After reading John 1 I was struck by the following.
While Matthew is interested in Jewish issues and Luke in issues of historicity, John's Gospel reads almost like a play. All the key players and questions are set and answered in John 1.
All the key players are introduced. Father, Son and Spirit. John the Baptist. Disciples, Priests, Levites and Pharisees. All the key questions of the age are introduced, asked and answered in one hit. This is not a Dan Brown special where the plot slowly unravels. This is straight and direct.
To summarize.
Jesus is God. All things are made through Him. The spotlight then shifts from Jesus to John, back to Jesus, back to John. John is not the Christ, Elijah or the Prophet. John is merely a voice pointing to the Messiah. Jesus is already amongst them and massively outranks John. Thong tying, for John, is not even an option. ;-)
John baptizes Jesus. The person of the Spirit anoints the Son. Jesus is declared lamb of God. John's disciples and others start following Jesus. Done!
Why fit all this in the one chapter? Do we even need Chapter 2?
The thought that came to mind was that John was getting all the key issues out of way in one hit. Who is everybody? Where did they come from? What part do they play? What are the big questions of the age? He finishes with the most important issue; new disciples.
It is like a play. A play focussed on the Son.
John wants everything extraneous out of the way because he just wants to talk about Jesus. All the questions of origin, place, divinity and trinity are settled in one stroke. After that, all that is left to discuss, is Jesus.
I covet this boldness, clarity and surety. So much of what I discuss is extraneous. I like John's approach. I want my sharing of Jesus to be more like this Gospel. Big issues out of the way first. Dealt with. Finished.
Rest of my conversations…
Just Jesus!
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
An eight week journey of seeking God as we read.think.pray.live our way through the gospel of John
An Invitation
Please join us during this lead up to Christmas 2009 by doing the four things listed below. Anyone can join at any time throughout this 8 week period although obviously it would be best if you can begin with us on the first of November 2009.
Requirements:
1. Commit to seeking God EVERY DAY in Nov & Dec '09 in a way that is more radical than anything you have ever done before.
2. Read.think.pray.live your way through the Gospel of John in seven weeks (3 chapters each week) and then 1 John, 2 John, 3 John in the final week.
3. Listen to the Holy Spirit and obey whatever he says to do!!
4. Contribute your insights and experiences to this blog.
May we all continue to seek the Kingdom of God before anything else!
Requirements:
1. Commit to seeking God EVERY DAY in Nov & Dec '09 in a way that is more radical than anything you have ever done before.
2. Read.think.pray.live your way through the Gospel of John in seven weeks (3 chapters each week) and then 1 John, 2 John, 3 John in the final week.
3. Listen to the Holy Spirit and obey whatever he says to do!!
4. Contribute your insights and experiences to this blog.
May we all continue to seek the Kingdom of God before anything else!
5 comments:
Good stuff! I love the book of John and studied it as one of the few bible college units that I did.
This morning, apart from all of the richness laid out in John 1, it was verse 16 that got me.
"and of his FULLNESS WE have ALL RECEIVED, and grace for grace"
I receive that fullness.......
Jesus, the Word, gave life to everything that was created and His life brought light to everyone (1v4)...Look at how when Jesus meets Peter and then Nathanael Jesus sees and knows who they really are immediately- Isn't that great!! The One who is the stairway between heaven and earth (v51) calls us and knows us, present AND future. What a hope. He will bring us through. Jesus tells Simon that he will be Peter (rock) knowing his weakness, and that Peter will betray and disown him down the track. He is so utterly confident in the outcome, so sure of His own grace and power to finish the work that He has begun. Jesus our creator....full of unfailing love and faithfulness (v17) What words has Jesus spoken about us?? They are a sure thing because He is.
Awesome post Richard. I love your take on John 1. All the key players are introduced and all the key questions are asked and answered. Now let's get on with finding out all about Jesus!!
Another thing I love about this chapter is how the disciples were introduced to Jesus. After Andrew had met Jesus he then brought his brother Simon to meet him... c'mon Simon, you have to come and check this guy out - he is "the one"!
After Philip met Jesus he then went looking for Nathanael and said the same thing - we've found him!! You have to meet him. Come with me. At first Nathanael was a bit skeptical so Philip invited him to come and encounter Jesus for himself.
I love this encounter. First Jesus states what he sees in Nathanael and then has a supernatural vision of seeing him under the fig tree. This is enough to rip away Nathanael's skepticism and he declares that this man he has just met is indeed the Son of God!!
We need to bring people to Jesus so they can encounter him. This may be through a healing, a deliverance, dream, word of knowledge etc, but once they have experienced the touch of Jesus in their life they will never be the same.
Lord help us to encounter you in new and fresh ways so that we may be motivated to be looking for people to bring to meet you as well.
The wonder of John's Gospel comes more to light each time I read it (and I taught it in college for 10 years!). One incredibly beautiful thing about this gospel is that it is arguably the most profound of the Gospels yet has a vocabulary of only 200 words. It's just like God to keep it simple while probing the depths of His wonders! Another beautiful thing is how John keeps the OT in view (especially the Pentateuch) as he writes. This time as I read chapter one, I was caught again by how John 1:14-18 so powerfully fulfills Moses' desire to see God's glory (Exodus 33-34), and I wept in wonder as I say again John's words about seeing His glory and about grace and truth coming through Jesus and about receiving from HIS FULLNESS, grace replacing grace, replacing grace, replacing grace. Like waves of of the sea, from His infinite fullness, we receive grace without measure!
GRACE and TRUTH came through JESUS CHRIST!!! May these words which sit their quietly as ink on paper leap to life with revelation in the deepest part of our being. No one has ever seen God but when we see Jesus we see him!! Jesus, the face of God who explodes with grace and truth. May we know him more!! May he be our passion!! As I look around me this week I have seen people who are passionate about certain things, hobbies etc It is a powerful thing to see what people will do when they are passionate about something.
May our passion for Jesus Christ increase until it consumes us...until we seek him above all else... until we truly love him with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength!!!!
Post a Comment