The House You're Building

       Orient  John 10:22-42 An unspecified time goes by (from fall to winter) and Jesus is once again engaging in dialog with the religious leaders at a gathering of the Jews in Jerusalem.  This festival was the Feast of Dedication otherwise known as Hanukkah.  We don’t find information about this festival in our Bible as it was established during the intertestamental period (between Malachi and Matthew).  The Jews once again press Jesus to reveal who He is to them and don’t like His answer, of being one with the Father, a claim to diety.  They attempt to stone Him and He once again slips through their hands, ending up across the Jordan, where John the Baptizer started his ministry.  Deep doctrinal statements are found in this section regarding election, eternal security, the plan of salvation, and the unity of the Trinity.     Introduction How do you build trust with someone?  When you ...

        Orient  John 10:1-21 Following restoring the blind man’s vision, Jesus begins a well-known discourse of spiritual leadership.  As the Pharisees had just shown themselves foolish leaders, Jesus teaches about His spiritual guidance through the metaphor of door and shepherd, contrasting Himself against the religious rulers.  Theological elements include His cross and resurrection, as well as His sacrifice bringing in Gentiles to faith.  As we’ve seen as a pattern to Jesus’ teaching, His discourse ends with division among the rulers.     Introduction Recently our family introduced a rescue-cat into our home.  Our other pet is a mild-mannered senior Weimi.  She’s lived with cats before and thinks that every visitor, human or otherwise, is part of her pack.  Last time we brought in an adult cat, they were friends in weeks, even snuggling together on the bathroom rug.  This exp...

        Orient  John 9:1-41 John 9 turns us once again to the reoccurring task of the author, to convince the reader to believe in Jesus.  In the broader section, we see who Jesus is by another public miracle, the blind man healed of his sight.  Conflict with the Jews is again present (notice the repeated argument about the legality of healing on the Sabbath) and teaching his disciples is also included in this section.  As in previous miracles, there are responses to the miracle itself by different groups—the Jews, the man, and his parents.  In the opening, Jesus refers to Himself as “light,” a common metaphor that John introduced in the prelude and Jesus referenced previously at the Feast of Booths. The metaphor of blindness/sight is meant to point us to the spiritual realities of seeing our condition before God and need for the Savior Christ.     Introduction  When my daughter was younger, she played ...

    Orient  John 8:31-59 This passage introduces an argument thread between Jesus and those that “believed in Him” from the first teaching segment of chapter 7.  Eventually, the listeners show themselves to be counterfeit as they pick up stones to kill him.  As we learned last time, many commentators believe He is still teaching publicly at the Feast of Booths.  This week’s passage contains many contrasts, and as typical of his dialog with the religious leaders, misunderstandings of spiritual truths taken literally; look for themes about slavery and genealogy.  Jesus continues to connect Himself with the Father’s approval and plans and uses Abraham to persuade the Jewish leaders of His authority.     Introduction Whenever a new baby is born, it’s natural to analyze their physical characteristics to see if they look more like their mother or father.  The resemblance can change with an expression or adapt as t...