For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
1 John 4
What two things are of fundamental importance to John—essential to being Christian? John, in his gospel and in his three letters, often stresses the connection we have to God through Jesus. Establishing that connection was, in fact, Jesus’ primary purpose. John knew that if anyone does not understand and accept that connection through Jesus, they are not connected, no matter what they might say or do.
For an imperfect but workable analogy of this truth, I turn to plumbing. If I want to connect a ¾” pipe to a ½” pipe, I need an adapter, or coupling. This piece would be both sizes – ¾” on one end and ½” on the other. When connected, the 3/4” pipe is in the coupling and the ½” pipe is also in the coupling. Then, whatever is in the ¾” pipe is also in the ½” pipe.
Jesus is that coupling. As such, He had to be both God and man. That is the first fundamental truth. God was in Jesus and everything that God is, Jesus was and is. When we connect to Jesus by believing that He is God and that He died to pay the penalty for our sins, He indwells us through the Holy Spirit. Then, because God is in Jesus, God is also in us. Therefore, all that God is flows into and through us. As Jesus Himself put it, “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14:20). On the other hand, any who deny Jesus also deny God, because Jesus and God are one.
That brings us to the other fundamental truth. We know that we cannot say that we love God if we deny Jesus. We also know that anyone who accepts Jesus has God in them, just as Jesus did. Therefore, if we do not love someone in whom God dwells, we likewise do not love God, because God is in them. If we are all connected to God through Jesus, then we are all connected to each other. How I long for the day when God makes that connection complete and perfects His love in us!
2 Chron. 23-24
Describe the relationship between Joash and Jehoiada. How does Joash repay Jehoiada’s kindness? Joash is a great example of how those we allow to influence us impact our lives. I imagine Jehoiada was like a father to Joash, and Joash lived according to his Godly influence as long as he was alive. Once Jehoiada was gone, however, Joash was lured away from God. I would love to know how old Joash was at that point in his life. Did he turn away in his vulnerable teenage years? Was he a young man looking to find his own way in life? Or was this some kind of mid-life crisis, where he began to question everything he believed? Maybe we aren’t told for a reason. I think the important thing is that we understand our vulnerability at any stage in life and intentionally seek wise counsel and Godly influence throughout.