52 Weeks in the Word - Week 45

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   Welcome to Week 45.  The month of November has a way of moving ever-so-quickly, much like reading through Gospels.  Last week we finished reading the Gospel of Luke.  In that book, we were introduced to the 12 Apostles.  Before he selected the 12, Jesus went and prayed. The book of Luke is the first place we see the term "Apostle" used, which means, "one who is sent out." Below are a couple of interesting highlights about 2 of the Apostles:

  • Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was a disciple of John the Baptist.  He found and met Jesus, going back to his brother, Simon, telling him that they had found the Messiah!  

  • Peter, also known as Simon Peter or Simon bar Jonah, was a fisherman, along with his brother Andrew, on the Sea of Galilea.  He is typically listed as the first disciple, perhaps because he declared his belief that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  He was also the one who denied Jesus 3 times the night Jesus was arrested.  However, after Jesus' resurrection, Peter became one of the loudest voices for the Gospel message through being a source for the Gospel of Mark and writing 1 & 2 Peter.  We also learn an important lesson from the life of Peter, "It is better to follow Jesus and sometimes fail, than fail to follow Jesus.  We also learn that "(i) enthusiasm must be tempered with understanding and (ii) the faithfulness of God can compensate for our greatest acts of unfaithfulness," quoted from Drive Thru History.

In Luke, we notice that the author includes extra details on a few of the events we already read about, but also introduces us to several new parables of Christ.  A few of those "extras" include Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, Jesus sweating drops of blood, and Jesus giving mercy to the thief on the cross.

Looking ahead to Week 45:

The reading for Week 45 includes: John 1 - 19.

 A little background info on the Gospel of John:

Scholars believe that the Gospel of John was written after the other three Gospels and had read their contents.  It is believed the Gospel of John was meant to be a supplement to those three books, giving a deeper theological interpretation of Jesus Christ and His ministry.  The book of John is typically the Gospel that is suggested for New Believers to start reading because it explains the ministry of Christ more directly.  It is also usually the first book to be translated into new languages for similar reasons.

As you read John, you may see a difference for yourself as you read.  John presents the teachings of Jesus in longer series of discourses such as The Bread of Life (John 6:41-59) and The Good Shepherd (John 10:1-30).  John was an eye-witness to the events he described.  Interesting fact about John, he was the only apostle not to be martyred.  He lived a long life, and died in Ephesus of old age. This Gospel was most likely written in the 60's A.D.

There are three Big Ideas in John’s Gospel: Revelation, Rejection, and Reception. If you read closely, the framework for these Big Ideas is laid out in the very first chapter of John. 

Revelation         John 1:1-5

Rejection           John 1:6-11

        Reception         John 1:12-14 

We look forward to hearing your comments on this week's reading!  Many blessings to you all this week.

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