Category Archive

Easter Sunday John 21:15-25 How many times have you and I used the phrase “good morning,” but without any real meaning behind our words? Often “good morning” is an autopilot greeting, isn’t it? But that morning, two thousand years ago on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, was so good, as the sun was rising over the Gadarene ...

Holy Saturday John 21:1-14 Have you ever used the expression, “I just can’t believe it”? During a recent visit to the Sea of Tiberias, I got to walk the very shoreline that tradition says was the setting of John 21:1-14. Now, the Sea of Tiberias is not really a sea at all. It is actually a fresh-water lake. It is ...

Good Friday John 20:19-31 Have you ever heard someone talk about Jesus like He was there in the room and found yourself doubting if that could really be the case? At times, we’re all skeptics. We all tend to doubt those things that fall outside normal reality—or at least what we perceive to be normal reality. Thomas was no different ...

Maundy Thursday John 20:1-18 Have you ever felt like a third wheel as your friends laughed about a memory and then said, “Sorry, you had to be there”? Sometimes I feel that way about Jesus’ disciples. “God has raised this Jesus to life,” they gush, “and we are all witnesses of it” (Acts 2:32). “Oh, Sorry,” I imagine Peter consoling ...

Holy Wednesday John 19:28-42 Who is the hero of your life story? A recent ad for a vitamin company urges viewers to imagine their lives as a movie, and to live as if they are the movie’s hero. “Set goals, build momentum, you can do it,” the speaker says directly into the camera. Set over a techno soundtrack, it’s pretty ...

Holy Tuesday John 19:16-27 Have you ever witnessed something that changed you? There are many things about our lives that are routine—the same view out our kitchen window, the same walk to school, or the same route to work. Sometimes we don’t even remember the journey from point A to point B because it’s so familiar. But, every once in ...

Holy Monday John 19:1-15 If our democracy collapsed and you were made king or queen, what would be your first major decision and why? John’s Gospel is saturated with irony regarding the true identity of Jesus. And this story, Pilate’s final interrogation of Jesus before He is crucified, is no exception. To appease the Jewish leadership, Pilate mockingly endows Jesus ...

Palm Sunday John 18:28-40 What is your portrait of a king? In the Scripture reading, heaven and earth are colliding with great force, with the kind of power that will change the world forever. This is the kind of power that turns everything on its head, and has the true King of the universe dying on a cross because of ...

Saturday: Fifth Week of Lent John 18:15-27 Have you ever travelled to Jerusalem? On a visit to Jerusalem, my wife and I visited what was purported to be the home and courtyard of the high priest during Jesus’ day. Was this where the Jews brought Jesus to be questioned? Was this where Peter warmed himself by the fire while Jesus ...

Friday: Fifth Week of Lent John 18:1-14 Have you ever tried to offer help to someone but ended up just getting in the way—or worse—aggravating the situation? I think we’ve all been there in one way or another. I find myself relating to Simon Peter in this reading. I may not wield a sword, but I am a “doer.” When ...