Tag: John

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

More than a snack

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Gaining Visuals on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from John 6.

Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35).

Jesus goes on to explain, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (6:51)

Of course, “The Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (6:52)

The sixth chapter of John isn’t the easiest to figure out. Volumes have been written about interpreting and applying Jesus’s words. I’m still working it out in my own mind.

The image of eating and drinking is a metaphor for taking something into your innermost being. Other forms of this metaphor sound like

  • Drink the Kool-aid
  • Hook, line, and sinker
  • All in
  • Swept up
  • Buy-in
  • On board
  • Jump on the bandwagon

In other words, fully absorbing everything Christ is and does. Manna in the desert? That was about Jesus. Psalm 23’s “A table in the presence of my enemies?” Yep, about Jesus. A land flowing with milk and honey? Ultimately it’s Jesus. Elisha’s abundance of bread for a hundred people (2 Kings 4:42-44). Another image of Jesus.

Food sustains physical life. Jesus nourishes our spiritual lives. Without him you’ll starve. We’re dead in our sins (Eph. 2:1). With him, we have eternal life (John 6:51). With him we’re full – of life.

Jesus spoke of this before he instituted the Lord’s Supper. John wrote about it much later. Is that what Jesus was talking about? Plenty of theologians have written about this, and they don’t all agree.

Having said that, I certainly think Jesus should be more than a snack you read for when you’re worried, sad, or struggling. He ought to be at the bottom of your food pyramid. His word ought to be a the most substantial part of your daily consumption of news and entertainment

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Let me see some identification

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/

Some “through the bible” thoughts from John 1.

In the first chapter of his gospel, John identifies Jesus as

  • The Word
  • God
  • The Light
  • The Lamb of God
  • The Son of God
  • The Messiah
  • The son of Joseph
  • A rabbi
  • The King of Israel
  • The Son of Man

Identifying yourself is a big deal.

  • I have to show a driver’s license to visit a doctor or dentist, to travel, or to vote.
  • Everyone who sees me in the doctor’s office confirms my identity by asking my birthdate.
  • I’ll often have to complete two-step verification, with a password plus a code sent to my phone, to identify myself to a website.
  • A fingerprint or facial recognition grants you access to your phone.

After waiting a short while to see a doctor, a nurse came out and said, “William?” Three of us stood up. With a smirk, she said, “Just a minute,” and disappeared until she had found a last name.

I’ll be preaching at the church from which I retired three-and-a-half years ago. Enough time has passed that many will have no idea who I am, other than a preacher. Should I identify myself? Or just let them ask someone else, “Who’s this guy?” Or better yet, “Where’d they get this guy from?”

It’s not long into Jesus’s ministry that people begin to ask, “Who is this?” Who is this who forgives sin? Who is this that the wind and the sea obey him? Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Who is this riding into Jerusalem on a donkey? Are you a king? Are you the Christ?

All those IDs didn’t do him much good, I guess.