advent reading 23.

John 1:15-37
John unfolds the great mystery of the incarnation—the coming of the Lamb of God.

(John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said,  ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”)  And from  his fullness we have all received,  grace upon grace.  For the law was given through Moses;  grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has ever seen God;  the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. And this is the  testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him,  “Who are you?”  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”  And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you  the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”  So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”  He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight  the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.)  They asked him,  “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”  John answered them,  “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”  These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold,  the Lamb of God, who  takes away the sin  of the world!  This is he of whom I said,  ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’  I myself did not know him, but  for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”  And John  bore witness:  “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and  it remained on him.  I myself did not know him, but  he who sent me to baptize  with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain,  this is he who baptizes  with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold,  the Lamb of God!”  The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

So thankful for another morning...Wish I could say it was snowing here, but I actually do feel a little chilly in the mornings and at night...a strange feeling ;) Currently sitting on the couch with freshly brewed cocoa tea about to read our reading for today in Revelation.  I can't believe we are almost done with reading the Bible in a year!  It has been of great benefit to do - it has allowed for more exposure an understanding of the cohesiveness of God's plan of redemption, and our desperate, desperate need for it!  Praise the Lord we live in a country where we can worship freely, have His Word readily available to us, and can dig deeper with so many resources granted to us!  Such blessings!  I think we are going to hit the gym today, followed by some time at the pool at the University Club with other people who have stayed over break :)  Much love to all.