Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

Have you been born again? What does that mean? 

Jesus shocked Nicodemus when he lobbed a birth metaphor into his religious life. A member of the Jewish parliament, Nicodemus was a scholar who helped make laws and settle disputes. His religious colleagues hated Jesus, but Nicodemus wanted the facts. 

One night he came furtively to Jesus. “Your miracles suggest that God is with you” he said. “But you reject the religion God gave Moses. You confuse me. What’s the truth here?” (John 3:2). 

A great opportunity for Jesus to teach Nicodemus, to show him Old Testament prophecies that point to Christ.A chance for Jesus to start an ecumenical dialogue with the Jews. 

Nope! Jesus says, “You need to be born again” (John 3:3)

Not quite the answer Nicodemus was looking for. He wanted to understand the relationship between God, Jesus, and the Jewish religion. Instead Jesus criticizes Nicodemus’ first birth experience and says he should try again. 

“Really?” Nicodemus replies. “Go back into Momma’s womb and emerge again? Impossible. Ludicrous” (John 3:4).

Reminds me of Jesus’ earlier statement, “Destroy this temple and I’ll rebuild it in three days” (John 2:19). A mysterious saying, impossible to take literally. Jesus confused the Jews with building and birthing metaphors.

“Listen,” said Jesus to Nicodemus, “you must be born of water and the spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:5-6). 

And you? Have you been born of water? Have you been born of the spirit? 

Let’s pray. 

Our father, we don’t know born of water means, but we believe we have been born of the spirit Jesus mentions. 

Yet how little our lives seem to be born again. We work at jobs, read novels. Embrace social media, go to church. Activities that follow our physical birth. But where is our wellspring of life in the spirit? 

We are humans. We are physical bodies inhabited by invisible life forces–mind, soul, emotion, and spirit. Dwell in us by your spirit, until your goodness and power animates all our thoughts and actions. 

Amen.

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

Why did Jesus challenge religious leaders to destroy the temple (John 2:19)?

It happened like this. After he whipped the sheep and cattle out of the temple courtyard and upended the money changers’ tables, the Jews protested, “Show us a sign to prove your authority to do this!” (John 1:18). A reasonable request. 

Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and I’ll rebuild it in three days” (v. 19). Sounds  unreasonable doesn’t it? 

Jesus’ hearers thought so too. “Hey! It took 46 years to build this temple. And you say you can do it in three days” (v. 20). 

Gospel writer John explained that Jesus wasn’t talking about the temple building in front of them (v. 21). 

Who knew? Not the disciples, not the Jews standing in front of that huge temple. In fact, John says nobody understood until three years later when Jesus was raised from the dead. Then the disciples said, “Oh, his destroy-and-build-the-temple story was about himself. He meant, destroy me and I’ll come back in three days.”

Really. Quite a strange story at the beginning of John’s gospel. Here are some thoughts. 

1. This is the first time in the Bible that someone’s body is described as a temple. I wouldn’t think to call a living, breathing human body a temple. But Jesus did. Pagan gods reside in pagan temples. The living God has come to live in you. Paul says, Treat your body with care because it’s God’s temple, the place where he resides (1 Cor 3:16-19). 

2. A second point. Jesus had a reputation as a great teacher, but this time he just confused his listeners. To the Jews, he wasn’t much more than an arrogant windbag claiming he could rebuild a huge temple in three days! It took almost half a century to build that temple, and Jesus wanted to do it in half a week?

John places this story early in his gospel to warn us that the simple, obvious, and literal meaning of what Jesus says is not always the right meaning. Jesus hid his lessons in metaphors and parables. His words were not what they seemed. He let people stew in wrong meanings, without correcting errant understanding. Do you understand Jesus’ words? 

Modern, rational scripture readers delight in explaining and expanding. English grammar and Greek definitions, parsing subtle nuances in major points. Perhaps we need John’s caution that literal meanings are not always correct, that Jesus sometimes hides his intention. 

Let’s pray. 

O Jesus, you stood before a huge temple of wood and stone, and spoke mysteriously of destruction and rebuilding. Three years later, the temple of your body was crucified and resurrected.

As we search the literal meaning of things spiritual, help us see beyond your plain words, to the spirit and truth of what you said and who you are. 

When you speak of temples, help us not to look aimlessly at temples of wood and stone. When you speak of the rapture and the tribulation, help us not to create charts and movies about who is taken and who is left behind. 

We trust you to reside in our living temples, in our lives and the lives of your followers. We trust you will bring us to reside in the eternal dwellings you are preparing.

Amen.

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

Why would John put stories of winemaking and wrecking side by side? That’s what he did, in chapter two of his gospel. 

The wine ran out at a wedding so Jesus turned ordinary water into fine wine to keep the celebration going. 

Next, John flips to a story about merchants selling sacrifice-animals and providing foreign exchange in the temple. Jesus was offended, so he made a whip and drove away the animals. He knocked over the money changers’ tables, coins flying, tempers rising. A regular wrecking party. 

Here’s my take on John’s stories. 

At an ordinary wedding, Jesus did something extraordinary, something that hinted he was more than just an average rabbi wandering backwater Galilee. John says the winemaking showed his glory. Jesus, the carpenter with callused hands and unkempt hair. But unexpectedly, the love and power of God shines through. That’s his glory. quietly using God’s power to solve human problems.  

Psalm 104 says God gives wine to gladden human hearts (v 15). At the wedding celebration, Jesus gave the gift of  gladness. 

But it’s not just gladness Jesus brings. What about his wrecking ball encounter at the temple? He couldn’t tolerate money-grubbing incursions into God’s holy place. Nor would he tolerate noise where God ordained quiet, or business where God ordained worship.

That’s John’s picture of Jesus. Meek and mild, a gladdener of hearts. Strong and wild, a wrecker of false worship. Which Jesus will meet you today?

Let’s pray. 

O Jesus, too often we are like those money changers and animal sellers. Too often our religion is a business. Too often we leave church on Sunday and serve our own interests all week.

Our reverence for you has devolved into tolerance, our worship is full of empty words, our prayers vain repetition. 

Restore us to true spirituality, to communion with you, to a love of your church and your people. Help us make your house a house of prayer. Teach our hearts to touch your heart. Help us use our lives to show your praise. 

O Jesus, make us glad with new wine. Feed us daily with your bread. Illuminate our souls with your light. Refresh our journey with your presence. 

Amen.

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube Text

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

If Jesus said, “What do you want?”, what would you say? 

That’s the first question Jesus asked his disciples. When John introduced him as the lamb of God, two of John’s disciples followed Jesus, so he said, “What do you want?” 

Taken aback, they replied, “Uhhhh–like, where are you staying?”

“Come and see,” he said (John 1:39). And they spent the day hanging out with him. 

So begins John’s story about Jesus’ disciples. He doesn’t start with a splash, like Matthew and Luke, where Jesus calls busy fishermen. John starts with curious disciples trailing Jesus.

One of the most amusing and mystifying features in John’s gospel is how he contrasts Jesus’ greatness in heaven with his low profile on earth. 

• Jesus was the creator, but his creation didn’t recognize him.
• He was eternal, but he functioned on an earthly clock, all the way from a baby to a man.
• He was full of grace and truth, but the Jewish religion thought him a scammer.
• His home was heaven, but he invited the first disciples to his residence on earth. 

“What do you want?” he asked them. Does he ask you that? Do you know what you want?

Continuing the story, one of the two who followed Jesus was Andrew. He made a detour to collect his brother Simon. And Jesus gave Simon a new name, Peter, the rock (John 1:42). Does Jesus give you a new name?

The next day, Philip invited Nathanael saying. “Hey! We found the Messiah. He’s Jesus of Nazareth.”

Listen to Nathanael’s shocked unbelief. “A messiah from Nazareth? Nothing good ever came from that place” (John 1:46). 

Jesus, a commonplace man from a disreputable village. In Matthew, shepherds heard angels and believed who Jesus was. In John, Nathanael heard Philip and disbelieved his testimony.

Jesus responded to Nathanael, “I saw you under the fig tree. I know you are a man without pretensions” (John 1:48). Amazed, Nathanael said, “Rabbi, you are the son of God, the king of Israel” (John 1:49). 

John doesn’t describe the logic, the reasoning, that lifted Nathanael from “Nazareth? Unbelievable” to “I believe in you, Jesus.” But perhaps that’s what meeting Jesus can do. 

Let’s pray. 

O Jesus, you invited the disciples to “come and see” where you were staying. 

Two thousand years and half a world away, we still hear your invitation. We come, we see, we believe you live among us and in us.

O Jesus, speak to us as you spoke to Nathanael, words that turn our hard unbelieving hearts to faith, that turn our harsh unyielding realism to gentle openness, that turn idle curiosity into living discipleship. 

Amen.

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

What’s the biggest problem Jesus faced? 

John hints at it when he says, “[Jesus] made the world, then he came into the world, but the world did not recognize him” (John 1:10).

The problem is, How can people recognize the creator of the world when he shows up with sawdust on his elbows and splinters in his fingers?

The religious people were certain that if God showed up, he’d approve their religion. But Jesus sure didn’t. The disciples saw his miracles for three years, but never clued in to who he was. And we, his modern disciples, have a wide range of beliefs and practices. 

John points out a second problem. Jesus was the light that “shone in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it” (John 1:5). Here’s another question: How would you recognize the light if it showed up in your darkness? Would you be one of those who loves darkness rather than light?

John also says, “[Jesus] came to his own people, but they didn’t receive him” (John 1:11). 

Jesus showed up with three strikes against him:
– Humans didn’t recognize their maker
– The darkness couldn’t understand the light
– His own people rejected him outright

What a great start for the gospel of John! It’s like, three strikes and you’re out. But John doesn’t call Jesus “out”. Not yet. Stay tuned to see where John takes the story from here. 

Let’s pray.

Our father, Jesus’ problems at his coming are still problems for us today. Yes, our religion worships God, but is Jesus the one who inspires our lives and churches? Or have we strayed far from our maker? 

Jesus was the light, but the darkness didn’t understand him. For years, we have studied  scripture, but our lives and world are still dark places. Help us receive his light, his spirit, his truth. 

With John as our guide, we follow Jesus once more. We believe he is our maker. We believe he makes us children of God. We receive his light and his way of life. We are his brothers and sisters. 

Thank you for the life of Jesus. Thank you for his life in us. 

Amen.

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

What do you think of John’s gospel? Some like it because it’s more philosophical than Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Others prefer Mark’s style: short and fast-moving stories with little commentary. 

Back when I was middle aged, John’s was my favorite gospel. I fancied myself as philosophically and spiritually sophisticated; John appeared to ride the same wave. Alas! Life burst my bubble and I discovered I’m just a simple man who understands little philosophy and only basic spirituality.

But guess what? Now, at the beginning of 2026, John’s gospel calls me. Not sure what it’s saying. But maybe if I reflect and pray on John’s message, my hearing will sharpen and my understanding will deepen. 

Let’s try listening together.

The start of John’s gospel says, “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). 

John must have read Genesis. It also starts, “In the beginning” (Gen 1:1). That points to God creating the heavens and earth. How did he do that? By speaking. That’s all: by speaking! To an empty universe, God’s first word was, “Let there be light ” (Gen 1:3). 

John’s beginning is also about speech, about words. He says, “In the beginning was the Word . . . All things were made through him” (John 1:1,3). The Word. A new name for Jesus, not found in the other gospels. Only in John.

I see three parallels between Genesis and John. 

First, where Genesis says, “In the beginning GOD”, John says, “In the beginning was the WORD.” God was there and the Word was there, in the beginning. 

Second, in Genesis, God is the creator. In John, all things were made through Jesus, the Word. So who is the creator? God? Jesus? Maybe both?

A third parallel is light. God’s first words in Genesis are, “Let there be light.” John says, “In Jesus was life, and that life was the light of human kind” (John 1:4). 

Something momentous is happening here. Something bigger than creation. God, who created the world with his word is speaking again, sending his Word (Jesus!) into the world. He is sending light to everyone.

Are we ready for this? Are we listening to the word? Are we looking for that light?

Let’s pray. 

O father, we hear John say, “In the beginning was the Word.” Help us hear the word you spoke at the beginning. Help us hear the word you spoke in Jesus. Help us hear the words you speak to us.

We worship you who said, “Let there be light.” We worship you for sending Jesus, the light of the world. 

In our winter-dark northern January, we need more of the sunlight you created. In our sin-darkened world, we need more of Christ’s light. May he shine in our hearts, may he shine in the world, driving away sin’s night. 

Walk with us as we read John’s gospel. Stir our minds to contemplate the Jesus who John knew and loved. Stir our hearts to believe in the Christ John preached. Stir our lives to follow the savior John followed. 

Amen.

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube