Although all my talks on the E100 readings should be listed here (in roughly reverse order) the listing here is much more convenient:
E100 reflections on each reading
Browsing Posts in E100
Fish and bread (no, the bread is nothing at all like Jesus' bread, which was fresh and wholemeal 
In this podcast I’ll introduce the idea of the ending of John as a sphragis, and very briefly mention what that might mean for reading John’s gospel, but most of the time will be spent on the much less technical question of why I am convinced that Jesus rose from death and met with the disciples – because after all this passage is about the resurrection, and not about the technical details (however fascinating to biblical scholars
So, here’s the link to the audio: E100-69: John 20:1 – 21:25: The Resurrection
Photo by firstbaptistnashville
This chapter gives what it tells us is an eyewitness account of a Roman execution. Jesus, who has done no real wrong, except offend the religious leaders, and worry the politicians is subjested to the casual brutality of an imperial production-line death. Such a death, of an innocent man, is shocking. But Jesus was not merely a man, this was also the death of God, so as Jesus points out to the Roman govenor, Pilate, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you” John 19:11 such a death overturns all expectations, gods are powerful, vengeful, gods are kindly and helpful… gods do not die so that humans may live!
So, here’s the link to the audio:
E100-68: John 19:1 – 19:42: The Crucifixion
CHRIST – DEATH
The fourth vertical window on the north side depicts the death of Christ. It is a dramatic, powerful, eerie and gruesome composition recording the most momentous event in history. Dark grays in the upper portion represent the actual darkness that invaded the cross where Christ died. The streams of red tell of the great suffering and sacrifice of our Savior. The gold around the cross and throughout the window symbolizes the presence of God in the death of Christ.
Judas betrays Jesus by vaticanus
In this chapter, we get the climax of John’s series of sayings where Jesus echoes the divine “I am” cf. Exodus 3 (E100-17: Exodus 3-4: Getting the holy between your toes!), and we also notice how amid powerful people who seem muddled and out of control, Jesus (the one who seems to be the victim) is the only person in control of himself! And we’ll discover his secret.
We’ll also notice the three betrayals, and ask how we can avoid joining they betrayers.
So, here’s the link to the audio:
Photo by khrawlings
Passover was the greatest pilgrimage festival for 1st century Jews, Jerusalem was packed with people (like for a world cup – only more crowded celebrating the great liberation from foreign oppression that God worked for Moses and the ancestors in Exodus. No wonder the Romans were jumpy, no wonder the Sadducees on the Sanhedrin (Jewish council) shared their concern, and it was an ideal opportunity for the Pharisees to do something about a dangerously radical Rabbi who failed to respect proper authority. And no wonder among the religious and national fervour and the political fears Satan was also at work.
So, here’s the link to the audio: E100-66: Luke 22:1 – 46: The Last Supper
Photo by Glen's Pics
Gospels are not biographies, nor are they just collections of sayings, they focus on Jesus’ death and resurrection. Without either event can’t understand Jesus or the gospel. But we also to see and understand that Jesus is God incarnate and that Jesus is risen else his dearth and the disciples turnaround between end of gospels and Acts makes no sense.
This week’s readings bring to fruition the message we heard time and again in the Old Tedstament, that the only true God is Yahweh, the one who will be with and for us, this God is Yeshua (in English – Jesus) “he saves”.
So, here’s the link to the audio:
E100: Week 14: Death and resurrection
NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org
“I am making everything new” what a wonderful promise!
Not just a repair or clean up, but a renewed creation. Back in Genesis, the new line that started with Seth instead of Cain (the murderer) failed, after the flood Noah who was “a righteous man, blameless in his generation; and walked with God” (Gen 6:9) promptly became the first drunk, even Abraham – the father of faith – showed his lack of faith a few verses after responding to God’s call. Clean up jobs don’t work, they just sweep human sinfulness under the carpet. As Jesus’ parable (Mat 12:43ff. Luke 11:24ff.) shows even casting the demon out does no long term good, only a new creation will do, so… the one who began it all will end it all : “I am the alpha and the omega”.
And then there’s the holy city, which is quite clearly nothing like the existing unholy cities, the Babylons that we keep building: Gen 11, Babylon of the exile, and “now” (in John’s time) Rome, and note that in 11:8 he links Sodom, “Egypt” and Jerusalem to my list! Human cities concentrate human evil, but since we are ALL broken even the smallest inhabited place is already contaminated.
So we too need to be made new!
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When the Burma Army attacks a village, they leave nothing untouched. As the people flee, rice barns, houses and personal belongings are destroyed. Then landmines are placed around the village to stop the people from returning. (Picture and words: Partners)
With this reading, skipping all the confusing stuff about the seven seals and the seven bowls, and most of the material about the false bride (the whore of Babylon), we come straight to the end of the beginning in chapter 19. We’ve returned to the throne room in heaven, now in victory!
Westerners, especially those of us born after the end of the second world war (which means most listeners to this podcast have difficulty really understanding this joy in heaven, most of our battles are such trivial ones. But live for a while with people far away, share their pain as their children get sick while a corrupt system that should provide treatment does not. Feel their anger at the tyrants who oppress, ruling at the end of a gun, burning crops and homes, raping the girls and working the men to) death. The horrors in places like Burma/Myanmar, Congo or Darfur hardly bear thinking about, but they are repeated in less extreme ways across much of the planet. Take a share in these feelings, and the victory of the lamb sounds just fine. Remembering my new friends in the camps on the Thai-Burma border, or thinking of my old colleagues in Congo, I’ll pray Maranatha Come Lord! So that they can join the celebration in heaven.
This chapter paints a Jesus the pious portrait painters never imagined, but when you think of what it really means
that our world is spoilt and broken by human Sin (not sins, as in the little wrongs we do but Sin the power that is woven of those little wrongs and becomes a cyclonic system in which fairly ordinary people commit monstrous atrocities) thinking of such a broken world makes sense of this Jesus.
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Lifting the First Seal of Apocalypse and the White Rider of war. Illuminated page (not an icon!) from the 17th century Tolkovy Apocalypse. Moscow, first half of the 17th century. (Image and text, Wikimedia)
If you’ve been wonderoing when all the visions in Revelation begin, wonder no more. Today’s reading is full of visions.
A throne in heaven: for God alone rules heaven and earth. One sitting on it: God is not named, for that would be too familiar in this dangerous vision, dangerous because humans are unholy and God is holy. Then v.3 is a reminder not to take this vision as visual, it’s a word picture
Many of us approach John’s visions wanting to know more than John tells us, either about what heaven is like or about God’s timetable for the future. So people dig into the visions, work cleverly at their imagined codes… Spurgeon in a sermon on this passage puts it well:1
It is very little that we can know of the future state, but we may be quite sure that we know as much as is good for us. We ought to be as content with that which is not revealed as with that which is. If God wills us not to know, we ought to be satisfied not to know. Depend on it, he has told us all about heaven that is necessary to bring us there; and if he had revealed more, it would have served rather for the gratification of our curiosity than for the increase of our grace.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the words, catch a glimpse of the glory and holiness of God! But, be content with this glimpse “through a glass darkly” because this side of death it is all you will get, or need. And one day, quite soon enough we’ll be there face to face! It’s better to spend time getting spruced up and ready, rather than speculating on what the view will be like!
This vision is full of echoes of Scripture. The most obvious in ch.3 is the “Trishaggion” (the triple declaration of God’s holiness) that recalls the temple vision in ch.6 of Isaiah. But the creatures with their eyes echoes Ezekiel’s opening vision (as does the scroll at the start of ch.5).
There are loads of intertextual echoes throughout this material. So, why not get a good set of cross references (the ones in the NET Bible are not bad, the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge ones are free with most Bible software, but the best I’ve seen come with Bibles from the French Bible Society – why haven’t others copied them? Get a set of cross-references and follow them to see how richly biblical chapter five is but don’t get so caught up in the trees that you miss the forest!:
Revelation 5:11-14 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 singing with full voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
Because only the “lamb that was slaughtered” is worthy, because only he has or could “Revelation 5:9 ransom God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation.
Amen!
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- C.H. Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol 15, No.887 [↩]
Dream car by U-g-g-B-o-y-(-Photograph-World-Sense-)
Most listeners to this podcast, judging by the website stats, come from comfortable Western countries. If this is you (and it is ME) then most of what is said to the first six churches does not closely fit us, though it more often gives us goals to aim for.
Laodicea by contrast does fit, neither hot nor cold – isn’t moderation one of our chief virtues, especially in Church (even more than our society more widely where often excess reigns). We are also (on a global scale if not as individuals rich and successful. Of course if we look beyond the material things that are so plentifull we might really see ourselves as blind and naked! (As the risen Christ saw the Laodicean Christians 
Our moderation, being not hot or cold won’t do. Jesus says he wants to spit us out!
It is in this passage that we read the word picture of Jesus standing knocking. It is not an evangelistic message but call to re-commitment!
Then running through these messages are the twin themes of sexual immorality and eating food offered to idols. Sex is much the same in any time and place, but the problem of food offered to idols hardly seems real today except… What did eating food offered to idols mean to Christians in those churches in Turkey? Returning to their old ways, acting like and sharing leisure with old pagan friends, and so reducing God to another god. For most of us the similar temptation is to look for money and comfort to trust and enjoy things. Reducing God to an auxiliary role and not the main or only source of our life and happiness!
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