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John 10:1-21

2012-03-04T14:56:14-08:00

John 10:1-21
The 10th chapter of John is known as the chapter on the Good Shepherd. Jesus continues his discussion with the Jewish leaders concerning sight and blindness. When Jesus moves to the images of the Good Shepherd, he is also moving from sight to sound.
“the sheep hear his voice… and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.”
The sheep hear the voice of Jesus and recognize it so they follow. One might ask how do we recognize the voice of the good shepherd. I think that is what Jesus is trying to tell us in chapter 10. The difference is easy to tell. The voices of thieves and robbers come to take. They come to serve themselves and flee at the first sign of danger. The good shepherd comes to serve. This shepherd will lay down his life to protect the sheep. He comes to give an abundant life
Each day we hear many voices calling to us. These voices urge us to give to them some of our time, talent or treasure. In return they promise us what only God can give, life. When we follow these voices we find ourselves with less time, energy and sometimes less money. They might make us feel better for a short time but what they give does not last. These voices try to attract our attention by being louder and more frequent than all the other voices.
In the midst of all these voices there is the voice of the Good Shepherd. This voice does not shout but invites. The Good Shepherd invites us to follow so that we may receive life.
That is how we can tell which is the voice of the Good Shepherd. His voice gives life in abundance and it lasts forever.

John 9:1-41

2012-02-26T14:52:13-08:00

John 9
John 9 begins with a question about a blind man who is sitting on the side of the road begging. The disciples want to know whose fault is it that the man is bind. Jesus quickly changes the conversation to a much bigger story. This chapter is not about a blind man at all. This chapter is about who can see and the coming night. “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4)
At first one might think that this is about one man who is blind and Jesus helps him see. The story unfolds into a controversy between the blind man and the Jewish officials. We find ourselves listening in on a conversation that could be over heard when anyone comes to faith or anyone is plunging deeper into darkness.
Watch the progression of the two groups as the story unfolds:

Verse	Blind Man	Jewish Leaders
11-12	The man called Jesus	“Where is he?”
16-17	“He is a prophet.”	“This man is not from God”
24-28	“Do you also want to become his disciples?”	“We know that this man is a sinner.”
29-33	“If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”	“as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”
38-40	“Lord, I believe.”	“Surely we are not blind”

In his conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus said, “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Several times the Jewish leaders say they do not know where Jesus came from and Jesus points out that they do not know where he is going.
Jesus is the light of the world. In this story Jesus announces the coming darkness of Holy Week. Under the cover of night Judas will betray Jesus. The trials before the Jewish leaders will take. But the darkness cannot overcome the light. Jesus will rise victorious over death and people will see the truth and confess, “Lord, I believe.”

John 8:12-29

2012-02-19T14:51:46-08:00

Before I comment on the specific passage in chapter 8 I want you to notice how the chapter starts. You will probably recognize the story of the woman caught in adultery. Pay attention to the notes about that passage. Your Bible should have something similar to mine which says, “The most ancient authorities lack 7:53–8:11; other authorities add the passage here or after 7:36 or after 21:25 or after Luke 21:38, with variations of text; some mark the passage as doubtful.”

The original writings of the authors of the Bible have been lost to us. When we have discrepancies we make our best guess as to what the authors actually wrote. Many things are used to help make that determination such as what did the oldest copy say? What is consistent with the rest of the author’s writings? What you choose to make of all this is up to you but the fact is that the perfect Bible no longer exists in any language.

The passage we have in chapter 8 takes up the theme of light and darkness once again. Jesus is the light that gives life. If we see that we don’t need to worry about the perfect Bible. We already know the Word of God who become flesh and lives among us. What is written in the Bible is there to illuminate that truth.

Darkness is portrayed by the pharisees that are stuck in written codes and therefore judge people according to darkness. The pharisees are right about what the written code says. They know the law of Moses and follow it the best they know how. But when one has the Light of the World standing before them one does not need proof or written books to find eternal life.

This passage becomes a transition between the feeding of the 5000 which is before chapter 8 and the story of the man born blind which follows it. The man born blind is a deeper look into light and darkness. But that is for my next entry.

John 6:1-21

2012-02-12T15:41:02-08:00

The feeding of the 5000 is miracle that appears in all four gospels. Today most people are impressed with the miraculous feeding but there is much more going on in this story. The event is recounted in such a way that the first readers of John would think of communion.
First there is a discussion that illustrates the differing views held by the disciples and Jesus. The disciples see scarcity. How can we feed everyone with the few resources that we have? Jesus sees the abundance of His heavenly Father. God has already provided enough for all people to be fed. Hunger is a result of our keeping for ourselves what belongs to God.
As the miracle begins the early readers would hear the communion liturgy unfolding. Jesus took the bread, blessed it and gave it to us to eat. The early church writing called the Didache uses the same language in the communion liturgy.
At first glance one might think that communion is bread and wine whereas this miracle is bread and fish. This would not be a problem for the readers of John’s day. The Greek word for fish is ichthus which was an acronym for
I Jesus
ch Christ
th God (theos)
u Son (uios)
s savior
In others word, fish is the same as saying Jesus. The meal was a place where Jesus gives himself to the people in order to bring life.
Another clue in this story is the command Jesus gives at the end, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost” The word for lost is better translated “perish.” In John people die and then rise to judgment. But those who perish are dead forever. Jesus is telling us that this meal is food for eternal life.
The people respond by calling him a prophet and want to make him a king. Jesus is all that and more. The scene continues as Jesus withdraws by himself and the disciples head our across the sea. During the night a storm comes and Jesus walks on the water. At this point Jesus is revealed as more than prophet and king. The story would remind early readers of creation when the winds moved across the waters and God stilled that primordial storm. Jesus appears and announces “I am” which is the name of God.
The story of feeding the 5000 is a story in which God is present to give life. That is what happens every Sunday in communion. “This is my body…this is my blood.” Jesus is present to feed us once again so that we might not perish but have eternal life.

John 4:1-42

2012-02-05T14:11:03-08:00

The woman at the well is the complete opposite of Nicodemus. Nicodemus is a Pharisee, an insider. He comes with all the knowledge and privilege that anyone could hope to have before God. He comes at night when understanding and sight are hindered and evil still rules.
The woman at the well is the outsider amongst outsiders, she is a Samaritan, a woman and outcast from them. She comes at high noon when everything is revealed and easily seen. Jesus offers her living water.
The woman also begins by thinking in earthly terms. How can you get this water, the well is deep? Give me this water so that I don’t have to come to the well again. After a few questions about family and worship she asks about the messiah. Jesus answers simple I Am. This is the name for God that Moses received at the burning bush. Jesus simply states “I am” and she gets it.
Nicodemus leaves Jesus confused and remains silent. The women at the well runs and tells everybody that she thinks she has found the long awaited messiah. She uses the same invitation that Jesus uses early to call his disciples, “come and see.”
Why this woman gets it and Nicodemus does not is a mystery. Nicodemus is the person we all want as a new member of the church. The woman at the well we would not rate as a likely candidate for church council. Yet it is the woman who responds. Maybe the message is, tell everyone about Jesus and we might be surprised at who responds.

John 3:1-21

2012-01-29T13:48:33-08:00

The story of Nicodemus is a story of how easily things can be misunderstood. It follows naturally from the changing of water into wine at the Wedding in Cana. That brought to our attention that Jesus would replace the temporary Hebrew rituals with the permanent sacrifice of himself. The clearing of the temple was the next step in the process where Jesus again places himself as a replacement for the temple.
Nicodemus is a Pharisee and comes as a representative of the Hebrew law. The key to this story is Jesus statement, “If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?” Nicodemus tries to understand everything in earthly categories. Jesus means them as truths come from heaven.
Nicodemus begins by recognizing that Jesus comes from God. Nicodemus is thinking that Jesus is like Elijah, a prophet that God called to do God’s work. Jesus has come from God but also is God. Jesus has always been God even before creation. Jesus is God come in the flesh to Nicodemus.
Nicodemus hears that life comes from God going us breath. Nicodemus would recall that God breathed into the dust and Adam came to life. The prophet, Ezekiel, also refers to this during his vision of the Valley of Dry Bones. Israel comes to life when God calls to the four winds and places his breath in the dried bones. Jesus means something more than breath. In both Hebrew and Greek the word for breath is the same as the word for spirit. Jesus is telling Nicodemus that God will place his Holy Spirit in us. It is more that air that we receive, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Nicodemus is also thinking that life is limited to this earth. The breath of God makes us alive only on this earth. Jesus is saying that the Spirit gives eternal life.
The last misunderstanding has to do with how we are born. Nicodemus thinks that it is something we must do, “How can I be born again?” The word that Nicodemus uses as again also means above. Jesus is telling Nicodemus that this life is a gift from God not a reward for works. Back in chapter one of John we are told this very thing in verse 12 & 13, “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.” This life comes to those who are born from God. That is a gift that Jesus comes to make possible for all.

John 2:1-11

2012-01-15T16:52:23-08:00

Jesus invited the disciples to “come and see” and promised that is they followed him they would see even greater things. As chapter 2 begins they begin to see what Jesus meant.
This is the story of the wedding at Cana. Weddings were a great festival that people in Jesus’ day would celebrate. Ancient Israel was known for the quality of the wine produced there. It would only be natural that wine would be a part of this celebration. This time the wine ran out.
Many would only know that there was no more wine. The wine that gave life to the celebration had run out. The disciples would understand that something more profound had run out. All those things that come from human hands eventually run out, They give life for a while but they cannot last.
So Jesus instructs the servers at the party to fill six jars to the brim with water. We all know that the water become wine. The wine exceeded the expectations of the wine steward and the guest drank their fill. This wine would not run out.
If all that took place was water becoming wine this would be impressive but there was more. Jesus replaces all those things that we use to find life. Those things that run out are replaced by something even better, something that exceeds our expectations. This Jesus is life that never runs out, life in abundance.
This sign sets the stage for the next few chapters. Jesus replaces water with wine becomes a Jesus who replaces the Temple in Israel with himself. In Nicodemus we hear how difficult it is to give up the old wine that runs out for the new. In the women at the well we hear of what happens when she drinks the new wine or living water.

John 2:13-25

2012-01-22T16:51:02-08:00

For the people of ancient Israel, everything centered around the temple in Jerusalem. This place is where their lives gained meaning and purpose. Where do you turn when the center of your life is destroyed? By the time John writes his gospel the temple has been destroyed in the rebellion of 70 A.D.
Jesus’ clearing the temple is more than a symbolic act. By his action that day, Jesus is pointing to what will replace the temple when it is gone. The disciples remember His words after the resurrection. “Destroy this temple and I will raise it up again in three days.” Jesus was talking about himself. He would become the center of life for people. Jesus would give life purpose and meaning.
In Jesus words are also a promise for us today. There are many things that can destroy a temple. The Roman army did. Today many a tragedy can cause us to destroy Jesus. We call it losing faith or declaring that God is dead. Jesus’ promise is that even when we do that He will not go away. He will rise again and remain with us when the very meaning of life is being taken from us. Jesus will not let us go. No matter what happens to us, Jesus will hold tight. In chapter 10 we are reminded that nothing can snatch us from Jesus hand. In his letter to the Romans Paul writes that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
What good news, God will always be faithful even if we are not. The disciples are truly seeing even greater things.

John 1:35-51

2012-01-08T14:30:34-08:00

The call of the first disciples in John has some interesting twists. The first two, Andrew and an unnamed disciple, are followers of John the Baptist. They hear what the Baptist has to say about Jesus and follow Jesus.

Jesus’ first words are a question that might be addressed to all who follow, “What are you looking for?” They respond by asking where Jesus will remain. The first two disciples are seeking something of permanence, something that remains. “Come and see” is the invitation. Again John calls us to be eyewitnesses of the truth. The truth is about seeing more than physical eyes. Seeing includes understanding what God has revealed.

In this call narrative, all the titles for Jesus are being used:
Lamb of God (verse 36)
Rabbi (verse 38)
Messiah (verse 41)
him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote (verse 45)
Son of God! You are the King of Israel! (verse 49)
Son of Man (verse 51)
These titles have been revealed by God not assigned by humans. This is the truth we are invited to “see.” Actually we are invited to witness even greater things than this as we follow Jesus. All the titles that can possible be assigned are not enough to capture all that Jesus does for us.

John 1:19-34

2012-01-01T14:04:07-08:00

In verse 19 of the first chapter the story finally enters human history. We hear the testimony of John the baptist. This testimony is that of an eyewitness. John begins his first letter with this affirmation,

“We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—“

John is writing at the end of the first century, between 80 and 90 A.D. John was the only remaining eyewitness to the events of Jesus life. The gospel is the eyewitness to the truth about Jesus. Not truth as we think of it. For us truth is known when everybody looks at an event and sees the same thing. For John, many people saw Jesus but could not see the truth. The truth is revealed by God to those who live by faith. For John the truth is clear, Jesus us the Son of God. That is what John the Baptist sees.

At first John confesses that he is NOT the messiah, not Elijah and not a prophet. In verse 29 he sees Jesus and then confesses, “And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

The author of John records what the eyewitnesses have seen so that we also might have the truth revealed to us and we might also have faith in the truth that Jesus is the Son of God who takes away the sin of the world.

John 1:1-18

2011-12-25T13:53:45-08:00

John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word… (John 1:1)
In the first phrase, John sets himself apart from the other gospels. The gospel of Mark portrays Jesus as a man of action. One of Mark’s favorite words is “immediately”. In John Jesus is a man of speech. John first major section is called the book of signs. The pattern is one half chapter to describe the sign and two and a half chapters to discuss its meaning. The Last Supper in John becomes a four chapter discourse from Jesus.

It would be a mistake to think of this Word in John as being anything like human words. We live in a world where we distrust words. Words are cheap and often do not correspond with actions.

According to John, this Word was present before creation. It was spoken and all things were created. Put another way, this Word causes action. There can be no difference between what is said and what is done. This Word becomes action. Jesus speaks and the water turns to wine. Jesus blesses the food and 5000 are fed. Jesus calls his name and Lazarus leaves the grave and becomes alive.

According to John 1:1-18, this Word created all that is. This Word creates light in the darkness and brings life to all people. This Word has been rejected even by His own people.

To put it simply, this Word was more than the word of God, this Word was God become flesh.

One final comment before proceeding, in the gospel of John the word “glory” always refers to Jesus on the cross.

Introduction

2011-12-19T14:35:18-08:00

Introduction to the Gospel of John

The gospel of John is the favorite of many people. It is the most unique of the 4 gospels. John does not have accounts of Jesus birth, baptism or temptation. John is the only gospel to include stories of the wedding at Cana, Nicodemus and the women at the well. These are only a few of the items that make John unique. The result is that John has received a lot of attention in modern Biblical scholarship. This blog will not go into those debates. Instead I will focus on how John speaks to us at Grace Lutheran Church in 2012.

I will refer to some aspects of the scholarship when it impacts how we understand John. For example, there is often an attempt to harmonize the 4 gospels into one. I agree with those who say that each gospel is unique for a reason. Each writer bears a unique witness to the work of Jesus Christ. When they differ from one another it is for a theological reason. John’s uniqueness is not a contradiction to the other gospels. It is a unique witness to the work of Jesus Christ on earth. We need not explain the differences, We should hear the differences as a more complete witness of the incredible things God has done for us in Christ.

That brings me to a second point. The gospel is not a biography. Not one of the 4 writers attempted to write a chronological account of the events in Jesus life. The gospels are a testimony to the meaning of Jesus life. The “truth” of the gospels does not come from their historical accuracy. It comes from their faithful witness of what God has done for us in Jesus. That is not to say that the events written about in the gospels did not happen. It is t say that the order they are written in and the way they are told is for an accurate theology not an accurate chronology. Hence, I will not try to figure out whether Jesus cleared the Temple at the beginning of his public ministry as it does in John or at the end as in Matthew, Mark and Luke. I will only ask what the clearing of the Temple means placed where it is in the book of John.

I hope that you will enjoy this journey through the gospel of John.

Outline of John

Chapter 1 - Introduction
Chapters 2 - 12 Book of SIgns
Chapters 13-17 Farewell Discourses
Chapters 18-19 The Trial and Crucifixion
Chapters 20-21 Easter