Source: The Witness
John 1:6–13 (Overview)
- Verses 6-8: The role of John the Baptist as a witness to the Light.
- Verses 9-11: The rejection of the Light by the world.
- Verses 12-13: The gift of becoming children of God through belief in His name.
1. John 1:6-8
"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light."
Plausible Sources:
- Malachi 3:1: “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.” John the Baptist fulfills this prophecy as the forerunner to Christ.
- Isaiah 40:3-5: “A voice of one calling: In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord...” This passage aligns with John's role as a witness to the Light.
- Hebrew Word Formations (e.g., אור / ארא): The word Light (אור) could signify divine revelation. The interplay of א (He spoke and created) and ר (Revealing) may illustrate how John witnessed the Light (divine truth revealed through Christ).
2. John 1:9-11
"The true Light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him."
Plausible Sources:
- Genesis 1:3-5: “Let there be light…” The "true Light" parallels the creation light (אור) as the source of all revelation and life, now manifest in Christ.
- Isaiah 53:3: “He was despised and rejected by mankind...” This describes the rejection of Christ by His own people.
- Exodus 19:5-6: Israel is described as God's "treasured possession," yet they repeatedly failed to recognize His presence (shadowed in their rejection of Christ).
- Hebrew Word Formations (e.g., עולם / עול): The word world (עולם) shares roots with concepts of hiddenness or eternity. This may signify that the eternal truth was present but veiled to human understanding.
3. John 1:12-13
"Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God."
Plausible Sources:
- Genesis 15:5-6: “Look up at the sky and count the stars… so shall your offspring be.” This could typologically refer to the children of God born by faith, like Abraham.
- Deuteronomy 14:1-2: “You are the children of the Lord your God...” Israel was a shadow of the true children of God, who would be born through faith in Christ.
- Hosea 1:10: “In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’” The inclusion of believers as children of God resonates with this promise.
- Hebrew Word Formations (e.g., בן / נב / ברא):
- Son (בן) shares roots with building or creation, emphasizing divine initiative in creating new sons of God.
- The connection between create (ברא) and Son (בר) reflects the idea of being "born of God."
Synthesis of John’s Insight
John’s understanding of word formations likely informed his use of Light (אור), World (עולם), and Son (בן) in ways that tied Christ’s work to Old Testament concepts.
- The creation account (Genesis 1) and prophetic texts (Isaiah, Malachi) provided direct typological sources for the Light and the witness of John the Baptist.
- The covenant with Abraham, the rejection of Israel, and the promises in Hosea and Deuteronomy informed the themes of rejection and inclusion.
- John's understanding of word formations allowed him to craft a narrative where the words themselves unveil the eternal reality of Christ’s work.
