Expository Preaching On John Chapter One
John 1 opens with a declaration of the Word's eternal preexistence: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" [2]. This prologue establishes the theological foundation for the entire Gospel, asserting both the distinct personhood and full deity of the Logos before turning to the incarnation in verse 14. Expository preaching on this chapter must anchor itself in this Christological claim, tracing how John moves from cosmic origins to historical manifestation.
The Prologue's Structure
The first eighteen verses form a carefully constructed introduction that alternates between theological assertion and historical witness. John the Baptist appears as a recurring figure (vv. 6–8, 15), interrupting the cosmic narrative to ground it in testimony [6]. The evangelist himself writes as an eyewitness, a pattern consistent with his first epistle, where he emphasizes what "we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled" [1, 9]. This dual emphasis—eternal Word and tangible witness—shapes the preaching task: the expositor must hold together transcendent theology and concrete history.
Augustine, preaching on John's Gospel at Ephesus near the close of the first century, compared the evangelist to an eagle for his focus on Christ's divinity, noting that John "has chosen to speak of the Lord's divinity, wherein He is equal with the Father" [7, 8]. This patristic reading highlights what distinguishes John from the Synoptics: while Matthew, Mark, and Luke concentrate on Christ's humanity, John presses the question of his divine identity from the opening verse [8].
Preaching the Incarnation
Verse 14—"the Word became flesh and dwelt among us"—marks the chapter's theological hinge. The verb "dwelt" (literally "tabernacled") evokes Israel's wilderness worship, suggesting that Christ is the new locus of divine presence [2]. Expository preaching here must resist abstracting the incarnation into metaphor; John insists on physical reality, a theme he reinforces in his epistles when warning against docetic error [4, 5].
The chapter's second half (vv. 19–51) shifts to narrative: John's testimony before the priests, the identification of Jesus as the Lamb of God, the calling of the first disciples. These episodes demonstrate how witness functions in John's theology—not as secondary illustration but as the means by which revelation spreads [3]. The expositor traces this movement from cosmic Word to confessed Messiah, showing how theological claim becomes lived discipleship.
Sources
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “1 John 1:1 cross-references: Proverbs 8:22, Isaiah 41:4, Micah 5:2, Luke 1:2, Luke 24:39, John 1:1, John 5:26, John 8:58, John 19:35, John 20:27, Acts 1:3, Acts 4:20, 2 Peter 1:16, 1 John 1:2, 1 John 2:13, 1 John 4:14, 1 John 5:7, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:11, Revelation 1:17, Revelation 2:8, Revelation 19:13”
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “John 1:1 cross-references: Genesis 1:1, Psalms 45:6, Proverbs 8:22, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 40:9, Matthew 1:23, John 1:2, John 1:14, John 1:18, John 10:30, John 16:28, John 17:5, John 20:28, Romans 9:5, Ephesians 3:9, Philippians 2:6, Colossians 1:17, 1 Timothy 3:16, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:8, Hebrews 7:3, Hebrews 13:8, 2 Peter 1:1, 1 John 1:1, 1 John 5:7, 1 John 5:20, Revelation 1:2, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:11, Revelation 1:17, Revelation 2:8, Revelation 3:14, Revelation 19:13, Revelation 21:6, Revelation 22:13”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Confessing Christ — Influences of the Holy Spirit necessary to -- 1Co 12:3; 1Jo 4:2. A test of being saints -- 1Jo 2:23; 4:2,3. An evidence of union with God -- 1Jo 4:15. Necessary to salvation -- Ro 10:9,10. Ensures his confessing us -- Mt 10:32. The fear of man prevents -- Joh 7:13; 12:42,43. Persecution should not prevent us from -- Mr 8:35; 2Ti 2:12. Must be connected with faith -- Ro 10:9. Consequences of not -- Mt 10:33. Exemplified Nathanael. -- Joh 1:49. Peter. -- Joh 6:68,69; Ac 2:22-36. Man born blind. -- Joh 9:25,33. Martha. -- Joh 11:27. Peter and John. -”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — INTRODUCTION. (part 1): This first Epistle of John, probably written at Ephesus near the close of the first century, the last utterance of the Spirit of inspiration, breathes the calmness of an assured hope, and that fullness of joy of which the Apostle would have his readers to be made partakers. While strongly refuting error, it is not so much an argument as an intuition, an open vision of the divine truths announced. It was evidently written in a time of external quiet for the Church, but of special exposure to errors and perils from within. The n”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — 456 INTRODUCTION. (part 1): great divine facts of fellowship with God, fullness of joy in Him, and an Eternal Life of love through the Son of God, are leading topics. This is obvious; they are often recurred to, are frequently conjoined, and in their grandeur surpass our range and reach of thought, while satisfying the aspirations of the soul. In these discourses of Augustin, on the first Epistle of John, we have a nearly complete text of the Epistle,--the exposition of the last 18 verses not being extant. He followed the old Itala, one of the most a”
- John (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on John 1 (introduction): The eternity of the Divine Logos, or Word of God, the dispenser of light and life, Joh 1:1-5. The mission of John the Baptist, Joh 1:6-13. The incarnation of the Logos or Word of God, Joh 1:14. John's testimony concerning the Logos, Joh 1:15-18. The priests and Levites question him concerning his mission and his baptism, Joh 1:19-22. His answer, Joh 1:23-28. His farther testimony on seeing Christ, Joh 1:29-34. He points him out to two of his disciples, who thereupon follow Jesus, Joh 1:35-37. Christ's address to them, Joh 1:38, Joh 1:39. Andrew invites his”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHAPTER VIII. 28-32. (part 1): I. OF the holy Gospel according to John, which you see in our hand, your Charity has already heard much, whereon by God's grace we have discoursed according to our ability, pressing on your notice that this evangelist, specially, has chosen to speak of the Lord's divinity, wherein He is equal with the Father and the only Son of God; and on that account he has been compared to the eagle, because no other bird is understood to take a loftier flight. Accordingly, to what follows in order, as the Lord enables us to treat of”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 6: Augustine — Homilies on the Gospels — CHAP. X.--OF THE EVANGELIST JOHN, AND THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN HIM AND THE OTHER THREE. (part 1): 11. John remains, between whom and others there is left no comparison to be instituted. For, however the evangelists may each have reported some matters which are not recorded by the others, it will be hard to prove that any question involving real discrepancy arises out of these. Thus, too, it is a clearly admitted position that the first three--namely, Matthew, Mark, and Luke--have occupied themselves chiefly with the humanity of our Lord Jesus C”
- 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 1 (introduction): THE WRITER'S AUTHORITY AS AN EYEWITNESS TO THE GOSPEL FACTS, HAVING SEEN, HEARD, AND HANDLED HIM WHO WAS FROM THE BEGINNING: HIS OBJECT IN WRITING: HIS MESSAGE. IF WE WOULD HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM, WE MUST WALK IN LIGHT, AS HE IS LIGHT. (Jo1 1:1-10) Instead of a formal, John adopts a virtual address (compare Jo1 1:4). To wish joy to the reader was the ancient customary address. The sentence begun in Jo1 1:1 is broken off by the parenthetic Jo1 1:2, and is resumed at Jo1 1:3 with the repetition of some words from Jo1 1:1. That which was-”