For today I focus on the verses 6 & 7of this Gospel passage. These daily readings will sometimes be part devotional (the aim is to soften the heart—to create an “aw” moment) and in part something to fill our heads with information/knowledge (the aim being to use the information to soften our hearts): These daily readings also will reflect part of the process I use to write a sermon:
Chapters 5-10 in John describes how Jesus says something that changes the Jewish celebrations of God in their life. Jesus changes how people ought to remember God. In chapter 5 (John 5:1-41) Jesus performs a miracle by healing the lame man and by doing so is claiming to be equal with God---only God could work on the Sabbath, only God has power over life and death or healing/not healing. In Chapter 6, Jesus miraculously feeds the crowd with bread and fish and declares himself to be the bread of life during the Passover celebration time (Passover remembered the passing over of the Angel of death in Egypt but also the unleavened bread the slaves ate when they left Egypt in a hurry. Chapters 7 thru 10 covers the festival of the Tabernacles which was a eight day celebration of the grape harvest involving taking water from the pool of Siloam and bringing into the Temple by a parade of lit by people carrying torches—In Judaism, celebrations occur at night—and so Jesus is reminding us that he is the light of the world (the blind see) and the living water. The Siloam Pool was a famous pool of water which was originally created by king Hezekiah during a siege of Jerusalem. Because of Hezekiah’s faithfulness/wisdom, Jerusalem was saved from destruction. (the people inside the city had water to drink) It became part of the Feast of the Tabernacles celebration for Judaism. The water was often simply called “Sent” but its full name was “the One who was Sent,” and is seen as a means of deliverance. This passage, in addition to the references of light and living water, reminds us that Jesus is “the one who is sent.” ---He is the one who replaces any human created idol that we rely on.
- Pastor Bob