Christmas with Compassion - Day 18
Day 18 - Wednesday, December 18
Read John 1:1-18
Highlight
The deity of Christ and the humanity of Christ are difficult to comprehend. Jesus, fully man, yet fully God. Not just a prophet, or messenger of God, like John. The creator of the universe, who chose to submit Himself to the very nature He created. It’s difficult to wrap our minds around. You can almost sense the writer’s quandary here. How can he possibly explain something so supernatural, so wonder-ful? And yet we must, with the power of the Holy Spirit, grasp this ultimate truth.
The climax comes in verse 14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Somehow God became a man and actually walked among us, ushering in a new age of grace that we previously had not known. We were living in bondage to the law, but then Jesus came. The Prince of Peace who rules with justice and fairness (Isaiah 9:6-7). Emmanuel. God with us. God for us.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying? About God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? A promise to receive? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. This is a way to turn God’s Word to you back to Him. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers. (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8)
Read John 1:1-18
Highlight
The deity of Christ and the humanity of Christ are difficult to comprehend. Jesus, fully man, yet fully God. Not just a prophet, or messenger of God, like John. The creator of the universe, who chose to submit Himself to the very nature He created. It’s difficult to wrap our minds around. You can almost sense the writer’s quandary here. How can he possibly explain something so supernatural, so wonder-ful? And yet we must, with the power of the Holy Spirit, grasp this ultimate truth.
The climax comes in verse 14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Somehow God became a man and actually walked among us, ushering in a new age of grace that we previously had not known. We were living in bondage to the law, but then Jesus came. The Prince of Peace who rules with justice and fairness (Isaiah 9:6-7). Emmanuel. God with us. God for us.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying? About God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? A promise to receive? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. This is a way to turn God’s Word to you back to Him. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers. (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8)
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