"Mixed Reviews" John 7:1-24

The Feast of the Tabernacles (also called the Feast of Booths) was a harvest celebration (Thanksgiving?)held each year. It began on a Sabbath and ended on a Sabbath, and the people lived in make-shift shelters for seven days. The booths were to remind them of the booths the Israelites made for shelter when they left Egypt in the Exodus.

On the last weeked of February at St. Barnabas, our youth participate in the 30-Hour Famine sponsored by World Vision. As part of that event, they each construct cardboard houses to sleep in to relate to the homeless and those who live throughout the world in that condition.

It'interesting think about this chapter in light of John 1:14 - "And the Word became flesh and dwelt (literal Greek - made his tent)among us, and we beheld His glory..."

At the time of this feast, Jesus had been avoiding Judea because of the threats on his life. Jesus' brothers, who were not believers, chide him for hiding out. After all, if he really was the Messiah, he would do hims miracles right out in the open and they would validate who he was. Jesus tells them to go on to the Feast, and then secretly shows up on his own later. I had a teacher once who would send some of his students to hide out and listen to what other people would say about him. The teacher ended up hearing quite an earful, because people were talking about him. Jesus gets to hear the real stuff as people debated whether we was truly a good man or a fake.

One of the things that set Jesus apart was that he "spoke with authority," in contrast to others who spoke information and opinions. His authority came out of 1) his relationship with his heavenly Father, 2) his authenticity, 3) the truth of his words and 4) the miracles he performed. From the time he was a child (Luke 2:41ff), he had a certain wisdom and ability to communicate that struck people. He possessed and communicated a revealed knowledge from God. At the same time, he walked the walk. He confronted the Pharisees and Saducees because they taught the law but they didn't follow it, especially since they were plotting to violate the sixth commandment ("Thou shalt not kill")! He further confronts them on their Sabbath interpretations. They were quite open to do circumcisions on the Sabbath but they considered it illegal for Jesus to heal on the Sabbath.

The problem for Jesus was that the religious leaders were so obsessed with "looking right" that they were missing being right. Paul later would talk about people having the "form of godliness, but lacking the power there of. (II Timothy 3:5)" This is a major difference between religiosity and true Christianity. How much of our faith is "just for show" and how much is God-related, authentic and consistent, true and backed up by action?

"Eating Flesh and Drinking Blood" John 6:52-71

I am beginning to wonder what Jesus was really up to here. If we take him literally we have images of Hannibal the Cannibal and Dracula. It's interesting that anti-Christian propoganda (from the Roman empire to atheistic communism to Muslim extremism) has accused us of cannibalism (eating bodies and drinking blood)and drowning of children (baptism). Is Jesus just mainly talking about the "Lord's Supper" here or is it more?

It is more. It is about a depth of relationship that has already been communicated to us (being born again, living water that we drink, living bread that we eat) and will be further through images like the shepherd and the sheep and the vine and the branches. Jesus is offending the ears of people to awaken their souls. What we eat and drink as nutrition affects how we are able to live. Jesus says, "The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life." Jesus is offering us spiritual nutrition that leads us to eternal life. We eat, drink, and sleep the kingdom of God life of Jesus. Jesus says, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him" (same as the "abide in the vine" discussion in John 15). Jesus says, "Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me" (similar to John 14:19 and the discussion of the Holy Spirit - "because I live, you shall live also"). These words that are odd and even gross in a literal sense are quite intimate and life-giving in a spiritual sense.

Following these words of Jesus, many "disciples" chose no longer to follow him. Jesus is discouraged and even asks the twelve if they were going to leave him, too. It is Peter who says, "We have nowhere else to go. Your words give us eternal life. You are the Holy One of God." It is here that Jesus tells them that even one of their own will fall away. We will want to watch as John gives his angle on Judas Iscariot. The disciples are at a crossroads. Jesus will become more controversial as his ministry continues. The way of eternal life has some difficult experiences ahead. Jesus is inviting them to a deeper relationship, as he does with each of us. Will we step to the sidelines and admire the Christ from a distance or will we keep following?

New Manna John 6:25-51

In John 3 with Nicodemus, Jesus compared himself to the snake that was lifted up in the wilderness that the people could look to and be saved. In this passage, he compares himself to the manna that fell from heaven in Exodus 16. Jesus chides those who are following after him just because they got their bellies full. They do ask for more miraculous signs. They make the mistake about talking about the manna in the desert and Jesus uses that to talk about himself coming down from heaven.

He calls himself "the bread of God that gives life to the world (vs. 32-33)". Then he calls himself "the bread of life" (vs. 35) that is received through belief. His opponents refuse to believe and begin to grumble about him claiming to come from heaven. In verse 49, Jesus tells them that the difference between him and the ancient manna is that when people believe and take in the bread of life they live forever.

This discussion reminds me of holy communion. There are many who take communion as part of their monthly rhythm. They have preferences about how communion should be served and even what liturgy we would use. But are we taking communion "with belief", trusting that God's presence is filling us and renewing us? Are we opening ourselves afresh to God's Spirit so that true "communion" happens between us and God, not just individually but as the congregation? Sacraments are holy moments where we believe the grace of God is received, where God is "especially present."

When I was a kid, my father was a ruling elder in the Second United Presbyterian Church. One of his duties was to serve communion. One Sunday, there were insufficient elements prepared for the number of people who were worshipping. Dad had the difficult task of telling one of the leading people in the church that they had run out of elements and he would not be able to take communion. Dad said, "I'm sorry," expecting in return, "That's OK, I understand." But what he heard was "I'm sorry, too. Communion is very important to me and I always look forward to it." Dad's heart sunk. But he also was convicted that communion did not mean as much to him as it did that man. Now communion is the most important thing to dad in the life of the church. He takes it "with belief" and it is truly holy time and communion with His Savior.

The Greek construction in Greek for "the bread of life" is the genitive case. In this instance it means not only, "the bread of life," but also "the bread that is life." Who is Jesus to you? Have a great weekend.

"Bread and Water" John 6:1-24

“The feeding of the 5,000” is Jesus’ most popular miracle and is talked about in all four gospels (Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:32-44, Luke 9:10-17). Jesus walking on the water follows this miracle in Matthew and Mark, too. John’s description is much lengthier, including a central character (a little boy), and, as per usual with John, a major fight with the Pharisees. In Matthew’s and Mark’s gospels, Jesus tells the disciples, “you (emphatic as in “you yourselves”) give them something to eat.” In all the gospels the amount of food available is five small barley loaves and two fish. The crowds are there because of Jesus’ miracles. The 5,000 may have actually have been much larger, because the estimate would have been of the number of men present.

Jesus begins by asking Phillip where they can buy food for this many people. What he was doing was expanding Phillip’s perspective, something Jesus enjoyed doing with everyone around him. Andrew, the great “bringer” of the disciples, brings the boy to Jesus. The boy would have carried this food as a small snack sack. Jesus blessed the loaves and then had the disciples distribute the bread among the people. There are twelve baskets left over – the biblical number of completion. Not enough became more than enough. The people are ready to making him king, so he escapes off into the surrounding mountains.

While Jesus was on retreat, the disciples are sent by Jesus to go back to Capernaum, via the Sea of Galilee (a tear-drop shaped lake-sized sea that is surrounded by mountains on three sides). When the wind howled through those mountains, a very placid lake became a death trap. They row about 3 ½ miles from shore when the storm hits. The disciples are terrified when they see Jesus, because (according to the other gospels) they think he is the “mysterium tremendum” the death angel that comes on the sea when people are about to go down to “Davey Jones’ Locker”. But Jesus tells them that it is him. Instead of the water calming down when Jesus got in the boat, as in the other gospels, they immediately arrive at the shore. When Jesus and the disciples get to Capernaum, there will be some folks waiting that they will recognize.

For me, this story is always a metaphor of Christ coming to us in the various storms of our lives. We frantically work to overcome our storms and fear the worst. We even mistake what God is doing for something awful at times. But with the help of Christ we get through it; we get to the other side. What storm might you presently be facing that needs the presence of the coming Christ? Will you frantically take it on by yourself, or will you invite the Christ into your boat?

Human and Divine Testimony John 5:31-47

Jesus continues his defense with the Jewish leaders, by talking about where his credibility comes from. First, he cites the testimony of John the Baptist, described as a lamp that gave light for a time. Then he cites the testimony of the Father. He boldly states that these leaders have never heard the voice of God, nor seen him. And the reason they have not is because of their unbelief (of Jesus). Verse 39 is particularly interesting,

"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life."

In the end of the 20th century, Harold Lindsell, former editor of Christianity Today, wrote a book called The Battle for the Bible. It was his contention that the Bible was being undermined by scholars who were treating it as just another piece of literature. That was followed by battles in seminaries and denominations about the authority of Scripture, including a purging done by the Southern Baptist Convention (led mainly by Paige Patterson and a group allied with him). This resulted in the expulsion of Baylor University from the Texas Baptist Convention. Many moderate preachers chose to leave the SBC rather than be held to fundamentalist standards. Some of the fundamentalists took the extreme of bibliolatry, the worship of the Bible, as if it had power on its own. The Jewish leaders had a similar problem. The power of the Scriptures is that they point us to God in Christ through the power of the Spirit.

John has captured Jesus' confrontive style in this passage. You can see why Jesus became so controversial. This is not the Jesus who holds lambs a lot. He has authenticity,confidence,authority and some good old fashioned hutzpa.

"Father and Son" John 5:16-30

In our first class, I led us in a pretty heady discussion of the Trinity: the historic Trinity (God the creator, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit at Pentecost), the eternal trinity (God always creating, always becoming love in the flesh and also indwelling and empowering people to do His purposes in the world. In this passage we have the internal version, the intra-relationship of the Father and the Son.

Our passage opens with Jesus claiming God as "my Father," that he was co-working with God. If Jesus was not who he said he was, then his opponents are right, he is either delusional or guilty of blasphemy. But Jesus doesn't back up at all. He goes even further stating that what God sees He sees and what God does He does (even giving life to the dead). To honor Christ is to honor God. Then he declares himself as the Father-designated judge.

Verses 24-30 are exultant and yet another summary of the themes of the gospel of John. Notice the dual dimension of eternal life: 1) crossing over from death to life upon belief) and then 2) being raised to life beyond the grave after death. Jesus is the ultimate judge and lifegiver. At the crucifixion, these words of Jesus become literally true as the graves open after Jesus cried out. Jesus is also pointing to the final coming of Christ, described similarly by Paul in I Thessalonians 4. Evem though as Protestants, we emphasize justification by faith and not works, this passage does say that our good and evil deeds will be judged and have eternal consequences. It seems that the letter of James helps us here when he says, "I will show you my faith by what I do." Our works don't get us into heaven, but they do give evidence of a genuine faith in Christ.

Later in John 17, the true Lord's Prayer, we will see more of this Father/Son relationship. But here we have a strong argument made by Jesus that he is uniquely and intimately related to God and his words and works are a reflection of God Himself. How do you deal with the role of Jesus as judge? And how are you allowing Christ to make you more fully alive?

"Pick Up Your Mat and Walk!" John 5:1-15

This week, a collector paid $120,000 for the ambulance that took the body of assassinated President Kennedy to the Bethesda Naval Hospital for his autopsy. This miracle of Jesus took place at the pool of Bethesda, from which the Naval Hospital took its name. The man had been disabled for 38 years. We don't how he became disabled. The words of Jesus to the man do raise some questions, "See you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." Had sinful behavior caused his affliction? Our sinful behavior does make a difference in our physical, emotional or mental health.

Jesus asks the man an important question, that at first seems absurd.

"Do you want to get well?"

I have discovered that sometimes we don't want to get well, that we have built our lives around being sick, sometimes getting a lot of energy and attention from being the victim. We may even be unwittingly contributing to our sickness or even making it worse. The man does want to be healed, but he thinks the power is in the water. But he is helpless to get himself into the pool when the waters are stirred. So Jesus heals him, without getting him in the water. The power is not in the water, it is in Jesus.

But notice the reaction of the religious leaders. They have an investment in the man staying afflicted. One of the powerful motivations of the Pharisees was the belief that people's afflictions were due to human sin and God's rejection of them. I laughingly ask people, "Have you been behaving this week?" They usually say, "No, you know me." I then say, "Good, then I still have a job." But that would be making the same move as the Pharisees, having the man's disability or sinfulness as job security. For Jesus to heal the man as an act of God turns their religious world upside down. That is particularly the case if the man's affliction was because of his own sinful behavior.

Jesus heals the man on the Sabbath and the religious leaders hassle him about carrying his mat on the Sabbath (a violation of the amount of weight a person was allowed to carry). They are so legalistic about religious detail that they are unable to rejoice in the work of God in this man's life. But there is another problem beneath their legalism. If they admit the man has been healed by the miraculous, then they must deal with their inability to do the same.

The truth is that all of life and ministry opens up when God moves among us. But what Christ does always breaks down the barriers, even the religious boxes we tend to create. There was a professor once who said, "Religion has been so broad and longstanding in its effect that it took the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ to end it." How might that be true or not?

"Seeing the Harvest" John 4:31-54

I love being around people who broaden my perspective and help me see things I wouldn't otherwise see. It is so easy to put life and especially God in a box. Jesus says to his disciples in vs. 35,

"I tell you open your eyes and look at the harvest."

The reason they couldn't see the harvest is that they thought it didn't include Samaritans, Gentiles and officials in corrupt Herod's reign. An old adage in sports is that you go with what the defense gives you. But the box the disciples have put their mission in blinds them to the opportunities and relationships around them. What is the harvest that St. Barnabas called to glean? What opportunities are right in front of us to make disciples of Jesus Christ and we're not seeing it? How is that true also of our personal, neighborhood and work lives? In verse 42, it was these thought-to-be outsiders who are next to proclaim Jesus as "the savior of the world."

The other thing Jesus emphasizes is that there have been those who have done work ahead of them. For instance, my own ministry at St. Barnabas has been blessed by the pastors and the committed lay people who were here before me. In fact, if things had not been started before I got there, it would be much tougher. Have you taken time to think about all the people who have shared of themselves so that you can enjoy the life that you do? Once again, we see the people taking Jesus literally ("Did someone already bring him some food?") when he was talking about something else. Of course, that also means that sometimes we are called to be the sowers (the ones who invest the time and sacrifice with no visible results) so that others can experience the joy and results of the harvest.

A second miracle is set up in Cana, but takes place in Capernaum. The official asks Jesus to come and heal his son. Jesus pushes back at first because he tired of people only wanting him for his miracles. I call them "miracle junkies" or "blessing junkies", and I think there is a little or a lot of that in all of us. We want the blessings of being a follower of Jesus but we don't want to pay the price that comes with it (that whole "take up your cross" thing). The distinctive thing about this miracle is that the child was healed not by Jesus' touch, but by Jesus' word on the day before. One of the things we have to get used to with Jesus is the great variety of ways he did healing. Sometimes he touched people and sometimes he didn't. Sometimes he used techniques others used and sometimes not. Sometimes he required them to have faith and sometimes not. To follow Jesus requires that we "hang loose" and be open to the great variety of his ways of grace. We have to let go of the controls and allow God the freedom to act and move - a tough one for most of us. Have a great day.

"Don't Drink the Water" - John 4:3-30

We have just heard about one individual not found in the other gospels. Now we encounter another. The Samaritan woman encounter is about how Jesus tended to cross cultural and religious barriers to connect with people in need. It was common for Jewish men of the day to say, “Thank you, Lord, that I am not a dog, a Samaritan, or a woman.” Jews, when traveling did not go through Samaria when traveling, but would rather take the long way around through Perea. Jesus did not do that. He, in fact, spent a great deal of time in Samaria, the Decapolis and the area of the Transjordan (all “bad neighborhood” regions). For Jesus to speak to the woman was a violation of custom. To ask to drink from her containers of water would have been worse. Jesus chooses to be unclean among the unclean. The woman confronts Jesus about his impropriety.

Jesus turns the tables and begins his famous conversation with her about “living water.” Like the temple conversation with the Jewish leaders and the born again conversation with Nicodemus , the woman at first takes Jesus literally. She talks about the depth of the well and how this was Jacob’s well and surely he was not as great as Jacob. She talks about not having to lug that heavy jug anymore.

But soon small talk gets personal when he confronts her brokenness in relationship with me,

“You have had five husbands and the one you are with now is not your husband.”

The woman is put on the defensive and creates distance for herself saying, “I see you are a prophet,” and then brings up an ongoing religious debate between Samaritans and Jews. It reminds me of the turf wars we have today around traditional and contemporary worship. Jesus’ answer to her works for today as well,

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

I know people who do traditional worship or contemporary worship who do so for stylistic reasons or for taste. Neither are doing true worship. I have also seen vibrant traditional or contemporary worship where the Spirit of God was undeniably present, where it was about celebrating the presence of God – worship in spirit and in truth. Those who plan worship at St. Barnabas work to be this latter variety and many who come to worship services are that way, too. But it is natural for any one of us to get caught up in what we find familiar and do more mechanics than worship. Which is it for you?

Finally, the conversation gets to the hope for a Messiah, someone who could sort out controversies like where to worship and who can draw water from wells, etc. Jesus identifies himself as the Messiah. She leaves her waterpot and becomes a witness for the man who “told me everything I had ever done,” asking “Isn’t he the Christ?”

The striking thing for me here is the persistent compassion of Christ. He is not concerned about cultural walls or about religious arguments. He only wants to offer her the chance to come clean about her brokenness, receive new life (living water), and learn a whole new way to love. How might we better offer the persistent compassion of Christ to those around us? One way is to place ourselves in the place of the woman. How might Jesus have cut through our own mess to show us true compassion? How might he still need to do that for you or me? May living water from Christ be yours today in whatever way you thirst. And yes, DO drink the water!

"Dueling Baptisms - Jesus and John the Baptist Revisited" John 3:22-4:3

According to John 4:2, Jesus wasn’t the one doing baptisms, just his disciples. But it is interesting that his disciples were doing baptisms just like John was. At first, this offends John’s disciples. “Everyone is going to him (instead of us).” John’s response is to tell them that his role is now less, because the promised one has come. Verse 30 could be a theme for us all,

“He must become greater; I must become less.”

I find that the more I die to my own selfishness and desire for everyone’s approval, the more comfortable I become and the more open I am to be used by God and serve others. Am I the only one who tends to get in my own way and in God’s way? Perhaps!

The testimony in John 3:31-36 on the superiority of Christ is amazing. We will see Jesus say similar words in the end of John 6. Jesus is the one whom God “gives the Spirit without limit.” Wouldn’t that be great? John is aware, as are we, that nothing we offer in the name of Christ is pure. As Paul writes, “We have this treasure in jars of clay.” (II Cor. 4:7). I have had to get comfortable with the fact that God uses me in my inadequacy and fallibility. In fact, he knows faults I don’t even recognize yet, and still chooses to use me. That moves me from perfectionism to gratitude, a very good thing.

Verse 36 is another version of John’s gospel theme:

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

Theology professor, Dr. Schubert Ogden, talked to us in seminary about God’s wrath being the other side of God’s mercy. He said God is both complete holiness and love. When we are receptive to God it becomes mercy and compassion, when we are resistant it is wrath and consequences. The difference is not the way God is or acts, but the way we are and act.

"Nick at Nite" - John 3:1-21

Nicodemus is one of the key people who John sees as a symbol of Jesus’ ministry. He is an insider among the opponents of Jesus, a Pharisee. He comes to Jesus by night to talk rabbi to rabbi, possibly to represent the ruling council itself. Nick starts with a conciliatory move, citing the miracles as evidence that God was with him. Small talk soon ceases when Jesus says, “You can’t see the kingdom unless you’re born again.”

Just as in John 2, the religious leaders take literally what Jesus means figuratively.

“How can a man be born again when he is old? He can’t redo the birth process in his mother’s womb.”

Jesus then clarifies that the new birth he is talking about is spiritual.
One of the misinterpretations of John 3 is when we turn being “born again” into a single spiritual experience. Jesus was challenging Nicodemus to move out of his legalistic faith into one in which God’s Spirit was free to move and lead. If Nicodemus came to St. Barnabas, we would welcome him with open arms and put him quickly into leadership. But Nicodemus had a common religious problem – He had reduced a relationship with God to rules and moral behavior.

Jesus then uses something from the law (Numbers 21:8ff) and sees his own ministry as God’s way of doing the same thing. In Numbers, the people look to the snake on the pole and are spared. The people look to the uplifted Christ and are given eternal life. Notice how positive the motivation is and how different it is from the way the Church is often perceived. The agenda is salvation and life, not condemnation and death.

Yet people are free to choose to receive God’s initiative in Christ or reject it. So then we read very familiar themes about “light,” and why people choose darkness. To come into the light and face who we really are is not easy. We would rather stay in hiding. But once we step into the light of Christ and allow his love to do its life-giving work, our hearts and minds change. We want to be in the light.

The conversation with Nicodemus was pretty blunt, a risky strategy on Jesus’ part. We are given some clues that the strategy worked. In John 7:50, Nicodemus defends Jesus in front of the Pharisees, alienating himself with them. In John 20:38-39, he joins Joseph of Arimathea in requesting the body of Jesus after his crucifixion.

Cleansing the Temple - The Early Edition: John 2:12-25

Jesus moves from Cana to Capernaum (on the north side of the Sea of Galilee), which along with Bethsaida, was one of his main hangout spots. After spending a few days there, he moves on to Jerusalem. The interesting thing here is that John has the "cleansing of the temple" in the beginning rather than the end of the gospel (where they place it right after the Palm Sunday ride). The early location for John is most likely due to how he saw in this act of Jesus a symbol of Jesus' work as a religious reformer.

This is an act of passion more than something planned. He finds the outer temple scene repulsive. The rich are on one side buying their lambs and goats, while the poor are on the other, buying doves or pigeons (what his own family bought at his purification). The temple's ministry is no longer functioning in the priorities for which it was created. It now is about taking care of the religious leadership and the opulent lifestyles of Hasmonean leadership (Caiaphas, Annas, the Herods), about temple maintenance, and controlling the people. Jesus takes some cords, that he might have had with him to tie up a sack he was carrying or ones he just found handy in the outer temple area, and fashions them into a whip. The scene is chaotic as Jesus screams that the money changers have taken a place of prayer and turned it into a market. For John, it reminded him of the 69th Psalm of David.

Understandably, the Jewish leaders ask him to justify his actions and what right he had to do them. Jesus oddly responds that if they tear down this temple he would raise it in three days. Taking him literally, his opponents ask how he would rebuild something in three days that took 46 years to build. We will see this figurative language taken literally again in John's gospel. What Jesus was doing was pointing out when they destroyed the temple of his body, it would be raised again in three days. This statement would have been as curious to his disciples as to these Jewish leaders, understandable only after the crucifixion and resurrection.

The closing verses show that Jesus was gaining lots of miracle-seekers as followers, but Jesus did not trust them. Possibly this is a reference to the Palm Sunday parade and how that could all turn in just a few days.

Reflection points for this passage include 1) How is it the nature of religion to lose its focus and become more intent on self-maintenance and control rather than the mission for which it was created? How can churches counter that seemingly natural tendency? 2) Jesus has many fair-weather friends who love the miracles and the benefits of following Jesus but fall away when things get tough. How do we help make disciples that are more than consumer-driven?

"Mom and the Big Fat Jewish Wedding" John 2:1-11

I could easily have given this commentary a normal title like "Water into Wine," but the prominent place of Mary in this passage, including mention of her in the opening verse merits a different headline. The relationship of Mary and John (the gospel writer) is interesting. Later, in John 19, at the cross, Jesus places his mother in the care of John, the youngest of the disciples. When Tina and I visited Ephesus in 1999, we saw Mary's house and the location of what was once John's house.

The personality of Mary in the story is that of a stereotypical Jewish mama who, even though she lived in a patriarchal society, still called the shots. It is Mary who goes to Jesus and tells him that they are out of wine. To run out of wine was both bad hospitality for the guests and a bad omen for the marriage. When Mary approaches Jesus, he at first gives her the apparent brush off, "Woman, why are you coming to me about this?" We are not given the tone of voice here, but it is the same language as at the cross when he says about John, "Woman, behold your son." The NIV translates this as "dear woman" to try and convey the care and high esteem in which he held his mother, but the Greek does not contain that. I wonder if that wasn't his pet name for his mother, like "lady" or "darling." Most likely, it was the way of speaking in that day between an adult man and a woman (whether that was a wife, a sister or mother).

Regardless, it is not as abrupt or disrespectful as it seems. Jesus questions the timing, as he knows that his miracles will draw crowds and with them the suspicion and concern of the religious leadership. Mary refuses to take no for an answer, telling the people to do whatever Jesus tells them. This is very much in the character of Mary, who even in her "Magnificat" in Luke 1 shows a bold and challenging style. It is a far cry from the docile Mary with the halo we often see depicted in art and film.

The miracle now changes focus to Jesus and what he does. The ceremonial water jugs, when full, carry 20-30 gallons. That there were that many jars there point to the fact that the wedding was a large community-wide event, anticipating that many people would need to ceremonially wash their hands. They would wash themselves often, for the wedding feast would last as long as a week. Jewish folks knew (and still know) how to party and celebrate. For those of us who have seen Jesus as a no-fun, no excessive celebration (a la NFL) kind of guy, might want to take a second look. In his parables, he uses the wedding celebration as the background for some of his teaching. This will show even more in the miracle.

Jesus tells them to fill the jars with water and then take the water to the banquet master (quite an unnecessary gesture for water!), but he knows what they don't know. As they take out the water, they notice it looks like wine. They don't tell the master where they got it. He tastes it and immediately calls the groom aside. "You have been quite extravagant here, saving the best wine for last, giving it out when people are least likely to appreciate it. Now is the time for the cheap stuff. But it is good, real good."

So the party continues and the omen for a bad marriage has been transformed into a blessing. The groom is now serving wine to his guests he could never afford. And, according to the story, only those who had the water jars know how the exquisite wine got there. Saving the best for last...God has a way of doing that over and over, including in your life and mine. He also changes situations of curse into situations of blessing. Grace upon grace upon grace. Isn't that just like Jesus?!

"For the Sake of the Call" - John 1:35-51

"For the Sake of the Call" is a great contemporary song that has become a theme song for ministry for me for many years. It begins,

"We have abandoned it all for the sake of the call. No other reason at all, but for the sake of the call. Wholly devoted to live and to die...for the sake of the call."

You may want to pull up the song on You Tube. In these verses from John 1, we have the call of Andrew, Simon Peter, Phillip, Nathanael and another not named who joined with Andrew. Both Andrew and the unnamed one were disciples of John the Baptist first.

The picture here is of people who want to just "hang out" with Jesus and find out what he is about. So they follow after him and Jesus asks them an important question for all of us, "What do you want?" Jesus would ask people who needed healing the same question, "What do you want me to do for you?" While this question may seem unnecessary, it does bring us to focus on what our true motivations and needs are. Seeing that they just want to be with him and start a friendship,Jesus invites them to "come and see." After spending the day, Andrew decides that Jesus is the Christ and tells Peter.

In the other gospels, Peter is the first to acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, but here we are told that he first got that from his brother, Andrew. One of the things you will notice in the gospel is a bit of competitiveness between John (the disciple and gospel writer) and Peter, so Peter has a less noble profile here than in Mark's gospel. The naming of Simon as Petros or Cephas, meaning "rock" or "stone" is significant. We could call him "Rock" or "Rocky," but Peter was anything but a rock. Eventually he did become rock-solid, and the leader of the Jewish part of the Church as well as the one who helped open that church to Gentile followers. Jesus gave him a name that spoke not of who he was, but who he was to become. I wonder what name Jesus would give you or me.

When we get to the calls of Phillip and Nathanael, a trend becomes obvious. These people were in friendship networks before they followed Jesus. Peter, Andrew, James and John were business associates. Peter, Andrew and Phillip were from the same home town, Bethsaida. In this passage Phillip goes to his friend, Nathanael. I love Nathanael's reaction about Jesus, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" The cluster of towns around the northern part of the Sea of Galilee were well-connected. Nazareth, on the other hand was east of there in an area that was known for its conflict, crime, and poverty. Phillip simply says to Nathanael what Jesus said to Andrew and the unnamed disciple, "Come and see."

Jesus' reaction to Peter is telling. Instead of being defensive, Jesus says, "I see we have one who tells it like it is." When Jesus tells Nathanael he saw him before Phillip ever approached him, he is surprised and deeply moved. He is the next one to claim Jesus as the "Son of God." Then Jesus says there will be lots more astonishing things he will discover as he follows Jesus, actually for illustration purposes, recalling Jacob's ladder and his mystical experience in Genesis 28.

This is one of the places where I see Jesus honoring positive doubt. Jesus always invited and encouraged people to faith, but he was not put off with people's honest but searching doubt. I have discovered that same openness on the part of the Lord in my own walk.

A closing question begs our response. "What is God's call on your life?" It's not just for preachers or for a select few. Christ calls you just as you are (like Nathanael) and invites you to become more than you imagine (just like Peter). But it eventually is a call to "total surrender", to "abandoning it all for the sake of the call."

The Problematic Relationship of Jesus and John the Baptist: John 1:19-34

The relationship between the two of them has already been spoken of in the sixth verse of the gospel. "There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He was not the light, but was sent to bear witness to the light." We know from the gospel of Luke that John was Jesus' cousin, born to Elizabeth and Zechariah (remember the account of Zechariah being unable to speak because he doubted that Elizabeth could have a baby). When Mary tells Elizabeth that she is pregnant with the son of God, Elizabeth's baby (John) leaps in her womb. John proclaims that Jesus is the one for whom he was preparing the way (quoting Isaiah 40) and that Jesus would not baptize with water, but rather would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Matthew's gospel (3:1-17) says something similar, only there is a more revolutionary context than we see in the gospel of John. John was expecting a revolutionary who would turn the whole Roman political structure and the Jewish religious structure upside down.

"The ax is laid to the root of the tree." "He will baptize with the Spirit and with fire...burning away that which does not bear fruit...separating the wheat from the chaff."

John expected Jesus to be a political, military revolutionary who would kick the tails of everyone who did not stand with him. John's expectations were no different than some of Jesus' own disciples (which may be for a good reason, as we shall see). Jesus did not play that kind of role, which was a great disappointment to John. In Matthew 11, just before John is beheaded at Herod's command, he sends a message to Jesus asking, "Are you really the one who was to come, or shall we look for another?"

The other point of rivalry between John the Baptist and Jesus was over who was the disciple of whom (a major investigation point by scholars today). Andrew seems to have found in Jesus a better offer. When Andrew went to Peter and asked him to come with them, might Peter also at least have been a sympathizer with John? What of these zealots who became followers of Jesus - Simon, Judas Iscariot, and possibly others? And isn't it the case that the disciples kept asking Jesus when he was going to bring the kingdom upon the earth and what their role would be in his new kingdom (of which James and John "the gospel writer" wanted to be next in command)? It looks like the disciples may have seen in Jesus (especially with his power to postively motivate people and do miracles) someone who could deliver what John the Baptist was preaching, that a repentant people would be rewarded with a poplulist revolution in which the Romans were no longer in charge. My guess is that if John really thought Jesus would be pulling of this political revolution, he would gladly have allowed his followers to leave him and follow Jesus. Some scholars even suggest that Jesus' willingness to be baptized by John was Jesus starting his ministry by first being part of the ministry of John the Baptist.

In Matthew 16:13ff, Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" Their first responses are, "Some say that you are Elijah while others say you are John." Again, even among the people who were following him around Galilee, there were people who saw him as a revolutionary like John, only on spiritual steroids (the miracles, the effective teaching, etc). Peter then declares him the Christ, but goes ballistic when Jesus talks about self-sacrifice. Again, expectations disappointed, expectations strongly stated in the ministry of John the Baptist.

So John's gospel, written much later than the other gospels, goes to great lengths in this passage to separate the ministries of the two (one as preparatory and one as Messianic). John quotes the times John denied being "Elijah" or "the prophet." So it is very interesting that John in spotting Jesus either shortly before or at his baptism calls him "the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world." For John, the gospel writer, who writes after Jesus' death (which John the Baptist did not see), probably saw in the Baptist's words a foretelling of the sacrificial death of Christ. I believe that John the Baptist uses that as a statement of redemption and cleansing, a statement that Jesus was going to further the baptism of repentance he was doing (following the good intentions of repentance and the desire to turn around in their lives with the actual taking away of people's sins). But I think he would have found the crucifixion just as shocking and devastating as the rest of his followers. After all, Jesus was supposed to be a "kick tail" Messiah, not a self-sacrificing one.

In verse 34, John is the first in the gospel to declare Jesus as "the son of God." In light of the gospel's purpose (stated in John 20:31), the proclamation is huge. He will be the first of more to come.

To close this commentary today, I invite you to consider what your expectations of Jesus are. My guess is that if Jesus came today, we would still think he should be something different than he is. After all, we need someone to take this messed up world in hand and kick some tail. That's what we want and what we think we need. How do we put faith in the real Jesus? That is what the gospel of John is all about. Have a great day.

"Give Em the Word" - John 1:1-18

When I was a teenager, one of the dirty tricks my friends and I would do to kids on their bikes on country roads was drive slowly by and “give em the word.” We would just holler as loud as possible (Ahhh!) and roar with laughter as they would loose control of their bikes. I don’t remember that anyone was seriously hurt and I seem to recall a few obscene gestures being thrown our way. But it sure was hilarious to see those wobbling wheels and out of sorts handlebar moves!

The first 18 verses of the gospel of John introduce us to “the Word.” Philosophers of the first century debate with each other about what the primary essence of life was, the organizing root or principle for thought and relationship, which they called logos, what is translated here as “the Word.” Some have tried to catch this concept of logos by translating it as “the reason.” The description of the logos is eternal and has always existed. The logos was at creation. But notice what happens as the logos becomes a person.

“All things were made by him, and without him, nothing was made that was made.” And it is in this person that there was “life,” the very “light” of people.

Throughout the gospel these key ideas of life and light will be primary (“the bread of life,” “the light of the world,” “everlasting life”). This portion of John’s gospel is so thoroughly introductory that I wonder if he wrote it last.

He then interrupts his thought about the logos, by spinning off the idea of light and the relationship of this “Word” and John the Baptist. It seems that there was some rivalry between the followers of John the Baptist and the followers of Jesus, with some choosing to follow Jesus after following John. We don’t know if some left Jesus to follow John.

John, the gospel writer, then prepares us for the rejection of Jesus by the Jews. “He came to his own, but his own were not receptive.” The rejection of Jesus by the Jews and the acceptance of him by the Gentiles was the shocker of the early church. By talking about the logos, John is actually being quite Gentile friendly.

Finally, the author returns to his logos line of thinking, saying that “The Word became flesh and pitched his tent among us.” The essence of life and God’s light became human and in him we got the clear picture of God. I had a theology professor who said, “If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus.” John would have been proud of him.

This is a passage I committed to memory as a teenager and I continue to draw strength and inspiration from it. Another way I have come to think about this passage is with the use of the "Word," as God's communication of love to our world. In Jesus, that communication of divine love became flesh. People touched him and he touched them and the were never the same. For me, in encountering Jesus, I have discovered life in a fullness I never imagined and found my reason for living and loving. How about you?
He is our logos.

The Gospel of John - Introduction

As we read the gospel of John together, we discover a unique picture of Jesus. Some of the miracles of Jesus discussed here are not talked about in the other gospels (egs. the marriage at Cana, the healing of the man born blind, the resurrection of Lazarus). Those that are discussed in "the synoptics" (Matthew, Mark and Luke) are handled quite differently with different people and things emphasized (most dramatically in the feeding of the 5,000). You will soon notice that John tells the miracles with an agenda. For John, the miracles each had a larger meaning and in many cases, became a point of controversy with Jesus' opponents. There are times when John's gospel seems plain combative, which seems quite appropriate for John, who along with his brother James, were named "the sons of Thunder" by Jesus for their competitive and ambitious ways. John's loyal yet competitive nature shows throughout the gospel.

This gospel is also intensely personal at times. You will not find the "Sermon on the Mount" here or copious quotes from the Old Testament (like Matthew) or the social championing for the least and lost (like Luke) or the rapid fire "just the facts" description of teaching and events (like Mark, who might well have been a ghost writer for Peter). Instead it is a gospel that highlights the interaction of particular individuals with Jesus (Mary at the marriage, Nicodemus - a Pharisee yet closet follower of Jesus, the little boy at the feeding of the 5,000, etc).

It is also more personal in that it shows more of the emotional side of Jesus. John is known as "the beloved disciple" and even describes himself as the one whom Jesus loved. Many scholars think that John was the youngest of the disciples and that the writing of this gospel is some 15 to 25 years later than the other gospels. There is a certain passion in this gospel that is undeniable.

The purpose of John's gospel is stated clearly near the end of his gospel, in what many scholars consider to be the ending John intended,

"Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

Life through faith in Jesus the Christ is the heartbeat of this gospel. My prayer is that as we share in this study together our our faith and love for Christ will grow and that we will find ourselves more fully alive.