The crowd welcome Jesus into Jerusalem, proclaiming him as their king. Jesus looks towards the cross and the judgement that will bring on the 'prince of this world'. We think about the way in which the freedom that Jesus has come to bring is more powerful and far-reaching than anything the crowd might have imagined.

The leaders are worried that the success of the Jesus movement will mean collapsing the status quo with Rome, and hence is an existential threat to the Jewish nation. We think about the way in which wanting to keep things that are good in and of themselves can lead to not wanting the power of God if it seems to possibly threaten that.

Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. We think about the sisters who both say to Jesus 'Lord, if you'd been here my brother would not have died.' We think about how hard it must have been for them to have dealt with the fact that Jesus did not come to them in a timely fashion. We think about the way in which this resonates with grief and pain that we all face.

We compare the attitudes of the Pharisees with the attitude of Jesus. The first function as policemen for the law - keeping everyone within bounds. Jesus acts as a doctor for the soul - transforming people's hearts and tending his people as a shepherd cares for his flock.

Jesus is both gate and good shepherd in this section of the gospel. Richard reflects on the fact that Jesus as the gate is one of the memory verses from Rooted in Jesus, while Ruth shares the image of a gate that God showed her in the night and which this passage has brought light to.

We read the story of the man born blind. The Jewish leaders are keen to find some flaw in his testimony. They describe themselves as Moses' disciples, not Jesus' disciples - where does Jesus even come from they ask. We reflect on the fact that Moses had a hard time in his lifetime and that the Pharisees maybe wouldn't have been so loyal to him had they been around in his day.

Everyone who sins is a slave to sin, but for those who come to Jesus, the truth sets them free. We reflect on the way in when we sin it makes it harder for us to hear God and easier to deceive ourselves.

The woman caught in adultery and Jesus' testimony about himself. We think about the way that Jesus does not judge or condemn and yet expects the woman to go away and lead a transformed life. We reflect on our unwillingness in our culture to identify ourselves as sinners in need of God's forgiveness and transforming power.

Ruth reflects on the elitism of the Pharisees, who have no respect for anyone without their own learning. Richard is struck by Jesus' description of living water flowing from within those who receive Jesus. We pray for open hearts to know more of Jesus, and to receive fresh water every day.

Jesus says that he does not speak on his own, but speaks what the Father gives him. It's those who choose to do God's will that are able to discern God's voice in the person of Jesus. We reflect on the way in which it is faith, not intellectual smarts or study that are determinative in hearing God.