Archive for the ‘Religion’ Category
The Birth at the Cross
Posted on August, 22 at 6:24 pm | Filed Under Religion
“Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.” (John 19:17,18) John’s account couldn’t be any more brief, but his brevity speaks volumes. The gospel accounts of Jesus’ cruel [...]
No King but Caesar
Posted on August, 13 at 1:12 am | Filed Under Religion
In John 19 we see the trial of Jesus before Pilate degenerate into a circus. Pilate is trying to satisfy the hate of the Jewish leaders towards Jesus by flogging and humiliating him, hoping that will be enough punishment. Pilate knew that Jesus was no threat to anyone, yet he suspected that this man was [...]
The King
Posted on August, 4 at 5:18 am | Filed Under Religion
“Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor.” (John 18:28) Like John wrote earlier, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” (1:11). Instead, they turned him over to Pilate, a cruel, pagan gentile governor, to be executed. When the mob was [...]
“Ask those who heard me.”
Posted on July, 26 at 9:24 am | Filed Under Religion
“Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.” (John 18:12) Jesus had just been arrested at the garden, his disciples had scattered and now John and Peter were sneaking back [...]
Mightier than the Sword
Posted on July, 19 at 7:54 am | Filed Under Religion
In John chapter 18 we see the arrest and trial of Jesus by the hands of both the Jewish leaders and the Romans. These two groups represent the whole world, Jews and Gentiles, if you see the world through the Bible’s perspective, so none of us is off the hook. The temple guards were sent [...]
No Fear
Posted on July, 9 at 2:48 pm | Filed Under Religion
We sometimes call 1 Corinthians 13 the “love chapter”, but I think we could call John 17 a “love chapter” as well. It’s a spontaneous and deeply personal prayer that Jesus utters out loud at the end of a conversation with his disciples. And it’s even more than that. It’s a glimpse into the relationship [...]
Plain Teaching
Posted on June, 27 at 6:24 am | Filed Under Religion
Jesus’ final talk with his disciples continues in the sixteenth chapter of John, and Jesus is now telling them that he will be going away for a short time, but that it’s a good thing. The first good thing is that he will then be able to send the Counselor, who will continue Jesus’ ministry [...]
Don’t take it personally.
Posted on June, 9 at 2:30 pm | Filed Under Religion
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (John 15:18). Jesus had just explained to his apprentices that staying connected to him like branches on a vine will cause them to produce results in them and around them. And now he’s telling them of another result that’s bound to take [...]
The True Vine
Posted on May, 31 at 6:30 pm | Filed Under Religion
I think we can more easily understand what Jesus is telling his apprentices in John 15 if we stand back and look for the one main theme instead of dissecting each verse, rich in meaning as they are. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener… Remain in me, and I will remain [...]
The Spirit of Truth
Posted on May, 24 at 5:06 pm | Filed Under Religion
As we look at the second half of John chapter 14, it would be good to look back at the setting. It’s during the last meal before Jesus’ death, and it’s easy to miss that it’s a conversation between Jesus and his disciples. Even though it’s Jesus who’s about to be executed, it’s the disciples [...]
Just the Beginning
Posted on May, 18 at 12:42 pm | Filed Under Religion
Like I said in the previous post, it’s too bad there’s a break between John chapters 13 and 14, because there’s a flow to the conversation. Peter had just been told that he will disown Jesus three times before the sun comes up. I imagine the other disciples are wondering what kind of calamity they’re [...]
Clearing the Air
Posted on May, 10 at 1:54 pm | Filed Under Religion
The night is still young, with the foot washing and the lesson that went with it out of the way, and now Jesus and his students are reclined around a table as their food is being prepared. (John 13:18-38) But all the cards have to be on the table in order to have a meaningful [...]
Clean
Posted on May, 3 at 12:26 pm | Filed Under Religion
The beginning of John 13 tells us the story of Jesus giving his students an object lesson by washing their feet. Why? To show them the full extent of his love (v.1) and to show them (and us) how to remove shame from each other on an everyday basis. What do I mean by this? [...]
The Fork in the Road
Posted on April, 26 at 1:00 am | Filed Under Religion
The last half of John 12 contains Jesus’ last speech to the crowd before he “left and hid himself from them” (v.36). Jesus didn’t quite meet their expectations of the Messiah they had been waiting for. Instead of coming to cast out the Roman occupiers he casts out Satan, the real source of their problems. [...]
“We would like to see Jesus”
Posted on April, 18 at 11:36 pm | Filed Under Religion
After Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, he’s in the middle of a crowded city packed with foreign pilgrims attending the Passover feast. Some Greeks say to Philip, “We would like to see Jesus.” So Philip solicits Andrew’s help in making this meeting happen. When they approach Jesus about it he gives them a cryptic response. He [...]
