Daily Dose of Hope

September 30 and October 1, 2025

Scripture – John 1:19-51

Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth. Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional/podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan. We are currently working our way through a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts. Today, we continue our deep dive into John 1.

Today's reading begins with John the Baptist, although the Gospel of John does not use the term Baptist to describe him. Earlier in the chapter, John had been called a witness to the light. So, the Jewish leaders sent people to ask John who he is, specifically is he the Messiah? Is he Elijah? Is he the prophet? Their frustration is evident. They want answers.

John will not be labeled. Instead, he describes himself using the words of Isaiah. He is the "voice of one crying out in the wilderness." John's call is to repent and be baptized. His message wouldn't be popular but it was necessary. In other Gospels, John makes it clear that he isn't the Messiah but he is preparing the way for the Messiah. This does not thrill the Jewish leaders. They want more concrete information. Why is he baptizing? John says that he uses water to baptize but one is coming that will be much greater than he who will do more.

As John continues to baptize, he begins to testify about Jesus. When he first sees Jesus, he calls him the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. As we move through the book of John, we will see how the author begins to make connections between Jesus and the Passover lamb. John the testifier describes Jesus as one who outranks him. He then describes Jesus' baptism, with the Spirit descending on him like a dove and a voice (presumably the Father) declaring that the man on whom the dove descends will baptize with the Holy Spirit. John then testifies that Jesus is God's chosen one.

Let's talk about that title, "God's chosen one." Other translations use the title, "Son of God." Clearly, John is making a statement that Jesus is the Messiah. He is the one they have been waiting for to save God's people. He is the one who God has sent, uniquely selected by God to fulfill a divine purpose. Jesus is God himself, sent to fulfill prophecy, to usher in God's Kingdom, and to redeem all of creation.

The remainder of this first chapter is Jesus calling his disciples. Andrew and John were the first two disciples Jesus called and they were originally disciples of John the Baptist. When they hear John the Baptist declare that Jesus is the Lamb of God, they acted immediately and boldly followed Jesus without any kind of hesitation.

It's as they begin to follow Jesus (literally follow him) that Jesus asks them a simple question, "What do you want?" They answer with a question of their own, "Where are you staying?" And Jesus then invites them to "Come and see..." They end up spending the day with Jesus.

Jesus invites all of us to "come and see..." where he is staying and what he is doing. Keep in mind that Jesus is always up to something, he is always at work among us.

He also invites Philip and Nathaniel to come and see and they choose to do so as well. It takes a bit of convincing for Nathaniel who is convinced that nothing good could come from Nazareth. But he sees Jesus' power and he too decides to follow.

I think sometimes we make an invitation to follow Jesus a little too difficult. What would it look like for us to simply invite people to "come and see" what Jesus is up to. A decision to follow Jesus may just start with curiosity. That's okay. Invite the people around you to come and see and Jesus will do the rest.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki