Third Day of Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Today is the third day of Christmas. I’m not going to talk about French hens, don’t worry (or turtle doves, or a partridge). I would like to take a moment to talk about something that I am very much looking forward to in the New Year.

I'm looking forward to the Gospel of John.

We will preach our way through the Gospel of John between now and Easter. If you’ve been around Easter Lutheran Church for a few years, then you might recognize the pattern. Each year we take a different Gospel and walk through Jesus’ life from birth to death to resurrection and try to see how that Gospel writer’s portrait of Jesus speaks to our moment in history and our particular neighborhoods.

I’m excited about this journey for many reasons:

First, I’m a Bible nerd. I admit it. Studying a book of the Bible like this gets me out of bed in the morning.

Second, the Gospel of John is a unique Gospel. The past three years we have walked through Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Those three Gospels follow a very similar story line. Yes, they paint wonderfully unique portraits of Jesus, but they follow a pretty repetitive chronology. Not John. Ninety percent of John’s Gospel is unique. So, prepare yourself for some new stuff.

Third, as disciples of Jesus, we cannot invest too much time studying his life and teachings. Our world needs to hear the good news about God’s love for all people.

Fourth, I can’t wait to work with Pastor Megan, Pastor Brandon and our talented staff to produce resources to help you dive into this Gospel. Tune in to our weekly podcast to hear the pastors talk about the text. Download the Grow Guide to get a guided discussion questions to help you have purposeful conversations about the text and how to apply it to life. Bookmark the blog and devos to get a steady diet of Eater content.

Fifth, as part of these resources, I will be offering a 7-week class on the Gospel of John. The format will be the same as the past few classes I’ve taught. We will meet on Sunday Evenings at 6:30 on Zoom. This format makes it very convenient for you to attend from the comfort of your home. It also makes it very easy for me to record and put online so that you can watch the videos and learn in your own time and space.

The class begins on February 6. CLICK HERE to learn more about the class.

Finally, I have been soaking in John since last summer in preparation for this series. Part of the way I study the Bible is to draw my way through it. I invite you to join me as I create A Cartoonist’s Guide to John. This is a free online resource that will allow you to read John in both text and pictures. It also provides links to other online resources to study the Gospel. This is an ever-expanding resource, so I invite you to check back often, share with friends, and reach out to me with feedback and questions.

CLICK HERE to explore A Cartoonist’s Guide to John.

Let the journey begin!