What a pleasure this week to share with some Christian students in the College where I’m one of the Chaplains! We were from different countries and continents and denominations, but united together in our faith in Jesus Christ as Son of God and Saviour.
Our discussions centred on John’s Gospel, which is what Sunday morning lessons in our Church have been based on this year between New Year and Easter. These messages can be found here on wordsurfers.com under ‘Sermons’.
So far we’ve got to ch4, the episode where Jesus offers a woman ‘living water’ by a well in Samaria. We’re about to move quite quickly through ch5 where controversy is growing after a couple of miraculous healings and Jesus’ even bolder claim: ‘a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.’
We want to pause in ch6 where, after multiplying a packed lunch to feed a large crowd Jesus urges people to work for ‘food that endures to eternal life’, declaring then, ‘I am the Bread of Life.’
One of the beautiful things in John’s Gospel is how each event seems to build on the ones before to give us a very full and profound picture of Jesus, the Son of God, Who has come in the flesh to be our Saviour. He is indeed ‘food’ for our souls, for all sorts of people, everyone. This mixed crowd (ch6), a disabled beggar by the pool (ch5), a royal official and the Samaritan lady with her ‘complex’ history (ch4) and already religious, respectable Nicodemus who is told everyone needs, and can have a spiritual ‘new birth’ through Jesus to be part of God’s ‘kingdom’ (ch3).
All of these are finding new life in the Spirit and the redeeming love of God through this country carpenter turned preacher, Who provided extra wine to celebrate a wedding and in the next paragraph threw corrupt abusers out of God’s Temple in Jerusalem(ch2).
Which brings us back to John’s introduction in ch1 where he makes his unapologetic assertion that in Jesus, he and his companions witnessed the divine ‘Word’ and Son of God, through Whom all things were made and all life is given, Who made his home among us to save us.
Riveting stuff! After nearly 30 years of preaching I’m more captivated than ever! It appears that those who submit to be students of God’s Word never cease being amazed and refreshed and nourished by its central Character.
Praise His name!
Our discussions centred on John’s Gospel, which is what Sunday morning lessons in our Church have been based on this year between New Year and Easter. These messages can be found here on wordsurfers.com under ‘Sermons’.
So far we’ve got to ch4, the episode where Jesus offers a woman ‘living water’ by a well in Samaria. We’re about to move quite quickly through ch5 where controversy is growing after a couple of miraculous healings and Jesus’ even bolder claim: ‘a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.’
We want to pause in ch6 where, after multiplying a packed lunch to feed a large crowd Jesus urges people to work for ‘food that endures to eternal life’, declaring then, ‘I am the Bread of Life.’
One of the beautiful things in John’s Gospel is how each event seems to build on the ones before to give us a very full and profound picture of Jesus, the Son of God, Who has come in the flesh to be our Saviour. He is indeed ‘food’ for our souls, for all sorts of people, everyone. This mixed crowd (ch6), a disabled beggar by the pool (ch5), a royal official and the Samaritan lady with her ‘complex’ history (ch4) and already religious, respectable Nicodemus who is told everyone needs, and can have a spiritual ‘new birth’ through Jesus to be part of God’s ‘kingdom’ (ch3).
All of these are finding new life in the Spirit and the redeeming love of God through this country carpenter turned preacher, Who provided extra wine to celebrate a wedding and in the next paragraph threw corrupt abusers out of God’s Temple in Jerusalem(ch2).
Which brings us back to John’s introduction in ch1 where he makes his unapologetic assertion that in Jesus, he and his companions witnessed the divine ‘Word’ and Son of God, through Whom all things were made and all life is given, Who made his home among us to save us.
Riveting stuff! After nearly 30 years of preaching I’m more captivated than ever! It appears that those who submit to be students of God’s Word never cease being amazed and refreshed and nourished by its central Character.
Praise His name!
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