Posts from February 2023

One consequence of Jesus’ miraculous signs in the Gospel of John is intense opposition, as we see in John 5. Another consequence is the sudden flood of new followers ready to see what exciting and miraculous thing Jesus will do next, as we see in John 6. The intrigue surrounding Jesus is so great that something like 5,000 people are willing to follow Jesus halfway up a mountain just to not miss out on anything that might happen (John 6:1-3).…

The first half of the Gospel of John is often called “The Book of Signs” because of the large role that Jesus’ miraculous signs play in the story. And Jesus is clear as to why he performs them – that we may believe, not just that Jesus is a powerful guy, but that God himself is powerfully present and active in the world. One of these is the healing of a lame man at the pool of Bethesda. This man hasn’t…

Allow me to state the obvious (but not as obvious as it seems): the Gospel of John is a story about Jesus. Why is that something that needs clear stating? Because sometimes we need reminding that Jesus is not just a teacher with some good ideas and advice. Jesus is not an instrument by which we achieve happiness and success (which would reduce him to a pawn in our narrative and needs). He is nothing less than the focal point…

John is clearly eager to follow up Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus with Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. The two characters are perfect opposites. Nicodemus is a respected Jewish rabbi. This unnamed woman is a lonely Samaritan outsider (an outsider to the Jews and even to her own people). And yet, she is the one who listens to Jesus and learns and grows, while Nicodemus, for being a renowned “teacher of Israel,” can’t comprehend…