From the Pew: On Deer, Owen, and the Forgotten Privilege of Being God’s Children
Be still, and know that I am God ~ Psa. 46:10 Chris Cousine Jul 10, 2025 Over the past couple of Sundays, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of sitting quietly in the pews of two different congregations—first with the local Anglican parish, and more recently at a PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) service. I wasn’t…
They Got into the Boats and Went After Jesus
Scripture: John 6:24 (ESV) – “So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.” This verse presents an image of pursuit. The crowd, realizing Jesus is no longer where they last saw Him, gets into boats and goes after…
Other Boats Came Near
Scripture: John 6:23 (ESV) – “Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.” This verse might seem like a passing logistical note, but it carries theological weight when read carefully. Boats from Tiberias arrive—drawn to the very location where the miracle of bread…
The Crowd Remains, but Jesus Is Gone
Scripture: John 6:22 (ESV) – “On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.” The next day brings confusion and curiosity.…
They Were Glad to Take Him In
Scripture: John 6:21 (ESV) – “Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” After fear, after darkness, after the storm—joy breaks through. As soon as the disciples recognize Jesus and hear His words, their fear gives way to gladness. They…
It Is I; Do Not Be Afraid
Scripture: John 6:20 (ESV) – “But he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’” The storm rages. The disciples are exhausted, fearful, and confused by the figure approaching them on the waves. Then, through the wind and terror, Jesus speaks: “It is I; do not be afraid.” With these few words, fear…
They Saw Jesus Walking on the Sea
Scripture: John 6:19 (ESV) – “When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.” After hours of struggling in darkness, the disciples are physically exhausted and emotionally strained. Then, in the midst of their fear, they see something that…
The Sea Became Rough
Scripture: John 6:18 (ESV) – “The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.” The disciples are now fully in the storm. What began with a quiet departure into the dark has become a struggle against rising waves and relentless wind. They are not in this storm because they disobeyed—but precisely because they followed.…
The Darkness Had Come, and Jesus Had Not Yet Come
Scripture: John 6:17 (ESV) – “[The disciples] got into a boat and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.” This verse deepens the tension: the disciples are now on the sea, the light has faded, and Jesus is still absent. It’s a picture not…
Into the Darkness Without Him
Scripture: John 6:16 (ESV) – “When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea.” This quiet verse marks the beginning of a powerful turning point in John’s narrative. After the crowd tried to make Jesus king by force, He withdrew to the mountain alone. Now the scene shifts—evening comes, and the disciples descend toward…
Withdrawing from Misguided Crowds
Scripture: John 6:15 (ESV) – “Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” After the miraculous feeding, the crowd’s excitement boils over—they’re ready to crown Jesus by force. But their vision of kingship is political and immediate. They…
This Is Indeed the Prophet
Scripture: John 6:14 (ESV) – “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’” The crowd responds to the miracle of the loaves with a declaration drawn from Deuteronomy 18:15, where Moses foretold a coming prophet like himself. Seeing the…
Twelve Baskets Full
Scripture: John 6:13 (ESV) – “So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.” The miracle is complete—and now its echoes remain. Not only were the people fed, but twelve baskets were filled with the leftover fragments. The number is significant: one…
Gather Up the Leftovers
Scripture: John 6:12 (ESV) – “And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.’” After the crowd had eaten their fill, Jesus did something unexpected: He commanded the disciples to gather what remained. In a moment of miraculous abundance, where all were satisfied,…
He Gave to Those Who Were Seated
Scripture: John 6:11 (ESV) – “Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.” This verse recounts the miracle itself—not just the abundance, but the manner of it. Jesus takes the loaves, gives thanks, and distributes…
Have the People Sit Down
Scripture: John 6:10 (ESV) – “Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’ Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.” This is the moment just before the miracle, but already Christ is demonstrating quiet authority and intentional care. He commands the disciples to have the…
There Is a Boy Here
Scripture: John 6:8–9 (ESV) – “One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?’” Andrew speaks up, not with a solution, but with a small offering. He mentions a boy’s lunch—five barley loaves…
Two Hundred Denarii Are Not Enough
Scripture: John 6:7 (ESV) – “Philip answered him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.’” Philip responds to Jesus’ test with a realistic calculation, not with faith. His answer is honest and practical—he tallies the cost and concludes the situation is hopeless. Even with…
He Said This to Test Him
Scripture: John 6:6 (ESV) – “He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.” Jesus’ question to Philip wasn’t born of uncertainty. As John makes clear, Jesus already knew exactly what He was going to do. The question was a test—not to expose Philip’s ignorance, but to reveal his faith…
He Lifted Up His Eyes
Scripture: John 6:5 (ESV) – “Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’” Jesus lifts His eyes and sees the multitude approaching. He is not caught off guard. He knew they were…
The Passover Was at Hand
Scripture: John 6:4 (ESV) – “Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.” John includes this detail not simply to timestamp the event, but to set a theological backdrop. The Passover was more than a holiday—it was the memorial of God’s deliverance, the night when the blood of a lamb spared the…
Jesus Went Up the Mountain
Scripture: John 6:3 (ESV) – “Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.” Jesus, seeing the crowds approach, retreats—not into hiding, but into purposeful stillness. He goes up the mountain, not to escape, but to teach and prepare. This is a scene of intentional withdrawal, where the noise of…
A Following Fueled by Signs
Scripture: John 6:2 (ESV) – “And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.” Here John introduces a large crowd—curious, perhaps desperate—drawn not by Christ’s words, but by the signs. They followed Jesus not in faith, but because of what they saw Him do. It…
Crossing Over with Christ
Scripture: John 6:1 (ESV) – “After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.” On the surface, this verse appears to be a simple travel notice—Jesus crosses the sea with His disciples. But in John’s Gospel, even movements and geography often carry spiritual meaning.…
How Will You Believe My Words?
Scripture: John 5:47 (ESV) – “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” With this final verse of the chapter, Jesus closes His confrontation with a searching question. He has just said that Moses wrote about Him—now He presses further: If you won’t believe Moses, whom you claim to…
If You Believed Moses
Scripture: John 5:46 (ESV) – “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.” Jesus now makes explicit what was implicit in the previous verse: Moses, whom the religious leaders revered, wrote about Him. If they had truly believed the writings of Moses—not merely read or revered them—they would have…
The One Who Will Accuse You
Scripture: John 5:45 (ESV) – “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.” Jesus delivers a stunning rebuke to the religious leaders. They were accusing Him of blasphemy, rejecting His teaching, and clinging tightly to their identity as…
The Glory That Comes from God Alone
Scripture: John 5:44 (ESV) – “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” Here Jesus uncovers one of the greatest obstacles to faith: the craving for human praise. He asks a piercing question—How can you believe—when your heart is shaped…
Rejecting the One Who Comes in the Father’s Name
Scripture: John 5:43 (ESV) – “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.” Jesus exposes a deep inconsistency in the hearts of those confronting Him. Though He comes in the authority and mission of the Father, they refuse to…
You Do Not Have the Love of God Within You
Scripture: John 5:42 (ESV) – “But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.” In this verse, Jesus offers a devastating but clear diagnosis: “You do not have the love of God within you.” These were men deeply involved in religious life—teachers of the law, students of Scripture, leaders in…
Not Seeking Glory from Men
Scripture: John 5:41 (ESV) – “I do not receive glory from people.” With these words, Jesus distinguishes Himself from the religious leaders who were motivated by human approval and praise. He declares that He does not seek or rely upon the recognition of men to establish His identity or mission. His glory is not grounded…
Refusing Life from the Giver
Scripture: John 5:40 (ESV) – “Yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” After pointing out that the Scriptures bear witness about Him, Jesus now delivers the tragic conclusion: “Yet you refuse to come to me.” The problem is not ignorance or lack of access to truth—it is willful unbelief. They…
The Scriptures Point to Me
Scripture: John 5:39 (ESV) – “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,” Jesus now brings His charge to its sharpest point. The religious leaders diligently searched the Scriptures, believing that in their study and mastery of the text they…
No Room for His Word
Scripture: John 5:38 (ESV) – “And you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.” Jesus continues to expose the disconnect between the religious leaders and the God they claim to serve. They prided themselves on their devotion to the Scriptures, yet Jesus says…
The Father’s Voice and Witness
Scripture: John 5:37 (ESV) – “And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen.” Jesus now names the highest and clearest witness of all: God the Father Himself. The Father hasn’t merely sent the Son—He has also testified to Him.…
The Greater Witness
Scripture: John 5:36 (ESV) – “But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.” Though Jesus honors John the Baptist as a faithful witness,…
From Push-Mower to Pushback: Thoughts on Alberta, Confederation, and the Right to Leave
After a long day of mowing the lawn, by hand, of course (despite owning a ride-on, I was trained young that real mowing means walking it out), I found myself reflecting on two things. First, the Edmonton Oilers are going to win the Stanley Cup. Book it. And second, and more seriously: the growing chorus…
A Burning and Shining Lamp
Scripture: John 5:35 (ESV) – “He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.” Jesus offers a gracious commendation of John the Baptist: “He was a burning and shining lamp.” John was not the Light (as John 1:8 says), but he reflected it. He was…
Not That I Need Human Testimony
Scripture: John 5:34 (ESV) – “Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.” Jesus clarifies His earlier appeal to John the Baptist: while John was a faithful witness, Jesus does not depend on any human validation. His authority and identity do not…
The Lamp That Burned Brightly
Scripture: John 5:33 (ESV) – “You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.” Jesus now begins to name the witnesses who confirm His identity. The first is John the Baptist—a prophet whom the religious leaders themselves had once respected. They had “sent” to him, recognizing his authority, perhaps even entertaining the…
The Witness of Another
Scripture: John 5:32 (ESV) – “There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.” Jesus continues building His case—not by defending Himself with personal claims, but by pointing to another who testifies on His behalf. Though He does not name this witness explicitly…
A Testimony Worth Hearing
Scripture: John 5:31 (ESV) – “If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.” Jesus here acknowledges a principle rooted in God’s law: a matter is established by multiple witnesses, not by self-assertion alone. Though Jesus is the Truth incarnate, He does not ask for blind allegiance based solely on His own…
A Just Judge Doing the Father’s Will
Scripture: John 5:30 (ESV) – “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” Here Jesus affirms again that He is not acting independently of the Father, but in full unity and…
What I Saw at the Alberta Prosperity Project Rally
Last week I attended what I suppose you’d call an information rally hosted by the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) in Calgary. It was an eye-opening experience, encouraging in some ways, but not without its disappointments. Let me explain. The venue had a capacity of around 1,000 people, and it was packed to the rafters. That…
Resurrection to Life—or Judgment
Scripture: John 5:29 (ESV) – “…and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” Jesus now completes His declaration about the final resurrection. Not only will all who are in the tombs hear His voice, but they will also rise…
Marvel Not: The Resurrection Awaits
Scripture: John 5:28 (ESV) – “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice” Having just declared His authority to judge as the Son of Man, Jesus now points forward to the final resurrection, when every person who has died will hear His…
The Son Appointed Judge
Scripture: John 5:27 (ESV) – “And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.” This verse completes the majestic arc begun in verse 26. The Son, who has life in Himself like the Father, is also given authority to judge all mankind. And what is striking is the…
Life in Himself
Scripture: John 5:26 (ESV) – “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” This verse unveils a profound truth about the nature of Christ: just as the Father is self-existent, the very source of all life, so too the Son possesses life in…
The Hour Has Come
Scripture: John 5:25 (ESV) – “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” This verse carries both urgency and assurance. Jesus declares that a time is not only coming—but has already…
From Death to Life
Scripture: John 5:24 (ESV) – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” This verse is one of the clearest gospel declarations in all of Scripture. Jesus speaks with solemn authority—“Truly,…
That All May Honor the Son
Scripture: John 5:23 (ESV) – “…that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.” This verse delivers the stunning conclusion to Jesus’ claim of divine equality. The reason the Father has entrusted judgment to the Son is “that…
The Son, Our Judge
Scripture: John 5:22 (ESV) – “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son.” Having just declared that He gives life like the Father, Jesus now asserts another divine prerogative: judgment. Not only does He raise the dead, but He also sits in authority to judge the living and the dead.…
The Giver of Life
Scripture: John 5:21 (ESV) – “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.” In this verse, Jesus deepens the claim He’s been making—He doesn’t merely imitate the Father; He shares in His divine power to give life. Just as the Father raises…
Greater Works Yet to Be Seen
Scripture: John 5:20 (ESV) – “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.” Here, Jesus opens a window into the love and intimacy between the Father and the Son. Their unity is not only…
The Son Does What the Father Does
Scripture: John 5:19 (ESV) – “So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.’” Following the charge of blasphemy, Jesus doesn’t retreat—He presses further into His…
Equal with God
Scripture: John 5:18 (ESV) – “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” This verse captures the escalation of conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders. His healing…
God Revealed in the Son
Scripture: John 5:17–23 (focus: v.17) – “But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is working until now, and I am working.’” In response to the accusation that He had violated the Sabbath by healing a man, Jesus offers what is, on the surface, a defense—but in reality, is a declaration of divinity. He states, “My Father…
Persecution for Doing Good
Scripture: John 5:16 (ESV) – “And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.” This verse marks a shift in John’s Gospel narrative—from wonder to hostility. Rather than rejoicing over the healing of a man who had suffered for 38 years, the Jewish leaders begin to…
From Healing to Witness
Scripture: John 5:15 (ESV) – “The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.” After Jesus reveals Himself to the man in the temple, the man goes back to the religious authorities to tell them who healed him—Jesus. This may seem like a small detail, but it carries…
Sin No More
Scripture: John 5:14 (ESV) – “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.’” After slipping away into the crowd, Jesus seeks out the man He healed and finds him in the temple. There, He offers not only a…
He Did Not Know
Scripture: John 5:13 (ESV) – “Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.” This verse adds a surprising layer to the story. The man who had just been healed did not even know who Jesus was. He had…
The Wrong Question
Scripture: John 5:12 (ESV) – “They asked him, ‘Who is the man who said to you, “Take up your bed and walk”?’” Instead of marveling at the miracle before them—a man healed after 38 years of suffering—the religious leaders focus on who broke their interpretation of Sabbath law. Their question reveals their priorities: rather than…
A Simple Yet Bold Testimony
Scripture: John 5:11 (ESV) – “But he answered them, ‘The man who healed me, that man said to me, “Take up your bed, and walk.”’” This verse is the healed man’s response to the Jewish leaders who were criticizing him for carrying his bed on the Sabbath. Rather than engaging in theological debate, the man…
Missing the Miracle
Scripture: John 5:10 (ESV)“So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, ‘It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.’” Instead of rejoicing over a miracle, the religious leaders respond with criticism. A man who had been crippled for 38 years is walking—and their first…
Alberta, Grab Your Hardhat (Because Canada’s on Fire)
Well, there you have it. Another Liberal government—after nine years of mismanagement, ethical failure, and outright corruption. And once again, central and eastern Canada, seemingly afflicted with terminal Trump Derangement Syndrome, have seen fit to elect the very people who’ve driven this country straight into a ditch. We’re on the fast track to becoming Venezuela…
Immediately He Was Healed
Scripture: John 5:9 (ESV)“And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.” The response is immediate. No delay, no partial recovery—just the full restoration of strength in an instant. The man who had been paralyzed for nearly four decades is now standing, carrying…
Rise, Take Up Your Bed, and Walk
Scripture: John 5:8 (ESV)“Jesus said to him, ‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk.’” Without hesitation, without touching the man, without the help of the pool or any human hand—Jesus speaks. And in three commands, He transforms a life: “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” There is no ceremony or buildup. No…
I Have No One
Scripture: John 5:7 (ESV)“The sick man answered him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.’” The man responds to Jesus’ question not with a request, but with a lament. He doesn’t directly answer “Do you…
Do You Want to Be Healed?
Scripture: John 5:6 (ESV)“When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be healed?’” Jesus sees. Jesus knows. Jesus speaks. This verse reveals the heart of Christ toward the suffering. He sees the man. He knows his history. And…
Thirty-Eight Years of Waiting
Scripture: John 5:5 (ESV)“One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.” This verse focuses our attention on one man among the multitude. Thirty-eight years—nearly four decades—he had suffered, unable to walk, dependent on others, and waiting for hope. His presence at the pool shows both his desperation and persistence. He had…
Waiting for the Water to Move
Scripture: John 5:4 (KJV)“For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.” Note: Many modern translations omit this verse or place it in brackets because it does not appear…
A Multitude of the Miserable
Scripture: John 5:3 (ESV)“In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.” Bethesda wasn’t a beautiful sight. It was a gathering place of pain, filled with those whom society often passed by. The blind, the lame, the paralyzed—all lying there, waiting and hoping. This verse sets a heavy scene: human suffering concentrated in one…
By the Sheep Gate: A Place of Need
Scripture: John 5:2 (ESV)“Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.” John draws our attention to a specific location in Jerusalem—a pool near the Sheep Gate, called Bethesda. The detail may seem incidental, but both Calvin and Ryle remind us that nothing in…
A Divine Appointment in Jerusalem
Scripture: John 5:1 (ESV)“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” With this verse, the scene shifts once again—Jesus goes up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish feasts. Though John does not specify which feast, the detail serves a larger purpose: it marks a new phase in…
Signs That Point to Salvation
Scripture: John 4:54 (ESV)“This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.” John brings the account to a close with a simple but meaningful note: This was the second sign. He’s not merely keeping track—he’s pointing us to something deeper. In John’s Gospel, “signs” are never just…
Why Couldn’t the Grave Hold Him?
A Message for the Anxious, the Searching, and the Hope-Starved Chris Cousine Apr 20, 2025 Scripture: Revelation 1:17–18 Thanks for popping by, I pray this Easter has been a good one. With that, I’d like to have a chat about a little thing that happened a couple thousand years ago. Let’s be honest: death makes…
Faith That Grows
Scripture: John 4:53 (ESV)“The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’ And he himself believed, and all his household.” This verse is the culmination of a journey—not just the boy’s healing, but the father’s faith. When the official hears that his son was healed at the…
The Exact Hour
Scripture: John 4:52 (ESV)“So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, ‘Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.’” The official’s faith, already alive and growing, is now sharpened into wonder. He doesn’t simply rejoice at the good news—he asks when. Why? Because he’s looking…
What Temptation Reveals About You (And God)
A Message to the Struggling, the Wandering, and the Worn Out Scripture: James 1:12–14 Welcome, and thank you for popping by, whether you’re a regular, a guest, or someone who’s just not sure what to believe anymore. If you’re like many Albertans today, you probably feel like you’re under pressure. The cost of living is…
The Confirmation Comes
Scripture: John 4:51 (ESV)“As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.” Faith walked before sight. The official had already believed Jesus’ word and begun his journey home. He didn’t demand confirmation in Cana. He didn’t delay in uncertainty. He obeyed in faith. And now, as he’s…
The Word Was Enough
Scripture: John 4:50 (ESV)“Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.” No touch. No spectacle. No journey back to Capernaum. Just a word. Jesus responds to the official’s desperate plea not with drama, but with authority: “Go; your son…
A Pox on All Your Houses
Last week, something in me broke. After much careful thought and prayer, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s Pierre Poilievre’s fault. Predictably, the Liberal Party and their enablers in the mainstream media pulled out the old playbook—attack the Conservatives on abortion. It’s a tired trick, but it still works. And what did Poilievre say…
Lord, Please Come
Scripture: John 4:49 (ESV)“The official said to him, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies.’” The official hears Jesus’ rebuke—but he doesn’t argue. He doesn’t defend himself. He doesn’t try to debate theology or explain his motives. He simply pleads again, more humbly than before: “Sir, come down before my child dies.” There is no…
Seeking Signs or the Savior?
Scripture: John 4:48 (ESV)“So Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.’” This is not the response we might expect. A desperate father pleads for his dying son, and Jesus responds with a rebuke—not just to him, but to all those listening. The “you” here is plural. It’s as…
Desperate Faith Begins
Scripture: John 4:47 (ESV)“When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.” Desperation has a way of exposing what we truly believe. This government official, with all his power and…
Back to Cana
Scripture: John 4:46 (ESV)“So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill.” This verse opens with quiet significance. Jesus returns to Cana—the very place where He performed His first miracle, turning water into wine. That earlier event wasn’t…
Welcomed, but Not Understood
Scripture: John 4:45 (ESV)“So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.” At first glance, this verse seems to contradict the one just before it. Jesus had said that a prophet has no honor…
No Honour at Home
Scripture: John 4:44 (ESV)“For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honour in his own hometown.” This verse provides a sobering insight into Jesus’ return to Galilee. Though He was headed back to familiar territory, He did so knowing full well the reception would be mixed. He Himself had declared the reality that…
Moving On in Mission
Scripture: John 4:43 (ESV)“After the two days he departed for Galilee.” After two fruitful days in Samaria, Jesus continues on to Galilee. Though His time with the Samaritans was marked by openness and response, He doesn’t linger indefinitely. Jesus was always on mission, moving according to the Father’s will, not driven by comfort or convenience,…
Now We Have Heard for Ourselves
Scripture: John 4:42 (ESV)“They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.’” This verse marks the climax of the Samaritan revival. What began with a woman’s testimony has now…
Many More Believed
Scripture: John 4:41 (ESV)“And many more believed because of his word.” This verse marks a beautiful moment of spiritual awakening. While many Samaritans initially believed because of the woman’s testimony, even more came to faith as they heard Jesus for themselves. It was His word—the living truth spoken by the Son of God—that reached their…
Come and Stay: A Welcoming Heart for Christ
Scripture: John 4:40 (ESV)“So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.” What a remarkable turn of events. The Samaritans, traditionally despised by the Jews and holding deep religious differences, now earnestly invite Jesus to remain with them. Their hearts have been stirred—not just…
A Testimony That Turns Hearts
Scripture: John 4:39 (ESV)“Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’” In this verse, we see the power of personal testimony. The Samaritan woman, once an outcast, becomes an unlikely evangelist. Her encounter with Jesus was so transformative that her simple witness…
Entering into Another’s Labor
Scripture: John 4:38 (ESV)“I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” Jesus reminds His disciples that the opportunity before them—to reap a spiritual harvest in Samaria—is the result of work already done by others. The seeds had been sown long before:…
One Sows, Another Reaps
Scripture: John 4:37 (ESV)“For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’” In this verse, Jesus affirms a familiar proverb and applies it to the work of the gospel. In the spiritual fields, not every laborer sees the fruit of their work. Some are called to sow—to begin the work, plant truth, prepare…
Shared Joy in the Harvest
Scripture: John 4:36 (ESV)“Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.” Jesus continues His teaching on spiritual harvest, revealing a profound truth: the labor of sharing the gospel brings eternal rewards and shared joy. Those who reap—the ones who see visible…
Eyes on the Harvest: Living with Gospel Urgency
Scripture: John 4:35 (ESV)“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.” Jesus uses a familiar agricultural proverb to redirect His disciples’ attention to a spiritual reality. While they were thinking in terms of…
The Food That Truly Satisfies
Scripture: John 4:34 (ESV) – “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.’” Jesus now reveals the true meaning behind His earlier statement about having food the disciples did not know about. While they were concerned with physical nourishment, Jesus points them…
Misunderstanding Spiritual Nourishment
Scripture: John 4:33 (ESV) – “So the disciples said to one another, ‘Has anyone brought him something to eat?’” The disciples, still thinking in earthly terms, misunderstand Jesus’ statement about having food they do not know about. Instead of recognizing that He is speaking spiritually, they assume someone else must have brought Him food while…
A Greater Nourishment
Scripture: John 4:32 (ESV) – “But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’” When the disciples urge Jesus to eat, He responds with a statement that confuses them: “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” Once again, Jesus redirects the conversation from physical…
Spiritual Nourishment Over Physical Needs Scripture: John 4:31 (ESV) – “Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, ‘Rabbi, eat.’” As Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman comes to an end, the disciples return from their errand in Sychar and immediately urge Jesus to eat. They had gone into town to buy food, and naturally, they…
The Power of a Simple Invitation
Scripture: John 4:30 (ESV) – “They went out of the town and were coming to him.” The Samaritan woman had just encountered Jesus and was transformed by His words. She didn’t keep her experience to herself—she ran into town and invited others to come and see for themselves. Her testimony was simple, yet it was…
Come and See
Scripture: John 4:29 (ESV) – “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” After encountering Jesus, the Samaritan woman rushes into town to share her testimony. Her message is simple but powerful: “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.” She does…
Leaving the Water Jar Behind
Scripture: John 4:28 (ESV) – “So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,” This verse marks a turning point in the Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus. She had come to the well for physical water, but after meeting Christ, she leaves her water jar behind—a symbolic…
Overcoming Barriers to the Gospel
Scripture: John 4:27 (ESV) – “Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you seek?’ or, ‘Why are you talking with her?’” At this moment, Jesus’ disciples return and are shocked to find Him speaking with a Samaritan woman. Their reaction reveals…
Jesus Reveals His Identity
Scripture: John 4:26 (ESV) – Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” This is one of the most remarkable moments in Jesus’ ministry. The Samaritan woman has just expressed her belief that the Messiah will come and reveal all things, and now, Jesus openly declares, “I who speak to you am…
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