This Sunday morning at MVBC I begin an eight-part series through John 7-8. I've been slowly working through John the past few years. I'm glad to be back. Here are a few reasons why:
1) Because John was written "so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:30). Studying the Gospel forces me to reflect on how I came to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. And, I pray as I prepare to preach, that some who have yet to believe would do so, and have life in his name.
2) Because the Son of God is the King to whom the book of Judges points. I've spent the last five weeks preaching in Judges, and I have loved it! And yet, I'm just as excited to focus on the final Judge, the perfect Savior, and the risen King--the long-expected Jesus.
3) Because the passages that I'll be preaching on are shorter. Okay, this is not a particularly good reason, but it is an honest one. But I hope it is helpful to you, too! You'll easily be able to read the passages over and over again in preparation to hear the sermon.
4) Because John, like the other Gospels, reminds me just how amazing Jesus is. The title of the sermon series is, "The Jesus That Might Surprise You." I've been a Christian for eighteen years, but Jesus still amazes me. I was reading in John 3 this morning where John the Baptist is so humbled by the reality of Jesus' person, character, and mission that he can only say, "He must increase, but I must decrease." And then, chapter 4 begins with us reading that "Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well." This Jesus whom John the Baptist preached is the Christ, the Son of God, who came to take away the sins of the world was human, he could get tired on a dry and hot day in Samaria. He is truly God incarnate. Amazing.
5) Because I need the Gospel. I don't mean the Gospel as in the book that John wrote. I mean I need the message of Jesus Christ that John delivers to us. The message of a Savior who did what I could not do, died the death I deserved to die, and now calls me to himself. That's what I need today, and tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that . . ..
Will you join me in reading through the Gospel of John?
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