John concludes his gospel.
Click here for an online Bible John 21:20-25
Jesus has just predicted the kind of death that Peter would experience. We don’t necessary see that prediction in the words that Jesus used, but John could see it looking back after the death of Peter. According to Christian tradition, Peter was executed in the persecution of the church under Nero. Peter was crucified upside down. Peter must have understood what Jesus meant. He looked at John and asked Jesus what would happen to him. Jesus’ response was basically that whatever happened to John was up to Jesus and should not be a concern of Peter.
We have a tendency to make comparisons with other people. We judge how good or bad we are based on what other people do. We judge our success based on other people. We should make our judgments based on the word of God and the person of Jesus.
Apparently, people interpreted Jesus’ comment about John to mean that John would not die before Jesus returned. John is correcting this misunderstanding.
Some people get confused over the use of “we” in verse 24. They think that this is evidence that somebody else wrote the ending of this gospel. Yet, the pronoun “I” is used in verse 25. John is probably referring to himself and his fellow believers when he uses “we”. The point is that this gospel is not a total account of everything that happened. But it is a summary of the important parts. It is enough to show who Jesus is and why he came and provide evidence that faith in Jesus is reasonable.
So we come to the end of the gospel of John. This gospel shows the person of Jesus. John was a key eyewitness to the events in the life of Jesus. He was with Jesus for the three years of his ministry. He was with Jesus at his crucifixion. He was with Jesus after the resurrection. We have not just read some stories, we have read a real account of things that actually happened. Jesus said that he was the Son of God and came to us to forgive sins and make possible reconciliation with God. Jesus proved himself to people then by performing miracles. He then provided the proof of all proofs in rising from the dead.
Don’t finish this gospel with a comment of, “Isn’t that nice.” This gospel make demands of us. It calls for a response. John said that he wrote it so that you could believe and have eternal life. So, do you believe? If so, then as John said (20:31) that you can have life in his name. This means eternal life, but it also means more. It means life now in his name. It means becoming part of the community of believers in Jesus. It means carrying on the mission of Jesus in his name.
I will continue this blog as we shift from the gospel of John to the letter from Paul to the church in Rome. We will read through the book of Romans. In light of what Jesus did, how do we live?
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Friday John 21:15-19
Jesus restores Peter.
Click here for an online Bible John 21:15-19
After breakfast, Jesus asked Peter three questions. He said, “Do you love me more than these.” He does not specify what “these” means. Does it mean the other disciples, or the boats and fishing? Either way the question is if Peter loves Jesus more than the things of the world.
Peter said that he did love Jesus. Jesus told him to feed his sheep. This occurs three times. Each time Jesus asks Peter if he loves him. Each time Peter says that the does. Each time Jesus tells Peter to care for the sheep. Earlier, Peter had denied Jesus three times. Now, he professes his love three times. John says that on the third reply, Peter was grieved. Peter seems to have gotten over his self-sufficiency and now is broken before Jesus.
With the brokenness comes usefulness in the Kingdom of God. Jesus calls on Peter to be a shepherd for his flock. Peter will become the leader of the Christian movement. Jesus gives him an assignment and also predicts something about Peter’s future. John later interpreted Jesus’ prediction to be about Peter’s death. Remember that John wrote his gospel account about 15 years after the death of Peter. Jesus summed up his instructions to Peter with the simple command, “Follow me!”
Jesus could ask us the same questions. Do we love him more than the things of the world? We might say that we do, but do our lives really reflect that? With our love for him comes the responsibility to serve in the Kingdom of God. He calls us to follow him.
Click here for an online Bible John 21:15-19
After breakfast, Jesus asked Peter three questions. He said, “Do you love me more than these.” He does not specify what “these” means. Does it mean the other disciples, or the boats and fishing? Either way the question is if Peter loves Jesus more than the things of the world.
Peter said that he did love Jesus. Jesus told him to feed his sheep. This occurs three times. Each time Jesus asks Peter if he loves him. Each time Peter says that the does. Each time Jesus tells Peter to care for the sheep. Earlier, Peter had denied Jesus three times. Now, he professes his love three times. John says that on the third reply, Peter was grieved. Peter seems to have gotten over his self-sufficiency and now is broken before Jesus.
With the brokenness comes usefulness in the Kingdom of God. Jesus calls on Peter to be a shepherd for his flock. Peter will become the leader of the Christian movement. Jesus gives him an assignment and also predicts something about Peter’s future. John later interpreted Jesus’ prediction to be about Peter’s death. Remember that John wrote his gospel account about 15 years after the death of Peter. Jesus summed up his instructions to Peter with the simple command, “Follow me!”
Jesus could ask us the same questions. Do we love him more than the things of the world? We might say that we do, but do our lives really reflect that? With our love for him comes the responsibility to serve in the Kingdom of God. He calls us to follow him.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Thursday John 21:1-14
Jesus appeared to his disciples at the Sea of Galilee.
Click here for an online Bible John 21:1-14
It seems like the end of chapter 20 should be the end of the gospel. Jesus has risen from the dead and proved it to his disciples. John says that he has written this gospel so that you can know it with certainty and believe and have eternal life. But that is not the end of the story. With faith and eternal life comes a mission. Chapter 21 is a shift in focus toward the future. Yes, Jesus has risen, but he has also sent us out with a mission.
Why are the disciples back up in Galilee going fishing? Did they fall back into their old lives? No, Jesus sent them to Galilee. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus told the women at the tomb that he was sending the disciples to Galilee. As they were waiting in Galilee, Peter announced he was going fishing and the others joined him. I don’t think they had returned to their old lives, but decided that while they were waiting they could catch some food and earn some money.
Who was there? John names seven of them. We know that John was part of the group since he was the one that recognized Jesus on the shore. So that makes eight of the eleven. I think that they were all there in Galilee, although the other three may not have been fishing with them.
When Jesus appeared on the shore, they didn’t recognize him. Why not? It was daybreak, so visibility may not have been the best. Remember that they were about 100 yards from shore. That is the length of a football field. Imagine the scene. You are in a boat 300 feet from shore at dawn. Identifying somebody by sight would be difficult. But didn’t they recognize his voice? I think it would be very difficult to even understand the words of somebody at that distance. When they recognized that something amazing was happening, John understood that it was Jesus.
In his eagerness to see Jesus, Peter jumped into the water and swam ashore. The others brought the boat in with the net full of fish in tow. Jesus had already prepared breakfast for them but told them to bring some of the fish that they had caught.
So, what lessons are there here for us? First, they were not accomplishing anything until Jesus showed up. Even normal activities like fishing are best done under the direction of Jesus. He may be giving some symbolism here of the effectiveness of being fishers of men. We can do things in our own power, but it will not accomplish anything. We must follow Jesus in our fishing.
Second, Jesus provides for our needs. He cares about our needs.
Third, Jesus desires fellowship with us. There is something special about a meal together. Jesus did not just show them where the food was. He prepared it for them and ate with them.
Click here for an online Bible John 21:1-14
It seems like the end of chapter 20 should be the end of the gospel. Jesus has risen from the dead and proved it to his disciples. John says that he has written this gospel so that you can know it with certainty and believe and have eternal life. But that is not the end of the story. With faith and eternal life comes a mission. Chapter 21 is a shift in focus toward the future. Yes, Jesus has risen, but he has also sent us out with a mission.
Why are the disciples back up in Galilee going fishing? Did they fall back into their old lives? No, Jesus sent them to Galilee. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus told the women at the tomb that he was sending the disciples to Galilee. As they were waiting in Galilee, Peter announced he was going fishing and the others joined him. I don’t think they had returned to their old lives, but decided that while they were waiting they could catch some food and earn some money.
Who was there? John names seven of them. We know that John was part of the group since he was the one that recognized Jesus on the shore. So that makes eight of the eleven. I think that they were all there in Galilee, although the other three may not have been fishing with them.
When Jesus appeared on the shore, they didn’t recognize him. Why not? It was daybreak, so visibility may not have been the best. Remember that they were about 100 yards from shore. That is the length of a football field. Imagine the scene. You are in a boat 300 feet from shore at dawn. Identifying somebody by sight would be difficult. But didn’t they recognize his voice? I think it would be very difficult to even understand the words of somebody at that distance. When they recognized that something amazing was happening, John understood that it was Jesus.
In his eagerness to see Jesus, Peter jumped into the water and swam ashore. The others brought the boat in with the net full of fish in tow. Jesus had already prepared breakfast for them but told them to bring some of the fish that they had caught.
So, what lessons are there here for us? First, they were not accomplishing anything until Jesus showed up. Even normal activities like fishing are best done under the direction of Jesus. He may be giving some symbolism here of the effectiveness of being fishers of men. We can do things in our own power, but it will not accomplish anything. We must follow Jesus in our fishing.
Second, Jesus provides for our needs. He cares about our needs.
Third, Jesus desires fellowship with us. There is something special about a meal together. Jesus did not just show them where the food was. He prepared it for them and ate with them.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Wednesday John 20:19-31
Jesus appeared to his disciples.
Click here for an online Bible John 20:19-31
Peter and John had seen the empty tomb on Sunday morning. Mary Magdalene had seen Jesus near the tomb and had reported back to the disciples. Now on Sunday evening, they are lock in a room afraid of the Jewish authorities. It is hard to say what they were thinking, but it is clear that they were not rejoicing that Jesus had risen from the dead. We read in Luke’s gospel about Jesus’ encounter with the men on the road to Emmaus. They told Jesus all about what had been going on. The women had found the empty tomb and had seen angels. However, Peter and John went to the tomb. It was really empty, but they didn’t see any angels.
We can look back and see how dense they were. Jesus told them in advance what was going to happen. Then when it did happen, they couldn’t comprehend it. But we are just as bad. God has promised so many things to us, but we refuse to live by faith and instead live by our own skills and abilities. Deep down we know that we should trust God, but we are afraid to because it is foreign to us.
The disciples needed some peace. Jesus appeared to them and gave the standard greeting, “Peace to you.” It was a greeting, but it also was a reality. Jesus was there to give them peace. He provided proof of his identity and that he had really died and risen from the dead. Now, there was rejoicing. But, just like he did with Mary at the tomb, he turned the rejoicing toward the mission. He was sending them out to the world. He gave the central issue of the mission – the forgiveness of sin. They were going out to the world with the solution to sin – faith in Jesus Christ. This could only take place with the power of the Holy Spirit.
A couple of points are difficult here. He said he was sending them out. He also breathed on them and somehow gave them the Holy Spirit. But both of these points seem to go on hold for the next fifty days. It is not until Pentecost that we see the dramatic filling of the Holy Spirit which results in them actually going out into the world. Jesus was going to be with them for another forty days. At the end of that time, when he ascended to heaven, he told them to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-8). We can’t get distracted by these details, because we don’t have any more information, we can be comfortable with the fact that we can not completely understand God. The Holy Spirit is not a condition. He is not a force. He is God. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come after he left, so the fullness of the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost is understandable. The question is what is going on in the upper room with Jesus. Did he allow some supernatural understanding of his divinity through the Holy Spirit? Some people take these events and try to argue for the concept of “the second blessing” in which some time after coming to faith, a person is baptized by the Holy Spirit and they receive the gifts of the spirit. Those arguments are on shaky biblical grounds. The fifty days from the death of Jesus to Pentecost are a unique period of history beginning a new phase of how we relate to God.
We often pick on Thomas. He wasn’t there when Jesus appeared to the others. They told him that Jesus had appeared to them but he wouldn’t believe it. Remember that they wouldn’t believe it when Mary told them that Jesus had appeared to her. So, he is really no different than the rest of them. I think Thomas had a strong faith. Remember back when Jesus was going to go to Bethany and raise Lazarus from the dead. Some tried to stop Jesus from going. Thomas said, “Let’s go with him and die with him.” When Thomas saw Jesus, he said, “My Lord and my God!” This is a great verse to use with those who do not believe in the divinity of Jesus. They will say that Thomas was basically just exclaiming OMG (Oh my God!). A good Jewish boy is not going to say that. And Jesus would not have commended him for his faith. Thomas clearly understood that Jesus is God, and Jesus congratulated him for that confession.
John ends this passage with an explanation of why he has written this gospel. He did not write it as a complete history. He wrote it as an eye-witness so that we can be certain of who Jesus is. And we can have life by believing in him.
Click here for an online Bible John 20:19-31
Peter and John had seen the empty tomb on Sunday morning. Mary Magdalene had seen Jesus near the tomb and had reported back to the disciples. Now on Sunday evening, they are lock in a room afraid of the Jewish authorities. It is hard to say what they were thinking, but it is clear that they were not rejoicing that Jesus had risen from the dead. We read in Luke’s gospel about Jesus’ encounter with the men on the road to Emmaus. They told Jesus all about what had been going on. The women had found the empty tomb and had seen angels. However, Peter and John went to the tomb. It was really empty, but they didn’t see any angels.
We can look back and see how dense they were. Jesus told them in advance what was going to happen. Then when it did happen, they couldn’t comprehend it. But we are just as bad. God has promised so many things to us, but we refuse to live by faith and instead live by our own skills and abilities. Deep down we know that we should trust God, but we are afraid to because it is foreign to us.
The disciples needed some peace. Jesus appeared to them and gave the standard greeting, “Peace to you.” It was a greeting, but it also was a reality. Jesus was there to give them peace. He provided proof of his identity and that he had really died and risen from the dead. Now, there was rejoicing. But, just like he did with Mary at the tomb, he turned the rejoicing toward the mission. He was sending them out to the world. He gave the central issue of the mission – the forgiveness of sin. They were going out to the world with the solution to sin – faith in Jesus Christ. This could only take place with the power of the Holy Spirit.
A couple of points are difficult here. He said he was sending them out. He also breathed on them and somehow gave them the Holy Spirit. But both of these points seem to go on hold for the next fifty days. It is not until Pentecost that we see the dramatic filling of the Holy Spirit which results in them actually going out into the world. Jesus was going to be with them for another forty days. At the end of that time, when he ascended to heaven, he told them to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-8). We can’t get distracted by these details, because we don’t have any more information, we can be comfortable with the fact that we can not completely understand God. The Holy Spirit is not a condition. He is not a force. He is God. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come after he left, so the fullness of the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost is understandable. The question is what is going on in the upper room with Jesus. Did he allow some supernatural understanding of his divinity through the Holy Spirit? Some people take these events and try to argue for the concept of “the second blessing” in which some time after coming to faith, a person is baptized by the Holy Spirit and they receive the gifts of the spirit. Those arguments are on shaky biblical grounds. The fifty days from the death of Jesus to Pentecost are a unique period of history beginning a new phase of how we relate to God.
We often pick on Thomas. He wasn’t there when Jesus appeared to the others. They told him that Jesus had appeared to them but he wouldn’t believe it. Remember that they wouldn’t believe it when Mary told them that Jesus had appeared to her. So, he is really no different than the rest of them. I think Thomas had a strong faith. Remember back when Jesus was going to go to Bethany and raise Lazarus from the dead. Some tried to stop Jesus from going. Thomas said, “Let’s go with him and die with him.” When Thomas saw Jesus, he said, “My Lord and my God!” This is a great verse to use with those who do not believe in the divinity of Jesus. They will say that Thomas was basically just exclaiming OMG (Oh my God!). A good Jewish boy is not going to say that. And Jesus would not have commended him for his faith. Thomas clearly understood that Jesus is God, and Jesus congratulated him for that confession.
John ends this passage with an explanation of why he has written this gospel. He did not write it as a complete history. He wrote it as an eye-witness so that we can be certain of who Jesus is. And we can have life by believing in him.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tuesday John 20:11-18
Mary encounters the risen Christ.
Click here for an online Bible John 20:11-18
Mary found the tomb empty. She reported to the disciples and Peter and John ran to investigate. They verified that the tomb was empty then left. Mary remained and cried. She looked in the tomb again and was confronted by two angels. She didn’t seem to realize that they were angels. People usually have some king of awestruck reaction to angels. They asked Mary why she was crying. She told them that she was looking for the body of Jesus. Then Jesus came to her. She didn’t recognize him either. I guess if you are too upset to recognize the risen Son of God, then you probably wouldn’t recognize angels either. Jesus asked her why she was crying and she still didn’t recognize him. When he called her by name she recognized him. Jesus said he knows his sheep and they recognize his voice. She knew her shepherd and responded when he called her.
She apparently grabbed Jesus and held on. Jesus told her not to cling to him. I’m not sure if his meaning was, “I am still here for a while, so you don’t have to cling to me” or if he meant, “I am ascending to the Father soon, so you can not cling to me and prevent me from going.” Either way, he redirected her to the mission, Go Tell! And she did go and tell the disciples.
Some thoughts here: Sometimes we can get so caught up in ourselves that we miss God speaking to us. The tough part is shifting our focus from ourselves to God.
The mission is to GO TELL! We would like to stay in the comfort of the church, but we are called to go out into the world.
Click here for an online Bible John 20:11-18
Mary found the tomb empty. She reported to the disciples and Peter and John ran to investigate. They verified that the tomb was empty then left. Mary remained and cried. She looked in the tomb again and was confronted by two angels. She didn’t seem to realize that they were angels. People usually have some king of awestruck reaction to angels. They asked Mary why she was crying. She told them that she was looking for the body of Jesus. Then Jesus came to her. She didn’t recognize him either. I guess if you are too upset to recognize the risen Son of God, then you probably wouldn’t recognize angels either. Jesus asked her why she was crying and she still didn’t recognize him. When he called her by name she recognized him. Jesus said he knows his sheep and they recognize his voice. She knew her shepherd and responded when he called her.
She apparently grabbed Jesus and held on. Jesus told her not to cling to him. I’m not sure if his meaning was, “I am still here for a while, so you don’t have to cling to me” or if he meant, “I am ascending to the Father soon, so you can not cling to me and prevent me from going.” Either way, he redirected her to the mission, Go Tell! And she did go and tell the disciples.
Some thoughts here: Sometimes we can get so caught up in ourselves that we miss God speaking to us. The tough part is shifting our focus from ourselves to God.
The mission is to GO TELL! We would like to stay in the comfort of the church, but we are called to go out into the world.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Monday John 20:1-10
The tomb was empty.
Click here for an online Bible. John 20:1-10
John’s gospel is different in its details from the other gospels on the resurrection account. They can all fit together, but each one stresses different points. John doesn’t tell about the angels that appeared to the women. He tells about his experience when he and Peter ran to the tomb. He does not mention the other women who were with Mary Magdalene. The other gospels cover those details. He stressed the part for which he was an eye-witness. He includes the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene (tomorrow’s reading) since it was the first post-resurrection appearance of Jesus.
John was a witness. The tomb was empty. The grave clothes were left behind. The stone was rolled away. John is also honest enough to admit that he and Peter did not understand what had happened.
We are called to be witnesses to what we know and what we have experienced. We do not have to be theologians, we just have to know why we believed and what God has done in our lives.
Click here for an online Bible. John 20:1-10
John’s gospel is different in its details from the other gospels on the resurrection account. They can all fit together, but each one stresses different points. John doesn’t tell about the angels that appeared to the women. He tells about his experience when he and Peter ran to the tomb. He does not mention the other women who were with Mary Magdalene. The other gospels cover those details. He stressed the part for which he was an eye-witness. He includes the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene (tomorrow’s reading) since it was the first post-resurrection appearance of Jesus.
John was a witness. The tomb was empty. The grave clothes were left behind. The stone was rolled away. John is also honest enough to admit that he and Peter did not understand what had happened.
We are called to be witnesses to what we know and what we have experienced. We do not have to be theologians, we just have to know why we believed and what God has done in our lives.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sunday John 19:31-42
After Jesus died, he was placed in a tomb.
Click here for an online Bible John 19:31-42
Death on a cross was designed to occur through suffocation. Hanging from the cross put intense pressure across the chest making breathing difficult. The intent was to make the process slow and agonizing. People could last on a cross for a few days. Because of the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders wanted to finish things more quickly. Soldiers broke the legs of those on the cross so that they could no longer use their legs to ease the pressure on their chests. Once their legs were broken, breathing was nearly impossible.
Since Jesus was already dead, they did not break his legs. One of the soldiers stabbed him between the ribs with a spear. Blood and water came out. Doctors say that after death, the blood in a person begins to separate, so this was evidence that Jesus was already dead.
Joseph and Nicodemus had secretly followed Jesus. Now they came out of the closet and requested the body of Jesus. They hastily prepared the body and put it in a tomb owned by Joseph.
Joseph and Nicodemus were taking a chance by publicly affiliating themselves with Jesus. Joseph was a businessman. He risked his business by associating his name with Jesus. Nicodemus was part of the Jewish ruling council. He risked his position and livelihood by going public.
We generally are not asked to risk much for our faith. Yet we still find it hard to publicly acknowledge Jesus.
Click here for an online Bible John 19:31-42
Death on a cross was designed to occur through suffocation. Hanging from the cross put intense pressure across the chest making breathing difficult. The intent was to make the process slow and agonizing. People could last on a cross for a few days. Because of the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders wanted to finish things more quickly. Soldiers broke the legs of those on the cross so that they could no longer use their legs to ease the pressure on their chests. Once their legs were broken, breathing was nearly impossible.
Since Jesus was already dead, they did not break his legs. One of the soldiers stabbed him between the ribs with a spear. Blood and water came out. Doctors say that after death, the blood in a person begins to separate, so this was evidence that Jesus was already dead.
Joseph and Nicodemus had secretly followed Jesus. Now they came out of the closet and requested the body of Jesus. They hastily prepared the body and put it in a tomb owned by Joseph.
Joseph and Nicodemus were taking a chance by publicly affiliating themselves with Jesus. Joseph was a businessman. He risked his business by associating his name with Jesus. Nicodemus was part of the Jewish ruling council. He risked his position and livelihood by going public.
We generally are not asked to risk much for our faith. Yet we still find it hard to publicly acknowledge Jesus.
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