Early in his ministry, Jesus turned water into wine. This was his first miracle, or “sign,” as John likes to call it. Soon after this event, it came time for Jews to celebrate Passover, so Christ and his followers headed to Jerusalem. But things were not as they should have been. As he approached the […]
The End of an Era: Jesus Cleanses the Temple Read More »
I am not usually the life of the party, but I have been to a wedding or two. Here, we are looking at the story of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana in John 2. Weddings are some of my favorite events to attend. I love to eat. I love to
The Wedding at Cana: Jesus Prevents a Potential Party Foul Read More »
In another post, we discussed Jesus’ calling of his first five disciples in John 1:35-50, and we learned the identity of four of them: Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael, and one who is unnamed in the narrative. Nathanael, the last one called in this passage, experienced a sign that changed his life. Jesus told him
The New Temple: Jesus as the Stairway to Heaven Read More »
Have you ever met a celebrity? Like, have you ever been at your favorite Starbucks, minding your own business, when Taylor Swift comes in? I often wonder what it might be like. In movies, it usually starts with a random pedestrian shouting, “Hey look! Is that so and so?” The Gospel of John describes a
Disciples Get Close to Christ: Jesus is Not a Prima Donna Read More »
After Jesus was baptized, he faced three temptations in the wilderness. He overcame those temptations and entered his ministry with power. But what was his secret? Before we get there, I want to introduce part of my own experience with the wilderness. My first camping trip was possibly my last. In 2019, I joined some
Temptations in the Wilderness: Finding Strength in Testing Read More »
Do you remember your baptism? I sure do. At least, I remember my second one (don’t come at me, liturgical people). My first baptism was at a young age, not long after I was led to Jesus in a kids church service. A few years later, I found myself rejecting God’s will for my life
Beyond Ritual: Fulfillment in Jesus’ Baptism Read More »
If you have spent any amount of time in church, you know that Jesus Christ is pretty important to us Christians. It is, after all, in the name: CHRISTian. And you may have even caught on to some pretty important beliefs about Jesus, not least of which being that he is God and that he
Honor Your Father and Mother: Did Jesus Break This Command? Read More »
When my daughter was one year old, we had a special sort of game we played. If you have young children, you might relate. As I joined her on the floor, I laid on my back. She used her newest superpower (walking) to waddle around the room, screaming with joy and laughing and growling like
Children of Wisdom: Against Partisan Christianity Read More »
If you have found yourself wandering onto my blog, I want to start by saying thank you. Welcome to what I hope will be a learning experience for myself and for you. In this post, we will explore a commonly misunderstood passage of Scripture. This will challenge us to think the thoughts of God. This
Heaven’s Thoughts: God’s Ways Are Not Ours Read More »