John 1:18 concludes the prologue of John’s gospel by declaring that Jesus uniquely reveals God to humanity. As the only begotten Son who is in the closest relationship with the Father, Jesus makes the invisible God known. Through Jesus, the fullness of God’s nature and character is perfectly displayed, providing humanity a glimpse of God’s heart as a human.
John 1:18John 1:18 commentary declares that Jesus uniquely reveals God to humanity. There is no apparent parallel Gospel account of John 1:18John 1:18 commentary.
John concludes the prologue to his gospel account of Jesus Christ with a tangible, three-part statement about who Jesus is and what He has done to bridge the relationship between God and humanity:
No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him (v 18).
The three parts of this statement are:
No one has seen God at any time;
the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father,
He has explained Him.
John’s main point in this verse is that only Jesus has made God fully known to humanity.
NO ONE HAS SEEN GOD AT ANY TIME…
The first part of this statement is an observation: No one has seen God at any time.
No one refers to no human beings. The expression—No one—does not seem to include angels, because apparently angels are able to see the face of God in heaven (Matthew 18:10Matthew 18:10 commentary).
The first phrase of verse 18 could mean absolutely no one at any time in human history has seen God.
It could also mean—no one in human history has seen God at any time since Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:22-24Genesis 3:22-24 commentary).
At any rate, even special encounters like Moses’s interaction with God’s glory (Exodus 34:5-7Exodus 34:5-7 commentary) or Isaiah’s heavenly vision of God’s throne room (Isaiah 6:1-5Isaiah 6:1-5 commentary) were veiled or partial revelations. God warned Moses:
“You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” (Exodus 33:20Exodus 33:20 commentary)
God’s face is beyond human comprehension and visibility. His invisibility seems to be a characteristic of His spiritual essence.
God’s nature is spirit (John 4:24John 4:24 commentary). But the spectrum of human vision is limited to physical objects that respond to light. No one has seen God at any time because God transcends human sight.
There have been occasions where people have recognized and interacted with angels in their spiritual forms, but these appearances are comparably rare, and they are always the result of God or the angel(s) making themselves visible to humans (Genesis 28:12Genesis 28:12 commentary, commentaryNumbers 22:31Numbers 22:31 commentary, commentaryJudges 6:11-12Judges 6:11-12 commentary, commentaryJudges 13:3Judges 13:3 commentary, commentary2 Kings 6:16-172 Kings 6:16-17 commentary, commentaryIsaiah 6:1-4Isaiah 6:1-4 commentary, commentaryEzekiel 1:4-28Ezekiel 1:4-28 commentary, commentaryMatthew 1:20Matthew 1:20 commentary, commentaryMatthew 28:2-3Matthew 28:2-3 commentary, commentaryLuke 1:11-13Luke 1:11-13 commentary, commentaryLuke 1:26-28Luke 1:26-28 commentary, commentaryLuke 2:13-14Luke 2:13-14 commentary, commentaryActs 1:10-11Acts 1:10-11 commentary, commentaryActs 127-10Acts 127-10 commentary, commentaryRevelation 1:1Revelation 1:1 commentary, commentaryRevelation 5:11Revelation 5:11 commentary).
The appearances of angels unto humans seem to have a miraculous quality because it is not normal for our physical eyes to see spiritual realties without some sort of spiritual intervention. The physical limitation of human sight also applies to God who is spirit (John 4:24John 4:24 commentary)—except that angel sightings are rare while no one has seen God at any time.
Additionally, God’s invisibility may be an expression of His holiness, hidden from human sinfulness (Psalm 24:3-4Psalm 24:3-4 commentary, commentaryIsaiah 6:5Isaiah 6:5 commentary, commentary1 Timothy 6:161 Timothy 6:16 commentary). It also may be a feature of His holiness as the Creator from creation (Job 11:7-9Job 11:7-9 commentary, commentaryIsaiah 55:8-9Isaiah 55:8-9 commentary, commentaryActs 17:24Acts 17:24 commentary).
John’s observation that No one has seen God at any time sets up his point that Jesus uniquely makes God known to humans.
…THE ONLY BEGOTTEN GOD WHO IS IN THE BOSOM OF THE FATHER…
The second part of the John 1:18John 1:18 commentary statement is a description of Jesus.
Jesus is the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father.
The term only begotten is a translation of the Greek term “monogenes” μονογενὴς (G3439—pronounced: “mon-og-en-ace”). This term is a compound term from “mono” meaning only or “unique”; and “gen-ace” meaning begotten, “birthed,” or “produced.” Monogenes means “only begotten,” “uniquely begotten,” or “mono-begotten.”
In the Septuagint—the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures—“monogenes” is translated as “only life” in the Messianic psalms (Psalm 22:20Psalm 22:20 commentary, 35:1735:17 commentary).
In John 3:16John 3:16 commentary, commentaryonly begotten (“monogenes”) is Jesus’s description of Himself in His unique relationship to Godthe Father.
Only begotten highlights Jesus’s singular nature as the Son who shares in the divine essence. John opened his gospel by telling us that “the Word [Jesus] was with God” (John 1:1bJohn 1:1b commentary) and that “the Word was God” (John 1:1cJohn 1:1c commentary). Now at the end of his prologue, John returns to describe Jesus as the only begotten God.
“Monogenes,” as it pertains to Jesus, speaks to the Triune nature of God. God is One. And God is Three: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Jesus is God in His own right. He is God, the Son. Jesus is also eternally with God, the Father, and with God, the Holy Spirit.
When applied to Jesus, the expression—only begotten—does not imply creation but rather signifies His uniqueness as God the Son, and the unique relationship and intimacy He shares with God the Father as His Son.
As God the Son, Jesus’s existence is eternal. He was in the beginning (John 1:1aJohn 1:1a commentary, 1:21:2 commentary). Consequently, Jesus did not have a beginning. He was not born or begotten in the same sense that children are begotten or born of their parents. Children have a beginning to their existence. A child’s beginning starts when the child is begotten (conceived). Jesus is not merely begotten—He is mono-begotten—only begotten—uniquelybegotten. Jesus is eternally begotten.
Many are begotten—but only Jesus is mono-begotten.
John’s description of Jesus as the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father in the closing statement of his prologue recalls the pinnacle statement of the prologue describing when God lived as a man among us:
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14John 1:14 commentary)
Mono-begotten not only describes Jesus’s unique status as God the Son, “monogenes” also describes the unique relationship and closeness He shares with God the Father.
This divine intimacy is seen especially in how John describes Jesus as the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father.
The phrase—bosom of the Father—symbolizes the intimate and eternal relationship between Jesus and God the Father. The term bosom conveys closeness, trust, and love, akin to a child resting securely in a parent’s embrace. It emphasizes Jesus's unique position as the mono-begotten God and “the only begotten from the Father” (John 1:14John 1:14 commentary).
The image of Jesus in the bosom of the Father conveys unparalleled closeness and intimacy. This phrase reveals the eternal relationship between God the Son and God the Father. It emphasizes Jesus's unique position as the mono-begotten God and “the only begotten from the Father” (John 1:14John 1:14 commentary).
John’s description of Jesus’s unique intimacy with God the Father at the conclusion of his prologue here in verse 18 foreshadows Jesus’s own statements testifying of His closeness to God, His Father, which will be quoted later in John’s Gospel. Jesus said:
“the Father knows Me and I know the Father” (John 10:15John 10:15 commentary)
“I and the Father are one” (John 10:30John 10:30 commentary)
“You, Father, are in Me and I in You” (John 17:21John 17:21 commentary)
But perhaps the verse that best reveals the eternal intimacy Jesus shared with God the Father and the eternal nature of Jesus’s only-begotten-ness is when He prayed to His Father:
“Glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:5John 17:5 commentary)
We see in this verse confirmation of John’s statement earlier that Jesus was “in the beginning” and was “before” John the Baptist even though John the Baptist was born first (John 1:2John 1:2 commentary, 1515 commentary).
…HE HAS EXPLAINED HIM.
The final expression of John 1:18John 1:18 commentary is the statement: He has explained Him.
This statement means Jesus explained God to us. Jesus was able to explain God to humans because He was God (John 1:1John 1:1 commentary) and He was human (John 1:14John 1:14 commentary).
The Greek term which is translated here as explained is a form of the Greek verb: “exegeomai” ἐξηγέομαι (G1834—pronounced: “ex-āg-eh-ō-mai”). The English word “exegete” is derived from this word. “Exāgehōmai” means to lead or draw out. It is a teaching term describing what a person is able to pull out from the material or subject and make plain for others.
Jesus exegeted God to the world.
Words are used to exegete and explain things. It is fitting, therefore, that it was the Logos—the divine Word made flesh—who explained and exemplified God to humanity. There could never be anyone better to explain God to others than Jesus—the Person who is closest to God the Father, the Son of God who was together with God the Father in the beginning (John 1:1John 1:1 commentary) before the world ever was (John 17:5John 17:5 commentary).
Jesus explained God through His teachings.
When Jesus’s disciple Philip asked His Master: “Lord, show us the Father” (John 14:8John 14:8 commentary), Jesus replied: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9John 14:9 commentary).
Through His teachings, Jesus explained:
God the Father’s character through His “I Am” statements (John 6:35John 6:35 commentary, 8:128:12 commentary, 9:59:5 commentary, 10:710:7 commentary, 10:1110:11 commentary, 11:25-2611:25-26 commentary, 14:614:6 commentary, 15:515:5 commentary).
God the Father’s life-giving message to the world (John 6:68John 6:68 commentary, 7:167:16 commentary, 12:49-5012:49-50 commentary).
God the Father’s will (John 5:30 6:37-38John 5:30 6:37-38 commentary).
Jesus revealed Godthe Father to the world as no one could or can (John 14:6John 14:6 commentary).
Paul described Jesus as: “He is the image [icon] of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15Colossians 1:15 commentary). The book of Hebrews introduced Jesus as: “the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3Hebrews 1:3 commentary).
While no one can or hasseen God directly at any time, Jesus has made Him who is invisible to us, visible. He has explained what was unknown and mysterious about God, known and approachable.
Jesus has made what was unrelatable about God, relatable to humanity; and He desires that we share in His intimacy with Him (John 17:25-26John 17:25-26 commentary). As the Light of men, who shines in the darkness, Jesus has illuminated what was heretofore shrouded in obscurity of who God truly is and His love for us (John 1:4-5John 1:4-5 commentary, 1:91:9 commentary, 3:19-213:19-21 commentary, 8:128:12 commentary, 9:59:5 commentary).
Jesus’s incarnation bridges all these gaps, revealing God’s character, will, and love for the world.
THE CULMINATION OF THE PROLOGUE & INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL
Beginning with the declaration that “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1John 1:1 commentary), the prologue traces the eternal nature of Jesus, His role as Messiah, and His incarnation. He is the Logos (God) and the Light (Messiah).
Some of the key assertions of John’s prologue include:
The Word was the source of Life (John 1:4aJohn 1:4a commentary)
The Word was the Light of men (the world-Messiah) (John 1:4bJohn 1:4b commentary)
The Light victoriously shines in the darkness, who has failed to stop it (John 1:5John 1:5 commentary)
John the Baptist came from God to testify about the Word/the Light’s arrival to the world (John 1:6John 1:6 commentary, 1515 commentary)
Neither the world, nor His own people (Israel) recognized or received the Word/Light when He came (John 1:10-11John 1:10-11 commentary)
As many people who do receive the Word/Light by believing in His identity as God and Messiah (personal Savior) receive the right to become children of God (John 1:12-13John 1:12-13 commentary)
The Word became human and lived among humans and people saw His divine glory (John 1:14John 1:14 commentary)
We have all received grace upon grace through Him (John 1:16John 1:16 commentary)
Jesus Christ is the source of the Mosaic Law, and the grace and truth which established the Law. He is the agent through which the intended benefits of the Law are realized (John 1:17John 1:17 commentary)
John 1:18John 1:18 commentary concludes the prologue by drawing readers into the gospel’s central claim: Jesus is God in human form. To see Jesus is to see God. Perhaps more than any of the other gospels, the objective of John’s gospel is to enable his readers to behold Jesus as God.
And John 1:18John 1:18 commentary prepares the gospel’s readers to consider John’s core invitations. which are to believe in Him for eternal life (John 3:14-16John 3:14-16 commentary) and then to experience this life abundantly (John 10:10bJohn 10:10b commentary).
Jesus explained:
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40John 6:40 commentary)
And speaking of his gospel account, John wrote:
“These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31John 20:31 commentary)
This verse tells us that in this gospel, John intends to speak both to unbelievers, that they might believe in Jesus, as well as to believers that they might walk in faith and experience the promised blessingsGod gives to believers for walking in obedience to Him.
The Gospel is the good news that redemption has been given to humanity. That is possible because of Jesus. Because Jesus faithfully completed God’s will unto death on the cross (John 19:30John 19:30 commentary) and rose from the dead (John 11:25John 11:25 commentary), knowing God and having eternal life (John 17:3John 17:3 commentary) are now possible for as many who receive/believe in Jesus (John 1:12-13John 1:12-13 commentary, 3:163:16 commentary, 11:25-2611:25-26 commentary).
As the Light of men (John 1:4bJohn 1:4b commentary) and the Word made flesh (John 1:14aJohn 1:14a commentary), Jesus explained God and offered life with the Father, which is only possible through Him (John 14:6John 14:6 commentary).
Jesus invites all people to a personal relationship with the Father, offering grace and truth.
The prologue of the Gospel of John (John 1:1-18John 1:1-18 commentary) sets the stage for readers to journey through John’s entire Gospel, beholding the glory of Jesus as the ultimate revelation of the only begotten God (John 1:14bJohn 1:14b commentary) and to believe in His words (John 5:24John 5:24 commentary) and experience the abundant life He came to give (John 4:14John 4:14 commentary, 10:1010:10 commentaryb).
Set to dark mode
John 1:18 meaning
John 1:18John 1:18 commentary declares that Jesus uniquely reveals God to humanity. There is no apparent parallel Gospel account of John 1:18John 1:18 commentary.
John concludes the prologue to his gospel account of Jesus Christ with a tangible, three-part statement about who Jesus is and what He has done to bridge the relationship between God and humanity:
No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him (v 18).
The three parts of this statement are:
John’s main point in this verse is that only Jesus has made God fully known to humanity.
NO ONE HAS SEEN GOD AT ANY TIME…
The first part of this statement is an observation: No one has seen God at any time.
No one refers to no human beings. The expression—No one—does not seem to include angels, because apparently angels are able to see the face of God in heaven (Matthew 18:10Matthew 18:10 commentary).
The first phrase of verse 18 could mean absolutely no one at any time in human history has seen God.
It could also mean—no one in human history has seen God at any time since Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:22-24Genesis 3:22-24 commentary).
At any rate, even special encounters like Moses’s interaction with God’s glory (Exodus 34:5-7Exodus 34:5-7 commentary) or Isaiah’s heavenly vision of God’s throne room (Isaiah 6:1-5Isaiah 6:1-5 commentary) were veiled or partial revelations. God warned Moses:
“You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”
(Exodus 33:20Exodus 33:20 commentary)
God’s face is beyond human comprehension and visibility. His invisibility seems to be a characteristic of His spiritual essence.
God’s nature is spirit (John 4:24John 4:24 commentary). But the spectrum of human vision is limited to physical objects that respond to light. No one has seen God at any time because God transcends human sight.
There have been occasions where people have recognized and interacted with angels in their spiritual forms, but these appearances are comparably rare, and they are always the result of God or the angel(s) making themselves visible to humans (Genesis 28:12Genesis 28:12 commentary, commentary Numbers 22:31Numbers 22:31 commentary, commentary Judges 6:11-12Judges 6:11-12 commentary, commentary Judges 13:3Judges 13:3 commentary, commentary 2 Kings 6:16-172 Kings 6:16-17 commentary, commentary Isaiah 6:1-4Isaiah 6:1-4 commentary, commentary Ezekiel 1:4-28Ezekiel 1:4-28 commentary, commentary Matthew 1:20Matthew 1:20 commentary, commentary Matthew 28:2-3Matthew 28:2-3 commentary, commentary Luke 1:11-13Luke 1:11-13 commentary, commentary Luke 1:26-28Luke 1:26-28 commentary, commentary Luke 2:13-14Luke 2:13-14 commentary, commentary Acts 1:10-11Acts 1:10-11 commentary, commentary Acts 127-10Acts 127-10 commentary, commentary Revelation 1:1Revelation 1:1 commentary, commentary Revelation 5:11Revelation 5:11 commentary).
The appearances of angels unto humans seem to have a miraculous quality because it is not normal for our physical eyes to see spiritual realties without some sort of spiritual intervention. The physical limitation of human sight also applies to God who is spirit (John 4:24John 4:24 commentary)—except that angel sightings are rare while no one has seen God at any time.
Additionally, God’s invisibility may be an expression of His holiness, hidden from human sinfulness (Psalm 24:3-4Psalm 24:3-4 commentary, commentary Isaiah 6:5Isaiah 6:5 commentary, commentary 1 Timothy 6:161 Timothy 6:16 commentary). It also may be a feature of His holiness as the Creator from creation (Job 11:7-9Job 11:7-9 commentary, commentary Isaiah 55:8-9Isaiah 55:8-9 commentary, commentary Acts 17:24Acts 17:24 commentary).
John’s observation that No one has seen God at any time sets up his point that Jesus uniquely makes God known to humans.
…THE ONLY BEGOTTEN GOD WHO IS IN THE BOSOM OF THE FATHER…
The second part of the John 1:18John 1:18 commentary statement is a description of Jesus.
Jesus is the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father.
The term only begotten is a translation of the Greek term “monogenes” μονογενὴς (G3439—pronounced: “mon-og-en-ace”). This term is a compound term from “mono” meaning only or “unique”; and “gen-ace” meaning begotten, “birthed,” or “produced.” Monogenes means “only begotten,” “uniquely begotten,” or “mono-begotten.”
In strictly human terms, “monogenes” can mean “only child” (Luke 8:42Luke 8:42 commentary, 9:389:38 commentary, Hebrews 11:17Hebrews 11:17 commentary).
In the Septuagint—the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures—“monogenes” is translated as “only life” in the Messianic psalms (Psalm 22:20Psalm 22:20 commentary, 35:1735:17 commentary).
In John 3:16John 3:16 commentary, commentary only begotten (“monogenes”) is Jesus’s description of Himself in His unique relationship to God the Father.
Only begotten highlights Jesus’s singular nature as the Son who shares in the divine essence. John opened his gospel by telling us that “the Word [Jesus] was with God” (John 1:1bJohn 1:1b commentary) and that “the Word was God” (John 1:1cJohn 1:1c commentary). Now at the end of his prologue, John returns to describe Jesus as the only begotten God.
“Monogenes,” as it pertains to Jesus, speaks to the Triune nature of God. God is One. And God is Three: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Jesus is God in His own right. He is God, the Son. Jesus is also eternally with God, the Father, and with God, the Holy Spirit.
When applied to Jesus, the expression—only begotten—does not imply creation but rather signifies His uniqueness as God the Son, and the unique relationship and intimacy He shares with God the Father as His Son.
As God the Son, Jesus’s existence is eternal. He was in the beginning (John 1:1aJohn 1:1a commentary, 1:21:2 commentary). Consequently, Jesus did not have a beginning. He was not born or begotten in the same sense that children are begotten or born of their parents. Children have a beginning to their existence. A child’s beginning starts when the child is begotten (conceived). Jesus is not merely begotten—He is mono-begotten—only begotten—uniquely begotten. Jesus is eternally begotten.
Many are begotten—but only Jesus is mono-begotten.
John’s description of Jesus as the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father in the closing statement of his prologue recalls the pinnacle statement of the prologue describing when God lived as a man among us:
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
(John 1:14John 1:14 commentary)
Mono-begotten not only describes Jesus’s unique status as God the Son, “monogenes” also describes the unique relationship and closeness He shares with God the Father.
This divine intimacy is seen especially in how John describes Jesus as the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father.
The phrase—bosom of the Father—symbolizes the intimate and eternal relationship between Jesus and God the Father. The term bosom conveys closeness, trust, and love, akin to a child resting securely in a parent’s embrace. It emphasizes Jesus's unique position as the mono-begotten God and “the only begotten from the Father” (John 1:14John 1:14 commentary).
The image of Jesus in the bosom of the Father conveys unparalleled closeness and intimacy. This phrase reveals the eternal relationship between God the Son and God the Father. It emphasizes Jesus's unique position as the mono-begotten God and “the only begotten from the Father” (John 1:14John 1:14 commentary).
John’s description of Jesus’s unique intimacy with God the Father at the conclusion of his prologue here in verse 18 foreshadows Jesus’s own statements testifying of His closeness to God, His Father, which will be quoted later in John’s Gospel. Jesus said:
“the Father knows Me and I know the Father”
(John 10:15John 10:15 commentary)
“I and the Father are one”
(John 10:30John 10:30 commentary)
“You, Father, are in Me and I in You”
(John 17:21John 17:21 commentary)
But perhaps the verse that best reveals the eternal intimacy Jesus shared with God the Father and the eternal nature of Jesus’s only-begotten-ness is when He prayed to His Father:
“Glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”
(John 17:5John 17:5 commentary)
We see in this verse confirmation of John’s statement earlier that Jesus was “in the beginning” and was “before” John the Baptist even though John the Baptist was born first (John 1:2John 1:2 commentary, 1515 commentary).
…HE HAS EXPLAINED HIM.
The final expression of John 1:18John 1:18 commentary is the statement: He has explained Him.
This statement means Jesus explained God to us. Jesus was able to explain God to humans because He was God (John 1:1John 1:1 commentary) and He was human (John 1:14John 1:14 commentary).
The Greek term which is translated here as explained is a form of the Greek verb: “exegeomai” ἐξηγέομαι (G1834—pronounced: “ex-āg-eh-ō-mai”). The English word “exegete” is derived from this word. “Exāgehōmai” means to lead or draw out. It is a teaching term describing what a person is able to pull out from the material or subject and make plain for others.
Jesus exegeted God to the world.
Words are used to exegete and explain things. It is fitting, therefore, that it was the Logos—the divine Word made flesh—who explained and exemplified God to humanity. There could never be anyone better to explain God to others than Jesus—the Person who is closest to God the Father, the Son of God who was together with God the Father in the beginning (John 1:1John 1:1 commentary) before the world ever was (John 17:5John 17:5 commentary).
Jesus explained God through His teachings.
When Jesus’s disciple Philip asked His Master: “Lord, show us the Father” (John 14:8John 14:8 commentary), Jesus replied: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9John 14:9 commentary).
Through His teachings, Jesus explained:
(John 6:35John 6:35 commentary, 8:128:12 commentary, 9:59:5 commentary, 10:710:7 commentary, 10:1110:11 commentary, 11:25-2611:25-26 commentary, 14:614:6 commentary, 15:515:5 commentary).
(John 6:68John 6:68 commentary, 7:167:16 commentary, 12:49-5012:49-50 commentary).
Through His actions, Jesus exemplified:
(John 3:16John 3:16 commentary).
(John 5:30 6:37-38John 5:30 6:37-38 commentary).
Jesus revealed God the Father to the world as no one could or can (John 14:6John 14:6 commentary).
Paul described Jesus as: “He is the image [icon] of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15Colossians 1:15 commentary). The book of Hebrews introduced Jesus as: “the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3Hebrews 1:3 commentary).
While no one can or has seen God directly at any time, Jesus has made Him who is invisible to us, visible. He has explained what was unknown and mysterious about God, known and approachable.
Jesus has made what was unrelatable about God, relatable to humanity; and He desires that we share in His intimacy with Him (John 17:25-26John 17:25-26 commentary). As the Light of men, who shines in the darkness, Jesus has illuminated what was heretofore shrouded in obscurity of who God truly is and His love for us (John 1:4-5John 1:4-5 commentary, 1:91:9 commentary, 3:19-213:19-21 commentary, 8:128:12 commentary, 9:59:5 commentary).
Jesus’s incarnation bridges all these gaps, revealing God’s character, will, and love for the world.
THE CULMINATION OF THE PROLOGUE & INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL
John 1:18John 1:18 commentary serves as a culmination to the gospel’s prologue (John 1:1-18John 1:1-18 commentary).
Beginning with the declaration that “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1John 1:1 commentary), the prologue traces the eternal nature of Jesus, His role as Messiah, and His incarnation. He is the Logos (God) and the Light (Messiah).
Some of the key assertions of John’s prologue include:
(John 1:1aJohn 1:1a commentary)
(John 1:1bJohn 1:1b commentary)
(John 1:1cJohn 1:1c commentary)
(John 1:3John 1:3 commentary)
(John 1:4aJohn 1:4a commentary)
(John 1:4bJohn 1:4b commentary)
(John 1:5John 1:5 commentary)
(John 1:6John 1:6 commentary, 1515 commentary)
(John 1:10-11John 1:10-11 commentary)
(John 1:12-13John 1:12-13 commentary)
(John 1:14John 1:14 commentary)
(John 1:16John 1:16 commentary)
(John 1:17John 1:17 commentary)
(John 1:18John 1:18 commentary)
John 1:18John 1:18 commentary concludes the prologue by drawing readers into the gospel’s central claim: Jesus is God in human form. To see Jesus is to see God. Perhaps more than any of the other gospels, the objective of John’s gospel is to enable his readers to behold Jesus as God.
And John 1:18John 1:18 commentary prepares the gospel’s readers to consider John’s core invitations. which are to believe in Him for eternal life (John 3:14-16John 3:14-16 commentary) and then to experience this life abundantly (John 10:10bJohn 10:10b commentary).
Jesus explained:
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
(John 6:40John 6:40 commentary)
And speaking of his gospel account, John wrote:
“These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
(John 20:31John 20:31 commentary)
This verse tells us that in this gospel, John intends to speak both to unbelievers, that they might believe in Jesus, as well as to believers that they might walk in faith and experience the promised blessings God gives to believers for walking in obedience to Him.
The Gospel is the good news that redemption has been given to humanity. That is possible because of Jesus. Because Jesus faithfully completed God’s will unto death on the cross (John 19:30John 19:30 commentary) and rose from the dead (John 11:25John 11:25 commentary), knowing God and having eternal life (John 17:3John 17:3 commentary) are now possible for as many who receive/believe in Jesus (John 1:12-13John 1:12-13 commentary, 3:163:16 commentary, 11:25-2611:25-26 commentary).
As the Light of men (John 1:4bJohn 1:4b commentary) and the Word made flesh (John 1:14aJohn 1:14a commentary), Jesus explained God and offered life with the Father, which is only possible through Him (John 14:6John 14:6 commentary).
Jesus invites all people to a personal relationship with the Father, offering grace and truth.
The prologue of the Gospel of John (John 1:1-18John 1:1-18 commentary) sets the stage for readers to journey through John’s entire Gospel, beholding the glory of Jesus as the ultimate revelation of the only begotten God (John 1:14bJohn 1:14b commentary) and to believe in His words (John 5:24John 5:24 commentary) and experience the abundant life He came to give (John 4:14John 4:14 commentary, 10:1010:10 commentaryb).