John 1:1-5 – Prologue of John (Part 1) Bailey Towne, March 12, 2023March 17, 2024 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5, New King James Version (NKJV) 1Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. 2οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν. 3πάντα διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν. ὃ γέγονεν 4ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων· 5καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν. John 1:1-5, The Greek New Testament According to the Majority Text. Zane C. Hodges and Arthur L. Farstad INTRODUCTION Background information about this Gospel and the Apostle John before the sermon. OVERVIEW •One of the four Gospel account. Not a synoptic Gospel. AUTHORSHIP •“the disciple whom Jesus loved” (21:20,24) •Internal & external evidence favor John •Irenaeus, disciple of Polycarp, disciple of John, attributes this Gospel to John. •John, brother of James, sons of Zebedee. Fishermen by trade •Same brothers called the ‘sons of thunder’ by Jesus (Mark 3:17) •John and James wanted to rain down fire from heaven on the Samaritan’s that rejected Jesus. (Luke 9:54) •John and James along with Peter are commonly referred to as the ‘inner three’. •Peter, James and John were chosen to witness the transfiguration of Christ (Matthew 17:10) DATE & HISTORY •Probable date: 80-90 A.D, toward the end of his life, before exile. •Written while John was living in Ephesus •Early Church Fathers affirm it to be the last of the four Gospels. PURPOSE •One of the most Christological books in the Bible, very rich in theology. •John writes about the works of Jesus and tells us the purpose of these stories in Chapter 20: 20:30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. •This book, as it has rightfully been titled, is a Gospel! D.A. Carson writes: “All the movement of the plot is toward the cross and the resurrection. The cross is not merely a revelatory moment: it is the death of the shepherd for his sheep, the sacrifice of one man for his nation, the life that is given for the world, the victory of the Lamb of God, the triumph of the obedient Son who in consequence of his obedience bequeaths his life, his peace, his joy, his Spirit.”1 TRANSITION •We will spend three Lord’s Day’s in the Prologue of John, John 1:1-18. •We will read the prologue each day. Prologue of John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. •You may have heard it said that in the Prologue of John, we have the Christmas story. No Inn, no baby in a manger, no Mary or Joseph, no Shepherds, no Angels, no Magi, no star of Bethlehem. But the Christmas story, nonetheless. For it is here that we see the incarnation of the Son of God. It is here also, that we see plainly, the eternal deity of Christ and the identity of Christ as Creator-God. OPENING PRAYER SCRIPTURE READING 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. JESUS AS THE WORD •John introduces Jesus in a unique way compared to Matthew, Mark, and Luke. •Matthew introduces Him as ‘The Son of David, the Son of Abraham’ (1:1) •Mark introduces Him as ‘The Son of God’ •Luke introduces Him as the Son of David and the Son of God. •But John goes deeper, or should we say, higher. He identifies Jesus as the Word, the preincarnate, eternal, Creator-God. THE LOGOS •Why is it that John chose to call the preincarnate Son of God, the Logos? •We do not know for sure, but I would argue that perhaps it was to draw the attention of the Jews, the Gentiles, and the Greeks. •The idea of the logos as a cosmic process goes back to at least the 6th century B.C. •Later in the 4th and 3rd century the logos became understood, as the Encyclopedia Britannica puts it, “a rational and spiritual principle that permeated all reality”. •The Greeks “called the logos providence, nature, god, and the soul of the universe…” •D.A. Carson writes: “The Stoics understood logos to be the rational principle by which everything exists, and which is the essence of the rational human soul. As far as they were concerned, there is no other god than logos, and all that exists has sprung from seminal logoi , seeds of the logos.”2 •During the time of Jesus and the Apostles, Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish Philosopher, “taught that the logos was an intermediary between God and the cosmos, being an agent of creation and the agent through which the human mind can apprehend and comprehend God.” PRACTICAL APPLICATION •In Acts 17 we read about how Paul, when he was in Athens, noticed an altar, and on that altar was the inscription “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD”. Paul uses this as an opportunity to teach these learned and religious people about the one true God! And what was their response? •We read in verses 32-34: 32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. •Let us not forget brothers and sisters that we are dealing with real people when we go forth to make disciples of all the nations. These people that have been inundated with their culture, and in many cases, idols and false gods. THE LOGOS (Returning) •Going back to John’s use of logos to identify our Creator-God, he is intentionally or unintentionally saying to his 1st century readers, “you believe in a logos, but let me show you who the true Logos is!” •So when John refers to the preincarnate Son of God as the Logos, the educated gentile world of his time would have immediately had some sense as to the divine nature of this being. But John goes further than that, John uses words that would draw virtually every devout Jew back to the first few words of the Greek translation of the Jewish Bible, the Septuagint, “Ἐν ἀρχῇ”, “In the beginning”. •I believe that John, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is drawing the reader back to the first four verses in Genesis. •I do not think that it is by coincidence that what ends up being the first paragraph in John and the first paragraph in Genesis discuss creation, the Word of God, darkness, and light. I believe that John is intentionally showing us that when God spoke everything into creation, it was God the Father working through the Word (“Logos”) and the Spirit. •In Genesis 1:1-4 we read: 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. ILLUSTRATION Kent Hughes writes: “It is rightly said that each of the Gospels presents Christ with a distinctive emphasis. Matthew emphasizes his kingship, Mark his servanthood, Luke his manhood, and John his Godhood… John is unique in his powerful presentation of Jesus as the great Creator-God of the universe. His massive vision of Christ has been used countless times to open the eyes of unbelievers to who Jesus is and the way of redemption. This Gospel’s continuing effect on Christians is equally profound because in John’s account believers find an ongoing source for expanding their concept of the Savior’s greatness. The serious student of John will find that each time he returns to the Gospel, Christ will be a little bigger.” ILLUSTRATION (Continued) “Something like Lucy’s experience with the lion Aslan (the Christ figure in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia) as she again gazed into his large, wise face. ‘Welcome, child,’ he said ‘Alsan,’ said Lucy, ‘your bigger’ ‘That is because you are older, little one,’ answered he. ‘Not because you are?’ ‘I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.’ My hope is that as we work our way through this book, we will find Christ bigger, and bigger, and bigger”3 •The doctrine of the Deity of Christ is my favorite doctrine, it is a doctrine, that when fully understood, will drive you to your knees in repentance and humility, in praise and wonder, in love and adoration for the Creator-God that took on human flesh and died a sinners death, that we might have everlasting life. •Because of this emphasis that John puts on the eternal deity of Christ, this Gospel has been viciously attacked by heretics and false teachers. The teaching that Jesus was a created being and not eternally divine can be traced back to at least the Arian heresy of the 4th century. HERESY •Modern day religious groups to include the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Biblical Unitarians, and Oneness Pentecostals hold to the teaching, that Jesus did not eternally exist with God the father as part of the divine godhead. And this heretical teaching and belief is on the rise. •According to the 2022 State of Theology Survey conducted by Ligonier Ministries and LifeWay Research, 43% of U.S. Evangelicals agree with the statement that “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.” •This number is up 13% from 2020 •These are people that call themselves Christians! Yet they deny the eternal deity of Christ. •Beware brothers and sisters that you do not get caught up in such falsehood. When you hear someone questioning the words of Holy Writ, what should immediately come to mind is the words of the great deceiver, who’s first recorded words in Genesis 3:1 were “Has God indeed said..?” Had Eve replied with “Yes! He has!” Imagine how much pain, suffering, and death could have been prevented had mankind simply stood on the word of God! •The Word of God is vital to life, and God has spoken! CHRIST, THE ETERNAL WORD 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. •The word ‘beginning’ here is translated from the greek ἀρχῇ, meaning the commencement, or positionally, the first or primary thing or person. It’s meaning alone is not specific to the beginning of time, as a matter of fact the word is used 59 times in the New Testament. Of those 59 uses of ἀρχῇ only 8 times does it mean beginning of time or the temporal beginning of the universe. •This second verse seems repetitious, and it is, but not without purpose. •John Gill writes: (this repetition) “is made to show the importance of the truths before delivered; namely, the eternity of Christ, His distinct personality, and proper Deity; and that the phrase, in the beginning, is to be joined to each of the above sentences; and so proves not only His eternal existence but His eternal existence with the Father, and also His eternal Deity; and is also made to carry on the thread of the discourse concerning the Word; and not God the Father;”4 •Some people, in an attempt to deny the eternality of the Logos, have tried to argue that this reference to the beginning simply means the beginning of an age, specifically the New Testament church age. •But how can we determine the meaning of a word? •As with all Scripture, we must read the words in context. The very next verse gives us that context. 1:3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. •Again, we see John using a repetition to make it very clear that absolutely everything, was made through the Word. He is not merely talking about the ‘new creation’, as those that reject the eternal deity of Christ would assert. •καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν ὃ γέγονεν •translation: and without Him came into being not one (thing) that came into being. •So this beginning cannot be the beginning of an age, and must be the beginning of time itself! Because not one thing came into being apart from the Word, therefore He must have existed before anything came into existence, indeed before time itself. •If John is not clear enough, we can get clarification and support to John’s statement from the Apostle Paul. CHRIST, THE ETERNAL WORD (Continued) •In Paul’s epistle to the Colossians (1:15-17) he writes: 1:15 He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. •A.W. Pink commenting on John 1:3 writes: “Here creation is ascribed to Him, and none but God can create. Man with all his boasting, is unable to bring into existence a single blade of grass. Observe, that the whole of creation is here ascribed to the Word… This would not be true if He were Himself a creature, even though the first and the highest creature… Just as He was before all things, and therefore eternal; so was He the Originator of all things, and therefore omnipotent.”5 TRANSITION •It is easy for us to get caught up in the trivial things of life. To get so wrapped up in our day-to-day routines that we lose focus of God’s awesome creation. •One thing I miss about being out at sea is the night sky. Being hundreds of miles away from the pollution of ambient light, gazing up at billions of stars all declaring the glory of God [see Psalm 19:1]. •What He has made is truly magnificent. From the massive scale of the cosmos to the microscopic scale of the cell, God’s signature is made apparent in the beauty of complexity of all that He has made. THE MAGNIFICENTS OF GOD •In the documentary film Expelled, Ben Stein interviews Dr. David Berlinski to discuss his thoughts on darwinian evolution. Ben Stein asks, (‘If Darwin thought in 1859 that the complexity of a cell was akin to a Buick’), “what is the cell now in terms of its complexity?” Berlinski immediately responds, “A galaxy.” •Dr. James Tour, one of the world’s leading synthetic organic chemists says, (‘the complexity of a cell is so great and becomes more complex the more we learn…’) •Each one of us is made up of some 32 trillion of these beautifully designed, marvelously complex cells. All working together in a purposeful symbiotic relationship to sustain our life on earth. Can we even begin to fathom the complexity of the One who created all things? •The goodness, the power, the holiness of our Creator-God is utterly incomprehensible. THE MAGNIFICENTS OF GOD (Continued) •So what do we do with these incredible lives that He has given us? How is it that we thank our mighty God for the blessings He has bestowed upon us? •I know, we prostrate ourselves on the floor every morning and every night in humble adoration and worship of His holy name! We spend hours on our knees in prayer every day. Hours in the study of His word striving to be conformed to His image. We love the Lord with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength (Mark 12:30). And we love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Mark 12:31). That is what we do, right? •No. We don’t. •Everyone of us falls short of giving God the praise, honor, and glory that is rightfully His. •While we were yet sinners, rebels against His holy name. He set His glory aside, veiled Himself in human flesh, and as the man Jesus of Nazareth, the eternal Son of God dwelt among us. •Not once did He sin, not once did He ever do anything but that which was right and good, that which the Father willed. •He came with purpose. He came to teach us what it meant to love, to serve, to sacrifice. He came to raise up Apostles and disciples, to lay the foundation of the Church. But most importantly He came to die, that we might live. •He was ridiculed and berated by the intellectuals and religious elites. •He was beaten, flogged, given a crown of thorns, and hung upon a cross by proud and arrogant men. •But this was not what caused Jesus the most pain. •What brought Him the greatest agony, the agony so great that it caused Him to sweat blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, was knowing that the wrath of God, the wrath stored up for you and me, would be poured out upon Him. Knowing that he would become sin on our behalf. TRANSITION •Sweating Blood (Hematidrosis). •An article in healthline describes this phenomenon. ”in rare instances, the flight-or-fight response can trigger the rupture of capillaries in the body. Capillaries are tiny blood vessels located throughout tissue. They carry essential nutrients to different parts of the body. Capillaries are also located around the sweat glands. In cases of severe fear or stress, these tiny blood vessels can burst and cause blood to exit the body through the sweat glands.”6 MOMENT OF PAUSE THE CROSS •As our Lord and Savior hung on the cross, Scripture records seven statements that He uttered. 1)To God the Father, He said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34, KJV) 2)To the thief on the cross next to Him, He said, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43, ESV) 3)To Mary, His mother and John the Apostle, He said, “Woman, behold your son!” Then to John He said, “Behold your mother!” (John 19:26-27 4)What Matthew records next, I consider to be the most heart wrenching words that Jesus spoke in all of Scripture. 27:45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried our with a loud voice saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?”, that is, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” •I believe that in this moment, He who knew no sin, became sin, the the Father turned away from His Son, and poured out the cup of His wrath upon Him. •The wrath stored up for us was poured out upon the Son of God as a propitiation. •We read in Isaiah that “it pleased the Lord to (bruise) crush (דַּכָּא : dǎk·kā) Him”. (53:10) •Why did it please God to crush His own Son? Because as His wrath was poured out upon Christ, Christ’s righteousness was poured out upon us. •“Greater love has no one that this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13) 5)“I thirst” (John 19:28) •These words Christ spoke that Scripture might be fulfilled. (see Ps. 69:21; 22:15) •“They also gave me gall for food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” (Psalm 69:21) •“After Jesus spoke these words, we read, “Now a vessel full of sour wine (wine vinegar) was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop (gall), and put it to His mouth.” (John 19:29) •To the very end, Christ was fulfilling prophecy. 6)“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘it is finished!’…”(John 19:30) 7)Luke then records Jesus’ last words on the cross, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” (Luke 23:46) 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. •This was not merely an exalted man on that cross brothers and sisters. This was the incarnate Creator-God who laid down His life, that all who believe in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life! GOSPEL FOCUS ON CHRIST •The Logos which is Christ, permeates throughout all of Scripture. Remove the eternality of Christ from Scripture and you lose everything. •Iain Campbell points out that Scripture is not only Christocentric – meaning that Christ is at the heart of the biblical revelation – but Scripture is also Christotelic – meaning that Christ is the end to which the revelation of Scripture is pointing. •Campbell writes, “Christ is not just the Bible’s meaning, but the Bible’s alphabet. He is the Word that gives meaning to all its words, the Logos which supplies all its logic, the Truth that verifies its truth.”7 •It is important that we see the centrality of Christ in Scripture and in life. It is true that , “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, the whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) •But it is also true that “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29) •Let us find joy in knowing that our sanctification is not for us alone, but also for Him. •We are being prepared as a bride for the Son of God. And for those of us that love Him, our sanctification for His good pleasure should be our good pleasure. •Let us not lose sight of the truth that we are called to be a people set apart, distinct from the culture of the world [see Romans 12:2]. We have been called to pick up our crosses daily and follow Him [see Luke 9:23; 14:27]. To hate everything that we love, in comparison to how much we love Him [see Luke 14:26]. To be the light in the darkness for His glory [see Matthew 5:14-16]. TRANSITION •And that brings us to our last two verses. (John 1:4-5) LIFE, LIGHT, AND DARKNESS 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. •“In Him was life” LIFE, LIGHT, AND DARKNESS (Continued) •John, in his first epistle writes, “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; and he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:11-12) •Not only is life in Jesus, but Jesus Himself is life. •Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:48), “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6), He said that He is the bread of God which came down from heaven and gives life to the world (see John 6:33, 58) •Jesus is also the bearer of light, and the light Himself. •Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” (John 8:12); “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5) •“and the life was the light of men.” (1:4) •When we abide in Christ, Christ abides in us, and the fruit of the Spirit shines forth upon this world for the glory of God. •Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you.” (John 15:4) He goes on to say, “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this my father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you will be My disciples.” (John 15:7-8) •In Matthew 5:14-16 we again read the words of Jesus: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” •“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (1:5) •The ESV translates the second part of this verse as “and the darkness has not overcome it.” (1:5) •To comprehend and to overcome are two different things. •The greek word is: καταλαμβάνω (katalambanō) from κατα, a preposition which means “down, along, throughout, or among”, and λαμβάνω, a verb that means “take hold of, acquire, or receive”. •καταλαμβάνω can therefore properly be translated as both comprehend and overcome. •When you come across this kind of problem in Scripture, and you cannot determine which word best fits based on the context of the message, you need to determine what word is supported by other passages. LIFE, LIGHT, AND DARKNESS (Continued) •In this case, both renderings are supported by Scripture and therefore both are true. •Paul tells us that “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:14, ESV). •So, people that do not have the light of Christ abiding in them cannot understand the things that are of the Spirit of God. They cannot comprehend the light. •The King James Translation is correct. •Jesus also said, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” (John 12:35-36) •Jesus later goes on to say, “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” (John 12:46) •So, we see that the darkness does not overcome the light. •The English Standard translation is correct. •As Christians we are called to shine forth the light of Christ into this world. There are times, like the times we are in now, that seem as though they are being overcome with darkness. Do not be discouraged Christians, for the darkness has not overcome the light. Remember, when the night is the darkest, the light of the stars shine the brightest. The Word, The Logos, Our Creator-God, Jesus Christ, is ruling and reigning. The very last words that Jesus spoke to the Apostles before He ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father, are words of hope and of action. •We read in Matthew 28:18–20 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. APPLICATION •It is not enough that we say that we believe, we must live as though we believe! •Let those who love Christ never forget who He is and what He has done for us. •When we find ourselves slipping into sin, let us look to the cross and rebuke the enemy who wages war against us daily. May we be sons and daughters of light that bring glory to our Heavenly Father. CLOSING PRAYER Scripture References John 21:20 [1] John 21:24 [1] Mark 3:17 [2] Luke 9:54 [2] Matthew 17:10 [2] John 20:30-31 [3] John 1:1-18 [5-7] John 1:1-5 [8] Matthew 1:1 [8] Acts 17:22-34 [11] Acts 17:32-34 [12] Genesis 1:1 [13] Genesis 1:1-4 [15] Genesis 3:1 [20] John 1:1-2 [21] John 1:3 [23] Colossians 1:15-17 [25] Psalm 19:1 [27] Mark 12:30 [30] Mark 12:31 [30] Luke 23:34 [34] Luke 23:43 [34] John 19:26-27 [34] Matthew 27:45-46 [35] Isaiah 53:10 [36] John 15:13 [36] John 19:28 [36] Psalm 69:21 [37] Psalm 22:15 [37] John 19:29 [37] John 19:30 [38] Luke 34:46 [38] John 1:1 [38] John 3:16 [40] Romans 8:29 [40] Romans 12:2 [41] Luke 9:23 [41] Luke 14:27 [41] Luke 14:26 [41] Matthew 5:14-16 [41] John 1:4-5 [42] 1 John 5:11-12 [42] John 6:48 [43] John 14:6 [43] John 6:33 [43] John 6:58 [43] John 8:12 [43] John 9:5 [43] John 1:4 [44] John 15:4 [44] John 15:7-8 [44] Matthew 5:14-16 [45] John 1:5 [45] NKJV & ESV 1 Corinthians 2:14 [47] John 12:35-36 [48] John 12:46 [48] Matthew 28:18-20 [50] Citations 1.D.A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, pp.97. 2.1. D.A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, pp.114. 3.Kent Hughes, John – That you May Believe, Chapter 1. 4.John Gill, An Exposition of the Gospel According to John, pp. 8. 5.A.W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, pp. 24. 6.Valencia Higuera, Hematidrosis: Is Sweating Blood Real?, Helthline, Reviewed by Elaine K Luo, M.D. March 14, 2017. 7.Iain Campbell, Pulpit Aflame, Chapter 11. Bible Study Deity of ChristJohn