Reflections: John 6-8

Hi there! I am enjoying reading John a chapter at a time and spending the time to think about the message John is sharing. Below are my reflections from chapters 6 through 8. If you are also reading John, I hope you are enjoying it and that it's provoking reflections of your own too!

John 6 - Eat this Bread

I kept reflecting on the fact that this was Passover time and the significance of this setting. Crowds of people left their homes to seek Jesus- who later became the ultimate sacrificial lamb slain for all our sins. Passover is a time to remember the miracle God did for the Israelites. God saved their firstborn children and allowed them to finally escape Egypt. It’s a time where Israelites are careful about the bread they eat in order to recognize the significance of their escape. Here in this passage, we have crowds seeking Jesus and being fed with bread. We see them seeking more bread on the following day - as Jesus comments that they only wished for more food. As Jesus explains to his disciples, we need to see the spiritual significance of who Jesus is. He offers true escape and freedom from sin and death. By eating the bread that Jesus offers, we recognize that freedom is found in him alone. How do we do this? By simply believing Jesus is sent by God and choosing to follow Jesus.

John 7 - Proximity

I find it interesting that Jesus’ brothers did not believe in him, even though they would have been some of the fewest closest to him. Jesus’ mother and father knew of the miraculous nature of Jesus, yet their other children didn’t believe in his power and nature. Sometimes, it seems that distance can affect our beliefs and feelings. Absence can make the heart fonder; closeness can make you unappreciative. We should be careful to not let our proximity to Jesus make us unappreciative of who he is.

John 8 - Wiping away Our History

When reading about Jesus saving the accused woman, I am struck by the behavior of the accusers. Starting with the oldest, they all walked away. What did Jesus write down to make them NOT want to be the one to punish the woman for her sin? It’s commonly thought that Jesus may have written down the sins of those accusers, thus making them feel unjustified in their judgment. This makes me reflect on how wretched we’d all be if it weren’t for Jesus making a way of forgiveness for us. None of us on our own would be able to wipe away our history that is out there accusing us as unworthy sinners. Thankfully, Jesus has stepped up for all of us- just like he did for this woman, and just like he has done for those accusers, to offer us a path to shedding off the condemnation our history placed on us. Through Jesus, we can be forgiven, and clean, and acceptable to God. All we need to do is ask Jesus for this gift and turn away from sinning again.