Here are some ideas for learning and teaching a few of the great principles in Matthew 14, Mark 6, John 5–6. And while you’re here, I recommend you check out my free online course, “Seeking Jesus.”
Short Clips from Seeking Jesus
I’ve pulled out short clips from the “Seeking Jesus Course” connected to this week’s readings that you could use as a morning devotional or spiritual thought.
The Earliest Depictions of Jesus
The Gospel of John Movie
The Gospel of John is an incredible movie about Jesus Christ. You can learn more about it on this page; here are the video links to John chapter 7, chapter 8, chapter 9, and chapter 10. I think it’s a great activity to read the actual chapter, think about how you would film it, and then watch the movie to see what is similar or different to the way you imagined things.
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Ideas for Learning More About John 7-10
***Walking Where Jesus Walked***
In this picture, my wife Lani and four of our children are standing on a very special stone. This stone is from the first century and at the the time of Christ you would walk on this stone as you entered or exited the temple. Behind us in the picture is a wall, but in the time of Christ this was part of a staircase ascending to the temple.
In John 8 Jesus was teaching in the temple. Some of the people rejected his words and even tried to kill him. Jesus left the temple (see John 8:59) and as he was leaving he saw a blind man (see John 9:1).
Now I don’t know for sure whether Jesus saw that blind man right on this step, but it’s possible. And it’s likely that Jesus walked on this step at some point in his life. For me, this step is a tangible reminder that Jesus existed as 1st Century person who walked and talked. He understands what it’s like to be human.
The story is told that Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, came to Jerusalem and hired the best guide he could find. He told the guide, “I want to walk where Jesus walked.” This stone is where the guide brought him. As Neil Armstrong stood there he said, “This means more to me than standing on the moon.”
We don’t have to go to the moon and we don’t have to stand on that rock to know that Jesus Christ lives! He really walked in Galilee and Jerusalem and he truly lives today!
***The Feast of Tabernacles***
The setting for John 7 is the Feast of Tabernacles. Although this is a feast that most of us probably don’t think about very often, it was a major festival at the time of Jesus Christ (and continues to be for many Jews today).
A key theme in John is that Christ replaces Jewish festivals. We often see Jesus as “The Passover Lamb,” but do we recognize that references to him being the source that can slake our thirst, and being the light of the world show that he replaces key elements of the Feast of Tabernacles?
This article goes in-depth on Jesus Christ and the Feast of Tabernacles–highly recommended! For a shorter version, watch my video on The Feast of Tabernacles.
***The Woman Taken in Adultery***
This connection is only for those who care about textual details. The short version is that the story of the woman who is taken adultery does not appear in the earliest manuscripts we have of the Gospel of John. What does that mean? If you’re interested, check out this article.
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I hope these resources are helpful to you in your learning and teaching this week!
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