Day 14 (Thursday, March 21, 2019)

Read

John 7:37-39


37 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, 38 and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Reflect

We know how refreshing and satisfying a glass of clear cold water is on a hot day. On the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles, it was the custom of the Jewish high priest to enter the temple court with a gold flagon filled with water drawn from the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem. It was a great occasion for the million or so pilgrims in the city. Accompanied by the blast of trumpets, he would pour the water out into the temple court. It symbolized two things: it looked back to God’s provision of water from the rock at the time of the Exodus from Egypt; it looked forward to the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy which spoke of the day when water would flow from the temple in Jerusalem, the sacred rock, satisfying the spiritual thirst of the nations and blessing them (Ezekiel 47:1-11).

Jesus’ chose this climactic moment to call out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink…” It was a stunning statement. Jesus had already told a woman at Jacob’s well in Samaria that he could give living water that would wash away sin and satisfy thirsty lives. Now he was saying metaphorically that he was the temple from whom the living waters of God would flow, blessing the nations. However, Jesus’ words caused division. Some were impressed, some sneered, some wanted to kill him. But Nicodemus, one of the Jewish rulers who had come to Jesus at night (John 3:1ff) pointed out the inconsistencies of his fellow leaders and stood up for Jesus (7:51f). Nicodemus’s response is a marvelous challenge and encouragement for us today.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, the giver of all good things, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and grant that by your holy inspiration we may think those things that are good, and by your grace and guidance do them; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (BCP, Easter 5 – adapted)

Daily Reading Plan

Read John 7:37-52

Day 11 – (March 18, 2019)

Read

John 6:1-15

1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Reflect

One of Jesus’ extraordinary statements was that he could offer life. “Anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life… has passed from death to life,” he said (John 5:24). How could he do this? On one occasion he stunned everyone by producing sufficient food for a crowd of 5,000 from five loaves of bread and three fish. It was Passover time, the time when everyone remembered God’s liberation of their ancestors from Egypt. We can understand the crowd’s response, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.” They saw Jesus as a modern day Moses. Here was someone who could free them from Roman rule. But, having a bigger and better plan, Jesus withdrew from them (6:15).

In John 6:26-27 he commented: “…You are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” There are two kinds of bread – bread for our physical bodies that will one day die, and bread for our spiritual existence, destined to last forever. Jesus told the crowds then, as he tells us today, ‘You have seen a miracle, but you do not see the sign.’ Jesus doesn’t just see empty stomachs, but empty souls, empty lives. The miracle of turning the loaves and fish into more than sufficient food to feed the crowd was a sign of Jesus’ capacity to feed our deeper spiritual need and give us life.

Prayer

Raise up your great power, Lord, and come among us to save us; so that, although through our sins we are grievously hindered in running the race that is set before us, your plentiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through the sufficiency of your Son our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, Advent 4 – adapted)

Daily Reading Plan

Read John 6:1-34

Sunday 2 – (March 17, 2019)

An early Christian Hymn: Te Deum Laudamus

We praise you, O God: we acknowledge you to be the Lord. All creation worships you: the Father everlasting. To you all angels cry aloud: with all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim: ever sing in endless praise, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might: heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you: the goodly fellowship of prophets praise you. The noble army of martyrs praise you:
 through all the world your holy Church acclaims you, Father of majesty unbounded: your true and only Son and the Holy Spirit advocate and guide.

You, Lord Christ, are the King of glory: the eternal Son of the Father. When you became man to set us free: you did not disdain the virgin’s womb. When you overcame the sting of death: you opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God’s right hand in glory: we believe that you will come to be our judge. Come then, Lord, and help your people: bought with the price of your own blood; and bring us with your saints: to glory everlasting.

Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance: govern and uphold them now and always. Day by day, we bless you: we praise your name for ever. Keep us today, Lord, from all sin. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy. Lord, show us your love and mercy: for we put our trust in you. In you, Lord, is our hope: let us not be confounded at the last. Amen.

Day 10 – (March 16, 2019)

Read

John 5:19-24

19 Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. 20 The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. 21 Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. 22 The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Reflect

How difficult it is to cast our prejudices aside when considering the statements of others or current events. This was very true for the Jewish leaders and their response to Jesus’ words, “My Father is still working, and I also am working” (John 5:17). They correctly concluded that he was claiming to be divine. Yet in their minds his words were not only breathtaking, but blasphemous. In John’s account, Jesus had already performed three signs that pointed to his unique power, a power that could only be described as divine. But like so many today, the Jewish leaders were not prepared to look beyond their personal prejudice to come to a different conclusion.

Now in 5:19-24, he begins to set out how the relationship between God the Father and God the Son works. Nowhere else in the Gospels do we find this stated so clearly. Both God the Father and God the Son are equally and eternally divine, but the Son chooses to do the will of the Father; so much so that in verse 19 Jesus says he does nothing apart from God the Father. He and the Father work together. This is truly significant. It means that everything Jesus said and did perfectly revealed the mind, the words and the actions of God the Father. To see Jesus’ actions, to hear his words is to see God. Later John records Jesus’ words: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). To know Jesus is to know God. How can we be so sure? Well, John is saying to us, ‘Look at what he did’.

Prayer

O God, who by the leading of a star revealed your beloved Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we, who know you now by faith, may after this life enjoy the splendor of your glorious presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, Epiphany – adapted)

Daily Reading Plan

 Read John 5:19-47