Today's Chapter: John 1
Dig Deeper:
IN THE BEGINNING: We just finished going through Mark's gospel in our morning services, where we noticed that it started off with the same exact words as the book of Genesis: en arche = in the beginning. Notice that John's gospel starts with the same exact words. It's important to realize that Jesus coming to earth as Savior was not some divine plan B that needed to be enacted because Adam sinned and then later Israel failed to properly usher in God's kingdom. Saving you and 'giving you the right to become God's child (v12)' through Jesus has been God's plan from the beginning.
FIRST WORDS FROM THE WORD: Another thing we noticed in Mark's gospel was how profound the first words of Jesus recorded by Mark were: "The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news! (Mark 1:15)" Jesus' first words in Matthew are about Him being the fulfillment of all righteousness (Matt 3:15), and Luke's version is from the 12 year old Jesus stating He "had to be in my Father's house (2:49)." Yet after opening with a profoundly elegant prologue about the Word, the first words John records of Jesus seem somewhat inelegant:
What do you want? (1:38)
Yet these words are massively profound. Today is the start of several beginnings. Most of you will start reading this new book of the Bible as a new month begins, during the first week of the Advent season, and in a year that has been strange and different, to say the least. As you begin preparations in earnest for Christmas, ask yourself what it is that you truly want, what it is that you are seeking in life. As you read through John's gospel, continually compare your response with where Jesus is calling you so that you might want what He wants.
PREPARE HIM ROOM: ADVENT READING FOR TODAY
Follow the AAA Prayer Pattern:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (v1)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God will make what you want the same as what He wants (v38)
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
