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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Miracles in Our Pasts: John 6:22-59

Published January 6, 2023 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: John 6:22-59 (NCV)

22 The next day the people who had stayed on the other side of the lake knew that Jesus had not gone in the boat with his followers but that they had left without him. And they knew that only one boat had been there. 23 But then some boats came from Tiberias and landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 When the people saw that Jesus and his followers were not there now, they got into boats and went to Capernaum to find Jesus.

25 When the people found Jesus on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Teacher, when did you come here?”

26 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you aren’t looking for me because you saw me do miracles. You are looking for me because you ate the bread and were satisfied. 27 Don’t work for the food that spoils. Work for the food that stays good always and gives eternal life. The Son of Man will give you this food, because on him God the Father has put his power.”

28 The people asked Jesus, “What are the things God wants us to do?”

29 Jesus answered, “The work God wants you to do is this: Believe the One he sent.”

30 So the people asked, “What miracle will you do? If we see a miracle, we will believe you. What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the desert. This is written in the Scriptures: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven; it is my Father who is giving you the true bread from heaven. 33 God’s bread is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 The people said, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

35 Then Jesus said, “I am the bread that gives life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you before, you have seen me and still don’t believe. 37 The Father gives me the people who are mine. Every one of them will come to me, and I will always accept them. 38 I came down from heaven to do what God wants me to do, not what I want to do. 39 Here is what the One who sent me wants me to do: I must not lose even one whom God gave me, but I must raise them all on the last day. 40 Those who see the Son and believe in him have eternal life, and I will raise them on the last day. This is what my Father wants.”

41 Some people began to complain about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that comes down from heaven.” 42 They said, “This is Jesus, the son of Joseph. We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

43 But Jesus answered, “Stop complaining to each other. 44 The Father is the One who sent me. No one can come to me unless the Father draws him to me, and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 I tell you the truth, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread that gives life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but still they died. 50 Here is the bread that comes down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give up so that the world may have life.”

52 Then the evil people began to argue among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

53 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, you must eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood. Otherwise, you won’t have real life in you. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day. 55 My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them. 57 The living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father. So whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 I am not like the bread your ancestors ate. They ate that bread and still died. I am the bread that came down from heaven, and whoever eats this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said all these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Read John 6:22-59 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

During one of Jesus’ conversations with a crowd of people, they ask Him a simple, profound question that has amazing relevance for our lives today. This group of people cuts through all the noise of that culture by asking Jesus the simple question, “What are the things God wants us to do?” (v. 28)

While this is a simple question, it is also a powerful one for us to pay attention to, because it is within Jesus’ answer that we have the basis for what God wants each of us to do if we are intentionally choosing to side with Him. In this question, the crowd subtly opens the door for multiple answers by including a plural in their question. This crowd wants Jesus’ version of God’s “to-do list”, because they were all too familiar with the lists of the Pharisees and other religious leaders.

However, while the crowd wanted a list, Jesus gives a single item for His response. Jesus responded by telling the people, “The work God wants you to do is this: Believe the One he sent.” (v. 29)

Believing in this context is an active belief that the One God had sent would be worthy and deserving of our trust, our devotion, our acceptance, and our obedience. The answer is simple, but it is also incredibly challenging.

Sensing that Jesus was hinting at Himself in this response, the crowd responds by saying, “What miracle will you do? If we see a miracle, we will believe you. What will you do?” (v. 30)

While Jesus criticizes others for asking for a miracle, what is amazing to me is that this group of people even has the audacity to ask it in the first place. The event opens by saying that these are people who were present when Jesus fed the large crowd of over 5,000. While not everyone in this “day after” crowd was present for the previous day’s miracle, I’m confident there would have been many present who had witnesses the bread multiplication miracle.

Reading this response draws my attention to a challenging principle this crowd demonstrates through their request. This principle says that often, it is difficult to believe without having seen something clearly – and unfortunately, we are too quick to rationalize our past than to look for the ways God was moving our lives. Too often, the miracles of yesterday are overshadowed by the problems of today, and doubt tries to minimize the ways God has worked miracles in our pasts.

The way we challenge this is by intentionally looking for ways God is moving in our lives, and if we ever see something that we could classify as a coincidence, it may be better for us to understand it as providence – which is another way of saying that it was God working behind the scenes.

While we are quick to demand signs on the front end, often times, God seems to be more than willing to draw our attention onto our pasts, and let the ways He has helped our lives in the past be the evidence for our faith in Him today.

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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Why Another Gospel: Luke 1:1-4

Published January 5, 2023 in Audio Journal Entries

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As we start this new year off, we turn our attention onto Luke’s gospel. Luke’s gospel is one of my favorite gospels, Luke’s gospel also happens to be the longest of the four gospels, and Luke’s gospel is written with a skeptic in mind. Unlike the other three gospels, Luke’s account of Jesus’ life appears to be written for one specific person who is deciding what to make of all that he is hearing about this person named Jesus. The first four verses of Luke’s gospel describe why he wrote this gospel, and these verses give context for not only Luke’s gospel, but also the angle Luke is writing his gospel from.

It is worth noting that some skeptics and scholars have challenged the idea that Luke’s gospel was written by an early follower named Luke. However, for the purposes of our time in this gospel, we will assume it was written by someone named Luke, whether or not it was the Luke that many people believe or don’t believe was the author.

Let’s read Luke’s opening words and unpack what we can learn about why Luke wrote this gospel, and what we can take and use as a foundation for our year focusing in on Luke’s gospel. Our passage is found at the very beginning of Luke’s gospel, which is chapter 1, and we will read from the God’s Word translation. Starting in verse 1, Luke begins by writing:

1 Many have attempted to write about what had taken place among us. 2 They received their information from those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of God’s word from the beginning, and they passed it on to us. 3 I, too, have followed everything closely from the beginning. So I thought it would be a good idea to write an orderly account for Your Excellency, Theophilus. 4 In this way you will know that what you’ve been told is true.

In these four verses, there is a lot of information that is useful for us to focus in on, but one question many people ask that doesn’t have a great answer is who was Theophilus? Many theories are present, but as I did a quick bit of research, none seemed to stand out more significantly in my mind.

The name Theophilus means “friend of God” or “beloved by God” which I thought was interesting, and this meaning has prompted one theory that Theophilus wasn’t a specific person but a generic term Luke used to direct his gospel at all friends of God.

Other theories include that Theophilus was a Jew from Alexandria, that he was a Roman official, that he was Paul’s lawyer while Paul was in Rome, or even that he was a Jewish priest. While we don’t know definitively who Theophilus was or was not, Luke writes his gospel with skill and clarity to help people on the fence decide that Jesus is worth paying attention to and to clear up confusion regarding what people were hearing Jesus did verses what He did not do.

Verse 4 draws our attention to this detail when Luke tells Theophilus that “in this way you will know that what you’ve been told is true”.

However, before going too far forward with this assumption, we might want to ask ourselves if we can trust Luke?

In Luke’s gospel, we have a number of unique challenges, and while this question isn’t one that is pleasant to ask, it is one we should at least tackle briefly.

When I read this introduction, it is worth noting that Luke is not actually building a case for believing in Jesus. Instead, Luke frames this gospel as being more like a second witness in a case rather than the first. Following Matthew and Mark, as well as some other accounts that were lost in history, Luke steps in as an additional witness to confirm who Jesus was. Repeating verse 4, Luke writes, “in this way you will know that what you’ve been told is true”.

Luke writes his gospel to help confirm the truth about Jesus in the minds of people who were uncertain whether they should believe all they were hearing about Jesus, especially when much of what was being shared seemed hard to believe.

Another question for Luke is where he is coming from when he is writing this gospel, or in other words, what angle is Luke writing from? Is Luke an insider or an outsider when he is writing this gospel, as well as the book of Acts?

While answering this question might take more time than we have left for this episode, Luke steps into the story of the early church in the book of Acts and he is mentioned by Paul in several of Paul’s letters. There are several sections of Acts where the writer switches to using first person narration, while the bulk of Acts is written in the third person.

Some people believe Luke was a Greek convert to Christianity, while other people believe Luke was a Hellenistic Jew, which simply means that Luke was a Jew that had blended aspects of Greek culture and philosophy into his Jewish faith prior to becoming a Christ follower.

However, is Luke writing from the inside perspective, or from an outside perspective for this gospel?

The end of verse 1, Luke gives us a clue. Verse 1 says, “Many have attempted to write about what had taken place among us.” Luke uses the phrase among us, which tells me that Luke is writing this account as someone who is part of the early church. Luke then quantifies who he means when describing the group he is a part of in verse 2 by saying, “They received their information from those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of God’s word from the beginning, and they passed it on to us.”

While Luke is primarily describing the authors of other gospels focusing on Jesus, he also is subtly framing his own gospel about Jesus as he describes all gospel writers receiving information from eyewitnesses and servants of God’s word. However, instead of describing his gospel as being a several steps removed and being based on other author’s work, Luke describes his gospel as being a passion of his that he had followed early on. The first part of verse 3 describes this when Luke says, “I, too, have followed everything closely from the beginning.”

From this framing of Luke’s gospel, we see that Luke is interested in writing a parallel gospel to what was already written as a way of confirming the witness of the other writers. As we will see while moving through Luke’s gospel, many of the events Luke includes parallel the events in Matthew and Mark, but Luke often includes different subtle details, leading me to believe that Luke did his own research on the same events.

As we dive into Luke’s gospel, expect to be impacted by how Luke frames Jesus’ life and expect to be challenged along with me as we focus in on what Luke confirms happened during Jesus’ life and ministry in the first century!

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

Like I always challenge you to do, intentionally and purposefully seek God first in your life and open your heart and mind to what He wants to teach you through Jesus and through what the gospels describe Jesus to be. Jesus came not only to give His life as a sacrifice, but Jesus also came to show us what God is like. Luke helps confirm for us if we have doubts whether or not we should place our faith in Jesus.

Also, always pray and study the Bible for yourself. Don’t let a pastor, podcaster, author, or speaker determine the truth for you. Instead, use the multiple witnesses included in the Bible to make up your own mind. God has preserved and emphasized the four gospels as His record of Jesus’ life, and as we move through Luke’s gospel in our podcast episodes for this year, open your mind to what God wants to teach you through this amazing gospel.

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

Year in Luke – Episode 1: When looking at how Luke’s gospel opens, discover why we should pay attention to Luke, and why it is beneficial for us to have multiple records of Jesus’ life and ministry.

Join the discussion. Share your thoughts on this passage.

Jesus Wept Again: Luke 19:41-44

Published January 4, 2023 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: Luke 19:41-44 (GNT)

 41 He [Jesus] came closer to the city, and when he saw it, he wept over it, 42 saying,
         If you only knew today what is needed for peace! But now you cannot see it! 43 The time will come when your enemies will surround you with barricades, blockade you, and close in on you from every side. 44 They will completely destroy you and the people within your walls; not a single stone will they leave in its place, because you did not recognize the time when God came to save you!

Read Luke 19:41-44 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

In the gospel record of Jesus’ life, we have two recorded instances where Jesus cried. The passage we are focusing on today includes one of these two occasions, but for this journal entry, I want to focus on something we can learn by looking at both of these occasions side by side. By looking at these two verses side by side, there is an interesting side of Jesus’ character that we can discover.

Without delay, here are the two verses:

  • “He [Jesus] came closer to the city, and when he saw it, he wept over it, . . . ” (v. 41)
  • “Jesus wept. ‘See how much he loved him [Lazarus]!’ the people said.” (John 11:35-36)

These are the only two verses that I am aware of where Jesus cries, and when we look at the contexts, they are very distinct.

In Luke’s passage, Jesus is weeping over Jerusalem (His city & His chosen people) and about how they have continually rejected Him.

In John’s passage, Jesus weeps over the lost life of someone He loved – a friend. This is a strange place for Jesus to “cry”, especially knowing that Lazarus will not remain dead for much longer. This makes me wonder if there is something else going on in this passage that we don’t initially see.

When we place these two passages side by side, looking at what causes Jesus to cry, we get the following big thought: Jesus cares deeply over both His chosen people, and His close friends. He loves every single being (person, animal, angel) that has ever been created/born, and He does not want anyone to perish. He also loves the people who He (God) has set apart to be a light to the rest of the world.

We can bring great joy to the heart of God when we follow Jesus both individually and collectively.

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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Looking Back to See God: John 12:12-19

Published January 3, 2023 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: John 12:12-19 (NIV)

12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
    see, your king is coming,
    seated on a donkey’s colt.”

16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

Read John 12:12-19 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

In John’s gospel, we learn that when Jesus rode the young donkey into Jerusalem, He was fulfilling a prophecy. After sharing the prophecy itself, John includes an interesting statement that says a lot about human nature and life.

“At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.” (v. 16)

This idea is incredibly significant because it describes our lives and situations just as accurately as it described what the disciples realized. At first Jesus’ disciples had no idea the significance of what was happening, but only when they looked back were they able to put the pieces together and see how Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem was significant.

This also speaks to you and I.

Very rarely do we realize just how God is moving when we face events, challenges, or trials in our lives. When we are in the middle of something big or hard, it is sometimes easy to forget God – especially in challenges that require us to use our ability to solve the problem. For challenges that come where we have no way of impacting the results, in some ways, it is easier to lean on God than in the other times. It is like saying, “When God is the only option, I’ll trust Him, because after all is said and done, what else can I do?”

However, this attitude fails to capture how God wants to be in our lives. God doesn’t want to be our last resort; He wants to be our first choice. Sometimes, He will lead us to use our ability in a certain way to solve the challenge, while other times, He brings in outside help from others.

But one of the big truths we can learn in this phrase is that we are best able to see how God has moved, directed, and guided our lives when we look back on our past. Looking at our past helps us put all the pieces in place and when we are looking for God, we are able to see how He has moved and directed us to where we are today.

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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