he Word Became Flesh 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through hi hings were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the arkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning tha ght, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone oming into the world. 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 hi wn, 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 hildren 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. ave seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, say This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all receive race in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but th ne and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah 19 No his was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders[c] in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confess eely, “I am not the Messiah.”21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”He said, “I am not.”“Are you the Prophet?”He answered, “No.” 22 Fin hey said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the pr t, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”[d] 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “W hen do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”26 “I baptize with[e] water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do no now. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jor here John was baptizing. John Testifies About Jesus 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away t n of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him ut the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from hea s a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit ome down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”[f] John’s Disciples Follow esus 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”37 When the two disc eard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher”), “where are you staying?”39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with h was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The fi hing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked m and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter[g]). Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael 43 The next day esus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip foun athanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joeph.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he sai m, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still und he fig tree before Philip called you.”49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”50 Jesus said, “You believe[h] ecause I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,[i] you[j] will see ‘heaven open nd the angels of God ascending and descending on’[k] the Son of Man.” Jesus Changes Water Into Wine 1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in alilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “ ave no more wine.”4 “Woman,[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he ou.”6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b] 7 Jesus said to th ervants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” The d so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who rawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the gues ave had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” 11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revea s glory; and his disciples believed in him. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a ays. Jesus Clears the Temple Courts 13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found peopl elling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both heep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop urning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[c] 18 The Jews then respon o him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three ays.”20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was ody. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. 23 N hile he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[d] 24 But Jesus would not entru mself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person. Jesus Teaches Nicodemus 1No here was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that y re a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no an see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter econd time into their mother’s womb to be born!”5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of wat nd the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 Th ind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[ How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. 10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak o hat we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not elieve; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[f] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[g] or God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his S to the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands ondemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people lo arkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds w e exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. ohn Testifies Again About Jesus 22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptiz Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John as put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to Joh nd said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is goin m.” 27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but a
WEEK WEE WE W EEEEEKK TTH THREE HRE HREE HR H REEEEE R
WEEK THREE
TODAY’S READINGS: JOHN 8:12-30, JOHN 1:1-5, PSALM 119:105 In the beginning pages of John’s gospel he makes the claim that the Word that became flesh is a light shining brightly into the darkness of the world. Here in chapter 8 of John’s gospel we see Jesus affirming John’s theology.
[12] … “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, ESV) Jesus doesn’t claim to simply be a light. He is the light. He is the only true source of light in all of creation. He serves to illuminate the dark places of the world. We can all agree that just like in John’s day our world is in some desperate need of light. It is not a difficult task to look out at the world around us and see the dark places.
War, injustice, greed, abuse, hatred … the list could go on and on. However, darkness isn’t something that just lives “out there”. There is a darkness that lives “in here”, inside of us all. The only way to ensure that we are not walking in our darkness is to allow Jesus to shine deep into those places of our soul that need His healing light. This is best accomplished by interacting with the Word that became flesh in the written Word. The Psalmist shares the power of His Word.
[105] Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105, ESV) There are two important elements here. First, His Word is a lamp to our feet. His Word illuminates where we’re standing. Interacting with His Word forces us to examine our current
state of spiritual affairs. How am I lining up with His character, ways, and mission? How am I loving Him with my heart, mind, and soul? How am I doing at loving my neighbors? Am I being generous with my finances, time, and energy in order to bless others? Is there any darkness where I’m currently standing? Second, His Word is also a light to our path. His Word illuminates our next step. Following Jesus is not static. It is meant to be active. The more we walk with Him the more we come to understand God, life, and who we truly are. So we approach His Word asking, “where should I place my next step?” He shows us where we are and where we should be going, loving us all the while. Pastor Max Lucado captures these two elements well.
“God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way.” - Max Lucado
Reflection: • In what ways can you see that
Jesus is the light of the world? What are some of the reasons that others do not see Jesus as the light of the world?
• Darkness “out there” is often
easy to identify. Darkness “in here” not as much. Why are we reluctant to identify the darkness within? In what ways can we identify and address these areas to allow the light of life in Jesus change us?
• Take some time to pray that
the Lord would shine light in the darkness in and around you today.
NOTES:
DAY TWO TODAY’S READINGS: JOHN 8:31-38 As children we often balk against our parent’s rules. It starts at a young age when we refuse to take a nap or eat our peas. It continues through the tantrums of the terrible twos, the hormones of middle and high school, and into young adulthood. We daydream of a future when the rules are gone and we can do what we want to do, go where we want to go. True freedom. As we mature into adults we begin to realize that that’s not how freedom works. In his book, The Reason for God, Pastor Tim Keller shares,
“In many areas of life, freedom is not so much the absence of restrictions as finding the right ones. Disciplines and constraints, then, liberate us only when they fit with the reality of our nature and capacities. A fish, because it absorbs oxygen from water rather than air, is only free if it is restricted and limited to water. If we put it on the grass, its freedom to move and even live is not enhanced, but destroyed. The fish dies if we do not hone the reality of its nature.” ~ Tim Keller, The Reason for God.
Freedom is not about eliminating the boundaries. True freedom is about discovering the right boundaries to live within. In John chapter 8 Jesus proclaims that the boundaries between which humanity best thrives are defined by His truth.
[31] … “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, [32] and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–38, ESV) While God interacts with us in many ways, His primary way of sharing the boundaries of truth with us is His Word. However, truth isn’t just about getting into the Bible. It’s about getting the Bible into you. Allowing His Word to come alive in your thoughts and actions. That was the hang up for the Pharisees that Jesus was speaking to in this moment. They knew the Bible very well. They memorized it. Scrutinized it. They knew every dot of the “i”s and every cross of the “t”s. But His word never made the journey from their heads to their hearts. Followers of Jesus are called to strive for truth. For that truth to become a reality, for it to manifest itself into the freedom that Jesus speaks of…it must be lived, not merely learned.
Reflection: • As you have read God’s Word are there any
uncomfortable boundaries you have come up against? Take some time to examine that uncomfortable feeling and ask the Lord to reveal what that conflict is all about. Is the discomfort a clash between cultural norms and His standards? Is it a struggle with obedience or submission?
• In what ways does the Word of God move
from our heads to our hearts? How does this movement begin to change our relationship with those uncomfortable boundaries?
• How does the truth set us free? In your
relationship with God? In your relationships with others? In your view of yourself?
DAY THREE | TODAY’S READINGS: JOHN 9
There is a fascinating element about Jesus’ miracles in the Scriptures. He rarely performs a healing miracle in the same way twice. At times He simply speaks the words and the people are healed like the centurion’s servant (Matthew 8) or the paralytic (Mark 2). Other times He is more intimate with His healing. He touches the leper who has not known the touch of another in a long time (Mark 1). He places His hands on the eyes of the blind and over the ears of the deaf to engage their other senses. His methods speak as loudly as His power. We find this to be true in the healing of the blind man in John 9. His healing is perhaps Jesus’ most well known because of the blind man’s famous retort to the Pharisees.
[25] He answered, … One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25, ESV) He didn’t have all of the answers they were looking for. All he knew was that his life began to change the day he met Jesus. He once was blind, but now he can see. His vision continues to get better throughout his story as he interacts more and more with Jesus. Notice how his perspective on Jesus evolves. First he simply calls him, “the man called Jesus” (vs. 11). The more he’s questioned, the more time he has to ponder what had happened he then claims, “He is a prophet” (vs. 17). That’s a bit of an upgrade. By the end of his story he is worshiping Jesus as Lord proclaiming him to be the “Son of Man” (vs. 35-38) The same evolution is true of us all. The more time you spend with Jesus the more your spiritual eyes are opened to see who He truly is. The Apostle Paul prayed this very thing for the church in Ephesus. He says,
[16] I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, [17] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, [18] having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, [19] and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe…” (Ephesians 1:16–19, ESV)
Paul is praying for their spiritual eyes to be opened so that they can begin to see the spiritual realities around them. May we all have the same desire to see the ways of God with clarity.
Reflection: • What are some of the ways that God has worked in your life in the past? Are your expectations for Him to act in the same way today? Evaluate you experience and pray that the Lord would possibly work in your life in a new way. When He does, be obedient in what He reveals.
•
There is a simplicity to the blind man’s story. “I was blind, now I see.” We are all called to share our stories when the time arrives (1 Peter 3:15; Matthew 28:18-20). Have you ever shared your faith story with someone? If not, why not? Seek out guidance and resources to be equipped for that moment.
• Spending more and more time with Jesus opens our spiritual eyes and evolves our perspective of God,
ourselves, and the world around us. How have your eyes been opened since following Jesus? In what ways can you commit to spending more time with Him to continue the evolution of your spiritual sight?
NOTES:
DAY FOUR
|
TODAY’S READINGS: JOHN 7:53-8:11
In many Bible translations the end of the seventh chapter and the beginning of the eighth chapter of the Gospel of John give a small footnote or a set of brackets that might be easily missed if you’re not looking for it. They communicate that verses 7:53 through 8:11 do not appear in the earliest Greek manuscripts of John’s gospel. While rare, there are a few places in the New Testament like this. The conclusion of Mark’s gospel serves as an additional example (Mark 16:9-20). What do we do with a footnote like that? Do we toss out the entire section assuming it is not a part of God’s Word? Maybe someone added it later to manipulate the text and we’ve caught them in the act? Or, do we simply embrace it because by now it’s part of the tradition of the Church and we enjoy what the story communicates? The answer lies somewhere in between. While not captured in the earliest manuscripts of John’s gospel that we have found, it does mean that it should be simply tossed aside. However, for this reason we should approach this story with more scrutiny than others. We don’t all have to be scholars spending hours upon hours digging into the historicity of texts like this, but we can ask some simple questions.
• Does it consistently communicate God’s character in relation to other Scriptures? • Does it contradict anything we know about Jesus from the rest of the gospel accounts? • Is it theologically aligned with the overarching story of salvation in the Bible?
In this case, John 7:53-8:11 meets those standards. Consider the evidence.
• The Pharisees often invoke the Old Testament, particularly the Law, to challenge Jesus and oppress others. Here it is the Law that motivates them to stone the woman.
• Jesus often does not answer a question directly. Instead,
He digs for the deeper issue at hand. Reminiscent of the Sermon on the Mount’s log and speck challenge (Matthew 7:3) He has them examine their own hearts rather than focusing on her sin.
• In the end Jesus extends grace, but conveys the seriousness of sin.
While the earliest manuscripts that we have may not contain this story it consistently communicates the grace of God. Perhaps the earliest manuscripts we have are not the earliest copies and while hand copying John’s gospel a scribe accidentally omitted this story? Perhaps John didn’t capture it, but it was a part of the oral tradition passed down from disciple to disciple until it was included in the text? We will never know this side of heaven. What we can do is be students of the Scriptures. Watch for consistency. Watch for the love and grace of God to be present in the text. Never base an entire theological belief off of one passage or story. Instead, strive to know the whole council of God captured in the Scriptures.
NOTES:
Reflection: • Inconsistencies in the Scriptures are real,
but they are rare. How do you think this aligns with the often quoted 2 Timothy 3:16? Does this shake your understanding of God’s Word or bolster it?
• Are there other stories that you see in the Scriptures that align with the theology communicated in John 7:53-8:11?
• What can we learn about our own sin from Jesus’ reply to the scribes and Pharisees? Read Matthew 7:1-5.
• What can we learn about the nature of God from Jesus’ reply to the woman at the end of this story?
YOU ARE THE
LIGHT
OF THE
WORLD
DAY FIVE TODAY’S READINGS: JOHN 8:12, MATTHEW 5:14-16 Every Christmas for nearly 40 years each North Way campus has closed our Christmas services with a candle-lit singing of Silent Night. It’s always an amazing moment when one light becomes two, two becomes four, four becomes twelve and before long the entire darkened sanctuary is filled with light as we sing, Silent night, holy night Son of God, oh, love's pure light Radiant beams from Thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace That moment reminds us of God’s undeserved gift in His Son, but also the power that light can have when it is shared. Earlier this week we read about Jesus’ claim of being the light of the world, but did you know that He made another statement about light? Speaking to His followers, He said,
[14] “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14–16, ESV)
We are the light. Not on our own, but from that one source…Jesus. And one becomes two, two becomes four, four becomes twelve, and before we know it our neighborhoods begin to light up with hope. But He warns us. This can’t happen if we hide our light from others. If we’re all honest we’ve all hidden our light at times. It could have been from shyness, embarrassment, or even just a lack of want, but this sentiment is something we can all relate to. Which is why Jesus shared it. He reminds us that light only makes an impact when it is shared. Somewhat of another Christmas tradition is highlighting Old Testament prophesies that point to the coming Messiah. One particular text that speaks of His coming is found Isaiah.
[2] The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. (Isaiah 9:2, ESV)
NOTES:
What if the people walking in darkness today where we live, work, and play were to see you as a great light in their lives? What if when they think of you they think of encouragement? Peace? Wisdom? What if when they see the light of Jesus flowing through you they “see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”?
Reflection: • In what ways does the light of Jesus flow through us and into the lives of others?
• Take a moment to be honest and vulnerable.
What are some of the ways that you’ve hidden the light inside of you? What can you learn from those experiences to be more bold next time?
• What is some of the darkness that our
neighbors, coworkers, families, and friends are walking in today? How can you, armed with grace, truth, and love, shine light in those places?
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