Week 2

Thanks Julie, Tammy, Callie and Allyson!  Good questions and good answers.  I think the process of wrestling with the scripture is as important as finding the answer.  The more we do that and the more we try to look at the scripture as a whole, the more we will understand. 

With Mary we see an ultimate expression of her love for Jesus – a profound, lavish, extravagant, unimaginable love.  It almost seems silly at first but upon closer inspection you find a beautiful act - Mary not only gives her best to Jesus but she also gives it all.  She lays down her physical self, her emotional self and her spiritual self at the feet of Jesus.  She has no concern for what those around her might think – it’s as if she has no choice but to respond in this way.  She is moved entirely by her love for Jesus.  This is very convicting to me.  Do I have a profound, lavish love for Jesus?  Do I give my best and all to Jesus?  Does my love for Jesus move me to action?  I love Jesus’ response to Judas….Jesus cares more about one act of pure devotion than many “good” acts that aren’t motivated by love.  Again we see Jesus’ concern about the heart – not necessarily the action…..or in other words the faith and not the work. 

What does it mean for me to “hate my life in this world” and how does that lead to eternal life?  I think it has to start with me seeing the difference between this world and God’s world and then an attitude of really desiring God and His world over everything else.  It is amazing to me that Paul could say he “considers EVERYTHING loss compared to knowing Christ Jesus.”  I intellectually believe that but I can’t say my heart has truly embraced it.  I do know, however, that it is only when I give up my agenda that I can really see God at work….it is only when I let go of that which I am clinging to that God can really show Himself to me and bless me.   I have true life and life to the fullest when I die to myself. 

 This week we will do John chapter 13 – we will focus on verses 1-17 which is one of my favorite parts of scripture.  I think there are three main lessons to be found in these verses.  There is the most obvious lesson about how we should treat other people – that we should humble ourselves and serve others.  But there are two other important lessons – one about how God relates to us and one about how we should relate to God.  Spend some time reflecting on God’s call for us to serve others and then move on to look for the other two lessons (see below)

1.        How is this act symbolic to Jesus’ ultimate act for salvation?  Look at each action of Jesus in these verses and relate them to His future acts.  Read Philippians 2:6-11 to help think through this.

2.       Look at verse 10….what does the bath symbolize?  What does the washing of feet symbolize?  What does this verse mean?  Use 1 John 1:9 to help. 

After focusing on these first verses sit on verse 34 and 35.  What does it mean to love others as Christ has loved us?

John 12

After reading Tammy's posts with her questions, I think I read the chapter again with a new determination to understand it a bit more.

Specifically, I want to learn more about the "glory" references. Here is what I think....I think it is about Jesus' resurrection and ultimate return to heaven. In v. 16 I read "...but after Jesus had entered into his glory, they remembered that the scriptures had come true...". Since it uses a lowercase "h" for his, I assume that it is talking about Jesus and not God. In v. 23, the writing is the same, and the analogy that Jesus tells is essentially explaining the need for him to die. In v. 28, Jesus is asking to be saved from what lies ahead (death) but then says no, "bring glory to your name", which makes me think that he is saying his (Jesus) death will bring glory. V. 41 says Isaiah was "given a vision of the Messiah's glory." Admittedly, I am no pro at figuring this stuff out, this is my educated guess I suppose:)

John 12

I enjoyed Julie's insight on this chapter. I agree with her comment "We are sometimes caught up in the form and structure of Christianity". Mary was reacting to Jesus with her heart-although it may have seemed unconventional. Maybe we should learn to Not get caught up in the form and structure of Christianity but instead set our hearts on Christ.




Maybe I should know this (but I guess that's why I wanted to get into a Bible Study) but there are four references to "been given his glory". Verses 16, 23, 28, 41. Can someone help with this concept?


Also, do you ever think that some of the people didn't have a chance because they were "pre disposed" to God's plan. Did Judas have a choice or was his destined to this role in the killing of Christ? Or did God know he was the most likely to betray Jesus so he was who God picked? In verse 40 it states "that the people could not have faith because the Lord blinded the eyes of the people and made them stubborn so they could not see or understand so that they would not turn to the Lord and be healed" Why?



I guess I have more questions than comments on this chapter.

Happy New Year, everyone. It's nice to be back with you!

I love the utter devotion to Jesus (and the spontaneity of it) that is shown in this passage. The Lord knows Mary's heart and he completely accepts her offering to him, even if the perfume was to be saved for his buriel. Everything else in life needs to take a backseat to the worship, acknowledgement, awe, and love for Christ. We are sometimes caught up in the form and structure of Christianity, even if it is doing something very good (like for the poor- although with Judas it was for purely selfish gain-he wanted money for himself, but even if it was purely altrustic, Christ wants our hearts first), whereas Christ asks that our focus and priority be on him and our relationship with him. "You will always have the poor among you, but you won't always have me."

When reflecting on verses 23-27, I went back to our study in Phillipians. I think that when we are told to "hate" our lives it is referring to how we view it in comparison to eternity. We have to be able to "hate" it to a point of willingly sacrificing any wordly connections. However, we know that we are called to have joy in this life. I have been around Christians who are so morose about this world and their life here and justify it by verses like these. God has basically commanded us to be joyful as we recognize the love and grace extended to us.

Welcome Back!

We spent the first half of our John study learning about who Jesus is through multiple “I am” statements.  “I am….the bread of life, the light of the world, the gate, the good shepherd.” We also saw Jesus’ divinity and His power over all things – the physical world, demons, illness and death.  Now we will think about Jesus’ ultimate reason for coming to earth.  The last 12 chapters of John deal with the last 1 week of Jesus’ life.  I encourage you again to start by just reading the chapter several times and let it sit in your mind.  Make observations, consider certain things etc.  Then see what God highlights for you.  I was reading a book about the bible as literature this weekend and it said “we should read the bible with our imaginations as well as with our reason.”  I encourage you to read these stories with your imagination – imagine what the characters were like, what the setting was like – recreate the experiences and sensations and events.  I think you will be surprised at what you can learn and experience. 

We will start with chapter 12.  Remember that Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead.  Jesus showed his power over death physically and at the same time illustrated to us the need for us to “die” and be made alive again by Jesus.  The scene starts with Jesus at a dinner with some friends.  The key of this story is Mary and her response to Jesus.  Think about Mary…why did she do what she did?  What is significant about what she did?  What can this teach us about how we should respond to Jesus?  Compare her to Judas.  Look at Jesus’ response to Judas. 

Next we move into Palm Sunday and see Jesus starting to prepare His friends and disciples for what is to come.  Sit on verses 23-27 for awhile.  Especially think about what it means to hate your life in this world so that you may keep it for eternal life. Look at Philippians 3:7&8.