Today’s passage: 1 John 2:3–6
Focus verse: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6)
Today’s passage talks about knowing God and keeping his commands. If we claim to know God and don’t do what he says, we’re only deluding ourselves from the truth, and our claim is false. But when we obey his commands our love for God is complete.
In short, as his followers, we must live as he lived. We must be like Jesus.
We are fortunate to have four biographies of Jesus in the Bible to inform us about how he lived.
They are the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. By reading them we know what Jesus does during his time here on earth. Then we can follow his example and be more like him.
We don’t have to follow a bunch of rules with legalistic fervor or adhere to an extensive list of ritualistic commands like we find in the Old Testament. We must simply be like Jesus. It’s that easy.
Here are some of the things that Jesus does:
Jesus makes his relationship with his Father a priority. From an early age, Jesus puts his Father in heaven first (Luke 2:49). This is what matters most.
Jesus takes care of himself so that he can take care of his followers. Jesus knows that if he isn’t spiritually healthy, he can’t expect to be at his best to help others (Matthew 14:23).
Jesus has time for everyone who comes to him. While going to heal Jairus’s daughter, he pauses to heal a sick woman (Luke 8:40–56). He stays in Samaria for two extra days simply because the people ask him to (John 4:40).
Jesus teaches others about God. Jesus speaks with authority and not like other religious leaders (Mark 1:22). He instructs people using parables (Mark 4:2). His longest message in the Bible is the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7).
Jesus heals others (Matthew 8:14–15). And he says his followers will do the same (John 14:12).
Jesus opposes religious hypocrisy (Luke 13:15).
Jesus offers love to everyone (Mark 10:21 and John 11:3–5).
Jesus forgives and doesn’t judge (John 8:3–11).
Jesus is never in a hurry (John 11:6).
Jesus models right behavior for his disciples and followers (John 13:15).
By following these examples of Jesus, we can live as Jesus models for us and know that we are in him.
Questions:
- What can we do to be more like Jesus?
- What must we stop doing?
- What are our actual priorities?
- How much time do we have for other people?
- What actions and attitudes are we modeling for others?
Discover more about being an example in 1 Corinthians 11:1 and 1 Peter 2:21.
Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.
Read the next lesson or start at the beginning of this study.
Discover practical, insightful, and encouraging truths in Love One Another, a devotional Bible study to foster a deeper appreciation for the two greatest commandments: To love God and to love others.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.