preaching study: john 14:1-14, pt 1

In “preaching study” posts, I’m really interested in fostering a “community” approach to study and prep for the sermon, so please interact as much as you like. All Scripture quotes are from the TNIV unless otherwise noted. Thanks!
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I’m preaching in this week’s traditional services at my church. The text is John 14:1-14.

You might recognize these words from funerals (vv1-4),  from favorite verses to extract and quote about Jesus’ exclusivity in terms of salvation and such (v6), and from devotionals on prayer (vv12-14). Before I get into study of the literary context, culture cues, canonical connections, and places it seems the text wants to take us for potential messages, let me just begin by saying that this passage seems to me one that is so, so often removed from its context and demanded to speak in a narratival vacuum. I’d really like to avoid that tendency by doing two things. First, I’d like to really ground it in its place in John’s narrative–what comes before and after? And what is the overarching message that is developing within which we read these verses? Second, I’d like to read all of these verses together. Sounds pretty obvious, but as I’ve mentioned above, we recognize these words from various expressions and applications because we seem to seldom follow this obvious approach.

Alright, next time I’ll have more of substance to say, but for now those are my aims with this passage. Seems to me that we need continual reminding that our study and reflection, while certainly intimately connected to the place I’m coming from in reading, studying, and reflecting on Scripture, most needs me to study in such a way as to keep the text in the driver’s seat and not my agenda. Again, this is obvious. But if “we all like sheep have gone astray,” then we need to hear the obvious again from time to time. (There, see…did it again with that “we all like sheep…” reference!)

Hopefully more later tonight. If not, tomorrow afternoon then.

preaching thoughts: john 10:1-18

Alright, having shared some of my study process here in this week’s prep for preaching on John 10:1-18, here’s some thoughts related to the sermon.

When I was young–in elementary school or younger–I had a goldfish named “Joe.” He was named after the dad of some family friends growing up. One day during a nap, my mother spotted Joe belly-up in the fish bowl. Wanting to spare me from the harsh realities of death at such a tender age, she went to the pet store while I lay sleeping (yes, Dad was home) and bought a new fish–you can just feel the plot unfolding, can you not? She got back in time to drop him in the bowl before I woke from my nap. Of course, when I did wake up, I looked at the fish bowl and immediately asked, “Where’s Joe?”

“What do you mean?” This is a good response for people who are still interested in maintaining the rouse but who rightly have an aversion to verbalizing lies to their children.

I share this story to say that Jesus’ teaching in John 10:1-18 has much to do with the difference between the real thing and counterfeits. Jesus talks about sheep and a shepherd and a gate and a gatekeeper and the voice the sheep will follow and thieves and strangers and the point of it all seems to be something like this: “I am the real deal–the Gate (protection), the Good Shepherd (genuine love & care), and the voice to which the sheep respond. The others–thieves, robbers, strangers, hired hands–they’re all counterfeits.”

So it would seem that these verses are inviting us to hear them and live their story by learning to spot counterfeits (a host of “isms,” addictions, and false pursuits in our society today) primarily by learning the real deal so well that, like a young child spotting a fishy imposter, we will know Christ as the Gate, the Good Shepherd, and recognize his voice speaking to us amid the cacophony of other voices clammering for our attention and among the many counterfeits seeking influence over the destiny of the sheep.

One more thing. About the business of the “other sheep who are not of this sheep pen” who Jesus says he must go get and bring back so that it will be one flock and one shepherd. This seems to me one more teaching in the Gospels that rearranges how we reckon distinctions like “friend” and “enemy.” Once again God is reminding us that the calling and blessing of Abraham, Israel, Christ, and the Church is not to stop with us, but extends to all the world. Everyone we would call “enemy” is one for whom Christ lived, died, and was raised, that they might become a part of this flock. If this doesn’t radically reorient how we interpret our world, I’m not sure what will do the trick.

After all, I’m not here if not for someone taking this passage seriously…

preaching study: john 10:1-18, pt 3

In “preaching study” posts, I’m really interested in fostering a “community” approach to study and prep for the sermon, so please interact as much as you like. All Scripture quotes are from the TNIV unless otherwise noted. Thanks!
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This is my study process for preaching this week in Mosaic, my church’s contemporary worship service. The Scripture text is John 10:1-18, Jesus’ teaching on being the gate and the good shepherd. Here is part 1 and part 2.

Let me just pick up where I left off in part 2, having addressed number 1, the parable Jesus tells the Pharisees (and presumably anyone hanging around to listen) in 10:1-5 that they did not get (v6).

2. Jesus’ Commentary on the parable using “I AM the Gate” (10:7-10). In these verses, Jesus compares himself to the Gate for the sheep and in opposition to “thieves and robbers” who have come before him. As the Gate for the sheep, Jesus insures that (a) “whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture” and (b) will “have life, and have it to the full.” In opposition are theives and robbers. In v8, this is in the plural; in v10, it is in the singular, “the thief.” This has been traditionally interpreted as a reference to satan/the devil/the evil one. But in re-reading the passage, it seems pretty helpful to suspend commitment to that conclusion in order to hear the text faithfully. It very well could be read (and is perhaps more naturally read) as continuing the thinking of v8 just as the latter half of v10 continues the thinking on Jesus begun in v9. In that case, it would heighten the contrast of the life that Jesus brings through his life, works, and teaching (and later, passion, death, and resurrection) and the strict, highly regulated approach to living out Torah of the Pharisees. It also intensifies the continuing critique from 9:35-41 about the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees and the affects of that spiritual blindness on others, as all of chapter 9 plays out. Seems like this reading of the term “thief” in v10 is better grounded in the text itself. Plenty more implications and applications of this…I’ll do more thinking…

3. Jesus’ Commentary on the parable using “I AM the Good Sheperd” (10:11-13). In these verses, Jesus compares himself to yet another key image in the parable of vv1-5, the good shepherd. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus cares deeply for the life and well-being of the sheep to the point of surrendering his own life (v11). Here the contrasting images are (a) the hired hand and (b) the wolf. Instead of care, these present threats to the sheeps’ well-being–the wolf because it is in his care to gets his paws on a sheep if possible, and the hired hand because though he is charged to watch over the flock, in reality he is not so committed to this duty as to do it well. He is more dangerous than the wolf because of the deceptiveness of his position. He should be protecting the sheep, but when the chips are down he doesn’t–he abandons the sheep and runs, unlike the good shepherd who “lays down his life.” So, who are the “hired hand”?

4. Jesus’ further comments on “I AM the Good Shepherd” (10:14-18). Jesus continues working this analogy with the good shepherd and as he does so, he takes the opportunity to (a) continue emphasis on his self-sacrifice as the good shepherd and (b) circle back to an element of the parable he hasn’t touched on so far in his explanation in vv7-13: responsiveness of the sheep to the voice of the shepherd. In doing so, he takes the larger view in terms of God’s purposes (the eschatological view) and mentions in v16 “other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.”

The context seems pretty straightforward here. The first audience in Jewish–Pharisees and initial followers. After all, Jesus is a wandering Jewish teacher. So the sheep discussed up to this point are the Jews–Jesus is presenting himself as the Jewish Messiah. It follows, then, that the “sheep not of this fold” line refers to the Gentiles and the larger mission of God to bring to fulfillment the words spoken to Abram in Genesis 12:1-3: “I will bless you…and you will be a blessing…and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So, the voice of the shepherd will speak to and come to be known by Jew and Gentile alike. Therefore, the orientation point for salvation is not Jewishness or Gentileness but knowing the voice of the shepherd. This radically relativizes former understandings of how being a member of the people of God worked, but what else is new?

At this point, Jesus circles back around once more to the issue of laying down his life to make clear that this is central to his mission. Therefore, Jesus’ laying down of his own life has its origin and sustained commitment in God the Father (vv17, 18), and is an act of Jesus’ volition–he is acting, not being acted upon: “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (v18).

Thoughts?

preaching study: john 10:1-18, pt 2

In “preaching study” posts, I’m really interested in fostering a “community” approach to study and prep for the sermon, so please interact as much as you like. All Scripture quotes are from the TNIV unless otherwise noted. Thanks!
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As I said earlier this week, I’m preaching this week in Mosaic, our contemporary worship service. The Scripture text is John 10:1-18, Jesus’ teaching on being the gate and the good shepherd. Here’s part 1 of my study.

Continuing thinking about Jesus as the Gate and the Good Shepherd from the literary study angle…

1. The Parable of 10:1-5. In 10:1-5, generally considered a parable being told to the Pharisees (see 9:40-41 and 10:6) as well as others gathered around, Jesus lifts up two prominant positive images relating to the care of the sheep. First, the gate is characterized as guarding access to the sheep so that the wrong people are kept out and the right people are let in (v1-3a). Second, the shepherd of the sheep is characterized as (a) known to the sheep by his voice (v3, 4), (b) known to his sheep by his care–knowing their names (v3b), and (c) leading the sheep (v3, 4).

And there are two persons contrasted with the gate and the shepherd: a theif/robber (v2, who tries to gain access to the sheep via entry through the gate) and a stranger (v4-5, who tries to gain access to the sheep via his voice, drawing them away from the leadership of the shepherd).

Let me pause for now. I’ll aim to get at these in the next post sometime tomorrow:

2. Jesus’ Commentary on the parable using “I AM the Gate” (10:7-10).

3. Jesus’ Commentary on the parable using “I AM the Good Sheperd (10:11-13).

preaching study: john 10:1-18, pt 1

In “preaching study” posts, I’m really interested in fostering a “community” approach to study and prep for the sermon, so please interact as much as you like. All Scripture quotes are from the TNIV unless otherwise noted. Thanks!
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I’m preaching this week in Mosaic, our contemporary worship service. The Scripture text is John 10:1-18, Jesus’ teaching on being the gate and the good shepherd. Here’s a beginning with the Scripture study for this passage.

1. Literary Study

v1-6 – Gate/Shepherd parable

v7-18 – Gate/Shepherd metaphor & explanation (7-10, Jesus the Gate; 11-13, Jesus the Good Shepherd vs Hired Hand; 14-18, Jesus the Good Shepherd & the Sheep)

Significant language and concepts recur throughout: call/voice/listen, laying down life, sheep, shepherd, gate

Also, a couple of contrasting images make up the heart of this teaching: Shepherd vs Stranger (v2-5), Gate vs Thieves (v7-10), Good Shepherd vs Hired Hand (v11-13)

Finally, larger textual context: Ch 10 follows ch 9, which deals with Jesus’ healing a blind man and the spin-off consideration of spiritual blindness and sight that runs parallel with everyone grappling over the issue of this man’s physical blindness and sight and Jesus’ supposed healing of him.

“Who exactly is this Jesus?” is the question that is dominating John’s gospel and this discourse in ch 10 follows directly on the heels of a sign that manifests Jesus’ power and gives rise to his power and proclamation.

2. Cultural Cues – Questions and connections to pursue in further study…

1. Sheep-herding – Obviously! We are so familiar with shepherd and sheep imagery from all four gospels, from the OT, and from some referencees in NT letters. But I’m not a shepherd, so familiar as I am with the fact that the bible uses this imagery throughout, I need a refresher each time I encounter the image, especially when interpreting the passage depending so directly on parsing out this image.

2. Societal knowledge of sheep-herding – v6 reports that the Pharisees didn’t understand the parabolic approach of Jesus in v1-5. This could be for a number of reasons, but one wonders how broadly accessible this shepherding metaphor would have been?

3. Canonical Connections

1. Psalm 23 stands out as an obvious canonical connection, though I don’t think of it as a deliberate reference by John; more of an echo from a Christian reading of the whole of Scripture.

2. Ezekiel 34 pictures the LORD dealing with the failed shepherds of Israel.

3. The Gospels reference the sheep/shepherd imagery. Matthew 25 pictures the judgment with Jesus dividing humanity into two camps: sheep and goats. Jesus has compassion on the crowds, noticing that they were like “sheep without a shepherd” and in response sends out the disciples in Matthew 9-10 and begins teaching them in Mark 6.

4. 1 Peter 5 draws in the shepherd image in reference to church leaders.

There’s a few beginning thoughts. In few posts this week, I’ll work on parsing out Jesus’ use of the shepherd/sheep/gate metaphor and the role of the parable at the beginning of the text and the explanation that follows.

Thoughts?

preaching study: john 20:19-31

In “preaching study” posts, I’m really interested in fostering a “community” approach to study and prep for the sermon, so please interact as much as you like. All Scripture quotes are from the TNIV unless otherwise noted. Thanks!
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I’m preaching this week in the traditional worship services at my church on the lectionary gospel reading, John 20:19-31.

Let me offer a few thoughts now and hopefully more to come as I continue studying and reflecting on this passage and the sermon for this Sunday.

The 3 major sections are as indicated in my bible by the paragraph headings:

vv19-23 – Jesus appears to the disciples, gift of the Spirit

vv24-29 – Jesus appears to Thomas

vv30-31 – The aim of John’s Gospel–belief and life for the readers/hearers

I’ve preached the first two passages individually, and that is tempting to do again, but I’m interested in the connections this time around. Not just the literary context ones (as in the importance of vv19-23 for reading Jesus’ interaction with Thomas in vv24-29 well), but the theological connections that make the whole of vv19-31 more than the sum of its major parts.

In vv19-23, Jesus appears to the disciples (v19), which (a) confirms reports of his resurrection (v20), (b) has him commission them for carrying on his ministry (vv21, 23), and (c) gift them with the Holy Spirit, presumably for that purpose (v22, arguably John’s “Pentecost”).

In vv24-29, Jesus returns, seemingly because Thomas has asked for the same revelatory experience that the rest of the disciples had (v20, 25). This time, Jesus uses the occasion to make a transition in the life of those will come to faith—Belief with have to come without sight (v29).

In vv30-31, John states the purpose of his gospel as recording these parts of the life of Christ with the aim of producing and/or building up belief in the gospel’s readers/hearers —a belief that will yield life in Christ’s name.

These are the summaries of each passage; where are the theological connections? I’ve already begun to think of some, but I’ve got some time constraints so I’ll continue thinking through them and offer them later in another post.

Thoughts so far?

preaching study: john 18:1-11, pt 1

In “preaching study” posts, I’m really interested in fostering a “community” approach to study and prep for the sermon, so please interact as much as you like. All Scripture quotes are from the TNIV unless otherwise noted. Thanks!
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The text for this week’s Palm/Passion Sunday is John 18:1-11; the title is, “Shall I not drink the cup?”

Usually I like to dig into a passage of scripture from literary, historical, cultural, and canonical perspectives in order to listen carefully to what is being said. There are opportunities for that here, of course. Plenty of historical and geographical background information to be found to enhance my hearing of the passage, the curious part about the soldiers falling down at Jesus’ speech, Jesus’ invoking the divine name (“I AM”) in his response to their questioning, and the equally curious repetition of that sequence. So, there’s plenty to dig into here.

But I find myself simply pausing for contemplation more than analyzation at two verses:

v11: “Jesus commanded Peter, ‘Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?’” I think the whole sermon is in this sentence really. Obviously the title is connected to it, but I just keep ruminating on these words.

v14: “Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.” Always strikes me as the depth of irony.

I’ll try for more later.