The Royal Official: Trekking uphill to Jesus (John 4:46-54)

‘Desperate times call for desperate measures’ goes the saying, and this episode from John’s gospel gives an example of someone who acts desperately in order to secure something important. The Royal Official of John 4:46-54 lived in Capernaum and is highly likely to have been employed by Herod Antipas, and maybe even part of his […]

Sayings from the cross #7: Completion

‘It is finished.’ (John 19:30) After all the twists and turns, the betrayal and trials, the lying and sentencing, the beating and mocking, the nailing and humiliating, the pain and torture, things come to a climax.  Jesus, knowing that all was now finished asked for a drink and then declared the work done. A single […]

Sayings from the cross #5: Suffering

‘I thirst’ (John 19:28) When considering a complex truth I often find myself focusing on one aspect over and above another before having to re-set and consider other aspects.  The mind-blowing, incomprehensible mystery that Jesus was fully God and fully human is one of those situations.  Sometimes I find myself focused on His complete humanity […]

Sayings from the Cross #2: Tenderness

‘Woman, behold your son!’…. ‘Behold your mother!’ (John 19:26,27) I cannot imagine the pain and heartache of Mary at this moment.  Stood nearby as her son was viciously nailed to the cross, then hoisted up and clearly dying in agony, what must she have been thinking?  Yes, there was the small comfort of her companions […]

Andrew: Introducing people to Jesus (John 1:35-42)

Have you ever been in the situation where you have wanted or needed to introduce a person to someone else whom you know?  Maybe the time came for you to facilitate that potentially awkward introduction of a boyfriend or girlfriend to your parents for the first time?  Or maybe you were given the responsibility for […]