Creative Space for Wanderers
Read The last section in this chapter challenges us all to accept that which is hard to understand. Those of us that have worn the Christian badge for many years might have a hard time understanding the challenge here, but I want to strongly encourage you (exhort) to read this chapter from the eyes of …
Read John dedicates the third section in chapter six to answer some questions and raise even more. Some of the crowd finally track Jesus down after His water-walking escape. They’re confused. Their motivation is for signs and wonders more than understanding the message. John records the highlights of the conversation which ends with a section …
Read John’s version of Jesus walking on water is concise. We have to look around for some more details, but we shouldn’t miss the point that Jesus is Lord of all and wants us to know that we should not be afraid as we fight the battles in this life. John sets up the story …
Continue reading “John: Jesus Walks on Water — Don’t Be Afraid”
Read The commentators recommend reading the entire chapter to get the complete understanding of John’s perspective. The essence of the chapter is being fed by God, both physically and spiritually. We start with physical nourishment, but Jesus uses this miracle as a huge teaching point that most, including those closest to Him, cannot understand. Just …
Read John records some incredibly striking words in the continuation of Jesus’s response to the religious leaders who were so upset that they literally couldn’t think straight. The passage begins with a discussion about who is testifying for whom. Then we read some very convicting words like, “nor does his word dwell in you” and “I …
Continue reading “John: Testimonies About Jesus — The Canal”
Read The bookends of this passage reveal the role of Jesus as Son and His part in the complexity of the Holy Trinity. The Son can do nothing alone, but He is never alone. There is no “if” in this passage, so don’t get confused. Jesus explained His relationship to the Father for our benefit, …
Continue reading “John: Jesus Responds – The Authority of the Son”
Read: Following the outline from yesterday’s post, we’ll take a brief look at just three verses today. While this post is brief, I hope it allows you to focus on the few words and put yourself in the place of those present at the time. John makes it clear that the Jewish leadership is beyond …
Continue reading “John: Jewish Leaders Begin to Persecute Jesus”
As we head into chapter 5, I found it interesting that the NIV Application Commentary suggests the purpose of chapter 5 is to begin building the case against Jesus (cite below this post). This outline is helpful to give us some context for discussion: The Crime () A man at Bethesda is healed on the …
Continue reading “John: Healing at the Pool — Do You Want to Get Well?”
Read: Are you willing to take Jesus at His word and believe? The central character in this story is an officer in Herod’s regime, “a certain royal official,” who begs Jesus to heal his son. The passionate plea was met with a sharp response, but Jesus healed the son anyway. The official had faith while …
Read: There are actually two distinct parts to this section: the disciples and the woman. Both are significant, but I chose the title to reflect the part that I really hadn’t focused on very much. I’ll try to cover both parts here briefly. It’s up to you to dive into that which speaks to your …