The focus of this episode is John 21. This is the last chapter of John’s gospel. I hope this series on John has been helpful. It has been for me. I’ve talked to a few of you about this, but there is just something about hearing scripture. You know in the days of Christ, and the first church, it was very much an oral culture, the written Word was there, but for most people scripture was read, it was heard. Even today I think there is something deeply enriching in the hearing of God’s Words.

Peter and Jesus are center-stage in John 21. To set the stage for this moment, we need to go back to Thursday night and the beginning of Peter's tombstone story?  Remember that? Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. He shares that someone will betray him that night. Peter with all the bold bravado he can muster, responds, “Never. I would rather die.” To Which Jesus replies prophetically, “Three times tonight Peter, you will deny me before the rooster crows. And Jesus was right... And when the rooster crowed, Peter and Jesus locked eyes. John 21 is the redemption and restoration of the heart of Peter. It's so good.

In this episode, we are focusing on John 20. For about 30 minutes as we listen to, learn from and lean into God's Word, we are going to saturate our souls with hope. As we near the finish line of John’s gospel, the last two chapters, John 20-21 contain the amazing story of the resurrection of Jesus and how his closest friends responded to it. But to set the stage and the context, I will spend a bit of time focus on one statement. It’s Jesus' words near the end of the chapter. John 20:21. “As the father has sent me, even so, or in the same manner, in the same way, I am sending you.” In other words, all of this, everything they experienced; life with Jesus, his teaching, all those amazing miracles, all the miraculous signs, and now the cross, death, and resurrection; it’s all leading to this. You have a mission.

When resurrection power was let loose to saturate the world in hope and love, and when it changed my life, it wasn't just for me. It was for others. I have a mission. You have a mission. It's the most amazing good-news mission anyone has ever been given. That's my prayer for each  person who listens to this, that we would be compelled by hope to be on mission! 

In this episode, we are listening to John 19. The focus of John 19 is the crucifixion of Jesus. So before we dive in, let's just be honest, we’ve sanitized the cross. We've made it into a geometric shape that holds diamonds and hangs around our necks. Crosses are everywhere, we're surrounded by crosses, silver and sanitized. But to really understand the power of the passion of Christ, we need to regain our vision of the cross as it was before Christ, a symbol of hatred, cruelty, and human failure.  For a Christian to wear a cross, should be like a Jew wearing a swastika or someone from Japan wearing a symbol of a mushroom cloud or a black man wearing chains. 

The cross in Jesus' day was a symbol of sin and hate and death. It is inconceivable that the cross would become a work of art, a tattoo, a common piece of jewelry, the brand of the church. It’s inconceivable until you see the cross thru the eyes of love. Until you are impacted by a generosity so extravagant that it has the ability to transform an old rugged cross into a thing of beauty; transform an instrument of torture into a symbol of life. It was an act of generosity so great, it broke history in two.