I’m quite excited that I get to study the Gospel of John this year.
It’s my favorite book in the New Testament.
At my church, we have a seniors’ Bible study group that decided to dive into the book of John. We began last week with a discussion of John 1:1-18. This week, Lord willing, we will cover John 1:19-51.
(We’re using a study guide from LifeGuide Bible Studies, published by InterVarsity Press, which I give two thumbs up.)
Just reading John chapter 1 can be breathtaking. In 51 verses, the Apostle John gives us at least a dozen names or titles of Jesus.
Here they are, along with the verses (from the ESV):
God (1)
The Word (1, 14)
The maker of everything (3, 10)
The life (4)
The light (4, 5, 7, 8)
The true light (9)
The only Son (14)
The only God (18)
The Lamb of God (29, 36)
The Teacher/Rabbi (38, 49)
The Son of God (34, 49)
The Christ/The Messiah (17, 41)
The King of Israel (49)
The Son of Man (51)
Here’s my favorite question on John 1 from the study guide:
“Which of the names of Jesus has the most significance to you personally? Explain why.”
As difficult as it may be to answer this question, given the overwhelming nature of the list, for me, the answer is a no-brainer: Jesus is God.
John 1:1 has become one of the most important verses in the Bible for me.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
When the universe was created, the Word (Jesus) already existed as the eternal God. He and the Father, along with the Holy Spirit, have always existed as one God in three coequal Persons that Christians call the Trinity.
There is much mystery here, for sure.
But this is what Scripture teaches, and this is reason to fall on our faces in humble adoration of “the only God, who is at the Father’s side” (John 1:18).
In the beginning, Jesus was God. And therefore He is still God. And if He is God, I am accountable to Him and will stand before Him on Judgment Day because God the Father “has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father” (John 5:22-23).
I spent many years ignoring Jesus and doing my own thing. Thankfully, God shone the light of Christ into my heart, and my sinful darkness could not overcome it. Jesus granted me the gifts of repentance and faith, enabling me by grace to receive Him and believe in Him. Oh, how I praise Him for that today!
Because Jesus is God, He is now “my Lord and my God” (John 20:28), and I want to live my life, first and foremost, for Him, i.e., for His glory. I want to make much of Christ by worshipping Him and pointing people to Him.
I want to be like Andrew, who spent the day with Jesus and then immediately tracked down his brother Peter and said, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41). What happened next? “He (Andrew) brought him (Peter) to Jesus” (John 1:42).
Oh, that I would have this kind of joyful zeal. I’m asking God to give me the same joy from being with Jesus that propelled Andrew to tell Peter about the incomparable Christ.
How about you?
Which of those names of Jesus above has the most significance to you personally? Let me know by leaving a comment below, and I will gladly rejoice with you!
- The Infinite Greatness of Jesus - February 22, 2026
- The Love of Jesus on Display - February 15, 2026
- Why Did John Write the Book of John? - February 8, 2026
