John: An Introduction
“The Gospel of John opens with Jesus Christ in the bosom of God and closes with the sinner in the bosom of Jesus Christ.” – Dwight L. Moody
The purpose of the Gospel of John is that by reading it, “…you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (Jn. 20:31). These DAILY DOSE devotionals are written primarily for people who already believe the premise of the Gospel of John, so what might you gain by going through this book one more time?
It’s a valid question.
Sometimes we pick up our bibles out of duty, or guilt. I know I do. But there are seasons—and for some of you, that’s the norm—when you pick up and dive into God’s Word because you really want to. It brings you peace or comfort, or perhaps it deepens your appreciation for and love of God. Whatever the result, it helps to remember Paul’s use of the phrase, “The unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8). In a sermon about that once passage, Charles Spurgeon said, “The fuller a vessel becomes the deeper it sinks in the water.” Ponder that for a moment. Get the picture in your head. And then imagine yourself in your favorite chair, with the light of the early morning pouring down upon your face, Scripture in hand, sinking deeper and more securely into the bosom of your Savior.
It’s a valid answer to a valid question.
As far as this devotional series goes, there are always three goals at play. The first is to glorify God. The second is to add more weight to my own vessel. The third is to add more weight to yours. I write because I have to. Because I can. Because He has called me to. Some days are easier than others, but every day and every DOSE sinks me a little further into Christ, and I hope it does the same for you. We won’t cover every verse in John’s Gospel, but we will visit every chapter, and most chapters will lead to 5 or 6 devotionals (that’s 100-120 total = 22 weeks, M-F!).
As a primer, please take 8-minutes to watch this GREAT VIDEO as an introduction to the first half of the Gospel of John. The Bible Project is doing amazing work and their videos provide an excellent and inspiring overview.
Up Next…John 1:1!
