John 1:6-8
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
- Yellow Flower at Nearby Nursery
I have begun a discipline today in hopes of growing deeper in my knowledge and appreciation for John’s Gospel. It is my intent to read through the gospel several times in the next month. I got this idea from a classmate of mine who is now a professor at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. At a recent pastors conference he referenced his method toward teaching Matthew’s Gospel requiring students to read through the whole Gospel in one sitting several times a week. By doing so, the student gained a deeper understanding of Matthew’s Gospel, and the insights, questions, and discussion deepened profoundly over the course of the several week class.
Since John’s Gospel has long been a favorite of mine, I decided that I would do the same in John’s gospel. There’s only one problem: I got stopped at verses 6-8! Boy, do I have a long way to go.
John tells us that there was a man sent by God whose name was John. And though he was not the true light coming into the world, he was sent by God to be a witness to the light. As such his task was simple: Point people to the true light that was coming into the world.
That’s something I believe we can all do. We are not the Savior. We are not the eternal Son of God. But we are witnesses of what God is doing in our lives and in the lives of others. Our calling is to be like John the Baptist: point people to Jesus.
Hopefully I will get father in my quest to read through the Gospel of John than I did today (but the day is young!). Surely, however, I will be able somehow to point someone toward Jesus’ work in my world today. How about you?
David Bahn - Reflections 
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