Scripture Meditations

This chapter begins with the account of Jesus feeding the 5,000 the fish and bread loaves. After this miracle, the people literally want to make Jesus a king by force, so Jesus departs. This reminds me that Jesus and His Kingdom are not of this world and He transcends earthly politics. The Miracle of The Fish and loaves reiterates that The Lord is a provider and He isn't limited by anything. He is able to alter even the laws of physics to accomplish what He wishes.  Later, the people of the area are seeking Jesus and Jesus reveals that they are looking for Him because of the food He provided. But then He tells them not waste their time working to acquire food that is temporary, but for the meat endures unto eternal life. The people immediately reference the manna that the Israelites ate in the wilderness. But they didn't realize that the physical manna was pointing to an even greater spiritual reality. Jesus then declares His first 'I AM' statement.  I AM The Bread of L...

Jesus causes a huge controversy in Jerusalem when He heals a man on the Sabbath. According to Jewish law, no work is to be done on that day. But Jesus breaks this rule (according to the leaders) and heals a man who had an infirmity for 38 years. Not only was this man physically healed, but Jesus evidently forgave him of his sins (granting the man a spiritual healing as well). Although Jesus never violated any Mosaic law, this account shows that He will go against manmade limitations and rules to answer those in need.  The rest of this chapter has Jesus explaining His Witness to The Father and The Father's Witness of Jesus. Everything Jesus does is in harmony with God the Father. Their wills are completely one. How awesome is that! Jesus was not some Lone Ranger doing His own thing. He was fulfilling God's Will. All of the healings and miracles Jesus performed, all of His teachings and parables...EVERYTHING Jesus accomplished was in sync with God's plan, right down to the Cr...

  The first account of this passage is Jesus' encounter with The Samaritan woman. She arrives at the Well to retrieve water. Jesus uses this moment as an opportunity to reveal His identity as well as illustrate a crucial spiritual truth. He explains to the woman that if anyone drinks of this water, he will thirst again, but the water He (Jesus) gives will bring eternal life and the person will never thirst again. The Samaritan woman mentions that the Well was given to her people by Jacob. With this in mind, Jesus was making an illustration of the two Covenants: if anyone drinks from Jacob's Well (the Old Covenant) he will remain thirsty. But if anyone drinks the Living Water Jesus offers (the New Covenant), he will never thirst again. Under the Old Covenant,  there is Law and condemnation. God's Presence is temporarily given in the tabernacle and the only way to be declared clean enough to enter His Holy Presence is through the blood of animals. Gentiles were only allowed t...

  Happy Sunday Everyone! What is the Gospel? The Gospel means good news. It is the message that Jesus Christ came to reconcile us to The Holy God in Heaven, through His sinless life, death and resurrection. It is the foundation of the Christian faith. Here is my summary of The Gospel. My prayer is that you think deeply about eternity and what it means to follow Christ. God created everything. He created the earth, the heavens and all things that are living. Because God has all power, He is the Creator of all life. Most of all, God created you. He created all people. And He created us perfect. We were created to love Him, honor Him, worship Him and be His children.  But soon after God created the first Man and Woman, they sinned against God. They disobeyed and dishonored their Heavenly Creator. They were placed in a perfect world with perfect peace, harmony and communion with God. He was their Father and they shamed him with their disobedience. This is how sin entered the world...

  Jesus meets with a Pharisee named Nicodemus at night. Jesus explains to him that one must be born again to enter God's Kingdom. Nicodemus is obviously confused. How can someone be born again? Jesus says a man must be born of water and the Spirit (verse 5). These are not two separate births, but two concepts of the spiritual rebirth that are connected.  In the Old and New Testaments, water is referenced in regards to Cleansing. This is also a work of the Spirit of God. Later, baptism is mentioned, as John was baptizing and so were Jesus's disciples. What does baptism represent?  Spiritual Cleansing. The regenerating work of The Holy Spirit. When we truly believe upon Christ, we are born again. Belief in Jesus is the way to be born again, which is how The Spirit comes into us and cleanses. I am saved through faith in Christ and have received His Holy Spirit. I am cleansed by His blood and God’s Spirit renews me and leads me to holiness. The Triune God is purifying me!...

  In this passages, two events are taking place. The Miracle of the Water Turning into Wine and The Cleansing of the Temple. In the miracle of the wine, Jesus uses stone water pots that are similar to the ritualistic water purification. And what's also interesting is that the Cleansing of the Temple takes place near The feast of Passover.     It seems as if both of these events point to Jesus' purity, righteousness and Sacrifice. The wine was served out of water pots designed for Cleansing. Wine is the Blood of the Holy Communion sacrament. This is exactly what Jesus' Blood does. Passover is about being passed over by death due to the blood of a sacrificed lamb. Jesus then points to His Resurrection in verse 19, claiming that after the people destroy the Temple (Christ's Body), it will be raised up in three days. Jesus says this after He cleanses the physical Temple.   Jesus' Blood is the Only Thing that can cleanse me from all sin and defilement. His Atoni...

  The Eternal King and Creator took on flesh and lived amongst us. Heralded by John the Baptist and affirmed by The Holy Spirit. It has a majestic tone. Several others (whom Jesus would later call to follow Him) in this chapter became aware that Jesus is the Son of God and the promised Messiah.       The passage records that John and Andrew go to where Jesus lived and stay with Him that day. Inviting someone to your home is an intimate, personal gesture. Jesus is calling men to follow Him and be with Him. The disciples ministered with Jesus, learned from Jesus, traveled with Jesus, ate with Him and basically lived with Him. The closeness they had with The Creator in flesh!       Jesus desires this same closeness with me. He wants me to learn from Him, follow Him, eat with Him, live with Him, be with Him. Just as He reached out to His disciples, Jesus reaches out to Me.