Psalm: 119: 73-96 Meditation John: While not an apostle, Stephen was the first of an array of martyrs. John, on the other hand was an Apostle, and in this reading, Jesus intimates to Peter that John will not die as a martyr. This, just after Jesus warned, or better, prophesied that Peter would die in …
Tag: John
Wednesday, December 22
Psalm: 44 Meditation Revelation: Poor (Apostle) John. He is commissioned to describe something unutterable. Let’s just own that what the beloved disciple is describing is but the “tip of the iceberg”. “But as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those …
Sunday, December 12
Psalm: 86 Meditation John: The opening here suggests that Jesus was baptizing people. I don’t think He did the baptizing Himself. I say this for that would be a clear demarcation between those baptized by Jesus versus someone inferior, by an ordinary apostle. This point is clarified in verse 2 of the next chapter. Also, …
Sunday, October 10
Psalms: 148, 150 Meditation Matthew: This is that infamous story highlighting the martyrdom of John the baptizer, whom Jesus referred to as, the greatest of men. John was not a “nice” guy. He “spoke truth to power”, as they say, which landed him in jail. (There is something we can learn from that!) John excoriated …
Saturday, September 4
Psalm: 109 Meditation John: John opens this encounter, presumably with the scribes, elders, and Pharisees, with another identifying characteristic of Himself: “I am the light of the world…” (v. 12) These very words echo to the very first chapter of John: “What has come into being in Him was life, and the life was the …
Friday, August 13
Psalm: 88 Meditation Acts: Boldness begets boldness. This section begins with the boldness of Peter and John. Well, we can’t have that! So now Peter and John were summoned to the Council (of elders) to explain the healing of the paralytic. The Council members did not like Peter’s response thus they told him to keep …
Tuesday, August 10
Psalm: 26 Meditation Acts: John and Peter would go to the Temple at the time of prayer (about 3 in the afternoon). As they walked on, a paralytic lay near the “Beautiful Gate” asking alms of the passersby. Peter caught the man’s eye and told him that he and John had no gold and then …
Friday, August 6
The Transfiguration Psalms: 47, 110 Meditation Luke: The Transfiguration. There are only 3 witnesses to the Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John. These men were privileged enough to see just how Jesus looked when no one could recognize Him on Easter day. Here we see why: “His face changed…” (v. 29) This is what I think …
Sunday, September 6
Psalm: 63 Meditation Acts: “Judge for yourself whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.” (v. 19) This same conclusion was arrived at by the midwives in ancient Egypt when Pharaoh decreed that all Hebrew male children shall be killed. That was a persecution. This was to become a persecution …
February 23, 2020
Last Sunday in Epiphany Listen. Epiphany is the season where we learn stories that show us who Jesus is. No other event, except for Jesus’ death and resurrection, tells us more about his identity than the Transfiguration (Jesus’ big change). Here in Matthew 17:1-9 God pulls back the veil and we see a glimpse of …
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