The House You're Building

How often do you think about your patterns and habits?     Is it only when something is going wrong or like many, do you become contemplative around the transition to a new year?     I’ve been thinking about my lifestyle for about 3 months now, so though December is winding down, and January is quickly approaching, the words I share with you aren’t a new thought in my mind.  Yet before God highlighted this passage as I was reading, I couldn’t quite put into words the cause of my disquiet:    You have sown much, and harvested little.  You eat, but you never have enough; you drink but you never have your fill.  You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm.  And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. Haggai 1:6 (ESV)   In a word, I’ve been weary.  At Christmas, the hymn [1]  tells us “the weary world rejoices” which sounds fantastic except I’m not rejoicing—I’m just tired. ...

        Orient  For God So Loved The World Jesus continues his conversation with Nicodemus and begins by explaining why the Son of Man will be lifted up.  Ties to the themes in the prologue are found in the light/dark contrast shared by John to describe the nature of man and their deeds. Much of the language in these verses communicates spiritual truth using legal terms.  This section contains one of the most well-known scriptures in the Bible (John 3:16) because of its succinct summary of the gospel but is not always understood fully when taken out of context.     Introduction Human nature has fascinated people for centuries.  At the root of the academic fields of ethics, philosophy, psychology, and sociology, thinkers and scientists try to study and explain the motivations of humanity. Previously in John, we learn that Jesus knows what is in man [1] .  In today’s meditation, we hear the teaching of Je...

                                 Orient  Discussion with Nicodemus Today’s section of Scripture highlights discourse, following the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Jewish leader who visits Jesus at night. During their discussion, Nicodemus is confused by the words of Jesus, which is a pattern we will see throughout the book when He teaches about spiritual matters.  This portion of Scripture contains the most biblical references on  regeneration,  new life as a mark of the believer and essential for salvation.  In verse 14, Jesus brings an Old Testament story into His discussion (Numbers 21:4-9).  Metaphor and simile are included literary elements in today’s reading (birth, wind, the serpent) as well as contrasts between the spirit/flesh and earthly/from above.  The passage ends with a clear statement on the theme of John: whome...

        Orient- Cleansing of the Temple This passage shows Jesus entering the public sector and engaging for the first time in conflict with the Pharisees as they question His authority.  Though He doesn’t perform a miraculous sign, He does display His identity as the Messiah by fulfilling the prophetic words of Micah 3:1 and Psalm 69:9.  As we will see throughout the book, Jesus’s explanations confuse many, as here He uses symbolism to explain how His body is the true temple, the place where God dwells with man and points to the ultimate sign of His deity—His resurrection.  The synoptic gospels record a 2 nd  temple cleansing near the Passover which immediately precedes His crucifixion.     Introduction When you think of the character of Jesus, what images come to mind?  A shepherd with a staff gently leading sheep?  A teacher walking with His disciples enlightening the mind?  A miracle ...

        Orient Today’s passage falls into a larger section of John that we will be in for many months as it encompasses nearly half the book.  In it, John outlines the seven major signs used by John to show that Jesus is the Messiah beginning with the first sign shared in today’s reading.  His purpose in highlighting these miraculous works to prove the deity of Christ [1] .     This passage also contains some text complexity in the form of symbolism: wine for joy, ceremonial jars to represent purity, and a wedding motif reminding us He is the bridegroom as we are His bride.  Another difficulty is the dialog between Jesus and His mother Mary.  Further study will show based on cultural and translation challenges that the dialog is respectful and defines their new relationship, yet this is not obvious based on surface-level reading.     Introduction The first of something is always special. ...