Knowing Jesus Through the Gospels

Day 1: John’s Prologue/Introduction- John 1:1-14 Prayer of Preparation Father, we ask that you open our eyes to see Jesus more clearly with the help of the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, we seek right now to draw closer to you today and to continue that closeness for the rest of the day. Amen. Rough Outline: John 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word - And the Word was with God and the Word was God -Through Him all things were made -Without him nothing was made that has been made In him was life and that life was the light of mankind -The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it John (talking about John the Baptist) was sent from God to testify about the light -He came as a witness so that through him all might believe -He was not the light, he came only as a witness to the light The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world -He was in the word and though the world was made by him the world did not recognize him -He came to his own, but his own did not receive him Yet to all that did receive him, to believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God -Children born not of natural decent/ nor human decision/ or husband's will -But children born of God The Word become flesh and made his dwelling among us -We have seen his glory -The glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father -Full of truth and grace Summary and General Thoughts In the beginning of time, Jesus (the Word) was with God, and was God, he has known God for eternity. Jesus partnered with the Father in Creation, helping him to make everything. Having participated with the Father and the Spirit, creating all kinds of life, he is an expert in life. He is, of course, the expert on human life. His wisdom and beauty shine particularly bright in our dark world, but so many have not understood it. John the Baptist’s goal was to make this light known. Jesus, the creator of life, came into this world but was not recognized. In fact, he came to his own people (the Jewish nation or more general “humanity”) and he was not received or welcomed. But to those who do receive him (who are willing to believe what he says and put it into practice), he gave the right to become children of God. This is not a right you are born into. No, it’s for anybody willing to believe him and follow him. To put it simply, the Word (the Son of God from eternity) became a man and dwelt with us. John the apostle testifies that we have beheld his glory and testify that he did, in fact, come from the Father, and is filled with grace and truth. The imagery of God’s very “Word” becoming flesh and blood is amazing. It was not enough that the Father had his words written down for us to read, he went further and made His Word human to make sure he could completely communicate his loving message. John emphasizes that Jesus was filled with Grace and Truth. He has the truth of Life to give us, and his motivation is not selfish but motivated by unconditional love or Grace. Once I get this passage into my own words, I can close my eyes and summarize it even further as follows: “Jesus you are amazing, you know the Father intimately, you know creation intimately, you know life intimately, you know us intimately, and you actually care enough to want to come into the world and tell us all about life and teach us all about it. Amen.” Prayer Time Now it’s time to talk to the Lord. You may wish to start by finding some of His attributes found in this passage and just praise Him. For example, His Wisdom, His Creativity, His Compassion, His gift-giving, His Stick-to-itiveness, His Humility, His unconditional love, His high level of interest in humanity, His understanding of rejection, etc. Just take some time and praise and worship Him over any of these things or whatever else the Lord brought to your mind as you meditate on this Scripture and the Summary and General thoughts above. Or you can zero into your life specifically. The Lord created you and knows all about you. He wants to go with you in your life, talk to him about that. As you begin your journey with Him through His life in the Gospels, just praise him as the architect of Life in general and of your life specifically. Try to use your imagination. Imagine the world being created. The earth being formed, the waters being formed, plant life, bug life, fish life, animal life, human life. Jesus understands the purpose behind all of this life. This is all a part of Jesus’ life, the person you are desiring to know better. Spend some time talking to Him about creation. Tell him about the things you love about creation, the questions you have. Jesus knows the beginning, middle, end, and eternal plans for humanity with God. Take some time and be comforted that the Father’s plans are in Jesus’ capable hands. Remember, a relationship starts by “relating” talking and sharing your heart. These passages reflect God’s heart about Jesus. Listen to them, let them penetrate your head and your emotions. Jesus is the “master of life”. Tell him what concerns you or what is near and dear to you today. Your life is your “inner life” (thoughts and emotions) and your outer life (your relationships- your family, friends, work, etc), your struggles, your failures, and your victories. What’s going on in your inner life and your outer life? Take some time and talk to Jesus about your life right now.