As I reflect on this passage, I feel as if I’m sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning from him. Then, just like when I (will) attend summer writing conference in little more than a week, I need quiet time to reflect on how to apply what I’ve heard. My friend Janet…
Jesus’ words and actions in this passage demonstrate God’s carefully planned and orchestrated agenda concerning revealing the mystery of Jesus’ sacrificial ministry. We observe a contrast between mystery and secrecy and open disclosure. Jesus revealed this great mystery literally one step at a time throughout his earthly life. Paul explained…
May God’s Holy Spirit shine his light and connect the threads as we continue to read Jesus’ teaching about the Spirit and life in Jesus, God’s Son. Read John 6:60-65. The disciples said Jesus’ teaching was harsh and offensive. They struggled to accept the teaching on eating Jesus’ flesh and…
Yes, we left off reading in the middle of a paragraph a couple weeks ago. Jesus said so many profound things in this teaching, we can’t comprehend all at once, no matter where we start or stop reading. As Jesus said earlier in his ministry, every word [sentence, verse] that…
Catching up posting to the blog on the website. If you receive this as a duplicate email, I’m sorry I don’t fully understand the internet gremlins behind the scenes. It never hurts for us to read God’s Word again and again. 🙂 As we read and learned from Jesus last…
The good news on a day with tech issues is Jesus encourages us to seek eternal treasures rather than chase after earthly things. I trust this email will be more uplifting than the accidental email you received this afternoon while working on my website! Thank you for your patience and…
So much has been written about Jesus walking on the water! Matthew and Mark also record Peter’s response to Jesus, which is often the part we focus on. This gospel story includes a storm, which is relatable on more than one level. Read John 6:16-19. After Jesus fed the multitude,…
This story from Jesus’ ministry takes place in a specific location, at a distinct point in time. In the same way, we encounter Jesus in definite ways at unique moments in time. Read John 6:1-4. It’s interesting that John wrote four verses (an entire paragraph) to set the stage for…
God’s Word always has appropriate timing. Some translations head this section, “Testimonies About Jesus.” We’re reading this the week after Easter, when certainly testimonies about Jesus, especially his resurrection, flew among his followers. Let’s read what people said before the last week leading up to the crucifixion. John wrote one…
Jesus’ resurrection is such good news John wove it through his entire gospel (book of good news). This isn’t a common Easter passage, but Jesus did discuss the life he gave and resurrection in these verses. John led into Jesus’ discussion about the Father and the Son with a brief…