Religion is something that can unite us or divide us. It can be a common cause or a cause for contention. This has been the case throughout history, and it was no different among the first-century Semitic people who worshipped the God Yahweh. Among those people were many different sects of Judaism: the Pharisees, Sadducees, […]
Spirit and Truth: Where You Worship Matters Read More »
When Nicodemus the Pharisee came to see Jesus by night, their conversation took off fast. He complimented the Savior, but he was met with a hard truth about his need to be born of the Spirit of God to see the kingdom of God. Here we will look at what it means to have eternal
Christ, Our Serpent: Eternal Life by Active Belief Read More »
When Jesus was finished clearing the temple on Passover, he was evidently doing a number of miracles. We are told in John 2:23 that “many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.” Following this scene, John gives us the details of a rare one-on-one conversation with Jesus, where the
Born of the Spirit: Jesus Teaches Nicodemus About the Kingdom Read More »
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 »