Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Friday, January 31, 2014 Read John 3:31-36 The commentary in these verses is not attached to an episode which is a bit unusual for John but they sound a lot like the commentary that unfolded in the conclusion of the Nicodemus episode. Clearly these are words of the narrator. Perhaps they are a segment of the preaching of the eyewitness who stands behind this gospel. The message of the text is clear and carries forward the same message as the Prologue and as the commentary at the conclusion of the Nicodemus incident. Jesus is from above and to know Jesus is to accept this truth. Whoever believes this about Jesus has the eternal life that Jesus comes to give to such believers. It is almost as if this is a doctrinal statement of the community of John. What is proclaimed here is correct thinking and correct belief. To think or believe otherwise is to be outside the community. John is being very theological at this point. This is not really narrative but theology. We will find nothing quite like this in any of the other gospels. In a way these words interrupt the story but that does not make them any less important. We will do well to listen to them and ponder their meaning.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, January 30, 2013 Read John 3:25-30 The encounter in which Jesus and John the Baptist are engaged simultaneously in ministry and baptism continues with a story of a dispute between John the Baptist and a Jew. The story centers on the competition that must arise between Jesus and John the Baptist. This gives John one more chance to demote John the Baptist and exalt Jesus. The Jew points out that Jesus is baptizing more people than John the Baptist – everyone is going to him. The Jew expects, of course, that John the Baptist will be jealous. But with grace and honor John defers to Jesus – “I must decrease and he must increase.” Of course it is likely that there is historical accuracy behind what happens here. John likely really did defer to Jesus. But, as has been said earlier, it is also likely that these words were written as much for the community to which the final form of John’s gospel was written. John has gone to great ends to exalt Jesus over John the Baptist likely because there were people in that area who exalted John the Baptist over Jesus. John is critical of them and calls them to do as their master, John the Baptist, had done.

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Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Wednesday, January 29, 2014 Read John 3:22-24 We had left John the Baptist at the end of chapter one. Now we are suddenly back in his presence. John tells us that Jesus and his disciples moved out of the city of Jerusalem into the Judean countryside where John the Baptist was baptizing. Competing baptisms seem to be happening. John the Baptist is still baptizing but so are Jesus and his disciples. This small piece of information is provided only in John’s gospel. In Mark, Matthew, and Luke, John the Baptist has been removed from the scene and put in prison before Jesus ministry begins. John even comments, “John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison.” John is aware that John the Baptist will eventually be put in prison, but he tells of a ministry of John the Baptist and of Jesus that are concurrent with one another. It is likely that John reflects historical reality more closely than Mark, Matthew, and Luke. For them, to get John the Baptist off the scene before the ministry of Jesus begins is important. Remember, for them John is the forerunner foreshadowing what will happen to Jesus. John is imprisoned and eventually will be killed. That will happen to Jesus too, but he begins his ministry anyway. In some ways he cannot begin until the forerunner is removed. John does not share this concept of John the Baptist. He is not the forerunner but a prime witness to Jesus. It will trouble some that Jesus is said to be also baptizing at this point in the story. In fact, it will trouble the final editor of John’s gospel to such an extent that when the idea of Jesus baptizing comes up again in chapter 4 he will deny that Jesus really did baptize. Why a correction is made at that point and not also here is anyone’s guess. But it does seem likely that at least at some point John and the community of John’s gospel believed that Jesus had engaged in baptism. These discrepancies within the text are one of the peculiarities of John’s gospel which strengthens the belief that the gospel as we now have it has undergone revision at the hand of an editor. We will notice other discrepancies as we move forward.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Tuesday, January 28, 2014 Read John 3:17-21 We usually stop reading or stop listening after verse 16. John has more to say. John probes into the deep mystery of why some believe and others do not. The issue rests with human beings. John tells us that Jesus has not come to judge – to somehow separate the good from the bad on the basis some standard of belief or action. Rather, John proclaims to us that Jesus is the light that shines for all to see. Unfortunately it is because some love darkness rather that light that the will not come to the light. They will not come to the light because the light will expose their evil deeds. It is not so much that God judges anyone but that we pass judgment upon ourselves by refusing to come to the light of Jesus. The sermon has now ended for a time. John will preach to us again. But to sum up we have now experienced a pattern that will repeat itself. An action or a story is followed by and flows into a sermon by John. The story of Nicodemus moves from the story into the interpretation in a seamless way. There are some who have wondered if these longer stories might be the proclamation of the eyewitness who stands behind John’s gospel. If that is the case what we have is the preaching of this one who was an eyewitness and his preaching is meant to call us to faith much as he called his first hearers to faith.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Monday, January 27, 2014 Read John 3:11-16 In today’s reading, for a second time Jesus says, “Very truly…” We need to know that what is about to be said is critically important. In a strange sort of way the narrative now blends between the words of Jesus and the commentary of the narrator. It is difficult to tell when Jesus’ words end and the narrator’s words begin – we can be certain that at verse 16 it is the narrator who is speaking but perhaps he is already the one speaking at verse 13. Maybe our whole reading today comes from his hand – even though he seems to put the beginning at least into the mouth of Jesus. Several things are being proclaimed in these important words. The words are more about Jesus than the words of Jesus. If we are to understand Jesus then we are going to need to know that Jesus is the one who ascended to heaven because he first descended from heaven. The origin of Jesus is from God. Unless we understand Jesus in this way we will never believe. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and lived among us.” That is the message proclaimed by John. And because Nicodemus cannot perceive this reality he is clueless. At this point John alludes to the story in the OT book of Numbers where Moses lifted up a bronze serpent so that those who looked upon that serpent might be healed from its bite. But Jesus transforms the image and he does so by using a third word with a double meaning. That word is “lifted up” which can mean “to ascend” or “to be crucified.” The proclamation is that just as salvation was found in looking at the bronze serpent salvation will be found only in those who come to see Jesus “lifted up” – “crucified” and “ascended.” This image will be used twice more by John later in his gospel. We will need to be watching for it. Those who believe in the “crucified/ascended” one will know eternal life – the very purpose for which Jesus came into the world – “in him was life and the life was the light of all people.” Verse 16 is probably the best known verse in the Bible and it is clearly the voice of the narrator who now speaks. The verse is about Jesus more than the word of Jesus. John proclaims to us God’s deep and amazing love that sent Jesus into the world – the reason the Word became flesh – so that all who believe in him might have eternal life. A story that began with an unsuspected visitor to Jesus by night has morphed into a sermon calling us to believe in Jesus, the one God gave for the world. But the story is not quite finished. John has one more important concept to introduce to his readers.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, January 26, 2014 Read John 3:1-10 As we begin reading this story it is important that we recognize the deep symbolism imbedded within it. It may be surprising to hear that Nicodemus, though he is a leader of the Jews, comes to see Jesus. For the most part Jewish leaders do not come off very well in the gospel stories. So already we might be aware that there is something peculiar about Nicodemus. It is important that John tells us that Nicodemus comes by night for two reasons. First is the obvious reason, Nicodemus does not want to be seen. John is aware of believers in Jesus who want to remain secret in their belief. Perhaps there were believers within John’s community at the time of the completion of his gospel who also wanted to remain secret believers. Perhaps we are sometimes like that too. John is tolerant of such secret believers but he is also critical of them. The second reason why it is important to realize that Nicodemus comes by night is more subtle and symbolic. Night stands for darkness. Nicodemus comes from the darkness. Whenever we hear of darkness we can know that John wants us to recognize the danger involved. Remember in the beginning of his gospel, in the Prologue we hear that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. Nicodemus is symbolically associated with the darkness as opposed to the light. Nicodemus has witnessed the signs that Jesus has done. Those signs have had some effect upon Nicodemus, but is their effect sufficient? Nicodemus recognizes that the presence of God must be somehow with Jesus. But will he truly perceive that in Jesus the very being of God is present? At this point in the narrative we are introduced to a way of speaking by Jesus that John uses to signal great emphasis – Jesus says “Very truly…” – in Greek the words are “Amen. Amen.” When we hear these words we need to perk up or ears and listen for something critically important is about to be said. Also at this point we are introduced to a technique that will repeat itself over and over again in John’s gospel. John will use a word that has a double meaning and thus Jesus will speak on one level and those with whom Jesus speaks will understand on another level. The word with a double meaning in this encounter is the word which is translated “from above” which can also be translated “again.” Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born from above. Nicodemus misunderstands and thinks that Jesus is telling him that he must be born again. Nicodemus makes the ridiculous suggestion that Jesus has said that he must enter into his mother’s womb a second time. This leads Jesus to expand on his meaning. Being a part of God’s kingdom does not come through natural birth – birth through water – but by God’s action – the work of the Spirit. Nicodemus is floundering by this point. Jesus is speaking on one level and Nicodemus is understanding on another. They are like ships passing in the night. At this point another word with a double meaning is used. The word “wind” can also mean “spirit.” Jesus says the “wind/spirit” blows where it wills and we can hear the sound of it but we can’t see it – just so it is for those who are born of the “wind/spirit.” When Jesus says “Spirit” Nicodemus hears “wind” and in frustration he asks, “How can this be?” Nicodemus never gets on the same level as Jesus because he is unable to understand that Jesus is “from above.” Nicodemus is an example of insufficient faith and insufficient understanding. We can only truly understand Jesus when we come to realize that his origin is “from above” and not of this world. Nicodemus cannot make this move. And so he remains in the darkness – at least for a time. We will meet Nicodemus again in John’s gospel. We have to see what happens to him. At this point Nicodemus drops out of the story and as readers we suddenly realize that Jesus is now speaking to us – or is it the narrator who is speaking. Just who is speaking blends together in the following verses. An important question for us to ponder at this point is this: What does it mean to be born from above? What does it mean to be born of the Spirit? At this point our answer will perhaps be somewhat fuzzy. But this much is clear – being born from above is to have been acted upon by God. Being born from above is not something we can accomplish. Being born from above is to be brought up to the level of Jesus who is from above. Being born from above is what God is working within those who hear – it is the intention of Jesus for us. It is finally something we can only receive as a gift of the Spirit. Nicodemus plays the role in this story of one who is at least open to the gift of the Spirit – but he is unable to move from the trap of his own level of understanding to the level of Jesus. There is hope for Nicodemus.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Saturday, January 25, 2014 Read John 3:1-21 Once again it is helpful for us to read the whole story and then come back and look at individual sections. The story of Nicodemus is very familiar to most of us. It is a wonderful story which will help us to understand better how John thinks and what techniques he uses in proclaiming his gospel. John is the only gospel writer to tell us the story of Nicodemus – in fact he alone knows of a person called Nicodemus. We need to remember that the setting remains in Jerusalem which likely explains why Nicodemus is unknown to the other gospel writers who center their gospel nearly exclusively in Galilee. John has a whole lot more material that comes from Judea and Jerusalem. Likely John himself was from that territory. There is no reason for us to think that John’s stories in and around Jerusalem do not reflect historical remembrances. What a blessing it is for us that we have a gospel that provides us with so much more material. We might conjecture why this material is absent from Mark and the other synoptic writers. Perhaps Mark purposefully omitted it because he wanted to construct a storyline in which Jesus was exclusively in Galilee and moved in one journey to Jerusalem to die and be raised from the dead. More likely Mark was simply unaware of the material. We are blessed to have John’s story. In fact John has more material centered in and around Jerusalem than in Galilee. We are the richer for John’s gospel.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Friday, January 24, 2014 Read John 2:23-25 This is the first time that John tells his readers of many who believe in the name of Jesus because of the signs that Jesus had done. The setting remains Jerusalem in the days immediately after the celebration of Passover and the cleansing of the Temple. We might have expected deep trouble for Jesus – trouble similar to the arrest and crucifixion that the synoptic gospels report following the cleansing of the Temple in their stories. But that does not happen. There is essentially little or no response in John’s gospel – perhaps more reason to think that John has moved this episode from its place at the end of the story. Instead John tells us of many who believed. But their believing is not without its challenge. What seems to be a good outcome may not have been so good after all. John tells us that Jesus would not trust himself to these believers because he knew more about them than they may have known about themselves. Once again we are confronted with John’s understanding the there is a kind of believing that is insufficient. It may not be good news that many believed in him. More is needed. We likely find this understanding of John to be at least somewhat troubling. As mentioned earlier we are all aware of our weakness and our inadequate faith at time. We will need to move forward with John to better understand what he is saying. We need John to tell us what sufficient and adequate faith is and what it looks like. As we proceed through his gospel John will lead us to that understanding. For now we will need to keep pushing forward. The very next episode in John gospel is a very familiar story and it will be helpful to move us forward in John’s understanding of faith.

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Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, January 23, 2104 Read Psalm 69:30-36 We conclude our use of Psalm 69 today. The psalm ends in words of praise and expectation which is typical of most lament psalms. Having traveled through the valley of death the psalmist emerges into the light of God’s deliverance. Having issued his complaint now the psalmist can be assured that God has heard and the God will answer. The early Christians also knew that God answered Jesus who cried from the cross. Their triumphant message to the world was the God raised Jesus from the dead. So this psalm completes the picture for them. It is wonderful psalm to see Jesus. What a blessing it must have been to those first followers. What a blessing it can be for us.

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Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Wednesday, January 22, 2014 Read Psalm 69:19-29 The gospel writers, including John, will use Psalm 69:21in their telling of the story of the crucifixion of Jesus – “they gave me vinegar to drink.” And once again the psalm is helpful for understanding the experience of Jesus and in interpreting the meaning of his death. There is a new power poured into these ancient psalms as they are read through the lens of the experience of Jesus.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Tuesday, January 21, 2014 Read Psalm 69:13-18 The psalmist cries out to God to deliver him in due time. The expectation of the psalmist is that God will act. That is one of the beautiful things about most psalms of lament – the expectation of the lamenter that God will hear and that God will act. As we listen to this part of the psalm we are closer to Mark’s understanding of Jesus as the suffering, crucified Messiah than we are to John’s understanding. Mark will use another psalm directly on the lips of Jesus to express Jesus cry to God, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” But this psalm might also have been on the lips of Jesus. We can see how the early Christians read these psalms and saw Jesus in them.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Monday, January 20, 2014 Read Psalm 69:9-12 It is from these verses that Jesus quotes in John’s story of the cleansing of the Temple – “Zeal for your house consumes me” (Psalm 69:9). Once again the early Christians could see Jesus on the cross in this psalm. They had come to realize that Jesus was faithful to God and that his faithfulness led to his rejection and crucifixion. The psalm helped them understand Jesus. But, how does this psalm function in John’s story of the cleansing of the Temple? The question that arose from Jesus’ actions was what justification he had for doing what he did. Ultimately it was not that Jesus detested the Temple – Jesus treasured the Temple. It was the perversion of the Temple that upset Jesus. In this way John agrees with Mark, Matthew, and Luke. The problem is not the Temple itself but the religious leaders who have perverted it. We might ponder why Mark, Matthew, and Luke tells us Jesus quoted one set of verses in their rendition and that John has selected a difference verse in his version of the story. Likely the oldest tradition had none of the verses attached. It was the gospel writers who attached the OT to what they received. Again, this is an interesting observation that supports the idea that the gospels as we have them today and the work of editors shaping earlier materials to proclaim their message.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, January 19, 2014 Read Psalm 69:6-8 The psalmist cries out to God to not let him become the source of shame and reproach for those who look to him. Just so, as the early Christians heard this Psalm they saw Jesus on the cross. There were many who likely saw the death of Jesus as a failure. To be crucified was to be brought to intense shame. And they recognized that Jesus had endured this agony. He had indeed become like a stranger to many. Yet, they knew him as the one upon whom all their hopes rested. The psalmist’s fears would not come to reality in Jesus.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Saturday, January 18, 2014 Read Psalm 69:1-5 When we were discussing John’s story of the cleansing of the Temple we omitted commenting on the fact that John does not use the quotations for Isaiah and Jeremiah that Mark, Matthew, and Luke use but in their place John quotes from Psalm 69. Psalm 69 is an important Psalm for John and for early Christians as a whole. As they attempted to understand and explain the death and resurrection of Jesus, the early Christians found the OT and particularly the Psalms to be helpful. Over the next few days we are going to listen to Psalm 69 and see how this Psalm may have been helpful to them. Psalm 69 is a lament psalm. The psalmist makes his plea before God. He is up to his neck in trouble. He is weary of his struggle. He is surrounded by a multitude of people who seek to destroy him without cause and accuse him falsely. Such was the experience of Jesus as he went to the cross. As the early Christians read Psalm 69, the saw Jesus in the experience of the psalmist. These first five verses draw us to the cross and the injustice Jesus faced.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Friday, January 17, 2014 Read Luke 19:41-48 Luke, like Matthew basically follows Mark; however, he has radically shortened the story. Aside from the quoted verses from Isaiah and Jeremiah much has been stripped away. But in its place Luke has added an agonizing lament over the Temple and its impending destruction to the beginning of his account. Jesus weeping over the Temple at this point is something only Luke tells us – Jesus laments because he knows that the Temple would be destroyed which it was in 70 AD. Luke’s description nearly matches the actual description of the assault on by the Romans. In this way Luke has also added his own twist to the story – one cannot help but pity those for whom the Temple held such importance as one reads Luke’s story. All this brings us back once again to John. As we have noted John’s story is quite similar to the others with one glaring addition. We have seen how that addition is John’s way of speaking of Jesus replacing the Temple with his own body. One other item is worthy of our consideration. If it was the cleansing of the Temple that became the straw that broke the camel’s back in the stories of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, and that ultimately led to the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus, how can John move such an episode forward and not lose the motive for the arrest? That may have been a risk for John. However, as we will see, it is the raising of Lazarus from the dead that provides the motive in John’s gospel. We will talk more about that when we get to that part of John’s story. We will notice then that only John tells this story of the raising of Lazarus.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, January 16, 2014 Read Matthew 21:12-17 Matthew follows Mark almost word for word as he begins his rendition of the cleansing of the Temple and then he adds a striking new element. Matthew tells us the Jesus healed the blind and the lame who had come to the Temple which led those who observed to herald Jesus as the Son of David. Upset by this acclamation the religious leaders challenge Jesus because such an acclamation was nothing short of calling Jesus the Messiah. The religious leaders want Jesus to stop the people from calling him the Son of David but Jesus refuses and quotes the action as the fulfillment of Psalm 8. Matthew has put his own twist on the story.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Wednesday, January 15, 2014 Read Mark 11:15-19 In Mark’s gospel Jesus cleanses the Temple mostly because the religious leaders who have violated the people are using it as a hideout. It is a den of thieves. It is not so much that they are using the Temple wrongly to provide sacrificial animals and to exchange pagan coins for Jewish coins than that the Temple has become the lair of the religious authorities who have laid heavy burdens on the people. The sacrificial system that had built up over time had overshadowed the mercy of God. What upset Jesus is that the purpose of God’s Temple – an instrument of prayer for all the nations had become an exclusive haunt inaccessible to most. So, it must be destroyed. The two verses of the OT that Mark lifts into the story are from Isaiah and Jeremiah – God meant the Temple to be house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah) but they have made it into a den or robbers (Jeremiah). As we compare Mark’s rendition with John’s we discover that in John’s story Jesus boldly proclaims, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” That is missing from Mark. In fact, one of the false accusations brought against Jesus in his trial, according to Mark, is that he claimed exactly what John has recorded. Mark rejects the accusation as false. This is an interesting difference. Of course John goes on to explain that Jesus was not speaking literally about the physical Temple but about his own body. Remember, Jesus replaces the Temple in John’s understanding. But it is interesting that the very accusation Mark calls false is the claim John says Jesus made. Again it is impossible to determine where the “historical” truth lies and it doesn’t really matter as long as we are attempting to hear each gospel writer on their own.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Tuesday, January 14, 2014 Read John 2:13-22 John’s placement of the episode of Jesus cleansing the Temple in Jerusalem at this early point of his gospel presents us with a challenge. Mark, Matthew, and Luke place this episode near the very end of their gospels. For them, this episode is really the straw that broke the camel’s back and leads to Jesus arrest and crucifixion. As we read their gospels, especially Mark’s gospel, it would have been impossible for Jesus to have cleansed the Temple at any other time than at the end of his ministry when he entered Jerusalem for the one and only time. It does no good to try to claim that Jesus must have cleansed the Temple twice. Mark’s storyline does not allow it. Once again, attempting to solve this challenge by claiming that the event happened twice has more to do with an attempt to justify a particular point of view regarding scripture interpretation than it does with really listen to the story we find in the Bible. So, we are going to have to face this challenge by attempting to answer the question of why John chose to put this story in this place in his gospel – probably knowing very well that historically the event happened much later near then end of Jesus’ story. As is evident, it is my opinion that the synoptic gospels are “historically” correct – John is not. So why might John have moved this story to this point in his gospel? John tells his readers of three Passover. Mark, Matthew and Luke speak of only one. One of the distinct features of John’s gospel is that Jesus spends considerably more time in Judea and in Jerusalem than in the synoptic gospels. As we have already observed, in them Jesus makes only one visit to Jerusalem during his ministry. Yet, even the synoptic gospels at times hint that Jesus may well have been acquainted with Jerusalem before his final arrival. More on that later. At any rate it seems likely that John is reflecting historical reality when he extends the ministry of Jesus beyond the short time period that is implied by Mark and followed by Matthew and Luke. It is from John, after all, that the church has come to believe that Jesus’ ministry lasted for at least three years. If John is reflecting historical reality more closely by reporting a ministry of about three years, he has no trouble moving the cleansing story to an earlier visit – perhaps because there was no notable event to report during this first visit. That is a rather weak reason – there are others which are more compelling. We have already observed that John has spoken of Jesus as the Lamb of God – the Passover Lamb and made the claim that Jesus replaces the Passover Lamb. Passover, as we will observe, was very important to John and to John’s community. That Jesus should confront the injustice and bankrupt nature of the Temple during Passover would only highlight this connection. At the next Passover, John will argue that Jesus replaces the Passover itself – he is the Bread of Life! Now, during this first Passover Jesus confronts the perversion of the Temple and replaces the Temple with his own body. By the time the book of John was likely completed the Temple in Jerusalem has long been laying in ruins destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. The Temple no longer functioned. The destruction of the Temple in 70 AD was a real problem both for Jews and for Jewish Christians. But it was no problem for John and for John’s community because Jesus had already replaced the Temple – he did it early in his ministry. That is John’s point. In the next few days we are going to look at how each of the gospel writers uses this story. There are many things they share in common. John’s story is not much different from the others – closer than John is to many other stories he shares with them. But there are subtle differences too and it is in hearing those differences that we come to understand more fully.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Monday, January 13, 2014 Read John 2:12 Our reading today is only one short verse. But it contains a bit of information that is important for us as we consider the storyline of John’s gospel in comparison to the storyline of Mark’s gospel. As we read the synoptic gospels we discover that Capernaum becomes the center of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. He has a home there and returns time and again. John will make nothing of his reference to Jesus moving to Capernaum. In fact, in the very next episode Jesus will be back in Jerusalem. But this one single verse likely helps us to get in touch with a piece of “historical reality” – something that we have been learning not to be too worried about in the gospels. That John places Jesus in Capernaum even though he makes nothing of the reporting of that provides us with confirmation that likely Capernaum was at the center of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. Sometimes it may appear that we question everything about the historical reality of the gospels. That certainly is not meant to be the case. In fact, personally, I take most historical references at face value. It’s just that historical reality is not all that important. When we find a reference like this that has no other purpose in a gospel, and a reference which is verified by both the synoptic gospels and by John it makes it more likely to be historically accurate. Why John chose to drop this little verse into his story is peculiar – I’m glad he did.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, January 12, 2014 Read John 2:1-11 So far in John’s gospel, the main character in the narrative has been John the Baptist. The story of Jesus has been told in relationship to him. John the Baptist has been put on display as a prime witness to Jesus and John has written the story to demote John the Baptist and exalt Jesus. While this likely was true at the time, John’s emphasis of the demotion of John the Baptist likely also speaks to the time of the writing of John’s gospel when followers of John the Baptist persisted and may have even been a threat to John’s community. We will encounter John the Baptist again in John’s gospel, but clearly at this point Jesus takes center stage. We may recall that the very first episode that Mark tells us about is the encounter between Jesus and a demon in the synagogue of Capernaum. Luke begins his story with Jesus in his hometown of Nazareth. John begins with an episode only he shares – the wedding at Cana in Galilee. As we read the story of the wedding at Cana in Galilee, we encounter several features will meet over and over again in John’s gospel. This is a story that seems simple enough on the surface level but becomes more mysterious the more we contemplate it. The first feature we encounter is that when Mary tells Jesus that they have run out of wine, Jesus’ response is sharp and he rejects her request. Why did Mary tell Jesus about the need? What did she expect? The narrative provides no answers to those questions. Jesus response assumes that she expects him to do something about the need. We don’t expect Jesus to reject Mary’s request, if it really was one, but he does. And he does it in a rather blunt way. In our own slang it would be like saying, “What’s it to ya, woman?” The reason Jesus gives for his rejection of her request is that his “hour” has not yet come. This word “hour” will be an important concept for John. It is a code word that refers to Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. But what does providing wine at a wedding have to do with that? Mary is persistent in spite of Jesus’ harsh rejection. And then, in a pattern that will repeat itself throughout the gospel, Jesus does what he had just refused to do. Why does Jesus reject and then do what he said he wouldn’t do? We will need to think about that as we move through this gospel. At this point Jesus provides wine for the guests who have run out of wine. And it is no small amount – about 120 gallons! Such an amount has made teetotalers squirm. And it is not just ordinary wine, it is the best of wine! The result is that Jesus’ disciples believe in him. Didn’t they already believe in him? Or, are these different disciples from the ones we have already met? There is much in this story that is veiled from view. How are we to unpack it? There are some who have turned everything in this story into a symbol in hopes of making sense of the story. To be sure there is symbolism involved but we need to be careful not to overdo things. Likely the wine that has run out is meant as a symbol of Judaism that has grown stale and ineffective. And likely the new wine, the best wine, is meant as a symbol of the new faith and life Jesus is bringing. Likely the abundance of wine is meant as a symbol of the abundance of life that Jesus brings. In the end the whole episode likely functions for John as one more story of how Jesus replaces the old with the new. But this story is not as clear as some others. It will be best if we wait awhile to think about why Jesus might first reject a request and then do the very thing that has been requested. We will encounter that idea many times as we move forward and we can suspend talking about it now. It will be best if we also suspend talking about Jesus’ “hour” for the time being since that too will be repeated many times. But what about the punch line of the story – “this, the first of his signs … revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him?” There is no reason to suppose that the disciples referred to in this episode are not the same disciples we have met earlier. We have already talked a bit about how John conceives of “faith” as something that one experiences in degrees. Not all faith is sufficient faith. That might be troublesome for us because we don’t usually think of faith in this way. And we are very aware that our own experience of faith is often very mixed. We are very aware that our faith is often frail and weak. Is John telling us that our experience of faith is faulty? I don’t think so. We will not be able to finally answer our questions at this point, but we need to pay attention to what John is doing and about how John talks about faith. Our understanding and his are likely different at this point. The use of the word “sign” is important here. We will encounter signs again and again. And John will invite us to consider whether or not “sign faith” is sufficient. Perhaps it is not our faith that is in question here but the faith of the disciples. Is their “sign faith” sufficient faith? We may have to wait and see. This story is not an easy story to comprehend. The more we muddle into it the more veiled and mysterious it becomes. Maybe we will need to look back at the story from a better vantage point later in the John’s gospel.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Saturday, January 11, 2014 Read Luke 5:1-11 We are still contemplating the similarities and the differences in the gospel writer’s account of the formation of the first contingent of disciples. This is a good area for us to do some thinking because the issue is really not that important. It really doesn’t matter much how the formation of the first contingent of disciples happened. Luke’s account of the call of Peter provides us an interesting story to work with because Luke’s account “conflicts” both with Mark and with John. I have put the word “conflicts” in quotation marks because in the end there really isn’t a conflict – unless one wants to press for historical accuracy. Mark told his readers that right after Jesus was baptized and John the Baptist had been arrested Peter was the first to be called. He was by the Sea of Galilee presumably about his business of fishing. Jesus comes by, calls Peter, and immediately he follows. Luke omitted that part of Mark’s story and instead tells the story of the call of Peter by using a story that Mark either was not aware of or chose not to include. Luke’s story is more natural and even a bit more realistic than Mark’s. Peter encounters Jesus in a fishing episode on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus miraculously helps Peter to experience a great catch of fish even though Peter had been fishing all night without success. It is this encounter with Jesus that moves Peter eventually to faith in Jesus and to follow him. What makes Luke’s account even more interesting is that John knows the same story of Peter and the great catch of fish. Only John tells this story at the very end of his gospel after Jesus has been raised from the dead and in the re-commissioning of Peter who had failed to follow in the courtyard of the high priest. John’s story is slightly different but there are enough similarities to be sure that they are telling the same story. Of course, there are those would want to claim that the same thing happened twice and I suppose that is possible. But is that really likely, or are we just trying to support a prior notion that everything must have happened just as it’s written? I think that we are doing the latter and it is really an unnecessary attempt to bolster the Bible which stands well on its own. So Luke and John have each encountered a wonderful story of Jesus and Peter and a great catch of fish. Each chooses to insert the story into their gospel at a different point because it works well from them to do this. And the whole process of tracing their use of this story helps us to better understand how the gospels came into being. Discoveries like this are exciting! They can help us better appreciate the Bible. And better to hear its message! We are tempted to ask one more question – “When did this episode really happen?” But, that is a question of our own “scientific, give me the facts” preoccupation. It’s the wrong question. It’s an unimportant question. And it is a question we finally will never be able to answer. Tragically, it is a question that can lead us astray into a field of speculation and doubt and frustration. We are better off not asking it.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Friday, January 10, 2014 Read Mark 3:13-19 We have already spoken about the different ways in which John and Mark, and Matthew and Luke following Mark, conceive of the gathering of the first contingent of disciples. Our reading for today contains the list of the Twelve that Mark provides. We can find similar lists in Matthew 10:1-4, Luke 6:12-16 and Acts 1:13-14. It would also be good to review Mark’s story of the calling of Peter, Andrew, James and John in Mark 1:16-20. Why do John and the other gospel writers differ so much in the telling of this story? A good way for us to think of this is to imagine all of the gospel writers as editors – people who have before them a vast amount of material most of which is unorganized and in rather small pieces. All are challenged to organize those pieces into a sensible whole and in the process to proclaim the gospel they feel compelled to preach. It is likely that Mark faced this challenge and chose to organize his material in the way that he did to proclaim the message he felt compelled to write. And Mark did a brilliant job of it! Matthew and Luke most likely had Mark to use as a guide, but they also needed to do some organizing. Perhaps they had some material that was unavailable to Mark or in a slightly different form than Mark had. Maybe Mark had left out some things they thought should be included. Matthew and Luke felt compelled to deliver a message somewhat different from Mark’s to communities with slightly different needs. And so they created the wonderful gospels they have provided us. And then there is John. It is almost certain that John was not aware of Mark’s, Matthew’s, or Luke’s gospels. In that way he was a lot like Mark. However, as we have noticed there was one striking difference. John had at his disposal the testimony of an eyewitness to the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. It is also likely that John had some other pieces of information that was very similar to that which Mark, Matthew, and Luke had. It is my view that the Gospel of John as we have it today is much larger than the testimony of that eyewitness that stands behind much of it. The core of John’s gospel is the testimony of this eyewitness, but the final product is the work of one of his followers who expanded upon that testimony, often making it relevant to the needs of the community after that eyewitness had died. We can presume that this eyewitness is dead from chapter 21 of John’s gospel. We have noticed, and will continue to notice that at times the Gospel of John reflects the same episodes as are reflected in the synoptic gospels. But there are also striking differences within these pieces where the same episode is reflected in John and the others. We can best explain the similarities and the differences by presuming that older traditions underlie both John and the others. Mark has shaped that older material in his own way. So have Matthew and Luke (we can notice how they felt free to re-shape Mark). And now John is also shaping older material to meet his needs. All of that reveals an exciting and wonderful process that undergirds the shaping of the gospels as we have them. While all of this is very much a human effort, we need to remember that God is working in the lives of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. And God works in our lives to help us hear the message God needs us to hear. The venture combines human creativity and God’s inspiring Spirit. If we lose either the humanity involved or the work of God within that humanity we fall short of reaping the benefit that God wants us to gain from his Word. It’s this process of sifting through it all that makes Bible study so exciting. When we encounter conflicting stories and even things that contradict one another we need not be troubled. In fact it is often at those points that we reap the greatest gains. Instead of wondering why one writer puts it one way and another puts it another way; and, instead of trying to decide who got it right, we can step back and ask, “Now why did Mark do that? Or, why did John put it that way?” When we ask those kinds of questions we often discover that the purpose of each writer was to proclaim more forcefully the gospel they were compelled to preach. They weren’t worried about “historical accuracy” and neither should we.

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Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, January 9, 2014 Read John 1:43-51 Readers have often noticed that John tells his story in a series of progressive days. On the first day, John the Baptist is confronted by the religious leaders. On the second day, John the Baptist encounters Jesus and identifies him as the Lamb of God, the Son of God. On the third day, Andrew, Simon Peter, and an unnamed disciple begin to follow Jesus. In our reading for today, the fourth day, two more disciples are gathered. In the very next episode which begins chapter 2, a span of three more days is mentioned. That would make seven days. There are some who see a veiled reference to the seven days of creation in John’s sequence. That may be a possibility but it is likely pressing things just a bit too far. However, one thing we will confront in John’s gospel is his vast use of symbolism so such an idea may not be beyond possibility. The point is that John does not make this explicit and so we must let it remain in the realm of speculation. The sequence regarding the calling of Philip and Nathaniel as disciples of Jesus follows the same pattern. Jesus finds Philip. Philip finds Nathaniel. Questions are asked and claims are made and that wonderful invitation, “come and see” is spoken and two more followers are gathered. And more titles for Jesus are provided. When Philip tells Nathaniel that they have found the one about whom Moses had written he is once again referring to Jesus as The Prophet, a title we have already encountered. Nathaniel will repeat one title, “Son of God,” and add one more title to our list – “The King of Israel.” In some ways this is another way of speaking of the Messiah which is a kingly title too. There is one rather difficult part of John’s gospel to deal with in the encounter with Nathaniel. The reference to Jesus seeing Nathaniel under the fig tree escapes most interpreters for definitive meaning. Some say that the fig tree refers to Israel which may have some credence, but what does that mean in this context? Are we to presume that Jesus is calling Nathaniel away from his Israelite roots into something new as a follower of Jesus? Perhaps. Or, are we to simply assume that the account is a straightforward report that Jesus had visited with Nathaniel under a fig tree at some time prior to this encounter and now Nathaniel is able to respond more fully? In the end we must let some mystery remain – we just don’t know what John meant. But there is one more important feature in this story. John will lead us to understand that there are degrees of faith and that some expressions of faith are insufficient. Nathaniel’s faith is at least somewhat challenged in this story – “Do you believe because you saw? You will come to see greater things than this.” Thinking of faith as a process – a movement from the lesser, which may be insufficient, to the greater will become clearer as we move forward in John’s gospel. The encounter with Nathaniel is the first installment of this feature in John’s gospel. We will hear of some who express faith, but it is inadequate and they fall away. It is presumed that Nathaniel is not one of these. One final verse is important in this encounter. Jesus refers to Jacob’s dream when he was fleeing from his bother Esau. In that dream the angels of the LORD were ascending and descending on the ladder that stretched from heaven to earth. In fact, we are not wrong to understand that the LORD God himself descended on that ladder to bring hope and grace and promise to Jacob. As Jesus refers to this famous OT story he transforms it by saying the Jesus, himself, is the ladder. Once again we meet John’s claim that Jesus replaces OT images of grace. Jesus replaces the Passover Lamb. Jesus is the Lamb of God. Jesus replaces the ladder from heaven to earth bringing grace to Jacob. Jesus is the ladder from heaven to earth – and earth to heaven.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Wednesday, January 8, 2014 Read John 1:35-42 The gathering of disciples is important in each of the gospel. What is striking is the vast difference in the way in which Mark, Matthew, and Luke tell about Jesus calling disciples and the way in which John tells that story. We have already noted that the formation of the first contingent of disciples in John’s gospel is closely connected with the story and ministry of John the Baptist. In fact, John tells us clearly that at least the first couple of Jesus’ disciples were first disciples of John the Baptist. As we read the gospel of Mark, the calling of the first four disciples happens after John the Baptist has be put in prison and we would never imagine that Peter, Andrew, James and John had any connection to John the Baptist. In fact, James and John are not mentioned in John’s gospel – not once! There is a veiled reference to the sons of Zebedee in John 21 but even there their names are not given. All of the synoptic gospels find it important that Jesus selected “The Twelve” who become the core group – the symbolism of the twelve tribes of Israel is what lies behind this. And in the synoptic gospels, Peter, James, and John, and sometimes Andrew form a core within the Twelve. All of that is absent from John’s gospel. John mentions “The Twelve” three times in a later chapter but the reference there has no meaning – it likely was simply within the tradition that John inherited and he doesn’t bother to remove it. The point is that there is a marked difference between John and the other gospel writers about the formation of the disciples. The others list The Twelve – John never does – in fact we cannot count twelve disciples in John’s gospel and some who are spoken of as disciples in John are not on the list or even mentioned in the synoptic gospels. Others who are on the list of the Twelve are never mentioned in John. In this opening scene John will mention the calling of five disciples – Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathaniel, and an unnamed disciple. Other names will be added later. Of these only Andrew, Simon Peter, and Philip are part of the Twelve and Nathaniel is never mentioned in any of the synoptic gospels. Of course it is possible that the unnamed disciple was one of the Twelve and some have attempted to claim that Nathaniel is known by another name in the synoptic lists but there is absolutely no evidence to substantiate that. The point is simply to notice that John’s conception of the disciples is markedly different from the other gospel writers. Actually this is not really that important other than to help us to notice that John seems detached from the other writers. We have asked the question of the connection between John and Mark, Matthew, and Luke, and this story of the account of the formation of the disciples indicated that they were not aware of one another. John is venturing out on his own. The story, as John tells it is a very realistic story! Disciples of John the Baptist are introduced by their master to the one who he claims is more important than he is and is in fact the Lamb of God, the coming Messiah. They leave John the Baptist and follow Jesus. The connection between John the Baptist and his followers and Jesus and his followers is a dominant part of the story – and likely reflects both the reality at the time and the tension much later between these two groups at the time when the Gospel of John was coming into the form in which we have it today. The message to the followers of John the Baptist in the time when John’s gospel was being completed is that they should abandon their allegiance to John the Baptist and follow Jesus – just like the earlier followers of John the Baptist had done. There are some things we should notice about how the formation of this first contingent came into being. The use of questions is important. When Jesus notices that he is being followed he asks those who follow, “What are you looking for?” Jesus does not begin with his needs or his message but invites those who seek to express why they are seeking. This is a very good thing for all of us to keep in mind as we encounter people in our world. We are often so quick to express our views and so unable to simply encounter theirs. The answer that the seekers give is really somewhat unexpected. They ask a question in return, “Where are you staying?” At face value the question does not seem very productive. But our English translation hides something that would have been more apparent in Greek and within the Gospel of John. What they really ask is, “Where do you remain?” – or, maybe better put, “Where do you live?” And now, within the Gospel of John we are immediately drawn back to that most powerful verse, John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh and lived among us?” As he will often do John is playing with his readers to some extent at this point. The question is about the essence of Jesus – Who is he? The encounter continues with the response of Jesus which is also somewhat surprising and veiled, “Come and see.” All of this points to a reality that is a part of John’s witness – to follow Jesus will take time, it is a process, and those who desire to follow will have to come and see. Again, as we seek to bear witness to Jesus in our world the pattern we find here is helpful. Instead of claiming to know all the answers; and even being silenced ourselves because we think we don’t know the answers, when we encounter seekers in our world, we can invite them to “come and see.” We will soon learn in John’s gospel that only Jesus can finally create a disciple. Our role is to bring others to him. And that is the pattern that unfolds in our reading today and in the reading for tomorrow. As we conclude our thoughts today it is important to note that once again there is no hiddenness in John’s gospel. Andrew immediately announces to his brother, Simon Peter, that the Messiah has been found. Titles for Jesus abound in these first chapters. He is the Messiah. He is Elijah. He is The Prophet. He is the Lamb of God. He is the Son of God. We will meet more titles in the next episode.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Tuesday, January 7, 2014 Read John 1:29-34 At this point John introduces us to Jesus. Of course John has already introduced Jesus in the Prologue but this is the point in which Jesus is introduced within the narrative. That he is introduced by John the Baptist and the way in which Jesus is introduced by him are both significant. John does not narrate the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. In fact, if we only had John’s gospel we would likely conclude that Jesus was not baptized by him. Jesus is exalted so highly and John the Baptist is demoted so deeply that it seems strange to think of him as baptizing Jesus. Instead, John tells the story as if John the Baptist suddenly recognizes Jesus as his superior. The title he gives to Jesus is significant. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The allusion is clearly to the Passover Lamb of the OT. The Passover Lamb was not a sacrificial lamb like the lambs placed on the altar and burned before God – but a symbol of the covering of blood that was put on the doorpost – the Passover Lamb was a symbol of salvation and John the Baptist tells us that this is who Jesus is. We will discover as we move forward that one of the things that John does in his gospel is to show how Jesus replaces OT symbols of salvation. We will meet this idea again in the story of the cleansing of the Temple – Jesus will replace the Temple. Here Jesus replaces the Passover Lamb as the symbol of salvation for God’s people. Once again the emphasis is on the demotion of John the Baptist and the exaltation of Jesus. Jesus is far superior to John the Baptist. John the Baptist does tell of his seeing the Spirit descending and remaining on Jesus, but he does not mention anything about the baptism of Jesus. Likely the tradition that both John and the synoptic writers used contained the story of the baptism of Jesus and likely such a baptism really happened. But John chooses to veil that baptism, to ignore it in deference to his greater theme of demoting John the Baptist and exalting Jesus. As earlier John the Baptist is cast into the role of a witness to Jesus and his concluding words are significant. John the Baptist witnesses that Jesus is the Son of God. John’s role is not to anoint Jesus but to point to Jesus who is already the Son of God. We need to remember that John has already told us that Jesus bears the very being of God is his humanity. John the Baptist is only confirming what is already known.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Monday, January 6, 2014 Read John 1:19-28 As John begins his narrative in earnest he begins with a story of John the Baptist confronted by the religious authorities from Jerusalem. They have become aware of his activity and of his baptism. The story is told in such a way that readers are led to understand that the religious authorities are wondering just who John the Baptist is – is he perhaps the coming Messiah? Their question of John the Baptist is, “Who are you?” In a very skillful way, John turns John the Baptist into a prime witness for Jesus. John tells us that John the Baptist rejected three distinct identities all of which are connected with the coming Messiah. John the Baptist is not the Messiah. He is not Elijah. He is not “the prophet.” We need to unwrap each of these three identities. The Messiah is perhaps the easiest to grasp. At the beginning, during the time when David was king, the idea of the messiah had a much more common and ordinary meaning – the messiah was simply the one who was anointed with oil as a sign that they were the king. As time passed the concept grew into the hope of an “Anointed One” who would be the “Messiah” in a way that went far beyond an earthly king like David. The identity of the Messiah was still closely connected with the idea of kingship but now the Messiah was an ideal king who would reign on God’s behalf defeating God’s enemies and setting up God’s ideal kingdom. John the Baptist confesses that he is not this one. That John the Baptist might be Elijah adds a new dimension. As the book of Malachi proclaimed, there grew within the people of God the idea that before the Day of the Lord, God would send Elijah, the OT prophet who was taken up in to heaven in a chariot of fire, to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. This is precisely the role that Mark and, following him, Matthew and Luke give to John the Baptist. In fact, as Jesus and his disciples are descending from the Mount of Transfiguration both Mark and Matthew make it clear that John the Baptist is Elijah. Matthew says it the most directly – “As they were coming down the mountain … the disciples asked him, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’ He replied, ‘Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist” (Matthew 17:9-13). The synoptic gospels are in direct contradiction with the Gospel of John. John makes it clear that John the Baptist is not Elijah (John 1:21). How are we to deal with this discrepancy? We have run into these conflicts before and we will encounter them again. The answer lies in attempting to understand how each gospel writer understands the role of “Elijah.” The synoptic gospels understand Elijah as the one who come to prepare the way for the Messiah and thus John the Baptist can be cast in this role since that is what he did. John, on the other hand understands “Elijah” as somehow the Messiah himself. For John, Jesus plays the role of Elijah, the one who makes all things right. It is because John sees the role of the figure of “Elijah” differently than Mark, Matthew, and Luke that he says what he does. John’s point is that John the Baptist is in no way the coming deliverer and since he understands the figure of “Elijah” as the deliverer John the Baptist cannot play that role. The image of “the prophet” is also a way of speaking of the coming deliverer. The root of this idea goes back to Deuteronomy 18:15 – “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet.” These are the words of Moses – the main OT character in John’s gospel. “The prophet” is another way of speaking of the same concept as the “Messiah” or of “Elijah” in John’s understanding. While each has a distinct meaning for John, in a way all three mean the same thing – the “Messiah” and “Elijah” and “The Prophet” are three ways of speaking of the same coming deliverer. And John’s point is that John the Baptist is none of the three. Jesus is. Perhaps Mark’s, Matthew’s, and Luke’s community did not know of the figure of “Elijah” as a code word for the coming deliverer – the Messiah. John’s community did. What appears to be a contradiction evaporates upon closer examination and a better understanding of what each writer likely understood. John the Baptist’s denial has another powerful function in John’s gospel. Not only does John the Baptist deny that he is the “Messiah,” “Elijah,” or “The Prophet,” his denial is told in such a way to lower John the Baptist and exalt Jesus. That will continue to be the case as the Gospel of John moves forward. All of this points to a tension that likely existed between the followers of John the Baptist and the followers of Jesus – a tension that likely existed long after the death and resurrection of Jesus. We find hints of this tension in the book of Acts – in Acts 19 Paul encounters followers who know only of the baptism of John the Baptist. While we do not know much about this group there likely existed a persistent group of followers who once were disciples of John the Baptist. John’s community was aware of these disciples and the threat that they posed. So John goes out of his way to portray John the Baptist as demoting himself in deference to Jesus. Of course there may have been a basis for this within John the Baptist himself – but John emphasized it far more than the other gospel writers and in such a way that it becomes obvious that it is important that we recognize what John is doing.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, January 5, 2014 Read John 1:19-51 Before we examine this section of John’s gospel more closely it is important that we view the story as a whole. The narrative is about the witness of John the Baptist, which was briefly introduced in John’s Prologue, and the formation of the first contingent of disciples who followed Jesus. These two parts of the story are closely connected with one another which is why we need to take a look at the broad picture painted by John. John the Baptist, as we have noted earlier, functions as the first of many witnesses to Jesus and it is from the fold of John the Baptist’s disciples that the first disciples of Jesus come. The witness of John the Baptist and the formation of the first contingent of Jesus’ disciples are intimately connected by John. Mark also tells us about John the Baptist; however, Mark’s material is much more concise. For Mark, John the Baptist is not a witness but the forerunner to Jesus – what happens to John the Baptist will happen to Jesus. Luke and Matthew add considerably more material about John the Baptist to their gospel accounts which otherwise follow Mark’s narrative. In Luke’s and Matthew’s additional material John is portrayed as a prophet proclaiming the judgment of God. When we compare all of these presentations of John the Baptist we discover that they have a good deal in common but that they also differ in emphasis. John presents more material about John the Baptist than any of the others. We will meet John the Baptist again later in John’s narrative. For the most part, in the synoptic gospels John the Baptist appears in the beginning of the narrative and functions there as the forerunner and is removed from the scene before Jesus begins his ministry. When John the Baptist is mentioned later in the synoptic gospels it is only in reference to what happened prior to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Though the death of John the Baptist is told later in the story, John the Baptist really has no role to play beyond the role of the one who prepares the way. In John’s gospel the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus run concurrently with one another and there are hints that they were at least somewhat in competition with one another – though that is not John the Baptist’s conviction. The point is that John the Baptist plays a more significant and somewhat different part in John’s gospel. We will look more closely at the story in the coming days.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Saturday, January 4, 2014 Read John 1:15-18 At verse 6 we noted how the narrative regarding John the Baptist is inserted into the poetic declaration of Jesus as the Word of God. Once again in verse 15 the poetry is interrupted by the narrator who again speaks of John the Baptist as the first witness to Jesus and once again Jesus is exalted and John the Baptist is lowered. With verse 16 we are back into the poetic presentation of the Word of God. And another witness of sorts is brought into play. Jesus is compared with Moses and in the comparison Jesus is exalted over Moses. There is no doubt that John understood Moses as the most important character in the OT. We will find this theme again and again as we proceed through the story. Here it is enough to point out the superiority of Jesus. And then John concludes with more bold proclamation, “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son who is close to the Father’s heart who has made him known.” Once again John proclaims clearly that Jesus is God the Son. As in verse 14 John’s claim is that in Jesus the very being of God is present and is made known. These first 18 verses of John’s gospel are often referred to as the Prologue to the gospel and in many ways they do stand apart from the rest of the story and function as an introduction to the whole gospel. We will not find anything quite like these verses again in John’s gospel. In a way they are preliminary to the main narrative. Readers of John’s gospel have long noticed that this Prologue can be separated into two parts – one part is poetic in nature and the other has the character of narrative. Some have theorized that the main part of this Prologue was a Christian hymn celebrating the Majestic Jesus. Verses 1-5, 9-14, and 16-18 make up the poetic hymn. When we read them and leave out the remaining verses they do carry a consistent theme. They appear to belong together. Those who hold to this theory see verses 6-8 and 15 as having been inserted into this poetic hymn. While it is impossible to say with certainty that this theory is true there are good reasons to accept it. Such an understanding would lead us to the conclusion that John found a powerful hymn celebrating the Majestic Jesus as the Word of God in the traditions that he received and placed it at the beginning of his gospel to paint the portrait of Jesus in the way John wanted to do. John also knew the traditional story of John the Baptist – a tradition he will now turn to in earnest – and has skillfully inserted just enough of that tradition regarding John the Baptist into the hymn to tie the two together. If we remove the poetic hymn and read only the narrative regarding John the Baptist (verses 6-8 and 15) and then continue with verse 19, we discover that John’s gospel then begins in much the same way that Mark began his gospel. Perhaps the earliest stories of Jesus began in this way – telling of John the Baptist as an introduction to Jesus. If that is the case, then John’s skill in adding the poetic Christ hymn to the story demonstrates his brilliant creativity. In any case John 1:1-18 are a crucial part of John’s gospel. They are John’s way of beginning his story and, as we have said before, beginnings are important. We are now ready to move through the rest of chapter 1.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Friday, January 3, 2014 Read John 1:14 There is no verse of scripture more powerful than this verse – “The Word became flesh and lived among us!” This is a bold claim made by John. He is claiming that in Jesus, God, the Creator, has entered into God’s creation – “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” and now “The Word has become flesh.” The Jesus who marches through John’s gospel is fully aware that in him the very being of God is present. Jesus is “from above” as John will soon announce. Jesus comes from God and his journey will lead him back to God. The Jesus who marches through John’s gospel is fully in control of his destiny. That reality is clear from the very beginning of John’s gospel. There is no hiddenness to the claim that Jesus is the Son of God and that it is as the Son of God that Jesus goes about his ministry. John is not the only one who wrestled with this concept. Paul would also claim, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). But John’s claim is clearer and much bolder. In Jesus the very being of God has taken on humanity. John does not attempt to explain this mystery – likely because such an explanation is far beyond our human capacity to comprehend. John simply affirms it and lets it stand there in bold and powerful declaration – “the Word who was, and is God, became flesh and lived among us!” Of course as readers of the other gospels we can’t help but notice that John’s portrait of Jesus is quite different from the portrait of Jesus painted by Mark and by Matthew and Luke who follow him. This is not the Jesus of Mark’s gospel who is anointed with the Spirit at his baptism and must hear the words of God, “You are my beloved Son.” In fact John does not explicitly tells us that John the Baptist baptizes Jesus and we come to that conclusion in John’s gospel mostly because we know it from Mark and the others. This is not the Jesus of Mark’s gospel who must go to the Mount of Transfiguration to learn his destiny in Jerusalem where he will be led to the cross and to death. We will not find even a hint of the Transfiguration story in John’s gospel. This is not the Jesus of Mark’s gospel who will agonizingly struggle in Gethsemane to find and then to do the will of God. John will tell a similar story of Jesus in the Garden but gone is any hint of struggle on the part of Jesus. This is not the Jesus of Mark’s gospel who will finally die upon the cross crying out those anguished words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The Jesus who marches through John’s gospel could never say those words. The Jesus on the cross in John’s gospel remains fully in control of his destiny. We are tempted to ask, “Whose picture of Jesus is right, John’s or Mark’s?” but that is the wrong question. Both pictures are absolutely right! Neither John nor Mark was worried about being a historian providing “just the facts.” Both are preachers proclaiming the Word of God with the one objective that their hearers will come to believe in Jesus. Both are evangelists proclaiming the gospel to their hearers. Each proclaimed their message to a different audience with a different target for their message. We have the added advantage of hearing both. From our vantage point the proclamation becomes even more powerful because we come to realize that the Jesus of Mark’s gospel who cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” is none other than the Word made flesh, God incarnate in Jesus, the very being of God in the flesh of Jesus crying out from the cross – God crying out to God, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Such a thought is far beyond our human ability to comprehend and we are left speechless but somehow we come to believe in that mysterious, precious moment God was bringing salvation to the world and specifically to us. We have the added advantage of hearing John and Mark together! But it is also critically important that we attempt to hear John on his own unhindered by what we hear from Mark and the others. And so from the very beginning we hear John’s gospel from the vantage point that Jesus is the Son of God – that is that the very being of God has taken up residence in the person of Jesus. This is the Jesus who marches through John’s gospel. In actuality, Mark comes to the same conclusion, but he comes to it in a far more subtle way. It is only as the crucified one that Jesus can finally be revealed as the Son of God. Before then he must remain hidden. There is no hiddenness in John’s gospel – “God, the Word, became flesh and lived among us!”

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, January 2, 2014 Read John 1:10-13 Having introduced John the Baptist as the first witness to Jesus, John’s gospel returns to the poetic presentation of Jesus, though the telling of the story now has some narrative overtones. John the Baptist bore witness to one who was coming as the light of the world, but the coming of that light is marked by a deep tragedy – the very world to which the light has come does not receive the light. This reality is the profound reality of human rejection of the creator. What an awesome possibility that what has been created has the potential to spurn its creator! What a tragedy! And so as the story of the coming of the Word is unfolded by John we are introduced to the tension that will reign throughout this gospel – the very ones to whom the Word is sent will not receive that Word. But it is not all bad news. There are those who are “born of God” who do receive the Word that comes. This idea of being “born of God” that is through God’s action alone is an important concept within John’s gospel. It is a concept that we will meet again later. For now it is worth noting that John does not put the power of faith, of becoming a child of God into the hands of humans but into God’s hands. Jesus will say later that human beings did not choose him but that he has chosen them. This is a profound mystery that we will need to contemplate as we move through this gospel. How do we become God’s children? Only by the power and action of God who draws us to himself. That is why witness is so important to John.

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Wednesday, January 1, 2014 Read John 1:6-9 The poetic nature of John’s gospel is broken at verse 6. Suddenly we are in the midst of narrative much like that of the other gospels. John moves from a theological statement about Jesus as the Word of God to the introduction of John the Baptist. We may remember that Mark began his gospel in a very similar fashion introducing John the Baptist to his readers. But there is a marked difference between Mark’s use of the narrative regarding John the Baptist and John’s use of this character. For Mark, John the Baptist is the forerunner of Jesus – the one who anoints Jesus for ministry and the one who foreshadows what will happen to Jesus. For Mark, John the Baptist is the one who comes to prepare the way. For John, John the Baptist is the first of many witnesses to Jesus. John tells us that John the Baptist came bear witness to the light. From the very beginning we discover that there is a tension between John the Baptist and Jesus. That same tension was evident in the synoptic accounts too but it is much more evident and stronger in John’s gospel. There is competition between John the Baptist’s followers and the followers of Jesus. So John tells us right up front the John the Baptist is not the light but he comes to bear witness to the true light which is Jesus alone. We will need to follow the story of John the Baptist in John’s gospel.