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John 1: Days 1-2






Memory Verse:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God…
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us
(John 1:1, 14a)

Author: John the apostle, one of the 12 disciples
Date: AD 80–90
Location of writing: Church of Ephesus
To whom was it written: Jews and Gentiles
Purpose: To show Jesus as Christ who gives eternal life

John began his gospel by recalling Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” John was Jewish, but was also aware of the growing Gentile influence. Nearly all of the first believers were Jewish, but quickly the leaders of the Jesus’s religion rejected the Jewish Messiah.
It’s easy at first to get confused between John the author and John the Baptist. The author never identifies himself as John. Instead he humbly refers himself as “the other disciple” (John 18:16), “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 21:20), and simply “the disciple” (John 21:24). As the last surviving disciple, he likely wanted to get the attention off of himself and on Jesus.
Come and see the Light. Listen to an eye-witness. Experience a baptism. Engage in quiet times. Commit yourself to Christ.


Day 1: Morning
Salvation: Receive The Light
(Read John 1:1–14)

I was a child when I received Jesus Christ into my life. Like today’s title says, it was like receiving a light into my life and ever since then, I have tried to shine that light to others. Salvation is like receiving the light. We previously were in spiritual darkness. List the characteristics given of “the Word.”
Verse 1--the Word was “in the beginning,” the “Word was with God,” and “the Word was God.”
 “In the beginning was the Word” is reminiscent of Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” This passage tells us that “the Word” (in the Greek: logos) is Jesus Christ; Jesus has always existed and Jesus is God. Yet He became a human being and can identify with us.
When you hear the word “dog,” an image of a barking four-legged animal with a tail comes to mind. A single word can represent a person, place or thing. Jesus Christ is “the Word” and He represents the infinite God to finite world. Jesus was the physical manifestation of the heavenly Father and revealed the unseen God (see verse 18).
Verse 13 means that you don’t have to be a certain race (blood) to become a child of God. Your physical birth was a result of the will of your parents, but your spiritual birth is a result of the will of God.
There is a funny story about a teenager who, frustrated with her parents, shouted, “Hey, I never asked to be born!” Equally frustrated, the mother replied, “That’s good, because if you had, I would have said ‘No!’”
In a way God wants you to “ask to be born” by receiving and believing in His name.

Pray this prayer to God: “Heavenly Father: Thank You for letting me become Your child and for giving me light to walk in this life. Help me reflect Your light to this world by letting Jesus shine through me. Amen.”

Day 1: Evening
What Baptism Means
(Read John 1:15–34)

When I was baptized, I told a friend at school that it was “neater than going swimming.” And it really was. John the Baptist’s baptisms were for repentance or a turning away from sins. But he also spoke of someone greater that he who would not only help us turn from our sins but would forgive us of all of our sins. Look up Acts 19:1–5 where some of John’s disciples would later be baptized again in the name of Jesus.
 John the Baptist preached that someone special was about to come, even though he did not know that Jesus was the Messiah (verse 31). John “bore witness” of a coming Christ or Messiah (see 1:15, 19, and 32).
To witness means to tell others what you have seen. As a Christian, you have a wonderful opportunity to share about your new life in Christ with others. One way you can witness is to be baptized.
Jesus said we are to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). Baptism symbolizes God the Father washing away of sins (see Acts 22:16). It pictures our identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of the Son (see Rom. 6:4) and it represents the immersion of the Holy Spirit into our lives (see John 1:34 and Acts 1:5).
Don’t wait to be water baptized. Acts 22:16 says, “Why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized. Wash away your sins by calling on the name of the Lord” (author’s paraphrase). In Matt. 3:13–17, Jesus said that His baptism was the right thing to do. When you are baptized, you are following His example.
Over the years I have learned baptism is more than just being “neater than going swimming.” It shows God has washed away my sins. It shows that I have a new life in Christ and baptism symbolizes that God’s Spirit is now to saturate my life. Baptism follows His example and command.

Pray this prayer to God: “Dear God, help me be a witness for You and tell others what you have done in my life. Help me not just talk the talk, but also walk the walk as a believer in Jesus Christ. Amen.”


Day 2: Morning
Quiet Times: Spending Time With Jesus
(Read John 1:35–51)
  

Early in a new believer’s life, the Christian needs to seek out Jesus and spend time with Him. In John 1:37–39, Andrew and another disciple wanted to spend time with Jesus. They wanted to know where He lived.
A daily time alone with God is called a “quiet time” and is essential for a Christian to grow in relationship with God. As a result of spending time with Jesus, Andrew told Simon (v. 41) and Philip told Nathanael (v. 45).
We are not given his name, but the “other disciple” was John the apostle, the author of this gospel. These five disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter, Phillip, Nathanael, and John, did not know everything, but what they knew, they shared. Their simple message: “We found Him!”
Verses 47–51 tell us something even greater than the finding Jesus. Nathanael discovered that Jesus already knew him! God created us and even if you have just recently come to know God, God knew you before the creation of the world.
In John 1:51, Jesus refers to Jacob’s ladder (Gen. 28:12), saying that Nathanael will see angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Symbolically, Jesus was saying that through Him, we have access to God. Today, God “descends” to us through ways such as reading the Bible and we can “ascend” to Him in ways such as praying. Commit to God to have a quiet time each day by signing your name below:
I commit to spend time with God.
Time: ___________________Place:______________________
Your signature:_______________________________________
Jesus invited John and Andrew to “come and see” where He lived. In order to follow Christ, we must spend time with Him. Come and see what Christ has for you each morning and night for the next seven weeks.

Pray this prayer to God: “Father, help me to have a daily quiet time with You. Give me a desire to see where you live. Thank You that before I found You, You saw me and loved me. I am so glad I found You! Amen.”

Day 2: Evening
Seven Sevens of Lessons
(John 1:35–51)


Seven is a holy number for Jews, a sign of perfection and completion. In chapter 1, we see the first “testimonies” of Jesus being the Christ, the Anointed Messiah, promised in the Old Testament to come.
The Greek word for witness or testimony is martyr. In English, “martyrs” are those who make a testimony and sacrifice their own lives for their beliefs. The seven witnesses John records are
1) Witness of John the Baptist (John 1:7–8; 5:33–36); 2) Witness of works (John 5:36); 3) Witness of the Father (John 5:37, 8:18); 4) Witness of the Scriptures (John 5:39, 45–47); 5) Witness of Himself (John 5:31; 8:14–18); 6) Witness of the disciples (John 12:17; 15:27; 19:35; 21: 24); and 7) Witness of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26).

In total, there are seven lessons with seven sub-points in John. In addition to the 1) Seven witnesses for Christ; we will see:
2)  Seven “Transitive I AM” statements (we will discuss this on Day 11);
3)  Seven “Intransitive I AM” statements -- Jesus said “I AM” with no direct object (Day 7);
4)  Seven miraculous signs;
5)  Seven comparisons of Himself to God the Father, (“as the Father…so do I”, see Day 9);
6)  Seven journeys to Jerusalem, (found in John chapters 1, 3, 5, 7, 8,11, and 12); and
7)  Seven major sermons
(1.) New Birth, John 3:1–21; 
(2.) Water of Life, John 4:1–42;
(3.) Equality with the Father, John 5:19–47; 
(4.) Bread of Life, John 6:22–66; 
(5.) Life-giving Spirit, John 7:1–52; 
(6.) Light of the World, John 8:12–59; and
(7.) The Shepherd, John 10:1–21

So what does this mean?  These repetitions of seven are “witnesses” and “testimonies” of the completion of this gospel. John, the “beloved disciple,” was an eyewitness of these events and had decades to write this beautiful gospel.

Pray this prayer to God: “Lord, as I finish this first chapter, quicken my heart in the mornings and focus my attention at night to learn from Your Spirit. Help me apply these truths from John’s writings to my life. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.”


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