So what do we need to do to increase our spirituality and walk with the Lord? Believe. That’s what Christ told a group of Galileans who asked Him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” (John 6:28). Jesus had earlier chided them for being interested in Him solely because of the meal He had providedContinue reading “Real Work and Real Life”
Category Archives: John
God Using His Words
What if there were no words? Parents wouldn’t be able to encourage their children to use your words. We would be unable to communicate with each other in the rich, substantive way that words make possible. Without words, our ability to process anything intellectually would be severely diminished. We wouldn’t be able to think our way through someContinue reading “God Using His Words”
Funeral for a Friend
The main difference between funerals in the first century and today has to do with our modern embalming practices. Nothing like this existed then so burial took place not after a few days after death, but a few hours. When it was determined that a person had died, their eyes would be closed, and theirContinue reading “Funeral for a Friend”
Finding Jesus
John 7 takes place in Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles about six months before Jesus’ crucifixion. As John is prone to doing, he takes an event (like Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman or the feeding of the multitude) and details some of the ripples that emanated from it. In the seventh chapter, the eventContinue reading “Finding Jesus”
High Touch or High Truth?
Unlike the synoptic writers who start with events surrounding Jesus’ birth (Matthew and Luke), or with the ministry of John the Baptizer (Mark), John’s gospel sets a cosmic tone as he goes all of the way back to the beginning. We hear echoes of Genesis 1 as he writes about the beginning, the word, and light. Some have suggestedContinue reading “High Touch or High Truth?”
The Pain of Failure and the Power of Love
All roads eventually end. For some, it’s a dead end (no fun for the driver), but most provide us with an option of some kind—we can go left or right. The best roads though, merge onto other roads and we never have to stop. That’s the way we should think of John 21, as wellContinue reading “The Pain of Failure and the Power of Love”
Falling Into Fruitfulness
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (Jesus in John 12:24). We are born with two fears—the fear of loud noises and the fear of falling. The sensation of falling is an uncomfortable one. Think ofContinue reading “Falling Into Fruitfulness”
Scared of the stink
Martha was scared of the stink. When Jesus told them to “Take away the stone” from Lazarus’ tomb, Martha shot back with, “But Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days” (John 11:39). We do this godly lady an injustice if we understand these words as reflectingContinue reading “Scared of the stink”
Living in the Light
We recently had new flooring put down in our house. It wasn’t a choice but a necessity. Our washing machine expired and as a parting gift left us with a couple of inches of water throughout much of the house, ruining the flooring. We decided to go with a lighter colored flooring. (Okay, Janice pickedContinue reading “Living in the Light”
A Look at John’s Manger (2)
He was no mere tourist—He “made His dwelling among us,” (John 1: 4). The word translated “dwelling” is also used for the tabernacle in the wilderness and is meant to remind us of such. God didn’t desert His people in the wilderness! In fact, He was there in their midst the entire time. In theContinue reading “A Look at John’s Manger (2)”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 