Today's Reading: John 1: 1-18
**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.
Please click this link to read Mark 1: 1-18
Bible Study
John's Gospel is unique among the four Gospels. It records much about Jesus' ministry in Jedea and Jerusalem that the other three Gospels leave out, and it gives deeper insight into the "mystery" of Jesus' personhood as both God and man. The author is identified indirectly as "the disciple whom Jesus loved"(13:23; 19:26; 20:2;21:7,20) and is pointing to John, the son of Zebedee, as the author.
John states in 20:31 that his purpose for writing is 'that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
N.T. Wright gives us three important points of today's passage(1: 1-18):
1. We point others to Jesus
N.T. Wright says "John isn't the man we want, but his job is to point us to Jesus. He is, in John's language, 'giving evidence about the light'. If we are to meet the Word of God, all four gospels suggest we do well to begin by considering John the Baptist.
We need to point others to Jesus just as how John the Baptist did.
2. Jesus is Lord
N.T. Wright says "Verse 14 says that the Word became flesh - that is, became human, became one of us. He became, in fact, the human being we know as Jesus. That's the theme of this gospel: if you want to know who the true God is, look long and hard at Jesus."
We need to know, to experience and to have a daily intimate personal relationship with Jesus as our Lord.
3. Christlikeness - Word become flesh through us
N.T. Wright says "In Genesis 1, the climax is the creation of humans, made in God's image. In John 1, the climax is the arrival of a human being, the Word become 'flesh'. When I speak a word, it is, in a sense, part of me. it's a breath that comes from inside me, making the noise that I give it with my throat, my mouth and my tongue. When people hear it, they assume I intended it. 'But you said...', people comment, if our deeds don't match up to our words. We remain responsible for the words we say."
The Word of God and the daily intimate personal relationship with Jesus transform us into a different person. A person who can demonstrate through our lifestyle of Christlikeness the true meaning of "Word become flesh"!
Do you think you can be an example of Word become flesh?
Have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to God as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"
Spiritual Journal
What I heard from Jesus today is: You should be an example of Word become flesh!
Wow! I've got a new understanding in "Word become flesh" today from the Lord!
Just as N.T. Wright says, "if our deeds don't match up with our words"! That's why Jesus called me to sink deep into His Word three years ago and that's why Jesus calls you to use my blogs and podcasts to do the same thing: let the Word become you. You become a good example to show others how Jesus transform your life. You become a good example of your new lifestyle - a lifestyle of Christlikeness. You become a good example just like John the Baptist pointing others to Jesus because people should follow Jesus as their Lord and not you. We all become obedient to His Kingdom authority to do His Kingdom ministries! How beautiful and blessed we can be if we really can do that!
Dear Lord Jesus,
Help us to know that we should be an example of Word become flesh and by living out a lifestyle of Christlikeness we can point others to you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Chinese praise song - 祢讓我生命改變 You Transform My Life
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