so much hell on earth has transpired because of their rejection of Christ, after losing their place and their nation for two millennia, and even now they have nothing but enemies on every side. Had they been the beacons of the world as they were called, few if any of these problems would have assailed them. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar / Parallel Gospel Jn 1-10 (54ea) Paradox >> Opposites >> Creation does not know its creator (Pantheism) – The problem with this natural realm extends to the basic elements of the creation, atoms warring against each other for electrons, larger atoms stripping electrons from the outer valence shell, holding them together like a master owns a slave. Man acts the same way. There is hunger all the way down to the atomic level, and who is to say it stops there? When God creates the new heavens and the new earth, He will recreate the elements, infusing them with Himself in ways we cannot possibly understand, so that the creation is no longer hungry. We will live in a universe where all things give instead of take. (212b) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> He is the creator >> The creation glorifies God >> God created all things through Christ -- This verse goes with verses 1-3. The world was made “through” Christ and not by Him. Although the word “through” is only a preposition that holds relatively small significance when it comes to interpreting Scripture, yet it means something. It means that God the Father created the universe through His Son, just as He uses His Son to do all things, and now Jesus has given us the gospel, and the salvation that occurs in the world for Jesus’ sake is done through us. We can’t save anyone, but we do have the God-given right to preach the gospel, and it is the power of God through His word that saves souls. Jesus does His work through us, just as the Father does His work through Christ. God works all things through His people, so He can reward them, and all the glory returns to the Father through Him. The Father will one day create a new heavens and a new earth again through His Son, who is currently seated at His Father’s right hand, and we are seated next to Him (Eph 1,19-23;2-6,7), suggesting that He will somehow involve us in creating the new heavens and new earth, perhaps in suggesting certain aspects of architecture to galaxies that we will one day govern as the populations of a new race of man infinitely grows. Currently in the flesh Jesus has given us the gospel and partnered us with the administration of His Kingdom, so the things that happen in the world for Jesus’ sake are done through us. It operates very much the same way as the rain that falls on the earth and waters the soil to bring forth its vegetation, and the surplus drains into tributaries and creeks, then into rivers, which returns to the ocean from whence it came. The Father does things through His Son; Christ does things through us, all things are done through the Spirit, and the Father receives all the glory. See also: New heavens and a new earth (God does all things through His Son, who does all things through the Church); Jn 3-34; 35c (221a) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> God hides from man’s ignorance >> God hides from those who are not looking for Him – People complain, ‘where is God?’ He answers, ‘You ran from Me.’ Sin separated Adam and Eve from God. They knowingly disobeyed Him, and they became afraid and hid, so when God came looking for them calling his name, He asked why he was hiding, and this is the way of the world to this day. Talk to any worldly person about God and they will give any excuse from pretentious indifference to a reaction that could potentially draw blood, but in both cases they are running from God. He says to man, ‘You don’t have to hide from Me; I’ll go somewhere to avoid embarrassing you, being that you are naked’ and so God hides from man. His attitude is that if man doesn’t want to know Him, then He will make Himself scarce, so when the day comes that they change their mind, they will have to seek Him. We find Him standing right in front of us the moment we decide with a life commitment that we want Him, and look where He has been hiding, behind the veil symbolized by the old covenant Jewish temple of worship, representing the sinful flesh of man. God commanded Moses to hang a veil in front of the Most Holy Place so a snoop could not spy on Him as on a circus freak without genuine interest, not realizing that the world is the one with the abnormality. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar / Parallel Gospel Jn 1-12,13 (33d) Gift of God >> God is our Father >> Kingdom belongs to the children of God (68g) Authority >> We have been given authority to be the children of God (71b) Authority >> Believer’s authority >> We have authority in the wisdom of God (173k) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Man’s Religion >> Deeds that are not initiated by God >> Traditions of men – A person cannot be born again by the will of man. People can't make up doctrines and expect to be born-again if they follow them. That is, we cannot be saved through religion. The only way to be born-again is through the Spirit of God apart from the institutions of men. Most Christian religions come to their conclusion about the Scriptures and create doctrines based on that, and those doctrines become a recipe for salvation, but there is no recipe for being born-again. Some doctrines are true; some aren't; even the true doctrines cannot save us; only the Holy Spirit can do that. (195d) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >> Serving two masters >> You cannot serve righteousness and sin together – John ruled out being born-again by the will of the flesh. Paul wrote a list of the deeds of the flesh in Gal 5,19-21 which include: “Immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing.” Essentially, these are the only tools that the flesh can use to seek God, and Paul concludes, “Those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Instead, these attributes act more as evidence that we don’t know Him. Some people are enslaved to these things, and want to be free of them, and for that God leads them from a life of debauchery to be born-again, but we cannot walk in sin and be born of God. No one with his fleshly mind can determine in himself to be a child of God. Some who are striving for a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ have ulterior motives, such as wanting to be spiritual leaders. Some stipulate to God that the only condition they will accept is to become the pastor of a church, but the best reason to become a Christian is to be saved from our sins so we can go to heaven when we die. God obviously calls some people as pastors, but our desire to lead should not exceed our desire to be one of the sheep of His pasture. (207h) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Salvation verses >> The Kingdom of God >> Salvation authority of God’s kingdom (219g) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> The elect >> God chooses us as we choose ourselves >> God chooses us as we fulfill His calling – How do we get the Holy Spirit to dwell in us? Some people have tried their whole lives to be saved; they did everything they knew to become confident in their salvation and never achieved it. This in part has to do with predestination; God chooses those who will become His children. Why wouldn’t God choose someone who wants to be a Christian? How do we talk God into living in our hearts? The short answer is we cannot talk God into anything; we are either chosen or we are not. On the one hand, those who are not chosen try to convince God to dwell in them by the Spirit, but if they are not chosen of God, it simply will not happen. On the other hand, if we have a genuine faith and a sincere heart, and if we “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col 1-10), God will come to dwell in us. However, if we have ulterior motives for wanting to be be religious and going to church, appearing righteous before men, only mimicking the brethren, salvation will not come near us. (238a) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> The kingdom is transferred to the Church >> Born again >> Born of the Spirit by the will of God >> Born again by the will of the Father – We are not children of God who were born by natural means, for no one is born a Christian from his mother’s womb; nor are we children of God according to the flesh, for the flesh of man is under a curse; nor are we children of God according to society, for there is no such thing as a Christian nation. We are the children of God who are born of God. Jn 1-12 (111c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit of truth -- This verse goes with verse 9 Jn 1-13 (61e) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Futile way of life—Inherited sin / Personal choice – Jesus initiated the teaching of being born-again, and of this persuasion John said we are not born of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. John rules out three possibilities of what it means to be born-again. He ruled out being spiritually born of blood; inheriting salvation from our parents is impossible; we inherit their sin, not their faith. No doubt some people believe they are saved because they came from a religious heritage. Their parents have always been devoted to their church; they never missed a service and they habitually read their Bible every day, and prayed and did everything they were expected to do as Christians. The parents may be going to heaven, but their children don't go there by default, because the born-again experience cannot be inherited. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar / Parallel Gospel Jn 1,14-17 (35a) Gift of God >> God is willing to Give >> He is generous with the flesh of His Son – God graced the world with Moses and the law, then He graced the world with Jesus Christ, who graces us with His Spirit. These layers are different from each other as the law is from the Spirit. When God allots us a measure of faith on the day of our spiritual birth, He bestows an anointing on our subsequent obedience. He gives us gifts and abilities that can transform our lives according to the power that works within us, and these things should never be shunned, since they cause the body to grow and remain spiritually healthy, and they make Christianity attractive to those in the world who are seeking truth from God. (114ha) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Jesus does God’s work >> All his works are done through the father >> Jesus gives voice to His Father Jn 1-14 (37c) Judgment >> Jesus’ humanity >> He had human flesh – God is not interested in violating the will of man, though one of His main goals is to capture the human heart and turn man’s desire toward Himself to do His will, such as what the Lord did with Paul, and all the apostles of the early Church. They were completely sold-out to Jesus. His bondservants willingly responded, doing whatever He wanted to the point of death, and God imposed His will on others throughout the ages, persuading them to willingly yield their lives to Him. Jesus was set apart from sinners, though He lived in a body of sin. He was happy to obey His Father, yet He had to subject His flesh to please Him. He lived in a body of sinful flesh that was under the curse of sin, though Jesus never committed a sin; when it came to His flesh, Jesus was no different from the rest of us. We think of Him as a person who floated through life with no difficulties, but obeying His Father at times was just as difficult for Him as it is for us. The difference between He and us is that His soul was the Spirit of God, and when times got difficult and temptations grew severe, Jesus always resisted them, whereas we often fall to our temptations. For this we have received forgiveness and salvation through His blood sacrifice, and that sacrifice saves us because of the perfect life He lived for thirty-three years. (107e) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Truth of the trinity >> Jesus is truth -- This verse goes with verse 17. John said, “From His fullness we have all received.” That word “all” means everyone who is a Christian and on his way to heaven. We have all received a portion of His fullness. How can we receive something from Christ if He is in heaven? John is essentially equating Jesus Christ with he Holy Spirit, saying that He has sent the Holy Spirit in His place, so to receive Him is to receive Christ. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (Jn 20-21). Jesus also said, “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me ” (Mat 10-40). Anyone who receives Christ receives the Spirit of His Father. Both the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ are entities of the triune God. (244l) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Literal manifestation of God’s word >> Love is the manifestation of truth (245n) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Spirit realm superimposed upon the natural realm >> The spiritual manifesting into the natural – God superimposed Himself over the natural realm. That is, He used the natural realm as a medium; He used human flesh to reveal Himself, so both God and man became a single entity. God harnessed the natural realm and used it to do His will as he hovered over the Virgin Mary causing her to conceive. He harnessed her genetic material borrowing one of her eggs, fertilizing it by His Spirit, and the result was the Son of God. He placed His Spirit in the fetus that would be born to her and used the resulting body to do His will. God the Father did not force Jesus to do anything, except by His love, and He does the same to us, persuading His people to sacrifice their lives in ways they would have never otherwise considered. For God to impose His will over His creation is not to make robots of us but to harness our desire to willingly serve Him. (248f) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Jesus is first >> Jesus is first born of the Father – Jesus was begotten, not made. God stands apart from the things He makes, but whom He has begotten is an aspect of Himself and shares in all His essential characteristics, so Jesus is God in human flesh. In a similar way God stands apart from the natural man that He has made, but the born-again believer He has begotten, and he shares many of God's essential Characteristics. Although born-again believers have partaken of the divine nature, we are not by that God as Jesus is God, because He existed before he was born, and for that reason He was never made, whereas we were first made and then begotten by the Spirit. For further understanding on this read C.S. Lewis "Mere Christianity". (255c) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> God’s word is Spirit >> Jesus is the word of the Spirit >> Jesus is the manifested word of God -- This verse goes with verse 1. This verse corresponds with verse one of this chapter, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God.” Now this verse says, “The word became flesh and dwelt among us,” positively identifying Jesus as the word of God, not the letters of ink found in the Bible, but the word of God disseminating from the Holy Spirit, originating from the Father. Jesus was the perfect conduit for the mind of God, who spoke whatever He heard from the Father. He not only knew the mind of God and spoke His truth to the world, He also obeyed the truth to the minutest jot and tittle. Therefore, the Father’s greatest expression of grace and mercy was to predestine His Son to be born in a fleshly body like ours, which automatically made Him destined for the cross, both by the will of God and by the will of man. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar / Parallel Gospel Jn 1,16-18 (31g) Gift of God >> Grace >> Salvation >> God’s mercy opposes man’s theology – “Grace upon grace,” suggests there are layers of grace. God sends a layer of grace upon us when we are born-again, as Paul said in Rom 12-3, “God has allotted to each a measure of faith,” and if we walk in His grace, God will appoint an anointing over our lives, which will represent the next layer of His grace. If we fulfill our spiritual potential, God will increase our anointing, layer upon layer, grace upon grace. The initial measure of faith that God gives on the day of our salvation acts as a seed, and that seed grows into a plant, and that plant never stops growing throughout our natural lives. God will then receive us in His heavenly kingdom as plants that have matured over a lifetime, according to our willingness and ability to walk in His grace. Jn 1-17,18 (109a) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelations of the Holy Spirit >> Spirit reveals the Father (153b) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Jesus bears witness of the Father – This passage depicts the contrast between Moses and Jesus, the old covenant versus the new covenant, the Law versus the Spirit. The book of Hebrews explained the improvements of the new covenant as better than the old by just so much as grace is better than the Law. We believe in Jesus for eternal life, and we walk in His grace to fulfill the Law. The Law didn’t work in the old covenant because there was no assistance from God to help us obey it, but were expected to fulfill the Law through the agency of sinful flesh, which is impossible. That is, the Law was given because of sinful flesh and expected that same sinful flesh to obey it. Therefore, if we believe in the truth but don’t walk in His grace, it is equivalent to breaking the Law. Everyone lives what we believe, but if we don’t live what we belief about God, then our faith is unbelievable. It is good to believe in God, but it is better to obey Him. If we can’t prove we believe in Him, then we have proven we believe in something else, the opposite of the truth, which is unbelief. We believe in the truth by walking in His grace, which is the truth, as James said, “Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (Jm 2-18). The new covenant is better because we have a better way of believing in God, walking in His grace and in the process fulfilling the Law. Jn 1-17 (107e) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Truth of the trinity >> Jesus is truth -- This verse goes with verse 14 (118d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Seeing through the eyes of your spirit >> Real-eyes (205kb) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> Faith versus works >> The faith of God versus the faith of men >> Faith versus the law >> Saved by grace through faith – This verse makes one of the most concise distinctions in the Bible between the law of the old covenant and the grace of the new covenant, which is something that the apostle Paul extensively covered in his epistles to the Galatians and Romans. The law of God was designed to govern man's flesh, while His grace governs his spirit, yet apparently people would prefer to be governed by the flesh. In fact, most people can’t think of giving up the flesh, because they know that to become familiar with the Holy Spirit would intrinsically change their telluric state to that of holy people, which is required in relating to God, the very thing many are trying to avoid. People feel comfortable in the flesh, but God is opposed to sinful nature of man, hence to the world. Man would rather be at enmity with God than with the world, which they consider their home, but this is unacceptable to God. He wants us to become spiritual and to relate to Him through grace and truth of the new covenant, that we might walk with Him in the Spirit. Truth is on the side of grace, not on the side of the law, for the law can only lead us to what is wrong with us and point out our sin. So if we don't want to focus on the darkness of our sinful nature, then we should abandon the law and walk in His grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and inadvertently fulfill the law. Jn 1-18 (221h) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> God hides his divinity from man’s corruption >> He hides behind the veil -- This verse goes with verses 31-34 (253e) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the internal qualities of the Father >> Jesus is the Son of God >> Declared the Son of God by angels and believers -- This verses goes with verse 27 KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Jn 1,19-23 (50da) Judgment >> Last Days >> Great Endtime Revival >> Jews lead the wo rld into revival >> Israel prophesied to believe in Jesus at the end of the age – Israel was expecting the Kingdom of God to appear immediately (Lk 19-11) and deliver them from their enemies, namely the Romans. For this reason the Jews suspected John to be one of three possible prophets come to make this happen as described in the Old Testament: the Messiah, Elijah or the prophet. We know Jesus, and we know Elijah, but who is this prophet they mentioned? It is Moses! Moses and Elijah met the Lord on Mount Transfiguration, and they represent the Two Witnesses in Revelation chapter 11, who have the unique ministry of restoring God’s people to the faith. The Jews were looking forward to a Kingdom to come, even as we hope for the Rapture, prior to the age of "Millennium", suggesting that they too believed they were living in the last days. Still, what inspired the Jews to question if John were Elijah returned from the dead? There must be something in the Old Testament Scriptures that led them to believe this. There must be a passage of Scripture probably in the Minor Prophets describing the two witnesses that are yet to come. Malachi 4-5,6 says, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” (77f) Thy kingdom come >> Humility >> Refusing the glory of man >> Rejecting the worship of men – John the Baptist confessed he was not the Christ, while Jesus confessed He was, and both were great confessions. What was so great about John’s confession? John had a moment of glory; he had disciples and people’s attention, yet he never sought the glory for himself, but used it to direct people’s attention to Christ. He could have taken the glory for himself and made the bodacious claim that he was the Christ, and people would have believed him for a while. He could have seized the moment and the people’s adoration. They would have glorified him as their king and required him to deliver them from their enemies. He would have had a short-lived moment before the Romans took him away and hung him on a cross for competing against the throne of Caesar. Jesus commended John the Baptist in another gospel, saying there was no one greater than him, because of his great confession, because he would rather be a martyr than seek the glory of man, and because he fulfilled his ministry. Jn 1-19,20 (144e) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> The Church Bears Witness of Jesus >> That He was sent by God -- These verses go with verses 7&8 Jn 1-21 (63c) Paradox >> Anomalies >> Righteous deception >> Church deceive the world Jn 1,22-24 (209a) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >> Being married to God >> We go where He goes -- These verses go with verses 35-39 Jn 1,24-30 (201e) Denying Christ >> Jesus is an offense >> Truth offends error >> The gospel offends the religious establishment – The people who spoke to John were messengers sent by the Pharisees, as though he were not worthy of the Pharisee’s time. John introduced a new tradition to Israel, which should have clued them into the fact that he had authority, not from the Pharisees but from God. The messengers of the Pharisees virtually had no insight into anything John was doing, their complaint being that he performed his ministry apart from them. They didn’t even know what questions to ask. When the Pharisees finally came and saw for themselves, they didn’t ask the right questions either, for they were no wiser than the messengers they sent. They spoke to John as though they were already familiar with baptism, but before John, baptism didn’t exist. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Jn 1,26-30 (71d) Authority >> Ordained by God >> Worthiness of man >> God makes us worthy of heaven – John proved his knowledge and understanding of Jesus by the statement he made that He was not worthy to untie His sandals. Nobody is worthy to serve the Lord, yet He commands us to serve Him, meaning that He has given us authority to serve Him, as it says in verse 12, "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God." He goes further and says that if we don’t serve Him, we are being disobedient. When we think of Jesus in heaven throughout eternity, He has always been exalted above every created thing, and now He has taken on human flesh and became one of us, humbling Himself in a way much lower than ourselves, in that He was previously higher than any created being, so when we add His exalted state to His humble state, we discover His infinite meekness. No man could humble Himself like Jesus did, because no man was higher than Him. See also: Jesus Christ (His righteousness); Lk 19,5-10; 35j (169e) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world is blind to God >> Darkness has a blinding effect – John’s answer to them was, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know,” but Jesus was not in the crowd when he said this. John was talking about their Messiah who walked among them for the last thirty years, and they were completely unaware of Him. To be fair to the religious establishment at the time, we could say that Jesus was incognito, unwilling to give any signs of His true identity prior to His ministry, but when his ministry began He held up a glowing neon sign that He was the Christ, yet they failed to recognize the time of their visitation (Lk 19-44). Should they have recognized Him? The short answer is yes, if they hadn’t been spiritually numb regarding the things of God, but the long answer is “no.” It was predestined that they should be spiritually blind and shortsighted, ignorant to a fault, even to the point of it being hard to imagine. They may have had degrees, being no doubt learned and highly intelligent men, but spiritually they were just dumb. Jn 1-26 (209b) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >> Counterfeit relationship through religion >> Knowing about God, but not knowing God -- This verse goes with verses 10-12. No doubt people standing in the crowd looked for a man that fit Jesus’ description and did not find Him. They did not see a man who was glorious, majestic and powerful; all they saw was regular faces and typical expressions, no one who really stood-out in the crowd. Go back to the Old Testament and look at king Saul; “There was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than all the people” (1Samuel 9-2). The Israelites demanded from God a king like all the nations, and so He granted them Saul, and He was the opposite person of Jesus Christ. This is always the kind of person the people want as their leader. They always look to the outward appearance; if he doesn’t look right, they will overlook him, and if He doesn’t exalt and glorify Himself, no one wants him. These are the ways of the world, and Jesus came to show us that God is just the opposite. Had God sent a handsome man, head and shoulders above the rest, who bragged about his gifts and abilities and promised the world to those who served him, they would have received Him without flinching. Instead, God sent Jesus of regular appearance no more handsome than the average Joe, disgraceful in the eyes of the world, though He embodied the grace of God, who was more humble than any man, and for this reason the world could not see Him. After 3½ years demonstrating to Israel His true identity through signs and wonders the words he spoke, still they rejected Him, because he wasn’t worldly. They may have wanted to be healed and He healed them, but they wanted something more than physical health; they want someone they could respect and adore, but God gave them someone they could worship! (217i) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> I never knew you >> Because you never knew Him Jn 1-27 (253e) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the internal qualities of the Father >> Jesus is the Son of God >> Declared the Son of God by angels and believers -- This verses goes with verse 34. Think of all the attributes of Jesus that John could have cited that gave Him a higher rank than John: He was the Son of God, He was without sin, He was the creator of the universe, He was the savior of the world. These are important, but John didn’t mention them as the reason Jesus had a higher rank. Jesus and John were cousins and they were around the same age, John being older by only a few months, yet Jesus existed before him. We cannot say this about any other person that he existed before he was born, but John said it about Jesus. He existed before the Father fertilized Mary’s egg; Jesus is older than man (Genesis 1-26); He is literally older than dirt (Col 1-16,17). Of all things John named Jesus’ attribute of His eternal past as that which gives him a higher rank. All his other attributes are also important, but only because they are hinged on this one: He never had a beginning (Rev 1-17). See also: Jesus descended from the line of David; Heb 7-6; 151b KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Jn 1-29 (69b) Authority >> Discernment >> Discerning the Truth -- This verse goes with verses 35&36 (210c) Jesus Is Our Savior (Key verse) (210d) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Jesus is our savior >> Jesus is the savior of the world Jn 1,31-34 (91a) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> God’s purpose for us is to fulfill His calling >> Walk in the anointing to fulfill God’s purpose – John the Baptist watched the Holy Spirit descend like a dove and remain on the man, which was a sign of the Christ. This dove was not an actual bird, but was a sign of the anointing. Birds normally don’t land on people, but the dove rested on Jesus, because of His peaceful nature, which is one of the fruits of the Spirit. If we could get a bird to land on us, it wouldn’t stay long. We would invariably do something to frighten it away; so is sin to the anointing. Jesus did not chase away the anointing, being He was without sin. (113l) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Anointing establishes us in His will – The anointing is not mentioned often in the Bible and is mentioned even less in Church, yet we know that John the Baptist taught the baptism (anointing) of the Holy Spirit. His ministry was to introduce Israel to their Messiah, whose name “Christ” actually means “the anointed one.” No one ordained John the Baptist, nor did anyone ordain Christ, yet the same God sent them both (v33). The Holy Spirit ordained John and sent him to baptize, placing upon John an old covenant anointing that only kings and prophets received, suggesting that the purpose of the anointing was to rule and judge. John was the last of the old covenant prophets and the first of the new covenant prophets, being the transition between old and new covenants. Now the anointing is meant for all God's children. (118f) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Seeing through the eyes of your spirit >> Eyes of discernment – The anointing of the Holy Spirit was the identifying mark of Christ that only John could see through his anointing. The antichrist has a mark, but God has a mark too, prepared for those who love and serve Him in Spirit and truth. (221h) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> God hides his divinity from man’s corruption >> He hides behind the veil -- These verses go with verse 18. Jesus hid from the eyes of unbelief behind the veil of His flesh, suggesting that Jesus was not obvious to the naked eye, and implying that He had no physical identifying mark that would distinguish Him from the rest of humanity. He had no interesting features that would tell Him apart, such as being the tallest or the most handsome man in the crowd, as Hollywood has depicted Him. Everything that was unique and special about Him was spiritual, unlike some of the dressy televangelist and mega-church preachers of our day, who have their hair combed just right; they are good-looking, smooth talkers, and they counterfeit the anointing to attract people to their churches. If they ever had an anointing, they chased it away long ago. Jn 1,32-34 (144f) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> The Church Bears Witness of Jesus >> Witness of the Holy Spirit Jn 1-32 (126h) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Peace >> Anointing of peace (128h) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Gentleness >> Jesus is gentle Jn 1-33 (190k) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Baptism >> Baptism of the Holy Spirit Jn 1-34 (253e) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the internal qualities of the Father >> Jesus is the Son of God >> Declared the Son of God by angels and believers -- This verse goes with verse 18 KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Jn 1,35-51 (143h) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Popularity >> Sought commendably >> Seeking Jesus for His favor – John the Baptist had a part in the selection of Jesus twelve disciples, whose ministry revolved around preparing the hearts of Israel to receive their Messiah. John stood with two of His disciples, and as Jesus walked passed John, he said, “Behold the lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him speak and followed Jesus. One of these was Andrew, who was one of the twelve. He had friends and a brother, Simon (whom Jesus named Peter), and introduced them to Jesus, and some were included in the twelve. Andrew found Phillip and Phillip found Nathaniel. (215l) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> Suddenly >> The disciples immediately followed Jesus (232m) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Seek the essence of his kingdom >> Seeking Jesus Jn 1,35-46 (101f) Thy kingdom come >> Zeal >> Fulfill your calling with zeal – We hear about Peter far more than Andrew, who were brothers, Andrew in the outer circle, Peter in the inner circle, closest to Jesus. Andrew clearly loved the Lord and would do anything to follow Him, but Peter had a zeal that far exceeded his brother’s. Jesus honored Peter for his zeal; today they are called "religious fanatics". This term has infiltrated the Church, so now even so-called Christians call their fellow brothers religious fanatics when their commitment to God exceeds their own. We want our pastors to be zealous and to always be busy serving the Lord for the sake of the flock, for it produces confidence in the sheep. No one trusts a lazy pastor, but an ambitious man of God generates trust in people, though they could be zealous shysters. Zeal generates trust either way, for it convinces others that they really believe. (102h) Thy kingdom come >> Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Trustworthy >> Loyalty – Jesus honored Andrew and the other disciples for acting on what they knew. Andrew had a hearing ear and a trusting heart. It was not blind ignorance to trust John the Baptist, since prophecy was written of him; there was enough scriptural evidence to prove that God sent him and that he was telling the truth. The disciples also had a sufficient comprehension of the Scriptures, being taught the ancient manuscripts all their lives as Jews. They also had an ear to hear the word of God, so when they heard it they recognized it immediately as the truth from God. They had a third thing—zeal. These three: trust, a hearing ear and zeal, are all anyone needs to follow Jesus and have a fruitful ministry. (239e) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Teachable students >> The teachable are taught by God – Most within the religious establishment were very learned men, compared to Jesus’ twelve disciples. Although the disciples had a zeal for God, the religious establishment did too, spending hundreds of hours studying the Scriptures, seeming to have the attributes that Jesus desired in his disciples, but there was one trait the disciples had that Jesus prized above the rest, a teachable spirit. What good had the Pharisees been if Jesus couldn't teach them anything? They would have made really lousy disciples; they would have constantly told Jesus what to say and do, and He would have never been able to communicate with them. Actually, Jesus struggled to communicate with His disciples. For example, He was never able to dissuade them from their previous beliefs that when Messiah came, He would establish a physical kingdom that we call Millennium, which is still to come. This was the age they were expecting to enter, and Jesus wasn’t able to talk them out of it until His resurrection. After endowing their understanding of God with the Spirit of anointing at Pentecost, then everything changed, but with the Pharisees it wouldn’t have worked. The same old ideas would have been in them that they had from the beginning, whereas the disciples were willing to trash their old ideas and take up God’s true cause of the gospel and initiate the age of grace in which we are still living. The Pharisees would have never done this. Jn 1,35-39 (93g) Thy kingdom come >> Following Jesus >> Disciples follow Him – One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew. He found his brother, Simon, and introduced him to the Savior, whom Jesus called Peter. In contrast to the Pharisees, Scribes and chief priests, the disciples only needed John the Baptist to say “Behold the Lamb of God”, and with that they followed Jesus to their deaths. The religious establishment needed confirmation, authentication and credentials, but the disciples inherently knew that the word of God was John’s credentials. They heard John speak and recognized the truth in him, and by that they knew He was from God. Whatever he said they believed; John said, “I am not the One,” and then pointed out Jesus. Before He performed any signs the disciples immediately weaned off John and attached themselves to the Christ. They didn’t ask any questions; they didn’t take a day to decide; the very moment John identified the Christ they never left His side. This is what Jesus sought in His disciples, and He still does to this day. (209a) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >> Being married to God >> We go where He goes -- These verses go with verses 22-24 Jn 1-35,36 (69b) Authority >> Discernment >> Discerning the Truth -- These verses go with verse 29. How much faith did it take for these guys to recognize Jesus as the Christ through John? Almost none! Yet, the religious establishment couldn’t see it, because they didn't have enough faith to discern the truth. At this point in the ministry of Christ and in the lives of His disciples, faith meant trust, meaning that the religious establishment wasn’t able to trust anybody but themselves. The moneymaking business of their religion was a major hindrance to the religious establishment's ability to trust what John said or in Jesus. These were wealthy men and highly esteemed as leading authorities on the Scriptures. They probably did know the Scriptures better than anyone, but they didn’t know what any of it meant. Jesus knew the Scriptures backward and forward too, but He also knew what it meant. This is what made Jesus different from the religious establishment, and this is what made Him powerful. The Scriptures were the written version of His authority, while His spiritual authority resided with His Father. A person can go to college and learn all about the Bible and become accredited, and people would respect them, but none of this guarantees they would know what the Bible means. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Jn 1-36,37 (147e) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Divine works of God >> Signs and wonders – The two disciples heard John the Baptist speak, and they followed Jesus.” One of those disciples was Andrew; he recognized John the Baptist as the prophet who was to introduce the Messiah, saying, “make ready the way of the Lord” (Mat 3-3). Jesus chose His disciples based on the fact that they were spiritually attuned more than others, who recognized the signs of the times. If endtime prophecy were to unfold in our lifetime, would we recognize the signs of the times? Jn 1,40-46 (131e) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Brother depends on you >> To lead him to Jesus – Some disciples chose Jesus, for instance Judas Iscariot, and the Lord accepted them, and other disciples Jesus actively chose, but ultimately Jesus chose all twelve of His closest disciples, much more the inner circle, consisting of Peter, James and John. He invested more time and effort into them, but he didn’t love them more than others. Philip was an evangelist, introducing his friends and relatives to Jesus and many of them became members of the twelve. They had a descent knowledgebase of the scriptures before they met Jesus, suggesting that it had already been their custom to discuss the things of God. (149e) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Compel them to come in >> luring them in Jn 1,40-42 (208b) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Salvation verses >> The kindness of God >> You and your household shall be saved Jn 1-43 (219e) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> The elect >> God transforms the world into the Church >> God selects us from the world Jn 1-45 (141h) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Old Testament bears witness to the new >> It bears witness to Jesus >> Prophesy about Jesus’ life Jn 1-46 (20j) Sin >> Doubt is based on past experience – No one expected anything good to come from Nazareth. God chose this small village to raise His Son for the very reason that it was overlooked. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Jn 1,47-51 (86e) Thy kingdom come >> Belief >> God’s works act as evidence to support our beliefs (152f) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Prophets >> Jesus is a prophet >> Jesus prophesies to the Church Jn 1,47-49 (150f) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Confessing Jesus >> Confessing Jesus as the son of God Jn 1-47 (91i) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> God’s calling transcends the will of man >> We are called by God through His choice of us – Jesus admired Nathanael for being a genuine person devoid of ulterior motives. What did it take to be numbered among the disciples? Jesus had previously met them and later rounded up His twelve, and they followed Him; Judas Iscariot followed Him only because he thought there would be money in it. In Jn 6-70 Jesus confessed to choosing Judas, but His choosing was probably more that of accepting him into the group, knowing Scripture that one must lift up his heel against him (Psalm 41:9). Even he was loyal in some ways; he was one of the last to be accepted into the twelve and stayed with Him the entire time, though he often came and went for business purposes. All of His disciples were loyal, and that was probably the primary criterion Jesus used when He chose them. He depended on the twelve to establish the Church in the world. They had a special anointing as apostles, and they knew Jesus like nobody else, and they were absolutely determined to do His will from a deep faith and commitment. They witnessed His life and miracles, His ministry and word, His persecution and crucifixion, His resurrection and ascension. (105a) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart >> A pure heart is a genuine heart – Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mat 5-8). What more is there to life than to see God? Even those who are judged to eternal damnation will see God at the White Throne Judgment, but they will see a side of Him that none of us in heaven will see. The pure in heart will see God in all His glory as the lover of man’s soul. Our immediate family members love us, father, mother and siblings, spouse and children, but nobody loves us the way God does. He loves us for reasons that nobody really understands. Why would God love us; what did we do to deserve His favor? Even being pure in heart does not deserve God’s favor, because we are only pure according to the standard of men, not compared to God. He loves us in spite of all our foibles, thankfully, and He has a plan to rescue us from our sins and perfect our soul and make us holy and righteous so we can live with Him (Heb 12-23). Jn 1,48-51 (117i) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Seeing visions – Nathanael exclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God from a word of knowledge that Jesus had about him. Jesus said that this is not why he should believe; the better reason he should believe is that he “will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” We know about the transfiguration, but Nathanael didn't witness that. We are unaware of any vision of angels ascending and descending on the Lord. Jesus acted as the interface between heaven and earth, having the attributes of both domains, and was able to communicate equally well with the natural and the spiritual realms. It could be that Jesus communicated with the angels throughout His ministry, and apparently there was a certain occasion when that communication system was manifested to the disciples. Heaven was open to them, and they witnessed those who lived there. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Jn 1-48,49 (110b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit speaks through you >> Word of knowledge >> knowing the mind of Christ – Jesus used the gift of knowledge to tell Nathanael that he had recently been sitting beneath a certain fig tree, possibly one of his favorite places of prayer, reclining with his thoughts, meditating on God and His word. Some claim that since Jesus is God in human flesh, He knew everything, so of course He saw Nathanael under the fig tree, but Jesus left His omniscience at home and came to us in frailty with limitations like our own. When Jesus had special knowledge about something, He received it from His Father. The gifts of the Spirit are outlined in First Corinthians chapter twelve. It is a chapter that many people try to avoid, because they are afraid of the gifts. They are a manifestation of God, and they want to keep God in a theological box, but God wants to manifest among His people, and He does it through the gifts of the Spirit. Jn 1-49,50 (117h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Vision >> Real-eyes God’s purpose >> Understand God’s purpose for your life Jn 1-50,51 (147f) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Divine works of God >> Spiritual manifestations – This was in reference to an occurrence of the Old Testament called Jacob’s ladder. Gen 28-12 says, “He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” This was not just an occurrence; it was not just a depiction of the heavenly realm but a revelation of how that realm actually works. We don’t know how much this occurs in the world with angels interacting with mankind. Heaven opened, it says, and angels ascended and descended on the point where Jesus stood; He acted as a portal that opened to the infinite. Usually these things are concealed from our eyes, but there are times when we sense God and draw from those experiences a relationship with God that has been raised to new heights, which, if we can grasp it, will remain our possession throughout this life and into eternity. God will etch into our resurrected bodies God’s closeness that we enjoyed in this life. See next page