Do the Passion narrative.

We pick right back up in the middle of the Holy Week action today, moments after Jesus’ encounter with Pilate. Remember, last week, Jesus and Pilate discussed authority, empire, and found Jesus as the scapegoat for the people’s anger. And before I read our scripture, I want to say this: Empire feeds…

My kingdom is not from this world.

Let’s bow our heads for the prayer of illumination. God, whom we know through the scriptures and creation, speak to us in this hour. Show us the wisdom and joy of your ways, that we may know what is good and do what is right. Jesus Christ, your Word. Amen. And our scripture this morning, if you want…

Our Gospel reading today is a quintessential Lenten text. The cross is squarely in Jesus’ sites. As we considered on Ash Wednesday, now he is staring death in the face. The evil one’s work is unfolding. As well, in this text we have some of the main cast of characters in the Jesus stories. There is a…

Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said…

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see…

This week we are in the early days of Jesus’ public activity, where he is baptized and performs his first miracle in the book of John. Remember, last week, we heard Jesus put out the all points bulletin — Come and See. Come and see what God is doing, come take part, come serve and give and receive and…

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city…