It's All About Who You Know...

Yesterday I started studying the gospel of John in conjunction with my continued examination of Hebrews.  I found that I kept coming up with references to John as I’ve been in the letter to the Hebrews, so I decided to study them side by side.  John’s gospel is rather different from the others written by Matthew, Mark and Luke.  Many Bible scholars tend to believe that it was written many years later than the other three.  This would explain why there are some themes developed in John that are either absent from or lightly discussed in the others. 

If this later date is accurate, then John would have had knowledge of the Pauline revelation concerning the finished work of Christ that Paul developed, especially in the book to the Ephesians.  John is known to have lived his later years in Ephesus, and I have found some hints of Paul’s teachings in the book of John.  I’ll explain more of this in future posts.

John’s book also seems to be more personal to me than the other gospels.  John relationship with Jesus was closer than any of the other Apostles and it comes through in his writings.  One scripture in John 1:17 popped out in agreement with this thought.  Here John says: “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by (or through) Jesus Christ.”  (King James Version)  This is such a personal statement.  Whereas the law, which was never meant to save, but to point men to their need of a savior was given from God to a man and then from that man to the Israelites, God’s grace to save, heal and prosperous us was given through the personage of Jesus.  It is a revelation that increases as our relationship with Him increases.  In other words, the more time we spend with Him, the more knowledge we gain of the fullness of His grace that He has blessed us all with.  (see John 1:16)

Consider that reality today.  You can have a personal and continually growing relationship with the very Son of God!  Talk about having an inside connection.  It really is all about Who you know!  You can actually go right to the top and get the wisdom and blessings you need from the very source!  Wow!  Isn’t our God good! 

Well, have a great day, enjoy the blessings of the Lord, and pass some on to those around you.  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What (GOOD THINGS) am I expecting today?”