Tuesday
Read: John 1:19–42
SOAP: John 1:34
“I have both seen and testified that this man is the Chosen One of God.”
Devotion:
In the introduction to the Gospel of John (1:1–18) we are told about a man named John. John was a witness to the Messiah so that everyone might believe through his testimony. In today’s reading we see three separate testimonies from John about who Jesus is.
First, John confessed to those sent by the religious leaders that he was not the Christ. He also said he was not Elijah nor the Prophet. The religious leaders and John knew the Scriptures; they knew God promised to send someone ahead of the Messiah to proclaim Him to the world. John testified that he is the voice the prophet Isaiah talked about, the one who would proclaim the Messiah’s coming.
When John saw Jesus walking nearby, John proclaimed who Jesus is to those around them. He testified that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Chosen One of God. John knew his purpose was to proclaim the Messiah. He recognized and believed Jesus for who He is. In fact, Luke’s Gospel tells us that John’s mother, Elizabeth, was the first to proclaim that Jesus is Lord after John leapt in her womb (Luke 1:39–45)
After John’s third testimony, two of his own disciples left him and followed Jesus. John had clearly taught his disciples well, for upon his declaration they left and followed Jesus. Because of John’s testimony, these two disciples followed Jesus and brought more people to Him. Andrew and the unnamed disciple (John, the author of this Gospel), believed because of John’s testimony and, in turn, Peter believed because of Andrew’s testimony.
These initial testimonies of who Jesus is pose a question to us as we read John’s Gospel today: who do you believe Jesus is? Through the course of our study we will hear many proclamations of who people said Jesus was—from the Messiah and the Son of God to a demon possessed criminal. But we will also hear seven claims from Jesus Himself about who He is. We must be prepared, like John was, to answer questions about who Jesus is at any time. As we continue our study, let’s stay committed to discovering the truth about who Jesus is and what He came to do as John continues to prove that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only way to eternal life.