I. THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
BEING COMPOSED OF TWO SECTIONS
The Gospel of John, a full revelation of Christ as the Word of God defining and revealing God, is composed of two sections.
A. The First Section
The first section is from 1:1 to 12:19. This section tells us what Christ is and what Christ would do. It reveals Christ’s becoming flesh in His incarnation and His earthly living and ministry in His humanity.
B. The Second Section
The second section is from 12:20 to 20:29. It unveils that Christ is to be glorified by God with His glory and also unveils the issue of His glorification through death and resurrection, as the many grains produced by the one grain in 12:24. In this section the words glory, glorify, and glorified are used a number of times. Even in chapter one, unveiling Christ’s incarnation, the glory of the only begotten Son of God is mentioned. John says, "We beheld His glory, glory as of the only Begotten from the Father" (v. 14). They saw His glory when He was transfigured on the mount (Matt. 17:1-2; 2 Pet. 1:16-18). His glory was concealed in His human shell, that is, His humanity. But on the mount, that concealed glory came out.
John was very strong to unveil the glorification of the incarnated Jesus, that is, the glorification of Christ by God with His glory. He was not self-glorified by His own exaltation, but He was glorified by God. In His being glorified, He as a grain of wheat passed through death unto resurrection, and that is glorification. His glorification was to produce us as many grains. He is the one grain; we are the many grains. A stalk of wheat with many grains is the produce of one grain being sown into the earth. The many grains are the totality, the aggregate, of that unique grain. When Christ was resurrected, He was glorified to produce us as His many grains to form and constitute His Body.
II. GOD HIMSELF EXPRESSED
The glory of God is God Himself expressed (Acts 7:2). Abraham was called by "the God of glory." God manifested Himself to Abraham in His glory, and Abraham saw the expressed God. The glory of God was the "motor," the motivating power, for Abraham to leave Chaldea and journey to the good land. When God appears in His glory, we are attracted, charmed, and captivated by Him.
(Crystallization-Study of the Gospel of John, Chapter 10, by Witness Lee)
