THINK TOGETHER.
Who do you like to be with? Why do you like to be with them?
READ TOGETHER.
John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Welcome to 100 Days with Jesus. In this devotional we will be looking at 100 stories from the life of Jesus. Do you have a favorite story about Jesus? Maybe it will be in this book. Almost all of our stories will come from the first four books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Can you find these four books in your Bible? Together, these four books are called the Gospels. The Gospels tell the good news of the life of Jesus, the Son of God.
Our first day with Jesus in John chapter one isn’t really a day. It’s an eternity. Matthew and Luke begin their gospels with Jesus being born as a baby, but John begins his gospel even before that. Before being born? Yep. Jesus is the only person who ever lived that was alive even before he was a baby in his mother’s tummy. You started in your mother’s tummy, and so did I, but not Jesus. Jesus has always been alive. Forever. That’s what John 1:1 says.
In the beginning was the Word – Later, John will make it clear that the Word is another name for Jesus. Jesus was in the beginning. Does that phrase sound familiar to you? That’s how the book of Genesis begins too – In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. So Jesus, the Word, existed before creation. How is that possible? Well, let’s read the last phrase on John 1:1.
The Word was God – Jesus could exist before creation because he is God. Jesus wasn’t made by God. No, Jesus made everything. Jesus is the God who created everything in Genesis 1:1.
But now let’s look at that middle phrase in John 1:1.
The Word was with God – Jesus is God and Jesus was with God? How is that possible? Because God is what we call a Trinity (Tri-unity). Three in one. God is one God in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Jesus the Son of God, who is God, was with the Father God and the Spirit God who are also God.
Confused yet? Me too. But that’s OK, we don’t have to understand everything about God, in fact, we never will. But by faith we can trust that the Jesus that was born at Christmas, lived on earth, and then died on the cross for us, IS God. The Word that was with God will come to earth to be with us.
John 1:14. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
God in flesh. That’s Jesus. The Jesus that loves you no matter what. The Jesus that lives, not just among us, but in our hearts when we trust in him.
Because of Jesus everyone can know God.
With Jesus you can have God living in your heart.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
The Word was WITH God. This is a word that implies closeness, affection, and attachment. What does your family like to do WITH each other? Make a plan to do something together that promotes real closeness.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, you came to earth to be with me because you love me. Help me to trust your love for me every day. Amen.
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