Gospel of John

Synopsis of John 1

The Gospel According to John begins with a narrative about Christ’s entrance into the Kosmos and into His role in creation. As John states, He was “in the beginning with God.” Up until this point in our studies, we’ve done some extensive review on the word beginning, arche [ἀρχῇ], showing how it morphologically is used to denote a prince, beginning one, to begin, a principality etc. John’s gospel starts (John 1:1-5) with a creation narrative mirroring that of Genesis chapter 1.

John’s gospel continues by revealing how engaged with the Kosmos through the prophets, such as Elijah, now referenced in the New Testament as John the Baptist, was was an intermediary between what was and what was to come. John, like Elijah and other prophets, martyred [witnessed - μαρτυρήσῃ] to the world of Christ’s coming (vs 6-8), and that they/he were not the light but Christ was and is that light.

The gospel continues by telling us about this light in more detail, adding to what is missing from the Genesis 1 narrative, how this light engages with the Kosmos and mankind therein (vs 9-10). The narrative section of verses 6-13 end with describing those who are Christ’s witnesses in the old and new covenant, and the dichotomy of the Jews who were given the oracles of God but received him not, and yet, those who received him were given a gift. They were given power [ἐξουσίαν] to become the sons of God.

John 1:12 ἔδωκεν (gave) αὐτοῖς (to them) ἐξουσίαν (power) τέκνα (sons) θεοῦ (of God) γενέσθαι (to become)

Most peculiar is that this power given, this ἐξουσίαν, is mentioned in our studies thus far, how Matthew states in 20:25 that the princes/archons (ἄρχοντες) who rule the gentiles from above (κατακυριεύουσιν) have powers who rule them from above (κατεξουσιάζουσιν). And these Sons of God are born not of blood of the will of man or flesh, but of God (John 1:13). Wow, there is consistency in the text, there are spiritual rulers who we become like because of what Christ does to and for us!

Mat 20:25 “But Ἰησοῦς called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes [ἄρχοντες G758] of the Gentiles exercise dominion [κατακυριεύουσιν G2634] over them; and they that are great [μεγάλοι G3173] exercise authority [κατεξουσιάζουσιν G2715] upon them.”

John’s gospel continues in verse 14 by revealing another peculiar facet to the spiritual rulership, as it states that the Word was made flesh and his glory (δόξαν) was seen, his fullness (πλήρης) of grace and truth. John’s gospel continues to show us that of his fulness (πληρώματος) have all we received and grace for grace. Notice how his fullness in v16 is related to v14, it’s the word pleroma.

John 1:14 “We beheld his glory [δόξαν], the glory [δόξαν] as of the only begotten of the Father, full [πλήρης] of grace [χάριτος] and truth [ἀληθείας]”

Pleroma was, to the Greeks, the fullness of Heaven, the starry host in the sky where the God’s dwelt. The heaven was full of that which makes Gods to be Gods, fullness- the capacity to give fully and lacking nothing. Here we see Christ is filled with limitless grace and truth and that John states they beheld his glory which was full of these things. Also peculiar is that John continues in verse 18 to state that noone has seen God, but that his only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him. Christ, then dwells in the Father’s bosom and is full of grace and truth, a heavenly sight.

Finally, we must remember how Jude and Peter both spoke of evil men speaking blasphemies against dignitaries [δόξα] and we are told here in John that they beheld Christ’s glory [δόξαν], the glory as of the only begotten father. And later, we are told in John’s gospel that the Holy Spirit “shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:14). Thus, through the Holy Spirit, this powerful glory is revealed to us too as well and evil men hate it, they hate this glory!

John’s gospel then goes into a narrative about the Jews sending priests and levites to speak with John, these are the spiritual leaders of the people, seeking to understand what John is doing. He states he is baptizing with water and is the voice of one crying in the wilderness, as Isaiah had said. Remember those two terms, water and wilderness, and especially remember Bethabara where this narrative occurs.

John 1:28 “These things in Bethabara (Ταῦτα ἐν Βηθαβαρά) were done (ἐγένετο) beyond the Jordan (πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου) where was John baptizing (ὅπου ἦν Ἰωάννης βαπτίζων).

What happens next is, well Christ comes, is baptized (although it doesn’t actually say that in John’s gospel), and John states again who Christ is, “He who takes away the sin of the world” and that he should be made manifest to Israel, so John came baptizing with water and to witness/bear record (martyr) that he is the Son of God. And although John’s gospel doesn’t mention his temptation by satan, the other gospels reveal that after Ἰησοῦς was baptized, he went to the wilderness to be tempted by satan for 40 days.

John 1:31,32 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel (φανερωθῇ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ), therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record (ἐμαρτύρησεν), saying, I saw the Spirit descending (καταβαῖνον) from heaven like a dove (περιστερὰν), and it abode upon him.

To understand this passage more coherently, in the sense of what John was intending to convey to his audience, we must look at the words used here in this text.

• Καταβαῖνον G2597 - means a foot or base descending; Κατα + βάσις
• Κατα G2596 - means downfrom and throughout. Remember Mat 20:25, κατεξουσιάζουσιν to rule with power from above and κατακυριεύουσιν to excercise authority from above.
• βάσις G939 - means foot, feet, or base, and is used almost exclusively (like 98% of the time) to describe the alter/table in the temple/tabernacle of God, this alter had horns, or as for the temple/tabernacle itself.

We are told that Christ must manifest (φανερωθῇ) to Israel, φανερωθῇ means literally to shine light. And then, we are told the Spirit came down onto Christ, just as the base of the temple/tabernacle of God (Καταβαῖνον) and it resembled a dove, peculair indeed! Does this mean the tabernacle of God in heaven resembles a dove? We know that Christ is the foundation, the cornerstone, and here we have the base or feet of the altar/temple/tabernacle enjoining Christ here on earth in the form of the Spiritual Dove. The tabernacle’s stones are made to become a dove!

This makes sense when we look at the language used here in John’s gospel. Also interesting is the first time the word for dove is used is in Gen 8:8-12, speaking of Noah releasing the dove from the ark. Isn’t it interesting that the waters that flooded the earth are from above, in the celestial waters above, and now we have Christ coming to be baptized in water and a celestial spirit is descending. What is John telling us in his gospel?

To Cross Over the Waters

To truly put this text into perspective, we need to look deeper into where John is baptizing, in Bethabara.

John 1:28 “These things in Bethabara (Ταῦτα ἐν Βηθαβαρά) were done (ἐγένετο) beyond the Jordan (πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου) where was John baptizing (ὅπου ἦν Ἰωάννης βαπτίζων).

We are told that John is beyond the Jordan in Bethabara. Let’s look at the word πέραν translated here as beyond.

Πέραν G4008 - derivative of πείρω - to pierce, as an adverb to go beyond. This word is exclusively used to denote crossing over water, particularly the Jordan, but a few brooks/rivers are mentioned as well. This word is used initially in Matthew’s gospel in verse 4:15, when stating in verses 14-17 that:

“That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet (just like in John 1:23), saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Ἰησοῦς began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

This is monumentous when we see it compared with John’s gospel. We see here that beyond the Jordan is Galilee, where Christ was born, that the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, Christ. That light sprung up and then Ἰησοῦς began to preach. Just like in John’s gospel, where Christ was baptized in the Jordan where John was located at Bethabara.

This term, Πέραν, to peirce over, is used exclusively to speak of this area beyond the Jordan except referencing twice of Ἰησοῦς crossing the sea of Galilee and once crossing the brook Cedron. This is by no mistake, because they are all used here to symbolize the great crossing of the spiritual waters from heaven to earth and then back to heaven again.

The Waters Separate Paradise from the Wilderness!

To start, let’s remember that John the Baptist is Elijah coming to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (Luke 1:17). And what did Elijah do? Well, in 2 Kings 17:1-9 we see that Elijah is fed raven’s bread at the brook Cherith and that this brook is where he does a holy magical spell, to shut off the waters of heaven (by drinking the water there), to stop the dew, and to dry up the land, including the brook. This brook is “towards the face of [τοῦ ἐπὶ προσώπου] the Jordan [τοῦ Ιορδάνου] (1 Kings 17:3). This act by Elijah caused the land to be without rain, water, or dew for three years and six months, to become a desert or wilderness. And what happens after he dries up the skies, Elijah finds a lady ready to die with her son. Peculiar how this wilderness landscape has been set.

It’s a familiar landscape to Christians, Moses crossing the Red Sea and into the wilderness. The theme of crossing water as a baptism is well known. Let’s look at the brook Cedron/Kedron. We are told by John that Ἰησοῦς, after supping/communing with his disciples, provides a long list of sayings to his disciples (chapters 13 to 17). In chapter 18 of John’s gospel, after Ἰησοῦς had spoken these prior words:

John 18:1 When Ἰησοῦς had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over [πέραν] the brook Cedron, where was a garden [κῆπος], into the which he entered, and his disciples.

This is the garden of Gesthemane spoken of in other gospels. Peculiar isn’t it that the usage of πέραν here is used to describe crossing over a brook prior to his being taken by Judas’ men. It’s almost like Christ crossed over from an area of safety into an area of danger, a metaphorical wilderness, one that is wild, dangerous, and deadly.

So we’ve discussed how Elijah was at the face of the Jordan when he did his holy magic spell to cause the entire landscape to become a wilderness, dry and deplete of rain, water, and dew. We’ve seen how John the Baptist fulfills Isaiah’s claim as the one crying in the wilderness. We’ve seen how Christ, after he crossed the Jordan, and was baptized, entered into the wilderness to be tempted for 40 days. We’ve seen how Moses crossed the Red Sea into the wilderness. And now, we see the final revelation that this whole discussion has been built upon, Bethabara, the house of the ferry-boat, the house in the wilderness on the other side of the Jordan.

The Ferry-Boat House of Jordan

John 1:28 “These things in Bethabara (Ταῦτα ἐν Βηθαβαρά) were done (ἐγένετο) beyond the Jordan (πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου) where was John baptizing (ὅπου ἦν Ἰωάννης βαπτίζων).

Βηθαβαρά G962 - comes from two Hebrew words, bayiṯ (beth, meaning house) and ʿăḇārâ meaning ferry-boat.

Bethabara is the house of the ferry-boat. And what do we know about this location? Well, it is where John the Baptist baptized, it’s where Christ was baptized, it’s beyond the Jordan, and well, it’s where King David resided and crossed the Jordan with his royal family!

In David’s escape from Absalom, his son, he fled Jerusalem with his guard (2 Sam 15:14). As he fled, he took the Ark of the Covenant with him but King David decided it was best to send the Ark back to Jerusalem along with the priests (2 Sam 15:24-25). What we need to notice here is that Kind David stayed behind while the others went back.

2 Sam 15:28-30 See, I will tarry in the plain [Αραβωθ in Greek, ʿărāḇâ in Heb] of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me. Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there. And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet…

David resided at the ferry-boat house of the wilderness. Well that’s interesting, because it’s the same place John the Baptist baptized Ἰησοῦς! Now, when Absalom died in battle, they brought King David back to Jerusalem using the same ferry-boat over the Jordan!!

2 Sam 19:18 And there went over a ferry boat [ʿăḇārâ] to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan.

And what is even more impressive about this area, is that Joshua brought the Ark of the Covenant through this river.

Joshua 4:5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:

Joshua 4:9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.

Those 12 stones, those pillars in the water, just like the 12 pillars in heaven, where those who carried the ark had to walk on, these stones, this water, is where Christ was baptized, it is where heaven and earth came together, and it is where so much of the history of our faith come from.

Conclusion

Imagine for yourself what this narrative has told us so far. We have creation recounted, the heavens and earth being created. We have a review of who created it and mankind. We are told what He is like and how there were those who prepared the way for that creator to enter into mankind’s world. We are given an account of what that creator’s entrance into the world does for mankind, making them his sons. We see then how the story goes towards Christ’s baptism by John, a spiritual dove coming down to the water where Christ lay. We see that this baptism happens at Bethabara, the house of the ferry boat, the connection between the wilderness and the holy land, the waters separating death and life. We see that Christ entered into creation as a human being and John’s gospel is revealing to us the process of the descension of spirit into matter through crystallization and form, passing the crystalline waters, through the path of the ferry-boat and into the wilderness, where we engage in what is to be later described as His ἀποδημέω, his journey far from home and back to the Father!

This study into John 1 provides us with the metaphysical teaching and concept to begin our journey in John’s writings. As we progress, remember that John speaks in beautiful language and reveals deep enigmas. What is hard to understand, John makes more plainly. That’s why he wrote Revelation, or Apocalypse, as it reveals the truth to God’s people.

Amen!