The John Journal

Christian agnosticism?

2009-03-04T12:07:19Z

This morning I was wrestling through the (admittedly strange) question - "What is the real difference between agnosticism and the Christian faith?" The typical first 'obvious' response to this question would be that the agnostic declares he does...

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

The Second Coin

2009-02-16T12:27:44Z

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him ...

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

John 21

2008-10-21T05:14:28Z

2: John specifically and unnecessarily points out that Nathanael was from Cana. This refers back to Jesus' first miracle in chapter 2. Basically John is telling us with all of this that a new story is now beginning. This is the epilogue. 5: The fa...

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

John 20

2008-10-20T05:14:07Z

10: Great guys, leave poor crying Mary in front of the tomb. 13: Her Lord is gone, the one whom she had been following, the one who was the center of her life. 15: "Whom are you seeking" echoes the question Jesus asked the first disciples in John ...

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

John 19:28-42

2008-10-19T12:04:09Z

29: It is interesting that John specifically points out it was a hyssop branch they used to give Jesus the sponge of sour wine to drink. Hyssop was used as a part of the Passover ceremony to paint the blood on the doorposts. (Exodus 12:22) John is...

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

John 19:1-27

2008-10-15T05:20:24Z

5: "Ecce homo", "Behold: Man". Mankind at its worst, its weakest, its most rebellious. And at the same time at its best, its most reflective of God, its most obedient. All in Christ. 8: Apparently he was afraid because from their short conversatio...

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

John 18:33-40

2008-10-09T04:28:16Z

36: Kingdom is not of this world, and is not from this world. Its source and its substance are God himself. This is why our battle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6) 37: Yet again we see that one of the main purposes Jesus came to earth ...

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

John 18:19-32

2008-10-07T05:08:14Z

23: Yet again we see the phrase "bear witness" in John. This time, Jesus is telling the guard to "bear witness" to what he thinks Jesus did wrong. This is fascinating to me, and seems to point to a form of subversive apologetics: get the other per...

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

John 18:1-18

2008-10-06T05:10:10Z

6: The strength and focus Jesus had after Gethsemane was so strong it overwhelmed the men trying to arrest him. This shows that Jesus was not a mild-mannered gentle wimp. Big strong guys who meant to arrest him fell back to the ground in fear befo...

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

John 17:13-26

2008-10-02T10:01:25Z

14: We are just as much not "of this world" as Jesus himself. 18: This is a key verse for our mission: We are sent into this world just as Christ himself was sent. We are on a mission. Everything in our lives needs to be connected in some way to t...

Read and post comments | Send to a friend