John 1:10-18 (Prologue cont.)

Rachel Workman: 10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. Believe and accept or receive as many translations had it and we are given the right to become children of God. What's not to love about that verse?
14 So the Word became human[d] and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.[e] And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. These are some of my favorite verses. Our God is full of unfailing love and faithfulness for us. In a world where faithfulness and love have come to mean nothing it's certainly something to hold on to.
15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”
16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.[f] Again, beautiful verses. From his abundance, that's an abundance we can't wrap our human minds around. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God,[g] is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us. I can't in my human mind really appreciate what these verses are saying. Jesus Christ is so near the heart of God that because we know him we know the heart of God. Through Christ God has shown us his unfailing love. What a great day to read these verses. There is no other way to describe the cross other than unfailing love.

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John Burnett:  10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.  There are millions of people who think they are Christians but have not been born again. 

14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.   And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”  John the Baptist was second only to Jesus as one who knew God.  He is one they should have listened too.

16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.  When we are born again, he provides for our physical needs but he also provides for our spiritual needs by giving us the Holy Spirit as a helper.  17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

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Krista Cook:  ¹⁰ He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.

- and so many in our world today do not recognize Him, either.  We must show Him to those who are lost.

¹¹ He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. ¹² But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. ¹³ They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

- so thankful for our new birth in Him and what it means to be a child of His

¹⁴ So the Word became human^[d] and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.^[e] And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

¹⁵ John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”

- John is saying, "See?  This is Who I was talking about!!" 

¹⁶ From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.^{[f] 17} For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God,^[g] is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

- so thankful for His unfailing love!

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Mike Grimm:  Group: I used the NIV version for this scripture. Verse 18 spoke clearer to me about grace in the NIV version than the NLT Version.

John 1:10-18 (NIV)

¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. This is the climactic assertion of the Prologue. To some of John’s contemporaries, spirit and the divine were utterly opposed to matter and flesh. To others, the gods were thought to visit the earth disguised as human beings. But here a chasm is bridged: the eternal Word of God did not merely appear to be a human being, but actually became flesh. He took to Himself a full and genuine human nature.

“Glory” applies supremely to God, who is the Creator and Ruler of the universe, and before whom all knees must bow. The Son has the divine glory by right.

¹⁵ (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) John the Baptist’s ministry preceded the public ministry of Jesus, yet the Word, being eternal, existed before John.

¹⁶ Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. The word “Grace”, frequent in Paul’s epistles, appears in John’s writings only in this passage and as a customary greeting. It emphasizes that salvation is a gift. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and^[a] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. It is fundamental that God is invisible and without form. Yet Christ reveals God. He brings the invisible and the visible together in a way that has no parallel or analogy.

  

I found this commentary online by Matthew Henry that I wanted to share as it pertains to John 1:15-18;

As to the order of time and entrance on his work, Christ came after John, but in every other way he was before him. The expression clearly shows that Jesus had existence before he appeared on earth as man. All fullness dwells in him, from which alone fallen sinners have, and shall receive, by faith, all that renders them wise, strong, holy, useful, and happy. Our receiving’s by Christ are all summed up in this one word, grace; we have received "even grace," a gift so great, so rich, so invaluable; the good will of God towards us, and the good work of God in us. The law of God is holy, just, and good; and we should make the proper use of it. But we cannot derive from it pardon, righteousness, or strength. It teaches us to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior, but it cannot supply the place of that doctrine. As no mercy comes from God to sinners but through Jesus Christ, no man can come to the Father but by him; no man can know God, except as he is made known in the only begotten and beloved Son.