[This is the first of a series of messages that will take us through the Gospel of John, chapter by chapter. A copy of this message is available in MP3 format by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" on the column at the right side of this page and selecting "John 1." If you are interested in obtaining a copy on CD, please e-mail us at randallrevrick@embarqmail.com.]

INTRODUCTION John’s gospel begins with the statement that Jesus is God. As clear as this proclamation is written, there could be no doubt that Jesus, the Word, which was with God in the beginning, is indeed God:

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Jesus was there in the beginning, and from the beginning - eternal with the Father, before the world was, before anything was. He was not a created being, not an angelic being, not a phantasm or ethereal being … he was with God and he was God.

In v. 1 he is “the Word” - or as in John’s first epistle, “the Word of Life.” In v. 7 he is “the Light” - “the true Light” in v. 9. In v. 18 he is “the only begotten Son.” In v. 23 he is “the Lord.” In vv. 25 and 41 he is “the Christ.” - Christos in the Greek. In v. 29 he is “the Lamb of God.” In v. 34 he is “the Son of God.” In v. 38 he is “Rabbi/Master.” In v. 41 he is “Messiah” - ma-shee-ya, the Hebrew word for Christos. In v. 45 he is “Jesus of Nazareth.” In v. 45 he also known as “the Son of Joseph.” In v. 49 he is “the king of Israel.” In v. 51 he is “the Son of man.”

I. THE WORD John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Heb 1:3 “[Jesus is]… the brightness of [God’s] glory, and the express image of his person …

Jesus was sent to reveal God to us. He is God with us. When we see Jesus, we see God, in human form, the Son of God as the Son of man. And he was sent to show us God’s plan of salvation: “the Son of man [came] to seek and to save that which is lost.”

II. THE VOICE John 1:23 [John] said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness …

John 1:6 … a man sent from God, whose name was John.

John the Baptist. Not John the Beloved, who wrote this gospel. Not the Christ (v. 20), not Elias (Elijah) (v. 21), not “that prophet” (v. 21) Isaiah who told of “the voice of one crying in the wilderness …”

III. THE FOLLOWERS John 1:35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; (:36) And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! (:37) And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

At first, they followed the Voice, but when they heard Jesus speak, they followed the Word. There are a lot of folks out there following the Voice when they should follow after the Word.

John 1:40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. (:41) He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. (:42) And he brought him to Jesus …

It’s a natural thing for a follower of Jesus to want to bring others to Christ.

John 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. (:46) … Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

CONCLUSION There was only one Son of God … there was only one John the Baptist … but there were many followers who brought others to Christ. You and I are not the Christ, nor are we John the Baptist. We are either followers who ought to be bringing others to Christ, or we are in need of coming to Christ ourselves. Which one are you?