How to Use This Book
Like Christmas Matters, this book is intended as a guide or supplement to a gospel account of Jesus’s ministry on earth. It in no way encompasses every detail of the Gospel of John, but rather it is intended to bring focus to significant truths about who we are as we personally relate to Christ. In the Bible’s New Testament, the fourth gospel—which follows the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke—introduces Jesus through the eyes of His beloved disciple, John. In Easter Matters we will spend the forty-day Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends the Thursday before Easter, exploring the twenty-one chapters in the Gospel of John. As we discover how Jesus related to those around Him, we will see pictures of how He relates to us. You might want to begin reading this devotional on Ash Wednesday, but you may prefer to begin reading on Palm Sunday, during Holy Week, or even on Easter Sunday. The story of Jesus told in the Gospel of John has the power to change your life no matter when you decide to begin celebrating His resurrection. In this devotional, each chapter of John is divided into two days of reflection. On the first day, we will read content related to the correlating chapter in John, learning about and drawing encouragement from Jesus’s life. This day will begin with an overview verse from the chapter in John and end with a verse containing a promise, reminding us of the freedom and reward found when we see ourselves as God sees us. xi
