Sunday Morning Greek Blog

May 31, 2026

The Trinity in Creation (Genesis 1:1–3; John 1:1–5; Matthew 28:16–20)

Filed under: Christology,Chronology,Creation,Genesis,John Gospel of,Matthew Gospel of,Pentecost,Pneumatology,Psalms,Trinity — Scott Stocking @ 9:58 pm
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I preached this message at Mount View Presbyterian Church on Trinity Sunday (First Sunday after Pentecost), May 31, 2026. I lay out how the Trinity is revealed in the first three verses of Genesis 1.

Good morning! The Lord be with you!

In our Old Testament reading this morning, the first couple verses of Psalm 8 say this:

1 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory in the heavens.

2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. [1]

Consider the story of the walls of Jericho, which the Jews Jews destroyed by marching around the city, blowing their trumpets, and lifting up a mighty shout of praise. We also have the story of Jehoshaphat, who put the male choir out in front of the army to sing praises to God as they marched out to war. God is the true King, and when we put him first, good things can happen. Psalm 22:3 in the English Standard Version says, “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.”[2] If you’re used to the King James Version, that verse is translated, “Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.”[3]

This demonstrates the point that our praise is mighty and effective against evil because the God who dwells in that praise as it goes forth from our lips and our lives is mighty. This is God Almighty, God the Father, God the King, the creator of all that is made, even life itself; the giver of breath; the author of wisdom and truth.

We see the might, power, and even the orderliness of God in the creation narrative, for example. But we find much more than that if we consider the broader context of Scripture.

In Genesis 1:1, of course, we have the well known statement: “In the beginning, God (אֱלֹהִים ʾělō·hîm) created the heavens and the earth.” The Bible begins with the assumption that God exists. That fact in and of itself has been the source of many questions and debates, the most popular perhaps being “Where did God come from?”

By faith, we who are Christ-followers believe what God has said about himself, that he is eternal and has never not been. For most believers, that’s not subject to debate.

Then there is the question of what vs. 1 means. Is it simply an introduction to the first chapters of Genesis telling us what God is about to do on the “formless and void” earth, or does it describe God creating the earth itself. Did he speak and fully formed planet appear? Was there some sort of “big bang”-like event that scattered material across the expanse of the universe providing the raw materials for earth? Did God create an iron core and place it somewhere where it would attract raw material and gases floating in space and eventually coalesce into a planet that was “formless and void”? How long did all that take? You can see these are not easy questions to answer, because the earth was already there when he began creating on it!

If that’s not challenging enough, we go on and read verse 2 and find out “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Wait, “the Spirit (רוּחַ rûaḥ) of God”? We haven’t even got an answer to where God came from and they’ve already mentioned the Spirit of God? The word is the typical Hebrew word for “Spirit” that we would expect, but it could also be translated “wind” or “breath.” However, the New Revised Standard Version is the only English version that translates it as “wind”: “A wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” But the overwhelming consensus among translators is that this refers to the Holy Spirit.

Verse 3 is the beginning of God’s creative work of preparing the “formless and void” rock called Earth for life. This happens on the “first day,” so again it should go without saying that the Earth was already there. But on the first day, God doesn’t create anything on the earth. He creates something to illuminate the earth: light. Or should I say Light. What is unusual here is that we’re never told the source of the light. The sources of light in the heavens (the sun, the stars, the moon) aren’t created until Day Four.

So what is this Light? We get some hints in the Old Testament, especially with a couple direct references to God himself being a source of light.

Psalm 104:2–3 says:

2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent 3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.[4]

Daniel 2:22 says:

22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.[5]

Numerous other Scriptures use “light” to describe God in a more personal relationship with his people. “The Lord is my light and salvation” (Psalm 27:1; cf. Micah 7:8); “The light of Israel” (Isaiah 10:17); “Let the light of your face shine upon us” (Psalm 4:7 et passim) are all examples of this. We can find many other examples of “light” being used in a number of different ways with respect to God, too numerous to mention here.

But let’s go back to Daniel 2:22. “Some Jewish commentators also cite Dan 2:22 as evidence that “Light” is one of the Messiah’s names.”[6] Psalm 119:105 says “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”[7] Hmmm, where else have heard something about “light” and “God’s word”? Could it be in the New Testament?

Listen to John 1:1–5:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”[8]

Even to the casual observer, then, it seems obvious that John is connecting Jesus to Genesis 1, especially 1:3. Jesus is the “Light” that God “created” when he said “Let there be light.” Jesus is the light in several respects: He is the revelation of God’s character in every way. Just like God and the Spirit were already present at creation, so was Jesus. “Let there be Light” is more of a declaration about Jesus as the third person of the trinity.

That’s right. The trinity of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, three manifestations of the Godhead perfectly united, is mentioned in the first three verses of the Bible. Lest there be any doubt, we should mention Abram’s  encounter with Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18–20 and how the author of Hebrews interprets that in relation to Jesus:

18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.

20 And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.[9]

Hebrews 7:3 describes Melchizedek as: “3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.”[10] All throughout the early chapters of Genesis, we see God revealing himself to individuals, but up until chapter 14, we have no mention of any kind of priest. All of the sudden, Melchizedek appears, seemingly out of nowhere. The text tells us he is the king of Salem, probably the early settlement of Jerusalem, and that “King of Salem” means “King of Peace.” The name Melchizedek itself means “King of Righteousness.”

We have some evidence, then, that there were early followers of “God Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן אֵל ʾēl ʿěl·yôn) in the region. Is Melchizedek, then, the preincarnate Christ if indeed he has no genealogy in Genesis, unlike every other Hebrew person mentioned in Genesis? You’d think we’d have some story of how someone came to be a priest of the Most High God, but we know nothing of his origins. Why do we have a story about God calling Abram to be the progenitor of the line from which the Messiah would be born, but not one about the first priest? Keep in mind that we know Abram’s ancestors from Genesis, but we really don’t know how he came to be separated from the community in Salem where Melchizedek served. I think the Bible intentional leaves that a bit of a mystery for us, as a figure completely independent of Abram’s line validates that the worship of the Most High God is an established practice already when Abram is called.

I think it’s probably going too far to assume that the early Hebrews in Genesis had a fully formed doctrine of the trinity. However, the seeds are planted there to bring that concept to fruition. Even the creation story itself seems to reflect this “three-in-one” concept in more ways then one. Creation takes place in six days broken up into two sets of three: On days One through Three, God creates the environment to support life (light, water, land and vegetation), then on days Four through Six, he creates the inhabitants of the respective environments (sun, moon, and stars; fish and sea creatures; and land animals and critters and mankind).

In Deuteronomy 6:5, Moses exhorts the Israelites to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”[11] This reflects the trinitarian nature of our own being: The heart is our emotional connection to God and others; the soul is the eternal nature that God places in us, not only our spiritual connection, but also the personality traits that are in some sense innate to our being; and our strength is our body, which will be resurrected in the last days.

As with Pentecost’s call to evangelism, so too our Gospel reading has a similar call founded in the trinity. In fact, it was probably the basis for how Peter closes out his sermon in Acts 2: “19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”[12]

On this Trinity Sunday, then, let us give praise and thanks for God, the three-in-one, who through Jesus—the priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, the one who has both the fullness of God and has experienced the fullness of the human form in his incarnation, the one who died to pay the price for our sins and rose from the dead to secure our hope for salvation and perfection in heaven—has fashioned us in his image so that we might more fully know God and the blessings he has for us both here on earth and in the heavenly realms. Go forth and share the good news. Amen.

Pastor Scott Stocking, M.Div.

My opinions are my own.

[1] Psalm 8:1–2. The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[2] Psalm 22:3. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[3] Psalm 22:3. The Holy Bible: King James Version. 2009. Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

[4] Psalm 104:2–3. The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[5] Daniel 2:22. The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[6] Martin J. Selman. אוֹר ʾôr. In VanGemeren, Willem, ed. 1997. In New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, 1:325. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

[7] Psalm 119:105. The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[8] John 1:1–5. The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[9] Genesis 14:18–20. The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[10] Hebrews 7:3. The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[11] Deuteronomy 6:5.  The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[12] Matthew 28:19. The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

May 13, 2026

Resurrection: SMGB Resource Guide

Filed under: John Gospel of,Luke Gospel of,Mark Gospel of,Matthew Gospel of,Resurrection,Thanatology (Death) — Scott Stocking @ 9:23 pm
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Logos Discount

I’m starting a new series similar to my Lectionary Helps articles. I’m creating a series of topically or Bible-book–reference posts featuring links to my videos and blog articles on the stated topic. As a Logos Affiliate, I’m also including a link to Logos Bible Software (60-day free trial), which is the source for some of the information herein. The Logos link does not imply in any way Logos’s endorsement of my blog or any of its contents. Your feedback is welcome here or in the individual links I’ve provided.

Videos

Rumble:Why I Don’t Want to Be Cremated: A Personal Biblical Perspective

Facebook:Why I Don’t Want to Be Cremated: A Personal Biblical Perspective.

English Dictionary Definition:

res•ur•rec•tion \ˌre-zə-ˈrek-shən\ noun

[Middle English resurreccioun, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin resurrection-, resurrectio act of rising from the dead, from resurgere to rise from the dead, from Latin, to rise again, from re- + surgere to rise—more at surge] 14th century

1 a capitalized: the rising of Christ from the dead

b often capitalized: the rising again to life of all the human dead before the final judgment

c: the state of one risen from the dead[1]

Tyndale Bible Dictionary

RESURRECTION Act of being raised from the dead, used in the Bible in three different contexts: (1) It refers to miraculous raising of the dead back to earthly life, such as when Elijah raised a boy (1 Kgs 17:8–24), Elisha raised the Shunammite’s son (2 Kgs 4:18–37), Jesus raised both Jairus’s daughter (Mk 5:35–43) and Lazarus (Jn 11:17–44), Peter raised Dorcas (Acts 9:36–42), and Paul raised Eutychus (20:9–12). There is no hint that these resuscitations would prevent future death. (2) It refers most frequently to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (3) It also refers to the eschatological resurrection of mankind at the end of time for punishment or reward (Jn 5:29; cf. Rv 20:5–6).[2]

Noun

414 ἀνάστασις (anastasis), εως (eōs), ἡ (hē): n.fem.; ≡ Str 386; TDNT 1.371—1. LN 23.93 resurrection (Mt 22:31; Mk 12:18; Lk 14:14; Jn 5:29; 11:24, 25; Ac 1:22; Ro 1:4; Heb 6:2; 11:35; 1Pe 1:3; Rev 20:5; Heb 11:1 v.r.); 2. LN 87.39 rising up, from a lower status to a higher one (Lk 2:34+), for another interp, see next; 3. LN 13.60 rising up, a change for the better (Lk 2:34+), for another interp, see prior[3]

Verb

482 ἀνίσταμαι (anistamai), ἀνίστημι (anistēmi): vb.; ≡ DBLHebr 7756; Str 450—1. LN 17.7 cause to stand up (Ac 9:41; Ac 2:30 v.r.); 2. LN 23.94 raise to life (Jn 6:39; Mk 16:9 v.r.; Ro 14:9 v.r.); 3. LN 23.59 ἀνίστημι σπέρμα (anistēmi sperma), procreate, bring into being, have children (Mt 22:24+); 4. LN 17.6 (dep.) stand up (Lk 4:16); 5. LN 15.36 (dep.) go away (Lk 4:38); 6. LN 13.81 (dep.) come into existence appear (Heb 7:11; Ac 7:18); 7. LN 23.93 (dep.) live again, come back to life, having been once dead (Lk 9:8; 1Co 15:51 v.r.); 8. LN 39.34 (dep.) rebel against (Ac 5:36)[4]

Blog Articles and Sermons

Resurrection in the Valley of the Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37) | Sunday Morning Greek Blog

Resurrection Realities (Luke 20:27–38) | Sunday Morning Greek Blog

Running the Resurrection Race (Easter 2025; John 20:1–18) | Sunday Morning Greek Blog

“I Am the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25) | Sunday Morning Greek Blog

Jesus Wept 2.0 (John 11:32–44) | Sunday Morning Greek Blog

What Makes God Weep? | Sunday Morning Greek Blog

[1] Merriam-Webster, Inc. 2003. In Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary., Eleventh ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc.

[2] Elwell, Walter A., and Philip Wesley Comfort. 2001. In Tyndale Bible Dictionary, 1121–22. Tyndale Reference Library. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

[3] Swanson, James. 1997. In Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament), electronic ed. Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

[4] Swanson, James. 1997. In Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament), electronic ed. Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

April 6, 2026

Lectionary Help: Second Sunday of Easter (John 20:19–31)

Filed under: 1 Peter,Chronology,Easter,John Gospel of,Passion,Pneumatology,Psalms,Resurrection,Thanatology (Death),Theophany — Scott Stocking @ 11:07 pm
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Second Sunday of Easter, Year C (April 12, 2026)

Passages:

  • Acts 2:14a, 22–32
  • Psalm 16
  • 1 Peter 1:3–9
  • John 20:19–31

This Sunday’s gospel passage specifically and the weeks leading up to Pentecost are the anti-climax to the resurrection of Jesus. “Jesus had appeared to the women who came to the tomb, and even to two unnamed disciples on the road to the Emmaus, but the 11 remaining apostles had not yet seen him and, according to the longer ending of Mark’s Gospel, they didn’t believe either of those reports from earlier in the day. But on the evening of that same day Jesus was resurrected, Jesus literally drops in on them in the house where they were staying; the door was locked.[1]”

The disciples get an advance deposit on the Holy Spirit and the power to forgive (or not forgive) sins. There is no evidence to suggest this in the text, but I suspect that Christ also grants the apostles at least a limited or temporary ex cathedra dispensation here, as the passage seems to parallel Jesus’s response to Peter after his confession at Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:17–19). The fledgling movement was both shaken by the death of Christ and now stirred by their reunion with their risen savior in a matter of three days, so they would have, in my opinion, needed this special dispensation to ensure the church would begin on a solid, unified foundation.

The Psalm 16 passage, especially vv. 9–11, and 1 Peter 1:3–9 have good material in them to supplement the principles gleaned from the gospel passage. Peter emphasizes that his audience has not seen the risen Christ but still love him and believe in him. This is not meant to be any kind dig against Thomas.

Peace to you as we begin the journey to Pentecost.

Pastor Scott Stocking, M.Div.

[1] Assurance, Hope, and Power: The Disciples’ Resurrection Rebound (John 20:19–31) | Sunday Morning Greek Blog

March 16, 2026

Lectionary Help (Fifth Sunday in Lent): Raising Lazarus (John 11)

Filed under: "I Am" Statements,Ecclesiology,Eschatology,Hebrews,John Gospel of,Lent,Passion,Resurrection,Trial of Jesus — Scott Stocking @ 10:44 pm
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Welcome to Lectionary Help for March 22, 2026.

Wow, things are moving quickly this season. We’re already at the fifth Sunday in Lent for 2026.

Here are the passages for this week:

Old Testament Ezekiel 37:1–14

Psalm   Psalm 130

New Testament Romans 8:6–11

Gospel John 11:1–45[1]

The gospel passage this week is Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It is the only one of the seven miracles of Jesus recorded that coincides one of his seven “I am” statements he makes in John’s gospel in the same chapter.\

This passage shows the full range of Jesus’s human and divine natures, especially the human emotions that Jesus expressed. It’s important to emphasize Jesus’s humanity as evidence that he was a high priest able “to empathize with our human weaknesses—yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15),

Martha is the one trying to hold it all together. It seems as if she’s not even started the grieving process yet. She and Mary are both upset that Jesus didn’t get there in time. But Martha is sure of the resurrection, something many of the disciples, I think, were still trying to wrap their heads around.

Jesus’s response just before he himself weeps is worth noting here. When John says Jesus was “deeply moved…and troubled” (NIV), some commentators have suggested Jesus may have groaned in agony or even anger at death itself. He was doing all he could to control his emotions when he asked, “Where have you laid him?” I’m not so sure he asked that politely. More like, “Let’s get this over with.”

Jesus seems to be in take-charge mode at this point. In vs. 38 we see he is “deeply moved” again, to the “Take away the stone!” command may have sounded like a very frustrated outburst.

We must be careful not to generalize from Jesus’s actions and attitudes in this event any sort of pattern for how you and I respond to the death of a loved one. Each one of us handles grief in our own unique way, but the one generalization we can make is that Jesus was fully relying on God in this moment of earthly existence. The one who came to bring us life had to confront the very thing he came to defeat.

I do hope this will give you some good ideas on how to make this story “come to life” (so to speak) for your congregation. I’ve included a couple links below, one with an audio file of my sermon, and the other that highlights the connections between Jesus’s miracles and his “I am” statements in John.

Peace to all of you.

Pastor Scott Stocking, M.Div.

My views are my own.

Jesus Wept 2.0 (John 11:32–44) | Sunday Morning Greek Blog

The “I Am” Statements of Jesus | Sunday Morning Greek Blog

“I Am the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25) | Sunday Morning Greek Blog

[1] Consultation on Common Texts. 2011. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings. Bellingham, WA: Faithlife.

March 7, 2026

Lectionary Help: Healing a Man Born Blind (John 9)

Filed under: "I Am" Statements,Biblical Studies,Christology,Evangelism,Faith, Faithfulness,Genesis,Isaiah,John Gospel of,Lent,Miracles,Sabbath — Scott Stocking @ 9:57 pm
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Lectionary Help for Fourth Sunday in Lent

John 9:1–41

We have a long gospel passage for the fourth Sunday in Lent. In the congregation I preach in, I will typically read the entire gospel passage prior to the message. I have not previously preached on this passage for lent, but three years ago when I preached on John 4 for the third Sunday in Lent, I showed the clip from that scene in The Chosen instead of reading the passage. Here is the YouTube clip of healing of the man born blind from Season 4, Episode 3.

Jesus repeats his “I am the light of the world” statement in 9:5 (originally spoken in 8:12), which seems to close the loop on that description of Jesus and his actions. The miracle of bringing light to the man’s eyes for the first time is definitive proof of that claim. In the broader context of Scripture, this harkens back to Isaiah 9, as I’ve indicated in other passages where light is a significant theme. This also seems to be the final proof that John offers for his opening statements in chapter 1 about Jesus being “light,” especially the “light” of Genesis 1:3, the firstborn of all creation. Jesus would be the physical, visible representation of God’s divine nature in his incarnation.

This passage is unusual in that a large section of it (vv. 13–34) happens apart from the presence of Jesus and his disciples. This only happens a couple times in John (the other occurrence is in 11:45–57, where the Jews are plotting to kill Jesus after he raised Lazarus from the dead). It would seem reasonable that the healed man would have relayed the story to Jesus or his disciples when Jesus sees him again in 9:35. The greater the miracle, the more intense the religious leaders’ desire to take Jesus out.

This section of the passage gives us some sense of how the Pharisees seemed to operate to protect their legalistic view of the Law. It shows how they participated in the darkness, having important discussions about the nature of sin and the impact of healing on the Sabbath behind closed doors and coercing (unsuccessfully) the healed man to recant his claim of Jesus healing, especially on the Sabbath. Worse yet, they were trying to get him to say something damning about Jesus, but he was too excited and too grateful to turn his back on the savior. You can almost feel the power of the Pharisees draining from their fingertips before their very (blind) eyes.

The healed man’s courage to speak the truth about who Jesus is and what he’s done for him is a testimony for all believers in this day and age where Christian persecution seems to be increasing in the heartland of America and elsewhere. But people are responding with a desire for faithfulness in Christ in great numbers in spite of (or because of?) it.

I’ll close out here with a couple links to my articles on “I Am the Light of the World” if you want to dig deeper into that topic. Peace to you in the next week. May God richly bless your ministry as you proclaim his word to those within your influence.

“I Am the Light of the World” (John 8:12) | Sunday Morning Greek Blog

Pastor Scott Stocking, M.Div.

March 1, 2026

Lectionary Help: The Woman at the Well (John 4:5–42; Romans 5:1–11)

Filed under: Biblical Studies,Christology,Christology,Ecclesiology,Evangelism,Faith, Faithfulness,Isaiah,Jeremiah,John Gospel of,Lent,Old Testament,Repentance,Romans,Zechariah — Scott Stocking @ 9:57 pm
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Lectionary Help for Third Sunday in Lent, March 8, 2026, Year A.

Taking a look at the literary context and historical setting of the account of Jesus speaking to the woman at the well in Samaria can help answer a few questions people may have about this passage. For example, why was Jesus so insistent that he “had” to go through Samaria? Consider the following points.

John begins his gospel by saying Jesus is the light of the world and has been around “from the beginning.”

Jesus shows his earthly authority over the Temple at Jerusalem by overturning the tables of the money changers, yet that doesn’t seem to be enough for him to insist that Jerusalem is the proper (or only) place of worship.

The well where he meets the woman is Jacob’s well. Jacob, of course, is one of Jesus’s earthly ancestors, so Jesus is in the land of his ancestors when he first reveals (at least in John’s gospel) he is the Messiah. That fact shouldn’t be overlooked.

The following is a passage from my message on this passage [A Woman, a Well, and Worshipping God (John 4; Romans 5:1–11)] three years ago.

“He establishes Jesus is fully divine and that God is his Father. Since he’s God’s “only begotten” on Earth, Jesus then is the primary authority in the Temple, which the Jews believed was home of God’s presence. Finally, Jesus, having been established as the authority for the Jewish religion, essentially abolishes the long-standing prejudice against Samaria by going to the place where his ancestor Judah’s father, Jacob (renamed Israel) first established himself in the Promised Land after returning from Laban’s home. I think this aspect of the story lends to its credibility and to the principle of worship he puts forth.”

The epistles passage is Romans 5:1–11. This is where Paul makes the point that Christ died for us “while we were still sinners.” This ties in nicely with the woman at the well story, of course, as Jesus is offering the woman living water in spite of her current social and relationship status.

A few Old Testament passages can provide some background for the “living water” Jesus speaks of. Isaiah 49 (esp. vv. 6 & 10) speaks of springs of fresh water, while Jeremiah 2:13 and 17:13 both describe the Lord as the Jews’ “spring of living water.” Of course, we can’t forget Ezekiel’s prophecy in 14:8–9:

“On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter. 9 The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.”

I pray this helps you prepare this week. I’m updating my previous message, which includes both NT passages, to reflect some of the things I’ve learned or rediscovered in my recent work in Romans.

Peace to you all this season!

Pastor Scott Stocking, M.Div.

My views are my own.

February 22, 2026

Lectionary Help (John 3:1–17; Second Sunday in Lent)

Filed under: Biblical People,Biblical Studies,Evangelism,Faith, Faithfulness,Immersion/Baptism,John Gospel of,Lent,Moses,Numbers,Repentance,Soteriology — Scott Stocking @ 5:24 pm
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For Lectionary Help on Option B in the March 1, 2026, Year A Lectionary gospel passage, see the post from Transfiguration Sunday: Lectionary Help: Transfiguration Sunday (Matthew 17:1–9) | Sunday Morning Greek Blog

Option A is John 3:1–17, which I’ll cover in this post.

On “born again” in John 3:3, 3:7:

A word study of ἄνωθεν (anōthen) along with the context of the discussion between vv. 3 & 7 suggests that the more likely meaning here would be as an adverb of place (“born from above”) as opposed to an adverb of time (“born again” or “born anew”). “Born of water” (vs. 5) most likely refers to natural birth, while “[born of] the Spirit” refers to being renewed by Spirit through his infilling, which of course can only come from above.

Regarding the Serpent on the pole:

God told Moses to fashion what in Hebrew is called a saraph (שָׂרָף śārāp̄), a bronze serpent that itself must have had a fiery appearance in the desert sun and put it on a pole so the Israelites who were bitten could look upon it and live. However, it did nothing for those who had already died. This bronze serpent was not an idol originally[1] but rather something akin to a sign of judgment on the Israelites. It couldn’t save them from the pain of being bitten by the snakes, but it would save them from the poison that had entered their bodies. Something else was absorbing the fatal penalty of their disbelief. It’s a bit of a mystery why the word for the winged angels, or seraphim, of Isaiah 6 is also translated snake or serpent elsewhere. Regardless of the specifics of what it looked like, it must have fostered some measure of fear among the Israelites. “You can look at the scary bronze snake, or you can die from the real ones.”[2]

The serpents were cursing the Israelites with death, but if they would look upon the image of the curse, they would live. Jesus took on the curse of sin for us by being lifted up on a cross. We need to look to Jesus to be saved.

May God bless your sermon and lesson preparation this week as we settle into the season of Lent.

Pastor Scott Stocking, M.Div.

My views are my own.

[1] See 2 Kings 18:4 where Hezekiah destroys the bronze serpent because the Israelites had been burning incense to it.

[2] Sermon excerpt from How God Loved the World: John 3:14–21; Numbers 21:4–9 | Sunday Morning Greek Blog

Walking in Jesus’s Righteousness (Matthew 4:1–11; Romans 5:12–19)

Filed under: Biblical People,Biblical Studies,Christology,Christology,Courage,John Gospel of,Lent,Matthew Gospel of,Repentance,Righteousness,Romans,Spiritual Warfare,Temptation — Scott Stocking @ 2:37 pm
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I preached this message on February 22, 2026, the First Sunday in Lent, Year A.

When you think about it, Satanism, the worship of Satan, is an oxymoron. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right. “That’s a weird way to start a sermon, preacher!” Yep, guilty as charged. But seriously, why would anyone want to put their “faith” in Satan when all the evidence points his core nature? He’s pure evil. He’s deceptive. He hates those who worship God. I would dare say he’s more interested in getting you to not worship and serve God than he is having people worship him. But he can ignore those people, because they’re already solidly in his camp.

John says this about the devil when he confronts the Pharisees in the Temple in John 8:

44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? [1]*

Adam and Eve had a first-hand encounter with Satan in the very beginning. He lied about what eating the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil could do for them. Yes, after eating the apple, they did experience the shame of their nakedness, so at least that much of what Satan said was true, but it was a half-truth at best. The lie that Satan told Eve was “You will be like God.” That was a lie in so many ways, and here’s why:

God is not just omniscient, knowing all that can be known, but he is omnipotent and omnipresent as well. Adam and Eve, relatively speaking, only got a fraction of the knowledge that God had about such things and NONE of the power or presence that God had. Their shame at disobeying caused them to fear the presence of God when God had designed Eden and the world for them to live in his presence. They lost power, because at that point, death became a necessity for survival. An animal would have to die to clothe them. Blood sacrifices became necessary for temporary atonement. And God’s son would have to die to redeem them forever from the curse.

Satan won that first round with God’s precious new creation, but out of that came the first prophecy of Satan’s defeat at the hands and feet of God’s son. It’s no wonder, then, that he thought he could try and pull that off when God’s one and only son came on the scene. If he could get Jesus to stumble, the world would be his, or so he thought.

In the garden, Eve had become convinced somehow that the forbidden fruit “was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom.” It shouldn’t surprise us that Satan used those same three categories to tempt Jesus in the desert as in our Gospel passage this morning. “I know you’re hungry for some food, Jesus. Go ahead and turn these stones into bread.” But Jesus knew, unlike Adam and Eve, that there was more to God than producing a little supernatural “manna” to satisfy what must have been an intense human experience of hunger. “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Satan tried to trick him by twisting a promise of God into a perversion of wisdom. “Come on Jesus. You know God will catch you if you jump off the top of the Temple here! Imagine the scene when the crowd watches the angels swoop you up at the last second! You’ll be a superhero!” But Jesus knows it is foolish to put God to the test like that, and rebuked Satan with that fact in no uncertain terms.

Satan had one more chance. He took Jesus to a high mountain where he had a “pleasing sight” awaiting him—”all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.” But once again, Jesus knew the price was too high to go along with Satan’s schemes, and he knew none of them would bring about what God had promised him when he fulfilled his mission. “You know the commandment, Satan. I will have no other gods before me. He was there to “worship the Lord God and serve him only.” The liar failed at trying to fool the one in whom there was no lie and only truth.

And that was the beginning of the end for Satan. Jesus won that battle, but Satan didn’t give up that easily. He had to switch his focus to others, and most of you know who that would be: someone from his inner circle. The signs would be there early on that something wasn’t quite right with Judas. Even Peter gets some of the blame, but that, it seems, may have been more to his impetuous nature at times, and Jesus had other plans for him anyway.

The power of death was defeated at the cross. I’m sure that was something that Satan actually felt. Jesus had even told Peter that the gates of hell could not withstand the coming of God’s kingdom, and I think for a while anyway, as the church began to coalesce after Pentecost, God and Jesus kept Satan at bay to give the fledgling believers a head start at getting the gospel out.

I want to turn now to Romans 5:12–19, the other New Testament passage in the Lectionary readings today, to look at the results, if you will, of Jesus’s victory over death and how he, as the New Adam, broke the curse brought on by the First Adam, who through passivity allowed his wife to give in to the serpent and joined her in her disobedience. Romans 5 has a powerful message about how you and I can be strengthened in our own faith walk because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross and in his resurrection from the dead.

Hear what Paul has to say:

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.[2]

Even though Paul says plainly in 1 Timothy 2:14 that it was Eve who was deceived and sinned first (sorry, ladies, I’m just the messenger here), Paul considers the blame for “original sin” to be squarely on Adam’s shoulders. Adam had one command, and he (and Eve) blew it. But because it was a single command and the Law had not come yet, God could not permanently charge Adam with a violation of his law. Instead, they were expelled from the garden because they could not be trusted. That doesn’t mean they weren’t loved, though. God would declare even as he announced their punishment that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent.

Paul demonstrates that Jesus fulfilled the role that Adam never could. Adam’s disobedience or lack of faithfulness brought sin into the world, but Jesus’s one act of faithful obedience, submitting to crucifixion, is the only act that could defeat the power of sin once for all and bring righteousness to all who would follow him. It took one sin by Adam to mess up things for everybody, but one faithfully obedient savior to restore us to God in his righteousness.

Romans says that Jesus Christ is our righteousness. He earned that designation by fulfilling the whole Law of God. But God still needed that once-for-all blood sacrifice that would make the animal and grain sacrifices of the Old Testament completely obsolete. Jesus was the only one who could be that spotless lamb. But it wasn’t just because of his 100% obedience to the law. The crucifixion had one more element that made it absolutely effective and impossible for the devil to challenge or destroy: It was love, pure and simple.

“For God so loved the world.” Only a perfect man with a fully divine nature who showed us beyond a shadow of doubt how he and his Father loved us in person and face to face could make that sacrifice. The bulls and goats and birds that were sacrificed under the Old Covenant could not ever love us the way Jesus did and does, which is why his sacrifice stands not only above the old sacrificial system, but above every other religion as well. Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was a real person, but he never loved anything about the world that should have mattered to him. He just tried to obtain a state of nothingness, a very selfish goal that no one else, by definition, could help him achieve. There’s no personal connection there and no promise of any help from the supernatural realm. Jesus’s sacrifice was by far the most superior of any that could have happened on this world God created with love, and the only one that can guarantee us eternal life in God’s glorious new kingdom.

As believers, then, know that you are “in Christ” in every sense of the concept. We are baptized “into Christ,” which means we are baptized into his death. So we share in his death so we can be free of the requirements of the law, beneficiaries of grace, and servants of righteousness. As you go forth in the world from here, declare God’s word unashamedly to those who need to hear the hope of his good news. Amen.

[1] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. *I didn’t say it in my message, but I sure thought about adding: “The Pharisees must have had Jesus Derangement Syndrome.”

[2] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

January 18, 2026

Introducing: Jesus (John 1:29–42; Isaiah “Servant” passages)

Filed under: 1 Corinthians,Baptism of Jesus,Christology,Chronology,Epifanía,Epiphany,forgiveness,Immersion/Baptism,Isaiah,John Gospel of,Life of Christ,Reliability of Scripture,Soteriology — Scott Stocking @ 6:22 pm
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Good morning and Happy New Year. The Lord be with you.

Wow, what a crazy month our family has had! Thirty days ago we were all getting on planes across the country and headed to Europe. What an amazing time of togetherness between our family and Alec’s in-laws-to-be in Poland. A horse-drawn carriage ride in the woods with a meal and a trio of Polish musicians singing songs of joy we couldn’t begin to understand. Dancing and drinking hot tea and yes, even some hot wine in the winter chill. We went to a resort that has a heated outdoor pool and played around in that for about an hour while it was snowing on our heads! And that was just the first three days.

We went to Auschwitz one day; powerful. I don’t think I ever want to drive in Poland again! The speed limit changes five times in a mile. We spent a couple days in Wrocław, then took a train to Prague to finish our stay in Europe. Prague is an amazing historic city untouched by the ravages of World War II. But there was a price to pay. Almost all of us came back with some kind of bug, mainly influenza-A. I think we’re all past that now, but the trip was totally worth it.

But now to John’s gospel. After the apostle John’s introduction of Jesus as the incarnation of the Word of God and the true Light of the World, which I believe is a connection to the first act of creation, we move immediately to John denying that he himself is the Messiah, the Christ. John explains the difference between his baptism and the baptism Jesus. The gospel of Mark tells us that John’s baptism represents repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4), while only Jesus, after he’s revealed, can add the extra element of being filled with the Holy Spirit upon that event (Act 2:38).

It’s interesting here that neither John the Evangelist nor John the Baptist ever directly says the Baptist baptizes Jesus, but he does say Jesus is in the crowd that’s around him on that first day we meet him. Luke does say Jesus gets baptized along with everyone else in the crowd, so it’s a safe assumption to say that Jesus was baptized that first day. But John doesn’t do anything special to call attention to Jesus just then.

Whether John the Baptist knows it or not, the phrase “for the forgiveness of sins” will come up later in Matthew and in the book of Acts. Jesus uses that exact same phrase at the Last Supper with respect to the cup, the blood of the covenant (Matthew 26:28). Acts 2:38 says this: “38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”[1]

In Romans 6, Paul makes baptism a permanent part of Christian theology in that it is the connection we have with the death (i.e., the blood of the covenant), burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.[2]

In the gospel of John, all of what we just talked about happened on the first day John the Evangelist chose to write about. Our gospel passage starts “on the next day” after that. This is where we see John the Baptist call out Jesus as he’s coming toward him. He claims to see the Spirit descending like a dove upon Jesus; it’s not clear from John’s gospel whether the others see it as well. John closes out this “next day” by saying that Jesus is “the Chosen One.”

The translator’s choice here of “Chosen One” is intentional here. Most of the early Greek manuscripts we have of the Gospel of John have “Son of God” here, and so most of our modern English translations have “Son of God” here. In fact, “Son of God” is probably the most popular title for Jesus after “Christ/Messiah” in the NT.

However, the most reliable copy we have of the Greek New Testament and a couple other descendants of that have the phrase “the Chosen one of God,” presumably borrowed from parallel language in Isaiah 42:1: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, / my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, / and he will bring justice to the nations.”[3] By making this connection to Isaiah 42, John also hints that Jesus is the Messianic “Servant” of Isaiah chapters 42 and 49 through 53. Isaiah 49:3 says, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”[4]

The next day after that, John, while he’s still out baptizing, introduces Jesus essentially the same way as he did the day before: “Look, the Lamb of God!” Only this time, some in the crowd perk up. Perhaps they had heard about Jesus having been revealed the day before and were hoping to catch a glimpse of him. But they wanted more. They wanted to follow their new Rabbi, the Lamb of God.

Andrew was the first disciple to be mentioned by name in our passage. It’s not clear who the other one was; perhaps it was one of the sons of Zebedee, James or John. Andrew immediately went to find Simon, whom Jesus would rename Peter, “the Rock,” to let him know he’d found the Messiah. But it doesn’t seem like they follow him just yet. The most we can say for sure is that they spent the day with Jesus. But the introductions have been made. Jesus is starting to gain a following.

So just what were the Jews expecting from their Messiah when he appeared? We can detect an underlying current that some people thought Jesus would overthrow Roman rule and restore the theocracy. But the prophetic passages from Isaiah in the early chapters seem to paint a different picture.

For example, the first four chapters of John’s gospel seem to have a pretty solid connection with Isaiah 9, which is just a couple chapters after the “Immanuel” prophecy Matthew cites. Here’s Isaiah 9:1–2:

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

2 The people walking in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness

a light has dawned.[5]

Jesus’s family is from Nazareth in Galilee, so it’s natural that the gospel writers would make this connection. The concept of “Light” is mentioned several times in John 1–4. Jesus was the light of the world and was there in the beginning participating in the creative process with God. That sounds like a direct reference to Day 1 of creation: “Let there be light!” He’s the Son of God, firstborn over all creation.

John 3:19–21 seems to be a summary statement or conclusion for the first half of chapter 3:

19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.[6]

The gloom and darkness of Isaiah 9:1 is laid bare: it’s because people hate the light and the goodness and transparency it represents. Jesus is coming to break through that, however. Jesus is the “light to the Gentiles” as well as to the Jews. This is why in John 4, the gospel writer says that Jesus “must go through Samaria” to get to Galilee. He’s going to bring hope to his ancestral (from an earthly perspective) home where Jacob’s well is still a prominent feature of the landscape.

Another popular Isaiah passage is chapter 40. This is the passage that John the Baptist cites about himself:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.

5 Every valley shall be filled in,

every mountain and hill made low.

The crooked roads shall become straight,

the rough ways smooth.

6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’ ”[7]

Jesus is going to level the playing field for everyone. No more ethnic distinctions or privileges. No more legal scorekeeping as to who is more righteous than whom. No more obstacles like the veil of the temple to impede access to God. Jesus is the Waymaker.

We also see this as Jesus takes to the podium in the synagogue when he quotes Isaiah 61 about himself:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19      to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[8]

No more distinctions between economic status; no more discrimination based on your health status. Jesus is here to set you free from the things that keep you from hearing and receiving the good news with joy and gladness in your hearts.

Isaiah 42 and 49 both hint at the Servant-Savior’s connection to Isaiah 9:

42:5 This is what God the Lord says—

the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,

who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,

who gives breath to its people,

and life to those who walk on it:

6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;

I will take hold of your hand.

I will keep you and will make you

to be a covenant for the people

and a light for the Gentiles,

7 to open eyes that are blind,

to free captives from prison

and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.[9]

49:6 It is too small a thing for you to be my servant

to restore the tribes of Jacob

and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,

that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”[10]

Just like God told Moses at the burning bush, the prophets are telling us that Jesus has got this. All we need to do is heed the prophets and go forth in faith and in faithfulness proclaiming the Good News wherever we roam. In fact, Isaiah 49:8 tells us God will make a covenant with us the Servant-Savior will be with us to strengthen us for the challenge.

In the time of my favor I will answer you,

and in the day of salvation I will help you;

I will keep you and will make you

to be a covenant for the people,

to restore the land

and to reassign its desolate inheritances,

9 to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’

and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’[11]

We’ve met Jesus. We know what he wants to do through us. But we need to know who we are to him as well. Yesterday in our men’s group study at my home church, one of the guys was saying he was just “dung.” I know what he meant; he didn’t have a self-esteem problem. He’s a faithful saint who is on fire for the Lord. He’s in his 70s and takes care of his wife at home who is slowly deteriorating from Alzheimer’s. But I felt I had to correct him. I don’t think we’re being fair to ourselves to be so self-deprecating when God has told us who we are to him.

Psalm 139 says we’re fearfully and wonderfully made. Peter tells us that we’re a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, a people who belong to God! God redeems us! Paul says in Romans that Christ died for us even in our “ungodly” state. Paul says in Ephesians that we are God’s handiwork, just like all your beautiful quilts!

Paul’s greeting to the Corinthians in his first letter to them puts it succinctly and beautifully: “to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”[12]

This is who we are in Christ! As we go forth from here this morning, let us bear that in mind so we can be shining lights in a dark world that surrounds us. Amen!

[1] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[2] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[3] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. From a text-critical perspective, if ὁ ἐκλεκτὸς τοῦ θεοῦ comes from the original hand of John, then it does make some sense that numerous other copyists of the day would have tried to harmonize that with all of the other references to ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ in the four gospels. In other words, the guiding principle here to restore “Chosen One” is that it is the more difficult reading of the passage and thus more likely to have been “adjusted” or edited out. Then again, the phrase may have been so familiar as to cause the copyists to hear ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ instead of ἐκλεκτὸς. However, I should note that Metzger and the GNT editors chose with [B] confidence to side with the majority text and use υἱὸς(Metzger, Bruce Manning, United Bible Societies. 1994. A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, Second Edition a Companion Volume to the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament (4th Rev. Ed.). London; New York: United Bible Societies.) NOTE: I think I may have said “Psalm 42” here instead of the correct “Isaiah 42.”

[4] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[5] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[6] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[7] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[8] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[9] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[10] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[11] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[12] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Link to the corresponding Lectionary Help post: Lectionary Helps for John 1:29–42 | Sunday Morning Greek Blog

January 17, 2026

Lectionary Help (Matthew 4:12–23)

Filed under: Baptism of Jesus,Christology,Chronology,Epifanía,Epiphany,Immersion/Baptism,Isaiah,John Gospel of,Matthew Gospel of,Reliability of Scripture,Skeptic's Annotated Bible — Scott Stocking @ 1:15 pm
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Lectionary Helps for the Third Sunday After Epiphany, Year A, January 25, 2026.

[NOTE: As a bonus, the following addresses The Skeptic’s Annotated Bible’s (SAB) contention that the presumed discrepancy described herein and seeks to harmonize the two accounts. Reference ≠337 in SAB.]

If you read last week’s Lectionary Help post (Lectionary Helps for John 1:29–42 | Sunday Morning Greek Blog), you’ll remember that I mentioned the time sequence in John 1:29ff (repeated use of “the next day”). I believe this is important to help sort out what appears to be a discrepancy in John’s story of Andrew and Peter meeting Jesus on the same day they’re introduced to him (John 1:40) versus Matthew’s account of calling Andrew and Peter to follow him as they’re fishing in the Sea of Galilee in this week’s passage (4:12–23).

Matthew’s account comes after Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness for 40 days, and it indicates that after the temptation, Jesus went into Galilee in fulfillment of Isaiah 9, which is also one of this week’s lectionary passages. A careful comparison of the language between John’s and Matthew’s accounts should clear this up. In John’s gospel, Andrew and Peter are introduced to Jesus, but they were not “following” in the sense of having committed themselves to be his disciple. They simply wanted to know where he was staying and did happen to spend at least part of the day with Jesus.

On “the next day,” John says Jesus went to Galilee, where he called Philip and Nathaniel to follow him. Note that Jesus had NOT explicitly asked Andrew and Peter to follow him on the previous day, so Philip and Nathaniel are the first ones to get asked directly in John’s account. Perhaps it is in this time frame (“a few days”) that Jesus also makes his formal call to Andrew, Peter, James, and John, as described in Matthew’s account.

So how do we reconcile this? John, like Matthew, seems to have Isaiah 9 in mind as he writes the opening chapters of his gospel, especially with several references to Jesus as the “light.” In one sense, especially in John 1:1–5, this “light” is a reference to the first day of creation. But as Jesus moves into Galilee, “light” takes on the added significance of the prophetic declaration in Isaiah 9:2:

2 The people walking in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness

a light has dawned.[1]

John 2:12 is where the time references start to get vague. We have the story of Jesus clearing the Temple, which in other Gospel accounts happens near the end of Jesus’s earthly ministry.[2] I believe John may be dropping that story in here to fit another theme from Isaiah 9, especially vv. 4 and 7d: “You have shattered the yoke that burdens them.” Regardless, the text does say he returned to Jerusalem. When Jesus cleared the Temple will have to be the subject of another post.

It seems reasonable to assume that John 3 is still in sequence with the chronology of the first two chapters. John uses the Greek particle δε to introduce the chapter, which suggests a continuity of the narrative.[3] The “verdict” in vs. 19: “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil,”[4] because it seems to be some sort of climactic statement or hinge verse, ties into Isaiah 9:2, so its inclusion here is both thematic and chronological. In 3:22, we have a reference to Jesus and his disciples spending some time in the Judean countryside “before John was put in prison” (3:24). What’s interesting here, and this is key, is that Matthew 4 doesn’t actually use the Greek noun for “prison,” φυλακή (phylakē), that John uses in 3:24. Matthew uses the verb παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi), which is more like an arrest or a detainment. It isn’t until Matthew 14 that he says Herod threw John in φυλακή.

In John 4, then, we are still contemporaneous with the first three chapters, because John says that Jesus “went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria.” John introduces chapter 4 with οὖν (oun), which implies the events of chapter 3 have prompted him to return to Galilee. This again raises the connection between Isaiah 9 and these early chapters of John’s gospel. It is in John 4 where Jesus first declares that he is the Messiah in John’s gospel. This is how he honors “Galilee of the Nations” (Isaiah 9:1b). (See my post from 2011 Honoring Galilee | Sunday Morning Greek Blog.)

We do not have any record of John the Baptist’s death or actual imprisonment or arrest in John’s gospel, so it is difficult to harmonize that aspect of Matthew’s account. The closest he hints at it is in John 5:35, where he speaks of John the Baptist in the past tense. But the fact that Matthew uses a different term to indicate John’s legal status does NOT conflict, then, with John 3:24. John may be detained or under “house arrest” (remember, Herod used to like to listen to John preach), but he’s not technically “in prison” in John’s account or in Matthew’s account in chapter 4. Once he’s in prison, it would seem, his fate is sealed.

The evidence presented here is sufficient, then, to resolve the apparent discrepancy and debunk SAB‘s contention that this represents an irreconcilable contradiction.

Wow, this one got a lot more involved than I expected once I started diving into it. I’m already halfway done, it seems, with next week’s sermon prep and I still haven’t finished tomorrow’s message! I do hope you find these Lectionary Help articles useful. I got what I considered to be a decent response to the first one last week, so I’m motivated to keep going. Peace to all of you, and if you’re in the Midwest, stay warm!

Pastor Scott Stocking, M.Div.

My views and interpretations are my own unless otherwise attributed.

As always, your comments and feedback are welcome.

[1] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[2] See, for example, Blomberg, Craig L. 2001. The Historical Reliability of John’s Gospel. England: Apollos, p. 87, where he notes the passage is “somewhat unconnected to its immediate context.”

[3] δε. BAG-D: “3. Resuming a discourse that has been interrupted.”

[4] The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

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