Scripture Reading: John 1

If someone had never read the Bible before and they were to ask you where they should start, what would you tell them?  For many people, their answer would be to start with the book of John―and for good reason.

John is one of the most beloved books in the Bible.  It contains some of the Bible’s most famous verses, including John 3:16, and it focuses on God’s love for His children perhaps more than any other book.  It’s short enough that you can read a chapter a day and finish in just 21 days, but it’s long enough to give you a good look at the life of Christ―and why you should put your faith in Him.  In fact, John says that’s why he wrote the book, as he notes at the end of chapter 20:

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31). 

John saw, with his own eyes, many of the stories that he recorded in his book.  While Jesus had many followers, He had twelve who spent three and a half years with Him eating, sleeping, praying, talking, and ministering.  And of those twelve, three were especially close to Jesus:  Peter, James, and John (see Mark 5:37, Mark 9:2, Mark 13:3, and Mark 14:33).  And of those three, John was perhaps the closest, referring to himself in his book as, “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (see John 13:23, 20:2, 21:7, and 21:20).

Perhaps it was because of John’s close friendship with Jesus that John talks about the love of God so much, using the word “love” in his gospel more than any of the other gospel writers combined.  Here are just a few of those references, all direct quotes that John recorded Jesus as saying:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). 

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35) 

“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23). 

“As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love” (John 15:9). 

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). 

If you need some encouragement that God really loves you, read the book of John.  If you need some encouragement that you can trust Christ with everything in your life, read the book of John.  If you’d like to read the Bible but don’t know where to start, read the book of John.  Or if you’d just like a fresh reminder of God’s love for you and all the things that are possible when you put your faith in Him, read the book of John.

Start in chapter 1, and you’ll find that salvation through Jesus wasn’t just an afterthought in the mind of God, but that Jesus was with God in the beginning.  John said, referring to Jesus as “the Word”:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us … ” (John 1:1-3, 14a). 

You’ll also find in chapter 1 that Jesus is “the Lamb of God,” who came to take away our sin:

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29b). 

And lastly in chapter 1, you’ll find that Jesus calls you to follow Him, just as He called the first disciples to do, saying:

“Follow Me” (John 1:43b). 

Then keep on reading the rest of the book, whether it takes you a few hours, a few days, or 21 days, reading just a chapter a day.  Even if you’ve read it many times before, I pray that God will speak new things to you as you do.

Prayer

Father, thank You for the words of Your great love for us that You’ve recorded for us in the Bible, and Your desire for us to return that love to You and to share it with others.  Thank You for John’s life and for inspiring him to record these words for us so we can keep putting our faith in Jesus.  It’s in His name we pray, Amen. 

Memory Verse

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1, ESV).