The earliest Christians followed a Jewish tradition of pausing to pray, preferably together, first thing in the morning, about mid morning, at noon, about mid afternoon, and in the evening. “Just a Note” posts are brief observations made from Scripture readings not related to a lectionary. If I have one to post, it normally appears about 9:00 in the morning, at “the hour of prayer.”
Jesus continues to talk about the evidence of his claims in John 5:36-40. He makes it very clear that John is not the height of his defense team. Now Jesus calls in God the Father. If we think about it, this is an extremely bold statement. Jesus says that he has seen and been sent by the Father. He also says that his hearers have never heard or seen God, but that he himself has. What is Jesus’ proof? He sais that the proof is in the Scriptures, which give testimony about him.
What’s the most critical part of this testimony? It is the purpose of the statement. Jesus points out that his hearers do not want to cme to him so as to have life (v. 40). Here Jesus is, giving out eternal life, forgiveness, and all the grace anyone could ever need. What response does he get? Rejection.
May we have the grace not to reject Jesus’ offers. May we simply take him at his word and begin to see how he has cared for his people.
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