Creative Space for Wanderers
Read John 17:6-19 Jesus prays for His disciples in a powerful way, words we humbly get to consume. Jesus connects Himself with the Father and points to His remaining eleven disciples as those who brought glory to Himself and therefore glorified God. We don’t get much time in this world, compared to eternity, but I …
Read John 17:1-5 This is just a segue between chapters 16 and 17, a short recap to set the stage for what I think is the most powerful prayer in scripture. The theme is centered on glorifying God and the conclusion simple: when we glorify Jesus, we glorify the Father. The eleven are still hanging …
Read John 16:16-33 The disciples still don’t quite understand what Jesus is telling them. While they have faith that one day it will all make sense, at this point in the story they are following without knowing what will come next. Jesus explains that He will go away and come back in “a little while.” …
Read John 15:18-25 Jesus reminds the disciples that they are not the first ones to be persecuted, and they won’t be the last. We are the chosen ones, no longer bound to rules of this world, we have the opportunity to invite others into God’s kingdom, His family. But this comes with a cost. If …
Continue reading “John: The World Will Hate You Because of Jesus”
Read John 13:31-38 Judas Iscariot has exited the very private dinner. While Jesus was able to see what was going on clearly, the Eleven disciples seemed to be confused. The title of this post focuses on the last two verses of chapter 13, but we shouldn’t miss the greater emphasis on God’s glorification and a …
Read John has to look back at this moment and shake his head in utter disbelief that so many people have seen what Jesus has done and heard His words, yet turn away. When Jesus met with the disciples after His resurrection, He opened their minds to all the scriptures () so they could see …
Read John 12:1-11 Chapter 12 begins with two references: this is the week before Passover and a reminder that Lazarus is the one Jesus raised from the dead. Just in case you missed it or forgot somehow. With that quick intro, John tells his first story about Martha and Mary, Lazarus’ sisters. Martha is always …
Read The story of Lazarus being brought back to life spread like wildfire. Many believed in Jesus while others somehow saw a completely different message. There’s a lot going on here for us to wrestle with, much of which I can only pretend to understand because I don’t have any firsthand experience with the Sanhedrin, …
Read The first part of chapter ten is somewhat like an epilogue to the story in chapter nine. Jesus is describing Himself as the good shepherd as a way of helping the Pharisees understand His actions. This time we read that “many” don’t understand while others are beginning to see what Jesus is saying. The …
Read The title I’ve chosen to give this section of the narrative is meant to be provocative. As Jesus continues to explain who He is, many appear to be moved; many believed in him (). Jesus seems to turn to these people and dive deep into a completely new theology. His teaching is true, and …
Continue reading “John: Many Believed and Picked Up Stones to Stone Him”