The Shortcut of Changing the Labels – Christian vs. Christ-follower

In John 10 Jesus has some tough words for the Pharisees in response to their poor reception of the man he healed from blindness in John 9. I wrote up quite a lengthy post detailing what was going on in John 10, Jesus as the good shepherd and the gate and all the rest…context, historical [...]

John 9 – Mud in the Eyes Christians

After reading and re-reading the story of the man born blind in John 9 today I am struck by the power and authority of Jesus combined with the blind man’s willing obedience. Our faith is a partnership of unequals. We can’t even take credit for listening and doing because without his command we wouldn’t have [...]

Gospel of John 8:12-59 – Jesus Gets Testy

John 8:12-59 contains some of the best known lines in John but they aren’t said to a loving, accepting mob of fervent believers. They are spoken to a mostly obnoxious and rebellious group in Jerusalem. In 8:12 Jesus says he is the light of the world. One of the great “I am” statements and one [...]

Gospel of John 8 – Jesus Light of the World

As was already mentioned the Feast of Tabernacles had several ceremonies that keyed in on themes of Jewish history. The water ceremony remembered the wilderness wanderings where God dwelled with his people and provided them water to drink. Jesus worked off this theme in calling himself the source of living water (John 7:37). The second [...]

Gospel of John 7 – Jesus Fulfills the Feast of Tabernacles

[Repost from Nov 11, 2007]
When the woman at the well ran to town to tell about the man who told her “everything [she] ever did,” she brought back a crowd of people Jesus referred to as a field ripe for harvest (John 4:35-39). The harvest was an important component of ancient life. The need for [...]

100% Effective Evangelism

Reading John 7 today I kept noticing the theme of Jesus bringing a dividing line to the people he was with. They either believed in him or they didn’t. They either put their faith in him or they wanted him dead! It wasn’t really that extreme but often in John it feels that way. What [...]

Gospel of John 6:16-24 Jesus Walks on Water

This morning as I was reading about Jesus walking on the water it hit me how unusual this was. Normally people walking on water would be an unusual experience. But after having read and heard this story at least 100 times somehow it loses its sense of wonder. After all, this is the same guy [...]

Crucified Ape?

Have you heard about Paul Fryer’s lame attempt at art to bring attention to the cause of the Western Lowland Gorilla? Not only lame…this is a slap in the face of all things significant. How does a crucified wax ape help the plight of Western Lowland Gorillas? How is this art? Even the apostle [...]

Gospel of John 4:43-54 A Big Request

43After the two days he left for Galilee. 44(Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there.
46Once more he [...]

Walking in the Light Does Not Mean We Never Sin

Many Christians have been fed the works-righteousness lie of the sin-out, repent-in cycle. It goes something like this…When you become a Christian you are reconciled to God but when you sin, until the moment you repent you are in danger of the fires of hell. Don’t forsake the assembly…you might go to hell. Don’t do [...]