Like many things in life, there is more than meets the eye in the Gospel of John. There are miraculous signs performed by Jesus including peculiar details where Jesus speaks in strange ways. Look for a symbolic message in the sign and you will find even more to be miraculous.
Weekly Memory Verse: John 2:19
“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
Monday, October 3 Read John 2:1-11. Jesus performs his first miraculous sign. What does Jesus mean by his “time”? Try viewing the elements of this story as also being symbolic. (ex. Wine = Blood) Here, wine replaces the water used for purification. What is Jesus telling us?
Tuesday, October 4 Read John 2:12-25. Just like the last reading, there seems to be a symbolic significance to this story. The animals sold at the temple were for the required sacrifice. Jesus clears them out, then calls his body the temple. What is Jesus saying about sacrifice?
Wednesday, October 5 After reviewing John 2, read Mark 7:1-23. The wedding feast had stone water jars because God had instructed that the people wash. What had God’s people lost that made the washing meaningful? How do we stay focused on what truly cleanses us?
Thursday, October 6 After reviewing John 2, read Hebrews 9:11-28. How does Jesus fulfill the old covenant? What kind of cleansing comes from the blood of Jesus?
Friday, October 7 After reviewing John 2, read Ephesians 2. Jesus says that his body is the temple. What effect does Jesus’ death and resurrection have on us? Who else is built into the temple?
Saturday, October 8 After reviewing John 2, read John 14:23-31. In John 2:22 it says the disciples recalled the event and were able to interpret it. What power gave them this ability? Do we have that power too? According to 2:22 what else did this power give to the disciples?
Bethel Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN – bethelstpaul.com