John 1 – Journey in John
One of the things I hear often as a pastor is that people view the Bible as dry and meaningless. In many ways, it breaks my heart because of the way God intends for us to know Him through His word. If His word is meaningless to us, we aren’t reading it or receiving it in the way God intended.
As a community, we are Journeying through the book of John together over the next 21 days. Each day we will be reading one chapter. We are going to attempt to read relationally; asking Jesus what he wants to show us and how he is revealing himself to us through his word. It be just one word or one phrase that sticks out and makes an impact on us, it might be a theme in the passage God speaks to us through, or it might be one word that God uses to pierce our heart and show us Jesus.
As I read through John 1 this morning, there was a lot that stood out to me, but I wanted to focus this post on an invitation I received from God as I read. It was one verse (and that’s often how transformational reading works). In John 1:29 John records John the Baptizer. He writes,
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
I have read that passage many times , but today I read it relationally. Today I read it, “Ryan, BEHOLD (look at, stop and observe, see clearly, etc.) the lamb who took away YOUR sin!” I wonder how many of us God wants to say, “BEHOLD” to? I wonder if you have beheld him lately?
There is power in beholding the lamb.
There is power in seeing your sin taken away and paid for in full.
There is transformation when we behold.
Maybe that’s why it was John’s cry, “look at him!” Because, when we see Jesus clearly, it shapes our life. It’s interesting that John doesn’t do a lot of unpacking this truth for his audience, he seems to believe that if they really see Jesus they might be changed. It happened to the Apostle Paul, after meeting the living Jesus, he claimed that everything else in life is rubbish compared to knowing him (Phil 3:7-9)!
Can I invite you to BEHOLD him? Take him in. Hear that he loves you, that he forgives your sin, that he is the lamb of God sent for YOU.
The best way to behold him is through his word. Will you consider joining us on this journey of BEHOLDING Jesus through the book of John?
