by on December 15, 2014

John 4

Cal Staggers Jesus-and-Woman-at-WellWhen:  the last passage in John 3 was sometime after the first Passover in Jesus’ ministry – and John 4 picks up sometime after that

Where:  Jesus was last noted as being in Aenon near Salim (3:23) which is up near Galilee – but now time has passed he’s been back in Judea.  And now He leaves Judea and goes back to Galilee through Samaria.

4:4 says he HAD to go through Samaria – he didn’t have to logistically because Jews always went around Samaria to avoid the Samaritans, so he must have HAD to go thru to accomplish some other purpose – which we’re about to discover.

v. 6 Jesus gets to Jacob’s Well (near the highway at almost the mid-point in Samaria) at around noon.

v. 10 All we have to know to have eternal life is to know the gift and the Giver!

v. 24  How do we apply v. 24 today?  Here’s a thought:  instead of worship being about a place (like Jerusalem or a church building) or a process (like sacrificing animals or serving in the church), it’s a relationship. Just as discipleship should follow belief, serving God should follow fellowship with Him. I look back at big swaths of my life when I was so busy working in the church that I had only a small amount of time in close fellowship with God.  Serving others is good, but it cannot interfere with or reduce the amount of time spent with God (or it’s not worshiping in spirit and truth?).

The woman at the well sowed, the disciples reaped and the result was many Samaritans believed. Is this an example of v. 24 worshiping in spirit and truth?

Now Jesus is off to Cana, just outside his hometown of Nazareth.

This passage is interesting:  just like when we read “saved” we must ask “saved from what” — also, when we read “believe” we must ask “believe what.”  Context is everything.

v. 48 believe: for eternal life (the purpose of the signs and wonders).

v. 50 believed: The man believed what Jesus just said, that his son lives.

v. 53 believed:  for eternal life as in v. 48 – which is the purpose of telling this story (v. 54).

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by on October 30, 2014

More Bible Verses

Cal Staggers Bible Studies

Here are some Bible verses from around the web that I’d like to share here.  I hope you enjoy them.

“Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” – Phillipians 1:9-10

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ the Righteous One.” – 1 John 2:1

“We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” – Romans 5:3-4

“Live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.” – Peter 3:8

“God has chosen you to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” – Colossians 1:27-28

“Jesus said, ‘I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.” – John 10:28-30

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 15:55-57.

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by on October 3, 2014

Some Thoughts on John Chapter 2

Cal StaggersWhere:  Cana, which is very close to Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth, just west of the Sea of Galilee

When:  On 3rd day after his baptism/kick-off of his public ministry – so this must be immediately after his being tempted by Satan in the wilderness

Verse 11 says this is the beginning of his signs/miracles.  John 20:30 (next to last chapter in John) just after the last recorded miracle, says “Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;” so everything between 1:11 and 20:30 are a list of Jesus’ miracles given for the purpose of the next verse:

John 20:31  “…but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”

So the purpose of John is to tell people how to have eternal life – which is by believing Jesus’ promise to give it.  Gee, that is so much simpler than the man-made “plan of salvation” or “being good” or “not being TOO bad.”  Those aren’t even measurable, so using those ideas mean nobody would ever know if they have eternal life!

1:3-4 has puzzled me.  Jesus’ mother wants Him to perform a miracle, something that He’s never done as a man (that’s recorded anyway).  So she must know that His public tour has begun.  Jesus acts like He doesn’t want to do it, but then does it anyway.  Why doesn’t He want to do it?  Why does He give in if He doesn’t want to do it?  The other side of the coin is that God usually doesn’t force Himself on people, so maybe He was waiting on a request in order to begin?

Then his family goes to Capernaum, which is on the north side of the Sea of Galilee.  The Passover is at hand – so Jesus’ public ministry began with a Passover, had 2 more, and ended with a Passover =  3 years.  He clears out the temple on this first Passover and another gospel records that he cleared out the temple on His last Passover.  He has passion for his Father’s house!  And at this point the temple still had the presence of the Holy Spirit.

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