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.
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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
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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”.
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Raising Lazarus (Pintura románica de San Baudelio de Berlnga en el Cloisters Museum de Nueva York, procedente de España. From Wikimedia)
What’s a little miracle among friends? Yet Jesus seems to avoid performing one that would have saved his friends great pain, only to perform a greater one! And then there’s the ominous clouds gathering that by the end of the chapter foretell the storm to follow.
Noticing some detail of how John tells this great sign we will learn more about reading Bible stories, and about trusting/believing in Jesus…
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Um Qais (Gadara?) photo by amerune
For this podcast I won’t deal with all the interesting questions about multiple demon possession, or even demons in pigs, but will focus on the beginning (and location) and especially the end of the story because they tell us why this story was remembered (though actually the pigs and the multiple demons do make it memorable ;) and why it was told to us. Notice the geography, the story features a boat trip, a reminder of how Jesus ministry (except for the conflicts in Jerusalem and his death) took place around Lake Galilee in half pagan territory and here he has crossed into really gentile territory east of the lake (notice the pigs, Jews don’t eat pork).
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