The Word Became Flesh 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 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. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah 19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders[c] in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”He said, “I am not.”“Are you the Prophet?”He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the proph-et, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”[d] 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”26 “I baptize with[e] water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. John Testifies About Jesus 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”[f ] John’s Disciples Follow Jesus 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter[g]). Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Jo-seph.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”50 Jesus said, “You believe[h] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,[i] you[j] will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’[k] the Son of Man.” Jesus Changes Water Into Wine 1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”4 “Woman,[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b] 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” 11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days. Jesus Clears the Temple Courts 13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[c] 18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[d] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person. Jesus Teaches Nicodemus 1Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[d] 9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. 10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[e] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[f ] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[g] 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. John Testifies Again About Jesus 22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” 27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am

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WEEK TWO

THE BREADOF LIFE

DAY ONE

• What are some of the “wants” that you have pursued in your life that have left you less than fulfilled?

• How has Jesus provided for your deeper, spiritual needs?

• What does Jesus mean by “food that endures to eternal life”?

JOHN 6

There is a considerable difference between a “need” and a “want”. The challenge for many of us is not identifying the difference, but prioritizing the difference. This comes to light when we overex-tend our budgets to mortgage the more impressive house, the newer car, the best outfits, or the latest phone. We do this even though we know the house will eventually age, the car will rust, clothes will wear out, and as soon as you buy the latest phone they will announce the newest one just a few days later. Our tendency is to pursue things that fade.

In John chapter 6 we come to the first of Jesus’ “I AM” statements. It happens in the context of a dis-cussion about needs, wants, and things that fade. A crowd chases after Jesus because they have just ex-perienced something miraculous. With just a few loaves and a few fish Jesus fed thousands. However, the motive of the crowd is transparent to Jesus.

The crowd sees Jesus as nothing more than a free lunch buffet. They had their fill, but as time marched on their stomachs began to grumble once again. Jesus turns their attention to the deeper truth at hand. Their need is not to be filled with bread. Their need is to be filled with life. Life that will not fade.

Reflection:

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you…”

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

(John 6:35, ESV)

(John 6:26–27, ESV)

WEEK TWO

SPIRITAND TRUTH

DAY TWO

JOHN 4

The phrase “Good Samaritan” is a familiar phrase even to those who don’t know it originates with Jesus in one of His parables (Luke 10). Today it represents someone who comes along at the right time and does the right thing, perhaps when no one else will. However, when Jesus used a Samaritan as the hero of the story it would have sent a shock through the crowd.

Samaritans were a mixed race, born out of the Assyrians captivity of the ten northern tribes in 727 BC. They were part Jewish, but also part Gentile. Because of their mixed heritage they were rejected by the Jews, treated as less than human, and their nationality used as an insult (John 8:48). Ostracized from their Jewish ancestors, the Samaritans went on to establish their own temple and system of wor-ship. This infuriated the Jews even more.

The tension between these two people groups sets the backdrop for John 4 and makes Jesus’ conversation with a Samaritan women one of the most scandalous conversa-tions in the Bible.

During the course fo their conversation the Samaritan woman begins to sense that there is something different about Jesus. He’s not like the others. He speaks with a di-rectness, but with respect. He values her as a person above all else. But old habits die hard. When the topic of God comes up her religious defense system immediately flies up.

There it is. Jews vs. Samaritans. “The Jews say this is how, and what, and where you worship, but we say this is how it’s done. Who’s right?” Does that sound familiar? The battle of “who’s right” and “who’s wrong” when it comes to God has existed since long before we got here.

Jesus bypasses her argument to reveal a deeper truth.

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”(John 4:20, ESV)

Worship is not about what mountain you stand on. It’s not about your heritage or race or which religious structure has it “right”. Worship is about spirit and truth. The “spirit” referenced here is not the Holy Spirit. It is our spirit. The essence of who we are. Truth is what it is. It’s what is true and right and good.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t say to her “spirit or truth”. That “and” is super important.

Have you ever met someone who is all about truth, but lacks spirit? Legalism creeps in and compassion is left by the wayside. Those who only pursue truth often have judg-mental attitudes because others don’t follow the right rules in the right way. They are often most hard on themselves for not living up to those expectations as well.

On the other hand do you know someone who is all about spirit, but lacks truth? They are often driven by emo-tion and lack the anchor of truth that is meant to keep us grounded when the difficulties of life come our way. Feel-ings lead the way, but feelings are often fleeting.

The Father is seeking people to worship Him in the balance between the two.

…the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to wor-ship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

• Are there groups of people that you feel uncomfortable being around? Spend some time honestly reflecting on why you feel uncomfortable around this group and ask the Lord to remove any unhealthy prejudice in your life.

• What types of religious defense have you experienced in conversations with others? What can you learn from Jesus’ approach in this conversation that will equip you to guide others to learn more about Him?

• Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that the kind of worship that God loves is worship in “spirit and truth”. What does worshiping in “spirit and truth” look like to you? Do you tend to lean more towards one or the other?

Reflection:

(John 4:23–24, ESV)

DRINKORDROWN

WEEK TWO

DAY THREE

JOHN 7

Our great city of Pittsburgh is configured and gathered around the three rivers that make our town so unique and so beautiful. It was formed on the banks of these rivers because rivers bring life. Although it may be hard to image doing so now, early settlers of this region fished and drank from these waters. Industry grew from the abundance of flowing water that supplied power and easy transportation. Economy was formed from the building, trading, and creat-ing that occurred along these banks.

Rivers bring life, but they can also be quite dangerous. They can be deep, and swift, and rapid, and sadly have taken many lives.

Jesus brings this to a point as He speaks of a river in John 7. As His ministry takes root throughout the region conflict begins to grow. The Pharisees see Jesus as a threat. He is making claims that they are not comfortable with. He is performing miracles that they can’t control. The crowds are curious and hopeful that He might actually be the promised Messiah. He might actually be the One promised to save them.

The Feast of Booths is being celebrated in Jerusalem. Everyone is there, those that love Him and those that hate Him. The crowds are thick. The temple is packed for the celebration. Jesus stands in the midst of the temple and cries out,

The more Jesus revealed about God the more the division grew. For some learning about a God who loved them was like drinking from the freshest stream, giving life to their soul. For others it caused them to choke on their precon-ceived ideas about what God was like. The waters too deep. The current too swift.

That’s the thing about rivers. In them you can drink and find life or you can struggle against the current, against the flow, and find yourself drowning.

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

(John 7:38, ESV)

• When do you feel most re-freshed in your relationship with Jesus?

• In what ways are you tempt-ed to satisfy your thirsts and longings in life outside of Jesus?

• Jesus says that those who believe in Him will have a river of living water flowing from them. How is this living water meant to impact others?

Reflection:

WEEK TWO

IT’SYOURTURN

DAY FOUR

JOHN 6:1-15MARK 6:37

The feeding of the 5,000 is one of the rare events that is captured in all four gospels. It’s perhaps Jesus’ most well-known of all of His mira-cles. He takes a few loaves of bread and a few fish, blesses them, and feeds over 5,000 hungry men, women, and children. Scholars believe that the real number could have totaled nearly 20,000 since women and children were not often counted in historical narratives like this.

While John gives us some detail that other gospel authors do not, Matthew, Mark, and Luke include a detail John inexplicably leaves out. The disciples are beginning to notice that the large crowds that have gathered to hear Jesus preach were getting restless and hungry. They encouraged Jesus to send the crowd away so that they could go into the surrounding villages for food.

He says, “You do it. Don’t send them away. Don’t look for a way out. Don’t hope that someone else will come along. You do it.”

But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.”

(Mark 6:37, ESV)

Put yourself in the disciple’s position for a moment. What would be your response to Jesus? It might look a lot like the disciple’s response. The immediately begin thinking logistically, namely how much it would cost. This much bread would cost nearly a year’s worth of wages!

Does that hit a little too close to home? Often when we’re confronted by something difficult that God is asking us to do our minds drift towards the lack of bread. Bread could be time, money, energy, will-ingness, or ability. It could even be a lack of love or compassion. We say, “Lord, I just don’t have enough to accomplish what you’re asking of me.” Rather than handing out bread we hand out excuses.

By the very act of making this statement means that Jesus believes His disciples can do it. He says, “Don’t wait for someone else to do it. You do it. Don’t pretend you don’t have the time or the skills or the resources. You do it. Don’t pretend you’re not qualified or capable. Don’t put it off for another day or time or moment when it might be more convenient for you. I’ve called you to it, so go and do it.”

Imagine how differently we would see this story if the disciples had fully grasped this opportunity to step out of their comfort zones and trust. Jesus could have done this miracle through them, not just to them.

• Has there ever been something that you know God was calling you to, but you were reluctant to do it? If you did it, how did you feel afterwards?

• Are there things in your life that can only be accomplished by Jesus working through you? Have you surrendered those things to Him in prayer?

Reflection:

WEEK TWO

AS THE FATHERHAS SENT ME

DAY FIVE

JOHN 20:21

Do you remember going through the school cafeterias line as a kid? The lunch staff would load you up with all kinds of mysterious globs and blobs. They would wield that big scooper and plop that stuff right on your tray whether you wanted it or not. Don’t want peas? Tough. Broc-coli isn’t your thing? Too bad. You don’t like the tan stuff? Here’s another scoop. Plop.

Did you ever imagine as a kid what it would be like if you could choose? You might have some self control now, but but back then your tray would probably end up 100% desserts.

This is how many of us approach faith in God. We walk down the faith lunch line with our spiritual scooper in hand looking for things like grace, for-giveness, and mercy, but we skip the tough stuff. Discipline? No thanks. Generosity? Not today. Wrath? Nope. How about suffering? Pass.

This week as we have been looking at the deeper ways that God provides for us a theme has ris-en. God’s provision is something that is meant to flow through us, not stop with us. Sharing and caring for others is not an optional part of our faith that we can just skip as we go down the line. It is an integral part of our faith. The woman at the well ran home to share about her encounter with Jesus (John 4). The rivers of living water that Jesus gives to us are meant to splash onto others (John 7). The blessing of bread is meant to be broken and shared with others (John 6).

The more time you spend with Jesus the more you begin to realize that there is a clear mandate on the lives of His followers to share and care in the same way He did. After His resurrection Jesus shared this very idea with His disciples. He said,

In the same way He sent me, now I’m sending you. The responsibility of sharing and caring for the world is now on our shoulders. Not to try to do it all on our own, but to allow His blessings in our lives to impact those around us in deep, meaningful ways.

…“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

(John 20:21, ESV)

St. Teresa of Avila, a 16th century Spanish theologian cap-tured this beautifully,

Christ has no body now on earth but yours;

yours are the only hands with which he can do his work,

yours are the only feet with which he can go about the world,

yours are the only eyes through which his compassion can

shine forth upon a troubled world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

~ Teresa of Avila

• What have you learned this week about how God pro-vides for us through Jesus? Take some time today to thank Him for all the ways He cares for you.

• How can you live out your mandate as a follower of Jesus to care and provide for others?

Reflection:

NORTHWAY.ORG