Nothing is new except that which is made new in Christ. John alerts us to a world that is made new by the light of Christ, which truly reveals the love of God in Christ and calls us beloved disciples.

In this episode, we consider the way to know God, according to St. John. Knowledge of God doesn't come from a secret dispensation or by careful study of nature or the collected wisdom of the world. It comes through the instruction of God, which is comprised of His commandments and His gracious promises. 

What does the cleansing blood of Jesus imply? Not that we may do whatever we please. Neither God nor His apostle John want us to sin. But when we do - and we will - there is a solution. Jesus is our advocate, our ombudsman, who intercedes for us by the same blood. He is our propitiation.

Light. Fellowship. Truth. Cleansing. 

This is what the blood of Jesus accomplishes for us. John's message is grounded in the blood of Jesus, the blood that he shed on the cross, which John witnessed with his own two eyes. 

In this episode, we'll scratch the surface of the first main section of John's first epistle, 1 John 1:5-2:2. We'll set the stage for the next several weeks of study and reflection on the foundation of our faith, the witness of Jesus' blood.

We begin our study of John's first epistle to the church. In this episode we'll discover the three themes that John lays out for his letter, as well as the way he employs some trinities of grammar. But it's not just the rule of three that John is putting to use!

In many ways, John's epistle is a prelude to his Gospel. The same themes, which are fleshed out, so to speak, in his story of the life of Jesus, are introduced in this letter and provide a direction for us not only in our study of John's writings and the Bible in general, but for our entire faith and life together as the church in general and St. John's Lutheran Church in particular.

In this introductory episode of Spirit, Water, Blood, we will look at the background for St. John's writings in the Bible. We'll talk briefly about how his epistles relate to his Gospel, and where Revelation fits in with the bigger picture. The epistle of 1 John will serve as our starting point to the broader writings of St. John. 

This study of St. John's writings to start our new podcast series will broaden your understanding of and appreciation for the Beloved Disciple, for whom this congregation is named.