John

Check out all the previous John readings here.

John Reading Plan | Week 1, Day 4

Prayer

Pause for a moment of quiet and calm. To be fully present in both body and mind, inhale deeply and exhale slowly. Repeat this three times. Ask God to grant you His wisdom today.

Bible Reading: John 1:29-42

Read these verses three times slowly.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

Reflection & Questions

Throughout the gospel of John, we are going to hear different testimonies about who Jesus is and why He came. The first of these is John the Baptist (JTB). In yesterday’s verses JTB said that he is not worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals. His testimony continues in today’s verses. He tells us that Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!…I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

These are two powerful statements about Jesus.

• The Lamb of God: A Jewish family’s lamb wasn’t a pet, but an animal with one specific purpose. To be a sacrifice. Since the passover when the Jews escaped from Egypt, lambs had been sacrificed to cover the sin’s of the family. God also has a lamb. He came to be a sacrifice. He wasn’t any lamb – he was the ultimate lamb. He covered the sins of God’s family forever. He put an end to all sacrifices. For His sacrifice was the perfect sacrifice.
• God’s Chosen One: the word here is Messiah, God’s anointed one. In the Old Testament, the kings were called “God’s anointed,” so JTB’s testimony is that this One is not just a Lamb, He is also a King. God’s King. The One who would rule forever.

There has never been a King like this. A King who would give His life as a sacrifice for broken people like us. This King deserves our total allegiance.

1. What about JTB’s testimony sticks out to you? Why?
2. How can you give King Jesus your allegiance today?

Prayer

Talk to God in response to today’s reading.

Worship Song

You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:

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Questions?