Paul wrote Ephesians from prison in Rome, around AD 60–62, to a church he knew well. He'd spent three years there, longer than anywhere else in his ministry. Unlike Galatians or Corinthians, there's no fire to put out. No false teacher named, no scandal to correct, no factions to unite. Paul writes instead out of: time to think while imprisoned, a congregation in good standing, and a desire to lay out the full sweep of what God has done in Christ and what that means for how his people live together. That absence of crisis is part of why the letter feels different from Paul's other epistles. Less firefighting, more architecture.

A few major themes are worth watching for as you read. First, the supremacy of Christ over every spiritual power: thrones, rulers, authorities, whatever unseen forces a first-century Ephesian might have feared (and Ephesus, home to the cult of Artemis and a thriving trade in magic and amulets, gave people plenty to fear). Paul answers that fear not by minimizing the powers but by insisting Christ is already enthroned above them, and that believers share in that authority. Second, the reconciliation of Jew and Gentile into one new humanity, not a footnote but one of the letter's central concerns, given the real ethnic tension present in the diaspora synagogues and churches of Roman Asia. Third, identity "in Christ," a phrase Paul repeats roughly thirty times in six chapters. Everything he asks of believers in the second half of the letter, honesty, generosity, sexual purity, patient marriages, submission and love within households, is grounded in who they already are, not a checklist for becoming acceptable to God.

That points to the letter's basic shape: chapters 1–3 are almost entirely about what God has done and who you now are because of it; chapters 4–6 are about living out that identity in the church, the home, and the world. Paul never asks for anything in the second half he hasn't first grounded theologically in the first. Watch also for the prayers (1:15–23 and 3:14–21). Paul doesn't just teach the Ephesians truth, he shows them what to pray in light of it, which is worth noticing as a model for your own praying through the letter.

Finally, keep an eye on the language of mystery and unity, Paul's repeated claim that God's hidden plan, now revealed, is to "bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ" (1:10). That cosmic vision is what everything else in the letter, church unity, household order, spiritual warfare, ultimately serves.

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

Note: I'm assume we all have some idea of what's following in Ezekiel and have read through Ephesians before.

1. Ephesians 2:19–22 describes believers as being "built together into a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." How does this picture compare to Ezekiel's vision of God's glory departing the temple (Ezek 10–11) and then returning to a new one (Ezek 43:1–5)? What does it mean that the temple Paul describes isn't a building but a people?

2. Ezekiel 37 pictures two sticks, representing a divided nation, becoming one in God's hand, under one shepherd. Ephesians 2:14–16 describes Christ making Jew and Gentile "one new man" by breaking down "the dividing wall of hostility." Where do you see these two unity visions overlapping, and where do they differ?

3. Ezekiel ties the Spirit's presence to a new heart and the ability to walk in God's statutes (Ezek 36:26–27). Paul says believers are "sealed with the promised Holy Spirit" (Eph 1:13–14) and later urges them to "be filled with the Spirit" (5:18). How does Ephesians develop what Ezekiel promises but doesn't fully unpack? (i.e. what the Spirit's indwelling presence actually produces in a person's life.)

4. Both books are deeply concerned with holiness, Ezekiel through the priestly regulations and the temple's graded zones of access (Ezek 40–46), Ephesians through calls to "put off" the old self and "put on" the new (4:22–24). How does access to God's presence change between the two books, and what does that change cost or require?

Per a previous post we have implemented a schedule to track Bible App promotion post requests. We have limited these posts to happen on Sundays when we don't have regularly scheduled posts anyway. One app may post per Sunday which provides the person a dedicated window for their app, and keeps our normal posting schedule free of off topic posts that have nothing to do with our reading schedule (which is the main purpose of our sub).

Keeping up with comments on there and only having one person (the poster) able to modify the schedule has proven difficult, so I have converted the schedule to a wiki page that multiple moderators here may edit.

That schedule is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/biblereading/wiki/bibleappschedule/

I have added those who have requested in the comments on the old thread to the wiki, though there were multiple requests that came in for the same day (both in comments and in modmail) so I placed people in the order requested on subsequent Sundays

For any future requests please feel free reach out here on this thread or via modmail.

Any promotion posts not made on Sunday will continue to be removed as off topic.

Thank you for your understanding.

Chapter 33 pivots us away from the judgement oracles and back to Ezekiel’s mission and hope for restoration.  Today’s passage shows us God, acting as a shepherd to His people (at least in part) through Ezekiel’s mission.

Back in May I wrote the post for John 10 and in that post I referenced this chapter as a strong candidate for beign the primary old testament background of Jesus’ claims to be the good shepherd.   https://www.reddit.com/r/biblereading/comments/1thh72p/john_10121_tuesday_may_19/

Ezekiel 34 (ESV)

>Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel

>34 The word of the Lord came to me: ^(2) “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? ^(3) You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. ^(4) The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. ^(5) So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; ^(6) they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

>^(7) “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ^(8) As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, ^(9) therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ^(10) Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.

>The Lord God Will Seek Them Out

>^(11) “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. ^(12) As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. ^(13) And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. ^(14) I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. ^(15) I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. ^(16) I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

>^(17) “As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. ^(18) Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? ^(19) And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

>^(20) “Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. ^(21) Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, ^(22) I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. ^(23) And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. ^(24) And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.

>The Lord’s Covenant of Peace

>^(25) “I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. ^(26) And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. ^(27) And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. ^(28) They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. ^(29) And I will provide for them a renowned place for planting so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. ^(30) And they shall know that I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God. ^(31) And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.”

Questions for contemplation and discussion

1. What specifically are the shepherds condemned for? Distinguish between what they failed to do (feed, strengthen the weak, heal, bind up, seek the lost) and what they actively did (fed themselves, ruled harshly). Which failure does the text seem to weigh more heavily?

2.The sheep are scattered "because there was no shepherd." How does this connect back to the exile itself as a historical event? Is Ezekiel assigning blame to the monarchy/leadership class specifically, distinct from the nation's sin as a whole?  How does this compare and contrast with individual responsibility was framed in ch. 33)?

3. I myself will search for my sheep" (34:11–16): This is one of the most direct statements of divine initiative in the book. What does it mean that God is stepping into the shepherd role himself, in language that will later map directly onto John 10? Is this replacing human leadership entirely, or setting up for something else?

4. There's a second judgment embedded here, not just bad shepherds, but sheep who trample pasture and foul water for the weaker sheep, who push with flank and shoulder. Why does Ezekiel introduce intra-flock injustice alongside shepherd failure?

5. God appoints "one shepherd, my servant David" to feed them. David has been dead for centuries, so how do you read this? Messianic/Davidic dynastic language, a typological figure, both? How does this set up expectations for the rest of the book?

6. The chapter ends with a covenant of peace (safety from wild beasts, no more famine, showers of blessing, the trees and land yielding fruit). How much of this is meant literally (agrarian restoration) versus figuratively (a new spiritual order)? How does the phrase "they shall know that I am the LORD", used relentlessly throughout Ezekiel, function differently here than in the judgment oracles of chs. 1–32?

At first glance chapter 28 of Ezekiel seems to continue on with the condemnation of Tyre that was started back in chapter 26.  However this is also becomes one of the stranger chapters in the book (which has had some strange ones already).  The first 10 verses condemn the princes for setting themselves up as gods in language fairly similar to what is used of the antichrist in the New Testament.  Then it abruptly slips into a lament for the king of Tyre who is described as beautiful and perfect, adorned with precious stones, inhabiting Eden, anointed guardian cherub and falling from the Mountain of God.  Certainly not things we would normally expect to be associated with a pagan king as described by God through His prophet.

Ezekiel 28 (ESV)

>28 The word of the Lord came to me: ^(2) “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God:

>                            “Because your heart is proud,

>and you have said, ‘I am a god,

>                            I sit in the seat of the gods,

>in the heart of the seas,’

>                            yet you are but a man, and no god,

>though you make your heart like the heart of a god—

>              ^(3)             you are indeed wiser than Daniel;

>no secret is hidden from you;

>              ^(4)             by your wisdom and your understanding

>you have made wealth for yourself,

>                            and have gathered gold and silver

>into your treasuries;

>              ^(5)             by your great wisdom in your trade

>you have increased your wealth,

>and your heart has become proud in your wealth—

>              ^(6)             therefore thus says the Lord God:

>                            Because you make your heart

>like the heart of a god,

>              ^(7)             therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you,

>the most ruthless of the nations;

>                            and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom

>and defile your splendor.

>              ^(8)             They shall thrust you down into the pit,

>and you shall die the death of the slain

>in the heart of the seas.

>              ^(9)             Will you still say, ‘I am a god,’

>in the presence of those who kill you,

>                            though you are but a man, and no god,

>in the hands of those who slay you?

>              ^(10)            You shall die the death of the uncircumcised

>by the hand of foreigners;

>for I have spoken, declares the Lord God.”

>A Lament over the King of Tyre

>^(11) Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me: ^(12) “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:

>                            “You were the signet of perfection,

>full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

>              ^(13)            You were in Eden, the garden of God;

>every precious stone was your covering,

>                            sardius, topaz, and diamond,

>beryl, onyx, and jasper,

>                            sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle;

>and crafted in gold were your settings

>and your engravings.

>                            On the day that you were created

>they were prepared.

>              ^(14)            You were an anointed guardian cherub.

>I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;

>in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.

>              ^(15)            You were blameless in your ways

>from the day you were created,

>till unrighteousness was found in you.

>              ^(16)            In the abundance of your trade

>you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;

>                            so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,

>and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub,

>from the midst of the stones of fire.

>              ^(17)            Your heart was proud because of your beauty;

>you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.

>                            I cast you to the ground;

>I exposed you before kings,

>to feast their eyes on you.

>              ^(18)            By the multitude of your iniquities,

>in the unrighteousness of your trade

>you profaned your sanctuaries;

>                            so I brought fire out from your midst;

>it consumed you,

>                            and I turned you to ashes on the earth

>in the sight of all who saw you.

>              ^(19)            All who know you among the peoples

>are appalled at you;

>                            you have come to a dreadful end

>and shall be no more forever.”

>Prophecy Against Sidon

>^(20) The word of the Lord came to me: ^(21) “Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her ^(22) and say, Thus says the Lord God:

>                            “Behold, I am against you, O Sidon,

>and I will manifest my glory in your midst.

>                            And they shall know that I am the Lord

>when I execute judgments in her

>and manifest my holiness in her;

>              ^(23)            for I will send pestilence into her,

>and blood into her streets;

>                            and the slain shall fall in her midst,

>by the sword that is against her on every side.

>                            Then they will know that I am the Lord.

>^(24) “And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.

>Israel Gathered in Security

>^(25) “Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. ^(26) And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.”

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.       I mentioned in my introduction that there are parallels between how this chapter discusses the princes of Tyre and how the New Testament discusses the anti-Christ.  What parallels did you notice?  What significance (if any) do you see in these parallels?

2.       What parallels do you see between Tyre and our own culture in this passage?  What should we be avoiding which is condemned here?

3.       What do you make of the section on the king of Tyre?  How does God, through Ezekiel, use known themes and imagery of Adam and Eden to illustrate truths about the king of Tyre?  How does the king fulfill the same pattern that Adam did?

4.       What does it mean that God will ‘manifest’ His glory and holiness in the midst of Sidon?

5.       How does this last section on Isreal’s security function in the context of this chapter?  How does it relate to the previous sections?

2 Thessalonians 1 (ESV)

>Greeting

>1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

>To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

>^(2) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

>Thanksgiving

>^(3) We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. ^(4) Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

>The Judgment at Christ’s Coming

>^(5) This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— ^(6) since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, ^(7) and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels ^(8) in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ^(9) They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, ^(10) when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. ^(11) To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, ^(12) so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.       In vs. 3 Paul begins the letter by stating that the Thessalonians “faith is growing” and that their “love for one another is increasing.”    Is this something you think could be said of your church?  What does it look like and how do you identify it?

2.       Why do you think Paul starts with language of judgment and destruction so soon in this letter?  Especially after telling them that their faith and love are growing?

3.       How is Christ “glorified in His saints” when He returns (vs. 10)?  How about in the present (vs. 12)?  How are we glorified in Him?

4.       What does it mean for God to make us “worthy of His calling”?

Ezekiel 22 (ESV)

>Israel’s Shedding of Blood

>22 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ^(2) “And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then declare to her all her abominations. ^(3) You shall say, Thus says the Lord God: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself! ^(4) You have become guilty by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought your days near, the appointed time of your years has come. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries. ^(5) Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you; your name is defiled; you are full of tumult.

>^(6) “Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. ^(7) Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. ^(8) You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths. ^(9) There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst. ^(10) In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity. ^(11) One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter. ^(12) In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord God.

>^(13) “Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst. ^(14) Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. ^(15) I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you. ^(16) And you shall be profaned by your own doing in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

>^(17) And the word of the Lord came to me: ^(18) “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are dross of silver. ^(19) Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. ^(20) As one gathers silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into a furnace, to blow the fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you in and melt you. ^(21) I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. ^(22) As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord; I have poured out my wrath upon you.”

>^(23) And the word of the Lord came to me: ^(24) “Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation. ^(25) The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. ^(26) Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. ^(27) Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. ^(28) And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken. ^(29) The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice. ^(30) And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. ^(31) Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God.”

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.       What do the specific sins listed here (and attributed as ‘shedding blood’) tell us about God’s sense of Justice and expectations of us?

2.       Profaning of the Sabbaths seems to be brought up repeatedly in the last few chapters.  Why do you think its such a common theme?  How is it put on the same level as ‘shedding blood’?

3.       What is the ‘conspiracy of her prophets’ in vs. 25?

4.       What does the picture of the melted metals communicate to us about God’s punishment?

5.       What else stands out to you in today’s passage?

The bulk of today's chapter is focused on a visoin of two eagles, a vine, and a cedar tree that God uses to picture the current situation the people face.

Ezekiel 17 (ESV)

Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

17 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, propound a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel; 3 say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar. 4 He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants. 5 Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig, 6 and it sprouted and became a low spreading vine, and its branches turned toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out boughs.

7 “And there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage, and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him from the bed where it was planted, that he might water it. 8 It had been planted on good soil by abundant waters, that it might produce branches and bear fruit and become a noble vine.

9 “Say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers, so that all its fresh sprouting leaves wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it from its roots. 10 Behold, it is planted; will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind strikes it—wither away on the bed where it sprouted?”

11 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 12 “Say now to the rebellious house, Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes and brought them to him to Babylon. 13 And he took one of the royal offspring and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath (the chief men of the land he had taken away), 14 that the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up, and keep his covenant that it might stand. 15 But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape?

16 “As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke, in Babylon he shall die. 17 Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in war, when mounds are cast up and siege walls built to cut off many lives. 18 He despised the oath in breaking the covenant, and behold, he gave his hand and did all these things; he shall not escape. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely it is my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke. I will return it upon his head. 20 I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treachery he has committed against me. 21 And all the pick of his troops shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind, and you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken.”

22 Thus says the Lord GOD: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. 24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it.”

Questions for Contemplation and Discusion

1. What do the two eagles, the cedar, and the vine represent in the historical situation behind the story?
2. Why does God treat Zedekiah’s rebellion against Babylon as more than a political mistake? What does the chapter say about the seriousness of breaking an oath?
3. According to verses 15–21, why will Judah’s alliance with Egypt fail, and what does this reveal about Judah’s misplaced trust?
4. How does God’s promised “tender sprig” in verses 22–24 contrast with the vine planted by Babylon?
5. What does the chapter teach about the difference between human attempts to secure power and God’s ability to bring down the proud, exalt the lowly, and establish his chosen king?

After the extended vision of the Glory of the Lord leaving the temple int the previous chapters, we get more sign-acts that Ezekiel is to perform for the people (likely the people in exile already) about what will happen to those in Jerusalem shortly:

Ezekiel 12 (ESV)

>Judah’s Captivity Symbolized

>12 The word of the Lord came to me: ^(2) “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house. ^(3) As for you, son of man, prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight. You shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. ^(4) You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile, and you shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as those do who must go into exile. ^(5) In their sight dig through the wall, and bring your baggage out through it. ^(6) In their sight you shall lift the baggage upon your shoulder and carry it out at dusk. You shall cover your face that you may not see the land, for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.”

>^(7) And I did as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands. I brought out my baggage at dusk, carrying it on my shoulder in their sight.

>^(8) In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: ^(9) “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’ ^(10) Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are in it.’ ^(11) Say, ‘I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They shall go into exile, into captivity.’ ^(12) And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage upon his shoulder at dusk, and shall go out. They shall dig through the wall to bring him out through it. He shall cover his face, that he may not see the land with his eyes. ^(13) And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. And I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it, and he shall die there. ^(14) And I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops, and I will unsheathe the sword after them. ^(15) And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries. ^(16) But I will let a few of them escape from the sword, from famine and pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they go, and may know that I am the Lord.”

>^(17) And the word of the Lord came to me: ^(18) “Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink water with trembling and with anxiety. ^(19) And say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink water in dismay. In this way her land will be stripped of all it contains, on account of the violence of all those who dwell in it. ^(20) And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a desolation; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

>^(21) And the word of the Lord came to me: ^(22) “Son of man, what is this proverb that you have about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing’? ^(23) Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will put an end to this proverb, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.’ But say to them, The days are near, and the fulfillment of every vision. ^(24) For there shall be no more any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. ^(25) For I am the Lord; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, declares the Lord God.”

>^(26) And the word of the Lord came to me: ^(27) “Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ ^(28) Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be performed, declares the Lord God.”

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.      Ezekiel is told to act out exile by packing baggage, digging through a wall, and leaving with his face covered. Why do you think God uses symbolic actions here (and so much in Ezekiel in general) instead of only spoken prophecy?

2.  What do the specifc actions communicate to the poeple?
   

3.      In verses 8–16, God explains that Ezekiel’s sign-act points especially to the prince in Jerusalem. How does this prophecy challenge the people’s confidence that Jerusalem would remain secure?  What would this mean to those already in exile?

4.      The people seem to dismiss Ezekiel’s message by saying, “The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing.” Why is God’s patience and long-suffering so easily mistaken for no judgment at all?  How do we experience and combat this today?  What warnings are we missing?

Ezekiel 6 closed with judgment against the mountains and high places of Israel, the physical sites of idol worship, declaring that the land itself would bear witness. Chapter 7 picks up immediately and intensifies: where chapter 6 targeted the places of sin, chapter 7 pronounces "the end" on the land and people as a whole. Wealth won't save, the temple itself will be profaned, and prophet, priest, and elder will all go silent. It's one of the bleakest chapters in the book, building toward the temple-departure vision in chapters 8-11.

Ezekiel 7 (ESV)

>The Day of the Wrath of the Lord

>7 The word of the Lord came to me: ^(2) “And you, O son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. ^(3) Now the end is upon you, and I will send my anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. ^(4) And my eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity, but I will punish you for your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

>^(5) “Thus says the Lord God: Disaster after disaster! Behold, it comes. ^(6) An end has come; the end has come; it has awakened against you. Behold, it comes. ^(7) Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come; the day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting on the mountains. ^(8) Now I will soon pour out my wrath upon you, and spend my anger against you, and judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. ^(9) And my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. I will punish you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord, who strikes.

>^(10) “Behold, the day! Behold, it comes! Your doom has come; the rod has blossomed; pride has budded. ^(11) Violence has grown up into a rod of wickedness. None of them shall remain, nor their abundance, nor their wealth; neither shall there be preeminence among them. ^(12) The time has come; the day has arrived. Let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn, for wrath is upon all their multitude. ^(13) For the seller shall not return to what he has sold, while they live. For the vision concerns all their multitude; it shall not turn back; and because of his iniquity, none can maintain his life.

>^(14) “They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but none goes to battle, for my wrath is upon all their multitude. ^(15) The sword is without; pestilence and famine are within. He who is in the field dies by the sword, and him who is in the city famine and pestilence devour. ^(16) And if any survivors escape, they will be on the mountains, like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, each one over his iniquity. ^(17) All hands are feeble, and all knees turn to water. ^(18) They put on sackcloth, and horror covers them. Shame is on all faces, and baldness on all their heads. ^(19) They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity. ^(20) His beautiful ornament they used for pride, and they made their abominable images and their detestable things of it. Therefore I make it an unclean thing to them. ^(21) And I will give it into the hands of foreigners for prey, and to the wicked of the earth for spoil, and they shall profane it. ^(22) I will turn my face from them, and they shall profane my treasured place. Robbers shall enter and profane it.

>^(23) “Forge a chain! For the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence. ^(24) I will bring the worst of the nations to take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the pride of the strong, and their holy places shall be profaned. ^(25) When anguish comes, they will seek peace, but there shall be none. ^(26) Disaster comes upon disaster; rumor follows rumor. They seek a vision from the prophet, while the law perishes from the priest and counsel from the elders. ^(27) The king mourns, the prince is wrapped in despair, and the hands of the people of the land are paralyzed by terror. According to their way I will do to them, and according to their judgments I will judge them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.       The chapter repeats "the end has come" and piles up near-synonymous doom language rather than stating the verdict once. What's gained by this kind of accumulation instead of a single clear pronouncement?

2.       Verse 2 addresses "the land of Israel" directly, and judgment is described against land and people together. What does this suggest about corporate responsibility versus purely individual guilt?

3.       In verses 19-21, silver and gold, the very wealth used to fund idols,  become "unclean" and unable to save. What's the connection between idolatrous wealth and its sudden worthlessness?

4.       God says he'll turn his face away and let robbers profane "my treasured place" (vv. 20-22). How does this withdrawal anticipate the fuller departure-of-glory scene coming in chapters 8-11?

5.       When disaster hits, prophet, priest, and elders all fail to deliver vision, law, or counsel at the same time (vv. 26-27). What does this total breakdown of normal guidance say about the scope of the judgment?

After the elaborate vision of God in the previous chapter, today’s focuses on what God appeared to Ezekiel for: to call him as a prophet to speak to the people of Israel in exile. 

Ezekiel 2 (ESV)

>Ezekiel’s Call

>2 And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” ^(2) And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. ^(3) And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. ^(4) The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ ^(5) And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. ^(6) And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. ^(7) And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.

>^(8) “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” ^(9) And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. ^(10) And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.       We first see God refer to the prophet as the ‘son of man’ here in chapter 2 (and approximately 90 times throughout this book), and this is a term that evidently becomes more significant as scripture unfolds.   Daniel certainly puts it into a more divine context when he uses it.    What does that name mean here in Exekiel in particular?  Where else it is used in the Old Testament, and how does that all feed into how Jesus uses it as a name for Himself?

2.      Ezekiel is sent to “the people of Israel.”  Given the landscape of God’s people we recently explored in 1 and 2 Kings, is Ezekiel being sent to the people of Israel specifically (as distinct from the kingdom of Judah)?  Or is he being sent to  God’s people in general living in exile?

3.      God says that His people have “transgressed against me to this very day.”  How did the people continue to transgress against God while in exile?

4.      How is Ezekiel called to be different from the rebellious house of Israel?

5.  The message Ezekiel is apparently given is one of lamentation, mourning, and woe.   Why is that still the message for people already taken into exile?
   

John 20:1-18 (ESV)

>The Resurrection

>20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. ^(2) So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” ^(3) So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. ^(4) Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ^(5) And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. ^(6) Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, ^(7) and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. ^(8) Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; ^(9) for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ^(10) Then the disciples went back to their homes.

>Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

>^(11) But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. ^(12) And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. ^(13) They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ^(14) Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ^(15) Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ^(16) Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). ^(17) Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” ^(18) Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

Questions For Contemplation and Discussion

1.       John says the other disciple “saw and believed,” but also says they did not yet understand the Scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead. What kind of belief is being described here?

2.       Mary mistakes Jesus for the gardener. Is this merely an understandable mistake, or might John want us to hear echoes of Eden and new creation?

3.       What changes when Jesus calls Mary by name? How does this connect with John 10, where Jesus says his sheep hear his voice?

4.       Why does Jesus tell Mary, “Do not cling to me”? What does this suggest about the changed nature of his relationship with his disciples after the resurrection?

5.       Jesus says, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” What is significant about Jesus including the disciples in this familial language?

Today’s passage continues (and concludes) Jesus’ high priestly prayer.  The previously covered section (and the bulk of the prayer) is generally considered to cover Jesus’ prayer for the disciples that followed Him in those days, while today’s switches focus to believers outside of that immediate context (including us).  Though there is certainly some overlap, and the statement in verse 20 that doesn’t necessarily need to be understood as bifurcating the two sections of the prayer.

John 17:20-26 (ESV)

>^(20) “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ^(21) that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ^(22) The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ^(23) I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. ^(24) Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. ^(25) O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. ^(26) I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.       Twice in this prayer Jesus asks for His followers to “be one” (vs. 21) and to “become perfectly one” (vs. 23).   What does it actually mean for us to “be one” and why is this unity important?

2.       Are we as believers “perfectly one” today?  If so, how are we one?  If not, what would it take to achieve it?

3.       How does Jesus make the Father known?  How does He ‘continue to make it known’ (vs. 26)?

4.       This passage seems to express a parallel between Jesus’ relationship with the Father, can our relationship with Christ.  (e.g. The Father sent Jesus, Jesus sends us).  How does this help you understand your relationship with Christ?

Hello r/biblereading.

You may have seen in the 'up next' section of the sidebar that the next book we will be tackling on this sub is Ezekiel This is one of the few books that we have never covered on this sub before, so brand new ground for all of us (at least in this format).

Its also a long book, so I've got it broken up into three sections that we'll try to cover over the summer with a few NT books sprinkled in that (at least loosely) tie to various themes in Ezekiel:

• Jude - Covers false teaching from a NT perspective after Ezekiel spends time condeming the false shepherds of his day.
• 2 Thessalonians - Covers The Day of the Lord, Man of Lawlessness, and Judgement which fits pretty well wiht where we leave off in Ezekiel.
• Ephesians - Temple themes, new humanity, and cosmic restoration right before we work through the temple image prophecies of Ezekiel.

Due to the length of Ezekiel we are also doing at leat a chapter a day, and in some cases a couple chapters a day in places like the Temple vision that is really one long vision anyway, and some of the oracles against the nations. Tried to keep it to places where the text was more of a continuous thought at least.

Take a look at the schedule page and let me know if you have any feedback on this plan, think anything needs broken up differently or anything like that. As always, use this thread or reach out to me directly for any coverage changes needed.

Lastly, as always, thank you all for all of the work you put into making this sub work. A lot of people who don't regulalry comment or post still appreciate reading what we do here, and its an important part of my bible study personally.

The last passage discussed the need for the Holy Spirit and a connection to Him and to God in order to keep Jesus’ word.  Today’s passage goes into great detail on this, using an extended metaphor of a vine and a branch. 

John 15:1-17 (ESV)

>I Am the True Vine

>15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ^(2) Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ^(3) Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ^(4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ^(5) I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ^(6) If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ^(7) If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ^(8) By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ^(9) As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ^(10) If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ^(11) These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

>^(12) “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ^(13) Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ^(14) You are my friends if you do what I command you. ^(15) No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. ^(16) You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ^(17) These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

 

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

 

1.      What does it mean that Jesus is the ‘True’ vine?  Why the qualification of ‘true’?  Are there false vines?

2.      What is pruning in this context (vs. 2) and how does pruning yield more fruit?

3.      How do you “abide” in Jesus?  What does this mean?

4.      What is the “fruit” in this metaphor represent?  How does it glorify the Father?

5.      After repeatedly saying that if we love Jesus we will follow His commandments, in vs. 12 He finally specifies what this commandment is, to Love one another as Christ loved the church.  Do you love others as Christ has loved you?  How can we do better at this?

6.      What do you take away from this passage as a whole?

In yesterday’s passage we see Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the city of God.  In that place we also see people from outside of Israel (Greeks, gentiles, foreigners) come to Jesus (something prefiguring what happens in the new Jerusalem after Jesus returns).

In today’s reading Jesus responds with discussion His being lifted up, but also with warnings of hardening  and judgement upon those who reject Him.  This He follows up with very familiar words from this Gospel once again detailing how He came from the Father and emphasizing again that specific relationship between the Father and Son.

John 12:27- 50 (ESV)

>The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up

>^(27) “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. ^(28) Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” ^(29) The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” ^(30) Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. ^(31) Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. ^(32) And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ^(33) He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. ^(34) So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” ^(35) So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. ^(36) While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

>The Unbelief of the People

>When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. ^(37) Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, ^(38) so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

>                       “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,

>and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

>^(39) Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

>         ^(40)           “He has blinded their eyes

>and hardened their heart,

>                       lest they see with their eyes,

>and understand with their heart, and turn,

>and I would heal them.”

>^(41) Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. ^(42) Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; ^(43) for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

>Jesus Came to Save the World

>^(44) And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. ^(45) And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. ^(46) I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. ^(47) If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. ^(48) The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. ^(49) For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. ^(50) And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

 

1.      Why would the original hearers have understood when Jesus said He must be “lifted up”? 

2.      What does it mean that the people following Jesus here did not believe in Him (vs. 37)?  Why would people “follow” Jesus if they did not believe in Him?   What does “belief” indicate here?

3.      How does this fulfill the prophecy quoted from Isaiah 53 (right in the middle of the famous servant sections)?  Paul quotes this same verse in Romans 10:16, how does his use compare and contrast to John’s use of it here?

4.      What do you believe about the idea of hardening as it is used in vss. 39 & 40 and its original context of Isaiah 6:10?  What does it mean when it says that “they could not believe in Him.”?

5.      Verses 42-43 discuss some “authorities” who believed in Jesus, but did not “confess it” due to fear of the Pharisees.  Do these people “believe” in the same way we discussed in Q1?  Are they being called believers but still condemned here?  What makes ‘confession’ so important?

6.      Does anything stand out to you in verses 44-50, which seem to be almost a common refrain throughout the gospel of John?  Countless times Jesus claims to be ‘sent’ by the Father.  Why is that such a strong emphasis to be made?

 

 

Today’s passage seems to directly fall after that which we read in chapter 9…ore at least that incident is still quite fresh in people’s minds per vs. 21.  John is setting up already (and has been since chapter 7) the animosity between the Jewish leaders and Jesus that leads eventually to their plot to Murder Jesus

Jesus also utilizes the relatively common Old Testament motif of a Shepherd (Psalm 23, Numbers 27, Micah 5 all should have been brought to mind to the original hearers), but it leans very heavily on Ezekiel 34, and its really worth reading that chapter along with today’s reading (and I’m going to ask you to in the questions).

John 10:1-21 (ESV)

>I Am the Good Shepherd

>10 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. ^(2) But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ^(3) To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ^(4) When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ^(5) A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” ^(6) This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

>^(7) So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ^(8) All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ^(9) I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. ^(10) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. ^(11) I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ^(12) He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ^(13) He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. ^(14) I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ^(15) just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. ^(16) And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ^(17) For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. ^(18) No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

>^(19) There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. ^(20) Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” ^(21) Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

 

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

 

1.       Jesus opens with a double "truly, truly" about thieves and robbers (vv. 1–5). Read Ezekiel 34 alongside today’s passage. Who are the implied "thieves and robbers" in Jesus' immediate audience, and how do Jesus’ words here  function as both indictment of them and fulfillment of God's promise to shepherd his sheep himself?

2.       Jesus identifies himself as both the door (v. 7) and the shepherd (v. 11). How does each image function differently? What does each one do that the other doesn't?  Why is it important for Jesus to be both?

3.       "I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father" (vv. 14–15). What does this claim about the kind of knowing that exists between Christ and his people?

4.       How does this passage explain the atonement? Note the repeated "for the sheep" (vv. 11, 15) and "I lay down my life that I may take it up again" (v. 17). What is the relationship between substitution and resurrection here, and how do Jesus' words about his own death contrast any picture of him as a passive victim?

5.       The sheep hear his voice and follow because they know it (vv. 4–5). How does this relate to faith as reception rather than work, and what does it imply about how Christ creates and sustains that faith?

6.       "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (v. 10). How does this verse get mis-applied in popular use, and what is Jesus actually promising in the context of a shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep?

 

John 8 shift away from the discourse with the pharisees (at least temporarily) to the famous woman caught in adultery scene before either moving back to that discourse in vs. 12 or having a separate, but similar discourse with them.

I think we pretty adequately covered the textual questions around 7:53-8:11 in yesterday’s post already so I’m not going to plan to cover it here again.  If interested in that discussion see yesterday’s post.

John 8:1-30 (ESV)

>The Woman Caught in Adultery

>8 [[^(53) They went each to his own house, ^(1) but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ^(2) Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. ^(3) The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst ^(4) they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. ^(5) Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” ^(6) This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. ^(7) And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” ^(8) And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. ^(9) But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. ^(10) Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” ^(11) She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]]

>I Am the Light of the World

>^(12) Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ^(13) So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” ^(14) Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. ^(15) You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. ^(16) Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. ^(17) In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. ^(18) I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” ^(19) They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” ^(20) These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

>^(21) So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” ^(22) So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” ^(23) He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. ^(24) I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” ^(25) So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. ^(26) I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” ^(27) They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. ^(28) So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. ^(29) And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” ^(30) As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.       The scribes and Pharisees say the Law commands stoning (v. 5). What does the Law actually require (Lev 20:10; Deut 22:22-24), and what's missing from their case?  Why do you think they bring an incomplete case to Jesus?

2.       Vs. 6 states that the scribes and Pharisees did this specifically to trap Jesus.   What makes it a trap?  How does any answer give the Pharisees what they want?

3.       Jesus combats this trap essentially with silence.   What role does silence play as a response (regardless of what He may have written on the ground)?

4.       How does the statement “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone” relate to the law?  Is this a fulfillment of the law?  Is Jesus disregarding the law?  What is going on?

5.       What is Jesus claiming when He says “I am the light of the world?”  Does this still relate to the feast of booths and its association to light?

6.       Does Jesus leave any room for knowing the Father apart from Him in this section?  Why or why not?

7.       In vs. 28 Jesus claims they will know Him when they have lifted Him up.  What makes this (presumably the cross) the moment of revelation for who Jesus is?  Can we know Jesus apart from the cross?

After the long discourse on Jesus body and blood from John 6, John 7 moves on in the story to cover Jesus returning to Jerusalem at the feast of booths. 

John 7:1-31 (ESV)

>Jesus at the Feast of Booths

>7 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. ^(2) Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. ^(3) So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. ^(4) For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” ^(5) For not even his brothers believed in him. ^(6) Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. ^(7) The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. ^(8) You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” ^(9) After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

>^(10) But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. ^(11) The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” ^(12) And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” ^(13) Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

>^(14) About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. ^(15) The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” ^(16) So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. ^(17) If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. ^(18) The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. ^(19) Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” ^(20) The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” ^(21) Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. ^(22) Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. ^(23) If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? ^(24) Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

>Can This Be the Christ?

>^(25) Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? ^(26) And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? ^(27) But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” ^(28) So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. ^(29) I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” ^(30) So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. ^(31) Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1.       John 7:1 says Jesus was not going to go to the feast due to the Jews wanting to kill Him. How does this reconcile with the boldness he shows later in the chapter when he does go up to the feast; first privately and then teaches publicly? What does this suggest about how Jesus' "hour" or “time” governs his movements?

2.       The Feast of Booths is the setting of today’s reading. What is this feast commemorating, and how does that backdrop sharpen the irony of Jesus' brothers urging him to "show yourself to the world" (v. 4)? 

3.       This feast was also significant in celebrating God’s provision of water and light in the wilderness.  What relationship does this have to Jesus’ treatment of water and light so far in John’s gospel?

4.       In v. 15 the authorities marvel: "How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?" Jesus' answer in vv. 16-17 ties knowing the source of his teaching to willing to do God's will. What's the claim here, and how does it contrast to a purely intellectual approach to faith and revelation?

5.       The people’s reasoning in vv. 26-27 is interesting: "When the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from." Where does that tradition come from, and how does Jesus' reply in v. 28 ("You know me, and you know where I come from") answer their question?

6.       The tension between public and secret (vv. 4, 10, 13) runs throughout this section (and much of John’s gospel. What's John doing with this contrast, and what do we learn from it?

Today’s reading from John has familiar ground with other gospels (a healing, and a sabbath controversy) and unfamiliar ground (an extended and detailed discourse on the Son’s relationship to the Father).  Every chapter so far has laid some groundwork for this discussion, but this is Jesus’ first deep dive into high Christology in John’s Gospel.

John 5:1-30 (ESV)

>The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath

>5 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

>^(2) Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. ^(3) In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. ^(5) One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ^(6) When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” ^(7) The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” ^(8) Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” ^(9) And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

>Now that day was the Sabbath. ^(10) So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” ^(11) But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ” ^(12) They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” ^(13) Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. ^(14) Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” ^(15) The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. ^(16) And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. ^(17) But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

>Jesus Is Equal with God

>^(18) This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

>The Authority of the Son

>^(19) So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. ^(20) For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. ^(21) For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. ^(22) For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, ^(23) that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. ^(24) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

>^(25) “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. ^(26) For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. ^(27) And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. ^(28) Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice ^(29) and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

>^(30) “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Questions for contemplation and Discussion

1.        Why do you think Jesus asks the man if he wants to be made well?  Seems like it should be a pretty obvious answer.

2.       The initial conflict is about the Sabbath and Jesus follows that with the statement that “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”  How does Jesus relate the idea of Him and the Father working to the sabbath?  

3.       In vss. 19-23 Jesus expresses both dependence on the Father and equality with the Father.   How do we reconcile these two idea, or how do we hold them both despite the tension between them?

4.       Jesus warns the healed man to ‘sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”  Other passages seem to deny that bad things necessarily happen to people because of their sin, but here Jesus seems to make that connection Himself.   Why might this idea be true in some situations, but not in others.

5.       How would you summarize the relationship between Jesus and the Father based off of what is revealed in this passage?  What importance does this relationship have to you?