John 3:16

Even though this verse is the most quoted one in the Bible, it is wonderful to read in context, because it comes in the middle of a strange, abstract, nightly conversation between Jesus and a leader of the world's most technical religion. Nicodemus starts with a roundabout statement-question. He is too polite to say to Jesus, "Look, are you from God, or what?" so he forms a declarative sentence: "No one can do these things unless God is with him." Jesus, characteristically, does not answer his question but instead leads the discussion into a series of bizarre metaphors about wombs and wind and serpents in the desert. His language has the esoteric flavor of a cult. But then, like the lightning that will pierce the sky at His Second Coming, Jesus flashes the truth into the room, a truth that shatters the religious rituals of Judaism, a truth that is radical enough to die for and practical enough to live your life by every day: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life."

This statement is unlikely to the point of ridicule, which is why no religion has ever thought to make such a claim. Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism all have us making sacrifices for Allah or Krishna or to make our way along the Nine-fold Path. Who would have thought there might be a God who would sacrifice for us?

Eternity

While I was reading the first four chapters of Luke yesterday, I was reminded of how the Bible is different from every other book in existence. I did not think much about what I was reading, but the whole time my eyes moved over the pages, i felt comforted by nothing else than the fact that these were God's words. I did not make any new observations about the stories of Zechariah, Mary, Simeon, and Anna; I did not connect this account of Jesus' birth to the one in Matthew. But I felt the peace of God.

I am teaching a series this month to the youth group at church called Seeing More, and it is about being able to perceive eternity in our everyday lives. The Bible is what connects us to eternity, and it does so using the thoughts in our conscious minds, but it also uses the subconscious to remind our spirits that they were made for something bigger than this. I know it's only been two weeks of the new year and the busy-ness of school has not yet thrown itself upon me; but right now I not only feel confident about keeping my resolution all year, I see it as one of the most exciting things about this year. I can't wait to see what happens.

Mark

In Matthew, Jesus' teaching is about the present. The Sermon on the Mount takes up two and a half chapters with information about how the Kingdom of Heaven operates, and Jesus' parables and exhortations throughout the book are about spreading the kingdom further. Mark seems to be more concerned with the future, because of the way he uses a series of episodes of healing and journeying, without many words from Jesus, to build up to Chapter 13, in which He spends thirty-two verses talking to the disciples about the end times. At the beginning of the chapter, Jesus shows His disciples the magnificence of the Jewish temple and claims that in the future, not one stone will be left upon another. The disciples' first instinct is to ask when this destruction will take place, and they specifically ask for a sign, a sign of the end times. In answer to their question, Mark gives us Jesus' longest passage of straight speaking in the entire book. And the point of what He says is this: there will be no sign. It is up to us to always be ready: "What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'"

These two Gospels complement each other well, because we need to be reminded to live with both an awareness of God's kingdom as it exists on earth and with the constant expectation that one day He will come again to make everything new.

Anni-VER-sa-RY

On January 3, Edwin and I spent our first Anniversary at the Monterey Bay Aquarium! It's been a whole year. Thanks for sticking with us, those of you who are still reading, and for anyone new, welcome and here's to many more anniversaries.

Edwin had to get up sooo early that morning: 10:30!!

I LOVE SEAHORSES!!!

It's a couple! ^_^

Tiny seahorse

Doesn't this look like Edwin and daughter?!?! One day...

I discovered I also like cuttlefish. They are surprisingly cute.

Delicious clams and linguine at Luigie Linguine's

Matthew

by Elanor

Today in church, we tend to emphasize God's inclusivity: He loves the entire world, "I will go down any path to find you." These things are true. However, as I read the book of Matthew, the attitude that jumps out at me is one of selection. Jesus' parables--the four soils, the tares and the wheat--emphasize that, while some people will become His disciples, many will not. I used to think of this issue of the wide and narrow gates as motivation for me to share the Gospel more or better, or to love people in a different way. I would often look with regret on relationships, thinking that if only I had done something different, perhaps that person would be closer to God than they are. Jesus did not think that way. Rather than try to coddle His followers for fear of losing them, rather than allowing each one to go "at his own pace," Jesus would purposely try to get rid of the unmotivated: He told confusing stories; He assigned people difficult tasks; He asked for total devotion above all else. He was not afraid to let people go if they were not driven to come to Him out of their own conviction.

I've always seen my job as being that of persuading people to follow Jesus. Jesus did not try to persuade; that is the job of the Holy Spirit. Instead, He confronted people with the truth and allowed them to choose.

The New Year's Resolution

by Elanor

As far as I can remember, I have never made a New Year's Resolution before, mostly because I am too afraid of failure to willingly set myself up for it. But this year, while I was driving home from a party on New Year's Eve, I thought of something I would like to do this year.

In 2009, I learned that Jesus is the dividing point of the world. Where some people, intentionally or not, want to mush Christianity together with a general theory of tolerance towards all people and all religions, Jesus comes with a sword and cuts through to mark a distinct boundary between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world. If you ever want to find out for sure where someone stands, get them to tell you what they believe about Jesus, and you will know.

Since He is the difference, He is what changes everything, I want my spiritual focus this year to be on Jesus, and Jesus specifically. I intend to read one of the Gospels every week and share 200 to 250 words about something I learn from them. When Jesus was on earth, His disciples followed Him around for three years, so maybe I will somehow find the discipline (disciple-ness) to follow Him for one.