You Can Read the Bible Guided Podcast

The story of the man born blind in chapter 9 in one of the longest single narratives in the whole book, and I encourage you to eat it up.  It is launched by a question from Jesus’ disciples, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  There are rich details here: the back-and-forth dialogue; the divisions among the Pharisees; the hopes of the blind man and the fears of his parents.  The exposition, though sparse, is piercing.

This is followed in chapter 10 with a sermon, as we’ve come to expect, this time about shepherds and thieves.  This message could stand on its own, but in sequence with chapter 9 it seems to answer the question of the Pharisees: “Are we also blind?”  Jesus’ answer leads to even more division among the Jews – who simply can’t believe any man in his right mind would speak this way. 

Near the end of today’s reading the standoff between Jesus and the Jews seems to reach a breaking point.  Envision Jesus, walking in the Temple colonnade.  Feel the press of people, of tension, as it says, “…the Jews gathered around Him and said to Him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense?  If you are the Christ, tell us plainly!”  Jesus’ answer will only infuriate them further, yet He manages to escape.   

One additional note: when Jesus meets the blind man a second time, He asks, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”  This term “Son of Man” is a favorite of Jesus when referring to Himself.  It has a cryptic meaning, because it could be either an obvious generality (such that I am a son of man), or a reference to an apocalyptic figure in the Old Testament book of Daniel.  Even though this term is used often in all four gospels, the writers never directly explain it, so it is best left to rest, as are many things in John, in its ambiguous state. 

Our verse for this week is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

John chapters 9 and 10.  Now let’s read it!

Chapter 7 opens with a great interaction between Jesus and his brothers.  Listen to their concern and consider why Jesus disagrees with them.  One of John’s purposes has been to allow Jesus to speak for Himself, and you can tuck this into the mix as Jesus’ character is developed.  

You’ll hopefully remember that the Feast of Booths was a weeklong celebration of how God had provided for Israel in the desert, when they lived in “booths” – in other places called “tabernacles” or just “tents.”  According to Leviticus 23, the Israelites were to build tents and spend the week in rest and feasting, and to “take the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and…rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.”   

This is the context of the sermon in chapter 7, which is spurred on by statements of the Jews, such as: “Some were saying, ‘He is a good man,…But others, ‘No, he is leading the people astray.’” and “How is it that this man has learning, when He has never studied?”  And another: “Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?” Pay attention to John’s observation for why people were afraid both to speak openly about Him and to imprison Him.  

Chapter 8 is again driven by statements of the Jews: Consider their declaration that “Abraham is our father” with the memory of Genesis fresh in your mind.  Listen for the subtlety in “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”  And then listen to the tense change when Jesus asserts: “Before Abraham was, I am.”  Is that an echo of Exodus 3 – the voice out of the burning bush?  

In most Bibles, a note is attached to verses 7:53 through 8:11 that reads “The earliest manuscripts do not include this passage.”  This gospel was written over 1,900 years ago, and was copied down by Christians who were often on the run.  No full manuscripts exist from John’s lifetime, and the earliest fragments do not include this passage.  It is possible that this story is an authentic tradition that a copyist inserted, but the grammar and word use are different from John’s style.  In any case, it’s simplest for us to read straight through, and I encourage you to talk with your church about these issues. 

Our verse for this week is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

John 7 and 8.  Now let’s read it!

John’s presentation can hardly be called “narrative.”  The events of Jesus’ life are typically used as introductions to what John really wants to share with you – Jesus’ teaching about Himself, and the responses that it raised.  Trace the arguments, rather than the physical map, as you read through this Gospel.  

At the Pool of Bethsaida in chapter 5, Jesus encounters a man who had been “an invalid for thirty-eight” years.  The dialogue of this story is launched with a curious question: “Do you want to be healed?”  The answer is so obvious that the question begs notice.  What follows is a healing, as we’ve come to expect, followed by a challenge from the Jews, which we’ve also come to expect.  

What might be unexpected is how Jesus seems to tease them on.  In the middle of chapter 5, John records that the Jews “were persecuting Jesus” because of His healing on the Sabbath.  Out of all possible responses, Jesus replies “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”  So, in John’s words, “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” 

Jesus follows this with a logic test.  “I can do nothing on my own,” he tells them.  “If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true…”  But, “the works that the Father has given me to accomplish…bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.” 

Jesus then calls them out: their unbelief is not for lack of information, but because they “do not have the love of God” within them.  Pay attention to the characteristics of those who believe and disbelieve throughout this book.  Also note why they believe or disbelieve – John is great at acknowledging motives – and how these stories help John develop a theme.  

We turn then to chapter 6, with signs leading into questions which lead into sermons.  Listen closely as another pattern is replayed: Jesus makes a cryptic, seemingly concrete offer – with the Samaritan woman it was living water and here is it “true bread,” His listener asks for what is offered, and then Jesus launches into a deeper explanation of what He meant.  But as the call gets more difficult, more real, and the crowds thin, Jesus turns to the twelve and asks, “Do you want to go away as well?”  

Our verse for this week is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

John chapters 5 and 6.  Now let’s read it!