Article archive
11/10/2014 06:05
We found that John assumes his readers know of Mary because of the inclusion of the anointing story in Matthew and Mark. But why does John mention it? Why does he want his readers to recall, at this point, exactly who Mary, and, therefore, her sister, is? If he were intent on simply telling the...
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10/27/2014 04:37
God created us to reflect his truth, goodness, and beauty. But that image bearing that we hold is not mere unthinking imitation. He created us with characteristics of apprehension, approbation, and articulation. Therefore, it is not merely understanding his truth, goodness, and beauty that leads to...
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10/20/2014 05:47
John 10:22 shifts the time. For the last several chapters, John had recorded events and conversations that took place around the time of the Festival of Tabernacles, which occurred in the Hebrew month Tishri (the September-October timeframe for us). Now he tells us that this next scene took place...
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10/06/2014 06:16
Knowing (and understanding and seeing) is the focused point of this allegory as it was all through the narrative of chapter 9. Let’s look at that emphasis. The main thrust at the beginning of this allegory is that the sheep know the shepherd’s voice.
9:11 – The healed man says, “I received my...
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09/29/2014 05:30
Jesus’ summary statement in 9:39 actually initiates the conversation that follows. As mentioned, when Jesus talked with the healed man, they were not alone. Some Pharisees were around as well listening and judging. Jesus statement had talked of judgment. He said he came for judgment. Note that he...
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09/22/2014 05:58
The Pharisees were willing to accept that the miracle was from God, but they didn’t want credit going to Jesus. So they urge the man to give glory to God, telling him by that to either renounce his previous error in saying Jesus was a prophet or simply to praise God and not Jesus for this miracle....
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09/15/2014 06:28
The Pharisees were in a difficult situation. For both political and religious reasons, they didn’t want Jesus gaining prominence. The problem was that he had supposedly performed a miracle—opening the eyes of the blind. They had attempted to grasp at a straw. He had performed his miracle on a...
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09/08/2014 06:04
Chapter 9 provides us with an illustration of the revelation of the Messiah. The chapter contains the story of a blind man healed by Jesus. But there are layers of meaning here that we are meant to see. The chapter begins as Jesus passes by a blind man. The man, no doubt, is probably sitting at a...
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09/01/2014 09:05
Another hint we are given that shows the Jews still did not understand the covenant context of relationship with God is the last sentence of chapter 8, verse 20. No one yet seized Jesus. Despite his claim to unique relationship with Father, the Jews did not understand that in speaking of his...
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08/26/2014 07:48
Second Corinthians 5:21 seems to be the core verse for those who believe the atonement was a transactional exchange of our guilt to Jesus for his righteousness. The verse reads: “He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” We have...
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