Recap

So far in John, we've read the prologue and started Jesus' public ministry. Unlike the other gospels, John emphasises Jesus' divinity. The prologue identifies Jesus as 'the Word' and God, existing before creation and taking on flesh. He's depicted as the light of Genesis and the fulfilment of the tabernacle and Passover lamb in Exodus.

John the Baptist prepared the way, but unlike the other gospels, we don't see Jesus baptised or tempted by Satan. Jesus is portrayed as God on earth, above the need for baptism or the threat of temptation. His first disciples immediately recognised him as the Messiah.

Then we saw Jesus engage with four key Jewish institutions. First, at a wedding in Cana, he performed his first miraculous sign, turning water into wine, symbolising the abundance of the kingdom of God and the new covenant he was initiating. Next, in Jerusalem, Jesus confronted the temple's corruption by clearing out the traders. When questioned about his authority, he spoke of his death and resurrection as the true temple, though the leaders failed to understand.

The third encounter was with Nicodemus, a Rabbi. Jesus told him that people need more than teaching; they need to be born again, receiving new life through him. Finally, at a sacred well, Jesus met a Samaritan woman. He revealed himself as the living water, and that all peoples would be able to worship him.

Then came Jesus’ second miraculous sign. He healed the son of an official, pointing to the fact that Jesus’ kingdom being one of health and life. This then led to the section of Jesus' public ministry where Jesus' interacts with four Jewish holy days and festivals.

The first was the Sabbath, where Jesus healed a lame man, his third miraculous sign. The religious leaders were furious that the lame man was walking with a mat on the holy day of rest. Jesus pointed out that the Sabbath was dedicated to his Father, and so of course he would work on the Sabbath like his Father.

Then at Passover, Jesus fed 5,000, walked on water his fourth and fifth miraculous signs), and declared himself the bread of life. In the original Passover, the Israelites' meal and the lamb's blood saved them from death before their escape from Egypt, with Moses leading them and God providing food. Now, Jesus is the true Passover lamb. His body gives life, his blood saves from death, and he leads his people through chaos to the new promised land, sustaining them along the way.

John 7-8

The third feast is the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the festival of Booths. This was the Jewish festival similar to our Harvest festival. It was a time of resting and celebrating the year’s harvest. It was also to remember the time the Israelites wandered in the wilderness living in tents. But by Jesus’ time, it had also become a time of looking in hope for the promised king.

Jesus’ own brothers don’t believe that Jesus is the son of God or the king spoken of in the Old Testament, and so they use this as an opportunity to mock him. They tell him to go down to Judea and show himself off. If he’s really the king, then why wouldn’t he want to tell more people about it.

Jesus fires back at them that it’s not his time. Jesus’ ministry isn’t just to win support for himself. He’s a man on a mission, and he’s not going to rush ahead until it’s time. He tells them to go ahead without him. 

But after they’ve gone, Jesus follows them in secret. Arriving in Jerusalem, it’s clear that there is tension in the air. People are mumbling and grumbling to themselves, some in support of Jesus and some against him. But all of it is in hushed tones for fear of the religious leaders.

But then, out of the blue, Jesus steps up to the temple and begins to teach. The people are astonished at the authority he speaks with. Jesus makes the antagonistic statement that anyone who truly seeks God will know that what he is teaching is true.

What follows is a tense back and forth between Jesus and the crowds. Some tried to arrest him and the religious leaders sent guards after him, but none of them managed to grab hold of him. Jesus then tells them that whoever believes in him will find living water. Just as Moses provided water in the wilderness, Jesus will provide water that gives life. This riles the people up more, with some people agreeing with Jesus and others rejecting them.

The guards come back to the religious leaders empty handed, in awe of Jesus’ words. The religious leaders are furious. Nicodemus, the leaders from John 3, tries to defend Jesus, but the other religious leaders begin to turn on him.

We then get a short diversion with a story about a woman caught in adultery. This story isn’t found in earlier manuscripts, and so it seems like it wasn’t in the original copy of John’s gospel. When reading it, you can feel that this story doesn’t fit the flow and almost feels crammed in. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t true.

It may be a true story that was passed down by the church, and somewhere someone decided to include it in John’s gospel to make sure it doesn’t get forgotten. In this story, a woman is brought before Jesus by some religious leaders, who had caught her in the act of adultery. They asked Jesus what they should do with her, hoping to trip him up, but Jesus ignores them.

When they continue to ask him, he merely responds saying, “he who is without sin cast the first stone”, and then goes back to ignoring them. Jesus is challenging the unfair bias that is going on here. It does say in the Old Testament that those caught in adultery should be stoned, but it specifically says that both the man and the woman should be stoned (Leviticus 20:10).

The religious clearly weren’t interested in upholding the law, but just wanted to punish this woman. Pointing out the hypocrisy in their actions, one by one, the crowds began to leave. Left alone with the woman, Jesus has compassion on her and sends her on her way.

And then we come back to the conflict between Jesus and the crowds. Jesus makes his second ‘I am’ statement. He is the light of the world. In the wilderness, the Lord went ahead of the people in a pillar of fire to light their way. Now Jesus is here to be a light in the wilderness.

The religious leaders accuse him of making proclamations about himself without backing it up with evidence. Jesus points out that God himself has been backing up who he is. Jesus tells the people that the truth will set them free, but then the religious leaders push back, arguing that they aren’t slaves and don’t need to be set free.

Jesus tells them that anyone who sins is a slave to sin. Just as Moses brought the people out of slavery in Egypt, Jesus will bring people out of slavery to sin.

He then accuses the religious leaders of being children of Satan, and that’s why they refuse to understand what he says. They argue that it is he that has a demon, and Jesus tells them that not only does he not have a demon, but he was around when their ancestor Abraham was alive.

This was the final straw for the religious leaders who get ready to stone him. John is painting a picture of tension in these two chapters. Jesus is facing real opposition, and yet he holds his own, challenging the religious leaders and declaring his authority as one sent from God.

Psalm 104

This psalm isn’t attributed to anyone and falls into the category of praise psalm.

Psalm 104:1-9 - Praise God for his creation

Psalm 104:10-18 - God’s provision for all creatures

Psalm 104:19-23 - God created day and night

Psalm 104:24-30 - Wonder at God’s majesty

Psalm 104:31-35 - Praise God for his creation

The psalmist opens with praise to God for his creation. God is majestic, clothed with light and the heavens are his tent. He is lord over the seas and the clouds. He set the foundations of the earth and covered it with the chaotic seas, controlled by his might. He sculpted the mountains and the valleys and fixed them all in place.

Next, the psalmist focuses on how God’s creation provides for his creatures. He created springs that burst forth and gathered so beasts could drink from them. Near those springs, he grew trees which serve as homes for the birds. From God’s place over the earth, he can water the very mountains so that the earth can produce fruit.

God is the one who causes grass to grow for livestock and plants to grow for humans. He is the one who designed wine and oil and bread for humans to enjoy. The trees and mountains were created by God to provide homes for birds and goats and badgers.

Next up is the cycle of day, night and the seasons. God made the moon and the sun. He made the darkness, the place of chaos where wild beasts roam. And that darkness has to give way to the sun, that when the wild beasts go back to their dens and human come out and work.

The psalmist then comes back to wonder at how great and majestic all creation is. God made it all and filled it all with his creatures. The sea, which for so many is a place of chaos, is actually a place of life and abundance because of God. Even the Leviathan, the great beast that the other nations see as the embodiment of chaos. God made the leviathan to be a pet he could play with.

All beasts, even the ones we see as chaotic or evil, look to God for their food. God is the one who provides and cares for them and when God hides from them, they die and return to dust. It’s his spirit that brings forth life.

And so the psalmist ends with praise to God for his creation. May God be glorified for his works. The psalmist will sing his praise and meditate on his works. Let those who are wicked and who reject God’s good works be no more.

This psalm sees all of creation as belonging to God. Even the bits that we might not like or don’t see their purpose. They all find their source and life in him.