John 1 - The Word Became Flesh with Katie Marsh - 46

John’s Gospel doesn’t start with a manger or a genealogy. It starts before time, with a bold claim: Jesus is the Word, Jesus is God, and Jesus is the One through whom everything was made. Around the table, we read John 1 out loud and let it challenge the “small” versions of Jesus we’re tempted to settle for, replacing them with a Savior who is Creator, Light in the darkness, and the clearest picture of the Father’s heart.

We also slow down at the personal turning point in John 1: those who receive Jesus and believe in his name are given the right to become children of God. That isn’t just religious language to us, it’s an open door to salvation, adoption, and a new identity. We pray for listeners who don’t yet know Jesus to receive him, and we ask the Holy Spirit to make the Word feel real, near, and alive.

Then we learn from John the Baptist, a model of humility and bold testimony. He refuses the spotlight, names Jesus as the Lamb of God, and shows us what it looks like to live with an active posture of humility instead of passive pride. Finally, we follow the first disciples as Jesus asks a direct question, “What do you want?” and offers a simple invitation, “Come and see” a call to abide, stay close, and let relationship change everything.

If you want a Gospel of John Bible study that is Scripture-first, prayerful, and practical, press play, open your Bible, and read with us. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can find the series. What do you want God to show you as you come and see?

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

Kim McIntire 0:09

Hey everyone, welcome to the It's Time to Rise Up Podcast. I'm your host, Kim McIntire. I'm joined today by my co-host, Amber Samson. Hello. Hey Amber. Praying that you are encouraged, strengthened, and blessed by what we share today. If you're not familiar with our show, please check out our website at itstimetoriseup.org. There you will find our social media links and for our podcast platforms. You'll find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you find your podcast. Today we are honored to have my friend Katie Marsh in the studio. Welcome, Katie. Thank you. We're so glad you're here. Katie is a dear friend, a sister in Christ. I'm going to share a sweet memory that I have of you. So we've been acquainted for a long time through church. Long time. And then she invited me to a women's conference called Encounter in 2019. So got to know you a little better there. That's true. That's true. And then in 2020, during the COVID season, the Lord spoke to me to gather some women to pray for revival. And I was like, well, I have no idea who would show up for that because we're on lockdown. Yeah. I mean, it was really everything was basically closed except for essentials. And Katie was among a very small handful of women who walked in my door. And since that day, I feel like God has just grown us so close. For sure. Yeah. So close. That was the start of a four solid years of bringing together weekly, I would say.

Katie Marsh 1:45

So yes.

Kim McIntire 1:46

And we saw the Lord do so many wonderful things. And mostly in us. Mostly in us. Revival starts in our heart, right? Then it spreads to those around us. So Katie, just tell our listeners a little bit about yourself.

Katie Marsh 1:59

Yeah. So I am actually from the Joplin area. So that's how Kim and I originally met was through church. I am married and I have a husband of 20, 20 years right now. Wow. Congrats. Celebrated in September, our 20th anniversary. Uh four children. My oldest is in college, and my youngest is in fifth grade. I've got two boys and two girls. And I work as an orthopedic physician assistant in orthopedic surgery. So I love the word of God, though. That's I really do love to study. It's your passion. I love it.

Kim McIntire 2:31

So and I've learned a lot from you, Katie Marsh. Wow. Yes, yes, I have. Ditto. Another favorite memory of mine involving you would be when you would um share communion meditation at church on Sunday mornings before communion. Katie has a gift for that. So I'm grateful for you. And thank you for saying yes to this time. So we are beginning

Why We Read Scripture Together

Kim McIntire 2:55

a series on the Gospel of John, and we're just going to tell you a little bit about how this is going to look. We're just going to be gathering around this table with God's word, reading the text, praying, gleaning from it, truths, promises, encouragement, possibly some correction, guidance. There are so many things God's word speaks into our lives. And so we really have a passion that people they don't just read the word to know it in their mind, but they read the word to know it in their heart and in their spirit and in turn live the word.

Amber Sampson 3:37

Yeah.

Kim McIntire 3:38

Not just read the word. So that's a passion. Do you want to speak into that a little bit?

Amber Sampson 3:42

Well, rise up is one of our um, you know, part of what we're about is um we're about prayer, but we're about um an intimate relationship with our heavenly father. And how I mean, I don't know about y'all, but like my husband didn't come with a book. Yeah, right. And so, but like this is like the we get a whole book dedicated to our heavenly father, and it's alive. And I think it hasn't really been till the last few years that I realized like it's alive. It's so alive. And so, I mean, you hear that your whole life, but but then it comes becomes real to you one day. So um this is just a special way that we get to know our Heavenly Father intimately and get to know. Um, so it's special. And so this is if you want to go grow closer to the Lord, well, you've got to open your Bible. And we're and Rise Up is about helping helping you navigate that. That's right.

Kim McIntire 4:40

And I'm I'm you know, copying this quote and I don't know who said it, but I remember hearing this a long time ago. The Bible is the one book you read where when you're reading it, the author is in the room. Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah, you know, and it's true, when we read the word, God is present with us in a different way. So I'm so thankful for that. So we would encourage you, if you are not driving your car, grab your Bible, a notebook, a pen, take notes, dive in with us, be a participant. Don't just be a listener. That's my encouragement. Be a participant.

What Makes John So Unique

Kim McIntire 5:18

Um so we're going to get started, but first I thought maybe we could share like what do we love about the Gospel of John? Do either of you have a thought you want to share?

Katie Marsh 5:30

I mean, I feel like John is one of the first places, especially if you're newer to the faith. If if someone's gonna tell someone this is where you're gonna get to know Jesus, they send them to John a lot of the time. Luke, maybe sometimes too, but certainly John I'd say is top. And I think I love it for multiple reasons, but I think one of the reasons is it's a book that John is like, I just want you to know the heart of Jesus. And not just the heart of Jesus, I want you to know the majesty of Jesus, who he actually is. And so you have all these moments in John, which you know, John has all the I am statements that Jesus says. I am the door, I am the gate, I am the bread of life, I'm the living water, I'm the resurrection of the life. And he goes through them all. Yeah, but he tells it within a story that it's like it's almost like you can picture it like a movie playing out in front of your eyes, like the woman at the well, right? And so she's standing there before him and she's like, and who am I talking to? And he's like, I am the living water, you know? And it's like the thunderous music of the movie just comes down. And so you get this image and this understanding of who Jesus is in a really profound way that John is passionate about you seeing. Yes, you know?

Kim McIntire 6:39

Yeah, it's true. Yeah, it's true. That leads me to speak, and I'm just gonna read this directly from my Bible. But John wrote this 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. That's from John 20, verse 31. And so I think that's what I love about the gospel is like he had a purpose. Right. I mean, they all did, obviously. Right. But his purpose was I want people to know and believe in Jesus Christ.

Katie Marsh 7:13

You know, John wasn't interested in you thinking Jesus was a cool teacher. He wasn't interested in you thinking he was great at certain miracles. That was never his that's never his motivation behind it, because if if that's where we land with Jesus, we've fallen way short. And so it's like his entire purpose is I'm telling you things so that you go ahead and stake your life on him. That's right. You believe everything he says about himself. So good.

Kim McIntire 7:34

So good. Amber, thoughts?

Amber Sampson 7:36

I don't think I have anything to add. But um but this is I agree with everything you guys said, absolutely, 100%. And I thought it was funny. I so in I think in several Bibles, you'll see before a chapter begins, there's some different notes. And in my I'm in the um NLT version, and I highlighted that because in this it talks about the content, what you know the Gospel of John's all about. But I highlighted exactly what you're reading, verse 20, uh chapter 20, verse 31, that but um those things that you know that that's why he wrote this was so that we would know that he was the Messiah, that Jesus was the Messiah. And but one of the things I note I noted in here um that I don't I find a little interesting is that in oftentimes in the passages, John, and I don't really know why, Katie, she's brilliant, she might know. But um, but um he's always like referencing like the following day, the next day, you know, even like here in the first verse one in the beginning. He's always like time-stamped it. I don't know why that that stands out to me, because that's not like in any other book of the Bible.

Katie Marsh 8:44

It makes it feel real though. Yeah, I mean, like, oh, this they're serious about what they're saying right now, they're even letting you know when.

Amber Sampson 8:51

Yeah, exactly. Like, and and I do love that it that John is the disciple, you know, whom Jesus loved. And so you come and in like just that, he's the one sharing this. I love that.

Kim McIntire 9:02

So Okay, since you said this, I have to say you said that, so I have to say this. Yeah. I love the gospel of John, but John as the apost as the as an apostle stands out to me because this man stood at the cross of Jesus. And for Jesus to look at him and say, you know, this is your mother, mother, this is your son. I'm I'm just thinking John knew he was the beloved. He just knew he was. And I think it speaks so much to his character. And I'm I mean, I'm not trying to be critical of the other disciples because you know, we all can be fearful, we can all run, right? But I just have such a deep respect for the fact that he stood and he he watched the suffering and his mother did as well. And so the first time I read the Gospel of John after having learned how to really go through the word in a way that was personal to me, I just felt that it was truly revealing the heart of God in a way that other books I had read had not.

Katie Marsh 10:23

So well, and even, you know, at the end of John, isn't it, John at the end of it where he says that the books couldn't even contain all that, you know, and so you think everything about it. That's what's running through his head at the end of this. And so he chose these stories. He chose these, so these are very, I mean, like he's saying, I could have written volume after volume after volume, but this is what the spirit of the Lord has landed on that he wants the rest of the generations to come to know, right? Right, yeah. So there's something worth digging in here that's true, that's imperative for our own hearts, our own minds, our own faiths to know Jesus better. It's true. And to see him rightly, you know.

Kim McIntire 11:00

To see him rightly. Yeah, I have to quote that directly because that's the very last verse in the book of John. It's verse 25 of chapter 21. John says Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. You know, none no other God, no other writer included that. So there's just something that really makes it stand apart to me. But kind of our rhythm with this is going to be we're gonna read the scripture out loud. We're gonna just go verse by verse and glean, yeah, glean from it the treasure that it is. So here we go.

John 1:1-18 Read And Unpacked

Kim McIntire 11:48

And I'm reading from NIV. I believe Amber and Katie will be when they read their sections, they're gonna be in the NLT. So we're just gonna let that be known.

Amber Sampson 11:57

Um, I know we prayed, we prayed before we pushed play, but do you think we should pray real fast over our listeners on air? Absolutely. Yeah. All right. Well, Lord, we just thank you for your word. Um that it's alive, it's living and breathing, it's active. And so, God, I we just pray for every person who's tuning in today um to this episode that um that you would speak to them through your word. We're gonna share, and I pray that you would just cover our words, anoint us. But God, I pray for the hearts and minds and the ears of those listening that you would reveal yourself to them in a greater way, where they would come to know you um more personably. Yes. And that the word of the Lord would um just uh mark them today.

Kim McIntire 12:40

In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen, amen. All right. John 1, starting with verse 1. This passage is entitled The Word Became Flesh. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made. Without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God, his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light, he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, or a husband's will, but born of God. The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the Father full of grace and truth. John testifies concerning him. He cries out saying, This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me. From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another, for the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the one and only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. We'll pause there. What a introduction to the Gospel of John. And I love that from the very start of this gospel, John is taking us back to creation. He's taking us back to Genesis verse 1 and 2. He's taking us back to Genesis chapter 1, verse 26. And also there's reference, there's many references, but Colossians 2.9, just all of this is him pointing us to creation, letting us know Jesus Christ was present from the very beginning of time. To me, this is one of the best arguments for the Trinity for people who tend to lean in another direction. But Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were there at the very beginning as one. So that was one of the things at the very start of this chapter that just every time I read it, it leaps off the page. Jesus was there at creation. Thank you, Lord. And not just there, created. Yeah, created. He was creating, you know? Yes.

Katie Marsh 16:01

Yes.

Kim McIntire 16:02

Yeah.

Katie Marsh 16:02

Pre-existent with God the Father. Yeah. I think there it's easy to think that like Jesus just showed up on the scene, you know, when Matthew talks about him or whatever. Yeah. You know, and and I tend to think of more of like, well, that was Jesus in disguise that showed up on the scene, right? His fleshly, his fleshly self of him, the human form of of him. But to just to know that he was there from the very beginning, I mean, you can you can go back and you can look at different passages of scripture knowing this, right? Knowing that he was from the very beginning. There he's, you know, outside of time. He's the creator of all things. And so he's been on this plan of salvation for us long before he showed up on the earth. So true. And so even, you know, it's gonna say actually in John coming up, um, John eight or twelve or something like that. I can't remember I have to look it up, but you know, Isaiah is gonna talk, or it's gonna say the Isaiah saw Jesus, and you're like, wait, where did J where did well go back and talk about look where Isaiah has his vision and it's Jesus? That's true, right? And you can look at Daniel, and Daniel has his vision, and that vision matches exactly with Revelation 1, um, with what we see of Jesus there. And so, you know, there's a there's a fullness and a a hugess and a vastness and a majesty to Jesus that far outshines and out surpasses anything that we tend to think of in a small Jewish man on this earth, right?

Kim McIntire 17:32

It's so true. It's so true. Does he ever unpack it too? I mean, when I'm thinking about this and how he's describing Jesus creator, life and light, the light that shines in darkness, light that guides us, light that overcomes darkness, light that gives light to everyone. Jesus was in the world, created the world, but the world did not know or recognize him. His own did not receive him. But boy, verse 12, for those who did, for those who did, and I really feel like it's important for us to pause here. Verse 12, yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. This is an invitation right now. If you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, Katie and Amber and I are sitting around this table. We actually prayed that people would come to salvation through this episode. We would implore you to receive Jesus Christ, to receive him into your heart, that today would be the day of your salvation.

Amber Sampson 18:42

Yeah.

Kim McIntire 18:42

Because this is what he did. He didn't just die to forgive us of our sins, he died to give us the right to be children of God, adopted. You know, so this is the moment. I'm just gonna pause. Yeah. Father God, for anyone who is listening, who does not know you as Lord and Savior, we are praying right now that today would be the day of their salvation. That they would believe in their hearts and confess it with their mouth that Jesus is Lord. And you say when we do that, we are saved. So, Father, we are praying that many would come to salvation through listening to your word today. May your Holy Spirit convict of sin and convince of your righteousness. May your kindness lead many to repentance, Lord, for the gift of salvation, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of eternal life. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Amber Sampson 19:42

Amen.

Kim McIntire 19:42

Amen. So be it. I just felt like I couldn't skip through that without saying this is an opportunity. God's word's alive and I believe it's speaking. Any thoughts from you guys up to this point?

Amber Sampson 19:59

I I really I one thing that kind of always pops to me is um in verse seven, so it six says, God sent a man John the Baptist to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. And testimony is such a big part of Rise Up. If you've been to Rise Up events, we usually um it's filled with testimony. That's who our speakers typically are, people of testimony. And so that always stands out to me that it was John the Baptist, it was his testimony um that was shared so that everyone might believe. And um just uh just how even John the Baptist, it was I don't know, there's just something so powerful about testimony and John the Baptist, his testimony of Jesus um would be given, that others would believe, that everyone might believe.

Kim McIntire 20:47

And that he was obedient to the call.

Amber Sampson 20:50

Yeah, and as we'll see, one thing I've th thought too, uh, John the Baptist knew his calling. He wasn't mixed up in that, but he didn't go follow Jesus like the d like we'll read about later, the disciple you know, men leave John the Baptist to go follow Jesus, but John the Baptist doesn't. He continues in whatever his calling is and he goes his own way and does, you know, what the Lord's asking him to do. And I find that interesting because I don't know, I hope I'd want to be following Jesus. You know, but I would think about that too, where it says here he came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. And I oftentimes wonder, I'm like, God, I hope I would be there where I w I hope I wouldn't be in that the world not recognizing him. Because it happens. Yeah happens. And many, you know, the Pharisees, they they believed but they didn't believe that Jesus was the Messiah. They were they didn't recognize him. And that's to me really um a little unnerving to think that Jesus could be among you and you miss him. Among us all the time and we miss him. And I don't know that that that that's something that I always that always stands out to me when I read this.

Katie Marsh 22:11

Yeah, it is a daunting thought to think you could miss what's right in front of your very eyes, right? Yeah, truly. I think a lot of what I love in this section also is the fact that John wants to make sure that we know that Jesus is revealing the Father as well, right? That they're it's not just the fact that thank goodness Jesus came on the scene because he really loves you guys, you know, and you make you got this hard, you know, harsh taskmaster father up in heaven. That's not it at all, right? It's true. It's like he's the image of the invisible God, Hebrews tells us, you know. So he he is the fullness of, you know, no one's ever seen God. That's what John just says. No one's ever seen God, but we get to see him in the glory of Jesus, of who he is, you know. It's true. And so, man, that's pretty powerful to think of. All all the things that I love in Jesus, that's who God is in all of his fullness, right? Yes. So good. It is so good. And then in verse 14, you know, it talks about that the word, which the word is is Jesus, right? The that's what we're talking about here. And and you know, John did that for a specific reason. He did that because that would have meant something to the Jewish people, but even I think he knew what he was doing because he was it meant something to the Greek Greco-Roman readers that would have been reading this as well. Right. Because the philosophical thinkers of that day believed in a logos, logos, whatever you want to say it, in that word, which was where does reason come from in this? Where does order out of chaos and where does all rational thought originate from? That's what they were searching for. And so, and John is saying, Well, it's been there all along, and it's in Jesus, right? And so then in verse 14, he says, That word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. And that word dwelling is actually that he tabernacled with us, is what it means, which is a hearken back to the old Israelite days where no other people in history have a God who decided, I'll come meet with you because you can't meet with me. You know, you can't get to where I'm going, so I'll come to where you're at. And so it's it's the complete fulfilling of what that looks like. And then now we get to take it one step further. Like we don't have Jesus on this earth right now, but we have his glory, his spirit tabernacling sitting with us. Yes, even now. And so it continues. Yeah, the the dwelling of Jesus is still with us today.

Kim McIntire 24:42

It's so true. It's so true. Aren't we grateful? Yeah, that reminds me of just the word abide. Whenever I read that, Jesus the word became flesh to and dwelt among us. Why? So he could dwell within us. And that is such a beautiful gift that the Lord has given to us. Oh my goodness. Full of grace and truth as well. Yes. Full of grace and truth. What a tension there is with that, right? To be a gracious person. You bet it is. Yeah, I mean, for for believers, followers, humans, to be full of grace and yet full of truth and living in that balance of I can speak the truth to you, but it's gonna be with so much grace and love. And he was the master of it, the the best example of all. And because he had the purest heart.

Katie Marsh 25:38

The purest heart. He has the purest heart for it.

Kim McIntire 25:40

It's so true. Yeah. It's so true. I'm sorry, Amber, I think I cut in with when you're fine.

Amber Sampson 25:47

Yeah, you're saying grace and truth. Um the NLT reads it, unfailing love and faithfulness.

Kim McIntire 25:54

So good.

John The Baptist And True Humility

Kim McIntire 25:56

Well, we're going to pick up here at verse 19. Um, I think, Katie, why don't you read that next passage of scripture for us? John the Baptist denies being the Christ.

Katie Marsh 26:06

Sure. And this is uh out of the New Living translation. There's actually a newer translation of it. This is the older of the New Living's, but it says in verse 19, this was the testimony of John when the Jewish leaders sent priests and temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John whether he claimed to be the Messiah. He flatly denied it. I am not the Messiah, he said. Well then, who are you? They asked. Are you Elijah? No, he replied. Are you the prophet? No. Then who are you? Tell us so we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself? John replied in the words of Isaiah, I am a voice shouting in the wilderness. Prepare a straight pathway for the Lord's coming. Then those who were sent by the Pharisees asked him, If you aren't the Messiah or Elijah or the prophet, what right do you have to baptize? John told them, I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not know who will soon begin his ministry. I am not even worthy to be his slave. This incident took place at Bethany, a village east of the Jordan River where John was baptizing.

Kim McIntire 27:12

What one thing that really stands out to me, we're gonna talk about John the Baptist again. He's asked, I believe, four times. He's asked, you know, are you? Are you the one? And how many leaders would would be happy to take credit for that, right? But this this just to me shows, again, we'll echo what you said. He knows his calling. It's an example of humility. He's pointing away from himself. No, don't look at me. Right. Don't look at me. I'm not the one. I'm just the voice. I'm just the one that's telling about him. And I just think in this specific passage, I see John's, first of all, he's very unique. That's obvious. He's humble. He's also very courageous. Like this man is not, he's going to obey what God told him to do. And he's not walking in the fear of man. He's not making excuses. He's just full of holy boldness. And I just I can't say enough right now about this man's character and the fact that I mean, when he says I'm not even worthy to bend down and untie the sandals of Jesus. I don't know. You guys, that that just gets me. Yeah. It really I don't need I don't even have words to articulate what I want to say regarding John the Baptist, honestly, but maybe you guys can speak into that. But I'm just thinking the humility of this man just leaps off of the page. God can use people like that. Yeah. People that are saying, oh no, don't look at me. Right. There is someone that you need to know, and his name is Jesus. Yes, yes.

Katie Marsh 29:01

Yeah, I think I completely agree, Kim. And you know, that even that phrase, I'm not even worthy to untie his sandals. I don't think it really n necessarily resonates with us because we live in a different generation where we don't travel with sandals all day long on dirt roads, you know. But I read something this week about that where it was obviously that was the lowest of lowest um tasks that would be given to someone. And so many of these rabbis would have their followers, their disciples following them, and they would expect them to do like menial things like chores for them, um, tasks, slave type of things for them. But what they never did ask is you don't ask them to untie your shoes. That's too low, even for the disciple to do for their rabbi. And so and so John comes on there saying, and they they would have understood this, like you're saying you're not even okay enough to untie a shoe, which wouldn't even be expected. Like that's too, you know. And so he's taken it even a step lower with that. And I think, you know, as I think about that, you know, we're we're looking at the whole picture here. We get to see in full color what they were kind of getting scene by scene. Right. And so we're like, well, yeah, I mean, Jesus is so much better than John. And I think what John realized is that he he didn't live in this false reality, right? He he knew exactly what was happening, he knew exactly what was coming. And I think if we would ask the Lord more often, like, teach me the reality, show me the reality of what's actually happening in life right now, who you actually are, who I actually am. Right, right. What's actually happening around us, I think it would be more clear to us to say the exact same thing, oh Lord, I can't even untie your sandals because this isn't, I don't even deserve that. But yet, by your grace, you know, and so I think when we have illusions, it's really delusions of gland or grandeur, you know? Like it's like we're living in this false reality where we think we're somebody that we're not and we never have been. And so I think that's a lot my prayer when I ask God for humility is I'm like, Lord, you're just gonna have to show me what's actually true because I tell myself a different story a lot of the time. Right.

Amber Sampson 31:10

Yeah. If that makes sense. But makes sense. Well, and he's saying that to the Pharisees who really thought they were somebody, who they really thought they were high and mighty because they kept all the rules down to the finest of, you know, dot on the eye.

Kim McIntire 31:25

So And that's the problem with elevation, and we don't have to spend a lot of time there. But I think when you when you become elevated by others, that there becomes this natural human tendency to actually believe you're above others. For sure. Because they have elevated you to that position. And that's John's doing the opposite. So let's follow John's example. And I'm speaking to myself, like, have that heart posture. Right. That's not too good.

Katie Marsh 31:54

An active heart posture, right? An active heart. Never passive because what is actually crazy is the pride is what's a passive comes in. So if you don't deal with it, you're gonna deal with it, right? You're gonna have pride. It's true. But humility is active, like it takes real work and real, which is why it says in scripture over and over, and I've, you know, I've asked the Lord for humility many times because the Lord knows I've been prideful many times. But what it always comes back to in scripture is it the Lord's always telling us you humble yourself before me. Yes. Like it's don't tell, I mean, he's gonna help us, don't get me wrong. There's a spirit of the Holy Spirit that's gonna change us as well as He sanks, sanctifies us, but it is an active position that we have to take before Him, right?

Kim McIntire 32:36

It is. And it's that again, show me the reality of humility. Right, teach me the reality of humility. Right. Because I think sometimes we don't even have a grasp of what it is. Yeah, not a clue. Yes. Without the Holy Spirit saying, I need your help. Right. What does it really look like to have an act of humility day by day? He's he's able to do it because it has to be his work, but of course we have to cooperate and invite that for sure into our lives.

Amber Sampson 33:04

Yeah. It's so good. Yeah. I just want to, you know, for the listener out there who's maybe you've never even heard that heard it talked about like that. Um it's okay to push pause and just begin to pray, you know that. Um I don't know. I feel like that's such a convicting word. Is it so easy to, you know.

Kim McIntire 33:30

I'm convicted by it. Yeah. Amen. I'm sitting here convicted by God's word. That's why when we open God's word, we should expect encouragement. Yeah. And comfort and strength and wisdom, truth, right? We should also expect some correction and conviction because the Holy Spirit, He does both works. Yeah. Comforts, corrects, convicts. So or rather, comforts, convicts, corrects. But there you have to. Push pause, push, pause.

Katie Marsh 33:58

Go ahead, Kayla. Well, I was gonna say it in the same token that he convicts us, go to verse 29 then, because the comfort comes straight with it. Because it says the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Look, there is a lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We'll get there in just a second, but it really is the next verse. Right. But the word there is he's actively taking. It's not even he, it's it's it's a continually happening. He's taking away the sins of the world. So even as we say, Oh, Lord, I struggle with pride like out the wazoo, you know. I don't even know if that's a thing, but I do at times, you know. And it's like, oh, but there's the Lamb of God who's taking away sins of the world. Thank you, Lord.

Kim McIntire 34:36

Yeah, thank you, Lord.

Katie Marsh 34:37

Sorry, I jumped ahead of verse.

Kim McIntire 34:38

No, no, don't be sorry. You're right. It ties in with what we're talking about. So maybe we just keep going.

The Lamb Of God Revealed

Kim McIntire 34:44

Let's go. Amber's gonna lead us out with this.

Amber Sampson 34:46

So as um Katie read the next day, um, we're in verse 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. He is the one I was talking about when I said, A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me. I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel. Then John testified, I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. I didn't know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the chosen one of God. Amen.

Katie Marsh 35:39

Can I throw a question out here? I don't I always don't know the answer for. It's like I always wonder, you know, John says I didn't know he was the one, but I always think, but I always feel like they would have talked about this, right? With because John the Baptist mother, Mary, the baby jumping in the womb, you know. I would have thought this had been a family discussion more often of like, and maybe I'm just misunderstanding how he's main meaning that or saying that, but I'm always curious, like, is that truly the moment where he was like, now I know who he is, he's the Messiah, or did he know when he was 12 years old that that was gonna be the Messiah?

Kim McIntire 36:12

I'm wondering if it was a confirmation. Yeah, that makes sense. Then he had an inclination. Yeah, sure. But this was the confirmation that God gave him. And I think how kind of God. Yeah, yeah. You know how sometimes we'll pray about Lord, I I could sure use a sign. Yes. Because we I have this prompting or this inclination, and I believe it's you, Lord, but boy, if you could just give me a direct sign, that would be great. And sometimes that happens and sometimes it doesn't. But look what the Lord did and the fact that He used a dev. Yes. What a beautiful picture. For sure. For sure. Oh my goodness. Just yeah, it's overwhelming, to be honest. I'm thinking, how would that feel if you were John and you were witnessing that? And you've been waiting for the Messiah. And you've been waiting. Like, yeah, not just waiting, suffering, really.

Katie Marsh 37:09

Suffering, you know? Yeah, yeah. I mean, he's not living the evil. It's true, the high high road life, you know. It's true, yeah.

Kim McIntire 37:14

It's true. So I just think this is a moment right here. This is a moment.

Amber Sampson 37:21

Well, and I think it's like John's whole life was devo it seems like anyways, John's whole life was devoted to be the forerunner for Jesus the Messiah, his whole his whole life from the. I mean, he's in the womb, like you referenced. And so it's like his whole life, he's been preparing the way, and here he is. Yeah.

Kim McIntire 37:42

He's finally here's Jesus, he's finally on the scene. I can't even imagine what he was experiencing in that moment.

Amber Sampson 37:51

But to be like baptized, you get to baptize Jesus and you get to see the Holy Spirit descend on him and rest on him.

Katie Marsh 37:58

Yeah.

Amber Sampson 37:59

I mean, what what is that? Yes. Yeah. It's just crazy. Yeah, just wild to think about that. I just love like I feel like John's like so he's so confident, he's so sure. I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify. He is the chosen one of God. Like, there's no doubt this is he's the one.

Katie Marsh 38:18

Yeah.

Kim McIntire 38:18

He's the one we've been waiting for. John's really an example to me of just the testimony, the witness being bold and unashamed. He knew, he believed, he spoke. You know? Yeah, he was unwavering. He was unwavering. So do it in us, Lord. Do it in our listeners, Lord. Give us that bold, unashamed, humble witness that that we know you are the Son of the Living God. The way of salvation is through Christ. Wow. Beautiful.

Katie Marsh 38:54

The story of the dove with confirmation is not uh it reminds me of a story of a good friend of actually Jay. Uh well, that Jay, yes, I'm thinking of Jackie, actually. Oh, Jay and Jackie. We have two friends. Yes. So had a dove. Yeah. Do you remember the Jackie story? Yeah. So she was um missionary over in uh Southeast Asia and had a uh a man from that country that had come to know the Lord. Um, but he had an accident and died pretty quickly thereafter, I believe. His family was not believers, and so they still had many like uh false gods that they worshiped and and such. And so at the funeral, they were going to go ahead and have a funeral that was essentially centered around the pagan gods. And uh Jackie was very upset about this because she said, you know, but that's not what he would have wanted. He had become a follower of Jesus, you know. And so she wasn't sure what she should do. Do you go to the funeral? Do you not? Whatever. There's all this cultural stuff. All this cultural stuff, yeah. But so and she doesn't want to offend the family, but also like so. She's at this funeral and she's praying, Lord, I just need a confirmation that you know when you see. And a dove came down out of the sky. Yes, and I don't know if it rested on the that area, but either way, it was right there. It was just visible to where you can see it, but I don't remember if it landed. And she said doves are not, you know, indigenous to the Southeast Asia area. And so I just am like, oh man, you know, knowing that story of you know, someone that I can touch and feel and see with my own hands makes me like, oh Lord, you you don't stop doing these kind of things.

Kim McIntire 40:32

So true.

Katie Marsh 40:33

It's so true.

Come And See: First Disciples

Kim McIntire 40:35

Well, let's go to the next section, Jesus's first disciples. And um, I'll read that section, and I'm back in the NIV. The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, Look, the Lamb of God. When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, What do you want? They said, Rabbi, which means teacher, where are you staying? Come, he replied, and you will see. So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour. Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what Jesus had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, We have found the Messiah, that is the Christ, and he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, You are Simon, son of John, you will be called Cephas, which translated is Peter. The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip he said to him, Follow me. Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathaniel 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 Joseph. Nazareth, can anything good come from there? Nathaniel asked. Come and see, said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him, Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false. How do you know me? Nathaniel asked. Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you. Then Nathaniel declared, Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel. Jesus said, You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that. He then added, I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Wow, here we go. Talk about a calling.

Amber Sampson 42:58

I think this whole pat this whole thing is I feel like we could have made a whole episode on verse 35, the whatever that is, 51. But I like um there's so many things to say, but I like how Jesus says, you know, what do you want? That's like his first words in this book of the Bible. This is the first letters in red is what do you want? And they ask him where he's staying, and he says, Come and see. And I'm I mean that gets me pretty much every time because that's the invitation to abide. That's Jesus, that's his invitation to like come and stay with Come and stay with me. That's what that's what when I was digging in further, that's what that's about is like you can come into my home and you can stay with me. That's right. That's what the followers did with rabbis. They followed them, you know, they were with them, like we talked about. And that's the invitation. And I feel like that's the invitation today always is come and see, come closer, come closer to come closer to me. And you Know and and see. We get to he's not a faraway God. He's not distant. He's as close as the two of you are to me right now. I mean he's closer. He's in he's inside my being. I d I just think I just I don't know. I can't ever get away from that. Come come and see. And then they remained with him. They didn't just say, Well, thanks, we're gonna hang out for a few hours. No, they remained with him.

Katie Marsh 44:25

Yeah. And you know, th these these disciples, you know, they end up being the best friends of Jesus, and obviously they'll transform to men who will move heaven and earth to spread his message, even at their own peril and death. That's true. But when they started this, they didn't know what they were getting into, right? No. So it really was a come and see.

Amber Sampson 44:52

Yeah.

Katie Marsh 44:52

And so I think, you know, for anyone who may be listening, that you're not even sure what this thing is all about. I think that you don't have to know, right? You don't have to have an answer to all of this. But I trust that the if you really give it a true fair shot that you're willing to come and see. Yes. And with an open heart, say, Lord, just show me what you're all about. I I don't doubt that you would be willing to move heaven and earth as well at the end of it. Yeah. So true. You know, once he reveals who he is to you, you know, because that's what does it say in scripture? Draw near to me and I will draw near to you. It's a promise, right? Like, yeah. So and and also I would say to that, you know, I'm pulling in another scripture as well, but I think it's imperative that we understand that God is so serious about us getting to know him because he loves us so much. Right. That he literally put us in the time of history that he thinks we'll get to know him the best, right? The best chance of knowing him. That's Acts 17, right? So I think the invitation really is just come and see. Don't have to have it all figured out. Yeah. You just have to look. Be willing to look.

Amber Sampson 46:05

Yeah. And you don't have to be anybody special. I mean, these were your average they were fishermen, they were tradesmen, they weren't they weren't uh high society people. They didn't have a you know, they weren't, you know, they weren't living in the most beautiful subdivision in in the area. I mean these were these were just common, just common men. So um the invitation to come and see is not for the lofty or the most spiritual. He didn't, you know, back in those days, it was you know, he didn't reveal himself to, you know, the current rabbis or the or the Pharisees, but to just the average average person. And so the invitation is for you, the listener today. And maybe you've only saw a little bit, but there's so much more. So much more to see. So dig come closer. Come closer.

Kim McIntire 46:53

Mm-hmm. Come closer today. I'm actually gonna read from Acts 17 what Katie referenced, and read the whole chapter. Read the whole chapter. Yeah, seriously. Read the whole chapter. But when Paul really starts um in this speech with with the people of Athens, that whole section is just so powerful. But I'm gonna do I'm gonna read um verse 26, 27, and 28. From one man he made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth, and he determined the time set for them in the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. God is so good. He loves you so. I want that to just echo through the airwaves. God loves you so. These men were convinced because if you're not convinced, you don't go and find the first person and say, we have found him. I mean, this is an example, you know. Andrew heard the truth, behold the Lamb of God. He followed John, John points him to Jesus. Then he found someone he loved and he told him the truth about Jesus. And then he took Simon Peter, you know. I'm sorry, he so he took Simon Peter. And so there's just this domino effect of come follow me, and then Philip and then Nathaniel. Do you see how this is like yeah, this is an example for us? And I'm convicted by this. Yeah, I'm convicted by this passage. You know, I do believe Jesus is the Son of God, the only way to heaven. And God do that work in me that I don't encounter people without sharing the truth of who he is. Yeah. So do it in us, Lord.

Amber Sampson 48:54

I like that like they were living in anticipation and they were waiting because um that's true. He said when in in verse 41, Andrew, again, this is NLT, Andrew went to find his brother Simon and told him, We have found the Messiah. So they've been waiting, they've they've been expecting. And um and I I think that's I don't know, there's something about that. They lived with an expectation. I don't know if they realized they would see the Messiah in their lifetime or not, because people have been waiting for you know, how hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years. So but how cool, but you know that they got to see him. You got to see Jesus in the flesh. It's true.

Kim McIntire 49:35

And I'm pretty sure. I'm gonna go back to something you said earlier when we started the discussion about the next day, or maybe it was you, Katie. I think it was you actually. Okay, it was one of you. But look at that. I mean, like when we start at verse 29, the next day, John saw Jesus. And then we drop down to verse 35. The next day, John was there again. Yeah, and then it says it here um in for for verse 43, the next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Then he finds Philip. Philip finds Nathaniel. I don't know, I keep repeating that, but see how this do you see how quickly this happens?

Amber Sampson 50:11

Yeah, it moves fast. Well, even then spreads yeah, and even like when you go to chapter two, the verse, the very first three words of chapter two are the next day is the wedding of Cana. So it's pretty wild how like it all just it does happen so quickly. I think it's interesting how in verse 29, John the Baptist says, Look, the Lamb of God. And then um the following day, John s sees um Jesus again. He says, Look, there is the Lamb of God. That's how he references Jesus. John's disciples, I mean, no doubt they were having an incredible ministry, but they just up and left. Um John and we're like, hey, this is who we you know, there's something in there. Yeah, we're on our way. And and and it doesn't, I mean, it doesn't say anything in here about John the Baptist squabbling about it. No. You know.

Katie Marsh 51:05

In fact, I think later on it talks about his disciples were squabbling about it, but he's the one that set them right. Right. He's like, no, guys, this is what it's supposed to be happening. That's true, you know.

Kim McIntire 51:13

He again redirects. Right, right, right. Points to Jesus. Yeah, always never about himself. Yeah. One thing I really love is how Nathaniel, in the midst of his doubt, Jesus comes in and says something to him that is so specific. He really can't miss it. Do you guys notice that? Any thoughts about that?

Katie Marsh 51:36

Yeah, I mean, I think what we're what we kind of get from Nathaniel is it it sounds like he's pretty serious about his faith. Like, I mean, he's under the fig tree, which I think that that was a common phrase for even meditating scripture, um, sitting and and thinking about scripture. Um, and so, you know, Jesus meets him exactly where his heart would have been, and he's he's taking him back to Genesis specifically, and he's taking him back to the story of Jacob. And Jacob was known for deceit. And in fact, wasn't his name, didn't it mean deceiver? I believe it meant deceiver as well, right? Deceiver. And so, you know, I think when Nathaniel heard that, he his mind would have gone straight to that. And then at the very end, the this like powerful verse at the end, he says, the truth is you're gonna see a whole lot greater things than the than what I about showed you, you know, how I knew you were sitting under a fig tree. That was cool, but you're gonna see a lot more. He says, the truth is you'll see all heaven open and the angels of God going up and down uh upon the Son of Man. So what he does is he takes Jacob's dream from Genesis, which is where um there was a ladder between heaven and he redirects it and says, actually, I'm the ladder. You know, Jesus is saying, I'm the I'm the access between heaven and earth now. And so I think that would have spoken exactly to what Nathaniel was looking for. Because I I think I don't think that's his saying there's no deceit, I don't think that's sarcastic by any stretch of the imagination. I think he's saying, I know where your heart is, buddy, and I want to I want to meet you there. And actually, I'm gonna blow your mind with what's about to happen here. So true.

Kim McIntire 53:09

So true. Wow. So good. So rich, so good. We

Prayerful Response And Closing Steps

Kim McIntire 53:15

hope and pray that each listener who has been able to hear this episode has um taken some really deep truths to their heart. And that's what we're encouraging. Meditate on it, read it again, journal through it, pray through it. Um that's what we're gonna do right now. We're gonna close in prayer. We're gonna respond to what God's spoken to us um in this chapter. And um we would invite you to pray along with us. Father God, we thank you for this time that we have had together in your word. We thank you that you are the word, Jesus, the word who became flesh, the word who dwelt among us, so that you could dwell within us. Thank you for being a God who was so present. Before time even began, you were, and you are, and you are to come. So we thank you. We pray that you will help us to dwell in you, Jesus, as you dwell in us. We ask you, God, through your Holy Spirit, to make us humble, bold, unashamed witnesses of the gospel, witnesses that testify. God, help us to follow the example of John the Baptist, who was set apart and called to testify of Jesus. God, we are asking you to do that in us. Do that in our listeners, God. Give us a spirit, a spirit of humility, a posture of humility that is active. We need you. We need your help, Holy Spirit, and we're seeking that help now.

Katie Marsh 55:15

Lord, I just I'm so thankful that you um set us straight, that you don't let us sit and wonder um where life came from, how the beginning was. Lord, your desire is for us to know from the very get-go that we were made by you, that we're yours, and we're meant to be in relationship with you. And uh, Lord, you have moved heaven to earth to get us to have that ability to have relationship with you.

Kim McIntire 55:46

Thank you, Lord.

Katie Marsh 55:47

So, Lord, I just know, Lord, that there's a big picture here that um you've been here since the beginning, you'll be there all the way through the end. There's a story at play here, Lord, an entire uh rescue operation that you have been doing and continuing, Lord. And so, Lord, I just know that if you help us to see things clearly, what's actually true about life, then uh humility will be our natural response.

Kim McIntire 56:18

Yes.

Katie Marsh 56:19

And it won't be quite the battle that it sometimes is to face in my own life. And so, Lord, just give me a discerning spirit, give us, Lord, all of us, Lord, listening to this and and thinking about this passage, Lord, give us discerning spirits to know the truth, the truth of what life really is all about. Yes. And Lord, the fact that you came and dwelt among us and the fact that you love us elevates us to a position that we really can't comprehend. But the fact that we're just so undeserving of it is it puts us in a place of humility, Lord, as well. So Father, I just ask and pray that you help us to be like John the Baptist. That you help us, Lord, to to walk in the calling that you have for us, not out of any kind of pride or ambition, but simply as a way to make you famous. Simply as a way to proclaim your name, simply as a way because we just know, Lord, that's that's what we're meant to do. That's who we are. And it would be foolish, Lord, to try to do anything other than make you famous. That's right. Because that's what we that's what the reality is. So Lord, help us in that. Um Lord, I ask that you give us um a passionate zeal to spread your name.

Kim McIntire 57:39

Yes, Lord.

Katie Marsh 57:40

And to speak about you. Lord, it doesn't matter what people think of us, it doesn't matter um how we come across, even if we're worrying about that. What matters, Lord, is that we that we speak of you with truth and grace, Lord. And so help us with that as well. And uh Lord, just I ask for your your passionate zeal that you have for us, give us that back in return for you, Lord, as well.

Amber Sampson 58:07

Lord, I pray that um that I could be more like these disciples who were always looking for you and left everything behind to follow you to and not just follow you, but to live with you and stay and be in that close proximity, Lord. Um, that I wouldn't cling too tightly to possessions or people or things or um even the ministries I get to be involved in, that I wouldn't cling so tightly to them that I would miss out on um the next calling, the next um things that you have for me, God, that I wouldn't stay. Um, you know, these disciples could have chosen to stay with John the Baptist. They were seeing amazing things, but they chose to uh they chose to come and see, they chose to be with you. And um, Lord, at the end of the day, that's all we want. That's all I want is to be with you. And so I pray that I wouldn't cling too tightly to um to anything that we're when you're calling me into the next season that I could um be faithful to walk um to walk that path. And so Lord, I um I just thank you for your word. Yes. That your word is encouraging, it's exciting, um, it reveals more of who you are, but it's also it it is convicting and it does it is humbling. And um and so I just I thank you for that. I thank you for the opportunity to sit around the table with um with friends, with ladies who are passionate about you and who love you. And I pray for our listeners today that um that maybe they would encourage them to get around the table, have coffee, and talk about the word. Um, and because everyone's perspective and experiences bring different things to light. And so I thank you. Um thank you that we were meant to live in community. And um thank you for what you're gonna do through this episode. Thank you for how you've spoken to listeners through um this episode, through John chapter one, has brought so much richness to all of our lives tonight. So we just um give you the glory and the praise for all that you've done. In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. Amen.

Kim McIntire 1:00:24

Thank you, Katie. Thank you. Thank you, Amber. Yes. And thank you, listeners, for taking your time to listen to our podcast. Please share this series because we believe God's word has the power to change and transform lives. Also check out our website at it'stimetoriseup.org where you can find our social media links. We'd love to hear your feedback. You can rate us or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. May God's grace and peace be with you all in Jesus' holy name.