John Devotional | Week 2 | Sept 19-23

Read John 1:19-34, and then focus on 1:19-28. 

In these verses, John the Baptist gives testimony (v 19) about himself.

• Who is interrogating John the Baptist? Why are they interrogating him?
• Who does John the Baptist say he is NOT?
• Who does John the Baptist say he IS?
• What does John the Baptist say he has come to do?
• What does he say about himself in relation to Jesus?
  • What can you learn from John the Baptist’s attitude and actions in this text?

Pray today in adoration, reflecting on the fact that Jesus is worthy of your worship!  If John the Baptist was not worthy of tying his sandal straps, where does that put us?!

Read John 1:19-34, and then focus on 1:29-34. 

In these verses, John the Baptist gives testimony about Jesus.

• What two things does he say that Jesus will do? 
• How did John recognize Jesus?
• For what purpose does John say that he came, baptizing with water?

Pray today in adoration and confession. If you are a believer, worship Jesus for taking away the sins of the world, and for baptizing you with the Holy Spirit!  If you are not a believer, keep reading to see if you believe John’s testimony.

Read John 1:19-34 and then focus again on John’s testimony about himself in verses 19-28.

The priests and Levites are not asking him random questions about his identity. Rather, they are asking questions based on the Old Testament.  Read the following verses to find out who they are referring to:

• “Are you Elijah?” (1:21)  Why, according to read Malachi 4:5-6 would they ask this?
• “Are you the Prophet?” (1:21) Why, according to Deuteronomy 18:15-18 would they ask this?

John the Baptist answers them by providing his own Old Testament reference:

• “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said” (1:23).  Read Isaiah 40:1-5.  
  • Whose arrival is this “voice” announcing? 
  • How does this information tie in with what is said about Jesus in John 1:1-4?

Pray today in supplication. Ask God to help you identify where, and to whom, you can testify about Jesus.

Read John 1:19-34 and then focus again on John’s testimony about Jesus in verses 29-34.

In John 1:29 John declares, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” 

• Read Exodus 29:38-46.  
  • What animal was offered regularly on the altar?
  • What did this regular offering allow for according to verse 45-46? 
• Read Revelation 5:6-14.
  • What do these verses tell us about the Lamb of God? What has he done? How do his actions “benefit” his people (eg. what kind of future do we have because of his actions?)

Pray today in confession and adoration.  What sin(s) do you need to confess to the Lord today?  Worship Jesus for ransoming people (including you, if you’re a Christian) for God!

John 1:19-34 does not necessarily call readers to do anything.  Instead, John wants his readers to know who both Jesus and John are.  While John the Baptist had a unique calling to testify about Jesus, all people who follow Jesus may have others ask us who we follow and why. 

• If people questioned you about why you go to church or call yourself a Christian, what would you say?
• How would you explain what people are called to ‘be’ and to ‘do’ when they become followers of Jesus?
• How would you explain the benefit of following Jesus? Why should someone become a Christian?

Pray today in supplication. Ask God to give you opportunities to testify about Jesus.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you formulate what you could say about Jesus!