John 1:1-28

40 Days of John

The book of John stands out from the other 3 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke).  And that's the main reason I thought it would be a wonderful "place" to start a new Everyday Reading Project.  As I am learning, any time something "sticks out" in my heart and mind, that's often God's sense of direction...

Instead of providing an overview of Jesus' ministry by going through His life, death, and resurrection focusing on Jesus' parables and miracles, the book of John focuses more on defining who, exactly, Jesus is and why He came into the world.  John seems to zero in on Jesus and His relationships.

And in being true to this blog as we read, I have to wonder:

• What does Jesus mean to me, in my life, on an everyday basis?  
• How do His relationships shape my relationships?  
• What does Jesus mean to you, in your life, on an everyday basis?  
• And how do His relationships infiltrate your relationships?

So here we are.  Day 1.  Forty days in the book of John.

John 1:1-28    

In today's reading, John connects Jesus to God from the beginning and puts Jesus "with God" as our author and creator.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made...In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind."John 1:1-4

God and Jesus are one.  Jesus is as close to God as One can possibly get, and now, in Christ, we have that same invitation.  

John goes on to assure us that Jesus is who He says He is.  Jesus is who God says He is...

"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.  Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

John 1: 10-13

John wants us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is our Messiah, our Savior.  Jesus is the very one whom the prophets and John the Baptist spoke about before He was here.  We can believe and be transformed by His grace and truth that is here with us.  He's alive and at work in the world.

Let's soak in this Good News.

And something tells me, this good book we are reading by John, the disciple "whom Jesus loved" is going to help us know more about what that means...

The scripture from John 1:10-13 has a familiarity to it that I recognize today.

Even though Jesus is here with us through the Holy Spirit EVERY single day of our lives in EVERYTHING we do , we, like people during Jesus' time, still struggle to believe and hold on to this reality.  

We are His.  Jesus reminds us.  His is here.  Do we recognize Him?  Will we live as we are, as God's children, brothers and sisters in Christ?

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for Jesus.  Thank You for sending Jesus into the world to dwell among us so that we might be closer to You, so that we might know You more intimately.

Forgive me for all the ways I fail to recognize You in me and at work in my life and in the lives of others.

Lord, I pray that You fill me with Your grace and Your truth.  Help me to remember You in EVERYTHING that I do.  Guide me by Your Holy Spirit.

I pray also for _______________ to know You and be transformed by Your redeeming love.

You are our Lord and Savior.

In Jesus' holy name I pray,

Amen

Grace and peace of Christ,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.