Three Minute Bible

John 7: 2-5

” But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to him, ‘Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.’ For even his own brothers did not believe in him.”

Being the oldest sibling in the family carries with it certain burdens that are unique. I know. I am one. For one thing, the oldest is the child that parents make most of their mistakes on. The oldest also seems to be the recipient of a lot of expectations. Then there is the role of helping to raise the younger siblings. Sometimes that means lots of responsibility without any authority to go with it.  Continue reading “Brothers”

John 7:1

” After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him.”

Did you ever have one of those days when people were looking for ways to kill you? No? How about beat you up?

When I was about eleven years old my family moved to a small town with a rather rough pedigree. Academics were not prized there, but toughness was. Sometimes people would pick a fight for no reason at all. Stories about kids getting beat up or seriously hurt were not uncommon, and there were certain places one didn’t go if they didn’t want to risk a confrontation with someone who was just looking for a fight.

Even so, there is a big difference between being the object of a bully’s unwanted attention, and having people seriously plotting to kill you. Continue reading “Avoidance”

John 6: 70-71

‘Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)’

This is a highly unusual passage in that Jesus calls out Judas Iscariot indirectly, letting him know that Jesus knows who and what he is. The indirect approach also leaves the other disciples all looking at each other and wondering which one of them is a devil. Clearly, Jesus is not into “team building.” Continue reading “Devil”

John 6: 66-69

” From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve.

Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.’”

Each time I have opportunity to sit down and write a post for this blog, I find myself looking at words I have read many times over and finding something new. One of the things that has jumped out at me during this study is how often Jesus repeats himself. He is very clear about his mission and his message both in word and deed.

In today’s verse Jesus is confronted by rejection from those who were considered his disciples. After listening to him go on and on about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, they finally just left, except for the twelve. Jesus then turns his attention from the crowds to his core group of disciples and challenges them. ‘Are you leaving, too…?’ is the challenge behind his words.  Continue reading “Leaving?”

John 6: 63b-65

” ‘The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.’”

The BIble presents us with a number of conundrums. One is that we have to lose our life to gain it. (Matthew 16: 25) In today’s passage we are confronted with another conundrum: No one can come to Jesus unless the Father has enabled them. Like the conundrum about being saved by grace but still needing to do deeds reflecting faith in God (James 2: 14), we are torn between two ways of looking at our world. One way is through human eyes, the other through God’s eyes. Only Jesus was able to successfully do both.   Continue reading “Eyes”

John 6:63a

” The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.”

This is not one of the verses in the Bible that is often quoted. In fact, in all my years I do not think I have ever heard anyone quote this verse. Why is that?

These words from Jesus are direct and straightforward. There is no metaphorical meandering here. This statement is about as blunt as one could be.  Continue reading “Life vs Nothing”

John 6: 62

” Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!”

This chapter of John’s is almost entirely devoted to a discussion between Jesus and the people he is trying to teach about God. These people are Jews, but unlike the Jewish leaders, most of the people in this crowd are what would be called “followers” of Jesus. They like the miracles he does. They like being healed and made well. They like the idea of a king who can provide a banquet for all of them out of a small boy’s lunch.

Even though these people recognize that Jesus is unique in power, they do not seem to understand this idea that there is a separate kind of life apart from the flesh. More than this, they do not understand that outside of being in Jesus there can be no real life.  Continue reading “What If?”

John 6: 58b-61

“‘ Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.’

He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?'”

 

Are you offended, or are you starting to get it? Do you understand that Jesus is trying to tell us about a different kind of life? The flesh dies and is done. The spirit, that part of you that is really “you,”  lives on and in Jesus that will be raised up on the last day. It wasn’t just the repetition that was getting to his audience though, it was the idea of eating Jesus that was driving them nuts.  Continue reading “Nuts”

John 6: 55-58a

” For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 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. This is the bread that came down from heaven. “

Once again, just to be very clear, Jesus repeats himself: Continue reading “Repetition”

John 6: 54b

” … and I will raise them up at the last day. “

I continue to marvel at how much information is packed into the words that Jesus said while here on earth. The first half of John 6: 54 foreshadows the elements of communion; the bread and the wine. The second half is a much different kind of statement. Jesus transitions from the metaphorical to the literal. He also speaks in an uncharacteristically direct way.

Jesus says, “…and I will raise them up…”

No waffling here about who will be raising up the dead. Continue reading “No Waffles”