Week 15: John, 1-3 John, Revelation

 May 4, 2021

Welcome to Week 15!

This week we will be in five different books of the Bible.  We will read the second half of the gospel of John and then move on to the three letters (epistles) of John.  We end the week beginning to read the book of Revelation, also attributed to John.

I encourage you to read through the material on the website from Michael Williams' book.  The summaries of these books are excellent and will help you better understand what you are reading.  The videos from the Bible Project are helpful as well.  As you finish the gospel of John, something to consider is that this is the only gospel that records the reinstatement of Peter.  What else is unique?  How does John's perspective come through in what he includes/excludes?

The letters of John, especially 2 and 3, are likely not as familiar to you.  These are short letters but packed with lots to consider, especially in our world where it's becoming increasingly harder to discern between truth and error.

As we begin Revelation, consider reading it in larger chunks.  While this book is known for the scary images, the real message of this book is one of hope.  I encourage you to read Revelation looking for hope.

As you read, keep in mind our reading questions.  Use these as general questions to keep in mind as we read to help formulate your reflections, observations, and questions.

Our guiding questions are these:

  • What stood out to you in the reading?
  • Was there anything confusing or troubling?
  • Did anything make you think differently about God?
  • How might what you read change the way you live?

Please post a comment below with some of your questions, comments, and reflections from this week's reading.

Comments

  1. CarleneMay 4, 2021 at 8:58 AM

    Going back to week 14, the passages where Jesus says the way to salvation is by eating his body and drinking his blood are always hard for me to read. I believe he was doing a sorting of followers, and we know since the last supper that there would be a clarification of that. What are you thoughts on this?

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  2. Pastor DrewMay 9, 2021 at 7:44 PM

    That's a difficult text to interpret, given especially the differences in theology over the Lord's Supper where some believe that the bread and wine/juice become the body and blood of Jesus. I don't think Jesus meant that we would literally eat his body and drink his blood. Those types of actions were often associated with pagan religions. I think what he means here is that we are called to believe that Jesus is God's Son, the perfect sacrifice for our sins. It's a call to accept him as the one sacrifice that fulfills all sacrifices, is sufficient for all, and is effective for those who believe in him as Savior. I think you're right about the sorting of followers. Following Jesus isn't easy or for the faint of heart. It requires belief and commitment. It means that we need to be "all in" with Jesus.

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