Devotional

The Son Acts with the Father

Jesus expresses a relationship with God the Father that is fundamentally unlike anything a human being can experience. Let’s just look at several of these statements from John, Chapter 5: Verse 19: The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. Verse 20: The Father loves the Son and shows him all…

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Devotional

Of Superstition and Tradition

There is a feast in Jerusalem, so the old city is popping and everything is festive. For whatever reason, though, Jesus finds himself at a pool in this courtyard-like area with roofed colonnades (John 5:1-18). The first century world, like much of the developing world today, really did not have a place for anyone with severe physical or mental problems…

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Devotional

Why Did Jesus Perform Miracles?

As a new parent, I cannot imagine a more helpless feeling than seeing your child suffer and not being able to do anything about it. One parent in Capernaum is living every parent’s worst nightmare (John 4:46-54). His son is sick–sick to the point of death. He’s desperate. He’ll try anything at this point. Perhaps he had heard that this…

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Devotional

Jesus Breaks Barriers

Jesus “had to pass through Samaria” (John 4:4). Interesting language. The most direct path from Judea to Galilee ran through Samaria, yes. Yet it was still the road less traveled. Why? Oh, Jews did not like Samaritans. There was great ethnic tension. To make a long story short, they were kind of Jewish, but not really, from the perspective of…

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