PSA Bible Reading Challenge 2023-2024

This Scripture is the basis for Good Friday.  I know, last week we already addressed Good Friday, but this Scripture really captures the essence of it.  But hey, did you know that we are in the midst of Easter, even as we look at the Good Friday Scripture.  Easter is not just a single day, but rather an entire season that lasts through Pentecost.  We sing Easter songs and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection even more than normal because of the season in which we find ourselves.

But the Scripture in which we find ourselves is still Good Friday.  Pilate seems to be having second thoughts since our reading yesterday.  He continues to repeatedly bring Jesus out to the religious leaders and tells them that he finds no guilt in him.  But they insist that he must be crucified.  Eventually they win out.  The pain and the suffering and the beatings that Jesus undergoes in this Scripture is more evident than in any of the other Gospels.  If John reminds us consistently that Jesus is God then in these verses we are reminded that God suffered on our behalf.  

Pilate’s final act of rebellion against the people takes place as he posts on Jesus’ cross: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.  The people didn’t like that because it seemed like Pilate was indeed calling him the King of the Jews (which in fact he was).  Just say that he thought he was the King of the Jews.  But Pilate didn’t budge.  For me it was his final way of saying that you may have gotten your crucifixion, but I was able to ease my conscience by placing the blame squarely on you.  Matthew 27:25 is a verse that places the blame squarely on the religious leaders in a way that historically Christians have been able to use to persecute the Jewish people.  

As Jesus’ life comes to an end he has the presence of mind on the cross to make sure that his mother is taken care of.  What an amazing scene this must have been.  

Another painting by Caravaggio where we have Jesus on the column where he was flogged and slapped and beaten.   It is not my favorite of his paintings just because it is so antiseptic.  There is no blood, there is no sweat.  Mel Gibson would have been disappointed.

But Scripture actually does have all of that as well as Jesus having the presence of mind to hand over his mother to the disciple that he loved.  As I mentioned earlier, even though this is an unnamed disciple many believe, including myself, that this is the Gospel writer John who is given charge over Mary.  Interestingly enough in Ephesus near the spot where John was buried you can look up on a hill and see the home where tradition has it that Mary lived out the rest of her life.  All of this is entirely without biblical support, but that does not mean that there is no historical support.  One of these years the church ought to take a trip to Turkey and see those churches of St. Paul that have so much connection to our understanding of who Jesus is through his writings.

But with all that said John leaves us with a Jesus who died and was given a proper burial.  It seems as if this is the end of the story.  Did I mention that we are in Easter?

We have truth appear once again in these Scriptures.  Pilate asks Jesus what seems like a rhetorical question:  “What is truth?”  Remember my all time favorite verse, John 8:32: “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”  So here is Pilate asking Jesus what exactly is truth when previously in his teachings Jesus had said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”  Jesus states here that the reason he came to the earth was to testify to the truth.  How ironic that in an age of relativity, where there is no ultimate truth and where truth is only in the eye of the beholder, I’m sure Jesus would have said No!  There is truth, there are truths that are immutable and unchangeable.  Those truths are found in Scripture and the Holy Spirit guides us as we pursue the truths that are set before us.

So in these verses I start at the end.  The beginning is the well known betrayal in the garden.  But look at John’s incredible details that stick out.  Did you notice where Jesus is taken first?  Look at vs. 13 and apparently they take him first to the Father in law of the high priest.  Think about that.  Jesus is arrested and instead of taken immediately to the high priest, somehow his father-in-law got dibs and he got to go at Jesus first.  I never really caught that.  It isn’t until later, in verse 24 where he goes to the high priest.  

Peter’s denial is also well known, but there is another element that has been hidden and for some reason jumped out at me today.  Did you notice how Peter gets into the house where he is questioned?  Look at vs.15 and you will see that there is one of Jesus’ disciples who was on the in with the high priest class.  I personally think it is the Gospel writer John.  I tend to think that just about everyone who isn’t mentioned by name is John.  For example this disciple who lets Peter in and also the disciple whom Jesus loved.  They all seemed and sounded like John.

Finally the people do have an opportunity to release Jesus.  But they chose Barabbas, where some translations call him a robber.  The NRSV describes him as someone who had “taken part in an uprising.”  That makes a lot more sense.  The Jewish people would have been very much in favor of letting someone go who had led an uprising against an oppressive regime.  Now Pilate would have to potentially answer some questions as to why he released a threat to the Roman state as opposed to someone who was only a threat to the Jewish customs and way of life.  But he chose to go along with the people on this one.  It was quite a bold move, but not nearly as bold as he could have imagined.  As a result, he will be a villain remembered in history.

Ut unum sint.  That is Latin for “that they may be one”.  It was an encyclical put out by the Vatican in 1996 and it promised great hope for relations between Catholics and Protestants.  I remember serving in Naples, Italy at the time and being encouraged that things were really going to change.  They didn’t.  But now, with Francis, things have significantly changed.  For the first time in history a Pope has visited with the historical Protestant Church in Italy.  It has never happened before in 700 years before this year.  These are amazing times.  It is from these verses where we get our mandate that as Christians we are all called to be one.  It is Jesus’ prayer to his father that we would be unified.  The reason behind us being one is so that our witness would be consistent. 

If we profess to love God but do not love brothers and sisters in Christ of what use is that?  This is Jesus’ primary emphasis in these verses.  He knew that we would not always get along.  In fact, he knew that things would get really difficult among believers to the point that they would separate from each other and not be one.  I remain convinced that the greatest impediment to our Christian witness is the fact that we are not united as Christians.

He is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Happy Easter to all of you.  We had two glorious services and in each the promises of Jesus came true loud and clear.  We are so able to see how God has blessed us in powerful ways.  After church in the afternoon we went over to the Frackman’s house and it was filled with little kids.  I can’t help but think of this chapter and how Jesus says that a mother will forget all about the birthing pains when time passes and will only rejoice over time.  But I’m wondering, how would a male writer know about that feeling?  How would John possibly know whether this happens or not?  Wait, it was Jesus who said this.  Okay, how would Jesus know if this were true or not?

Jesus understood what it means when he says that pain turns to joy.  Jesus knows what it means when he says that grief will soon transition to joy.  He is speaking to his disciples the evening when he will be betrayed, so he knows exactly what he is talking about.  The type of grief that they will feel when he is put on the cross cannot compare to the joy that they will feel when they see him in the resurrection.  That is the comparison that Jesus wants to draw.  

But Jesus’ point in these Scriptures is to tell his disciples to be ready for when he will not be around.  He harps on this point throughout these chapters.  At vs. 31 and following Jesus once again tells them that they will desert him.  He reminds them that the purpose of him coming to earth was not only to provide salvation for all of humanity, but also peace.  It is not just a metaphorical peace that comes from a relationship with Jesus, but a literal peace that come on this earth when his disciples love each other. Even if we were to do that, we will still have trouble.  This harkens back to chapter 15.

First of all I have to apologize that this post did not make it in yesterday.  Bummer.  But now it is posted so let’s go ahead and analyze chapter 15 of John.  It begins somewhat harshly where Jesus is called the vine and those who follow him and bear no fruit are cut off from him. That is pretty harsh.  One question that is brought up as a result of these verses is once we are disciples of Jesus Christ, can we ever really fall out of grace?  Simply put, is it truly once saved always saved?  Can we lose our salvation?

The simple answer is absolutely not.  We cannot lose our salvation.  It is once saved, always saved.  What Jesus is addressing here is what is our responsibility once we are in the fold?  Once we are a branch what do we need to do?  The answer is given throughout these verses.  We have to bear fruit.  But we are not able to bear fruit unless we are in Jesus.  This is a key point in these Scriptures.  The only way that we are able to bear fruit is if we are with Jesus.  

That fruit that we are commanded to bear is in one simple word: love.  Verse 13 is a key verse to not only this chapter, but to our actual Christian walk.  There is no greater love than a person laying down their life for someone else.  The image that immediately comes to mind is that Palestinian father covering up his boy while he is being shot at by the Israeli military.  It is a painful image that ends with the death of the boy.  But the father tries desperately to cover him.  For some reason this verse comes to mind.  

Finally Jesus says that the world is going to hate those who follow him.  He uses the word hate and doesn’t in any way make it sound nice or antiseptic.  He tells us that we don’t belong to the world.  I am pretty sure that a very common mentality that many Christians have is that we are to live in this world the best possible way that we can.  That is not what Jesus says here.  We are to live our lives in such a way that the world hates us.  Let me say that again.  We are to live our lives in such a way that the world hates.  They shouldn’t hate us because we are mean or unkind.  The world should hate us because we love one another.  

Every single service of witness to the resurrection I use this Scripture.  For those of you who don’t know that is another term for funeral.  The vision of God having prepared for each one of us a room in His mansion, is very soothing and comforting.  It is the vision that Jesus leaves with his disciples right before he tells them that he will be going away, and they cannot follow him.  Remember doubting Thomas?  He asks Jesus the question of where exactly is he going and how are we able to go with him?  It is here where Jesus responds with what is arguably one of the most famous verses in all of Scripture: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  

No one comes to God the Creator except through Jesus.  No one comes to God the Father except through Jesus.  No one comes to God the Holy Spirit except through Jesus.  Jesus is able to assure his disciples that He will leave his disciples the Advocate, the great Comforter.  This evening, this Good Friday evening reminds us that it is Good because Jesus was able to do all that we need in order to have eternal life.

There isn’t much to say about this Scripture except: just love each other.  That is what the footwashing is all about.  Love each other to the point that you are willing to be a servant to each other.  That’s all I need to say this evening.  We had a moving Maundy Thursday service and I am so pleased that John 13 was assigned to us today.  God made it work out so perfectly.  I can think of no more touching scene than after the service we had a time of foot washing.  We all lost it as John Faltin washed the feet of his wife Cheryl.  In this moment in their life when he has just been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, this powerful act reminded us all of what is important in life.  God never ceases to amaze us nor provide us with opportunities for his grace to fill our souls.

John really downplays Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem on a donkey unlike all the other Gospels.  In all the other Gospels immediately after Jesus rides into Jerusalem his next stop is then the temple where he cleans house.  Not so in John.  His riding into Jerusalem takes place after Mary washes Jesus’ feet, in essence preparing him for burial, at her home in Bethany.  You remember Mary, the sister of Martha, who is accused of having a terrible work ethic and whose only interest is to sit at the feet of Jesus and to soak in his teaching?  These are the same Mary and Martha who are the sisters of the resurrected Lazarus who is probably loving life right now.   This is the same Mary who wastes this costly ointment on Jesus’ feet in a symbolic act which was recognized by no one except Jesus himself.  But isn’t that the point?  Anytime that we take any action which is not for Jesus but for the public, it is folly.  While conversely anytime we take action which is only for the sake of Jesus, then that is the action that we ought to take.

Judas’ words were meant for the public, and not for Jesus.  He wanted the public to see how foolish it was for this fan of Jesus to waste this money when it could have been used for the poor.  Who could argue with that?  Jesus was all about the poor and of course if he disagreed with Judas then it could only be seen as hypocrisy.  He disagreed and it was at this point that we read that Judas looked for a way to betray him.  We get some other interesting tidbits about Judas in these verses where we read nowhere else.  We read that Judas was dishonest, a thief, and only had interest in money.  He was the treasurer of Jesus’ gang, the one who held the purse.  

This chapter seems more disjointed and less connected than the others in regards to the events that happen in Jesus’ life.  From the washing of his feet by Mary, to the entry into Jerusalem, we then launch into a monologue about his impending death where he equates his life to that of a seed which needs to die and be buried in the ground before it springs to new life.  What a great image for this time of year as things are springing up and bearing new fruit and revealing life.  It is a great time of year.  It also serves as a tremendous contrast to what we have been through.  There are still vestiges of the damage of winter that linger.  Our side bank has a big chunk taken out of it as a result of our removing the snow from the driveway.  That will take a while to heal.  But all that was once dead is now springing to life and it covers that which is unsightly.

We find ourselves appropriately in the very same time period in which Jesus and his disciples find themselves.  They are on the Sunday right before his death and resurrection at the beginning of this chapter.  As the chapter continues so does our following of his life.  The next chapter we will find ourselves on Maundy Thursday, so it makes sense that today later in this chapter we find ourselves on Holy Wednesday.  Just like that God somehow manages to coordinate the timing of the Gospel and the real time in which we find ourselves.

I’m watching the news that can’t stop speaking about the bombings that took place in Brussels.  Or is it the newscast that is broadcasting about the attacks in Paris, or is it the attacks in London, or in Madrid…there are so many they are hard to keep track of.  I say that with full recognition that I have been to all of those places where these bombings took place and twice had to deal with tracking down my kids who were planning to go on the metro in Moscow when bombs went off, the last one on the very lines that my kids used.  

When Jesus hears of the illness, and eventual death, of Lazarus his response was: “This illness does not lead to death, rather it is for God’s glory.”  Can we honestly say in regards to these bombings and these very real deaths where resurrections are not visibly taking place, that these are for the glory of God?  When Mary and Martha, the sisters of the dead Lazarus, greet Jesus when he comes to their town their consistent approach to him is: “You’re too late!”  Those are my words not theirs.  Their words are: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  Those were the words of Martha.  Mary says: “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.”  Huh, the very same words.  Jesus, if you had been here, then no one would have died.  Jesus, if you had been in Brussels, Paris, London, Madrid…NEW YORK, PA, AND DC, no one would have died.  

Many times our first reaction to injustice and death that touches us when we have not deserved it is to blame…Jesus.  If you were just here.  So how does Jesus’ response make sense that these events will in some way: “lead to God’s glory”?  Well in the case of Lazarus, the revelation of the glory of God became apparent within a few days, less than a week.  Lazarus is raised from the dead.  Jesus is, after all, the resurrection and the life.  Faith is built around belief and hope and trust.  Faith is not built around the way in which our life turns out on this earth.  When the rain falls on the good and the bad it is not because God is absent, but rather because life continues to move forward with God in control.  It is hard to believe at times that God is in control when the rain is falling on us.  But He is, and the story of Lazarus reminds us of that.  The impossible happens with Lazarus, and it can and does happen with us when Jesus moves and directs us.

The final scene of the religious leaders going into a panic is a great contrast to the control that Jesus has over the situation in the verses dealing with Lazarus.  

A lot can be said about just the first six verses.  The imagery of the shepherd is one that we heard on Sunday.  We were told on Sunday in Revelation 7 that the Lamb, the one who was sacrificed on our behalf, became the shepherd.  This is repeated here in this Scripture as well.  Jesus is called the gate and then he is called the shepherd.  There are so many images of a shepherd in Scripture.  The most famous is probably Psalm 23 which describes the Lord as our shepherd.  

Interestingly enough the times that shepherd is used the most in Scripture is when it is describing the religious leaders of the Jewish people and they are called bad shepherds.  You can look at Ezekiel 34 pretty much the whole chapter.  Not nice things are said about the shepherds of the people who were responsible to bring them to a closer relationship with the Father.  Jeremiah 25:34ff also speaks of the shepherds on whom the Lord has turned his back because they have not done his bidding.  So it is nice here to get a good shepherd who will care for his sheep.

I want you to be aware of this imagery where the sheep in the pen come out of the pen because they recognize the voice of the shepherd.  This is no joke.  Oftentimes the shepherds would be in a type of co-op where they would all put their sheep in a common pen.  In the morning when it was time to get their sheep one at a time the shepherds would stand at the gate and call for their sheep.  Only their sheep would come out at this time.  This is still true today.  Shepherds still call their sheep by name and the sheep respond if they know the shepherd or run away if they do not.

Our desire ought to be to run to the Lord whenever he calls us.  There are some mixed metaphors in these verses where Jesus goes from being the shepherd to the gate.   But it all works, doesn’t it?  Jesus is the one through whom we have access to the Father.  Jesus is the one with whom we are able take comfort and in whom we are able to trust.  The words that I love in this chapter are: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  I’m all about having an abundant life.  It is what the Lord wants us all to have.  He wants us all to have a life which is full of his bidding and his desires for us.  

This is one of the first times that Jesus argues with his detractors while they have stones in hand ready to stone him to death.  It is a bit of a risky strategy, but it seems to work in this case.  Why are you going to execute me for the works that I do.  We are not going to execute you for your works but for your words.  But my works reflect my words, so if my works are not of God’s bidding then you can have a case against me.  It is a very convincing argument.  All the people knew that his miracles and his healings had to come from God.  They had never seen anyone who performed the miracles that Jesus was performing, so he had to come from God…right?  Well, they went from wanting to stone him to wanting to grab him, and he escaped from their hands.

He had enough, he went back across the Jordan to where John had been and many came to him there.  Scripture tells us that many believed in him there.  Isn’t it interesting that Jesus never had a church.  Think about that.  So much of our faith today is wrapped up in our church.  What the pastor says, who the pastor is, the community of believers with whom we celebrate life’s joys and trials, the programs that we have and those that we are not able to offer.  So much of our faith is wrapped up in our church.  Did I mention that Jesus never had a church?  

Not having a physical structure that ties you down has its advantages.  You are more mobile.  You are nimble, you are able to address needs as they pop up within your community and you have way more resources at your disposal than if you have a campus with its upkeep and other difficulties.  A church without walls allows people to be a church just as a people.  I know, I have experienced that type of a church.  It is intense, it is non-stop.  But it also  has its disadvantages.  A church without walls is also a church that is putting a lot of its energies into finding places where its programs can be carried out.  A church without walls may have more difficulty in making a mark within a community.  

But did I mention that Jesus never had a church?