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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Learning from the Four: John 19:28-37

Published September 6, 2024 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: John 19:28-37 (GW)

28 After this, when Jesus knew that everything had now been finished, he said, “I’m thirsty.” He said this so that Scripture could finally be concluded.

29 A jar filled with vinegar was there. So the soldiers put a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick and held it to his mouth.

30 After Jesus had taken the vinegar, he said, “It is finished!”

Then he bowed his head and died.

31 Since it was Friday and the next day was an especially important day of rest—a holy day, the Jews didn’t want the bodies to stay on the crosses. So they asked Pilate to have the men’s legs broken and their bodies removed. 32 The soldiers broke the legs of the first man and then of the other man who had been crucified with Jesus.

33 When the soldiers came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they didn’t break his legs. 34 However, one of the soldiers stabbed Jesus’ side with his spear, and blood and water immediately came out. 35 The one who saw this is an eyewitness. What he says is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth so that you, too, will believe.

36 This happened so that the Scripture would come true: “None of his bones will be broken.” 37 Another Scripture passage says, “They will look at the person whom they have stabbed.”

Read John 19:28-37 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

The gospel of John is an interesting gospel. Not only does it give us a unique perspective on Jesus’ life, John seems to paint a picture for us about who Jesus is, instead of who He was. The other gospel writers dig into an assortment of events that give us an overview of Jesus’ life, His ministry, His death, and His resurrection, but John strategically pulls events together to paint a picture of Jesus as not just a prophet or famous person, but as the Messiah who God had sent.

Luke opens his gospel by sharing that his gospel is a collection of interviews with people who were eyewitnesses. Mark may have been one of Jesus’ followers who was not part of the group of 12 disciples, so his gospel is likely put together by talking with Jesus’ disciples themselves. Matthew was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, and he paints his gospel around how Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecy.

But in the events surrounding Jesus’ death, while Matthew is probably the most detailed writer at the moment Jesus died, it is John who draws our attention to a set of prophecies that Matthew missed or chose to not include. In John, following Jesus taking His last breath, the Jewish leaders convince Pilate to expedite the men’s deaths by breaking their legs.

However, because Jesus was already dead, they skip breaking His legs, and instead thrust a spear into His side to confirm His death. John tells us the significance of these two details of Jesus death: “This happened so that the Scripture would come true: ‘None of his bones will be broken.’ Another Scripture passage says, ‘They will look at the person whom they have stabbed.’” (v. 36-37)

This is one of the very few places where a gospel writer includes a prophetic detail of Jesus’ life that Matthew does not include. Perhaps this was because John was the only eyewitness who connected these dots, or maybe Matthew didn’t include it because He was not present for it.

What this tells me most importantly about the four gospels is that all four gospels are important and each of the four gospels has a place in helping us understand who Jesus was, who He is, and who He came to be. All four gospels can teach us something distinct about Jesus, and by including all four gospels, we can see a much better picture of Jesus the Messiah.

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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The Holy Spirit Promise: John 16:1-33

Published September 5, 2024 in Audio Journal Entries

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On the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested, while Judas Iscariot and the religious leaders are gathering the mob to arrest Jesus, Jesus spends the first part of His remaining time with the disciples teaching them and giving them reasons for hope.

Over the past few episodes, we have looked at what John has told us about Jesus’ last message to His followers leading up to His arrest, and in this episode, we’ll continue looking at Jesus’ words, including a promise Jesus emphasizes, but that the disciples might not have fully understood until later.

With this said, let’s dive into our passage. Our passage for this episode is found in John, chapter 16, and we will read it using the New International Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 1, John records Jesus saying to the disciples:

1 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you,

5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”

17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”

31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

In this late-night message to Jesus’ disciples, two portions of this passage stand out in my mind. The first is when Jesus is sharing three primary roles for the Holy Spirit, also known as the Advocate according to this translation. Jesus promised us in verse 9 that when the Holy Spirit comes, He would “prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment”. Jesus then clarifies these three points in verses 9 through 11. The truth about sin, specifically our past sins, is that they only really matters if we do not believe in Jesus. The truth about righteousness, referring to personal integrity and having a Godly character, is found in Jesus standing in heaven as our advocate. And the truth about the judgment is that it is guaranteed to happen because the prince of this world, referring to Satan, stands as condemned.

While each of these points could be the focus of a full length sermon, before our time runs out, there is one other idea that Jesus shared in this passage I want to draw our attention to.

In some segments of Christianity today, there is the belief that God is looking at those in the world with anger and hostility, but that Jesus is holding the Father’s anger back. Whenever a prayer comes in, it might go to Jesus, who would petition for this prayer to be answered by God. However, this belief runs contrary to Jesus’ message to His followers that night. Verses 26 and 27 clearly draw out the truth about God the Father and His attitude towards us: “In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”

Jesus tells us that God the Father loves us and that He is willing to hear and answer our prayers. We can, and should, ask our prayers in Jesus’ name, but all too often, slapping the phrase, “In Jesus’ name” at the end of our prayers is less heartfelt and more cliché than we might want to admit. When we come before God with our prayers, it is beneficial to come in Jesus’ name, because it reminds us about what Jesus accomplished for us, but we should never cheapen our prayers to God with clichés. Clichés hurt our prayers unless we intentionally mean the words that we are saying.

While there is more we could focus in on, it will need to wait for another time. With that said, as we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life and choose to welcome the Holy Spirit into your heart. Understand the three primary roles the Holy Spirit has and let Him teach you the truth about sin, the truth about righteousness, and the truth about the judgment. While Satan has lies spread throughout culture about all three of these things, trust that when we lean on the Holy Spirit for God’s truth, He will lead us into God’s truth in each of these topics.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself, being intentional about inviting the Holy Spirit into your study time. Since the Holy Spirit is behind the inspiration of the Bible, there is no better Teacher for our minds when trying to understand the Bible than the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit for help studying, and don’t be surprised when He draws your attention onto new insights you never have seen before.

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 drift away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Year in John – Episode 36: On the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested, Jesus promises His followers the gift of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus shares some of the Holy Spirit’s main responsibilities. Discover why we need the Holy Spirit, and what God the Father really things about each of us.

Join the discussion. Share your thoughts on this passage.

Looking Down or Stepping Down: Luke 18:9-14

Published September 4, 2024 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Read Luke 18:9-14 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

If you have ever been used as an illustration in someone’s sermon/presentation, or if you feel as though someone based their sermon on something you did or something you said, you are not alone.

Prior to studying this entry’s passage, I had not ever noticed verse 9, which sets up this entire teaching: “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable”.

I wonder if those in the audience did something that prompted Jesus to conclude this, or if this was simply another time when the Holy Spirit shared people’s thoughts with Jesus. We may never know, but we do know that this verse clearly sets up the theme and foundation for Jesus’ upcoming parable.

 Jesus parable has two characters: one who represented a person who was overly confident in his righteousness, and one who was humble and who acknowledged his need for forgiveness.

The opening verse clearly draws a parallel between the confident people in the crowd and the confident man praying in the temple within the parable. Without saying it directly, Jesus pulls back the curtain on how God views our actions and what He thinks of our attitude.

When I read this verse, the idea of “confidence” challenges me. I don’t think confidence in itself is the problem. After all, we can be confident in many positive things.

What I think is the root problem is these people’s attitude: they believe they have arrived and have achieved a “God-like” righteousness, and they look down on all those who haven’t made it here.

These two ideas stand in contrast with each other because God doesn’t “look down” – He steps down. The confident people in the crowd may have been really close to “God-like” standard, but without the love necessary in their lives to step down to help those in need, they failed.

However, God’s goal for us is not to live to the standard. History has made it very clear that this is impossible for a sinful race. Instead, God sent Jesus to live that life for us, but that brings with it a second challenge – we must accept God’s gift by acknowledging that we need Jesus’ life to replace ours.

The second man who prayed – the one who humbled himself and asked God for forgiveness and help – received the approval He asked for.

This leads to Jesus’ big idea in verse 14: “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

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!

Subscribe to this blog and never miss an insight.

The Naked Disciple: Mark 14:43-52

Published September 3, 2024 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: Mark 14:43-52 (NLT)

43 And immediately, even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders. 44 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard.” 45 As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. “Rabbi!” he exclaimed, and gave him the kiss.

46 Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 47 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.

48 Jesus asked them, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? 49 Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there among you teaching every day. But these things are happening to fulfill what the Scriptures say about me.”

50 Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away. 51 One young man following behind was clothed only in a long linen shirt. When the mob tried to grab him, 52 he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked.

Read Mark 14:43-52 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

In all the commotion surrounding Jesus’ arrest in the garden, every gospel writer shares something unique during this key point in Jesus’ night before His crucifixion. However, out of all the gospel writers, Mark shares with us a detail that is incredibly unique.

This detail actually is even more interesting because it is one of the very, very few places that Mark shares something that at least one of the other gospel writers don’t.

At the very end of Mark’s version of this event, we read, “Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away. One young man following behind was clothed only in a long linen shirt. When the mob tried to grab him, he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked.” (v. 50-52)

While all the gospel writers include the disciples fleeing the scene, only Mark includes a detail about a young man barely escaping – only able to do so naked. Some people believe this detail to be from Mark himself, who was the author of this gospel. If this is the case, then with Jesus at the garden may have been more followers than just the twelve disciples.

However, Mark the gospel writer may have included this detail about one of the lesser famous members of Jesus group of twelve.

What this detail tells me about Jesus is that His promise and statement was true. Mark includes the closest that any of the mob came to arresting one of Jesus’ followers, and even then, they were not successful.

In this odd detail for Mark to include, my faith in God’s protection is strengthened. Sure, our enemies may get the shirt off my back, but Jesus has promised to keep me safe for eternity! And this is a promise that means way more than a piece of clothing that can be replaced!

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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