Lenten Blog, Week 2, Entry 2
So...we're in the Gospel of John. What do you think? What do you notice that is different? I have noticed at least three prominent things:
1. Many "I am" statements. ("I am the Gate. I am the Good Shepherd. I am the Bread of Life. I am the Resurrection and the Life...")
2. Lots of glorifyin' going on (i.e. "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you..." (John 17:1))
3. Jesus calls his miracles signs.
But what has stood out to you so far?
These particular verses ~ John 10:37-38 ~ stood out to me. It is winter in Jerusalem. Jesus is in the temple and the Jews want to stone him for blasphemy--making himself equal to God. And Jesus says to them all, "If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works..."
Jesus says, "Fine. You don't believe me? Okay. But look at what I'm doing. Is in not the works, the signs, of the kingdom coming on earth?"
Jesus makes a good argument, one hard to dismiss (though obviously some did). If the blind are receiving sight and the dead rising, those are pretty good signs that there's something to this Jesus guy. Look at the fruit, he's saying. Is it not what the prophets foretold?
Jesus puts it out there-- Look at what I'm doing. If it doesn't match the Law and the Prophets, then ignore me.
Wow, what if I'm to stand under the same testimony: "Fine. Don't believe me (what I say). Believe what I do!" (GULP!) That's a pretty tall order. But notice that's where the Pharisees and others went wrong. They were fixated on Jesus' words (and the threat to their own power), missing all of the signs, the works that fulfilled everything they knew to be true when the Messiah came to reign in the kingdom of God. They were missing the big picture.
What are we missing?
1. Many "I am" statements. ("I am the Gate. I am the Good Shepherd. I am the Bread of Life. I am the Resurrection and the Life...")
2. Lots of glorifyin' going on (i.e. "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you..." (John 17:1))
3. Jesus calls his miracles signs.
But what has stood out to you so far?
These particular verses ~ John 10:37-38 ~ stood out to me. It is winter in Jerusalem. Jesus is in the temple and the Jews want to stone him for blasphemy--making himself equal to God. And Jesus says to them all, "If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works..."
Jesus says, "Fine. You don't believe me? Okay. But look at what I'm doing. Is in not the works, the signs, of the kingdom coming on earth?"
Jesus makes a good argument, one hard to dismiss (though obviously some did). If the blind are receiving sight and the dead rising, those are pretty good signs that there's something to this Jesus guy. Look at the fruit, he's saying. Is it not what the prophets foretold?
Jesus puts it out there-- Look at what I'm doing. If it doesn't match the Law and the Prophets, then ignore me.
Wow, what if I'm to stand under the same testimony: "Fine. Don't believe me (what I say). Believe what I do!" (GULP!) That's a pretty tall order. But notice that's where the Pharisees and others went wrong. They were fixated on Jesus' words (and the threat to their own power), missing all of the signs, the works that fulfilled everything they knew to be true when the Messiah came to reign in the kingdom of God. They were missing the big picture.
What are we missing?
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