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Lent Reflection Day 17, 24th March

March 24, 2025 / / 0 Comments

John 10:1-21

This passage continues Jesus contrasting of the difference between true and false believers using the analogy of the sheep and a shepherd.

There are two ‘I am’ sayings in this chapter, ‘I am the gate’ and ‘I am the Good Shepherd’. There are different words used in this passage between the beginning (vv1-5) and later (vv 6-13) where initially the picture is of sheep being held in a courtyard in a town which would have some sort of door and the sheep being held in in the countryside where a sheep pen would have no gate but the shepherd would sleep across the entrance in order to protect the sheep. You can’t sneak into the sheepfold, you can only come through the door, which is Jesus. Salvation can only come through him (v 9). Those who are true sheep know the shepherd’s voice and follow him, by contrast the pharisees don’t recognise his voice.

Whilst in this country we tend to round up sheep and drive them, in the Mediterranean and Eastern European countries a shepherd walks ahead and his sheep follow him. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who is willing to lay down his life for the sheep because they are his. A hired hand will not care and will leave the sheep defenceless when trouble comes (Numbers 27:16-17) . As the Good Shepherd Jesus assures us he has come to give us life to the full (Psalm 23:1-3). This is one of the first places where we hear from Jesus the beginning of an understanding that he has come to call all people to himself whether they be Jew or Gentile, that all can become part of this flock of believers (v16).

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

Lent Reflection Day 16, 22nd March

March 22, 2025 / / 0 Comments

John 9:1-41

This is a remarkable story of one man’s encounter with Jesus and its aftermath.

It begins with the disciples asking a question ‘who sinned that he was born blind?’, and this reflects the prevailing view that all sickness or suffering is punishment for sin. There is a general connection between these two things in regard to the Fall, and some scripture implies a direct connection, but the disciple’s question is in regard to congenital affliction. Jesus rejects this idea, but sees it as the opportunity for God’s power to be displayed. There is some contention over the translation in v3 that implies God allowed it so that he could be healed. However, early Greek manuscripts had no punctuation and the words ‘this happened’, which appear in many translations, are not in the original. It could be translated  ‘Neither this man nor his parents. But that the works of God may be revealed in him it is necessary for us to work the works……etc.’

Once again we learn Jesus has healed on the Sabbath and another confrontation is set up with the Pharisees. Their efforts to verify whether a miracle has taken place or not seem almost comical. While the man’s parents tried to distance themselves from upsetting the Pharisees, the man himself is very clear about what has happened and challenges the Jewish leaders. His sincerity becomes clear in verse 38: he believes.

Jesus has come to bring light into the world physically and spiritually, answer challenge full spirituality wherever he finds it

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

Lent Reflection Day 15, 21st March

March 21, 2025 / / 0 Comments

John 8:31-59

This next discourse between Jesus and those who claim to believe in him causes another upset as Jesus sets out the conditions for being a disciple. Obedience to his teachings, he tells them, will set them free from sin. As descendants of Abraham, they believed they automatically inherited the Kingdom of God, and were incensed by the idea that they were or had been slaves. Given Israel’s history of enslavement and the current Roman occupation this seems bizarre. Jesus wants them to understand that their nationality as Abraham’s children means little if they don’t love God or him, or follow his teaching. This difference is pressed home by Jesus’ statement that they behave more as children of the devil than of Abraham. No wonder they are upset with him!

Jesus tells them he is not doing this for his own glory, his motivation is to speak truth, and God will honour him. The Jews continue to misunderstand, taking as literal his references to spiritual life and death. Finally, Jesus tells them ‘Before Abraham was born, I am’. ‘I am’ (ego eimi) makes him one with God. The penalty for this is stoning, but Jesus is hidden from them. His time has not yet come.

The Jews in this passage sound a little like those who used to claim they were Christians because they lived in a ‘Christian’ country. Discipleship is a product of following Jesus and requires a definite decision to act on his word, it is never the product of a passive acquired inheritance.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

Lent Reflection Day 14, 20th March

March 20, 2025 / / 0 Comments

John 8:1-30

We begin today’s reading with the story of the woman caught in adultery. A story which does not appear in the oldest manuscripts but has the hallmarks of historical veracity and so has been accepted as true to the text. Reading this story we are told that the purpose of this encounter is to trap Jesus. If he disagrees with his adversaries and shows compassion he has broken the Jewish law, if he says yes to stoning her, he breaks Roman law, which denies the Jews permission to carry out the death penalty. It is a trap. It should also be noted that both the man and the woman were condemned to death according to the law, but only the woman is present.

Jesus has come to save the world not condemn it, and to be the bearer of grace and truth (3:17, 1:17). So he stoops to write in the dust, we are not told what, and then speaks. His words challenge and confront the motives, attitude and perhaps the behaviour of her accusers and one by one they leave. Jesus shows her mercy but does not condone her sin.

In verse 12 we have the second I am saying of John. Jesus declares I am relatable world. Again, this may be linked to the candle lighting ceremonies of the feast of tabernacles. Coming to Jesus means we step from darkness to light and into eternal life, we never need to walk in the dark again.

This is followed by yet more argument over Jesus claims to be the Messiah, the’ light of the world’. Despite this John tells us many believed in him.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

Lent Reflection Day 13, 19th March

March 19, 2025 / / 0 Comments

John 7:25-53

The inactivity of the Jewish leaders causes some people to wonder if they know that Jesus is the Messiah. This passage shows us more of the confusion that Jesus teaching is creating. His listeners think they know where he is from i.e. Nazareth They don’t know he was born in Bethlehem and is of the line of David. Jesus on the other hand says that what matters is that he comes from and knows the Father. This would have sounded like blasphemy, but the leaders are unable to arrest him. John says this is because it is not yet the right time, the time of his death and resurrection is still to arrive.

Many of the crowd and the temple guard persuaded by his words and the miracles, much to the annoyance of the rulers and the Pharisees, with only Nicodemus speaking up for justice. In teaching that is reminiscent of the conversation with the Samaritan woman (ch 4) Jesus offers his listeners the water of the spirit that would flow from inside them. During the Feast of Tabernacles water would be poured over the altar every day for seven days, but this is not the water that will lead to life.

Whenever the gospel is preached people respond in different ways. Some just refuse it, some are interested but not serious, some get distracted by life and some sincerely pursue the Lord. It was no different during Jesus’ ministry. He didn’t always make it easy to understand, you had to seek after the truth. Now, as then, let us be seekers of God’s truth.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

Reflection Day 12, 18th March

March 18, 2025 / / 2 Comments

John 7: 1-24

This takes place during the Feast of Tabernacles, which was held to remind the people of the time when they had lived in temporary shelters in the wilderness, and was also the time to rejoice after the harvest.

The disputes and divisions that Jesus’ teaching is causing troubles even the members of his own family, who turn against him. They don’t believe him at this time. People are confused and those who do believe are afraid to speak up. What none of them can escape is the quality of his teaching, which Jesus says is because it is God’s message. Those who do God’s will have the discernment to know its truth. Jesus is not known to have studied under a rabbi, and to put forward your own teaching would be viewed as suspect, but Jesus’ teaching comes from God. He then challenges those that only want glory for themselves and who don’t fully obey the Law of Moses. This is the very Law they criticised him for not keeping when he healed the lame man on the Sabbath. To judge correctly they need to look more deeply. This is a challenge to us today. In a world full of fake news, sound bites and angry social media we need to reject that which is shallow and pursue truth. It is easy for religion to become the mindless following of rules in order to meet expectations rather than be the pursuit of a relationship with the God of the universe.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

Reflection Day 11, 17th March

March 17, 2025 / / 0 Comments

John 6:22-71

Here we have a long discourse on the topic of Jesus being the bread of life. This is his first ‘ I am’ saying in v 35.

Jesus faces is the materialists who want something(v6), the legalists and the miracle seekers. He seems to go out of his way to offend and irritate them so that many fall away. Jesus’ challenge draws a confession of faith out of Simon Peter with the declaration’’ where else would we go? You have the words of eternal life. He declares that they, the twelve, know he is the Holy One of God. The crowd wants food for the stomach (materialists), but Jesus has come to give them the food (spiritual) that endures forever. When they ask ‘how do we earn this?’ (legalists), Jesus tells them it is simply by believing in him. This they are not willing to do and so astonishingly they ask for a miracle to outdo the manna in the wilderness (miracle seekers).

The drinking of blood is forbidden in Jewish law (Leviticus 17:10–14) and so the Jews are disgusted by Jesus’ teaching. However, it is clear that Jesus equates the eating and drinking of his body and blood with belief in him. Whilst we inevitably make the connection with the Last Supper and the remembrance of his death, here the metaphor is used to emphasise the need to believe to receive eternal life.

All are welcome to come to Jesus. All can have complete security in him, Jesus is the sustainer and giver of true life. All are promised eternal life by belief only, not by the law.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

Lent Reflection Day 10, 15th March

March 15, 2025 / / 0 Comments

John 6:1-21

In this passage we have two miracles or signs that point to Jesus as creator and Lord of creation with the Father( John 1:1-5). The location of this story is possibly Decapolis, the Gentile region or the northeast region under Philip the tetrarch. The mountain side on which the feeding of the 5,000 takes place may be the modern day Golan Heights. The Passover is near, we are told, and this will become important in the following teaching.

When the people are hungry and need to be fed Jesus tests his disciples as to what to do. Phillips response to Jesus is that 200 denarii, which equates to about 8 months wages, would not be enough. This gives us some idea of the task. All they do have are 5 barley loaves, which is poor people’s bread. So, Jesus takes the bread and the fish and blesses it. The blessing would go something like this ‘Blessed be thou, Yahweh our God, king of the world who causes bread to come forth from the earth’. Unlike the provision of manna in the wilderness, where nothing could be kept, this bread is collected up when all have finished. The people, happy to be fed, want to force Jesus to an earthly position of kingship, but this is not why he came. Besides this, their only interest is in being fed, not in the spiritual food that Jesus came to give them. The disciples leave to cross the lake without Jesus, who comes later, miraculously walking on the water. Some of the disciples are fishermen, the waves don’t scare them but Jesus’ arrival does! The other gospels contain fuller accounts of this event, but John’s concern here seems to be to remind us of Jesus’ sovereignty over everything including the natural world.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

Lent Reflection Day 9, 14th March

March 14, 2025 / / 0 Comments

John 5:31-47

In Jewish law self-testimony is not valid, there have to be other witnesses to Jesus. Jesus says there are several of these;

  1. His father in heaven is his primary witness,
  2. John the Baptist whom they knew is also a witness, and Jesus says if they had listened to him they would be saved,
  3. Jesus teachings and miracles are a witness
  4. The scriptures are a witness. The Jews believed study would bring eternal life, but they fail to recognise the one that it is written about. Jesus says that Moses wrote about him, but they didn’t get it.

Jesus criticises the leaders for the fickleness of their attitude and their unwillingness to accept him:

  1. They don’t see Jesus in the scripture
  2. They reject him and his works and teaching
  3. They accept those who promote themselves and engage in mutual honouring of one another but reject Jesus and don’t love God.

In wanting the praise of people, they missed the praise of God.

This is a warning to us, especially in these days, where many can promote themselves and their message on a global stage. We need discernment to know when we are being pointed to Jesus and the right interpretation of scripture or pointed to someone’s own desire for honour. Careful discernment will protect us from disappointment and being led astray. Even intense study of scripture will not help us if it doesn’t keep us focused on Jesus. The Jewish leader’s obsession with the observation of the law had missed the grace, truth and mercy of God which Jesus came to reveal to us.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

Lent Reflection Day 8, 13th March

March 13, 2025 / / 0 Comments

John 5:1-30

Here we see Jesus taking the initiative to heal a man who has been invalided for 38 years, waiting at the pool of Bethesda (house of mercy) for the water to stir and be healed. Did the man know who Jesus was? Was he hoping Jesus would help him into the water?

Jesus speaks a word of command (vv 8-9) and the man must have felt something change in his body because he does as instructed. Doing the very thing he couldn’t do he stands and walks, carrying his mat. Then we learn it is the Sabbath, and he has broken the Sabbath Law. The Jewish leaders are furious, and the man deflects blame onto Jesus. When Jesus finds him again, he’s warned not to sin lest something worse happens. Interpreting this is tricky, it may not mean that his disability was sin related but simply be a warning to live a righteous life lest he face eternal judgement (v 24).

Jesus infuriates the Jewish leaders even more by declaring that he is one with the Father (and therefore can work on the Sabbath) and involved in the work of the Father in two ways:

1)to be a giver of life to those who believe (v 21)

2) to judge all peoples (v 22)

This is possible because of the love between Father and Son, and the obedience of the Son in only doing what he sees the Father doing (he is not acting independently). The language speaks of apprenticeship, Jesus is following what he sees with the expectation that there are greater things to come.

Whilst in no way do we have a relationship to the Father like the Son we can learn something from Jesus of what it is to be a disciple and follow the guidance of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

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