As you read this week, allow yourself to experience the emotions, situations, and responses within the text. From Paul’s farewell to the elders in Ephesus to his final instructions to Timothy, Paul has to spend some time in reflection over his ministry. When he looks back to the church in Corinth, did he build in vain? God is the one who makes things grow, but will what he built withstand the test of fire (1 Cor 3:14-15). Paul’s care and concern for the church throughout his life and especially at the end is inspiring. 

There are so many different stories we could focus on in this week’s reading but I want to draw your attention to what drove Paul at the core of his being. Jesus messed up his life and then Paul went through the worst of sufferings (2 Cor. 11:23-28) before finally being beheaded by Nero sometime between 64 and 68 AD. When Paul lists his sufferings in 2 Cor. 11, we must ask where his faith came from that brought about that kind of perseverance.

Rome was the center point of the known world. Caesar was the ruler of all things Rome touched. In this small corner of the empire, a king was born, lived, died, and was resurrected. With the resurrection, Thomas gives the proclamation of all Christians since, “My Lord and my God!” When the early Christians say, “Jesus is Lord!” they are controversially declaring that Caesar is not!

There is a lot more to be said on this topic, looking back to the prophets (Isaiah 11 specifically) and looking forward to the end of Revelation (20-22) but I mostly want to plant these seeds of thought to start the dialogue. We've focused a lot in Christianity on things that are not central to the Gospel and I want to advocate that we focus more on what it means to live out the resurrected life. I want us to be able to say with confidence what Paul says in Philippians 3:10-11, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”

In the Gospels, when Jesus wanted to explain what his death would mean, he didn’t give them a theory of atonement, he gave them a meal and a dramatic action. The Lord’s Supper and the washing of the disciples’ feet become the lens through which we see everything else.

How does one gain eternal life? Through Jesus. That’s all. There’s nothing you can do to make God love you more. There’s nothing you can do to make God love you less. God’s love is perfect and perfectly displayed and embodied in and through Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. There is no way to earn your way. If there was a way, Christ died for nothing (Galatians 2:21). 

This week’s reading, chapter 24, is largely focused on the teachings of Jesus. Over the years, I’ve found myself reading these stories and teachings and doing a few things with them. I rationalize how if Jesus knew my situation he would teach something different. I justify my own convictions into the text. And I often see myself as the best character in the story and thank God that I’m not like that terrible Pharisee. While I am overstating this on some level, the sentiment of what I’m saying probably holds true for many of us. Jesus gives many hard teachings of radical submission and radical forms of love. While we’ve read many of these lessons plenty of times again, I want to challenge us to be open to the Spirit’s conviction in our lives to transform us through the words of Jesus. Simon Peter says it best, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

As you read chapter 23 this week, pay attention to how Jesus treats people. Ephesians 4:15 reminds us that truth is to be spoken in love. I’m continually disheartened when I see our Brothers and Sisters in Christ beating people up because of their sins. We need to know the words of Jesus but it is essential that we also pay attention to the actions of Jesus.

God, the Word, became flesh and made his dwelling among us. He was called Immanuel, “God with us,” and given the name Jesus (Joshua, in Hebrew), which means, “God saves.” God had the ability to choose how, to whom, and where he would be born into this world. He chose a teenage refugee virgin living under an oppressive government who couldn’t secure a room to give birth in. This is far from a “noble birth.”