Category: John - Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry

John 1:19-28 - Lectionary for Advent 4

12/19/2019

12/19/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading from John 1:19-28 introduces us to John, the forerunner of the Messiah. We meet John proclaiming the kingdom of God and baptizing repentant people. When asked why he was doing this, he denied being the Christ or the prophet to come, but says he can show the people to the Christ.

It’s so very easy for us to mix up our priorities. I regularly find myself talking with pastors and other church leaders who are frustrated because they haven’t been able to convert people to Christ. They have found that they are unable to put marriages and families back together again. They have failed in their prayers, in their counsel, in their administration.

My question in these situations, though I usually ask it more gently than this, is, “Who do you think you are, anyway?” If we think we are the savior, we will be disappointed, and so will the people we try to care for. Worse still, the people we try to care for may try to trust us as the savior, be deceived into looking for salvation to come from us, and fall from the grace of God into eternal condemnation. Who do we think we are, anyway?

Who are you, John? I’m a guy pointing people to Jesus, the Messiah. You should see what he is doing. He’s able to bring you forgiveness. He’s able to deliver life to you. He’s worthy to take away the sins of the whole world. Really, don’t trust me. Trust him. He’s the one you want to meet.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 8:48-59 - Lectionary for Trinity C

6/13/2019

6/13/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

We’ve all seen disputes like this. A friend is accused in general terms. There’s no evidence, not even a real charge, just an ad hominem attack. The friend takes the bait, poor fool. He answers the statement and says his accuser is wrong. The dispute escalates amazingly fast. Within moments, we almost think our friend, who is not a vegetarian, must be a cannibal.

In John 8:48-59, Jesus, accused of being a Samaritan with a demon, takes the bait. It is nothing more than bait, and Jesus knows precisely what to expect. He uses the opportunity to say that he doesn’t seek his own glory, but that God the Father does. He then makes a claim to be able to grant eternal life.

This, in turn, baits the Jews. They latch on to the discussion of eternal life, pointing out that Abraham, certainly a credible example, died. Ha! Take that!

Jesus’ response is that his glory comes from God but that, unlike the Jews, he needs to tell the truth (bang, take that). Furthermore, Abraham was glad to see the day of Christ. This is such an outlandish statement the Jews, forgetting for the moment that they have been called liars, point out the obvious fact that Jesus doesn’t appear to have been around at the time of Abraham, a couple of thousand years ago. Jesus ends the discussion by claiming to be pre-existent to Abraham, using the very name of God revealed to Moses in the Exodus. The Jews understand this as a claim of deity and move to using rocks instead of words to try silencing Jesus.

Jesus makes all sorts of claims we find amazing. There’s a supernatural, miraculous aspect to him. What sets him apart is that all his claims, upon examination, prove to be true. This is not like our friend, who, though he can prove that he eats steak, can’t prove that he doesn’t eat the neighborhood pets. A positive can be proven but a negative cannot be disproven. Jesus shows himself to be the eternal God the Son, who is greater than death. He’s the one we ought to be lieve. All his other clams are true.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 14:23-31 - Lectionary for Pentecost C

6/6/2019

6/6/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Over the years I’ve spent time with quite a lot of people who represent the fairly radical branch of Christianity that focuses a great deal on the work and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Our Gospel passage from John 14:23-31 should make certain people feel right at home. Then again, perhaps not.

As Jesus prepares to depart from his time walking with the disciples, he promises the Holy Spriit. Our friends who are enthusiastic about spiritual gifts become very interested at this teaching. What great works will the Holy Spirit do?

In fact, in verse 26, he teaches Christians to hold to Jesus’ word. There we go. He will teach them and help them remember what Jesus said. On the surface, there is no mighty work there. It seems pretty mundane. In fact, if we study the Scripture adequately, we might expect to remember what Jesus taught. This seems quite an anticlimax.

What’s really happening here? The Holy Spirit directs Christians to depend on Jesus. We don’t look for signs of power in ourselves. We don’t expect additional revelation of God. We don’t place our hopes on some fantastic experience. We rather are taught by the Holy Spirit to depend on Jesus. Christ crucified for sinner, forgiving our sins as we repent, raising us to life and hope - it all seems pretty quiet, but it is the most amazing work of divine power we can ever consider. The perfect God of all becomes one of us, even taking our sin and dying for it. And the Holy Spirit points us right to this Lord.

Come, Holy Spirit. Point us to Jesus.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 17:20-26 - Lectionary for Easter 7C

5/30/2019

5/30/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In this week’s Gospel reading, Jesus, praying for his people, prays especially for their unity. Their unity, in John 17:21, is like that of the Father and the Son. It is centered on the glory of God, which, in verse 22, has been given to those who believe in Jesus. It is also based on the name of God and his love, given to them.

Sadly, we often develop a low view of unity in Christ. Instead of gathering around God’s redemptive love in Christ, we gather around our common interests or common backgrounds. We fail to realize that the body of Christ, with all its diversity of age, cultural background, and language, is unified by its common confession of faith in Christ, God the Son, who is the one who reconciled the world to God by his death in our place. This is the common confession of the Church through history and in every culture. We are gathered, then, in a unity prepared by God, not by us.

This is why it is a failure when Christians emphasize their differences rather than their confessional unity. We are to be one in Christ. That means when people make ethnic or nationalist assertions about the Church they are falling short of their Lord’s call for unity. In my own church body I have heard and seen this. It is not always said in terms our broader culture would recognize easily. The presence of a national flag in a church suggests a special allegiance to that nation. Statements like “We are the church for young people” or “We aren’t your grandfather’s church” or even, “We’re the Norwegians, not the Saxons” describe our fractious attitude. Jesus prayes that we may be one, united around Him, regardless of all our other identifying marks. Christ crucified for sinners pulls us together in one true church that welcomes sinners to partake of Jesus’ forgiveness. May we be one.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 16:23-33 - Lectionary for Easter 6C

5/23/2019

5/23/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel passage from John 16:23-33 shows a sharp contrast between the attitude of Jesus’ disciples and the honest evaluation Jesus makes of them. Jesus gives them great encouragement. The time is coming when the discipoles will ask things boldly in Jesus’ name. They will not need to fear, because they have trusted Jesus and God’s love is upon them. This is excellent hope. The disciples affirm that they do believe in God really well. Everything should work out fine if this is the case. However, Jesus tells them they will be scattered in a time of tribulation. The opposition will come and they will flee.

I hope our intentions are as good as those of the disciples. But what I know is that Jesus’ evaluation is right and true. When opposition comes, God’s people tend to scatter and flee. Yet his promise is also good. He will not lose his people. We may be ready to flee, but he has given us His name and his promises. We can rely on him.When we need something, we can ask it without fear. So when trouble comes, we ask him to keep us safe and secure in His name. There we can have confidence.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 10:22-30 - Lectionary for Easter 4C

5/9/2019

5/9/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading for this week, from John 10:22-30, confronts today’s world head-on. The Jews demanded of Jesus that he tell them plainly if he was the Christ. Jesus responded by referring them to his works, since they had refused to believe his words. In other words, he had answered the question both in words and in deeds.

Western Christians face a world that regularly wants to be critical of some, but not all, of what Jesus did and said. Normally our world does not accept the Scripture as the reliable account of eyewitnesses or people who were with eyewitnesses, even though it is better documented in this regard than any other ancient text. They want to know why Christians are not the sme kind of activists for social change that will fit the unbeliever’s ideal. In fact, our world is generally interested in the words and deeds of Jesus which Christ himself does not put particular emphasis on, yet they ignore his actions to conquer sin and death and to reconcile humanity to God.

What deeds of Jesus will speak for him? His perfect obedience to the Law. His taking on humanity so as to redeem humanity. His death according to Scripture. His resurrection. His promise to be with His people. Here we find the Christ as he shows himself to be the savior. Will he tell us clearly? He has already done so.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 21:1-19 - Lectionary for Easter 3C

5/2/2019

5/2/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In John 21, Jesus appears to his disciples in a surprisingly unassuming way. The apostolic band, in sorrow and disappointment, is deciding to return to former ways of life. The fishermen are going to catch fish, care for their families, and conduct business as usual. After a fruitless night’s work, Jesus appears to them the way he had several years before. He tells them to cast the nets again.

We should notice that the boat is not far out in the water, but is still about a hundred yards out. In general, though we can easily make out a human figure at that distance and hear a voice across water, we really aren’t going to recognize a face. If we don’t know who to expect we will not be able to identify someone. The apostles recognize Jesus because of the context of their interaction. Jesus had previously provided a large catch of fish after a frustrating night, then he put them to work in His kingdom. Here he does it again.

We all have times of frustration and doubt. We are all tempted to follow circumstances toward our old habits. Often our Lord doesn’t intervene. He may use the circumstance to confirm that we were doing fine. But when he does intervene to redirect us, it is usually quite plain. He brings the huge catch of fish, he calls us by name, he gives us something we need to do.

When Jesus intervenes he does something else as well. As in John 21, he restores our relationship to him. He lets us see a purpose in what we are doing. Maybe he affirms it through circumstances or through people. But he uses those times of restoration to strengthen our relationship with him. He calls us to his side and sends us to do good in his kingdom. This is how we find ourselves as God’s servants, loving and serving our neighbor, feeding His sheep.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 20:19-31 - Lectionary for Easter 2C

4/25/2019

4/25/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Countless pages have been written about the apostle Thomas. Well, perhaps not countless, but it would take a long time to count them. We routinely forget that he is the apostle who, when others tried to persuade Jesus not to go to Lazarus, rather said he would go and die with him. In our Gospel for this week, though, Thomas is disheartened. He is fearful. He is unbelieving. He has heard but he has not believed.

I wonder if you have ever noticed that Jesus essentially made an extra trip to be seen by Thomas with the others, in very much the same way he had appeared the week before. Thomas is important to Jesus. So are we when we are having trouble believing.

So do we try to insist that Jesus needs to come around with his broken and wounded body for us to believe? No, we don’t get to insist on that, because Jesus already has. When he instituted the Sacrament, he said that his broken body and his shed blood were present for his followers and their forgiveness, that the bread and the cup are a “participation” in his body and blood. Jesus is there on the altar, just as he was there for Thomas. His words are also for us. “Do not disbelieve, but believe” (v. 27B, ESV).

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 2:1-11 - Lectionary for Epiphany 2C

1/17/2019

1/17/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel for this week, from John 2:1-11, is a text very frequently used at wedding celebrations. The gist of it is that, while attending a wedding party, Jesus turns some water into wine, which proves to be the very best wine anyone can imagine. This passage is difficult to deal with, primarily because most of us already think we have exhausted it. But I’ll try to pull something useful out of it.

Please observe with me that in verse six the stone water jars are there for purification. Ceremonial washings were typical in Jewish homes which were dedicated to the Mosaic law. The fact that this household had six water jars and that each held about 20-30 gallons indicates that this is not only an observant home, but that it is a large household. This was not bathing water. It was water for purification. We can imagine that on a regular basis many people in the household would engage in a ceremonial washing that woule cleanse them from sin.

Again, note that upon Jesus’ command, the jars were filled with water, the normal substance that would be used within Judaism for cleansing. It was also, of course, something that could be used to quench thirst, but it would not be appropriate to drink this water once it was placed into the jars. They were special. Once you put the water into the jar, it was dedicated for its purpose.

See also that Jesus, and John the Evangelist, is vague about exactly what happens to the water. By the time it gets to the master of the feast, it is wine. It’s unclear whether the servants drawing it out of the jars found it to be water or wine when they drew it out. The specific timing of the change is not of consequence to God in the Scripture.

Finally, notice that this is a sign Jesus did to manifest his glory. It resulted in the disciples believing in him.

Many have made extensive comparisons of this miracle to Jesus’ atoning death and the symbolism surrounding communion. In communion, Jesus claims to give his body and blood to forgive. We don’t understand how the wine can also be blood, but historically Christians have accepted this statement, just as we have accepted the statement that the water became wine. We also don’t understand how partaking of the body and blood of Christ can bring forgiveness of sin, only that Jesus says it does. Again, historically Christians have accepted the statement, rather than trying to explain it. The jars are for purification. Jesus’ blood is for purification. Let’s see just one last element. There’s a whole lot of wine at this event. The master of the feast observes that the people have already had just about enough to drink. They can no longer tell the difference between good wine and not so good wine. But here Jesus makes anywhere from 120-180 gallons of very good wine. That’s a lot for any party, even from beginning to end. How much forgiveness does Jesus provide in his body and blood? He provides all that we might ever need. It’s overly abundant.

When Jesus is welcomed to our life’s events, we can know that there will be more than enough. What do we need? The big thing is God’s forgiving love. And it’s there, abundant and free. Jesus is welcome at the wedding.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 6:51-69 - Lectionary for Pentecost 13B

8/16/2018

8/16/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

I’m going to go out on a little bit of a limb here. Normally when I write about our lectionary readings I take a stance that I’m pretty confident about. But John chapter six is one of those really difficult portions of Scripture. The Evangelist says that Jesus’ words were offensive to many of the people around him, but that he doubled down on what he was saying. This provoked many people to depart.

What was so offensive? Jesus was talking about eating his body and drinking his blood, and he was speaking in very graphic terms. To the people of Israel, who had always known not only that cannibalism is inappropriate, but also that you need to take special care in draining the blood from an animal to be eaten, this was especially offensive. But that’s precisely what Jesus says here. He is setting up the idea that eating his body and drinking his blood feeds people to everlasting life.

What could he possibly mean? This is where I walk out on that limb. But many others have walked on the same limb before. I think it will bear our weight.

It all has roots in the Old Testament. Jesus tells us that all the Scriptures are about him. Sometimes that’s a little hard to see, but we’ll try to deal with it. He’s God the Son. He knows better than I do. What of that command not to eat animals with the blood in them, and not to drink blood? Judaism has a history of holding very strictly to this command. They have special supervision and procedures for slaughter of animals. I recently spoke with a Muslim who told me that in the absence of Halal meat this particular family was fine with Kosher processing. The issue was making sure the blood was drained. Of course, I can’t say how closely different individuals hold to these standards or how they interpret them. What I can identify, though, is the strong opinion that you are not supposed to be consuming blood.

How do we see Jesus in this? John chapter six gives the strong impression that Jesus is saying the only blood we are to consume is his. Are we offended yet? What does the Christian have to do with that kind of a statement? We have to do one of two things. Thing one: “Jesus is speaking metaphorically and saying that he is the one who gives us true life.” Thing two: “Jesus is speaking quite literally here and he is saying the same thing when he institutes communion. Somehow, in a way we cannot understand, he is physically present for us in his body and blood in communion, and this is a way he nourishes us to eternal life.”

This was always a troublesome passage to me until I put it together with 1 Corinthians 10, where the apostle Paul says that the bread and the cup are “a participation” in the body and blood of Christ. So on this limb I walked us out to, I’m going to say that Jesus is getting literal with us. We can’t understand how it can be. The substance in the cup and placed in the mouth or in the hand certainly shows all the characteristics of wine and bread. But as Jesus is saying they are blood and body and that they are for eternal nourishment, I’m going to stop questioning him. The alternative is to be offended and walk away. Like Peter, then, I’d have to ask who I would go to. After all, Jesus gave me words of life. Nobody else seems to have those. I’ll go with it, though I can’t fully understand it. Let God be God.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 6:35-51 - Lectionary for Pentecost 12B

8/9/2018

8/9/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In John chapter six, Jesus refers to himself as the bread of life. He also says that those who believe him will not be thirsty. He is the one who is satisfying. The words of Jesus here would seem fairly metaphorical. He’s the fulfilling one. We’re all right with that. But the Jews would have been fine with that also. Teaching from God is fulfilling. There’s no problem there.

Jesus doesn’t leave it there. The Jews start complaining about him in verse 41, because of his claim that he came down from heaven. They know where Joseph and Mary lived. They saw Mary pregnant. They would have seen Jesus toddling around except that Joseph and Mary suddenly moved to Egypt for a while when he was young.

Rather than pushing the limits of the Jews’ understanding with his teaching, rather than walking it back a little, Jesus pushes on. He emphasizes the idea of bread of life, of the manna in the wilderness, of God using him, the bread of life, to deliver people, and then throws a few gallons of gasoline onto the fire by saying that it is by eating him, the bread of life, in the flesh, that people live forever. This is a recipe for an explosion.

The events in John chapter six are pivotal in the life and ministry of Christ. He draws a line. Either people will believe he is exactly who he says he is, the Messiah of God, God dwelling in human flesh, the one who can take their sins upon himself and atone for them, the one who give himself to be consumed by them, thus feeding them to eternal life, or the people will have to reject him utterly. There is no mediating the view. There is no walking it back.

This talk was offensive to many in the crowd. They rejected him. Yet Jesus never walked his statements back, not one step. He still identifies himself as the Christ who has come for you and for me. He still identifies himself as the only one through whom we receive life. He makes no bones about it. But we find on top of all of these claims that he died as was prophesied and that he rose from the dead. The Christian faith is built on these factual happenings. He said he could lay his life down and take it up again. He then proceeded to do so. This critical fact tells us that we accept or reject all his claims together. If he is reliable in the fact of the resurrection we are going to assume he is otherwise reliable as well. The apostle Paul says that the resurrection is the crucial event in Christianity. It has not been disproven. Nobody has ever been able to do so. We are then left with the question. Do we want to reject Jesus’ claim that he is the bread of life? Wouldn’t we rather take him at his word? He, after all, is the reliable one. Let’s not be like the Jews who took offense at Jesus in John six. Let’s recognize that he is trustworthy.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 6:22-35 - Lectionary for Pentecost 11B

8/2/2018

8/2/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In John 6 a crowd, finding Jesus, ask him when he arrived in the place they were looking for him. Yes, that’s a strange question to ask. After all, they were looking for Jesus. Looking right through their pretense, which is to care about Jesus in order to get him to make food for them, Jesus tells them to work for some sort of eternal food (v. 27).

What are the works of God? This is a common question. We all seem to have the idea that it is by our works that we will earn God’s favor. Many times, especially in hospitals and speaking with people who think they are dying, I have had this conversation. The troubled person wants to know about confidence in God. He or she always says something like, “I have tried to be a good person. I hope I’m safe.” In effect, the question is, “Have I done the works of God? Have I found that eternal food?”

My answer in those cases is also predictable. “You haven’t worked the works of God well enough to redeem yourself. The good news is that Jesus has done what you could never do. He is the one who has kept God’s will perfectly and who is able to give you the credit for that obedience.” This is what Jesus means by doing the works of God. After all, in verse 29 he says that the work of God is to believe on God the Son.

Jesus tells his followers (who here may seem more like his mob of chasers) that he has taken care of the obedience, they need to trust his obedience rather than their own.

Does this mean that it doesn’t matter how we live? It doesn’t mean that at all. God has revealed his character in Scripture. He tells us what he values and what he hates. We don’t do the works that God hates. But we realize that it is not our obedience or failure which creates eternity for us. It is Jesus’ obedience and our trust in what Jesus has done.

This is truly food for eternal life. It will never pass away. Jesus has done all we need to enter into eternity without fear. We simply trust that he has done exactly what he promised and that it will be effective. This is doing the work of God. This is the food to eternal life.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 3:1-17 - Lectionary for Trinity B

5/24/2018

5/24/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In our Gospel reading for this week Jesus makes an oddly cryptic remark. When Nicodemus is confused by Jesus’ statement about being born again, Jesus speaks of the Spirit and wind (the same word) and says that you can hear the wind but can’t really tell where it came from. How is Nicodemus supposed to understand this? In verses 10 and following Jesus points out that being a teacher is not merely a matter of having a particular knowledge base. Nicodemus needs to believe God even though he doesn’t fully understand him.

Like Nicodemus, we often fail. We may fail to understand what should be clear. We may fail to believe what would be easily trusted by a child. Regardless, we depart from the power of God’s love when we leave trust behind and depend only on what we can analyze.

Here Jesus calls Nicodemus and us to trust him. Just as we can feel and hear the wind, we can know that Jesus is present, working forgiveness and restoration in our world.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 - Lectionary for Pentecost Sunday, Series B

5/17/2018

5/17/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

With very few exceptions, Christians want to be known as spiritual people. We want the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Yet very often our hope is that the Holy Spirit would make us outstanding. We want the glory. We want the honor. We want the praise.

Our reading from John 14-15, however, shows the Holy Spirit in a different light What is the work of the Holy Spirit? In John 15:13 he does guide the disciples. But in verse 14 we find that the truth is all about Jesus’ glory, not ours. The Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus, not about you or me

This is actually very comforting. We may wish to have fame and fortune But when push comes to shove, we don’t want to be the standard for anything. If I am the standard of truth, goodness, and beauty, your standards are too low. Rather, we let Jesus be the standard. All else can be compared to him. This is the work of the Holy Spirit - to exalt Jesus. He alone is worthy.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 17:11b-19 - Lectionary for Easter 7B

5/10/2018

5/10/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In John17:11 and 15 Jesus specifically prays for his followers to be protected in this world by his name. He doesn’t ask the Father to rescue them out of the world, but to protect them in the world. Time after time we find ourselves wishing for release from this world and its trials. Yet that is not Jesus’ prayer for us. He is still using his people in this world to do his work, bringing his truth, bringing his love, showing the results of his grace.

On one level I understand very well why we would pray to be removed from the world. Our mortal lives are full of disappointment, hurt, and pain. One friend of mine recently commented that as she waited for a medical appointment that had been shifted from one physician to another one she suddenly had to deal with fear that was rather like an abandonment situation many years in the past. She knew it was irrational. That didn’t mean it wasn’t real. Others I work with deal with chronic pain. They may wish every day that the pain would go away. They are told in Scripture that in their heavenly home there will be no more pain. That sounds awfully good. Others live out the nightmare of trying to care for people who are suffering in poverty and who have nothing, no food, no clothing, no means of protection. It’s a nightmare because we realize that there will always be more people in need of care, and that for many of them there is no care we can provide which will bring healing.

What are we doing in this world? We are living out the will of God. We bring healing, mercy, grace, and charity where we are able. We remind others that the Lord who watches over us also watches over them. We remind our neighbors that Jesus gave his life for them as well as for us, and that we are willing to visit them with his care.

That’s a difficult road to walk down. But it’s the one the Lord has in mind. And we can take confidence as we walk that path. Jesus has prayed for us. God himself prays that we will be guarded in this world. It doesn’t get better than that. We therefore walk courageously through this world. Jesus has already gone before us. He’ll take care.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 15:9-17 - Lectionary for Easter 6B

5/3/2018

5/3/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In John 15:9-17 Jesus calls his disciples “friends.” He makes it plain that they are his friends because he chose them and he wants to identify them as friends. They are not people who have pursued him with all their hearts. They are not people who have earned Jesus’ positive regard. They are simply people he has chosen.

What responsibility to Jesus’ friends have? He gives them a great privilege. That is to produce fruit, godly fruit, by loving one another. That’s his command. And it’s the disciples’ privilege. It’s a privilege because, as Jesus says, it is a source of joy, both for God and for us.

Remain in love, then. It’s a simple command. Go and care for someone. See the joy the Lord gives to those who know they are being faithful to him. See the joy which comes when, once in a while, one of the people we care for shows appreciation for that loving care. This is the privilege of bearing fruit for God.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John

5/3/2018

Thursdays are for the New Testament
5/3/18
Carson, D.A., and Douglas Moo An Introduction to the New Testament - Second Edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. "John" Carson & Moo pp. 225-284

John's Gospel may be variously separated into parts, but generally consists of a prologue (1:1-18), main body (1:19-chapter 20), and an epilogue (chapter 21).

AUTHOR
p. 229 "As far as we can prove, the title "According to John" was attached to it as soon as the four canonical gospels began to circulate together as 'the fourfold gospel.'" The author is not mentioned in the gospel itself but the title may have been recognized from the start.

External Evidence
p. 229 "the first writer to quote unambiguously from the fourth gospel and to ascribe the work to John was Theophilus of Antioch (c. A.D. 181)." However we do find quotes from other authors including Tatian, Claudius Apollinaris, and Athenagoras who do not specify the author but consider it an authoritative text.

p. 230 Irenaeus wote, "'John the disciple of the Lord, who leaned back on his breast, published the gospel while he was resident at Ephesus in Asia; (Adv. Haer. 3.1.1). In other words, the name of the fourth evangelist is John and is to be identified with the beloved disciple of John 13:23."

Authorship has been questioned in recent time. p. 233 "The fact remains that, despite support for Johannine authoriship by a few front-rank scholars in this century and by many popular writers, a large majority of contemporary scholars reject this view. As we shall see, much of their argumentation turns on their reading of the internal evidence. Nevertheless, it requires their virtual dismissal of the external evidence. This is particularly regrettable. Most historians of antiquity, other than New Testament scholars, could not so easily set aside evidence as plentiful and as uniform."

Among the external evidence the testimony that causes most doubt is that of Papias, who, as reported by Eusebius, suggests that there were two individuals named John, one of whom was an apostle and the other of whom was an elder, and that the elder, not the apostle, was responsible for the gospel. Recent scholarship has pointed to four reasons an appeal to Papias in this might not be appropriate.

p. 233 "In the terms of Papias, 'the discourses of the elders' means the teaching of Andrew, Peter, and the other apostles." Thus John the elder might well be an apostle.

p. 234 "It is worth noting that "apostle" and "elder" come together with a common referent in 1 Peter 5:1. Indeed, the Greek syntax Papias employs favors the view that 'Aristion and John the elder' means something like "Aristion and the aforementioned elder John.' Not only here but in H.E. 3.39.14 it is John and not Aristion who is designated 'the elder.' In choosing to refer to the apostles as elders, Papias may well be echoing the language of 3 John (on the assumption that Papias thought that epistle was written by the apostle John)."

p. 234 "It appears that the distinction Papias is making in his two lists is not between apostles and elders of the next generation but between first-generation witnesses who have died (what they said) and first-generation witnesses who are still alive (what they say).

Finally, we consider that Euesebius may have had an agenda himself. In his dislike for the apocalyptic teaching of Revelation he may have been wishing to suggest that Papias identified a non-apostolic author for revelation and possibly other writings which seem to be by the same person.

Internal Evidence (for authorship)
p. 237 "The traditional reason seems most plausible: the beloved disciple is non oether than John, and he deliberately avoids using his personal name. This becomes more likely when we remember that the beloved disciple is constantly in the company of Peter, while the Synoptics and Acts not to mention Paul link Peter and John in friendship and shared experience."

Carson and Moo detail several of the objections posed to authorship by John the apostle, most convincingly the objection that John was uneducated and therefore would not be capable of executing a literary work like the gospel. They observe that if he lived to a great age, as tradition seems to indicate, he would have had adequate time to build his skills in any way which would be necessary.

Stylistic Unity and the Johanine "Community"
Some scholars have suggested extensive redaction and source-gathering work prior to the release of John's gospel. The community would have identified the narratives which would be drawn into the gospel and would have modeled the narrative appropriately. Yet there do not seem to be the signs of such work in the gospel itself. There are some specific idiomatic ways of phrasing different concepts, but this is not unheard of within the work of a skilled author.

PROVENANCE
Geographically, we see suggestions that the gospel came from Alexandria, Antioch, Palestine, or Ephesus. Ephesus is the one location which has ancient testimony supporting it.

Conceptual Provenance
John's Religious World
Consider the conceptual world of Philo, the hermetic writings, Gnosticism, and Mandaism, all of which used a good deal of symbolism and allegory. There are many different movements available which could have influenced the thought life of John. p. 256 "Moreover, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 and their subsequent publication have shown that the closest religious movement to the fourth gospel in terms of vocabulary at least, was an extremely conservative hermetic Jewish community. This is not to say that John springs from the Essenes, thought to be represented by the Dead Sea Scrolls, but tha the appeal to strongly Hellenistic sources is now much less convincing than it was six decades ago."

John's Relation to the Synoptics
John is quite different in some respects from the synoptic gospels. He has more of a focus on Jesus' ministry in the sough than in the north. In John Jesus is very specifically identified as God, while the comparison is a little more oblique in the synoptics. However we find that the content and ideas of the gospels all are remarkably in unity. p. 258 "More impressive yet are the many places where John and the Synoptics represent an interlocking tradition, that is, where they mutually reinforce or explain each other, without betraying overt literary dependence." It appears quite clear that the four evangelists are writing about the very same events, but that they write about them differently. p. 259 "Conversely, numerous features in John are explained by details reported only by the synoptists."

Considering the relationship of John to Mark's gospel, on p. 260 Carson and Moo point out, "Granted the close friendship that Peter and John enjoyed, would it be very likely that either of them would long remain ignorant of a publication for which the other was responsible? Considerations of date then become important. For instance, if Mark was written about A.D. 64, and John within a year or two of that date, then the likelihood of mutual independence is enhanced. But if Mark was written sometime between 50 and 64, and the fourth gospel not until about 80, it is very difficult to believe that John would not have read it. The idea of hermetically sealed communities is implausible in the Roman Empire anyway, where communications were as good as at any time in the history of the world until the nineteenth century."

Do we need to assume an inter-relationship among the different gospels? p. 261 "On its own, John's account makes good historical sense. . . it is John who most persistently catalogues how much the early disciples did not understand, how much they actively misunderstood."

DATE
People have suggested a wide variety of dates, from before 70 to the last quarter of the second century. It does make sense that based on chapter 21 we can assume that Peter's death in 64 or 65 was before the composition. There are people who suggest composition very late in the first century, suggestion various reasons why the historical events in Domitian's reign (81-96) would fit well. Tradition says that John lived a very long time. Yet this does not require that the composition bet at the end of his life. Carson and Moo suggest (p. 267) a date between 80 and 85, though they are quite tentative about the dating.

DESTINATION
There is no clear destination for this gospel.

PURPOSE
While many scholars have suggested many purposes for the gospel of John, the purpose seems to be stated in chapter 20, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah."

TEXT
The text of John, except in a few places, seems quite solid and well documented. The narrative of the woman caught in adultery does not seem to be original, at least not original in its location. Aside from that there are very few passages with significant disputes, none of which cause any overall theological difficulty.

ADOPTION INTO THE CANON
All four canonical gospels were accepted quite solidly by the end of the second century.

JOHN IN RECENT STUDY
John has been subject to many studies of different themes over the generations. In recent years scholars have sought to do literary, social-scientific, and postmodern philosophical studies on the text, or rather on the community which created the text.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF JOHN
John adds a great deal of depth to the picture of Jesus which we receive from the synoptists. The overall picture of Jesus as a fully-functioning person who lives in perfect obedience to the Father so as to die as a substitutionary atonement gives us a more three-dimensional picture of Jesus than we find elsewhere. John is also always concerned with eschatology as well as the work of the Holy Spirit in Christ's people.

John 15:1-8 - Lectionary for Easter 5B

4/26/2018

4/26/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

John 15:1-8 has two very simple messages for us. First, God cares for his people’s well being. Second, God’s people are to spend their time and energy in dedication to his word. These two ideas work together. There’s a lot that the Lord desires to accomplish in this world. He does it through his people, who are bound to him in faith. We are the branches. He is the root, the stem on which we depend. He is also the one who cares for the plant, trimming it, cutting off diseased or unproductive parts, nurturing growth and fruitfulness.

How does God nourish and trim his plant, his Church? He does it as we meditate on his word. It is through our receiving the words of God that we know his values, his desires, all about his image. That’s how we grow in grace. That’s how we are changed into his image.

When we dwell on the Lord and his word dwells in us, we find we are disciples who know and do his will. We find that our desires are transformed into his desires. We find that our attitude mirrors his attitude. And we see that he will do all that we need.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 10:11-18 - Lectionary for Easter 4B

4/19/2018

4/19/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel passage this week, from John 10:11-18, has been used for all manner of foolishness. It’s even been used to demonstrate that God is the redeemer of many other people and assorted life forms in different galaxies, gathering them all together. Yes, that should strike us as odd.

What’s Jesus’ big point in this passage? He cares for all those who will believe on him. He lays down his life to rescue them. Even those people who were not with the disciples at the time Jesus was talking are subject to his care. They may not be with the flock at the time he is talking, but he has a habit of going here and there, telling about God’s kingdom. He’s going to create faith in those people as well.

Jesus, in this passage, says he is able to lay his life down for his sheep, all the people who will believe him. He says he is able to take his life up again, in the resurrection. That’s the proof he chooses to give of his power over death. We see Jesus’ assertion clearly. And in this season of Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, we remember that he has conquered death on our behalf.

This is the great good news of the Gospel. I may be afraid. I may flee. I may choose not to risk everything so as to care for Christ’s people. But Jesus is never afraid. He lays down his life for you and for me.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 20:19-31 - Lectionary for Easter 2B

4/5/2018

4/5/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading for the second Sunday of Easter is from John 20:19-31. Here John picks up the action in the evening of the day of resurrection and continues until a week later, moving us effectively to the second Sunday of Easter.

There’s a sharp contrast between the risen Jesus and his disciples, especially Thomas. Jesus, in his resurrection, has shown himself as the master over death. He also, twice, shows himself as the one who doesn’t need a key to go through a locked door. We don’t actually know how he entered the room. Calvin, always wrestling with the physical presence of Jesus, wants him to follow the physical constraints of mortality, and even suggests that he must have entered through a window. There’s no indication of that in the text either. Maybe Jesus walked through the door? Maybe through a wall? Maybe he materialized himself in the room? We really don’t know. It just says he came and stood with them. Yes, the original audience knew that this was impossible behavior. John even says in verse 30 that this was a sign so people would believe Jesus. He does impossible things.

When Jesus visits his disciples he delivers two very important things to them. He gives them a commission. They are sent by the Lord to forgive or retain sins (v. 23). He also imparts the Holy Spirit to the disciples. What’s the point of this? We don’t really see it in its fullness until Acts. However, the disciples, operating in the power of the Holy Spirit, become exactly the people who will turn the world upside down by their teaching of the resurrection. They effectively spread the message of Jesus throughout the Mediterranean world within just a few years.

Some people have told me they are uncomfortable with the idea, regularly expressed in Lutheran churches, of the pastor forgiving the sins of the people. Our routine response is that Jesus gave that to his disciples (not labeling them “apostles”) in John 20:23. The early Christians were of the strong opinion that this power was passed along through the laying on of hands as elders were ordained. Some will say, “I know that the Bible teaches if we confess our sins, Jesus forgives us. Why do I need you?” My answer is that we do sometimes need someone to remind us that Jesus is the one who forgives them. Whenever I hear a private confession, the absolution is in the name of Jesus. It is Jesus working forgiveness. My forgiveness is meaningless. But Jesus’ forgiveness through me as his earthly representative, sent by the Lord, is just as real as if he were to lay his hands on someone himself and speak forgiveness.

In reality, I’d worry more about the other part of verse 23. What about the retention of sins? May the Lord give us repentance so can receive forgiveness rather than having our sins bound to us as a burden we get to bear ourselves. Thanks be to God, we are given this word through John so we can believe and have life (v. 31).

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 3:14-21 - Lectionary for Lent 4B

3/8/2018

3/8/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading for this week, from John 3:14-21, refers back to our Old Testament reading in Numbers 21. Here Jesus explains that he is the fulfillment of the bronze serpent in the wilderness.

In Numbers, because of the people’s sin, God sent venomous snakes to bite and kill them. He then set up a cure. If people looked at a bronze serpent, lifted up on a pole, they would be rescued. Jesus’ statements seem to clarify that the looking was done in faith, trusting that God would rescue them.

Jesus describes himself as the fulfillment of the serpent in the wilderness. He, being fully human, but without sin, is visibly the very thing which brings death. Every human, with only two exceptions recorded in biblical history, dies. We all know that will happen. It’s inherent in our humanity.

Jesus, however, is not like us in a very important regard. He has no sin. Therefore, death cannot hold him. When he is lifted up on a pole, killed to death, he appears for all the world to be our complete equal, suffering death as well.

Jesus has a different solution, though, one which doesn’t show up in our understanding. He will draw all people to him, giving eternal life to all who believe. This is the way God loves the world. He loves it in such a way as to create life through faith in Jesus.

This is precisely what Jesus will do. After a few years of walking with his disciples, teaching them, and bringing healing and hope to crowds of people, he will be lifted up. The one who is perfectly human will become accursed in death for all the descendants of Adam. The one who is perfectly divine will be raised from the dead, bringing life to all who believe him. This is the Gospel of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

John 2:13-22 - Lectionary for Lent 3B

3/1/2018

3/1/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

John chapter 2 records an event often called Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. Seeing the people actively profiteering from their presence in the temple, Jesus interfered with their business.

Every age has its demonstrations against perceived instances of unfairness. I want to observe something about how Jesus engaged in this act, which can legitimately be seen as an act of protest against those he saw as misusing the temple.

First, the people were there, with permission, but they were doing something that had not historically been considered acceptable in the temple. They were not contributing to the worship that delivered forgiveness to the people of Israel. Their business could just as well have been done down the street from the temple. Jesus’ objection was not specifically to the existence of the business but to the fact that it was being conducted in the temple, which interfered with worship.

Second, Jesus did not do anything that was actually destructive. Yes, he hit people with a whip made of cords. This was particularly non-lethal. It is very different from a modern-day protest in which someone hits someone else with a baseball bat, or a club with spikes in it, or eins shooting or stabbing others. This is more like whalloping someone with a rope. It would hurt, but not be life-threatening in any way.

Third, the animals Jesus released were large animals which would very predictably leave through the gate and then settle down in a herd not far away. They could be retrieved easily. The birds were not released.

Fourth, the money of the money-changers was thrown on the ground. It was lying there, very likely amid straw and manure, but it was undamaged. It could be collected. He didn’t take it away.

Jesus’ cleansing of the temple was intended to get the occupants of the temple out of the way of those who had come to offer sacrifices. He inconvenienced those people who would hinder the nation of Israel. But he brought no harm. He merely corrected their practices.

When we see things in our world and in the Church which need correction, may we have grace to engage with them, forcefully if needed, but without causing harm. We can interrupt what is wrong but not destroy the wrongdoers. That’s God’s final decision.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Epilogue to John's Gospel

7/13/2017

Thursdays are for the New Testament
7/13/17

Carson, D. A. The Gospel According to John. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1991.
“V. Epilogue (21:1-25)” pp. 665-686.

Carson considers views which have taken John 21 as an epilogue either composed at the time of the rest of the Gospel or at a later time, possibly by another individual. Chapter 21 does bring closure by stating how Christ’s kingdom will continue to spread (Carson 1991, 666). Carson lists a number of other features of the chapter (Carson 1991, 667) and, finally, observes that we do not have any manuscripts which omit chapter 21.

In verses 1-14 Jesus appears by the Sea of Galilee. He is seen there by his disciples (Carson 1991, 668). They have begun fishing. Carson notes that the last instruction they received from Jesus was to return to Galilee. They may well be simply filling their time and providing for their needs (Carson 1991, 669). The count of 153 large fish is interpreted in various ways. Carson considers various suggestions. He leaves the question open for debate (Carson 1991, 673).

In verses 15-24 Jesus restores Peter. He does it in a public setting, since Peter’s denial was in public. He does it three times, corresponding to the three denials. The words used for “love” in the restoration are not significant. They are frequently used as exact synonyms (Carson 1991, 676). Carson does not find Pter exalted as a ruler in the Church at this point. He sees him as a servant leader, like the other apostles (Carson 1991, 678). Responding to Pter’s question about the “beloved disciple” and his long life, Jesus says that is a matter Peter is unrelated to (Carson 1991, 681). The text then claims the authority of an eyewitness as an author. In the final verse, the author states that all the deeds of Jesus would be a great number. The Gospel closes in this way.

Jesus Doesn't Stay Dead!

7/6/2017

Thursdays are for the New Testament
7/6/17

Carson, D. A. The Gospel According to John. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1991.
“IV. Jesus’ Self-Disclosure in His Cross and Exaltation (13:1-20:31)” “F. The Resurrection of Jesus (20:1-31)” pp. 631-663.

Carson notes that the end of the crucifixion account does not end the Gospel. The reality of the resurrection is necessary to the message (Carson 1991, 631). The Christian faith depends on a factual resurrection. Carson takes a brief detour to defend eyewitness authorship, almost certainly by the apostle John (Carson 1991, 634). This points to a reliable account which was open to critical analysis by other witnesss. The resurrection narratives are not as consistent as those of the crucifixion. However, the selection of events is not as important from a sequential point of view.

In 20:1, the inspection of the tomb was clearly early in the morning of the first day of the week (Carson 1991, 636). The grave clothes show signs of Jesus’ departure through the cloth (Carson 1991, 637). The sight creates belief, noted in verse 8 (Carson 1991, 638). Verses 10-18 see Jesus’ appearance to Mary (Carson 1991, 639). For some unspecified reason, Mary returns to the tomb. Now she looks in and sees angelic messengers (Carson 1991, 64). After being told by the angel of Jesus’ resurrection, Mary leaves the tomb. She does not recognize Jesus, who appears to her in the garden. Carson notes that Jesus seems difficult to recognize after the resurrection (Carson 1991, 641). Once she recognizes Jesus he urges her to release him, a statement which is cryptic at best (Carson 1991, 642). Mary does take Jesus’ message to his disciples, to whom Jesus appears in verses 19-23 (Carson 1991, 646). Carson notes Jesus’ ability to come to the disciples despite the doors they had locked against the Jewish leaders. Jesus is able to come to his disciples when and where he wishes (Carson 1991, 646). He greets the disciples with his peace and sends them to complete their mission. Carson discusses the modern debate about the scope of the Church’s mission briefly (Carson 1991, 648). He concludes that the work of the Church includes proclamation of the Gospel as well as social care. Jesus’ appearance to his disciples and his breathing on them signifies an empowerment by the Holy Spirit (Carson 1991, 650). Carson does, however, note that the empowerment prior to Pentecost does not seem altogether absolute. This happens later (Carson 1991, 653). Carson discusses the tendency of texts to speak slightly indirectly of events which are widely known and accepted, suchas Pentecost. In verses 24-29 Jesus appears again to his disciples, this time including Thomas (Carson 1991, 656). By his words and actions Jesus shows that he knows what the disciples have discussed. He also shows that he is present physically (Carson 1991, 657). Carson sees Thomas’ confession as an accurate and honest statement of surprised realization. Jesus really is the Lord (Carson 1991, 659). The message of Jesus as Lord is the purpose of the Fourth Gospel. This is found in 20_30-31. The Gospel is written to encourage belief (Carson 1991, 661).

Trial and Execution, Regardless of Innocence

6/29/2017

Thursdays are for the New Testament
6/29/17

Carson, D. A. The Gospel According to John. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1991.
“IV. Jesus’ Self-Disclosure in His Cross and Exaltation (13:1-20:31)” “E. The Trial and Passion of Jesus (18:1-19:42)” pp. 571-631.

Carson notes that all the Gospels push directly to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Scholars debate a relationship between John’s account and that of the Synoptics. Carson assumes that John was familiar with at least one of the Synoptics. However, he was not directly dependent on it (Carson 1991, 571). Though the differences are significant there is no reason to find them as contradictory. Carson discusses several areas in which commentators have attempted to create insurmountable challenges.

In John 18:1-11 Jesus is arrested (Carson 1991, 576). Jesus and his disciples have gone to an olive grove, well known to them. A large force of soldiers, possibly up to 600, but maybe smaller, more like 200, guided by Judas, came on the manhunt (Carson 1991, 577). When Jesus identified himself to the arrest party they fell back. Carson finds few adequate explanations for the situation (Carson 1991, 578).

Jesus is tried before Annas and then sent to Caiaphas. Carson notes that Annas had previously held the high priesthood but was removed and replaced by the Roman governor (Carson 1991, 580). During the trial, Peter, in the courtyard, denies knowing Jesus (Carson 1991, 581). By the end of verse 24, the interrogation of Jesus is complete. Jesus does not give much information but he does say his teaching is public (Carson 1991, 584). Meanwhile, Peter has continued to deny Jesus (Carson 1991, 586).

In John 18:28-19:16 Jesus is tried before Pilate, the Roman governor (Carson 1991, 587). Carson notes that it is difficulut to explain John’s knowledge of what happened inside Pilate’s court. He considers it entirely possible that Jesus may have given some details after the resurrection. It is also possible that John would have consulted the public records which were kept but have mostly been lost since the first century.

The Jewish leaders would not enter Pilate’s quarters. This would have incurred uncleanness and interfered with the Passover. Carson considers this situation and also the apparent discrepancy between John’s account and that of the Synoptics (Carson 1991, 589). Carson’s conclusion is that the Jews were considering the entire Feast of Unleavened Bread as part of Passover. The Jews expected that Pilate would go ahead with their plan to execute Jesus. Yet in verse 31 Pilate refused them, possibly simply to antagonize them (Carson 1991, 591). Yet, when Pilate questions Jesus, Jesus pushes him to make a conclusion. Is Jesus the king of the Jews? (Carson 1991, 593). By verse 36, Jesus is helping Pilate see that he is a king, over Pilate, but not of an earthly kingdom (Carson 1991, 594). Pilate is not eady to recognize this, so he calls off the interrogation (Carson 1991, 595).

After the crowd refuses to have Jesus released, John 19 begins with Jesus’ sentenceing. Jesus is mocked and beaten. Carson discusses the different types of flogging that Romans practiced. He does not have a clear opinion of which penalty was given (Carson 1991, 597). In 19:4-5 Pilate again presents Jesus to the people as a pathetic figure. Carson notes that Pilate’s mockery of the Sanhedrin is biting. Jesus doesn’t seem to be any sort of threat at this time (Carson 1991, 598). The response of the Jewish leaders is that Jesus claimed to be God’s son. This, Carson notes, creates fear in Pilate (Carson 1991, 600). If Jesus is divine in any sense, Pilate should fear for his life. He seeks relief by questioning Jesus more. Jesus eventually explains, in brief. Carson notes that Jesus shows that none of the events have happened apart from God’s authority. The person who turned Jesus over to Pilate was more guilty than Pilate. Humans are therefore responsible for sin in this event, though their sin accomplishes God’s purpose (Carson 1991, 601). Finally, Pilate tries to rescue Jesus and the Jewish leaders claim their allegiance to Caesar. It is an odd world (Carson 1991, 603).

Carson here considers the inconsistency about the date of the Passover and the crucifixion. This is in response to the “preparation” of John 19:14. Carson’s conclusion is that the accounts of John and Mark do conflict but for understandable reasons of approximation and emphasis (Carson 1991, 605). Pilate speaks mockingly about Jesus as the king. The chief priests react by denying any king but Jesus (Carson 1991, 606). John presents the incidnt as yet another time that people speak the truth in ignorance.

In John 19:16-30 Jesus is crucified. Carson observes that John gives several details which are not found in the Synoptic Gospels (Carson 1991, 608). He considers the route of the procession, possible locations of Calvary, and the actual logistics of a crucifixion (Carson 1991, 610). Pilate’s work with the sign agove Jesus continues to antagonize the chief priests (Carson 1991, 611). At the same time, it proclaims God’s glory to the whole world. At this point, Carson notes John’s move to explain the fulfillment of Scriptures, something John has rarely done (Carson 1991, 612). Finally, Jesus is crucified with a small band of witnesses (Carson 1991, 615). Among the witnesses Carson finds John and Mary, who becomes the ward of John (Carson 1991, 617). While numerous attempts have been made to establish symbolic meanings of the various events, Carson finds them tenuous at best. In 19:30, Jesus gives up his life. Carson reminds the reader that nobody took his life from him (Carson 1991, 621).

In John 19:31ff, the Roman soldiers, in light of the important upcoming Sabbath, break the legs of the criminals to hasten death. Jesus, appearing dead, is pierced witha spear, verifying his death (Carson 1991, 623). Carson sees John’s emphasis on the reality of Jesus’ death, rather than on the means. Various explanations of possible symbolism of the blood and water are less than compelling (Carson 1991, 624). Carson raises the question of the identity of “this” person, the truthful eyewitness to the events. There has been considerable debate of the identity. Carson concludes that it would appear to refer to the Evangelist John (Carson 1991, 626). The symbolism of verse 36 and none of Jesus’ bones being broken may be based on several Old Tstament passages (Carson 1991, 627). Many events in this passage happen for the stated purpose of fulfilling Scripture.

In John 19:38-42 Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, both members of the Sanhedrin, obtain the body of Jesus and prepare it for burial. Carson notes the large amount of spice was not out of accord with other recorded first century burials. Jesus was laid in a new tomb in a nearby garden (Carson 1991, 630). Carson does think the location is very likely that pinpointed today by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Carson 1991, 631). This ends the account of the death of Christ.