Beginning the Gospel Of John |04-26-26|

Apr 26, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Written That You May Believe

Jesus stood among His disciples after rising from the dead, showing His scars and eating broiled fish. Thomas touched His wounds and cried, “My Lord and my God!” John wrote these things so all would know Jesus is the Christ—not just a teacher or prophet, but God in flesh. His Gospel confronts counterfeit Christs, demanding we see the resurrected King. [31:22]

John’s words pierce through confusion. He names Jesus the eternal Word who created all things, the Lamb who takes away sin, the true Vine sustaining life. To mistake Jesus’ identity isn’t intellectual error—it’s spiritual disaster. Heresies crumble when faced with John’s testimony.

You’ve heard many voices claim to know Jesus. Open John’s Gospel today. Let his words drown out every false version. Where have you tolerated a “Jesus” shaped by culture rather than Scripture?

“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
(John 20:31, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to strip away false ideas about Him that you’ve unknowingly accepted.
Challenge: Read John 20:24-31 aloud. Circle every word describing Jesus’ identity.

Day 2: The Word Was God

In the beginning, before light or time, the Word existed. Not created, not lesser, but fully God. John’s opening lines shatter Arian lies—Jesus wasn’t God’s first creation but His eternal Son. The Word became flesh, pitching His tent among us, full of grace and truth. [31:37]

Jesus’ divinity isn’t abstract theology. It means God Himself walked our dirt, bore our griefs, and conquered death. Deny His deity, and the cross becomes a martyr’s end. Affirm it, and His blood washes away sin.

You’ll face voices calling Jesus “a good man” but not God. How will you answer? Memorize John 1:1-3. Let it anchor you when doubts arise. When did you last worship Jesus not just for what He does, but for who He is?

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
(John 1:1, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for being fully God—worthy of your total trust and worship.
Challenge: Write John 1:1-3 on a card. Place it where you’ll see it hourly today.

Day 3: Fully God, Fully Man

The Council of Chalcedon gathered in 451 AD, battling heresies that divided Christ’s natures. They declared Jesus “truly God and truly man”—two natures united in one Person. John’s Gospel shows this: wearied Jesus asks for water, yet commands storms and raises Lazarus. [01:03:10]

A Savior who isn’t human can’t bear our sins. A Savior who isn’t God can’t conquer death. Jesus’ dual nature secures our salvation—He represents us before the Father and defeats what we cannot.

You serve a King who knows hunger, grief, and temptation—yet never sinned. Bring Him your raw humanity today. Where do you need His divine power meeting your human weakness?

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”
(Colossians 2:9, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve minimized either Jesus’ humanity or divinity.
Challenge: Text a friend: “How does Jesus being fully God AND man change everything?”

Day 4: Heresies Alive Today

Rain Washington lay in her hospital bed, longing for her church family’s tangible care. James warns: faith without works is dead. Just as early Christians fought heresies through action, we combat lies by living the truth. Meals delivered, cards sent, visits made—love proves Christ’s reality. [08:09]

False teachings thrive where the Church abandons its mission. When we feed the hungry or comfort the sick, we embody the true Jesus—God who serves. Orthodoxy isn’t just creeds; it’s hands washing feet.

Who needs you to be Christ’s hands today? Will you settle for doctrinal correctness while ignoring the crying need next door?

“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing, what good is it?”
(James 2:15-17, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to show you one practical way to demonstrate Christ’s love today.
Challenge: Call or visit someone isolated within the next 24 hours.

Day 5: Assurance in His Name

John closes his Gospel with blazing certainty: “These are written that you may know you have eternal life.” Not guess, not hope—know. The Jesus who calmed storms and healed blind eyes guarantees your salvation. Heresies tremble before this promise. [01:15:05]

Eternal life isn’t a prize you earn but a gift you receive. It rests on Christ’s finished work, not your fluctuating faithfulness. When doubts attack, return to John’s words—they’re your anchor.

Do you wrestle with assurance? Hear Jesus’ words to Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” What lie about your salvation needs replacing with His truth today?

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
(1 John 5:13, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for the unshakable assurance He gives through Scripture.
Challenge: Read the Apostles’ Creed aloud. Underline every truth about Jesus’ identity.

Sermon Summary

The congregation prepares to begin a careful, multiweek study through the Gospel according to John, framed as a theological journey rather than a mere chronological retelling. The distinct nature of John stands in contrast to the synoptic gospels, which present a side by side historical narrative; John selects episodes to drive home who Jesus is, not just what Jesus did. John 20 31 serves as the thesis: the evangelist writes so that readers may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing may have life in his name. The long view of church history receives attention as a cautionary backdrop, surveying early and later Christological errors such as docetism, ebionism, modalism, Arianism, Apollinarianism, Nestorianism, and Eutychianism. Each error receives brief definition and paired historical response, showing how councils and creeds clarified the unity and duality of Christ as fully God and fully man. The narrative stresses that misconstruing Jesus unravels the gospel at its core, producing mistaken faith and futile devotion.

Modern parallels surface throughout the framing, identifying contemporary movements that echo ancient errors: certain forms of new age spirituality, progressive Christianity, social justice reductionism, and alternative religious systems that affirm Jesus in name but deny his biblical identity. The summary urges careful engagement with Scripture and with the historic creeds and councils that articulated orthodox belief. Four practical aims guide the upcoming study of John: to know Jesus as Scripture presents him, to move beyond intellectual assent into trusting and abiding faith, to receive challenging teachings without offense, and to press toward assurance of salvation grounded in Christ’s finished work. The study will proceed slowly, with repeated attention to the person and work of Christ, prayer for the Spirit’s illumination, and an appeal to the church to use confessions and catechisms as aids rather than substitutes for Scripture. The result sought is clear: a people who recognize Jesus rightly, trust him fully, and live with the confidence of those whom he has redeemed.

Key Takeaways

1. Know Jesus as Scripture presents John’s gospel focuses on revealing Jesus’ identity so that belief issues from accurate knowledge. Knowing Christ as the Bible portrays him avoids the drift into assimilated versions of Jesus shaped by culture or personal preference. Theology matters because who Jesus is determines what salvation actually is. [31:22]
2. Christology shapes the true gospel Every heresy surveyed attacks the person of Christ, and when Christ’s person is altered the gospel collapses. Salvation depends on Jesus being both fully God and fully human; if either nature fails, atonement and redemption lose their ground. Historic disputes show how small theological shifts yield vastly different faiths and practices. [49:00]
3. Creeds protect biblical truth Councils and confessions did not invent doctrine but clarified contested biblical claims with precision. Creeds function as guardrails that translate Scripture into communal, teachable truth and help churches resist drift. Familiarity with them equips believers to test modern claims against historic orthodoxy. [58:16]
4. Trust leads to assurance and abiding John’s aim moves beyond information to personal reliance on Christ, producing assurance of eternal life. True knowledge of Jesus should produce trust, spiritual union, and perseverance rather than mere intellectual agreement. The gospel calls for an active dependence on Christ’s work and the Spirit’s sealing in the believer. [74:48]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[04:38] - Announcements and Community Needs
[06:07] - Call to Worship and Psalm Reading
[25:57] - Introducing the Gospel of John
[26:26] - Synoptic Gospels versus John
[31:22] - John 20 31: Thesis Statement
[34:30] - Why Knowing Jesus Matters
[49:00] - Heresies That Misdefined Christ
[57:05] - Councils and Creeds Respond
[74:48] - Goals for Studying John
[76:49] - Prayer for the Journey
[85:13] - Benediction and Closing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
John 20:31 (ESV)
"But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

John 1:1 (ESV)
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

1 John 4:1-3 (ESV)
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God."

Observation Questions

According to John 20:31, what two outcomes does the Gospel of John aim to produce in its readers?
What examples of modern movements or beliefs were identified as echoing ancient heresies about Jesus’ identity? (e.g., new age spirituality, progressive Christianity) [35:27]
How does 1 John 4:1-3 address the early heresy of denying Jesus’ humanity?
What key difference does the sermon highlight between the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) and John’s Gospel? [26:26]

Interpretation Questions

Why does John 20:31 connect believing in Jesus’ identity with having life? How might misunderstanding His identity undermine this promise?
The sermon argues that creeds “protect biblical truth” by clarifying contested claims. Why might these historical statements still matter for Christians today? [58:16]
How does the rejection of Jesus’ full divinity or full humanity (as in Arianism or Docetism) dismantle the gospel’s power to save? [49:00]
John 1:1 calls Jesus “the Word.” How does this title set the foundation for understanding His divine nature and mission?

Application Questions

How would you evaluate whether your current understanding of Jesus aligns with Scripture versus cultural or personal preferences? What practical step could help you test this? [31:22]
The creeds (like Nicene or Chalcedonian) are described as “guardrails” for faith. How might studying them deepen your confidence in Christ’s identity? [58:16]
When faced with teachings about Jesus that feel uncomfortable (e.g., His exclusivity or sovereignty), what habits could help you submit to Scripture rather than offense? [12:22]
The sermon warns about modern versions of Jesus that deny His biblical identity (e.g., moral teacher vs. divine Savior). How could you gently help someone recognize a non-biblical “Jesus” they might unknowingly follow? [36:08]
John’s Gospel emphasizes abiding in Christ, not just intellectual agreement. What does “abiding” look like practically in your daily walk with God? [01:14:48]
Heresies often start with small shifts in how we view Jesus. What area of your theology about Christ feels most vulnerable to cultural influence, and how will you guard it?

Sermon Clips

45s

#JesusIsTrulyGod

“``This is God who really put on flesh, really lived, really satisfied the law in our place, really took our sins upon himself, really died on a cross, and really rose from the grave. Early Christians understood the reality that if Christ did not truly assume full humanity he could not redeem humanity. In order to save humanity Jesus had to become fully human. Another very early heresy was was late first century again and sec or late first century early second century was ebianism. Ebianism taught that Jesus was only a human messiah.”

44s

#DocetismDenied

“Thus we might get the gospel right and that we might rest in the finished work of this man who is truly man and truly God. So what is docetism? Late first century, early second century docetism taught that Jesus only appeared to be human. It comes from the Greek word dokeo which means to appear And they taught that his body, his suffering, his death were simply illusions. It didn't really happen. It was an illusion. Docetism denied the true humanity of Jesus. Of course, the bible rejects this.”

44s

#OneTrueGospel

“These things, these mistakes that people made two thousand years ago, people are making these same mistakes today so they have a Jesus that's not the Jesus of the scriptures. They have a gospel that's not the gospel of the scriptures and what does Paul say? He says a lot of things doesn't he? What does Paul say in the book of Galatians? He says if anyone preaches a gospel that's not the true gospel let them be anathema. Let them be damned. He says there's one gospel that can save and he said any other gospel has no power to save. So beloved John is going to take us on an adventure that we get Jesus right.”

48s

#JohnHeavenlyPerspective

“We could summarize the synoptic gospels as all three writers giving us a detailed narrative of Jesus's life, his ministry, his death, and his resurrection. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are providing us with a historical account of Jesus' life and ministry from an earthly John, on the other hand, has given us a different viewpoint. John is going to give us a heavenly perspective of the life and ministry of Jesus. John is very selective about the information that he provide. John is not aiming to give us a fourth detailed record of the life ministry death and resurrection of Jesus.”

45s

#JohnTheologicalGospel

“John's goal is to be selective and his goal is to be highly theological. John wants you and me by the time we get through his gospel, he wants us to have a deep theology and doctrine of the person of Jesus. That is his goal. 90% of the material that is found in the Gospel according to John is not in the synoptic Gospels. You read Matthew, Mark and Luke and you get pretty much the same information. You come to John and his Gospel is very very different. For instance, John says absolutely nothing about the birth of Jesus.”

58s

#CreedsAffirmChrist

“and they would they would come to a point where they would offer a a confession, a creed. That's why we as Christians today we need to be creed all people. We need to know these things. We need to defend these things. We need to understand. Here's the heresy. Here's the creed that came out of this. This writing that gives us great instruction and detail as to the person of Christ. Do not fall into the trap of just me and Jesus, I'll get this figured out. Out of this council of Nicaea in March, the church affirmed these bishops, these church leaders, elders, and pastors affirmed the truth that only God can save therefore Christ must be fully God.”

49s

#JesusIsSubstitution

“So this heresy is alive today. Ebeonism is alive and well today as people present Jesus as a moral teacher. Again, people who who practice liberal proleticism. They reduced Jesus to an ethical example. Again, this might amaze you and it might dumbfound you, but we look to Christ as a substitutionary sacrifice. Jesus died in my place. There are people who would claim to be some form of Christian would say, no he didn't come to die on a cross. Jesus came to just give us an example of how we are to live. Jesus came to give us an example of how we are to love people and forgive people but that's all he came to do.”

28s

#LetScriptureReign

“Some of the things that we are going to encounter in this book of the Bible, honestly, they they they cause me a little fear and trembling because they are words that many people do not want to hear. And so I'm asking you to be willing to come to the gospel and hear the words of the living God and let it trump everything that you think you already know. Let God's word reign in your heart.”

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Beginning the Gospel Of John |04-26-26|

Devotional

Day 1: Written That You May Believe

Day 2: The Word Was God

Day 3: Fully God, Fully Man

Day 4: Heresies Alive Today

Day 5: Assurance in His Name

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Beginning the Gospel Of John |04-26-26|

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