Author: Jeff Englund

John 8: 6b-8

” But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.”

God is definitely one very cool dude. I apologize if that sounds disrespectful. It is not meant that way. It is a little lingo from my youth. (Yes, I’m getting to the “Older Than Dirt” end of the age spectrum.)

Confronted with what amounts to an unsolvable puzzle meant to trap Jesus into either (A) Confirming the Covenant Law given by Moses and being guilty of breaking the Roman law, or (B) choosing to honor the Roman law governing Judea and disavowing the laws given by Moses under the Covenant Law instituted on Mt. Sinai, Jesus bends down and ignores the whole situation.

Talk about cool! Continue reading “Let ‘Em Sweat”

John 7:53-8:6a

” Then they all went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.”

 

Imagine going to work in the morning knowing that you will be publicly challenged by the boss, the bosses’ boss, the police, and the city council, and also knowing that their intentions are to humiliate and ridicule you before your friends and coworkers. Imagine also that you know that they would really, really like to see you dead. Do you go to work anyway? You do if you are the Son of God! Continue reading “Ambush!”

John 7: 49-52

“‘ No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.’ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?’ They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.'”

 

Yesterday we examined the topic of rationalizing what one believes. The Pharisees had decided that Jesus was a deceiver because he had people convinced he was the Messiah when he did not follow the Sabbath laws. (The idea that God was not subject to the laws of man obviously hadn’t occurred to them.)

In this passage, Nicodemus tries to reason with his own kind, Pharisee to Pharisee. Continue reading “Plots”

John 7: 47- 48

 “‘ You mean he has deceived you also?’ the Pharisees retorted. ‘Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?’”

 

Yesterday Nathan commented, “ … even the Pharisee’s couldn’t avoid the fact that something supernatural was going on – they just responded by claiming it was the power of Satan.” Yes, even the Jewish leaders could not deny the signs that Jesus did, but they could rationalize about why he was able to do them. If he wasn’t the Messiah, and they could not afford for Him to be the Messiah, then he must represent the other major supernatural power that they know about, Satan. Anyone who doesn’t “see” this “truth” has been “deceived.”  Continue reading “Rationalization”

John 7: 32, 44-46

” The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?’

“No one ever spoke the way this man does,’ the guards replied.”

 

The way John tells this part of the story makes me smile. In verse 32 he tells us about the temple guards being sent out to arrest Jesus. It is not until twelve verses later the temple guards show up again without Jesus. What were they doing all of this time?

Apparently, based on what they told the Pharisees, they had been listening to Jesus. Think about that for a moment. Armed men sent out to arrest Jesus are stopped from doing their job by the power of what Jesus was saying.  Continue reading “Power”

John 7: 40-43

” On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”

Others said, “He is the Messiah.’

Still, others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?’ Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.”

What do we know about Jesus so far from John’s Gospel? He has changed water into wine in Cana. He has cured diseases and made the blind see. He tells people that their sins are forgiven. He cleaned house in the temple courtyard. He has gathered people to him called disciples who are convinced he is someone special. Oh, and he is really good at ticking off the Pharisees.  Continue reading “Incognito II”

John 7: 39

” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”

This verse follows Jesus telling the people at the festival, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” In verse 39 John explains that Jesus was referring to the Spirit that would be given after Jesus had ascended into heaven. Now, about 2000 years later, the Spirit of God has been moving through his people for a long time.  Continue reading “Rivers II”

John 7: 37-38

” On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’” 

How are we to take this guy seriously? Living water? Really??

The metaphors that Jesus used to describe where he was from and what he was doing on earth were difficult for people to understand. Honestly, they still are difficult. Yet he had a message he was trying to convey. Continue reading “Rivers”

” The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.’
The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?'”

Where is Jesus going? We have noted several times that Jesus speaks like he is from another place, and not of this world. Now he is speaking like he is going to a place different from this world. Continue reading “Door”

John 7: 28a – 31

“’I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.’

At this, they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, ‘When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?’”

A while back I wrote about Smudge the cat. Smudge belongs to the neighbor but for personal reasons having to do with a lot of competition for attention in that house, Smudge likes to visit us and loves attention. A little scratching behind the ears and Smudge is putty in your hands purring like a kitten. So while Smudge isn’t our cat, you might say she’s our friend.

One of the things about having a cat for a friend is that you become the recipient of signs of their affection. Cats are generous. They like to bring gifts and leave them on your doorstep. Of course what a cat might think is a wonderful gift is probably not the same thing that you would want for a gift. In Smudge’s case, she is a good hunter, and she proudly brings us the trophies she has brought down herself.  Continue reading “Signs”