Contemplative Bible Reading

John 1:31-34 (New Living Translation) 31 I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the […]

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John 20:13 (New Living Translation) “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” This is on the morning of Jesus’ resurrection. Mary Magdalene finds an empty tomb. Jesus is gone. She doesn’t assume that Jesus […]

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John 20:8-9 (New Living Translation) Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. Jesus has been crucified and buried in the tomb. On the first day of the week […]

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John 17:3 (New Living Translation) And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. Want eternal life? Who doesn’t. How do we get? What is the way? Where do we go? Good questions. The verse above tells us in a […]

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John 16:23-24 (New Living Translation) 23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. 24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you […]

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John 8:10-11 (New Living Translation) 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” These verses conclude the (hi)story of what is usually called, “The Woman Caught in […]

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John 19:25-27 (New Living Translation) 25 Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” 27 And he said to this disciple, […]

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John 11:47-48 (New Living Translation) “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him…” Jesus, called “this man” above, had just raised Lazarus from the dead in the sight of many persons. The above statement was made in a quickly called council […]

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John 11:43 (King James Version) And when he (Jesus) thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. Jesus is standing among a group of persons. What if Jesus had said, “Come forth” or “Come here.” The persons standing around would look at each other and shrug and start walking towards Jesus. […]

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John 3:21 (New Living Translation) But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. There are days when I want everyone to see what I am doing. Arrogant? Boastful? Prideful? Please pause a moment. I want people to see the actions, not […]

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