Welcome to Cam’s Reflective Bible Study Journal

Cam’s Reflective Bible Study Journal is a blog/podcast where Cam, one of Reflective Bible Study's founders, shares things he has discovered from his time studying the Bible (usually from one or more of the four gospels).

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Coming Back To Get Us: John 14:1-14

Published August 22, 2025 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: John 14:1-14 (CEV)

1 Jesus said to his disciples, “Don’t be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I wouldn’t tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. 3 After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together. 4 You know the way to where I am going.”

5 Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t even know where you are going! How can we know the way?”

6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life!” Jesus answered. “Without me, no one can go to the Father. 7 If you had known me, you would have known the Father. But from now on, you do know him, and you have seen him.”

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need.”

9 Jesus replied:

Philip, I have been with you for a long time. Don’t you know who I am? If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. How can you ask me to show you the Father? 10 Don’t you believe that I am one with the Father and that the Father is one with me? What I say isn’t said on my own. The Father who lives in me does these things.

11 Have faith in me when I say that the Father is one with me and that I am one with the Father. Or else have faith in me simply because of the things I do. 12 I tell you for certain that if you have faith in me, you will do the same things that I am doing. You will do even greater things, now that I am going back to the Father. 13 Ask me, and I will do whatever you ask. This way the Son will bring honor to the Father. 14 I will do whatever you ask me to do.

Read John 14:1-14 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

As Jesus was spending the last hours together with His disciples before being arrested on the night before His crucifixion, He shares a powerful message with the disciples that contains an incredible promise. After sharing with the disciples that He will be leaving to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house, Jesus tells the disciples, “After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together.” (v. 3)

While the disciples did not want Jesus to leave them, and while there were likely plenty of other people who wanted Jesus to stay on earth, we might be caught believing or wondering if Jesus should have left when He did. Later on in the conversation with the disciples that night, Jesus emphasizes that only if He leaves will the Holy Spirit be able to come to the disciples, and because of that reason, it was good that He left.

But here in the promise contained in this verse, we have an equally valid reason for Jesus leaving. We can clearly see the promise if we ask ourselves a simple question: “Would I rather be with Jesus here on earth, or be with Jesus in heaven?”

While we technically don’t have to choose or wait until heaven to begin our lives with God, I imagine that most people, when given the choice, would rather be with Jesus in heaven, where there is no sin, death, or decay. Even though our current earth is filled with pain, suffering, disease, and death, while we would want Jesus to be present with us through this, would you prefer Jesus to be present now and not later in heaven? Heaven would not be the same without Jesus present.

The question is rhetorical and it doesn’t stand on a solid foundation and it could easily be falsified if put up for debate, however this is because all members of the Godhead are one. Jesus is able to be here with us because He is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. In this way, Jesus can be in multiple places at once.

When Jesus promised to return to heaven to prepare a place for us before promising to return here to bring us home with Him, this promise doesn’t include the message that we will be abandoned during the time He is away. It simply states that He wants to get Heaven ready for us, which might be similar to a family cleaning their home before guests arrive.

Jesus has given us the promise that He will return and bring us home to be with Him. We don’t know when that will be, but we do know that because Jesus promised it, He will fulfill His promise. When we have placed our faith, hope, trust, and belief on Jesus and His promises, we can know that He will return and bring us home to Him.

With this in mind, let’s look forward to, and prepare for, the day when He will return to take us home!

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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A Prayer from the Cross: Psalm 109:1-5

Published August 21, 2025 in Audio Journal Entries

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For the past several podcast episodes, we’ve been looking at prophecies and connection points between Jesus’ ministry and the Old Testament, and specifically related to Jesus’ path towards the cross. While our focus for this year of podcasting has been on prophecy and Old Testament connections to Jesus’ ministry, there are a surprising number of connection points related to Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, trial, and ultimate crucifixion.

For this episode, we will look back to the first few verses of a psalm to discover foreshadowing of the surprising and unlikely event that would happen when Jesus and the soldiers arrive at the place where Jesus would be crucified.

Our Old Testament passage and psalm is Psalm 109, and we will read it from the New American Standard Bible translation. Starting in verse 1, David, the psalm writer, opens by saying:

1 O God of my praise,
Do not be silent!
2 For they have opened the wicked and deceitful mouth against me;
They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And fought against me without cause.
4 In return for my love they act as my accusers;
But I am in prayer.
5 Thus they have repaid me evil for good
And hatred for my love.

While someone familiar with the gospels could easily see how the opening to this psalm in many ways describes Jesus’ entire ministry and the hostility He faced from all the religious leaders, one detail found at the transition into Jesus time on the cross holds special significance with this psalm. The phrase in this psalm that draws our attention to this is the second phrase in verse 4. Verse 4 has two phrases: “In return for my love they act as my accusers; But I am in prayer.”

With this verse in mind, let’s jump into the gospels and Jesus’ life on the morning He was crucified. After a long journey through the streets of Jerusalem to outside the city walls, Luke, chapter 23, starting in verse 33 describes the scene for us:

33 When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. 34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. 35 And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!”

During the opening details of the scene that morning, while the soldiers are nailing Jesus to the cross, and hoisting the cross up for all to see, Jesus’ focus is fixed on prayer and forgiveness. If God the Father were ever to lose control of His emotions and strike a portion of humanity dead, I suspect that the soldiers involved with this crucifixion, and the religious leaders who masterminded it, would be at the top of the list.

Part of me wonders what might have happened if Jesus had not prayed asking God the Father to forgive them. If forgiveness had not been specifically asked for, would these soldiers be held directly responsible by God for Jesus’ death, even though they were just following orders in a chain of command that extended beyond each individual?

Another thought I have while reading this prayer is that Jesus is referring to a greater number of people than what we might realize on first glance. While the context of this passage points to the soldiers and all those who were hostile towards Jesus in that generation being the reason Jesus faced the cross, the bigger picture is that Jesus faced the cross because sin had spread universally through the human race. Because of one man, Adam, choosing his wife over God’s only rule, sin infected the human race. While I have no idea what would have happened if Adam had chosen to reject the offer of fruit, because Adam chose to eat the fruit, sin became normalized throughout humanity. This means that sin affecting our lives is completely outside of our control, and one could say it is the fault of our earliest ancestors.

However, God decided that instead of abandoning us, He would create an escape route through love and forgiveness. This love and forgiveness is exactly in line with God’s character, but there was a small problem that also had to be dealt with relating to God’s character.

Prior to sin entering the human race, one angel decided to accuse God of not being just or fair. While the specific details of this accusation are not fully known, there is a charge against God that He cannot be just, fair, loving, and compassionate at the same time – especially when sin is involved. The loving nature of God would be inclined to forgive and offer grace to the sinner, while the just, fair, and objective nature of God would require that the sinner face judgment.

From the very origins of earth, humanity has been a battleground in the conflict over good versus evil and the ultimate character of God. For most of earth’s history, most outside observers likely would conclude that God was losing this battle.

However, Jesus came to do more than set the record straight. Jesus came to blend God’s character together, allowing for justice and grace. Jesus unified God’s character by being divine and taking the punishment for sin on Himself. This way, the accusation that God is not fair or just is satisfied, because punishment was given for sin. Jesus also solved the accusation that said God could not equally be loving and compassionate because the only reason for Him to face death for someone else is because of love and compassion. By facing death, Jesus defeated Satan’s impossible looking challenge against God’s character by both proving God was willing to punish sin while also extending grace towards those who had sinned.

Jesus’ prayer, which was foreshadowed in the psalms of David, paint a picture of God’s love for sinners. Jesus’ prayer for forgiveness extends outwards from the immediate soldiers who actively nailed Him to the cross to the whole human race that had been infected by sin, and this prayer of forgiveness is answerable because Jesus accepted the penalty for all the sins of humanity on Himself.

One man, Adam, caused sin to enter humanity, and one Man, Jesus, paid the penalty for this sin, opening the way for God to extend grace for all who are willing to accept it. This is the great news of the gospel, and it is the great news tucked within the darkest point of human history.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open by challenging you, intentionally seek God first in your life and accept the payment Jesus paid on your behalf for the sins in your life. Choose to place your faith, hope, trust, and belief in Jesus as a way to say thank you for everything He has done for you – and especially for the salvation He has provided through His death on the cross.

Also, continue to grow your relationship with God by praying and studying the Bible for yourself. Through prayer and Bible study, discover a God who loves you more than you might realize, and a God who is passionately interested in redeeming you from sin and inviting you into eternity.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or say no to where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Year of Prophecy – Episode 34: As we turn our attention onto Jesus’ time on the cross, discover an unexpected detail in the crucifixion event, and how this detail was not only foreshadowed in the Old Testament, but how it also sweeps aside Satan’s claim against God’s character.

Join the discussion. Share your thoughts on this passage.

Remembering Your Past: John 8:31-59

Published August 20, 2025 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: John 8:31-59 (NIV)

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”

39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the works of your own father.”

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

48 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”

49 “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

52 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

Read John 8:31-59 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

One thing I have always found interesting about the dialog in this passage is that it seems as though Jesus is interested in ticking the religious leaders off. The passage opens by pointing out that Jesus is addressing the Jews who believed in Him, and it ends with them picking up stones to throw at Him.

However, one response they give Jesus stands out in my mind. In verse 33, they respond by saying, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

While Jesus is clearly referring to being trapped in a sinful lifestyle, reading the response these leaders give Jesus makes me think they have truly fallen out of touch with their nation’s history. There were hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt, many back-to-back decades of slavery during the period of the judges when the people left worshiping God, and then a little event called the exile where the Assyrians and the Babylonians almost completely emptied the nation of Israel & Judah taking the people away to be slaves.

Interestingly enough, when Moses reminds the nation of Israel about the Ten Commandments before handing the leadership over to Joshua, he shifts the reason behind the Sabbath commandment to one that focused on Israel’s history (instead of focusing on humanity’s origin). When God shared the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, He gives the following reason for blessing the seventh day in verse 11: “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

However, when Moses reminds the nation of Israel about the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5, he instead gives this reason in verse 15: “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.”

What Moses did here is fascinating, and putting his words next to the response the Jewish leaders give Jesus shows just how far they had forgotten their heritage. By saying that they had never been slaves to anyone, they are also choosing to ignore Moses, who told them to remember their former slavery in Egypt. The generation Moses told was mostly born while wandering the desert, so technically, they wouldn’t have known the life of slavery like their parents had.

This leads into the big idea I see in this passage: Don’t forget where you came from, or the struggles you faced while making it to where you are right now. It is easier to see how God has moved in the past bringing you to where you are right now. Looking for God in the present is possible, but He is harder to see as clearly.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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An Example for All Believers: John 13:1-17

Published August 19, 2025 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: John 13:1-17 (NIV)

1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Read John 13:1-17 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

Following Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, the gospel of John tells us that Jesus shares why He did this. While one semi-obvious reason was to give the disciples a picture into how God’s character includes humility, John tells us that Jesus shares another reason.

In John’s gospel, as Jesus sits down after finishing washing the disciples’ feet, He first asks the group a question: “Do you understand what I have done for you?” but without even giving the disciples a chance to respond, Jesus continues by saying, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (v. 12-15)

John tells us in his gospel that Jesus modeled humility because He wants us to model humility. While the idea of washing someone’s feet is awkward, I doubt the level of awkwardness hasn’t changed much in the 2,000 years since Jesus told His followers to continue to do this.

But what I do know is that there are few ways we could more visibly show our humility towards another person than by washing their feet. When washing another person’s feet, a level of humility must be present in both people involved. Some people are self-conscious about their feet, and it takes a certain level of humility to let someone else touch their feet. Other people don’t mind having other people touch their feet, but they feel awkward about washing the feet of someone else. These people have the opportunity to display humility by actually bending down to wash the feet of someone else.

The foot washing example and instruction is something we all would benefit from incorporating into our spiritual lives. When we display the level of humility and submission that foot washing takes, it draws us together in ways that can be difficult to describe. Foot washing helps us remember Jesus, it helps us stay humble, and it helps us be united as a group of believers. Foot washing helps us be the people God wants us to be.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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