We are on the continuing journey through the Gospel of John.  This past Sunday, we looked at verses 19-34 of John 1.  We get to read about the ministry of an odd character, John the Baptist.  He hung out in the desert, wearing animal skin, and had a diet of locusts and wild honey.  That wasn't what attracted people to him, it was his message.  If you read this passage, you see that high priests in Jerusalem wanted some answers to why everyone was leaving their cities to go out into the desert to hear this odd man.  So they send delegates to find out some answers.    Three things that we can learn from this passage as it pertains to us being a witness for Jesus.

1. To be a witness, you have to realize who we are not.  They delegates were looking for the Messiah, Elijah, the Prophet.  Each time, John said that is not who I am.  We have to realize as followers of Christ, that we are nothing without the love and grace of Christ.
2.  To be a witness, you have to know who you are.  After John had answered no to their questions, the delegates couldn't return home without answers.  So they ask him who he is.  He goes all the back to the prophet Isaiah with his response.  He tells them he is a voice.  Wow, what an opportunity John had.  He could have said, I am a prophet or a great preacher.  Look at how many people have gathered to hear me and watch me baptize.  I am awesome!  But John didn't flatter himself or build up his own name.  John knew who he was, I am a voice.  He knew his role was temporary but essential.  He knew that his days are numbered.  He knew that he was to prepare the way for the coming Messiah.
3.  To be a witness, you have to point people to Jesus.  Looking at this passage about John the Baptist, here are some things that we see from his life.  John's life tells us about Jesus' greatness.  We are told about Jesus' sacrifice.  We are told of Jesus' anointing.  In essence, John's life says, its not about me, it is all about Jesus.  To sum this up:

1.  Recognize who Jesus is and who I am not
2.  Recognize my role and who you are


A father and a small boy strolled down the street in Chicago past a place where a skyscraper was being constructed.  Glancing up, they saw the men working on a high story of the building.  "What are those little boys doing up there?" asked the son.  "Those are not boys, they are grown men," replied the father.  After a pause, the son pondered, "I guess when they reach heaven there won't be anything left of them."  The nearer we come to Christ, the less others see of us and the more they see of Christ.
3.  Point others to Jesus 

God Bless

The Gospel of John

We began the study of the Gospel of John this past Sunday during our Fusion Sunday morning service.  I am really excited to begin this journey with the students.  For almost 4 years, we have gone through series about a particular subjects, studied a section of Scripture, but never went through an entire book.  This journey began for me back a couple of weeks ago, when we took a group of middle school students to Fuge camp.  The camp pastor, Tim Bertram, used the Gospel of John each night during worship.  That week revealed some things to me that I had never picked up on in reading before.  So in the weeks ahead, we are going to look at John as he revealed two specific purposes for writing this Gospel-Who Jesus is and why we should believe in Him.

Some facts about John:

In Matthew, you read the words of a believer that loves Jesus
In Mark & Luke, you read the words of writers that used some eyewitness accounts.
In John, you read the words of one of Jesus' closest friends.
John, his brother James, and Peter were the inner three of Jesus.
John's Gospel was one of the last books written in the New Testament.  John was an old man that wrote this Gospel around 70A.D.  Theologians say that John wrote this in Ephesus after the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed.
John didn't give a chronological history of Jesus: birth, life, death, resurrection.  John passionately wrote about the love of Jesus. 
  The theme for the entire Gospel of John is summed up in John 20:30-31.  John writes,

"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."

My prayer as we go through this Gospel is, that we will have a greater understanding of who Jesus is and that the students faith will increase, thanks to the words written in the Gospel of John.