John 1:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

NIV: There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

NASB: A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John.

CSB: There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

NLT: God sent a man, John the Baptist,

KJV: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

NKJV: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

Verse 6 introduces John the Baptist as a messenger of God. This is not John, the gospel writer and disciple of Jesus. The Baptist is Jesus' cousin, the son of Elizabeth (Luke 1:57–60). He was the first person to react to the presence of the Messiah, even though he was an unborn child (Luke 1:41–44). John the Baptist would grow into a spiritual powerhouse, calling Israel to "repent," which literally means to turn around. Baptism was already practiced in this region, as a sign of repentance. It was sometimes used by those converting to Judaism. The fact that the Baptist was doing this to Jews made his ministry controversial. His role was exactly this: to "prepare the way" for the Promised One. Later in chapter 1, the Baptist will make it clear that he is not the Messiah. We often forget that John the Baptist was only five or six months older than Jesus, and yet he began his preaching ministry much earlier.

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 identical to God, and co-creator with God. 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 identical to 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 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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 5/9/2024 9:05:50 AM