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Gospels · 21 days

21 Days in the Gospel of John

One chapter a day to know who Jesus is.

Start in the app Read Day 1

Who it’s for

The signs and the “I am” sayings of Jesus, from John 1 to John 21, one chapter a day.

  • Young adults — Identity, purpose and courage for your generation.
  • Grow in faith — Prayer, the Word and consecration, one day at a time.

What you’ll grow in

  • Knowing Jesus
  • Faith
  • Remaining
  • Following

How the journey is organized

Week 1 · Who is this?

The Word made flesh and the first signs: the wine, the new birth, the living water, the healing and the bread.

  1. Day 1The Word became fleshJohn 1:14
  2. Day 2The best wineJohn 2:11Available in the app
  3. Day 3Born anewJohn 3:3Available in the app
  4. Day 4Living waterJohn 4:26Available in the app
  5. Day 5Do you want to be made well?John 5:8Available in the app
  6. Day 6I am the bread of lifeJohn 6:35Available in the app
  7. Day 7Rivers of living waterJohn 7:37Available in the app

Week 2 · I am

Light, good shepherd, resurrection and way: Jesus says who he is and walks toward his hour.

  1. Day 8The light of the worldJohn 8:12Available in the app
  2. Day 9I was blind, now I seeJohn 9:25Available in the app
  3. Day 10I am the good shepherdJohn 10:11Available in the app
  4. Day 11The resurrection and the lifeJohn 11:25Available in the app
  5. Day 12The grain of wheatJohn 12:24Available in the app
  6. Day 13He loved them to the endJohn 13:1Available in the app
  7. Day 14The way, the truth and the lifeJohn 14:6Available in the app

Week 3 · The hour of glory

The vine, the Spirit, the prayer, the cross, the empty tomb and the call: follow me.

  1. Day 15I am the vineJohn 15:5Available in the app
  2. Day 16Cheer upJohn 16:33Available in the app
  3. Day 17Jesus prays for youJohn 17:20Available in the app
  4. Day 18I am heJohn 18:6Available in the app
  5. Day 19It is finishedJohn 19:30Available in the app
  6. Day 20My Lord and my GodJohn 20:28Available in the app
  7. Day 21Follow meJohn 21:17Available in the app

Day 1 · The Word became flesh

Today’s reading: John 1

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through him. Without him, nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it. 6There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him. 8He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light. 9The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him. 11He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him. 12But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name: 13who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14The Word became flesh and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the only born Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John testified about him. He cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.’” 16From his fullness we all received grace upon grace. 17For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18No one has seen God at any time. The only born Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him. 19This is John’s testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20He declared, and didn’t deny, but he declared, “I am not the Christ.” 21They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22They said therefore to him, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” 24The ones who had been sent were from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 26John answered them, “I baptize in water, but among you stands one whom you don’t know. 27He is the one who comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to loosen.” 28These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me.’ 31I didn’t know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water, that he would be revealed to Israel.” 32John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him. 33I didn’t recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘On whomever you will see the Spirit descending and remaining on him is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” 35Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples, 36and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour. 40One of the two who heard John and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ). 42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter). 43On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” 48Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!” 50Jesus answered him, “Because I told you, ‘I saw you underneath the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these!” 51He said to him, “Most certainly, I tell you all, hereafter you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

John 1 · World English Bible

The Word became flesh and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the only born Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14 · World English Bible

Context

According to church tradition, the Gospel of John was written by the apostle John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” probably late in the first century. He tells us himself why he wrote: so that the reader may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and have life in his name (20:31). Chapter 1 opens like Genesis, “In the beginning,” and presents Jesus as the Word, God’s eternal Word. Then come the testimony of John the Baptist and the first disciples.

Matthew begins with a genealogy, Mark with John the Baptist, Luke with a careful investigation. John begins before time: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Before telling any story, he wants you to know who the main character is. Jesus didn’t begin in Bethlehem. He was there in the beginning, and all things were made through him.

Then comes the most astonishing sentence in the chapter: “The Word became flesh and lived among us.” The eternal God entered our history with a body, with hunger, weariness and tears. The word translated “lived” recalls a tent — the tabernacle where God made himself present among Israel in the wilderness. In Jesus, God pitched his tent on our street.

John also says that he is light. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it.” That doesn’t mean the darkness vanished all at once. It means it can’t put this light out. Maybe you are beginning this journey in a dark season. Know that the light of Christ doesn’t depend on your surroundings being bright.

The chapter holds a sorrow: “He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him.” And right after, a promise: “as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name.” Receiving Jesus isn’t accepting an idea. It is opening your life to a person, and with him receiving a place in God’s family.

Notice how the first disciples come to Jesus. John the Baptist points: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Two of them follow, and Jesus turns and asks, “What are you looking for?” These are Jesus’ first words in this Gospel. They ask where he is staying, and the answer is an invitation: “Come and see.” Soon after, Philip says the same to Nathanael: “Come and see.”

For 21 days you will read one chapter a day and look at Jesus up close. Not to collect information, but to know him. Begin by answering the question he asks today: what are you looking for? And accept the simple invitation: come and see.

To reflect onJesus’ first words in John are a question: “What are you looking for?” What are you looking for as you begin this reading?

To live it today

  • Set a fixed time to read one chapter of John a day and, today, write in one sentence what you hope to find in Jesus over these 21 days.

More questions

  • If Jesus asked you today, “What are you looking for?”, what would your honest answer be?
  • Whom could you invite, as Philip did with Nathanael, to “come and see” Jesus with you?

Prayer

Praise

Jesus, you were with God in the beginning, and all things were made through you. You became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth. I worship you.

Surrender

I hand over to you the darkness I carry and can’t put out on my own. You are the light it cannot overcome. I receive you into my life.

Petition

Open my eyes during these 21 days. I want to see your glory and truly know you, not just know things about you. I am coming; show me who you are.

To memorize

But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name

John 1:12 · World English Bible

Read also: Genesis 1:1-3 · Colossians 1:15-17 · Hebrews 1:1-3 · 1 John 1:1-3

Continue in the app: days 2 to 21

Each day brings a reading, a devotional, a guided prayer, a journal question and a verse to memorize. Pick up where you left off.

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Scripture on this page: World English Bible (public domain). How we write the journeys