Context, Context, Context - and John 14:1-6

Dear Jesus - Thank You for Your amazing WORD...

Perhaps I have mentioned this before?  Since June of last year, I have an amazing prayer partner.  We meet on the phone on M / W / F of each week.  First, we discuss our Bible reading for the day.  We are both on the same reading plan.  Then we move into prayer.  Total time?  About 30 minutes.  Experience?  Priceless.

Anyway - we got to discussing John 14:1-3 yesterday.  Once again the value of context popped up.  Below is the expanded text in the NASB which provides a more literal translation.  Consider the question:  Where is Jesus going?

Fighting in the Family...

Dear Jesus - Give us courage we pray, to trust always in You...

The full story is told below.  What I'd like to point out today is the result of a few study techniques:  Names, Numbers & Context.

Siloam vs Bethesda

The idea of a pool today evokes thoughts of peace, healing, comfort, luxury.  However, in Jesus' time, pools were about physical healing or cleansing - either physically or spiritually.  A week or so ago, posted this link to the stories in John 8 & 9.  Today though, I want to go a little deeper into this question:

Why the Pool of Siloam and not the Pool of Bethesda?

How Old ?

The question periodically rattles around in my head as I read the Bible.  Because, I wonder what I would have done had I been there.  Was the character older or younger than me?

Getting My Walk On...

Don't you just love the Bible?  It is such an amazing, living, transforming, supernatural entity!  Uh - yeah - 'cause it's Jesus!   Getting fired up just thinking about this!

A Re/Creation Moment

An Eagle Fluttering His Wings..

Today a co-worker and I struck up a conversation about his amazing eagle pictures.  Which got me thinking of this blog, eagles, the Bible and a talk I heard a few years ago.  The speaker was an Old Testament Hebrew professor and the Holy Spirit buried her words deep in my mind as she spoke with passion about the beauty of the creation moment.  Today I decided to check the text out for myself - join me?

Praise in the Geneologies? Hmmmm....

Dear Jesus - My first blog post ever and it is only fitting it is on Praise!  I praise You from Whom all blessings truly flow...

1 Chronicles 5:2 -..yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s— (NKJV)

Judah prevailed over his brothers in relation to the leadership of the family.  Reuben was biologically the firstborn and certain rights were implied him due to his place as firstborn.  However, his sin with Bilhah the concubine resulted in the forfeiture of those rights.  This specific verse details that the leadership of the family devolved onto Judah which is interesting in that you may recall Judah was actually the 4th born son of Jacob.   But is there something for me in this verse?  Does this verse show me Jesus?