S4: Week 11 Day 3: Annotating John 1:29-34 - A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace

Summary

A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace Episode: Season 4, Week 11 Day 3: Annotating John 1:29-34
Release Date: March 12, 2025
Hosts: Beth and Alexa (The Daily Grace Co.)

Introduction

In A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace, hosts Beth and Alexa guide listeners through a comprehensive exploration of Scripture, highlighting the presence of Christ throughout both the Old and New Testaments. In this episode, part of Season 4's "Christ in All of Scripture" reading plan, the focus is on John 1:29-34. The hosts aim to uncover the profound connections between this New Testament passage and its Old Testament counterparts, emphasizing how every page of the Bible points to Jesus.

Annotating John 1:29-34: Key Insights

The episode delves into John 1:29-34, where John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the "Lamb of God" and testifies to His divine nature and mission. Alexa reads the passage for the listeners, setting the stage for a deep theological discussion.

Alexa (00:38):
"The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I told you about... I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God.'"

Jesus Described: Roles and Attributes

Beth and Alexa engage in a thoughtful analysis of how Jesus is characterized in this passage. Beth shares her experience with the study's annotation prompts, particularly highlighting the depiction of Jesus as the "Lamb of God."

Beth (01:24):
"Although this passage emphasizes Jesus's sacrificial death by talking about him being the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, its primary focus is actually Jesus's status as God or as God's Son in particular..."

This observation underscores the duality of Jesus's role as both the sacrificial lamb and the divine Son of God. Beth emphasizes that Jesus is not only the means through which believers receive God's mercy but also the embodiment of that mercy through His divine nature.

God's Nature and Revelation

Further into the discussion, Beth addresses her initial struggle to identify God's attributes within the passage. Upon reflection, she discerns that the passage reveals God's desire to make Himself known and to unfold His plans to humanity.

Beth (02:23):
"...by the end of the passage that it shows us how God desires to reveal Himself and His plans to His people."

She connects this revelation to the Old Testament, illustrating continuity in God's character and His consistent efforts to communicate His intentions to His people.

Beth (02:23):
"So we saw this in the Old Testament passage that we read yesterday through his clear instructions to the Israelites regarding the Passover. And then we see it now, how he is clearly telling his people who Jesus is."

Alexa echoes this sentiment, expressing gratitude for God's transparency and the accessibility of His plans, even when they may appear mysterious.

Alexa (02:56):
"He doesn't hide Himself from us, but he reveals Himself to us. And his plans aren't entirely mysterious... he does reveal his plans to his people out of his kindness and mercy."

Connecting the Old and New Testaments

The hosts highlight the episode's central theme: the intricate connections between Old Testament events and their fulfillment in the New Testament through Jesus. By annotating John 1:29-34, listeners gain insight into how Jesus embodies and completes the narratives and promises found throughout the Bible.

Upcoming episodes will continue to explore these connections, such as the link between Exodus 12:1-13 and John 1:29-34, illustrating the prophetic and typological relationships that affirm Jesus as the Messiah.

Conclusion and Resources

Beth and Alexa conclude the episode by inviting listeners to engage further with their studies and resources. They encourage the audience to explore additional materials on their website to deepen their understanding and love for God's Word.

Alexa (Closing):
"Be sure to check out our show notes for some helpful links and resources related to today's episode. And make sure you're following Daily Grace Podcast and the Daily Grace Co on Instagram for more Bible study resources and encouragement."

Final Thoughts

This episode of A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace offers a robust exploration of John 1:29-34, revealing the multifaceted identity of Jesus as both the sacrificial Lamb and the divine Son of God. Through thoughtful annotation and discussion, Beth and Alexa illuminate the seamless narrative thread that connects the entirety of Scripture, inviting listeners to deepen their relationship with Christ through a richer understanding of the Bible.

Explore More:
For additional studies, journals, and resources to enhance your journey through Scripture, visit thedailygraceco.com.

Transcript

A (0:00)

Welcome to A Year in the Bible with daily grace. This year, we want to spend a few minutes with you every day walking through our study, Christ in All of Scripture. Each week, we will dive deeply into two passages of Scripture, one from the Old Testament and one from the new, seeing how they connect and point to Jesus.

B (0:17)

Whether you are doing the study yourself or just following along with us here, we are hopeful that through studying these passages each week, you will see how Christ is not only present throughout the entire biblical story, but the center of it.

A (0:31)

Hi, friends. Welcome back to another episode of A Year in the Bible. I am Beth and I am here with my co host, Alexa.

B (0:38)

Hey, everyone. Today we are annotating John 1:29:34. So let me go ahead and read that for us. The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I told you about. After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me. I didn't know him, but it came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel. And John testified, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and he rested on him. I didn't know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water told me, the one you see the Spirit descending and resting on, he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God. Okay, so Beth, how did these annotations go for you?

A (1:24)

Yeah, it was good. I really appreciated the third prompt in today's study, which had a circle all of the ways that Jesus is described in this passage. So the different things that I circled were the Lamb of God, I circled that he ranks ahead of me, that he existed before me. And then I just, I circled the description of the Son of God. And so what this prompt really showed me was that although this passage emphasizes Jesus's sacrificial death by talking about him being the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, its primary focus is actually Jesus's status as God or as God's Son in particular, which we talked a little bit about last week. And this just shows me that not only is Christ the means through which we receive God's mercy by being our sacrificial lamb, but he is also the giver of that mercy through sharing a nature with God. And I just think that that's. I don't know. It's a cool connection.

B (2:19)

Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Okay, so is there Anything else that stood out to you?

A (2:23)

Yeah, I guess the other thing that I should mention was my struggle to find God's attributes in this passage. But after reading it over a few times, I think I realized by the end of the passage that it shows us how God desires to reveal Himself and His plans to his people. Um, and I'm not sure entirely what attribute that is that I can point to, but it is definitely something about God and His nature. So we saw this in the Old Testament passage that we read yesterday through his clear instructions to the Israelites regarding the Passover. And then we see it now, how he is clearly telling his people who Jesus is.