Word to the Wise
Thursday, May 11, 2017 - 4th Week of Easter - Thurs
[Acts 13:13-25 and John 13:16-20]THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017 THURSDAY IN THE FOURTH WEEK IN EASTER [Acts 13:13-25 and John 13:16-20] "From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me." [John] Scripture scholars, for the sake of understanding, divide the Gospel According to John into two major arts: the Book of Signs and the Book of Glory. The Book of Glory begins at Chapter 13 with the washing of the feet of the disciples. Yesterday's passage served as a kind of summation of the Book of Signs. Now there is a shift in tone as Jesus' prepares his disciples for what is to come. The passage today comes from the words spoken just after the washing of the feet. We can see an "amen, amen" statement and an "I AM" statement which indicate the importance of the words. The words of Jesus were put into writing not so much as history but as preaching to all disciples who would come to believe in him. The importance of the disciple's task is made clear when Jesus tells them (us) that whoever receives them (us) receives him, and whoever receives him receives the one who sent him. All disciples then bear the person of Jesus and the Father, who enable them (us) with the Spirit. In the passages ahead over the next few days, the preparation of the disciples (us) will continue. Washing one another's feet is just the beginning. AMEN