John Study 1: 1:1-28

Dear Student of the Word,

Happy New Year!  I hope you enjoyed your holidays and that the new year is off to  a strong start.  I enjoyed my holiday break but I am excited to begin this new study!  This is the 21st New Testament book that I have published in verse-by-verse studies and I have put it off this long because John's gospel intimidates me.  It is so different than the other three gospels, but I have enjoyed putting this first study together and I am looking forward to the rest.

In this study, I wrote on day six:

1:22 – After responding “No” to all their inquiries, the delegation finally asked John who he was, so they could take an answer back to Jerusalem.  This is an interesting question that all of us need to answer, What do you say about yourself?”  What do you say about yourself?  Who are you?  What is important to you?  What is your purpose?  What can you do or be that no one else in the world can do or be like you?  What answer would these men have taken back to Jerusalem about you?  Is it difficult or easy for you to answer this question?  If so, why do you think that is?

v. 23 – John did not reply in his own words, but quoted Isaiah 40:3 to say that he was the one to come before the Messiah, preparing the people for His coming.  It is interesting that Jesus also quoted from Isaiah, this time 61:1-2, when asked about His purpose for coming:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor” (Luke 4:18-19).

If John and Jesus quoted a passage to define their purpose, don’t you think the same principle could apply to you?  What is the verse or passage that defines your purpose?  Mine is Genesis 1:2.  It is that verse that helped define my purpose “to create order out of chaos.”  Paul also defined his purpose by using Old Testament passages in every one of his thirteen epistles (those instances are available on my website in the article Paul: A Man of Purpose for your review and study). 

John knew who he was and what his purpose was.  That is why it was so easy for him to say “no” to the original list of options presented by the emissaries.  He could say “no” because he knew what his “yes” was.  Do you know what your “yes” is?  What you are supposed to do at the exclusion of all else whenever possible?

v. 24 – As best I can tell, baptism was not a strange concept to the Jews.  They had purification rites for initiates to their faith and the Essenes, contemporaries of John and Jesus, used ritual bathing as a regular part of their daily worship.  Yet the delegation was confused as to why John was baptizing, for all others baptized people “into” something or some movement (and most baptized or washed themselves).

John was baptizing as a symbol of repentance from sins, of a new cleanliness from sinful stains.  John was being interviewed as to his credential and his actions, scrutinized by the establishment in Jerusalem.  Are you willing to submit to the same kind of scrutiny where you purpose is concerned?  If not, then you may not be ready for “prime time” on the stage of life.  This is why I write and blog, so I can submit my work to public reply, correction and comment.  What are you doing to sharpen your purpose voice and message?

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. You can write them or find the studies to Corinthians, Colossians, First Timothy, and Matthew's and Mark's gospels on the site where this week's entry is posted. You can also go there to sign up to receive each week's study.

Plus my website archives contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse Bible studies from Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Hebrews, James, 1&2 Peter, Hebrews and Revelation, along with the unpublished Faith Files.

Download John Study 1

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THE SOPHIA FUND:  I launched what I am calling The Sophia Fund on January 1.  You can read my rationale for doing so here, but it is a charitable fund named after my mother that will help feed widows and orphans in Kenya and Zimbabwe.  We have already raised $600 and I am asking you to contribute at least $5 toward the fund and hopefully more.  You can use the "Chipin" widget on the Bible study site to contribute, or go directly to my website to contribute there through PayPal, or send a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  Make sure you let me know it is for The Sophia Fund.

FAITH FILES eBOOK:  My latest book, The Faith Files, is now available as an ebook that you can download.  What's more, the service allows you to pay in Canadian dollars, US dollars, UK pounds, Australian dollars and, get this, Indian rupees!  Just go to the ebook website, enter your payment information and download the book.  You can then print it or have it on your computer for your devotional pleasure.