John 1:1
Stop.
Today, the church celebrates the feast of St. John, Evangelist and Apostle. That is, the person traditionally credited with following Jesus and writing about it. What does it mean to you to follow Jesus? How do you share it with the world?
Listen.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. – John 1:1
Reflect.
On Christmas, we often hear the poetic words of John’s gospel in our readings. The opening lines of that gospel are lofty and theologically dense, giving us a taste of what this fourth gospel is like. Unlike the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which share similar sources and storylines, John goes in a completely different direction. It provides a meaningful and beautiful perspective on what God is up to in Jesus.
Many Christian traditions recognize today as the feast of St. John. Many believed that the disciple John, the Evangelist who wrote John, and the writer of the epistles of 1, 2, and 3 John were all the same person. Recent Biblical scholarship holds that this is not likely. However, the feast day stands.
Therefore, we’re invited to consider the church’s recognition of one man as one of the first followers of Jesus, a theologically astute author of one of the histories of Jesus’ earthly life, and passionate teacher encouraging early believers. We’re similarly invited to reflect on our own lives. How do we follow Jesus daily? How do we share the story of our Savior? How do we reach out to others to encourage them in their faith? Today, on the feast day of St. John, we’re reminded that we can indeed do all three things.
Pray.
God, thank you for the witness of John. We are grateful especially for the gospel writings that teach us about Jesus and inspire our faith. Make us into teachers, witnesses, disciples, and encouragers for your sake, now and always. Amen.
Carry On.
The books of 2 and 3 John are two of the shortest books in the Bible. Want to say you’ve at least read two books of the Bible? Go check them out! It will take you less than ten minutes.