I Am the True Vine - A Lent Teaching Series
What is the fruit that our ministry bears? Jesus, the True Vine, teaches what it means to be his hands and feet. Aunty Dr Anne Pattel-Gray wraps up our 2020 Lent series.
View and download the PDF of this Lent Teaching here.
In today’s video teaching, Josh Dowton reflects on Jesus’ proclamation: “I am the resurrection”. Death is something that people are often afraid of. It has an undeniable heaviness about it. This heaviness is part of the Lenten journey as we look towards the events of Maundy Thursday and Easter Friday: the betrayal and death of Jesus. Sometimes people avoid heaviness like this. Yet in Lent and Easter we learn that by journeying into death we encounter new life.
The life that Jesus brings is not an avoidance of death: it is a resurrection. It comes after death. Resurrection is a true defeat of the fear and hopelessness that death heralds. It not only means being alive, it means life in abundance: life that cannot be extinguished. An animated, joyful, satisfying life. As we encounter death in our lives and in creation, Jesus' statement reminds us that death is not the whole story. Jesus is the resurrection: he brings not only hope for the future, but the reality of abundant life in the here and now.
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Today's Reading: John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live."
Reflection Questions:
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“Death is something that people are often afraid of. It has an undeniable heaviness about it.” What have you encountered in your life or in the world around you which has an undeniable heaviness? What brought/brings light to that circumstance?
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What darkness and pain are you aware of in your community, in creation? What might resurrection look like?
If you’d like to think more about this passage, read a longer written reflection from our contributor here.
Daily Bible Readings:
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Wed 25 Mar |
John 11:1-27 |
What does Jesus claim in this text? |
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Thur 26 Mar |
John 11:28-54 |
How does Jesus’ actions back up his claim? |
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Fri 27 Mar |
1 Cor 15:3-8 |
What came to pass? |
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Sat 28 Mar |
Col 2:8-15 |
What did resurrection achieve? |
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Sun 29 Mar |
John 11:25 |
Sit with this text mulling it over slowly today |
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Mon 30 Mar |
1 Thess 4:13-14 |
What does the resurrection secure? |
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Tue 31 Mar |
1 Peter 1:3-9 |
What does resurrection bring? |
Pray:
Resurrected Jesus, as we journey through Lent we are weighed down with the burden of death. As we consider creation, we see harm and despair. Thank you for bringing resurrection into this picture. Open our eyes to see hope, joy and peace. Shape us into your image so that we show your resurrection and hope. In Jesus name, Amen.
Josh Dowton is the Associate Pastor at Northside Baptist Church, having previously lectured in New Testament and early Church history, biblical languages, and theology of social justice. Josh has a special interest in the book of Revelation as political resistance literature.
