21 Days of DiscipleshipSample

In the Beginning … 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:1 NIV

If you’re familiar with the Bible, this verse may be pretty recognizable. If not, don’t worry, it’s not a hidden secret. In fact, it echoes the very first line on the first page of Scripture:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 NIV

Why does John, one of Jesus’ closest friends, open his book about Jesus with a reference to Genesis? He was showing us right up front who he believed Jesus was—John believed Jesus was God.

How did he come to this conclusion? A conclusion that, in his day, may have gotten him killed, and in ours is considered at least a little radical?

Well, John followed Jesus. As a teenager, he became Jesus’ student. And over the course of three years, he shadowed Jesus’ every move and hung on His every word. At the end of those three years, based on all he had seen and heard, John came away completely convinced that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

We aren’t going to spend three years looking at Jesus in this Bible Plan, but we will spend the next three weeks reliving John’s journey. Through this journey, he’ll lead us on the same path he walked and almost dare us to lean in and see all Jesus claimed to be and what He did to back up those claims.

Here’s the deal: if Jesus was all He claimed to be (Son of God, Savior of the world … no big deal) and really did what He said He would do (like, I don’t know, RISE FROM THE DEAD), then we better pay attention! Because Jesus didn't just claim to be a great teacher, He literally claimed to be God in human form. And He has invited all of us to come follow Him. What will you say?

Challenge: Make the commitment, today, to finishing this Bible Plan. If you haven't already, invite a few friends to do it with you. And prepare yourself for what God is going to show you as you begin this journey with Jesus.