Good Friday?
Read: John 14:1-7 I am the way, and the truth, and the life. (v. 6) Today is Good Friday. Hardly anything about it could have seemed “good” to the disciples. Jesus hung on the cross for six hours. Peter denied him three times. Judas betrayed him. All the others fled. The night before, their hearts had […]
No Idea
Read: John 10:10-18 I am the good shepherd. (v. 11) What is it like to be a shepherd? It’s a far cry from the quaint pictures in church nurseries, where clean-looking shepherds coddle fuzzy-wool lambs. Shepherding was tough, dirty, and risky. Long hot days were followed by cold nights keeping watch. David described how he fought […]
Healer of Wounds
Read: John 10:1-9 I am the door. (v. 9) The “I am” sayings of John 10 provide personal and meaningful images of who Jesus is in relation to his people. Many of us live quite apart from the common farm images in the New Testament. Perhaps we can imagine Jesus as a shepherd. Jesus as a […]
I Can See!
Read: John 8:12-20 I am the light of the world. (v. 12) When Robert stopped by the Words of Hope office to thank us for how this devotional booklet helps him, tears welled up. He recounted parts of his story that were full of regret and rebellion. “I was walking in darkness and didn’t know it. […]
So Much More
Read: John 6:25-71 I am the bread of life. (v. 35) The challah bread our church serves for Communion is lovingly baked by volunteers. It tastes so good! I sometimes feel cheated if the piece broken off for me is smaller than I hoped. Nonetheless, it’s far better than the Styrofoam-like cubes I have so often […]
Hosanna!
Read: John 12:12-19 Fear not, daughter of Zion. (v. 15) Sometimes I fall asleep while watching my favorite team play basketball. I’ll wake up to see they won with no idea how. When I watch the replay, there are moments when the game seems in doubt. How could we ever win? Knowing the outcome allows me […]
Two Words
Read: John 11:1-45 Jesus wept. (v. 35) My parents occasionally required us to recite a Bible verse before being dismissed from the supper table. We’d argue over whose turn it was to use John 11:35, the shortest verse in the Bible. Years later, I would come to see how profound those words are in the larger […]
How Eyes Are Opened
Read: John 9:1-41 . . . and he worshiped . . . (v. 38) This is the sixth “sign” of seven in John’s gospel and contains more details than any other. We know the man’s condition before Jesus met him. We learn how Jesus opened his eyes. We witness the response of other people. And we see the […]
The Storm Inside
Read: John 6:16-21 It is I; do not be afraid. (v. 20) Ancient people feared the sea because they could not see beneath its surface. The unknown depths represented a dark mystery. Even for seasoned fishermen like the disciples, rowing across the Sea of Galilee would give them pause. This time their terror was compounded by […]