Presbymom

  I find lectionary a bit confusing reading this gospel lesson the week before Palm Sunday because in the gospel, it actually comes right after Jesus has triumphantly entered Jerusalem. He raised Lazarus from the dead and had his feet anointed by the costly perfume of Mary. The mood of the people is divided – crowds flock to his miracles while others look for ways to separate him from the crowd plotting to destroy him. The words today are Jesus final public discourse. John 12:20-33 20  Now there were some Greeks   among those who went up to worship at the festival.   21  They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida   in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”   22  Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. 23  Jesus replied,   “The hour   has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.   24  Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, ...

John 3:14-21 14 “ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,  15  that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.  19  This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.  21  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may...

  The reading from John this morning threw me off when we met for our Wednesday lectionary study. The other gospels place this event after the palm processional into Jerusalem. John however places this at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry right after the first miracle of turning water into wine. As you listen keep in mind why John relates this earlier and what he was trying to tell us about the characteristics of Jesus first.   John 2: 13-22 13  When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.   14  In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves,   and others sitting at tables exchanging money.   15  So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.   16  To those who sold doves he said,   “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house   into a market!” ...