John 1:1-18

Read John 1:1-18 

Helpful Background Information:

• There are many similarities between the Gospel of John and the letters of John. One similarity is the purpose they were written for…

  • We’re told that the Gospel of John was written, “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). In other words, it can be said that the purpose of John’s Gospel is “evangelistic” in the sense that he is intending for his readers to come to believe in Jesus as the Christ.

  • As an extension of this, the letter of 1 John was written to those who believe in the name of the Son of God, “so that you may know you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Here, the emphasis is on providing assurance to the one who has already come to believe that Jesus is who He said He was.

• Each of these purpose statements come toward the end of their respective books, but it's important to recognize that the similarities don’t start there. The very beginning of both 1 John and the Gospel of John are also strikingly reminiscent of one another.  

Reflection Questions: 

• Compare the prologue of John’s Gospel to that of 1 John. Both start, “In the beginning…” Why might the author choose to start there before testifying about who Jesus is?

• The Gospel of John was written to convince its readers that Jesus really was and is God’s Son. How might that stated “purpose” for John’s Gospel help us understand why He starts the book the way He does?

• When pairing the opening verses of John’s Gospel and 1 John, how can we see a fuller picture of what God has done in and through Jesus? What can they teach us about why God took on flesh? 

  • Close by thanking God for this provision in prayer.