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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Like Father, Like Son: John 5:16-47

Published June 5, 2026 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: John 5:16-47 (NIV)

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.

33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

41 “I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

Read John 5:16-47 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

In one of the earlier conflicts Jesus had with the Jewish leaders, we find Jesus sharing some pretty amazing things. Following Jesus healing a paraplegic man at a pool, John shares how the Jewish leaders were upset at the reality that this miracle happened on the Sabbath day.

John tells us that “because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.” (v. 16)

It would seem that had it not been for extreme Sabbath regulations that they had put in place, the Jewish leaders might not have had any issue with Jesus – at least until they became jealous of His popularity. John tells us that in Jesus’ defense, He replied to them saying, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” (v. 17)

Had the Jewish leaders not had this confrontation with Jesus over Sabbath observance, they wouldn’t have had another reason to stand against Him. Because of this response, the Jewish leaders “tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” (v. 18)

The interesting thing in my mind about the initial stages of this confrontation with the Jewish leaders is that Jesus never denies the claim about working on the Sabbath. Perhaps this is because Jesus didn’t believe His actions to be work, or maybe it is because He wanted to draw their attention onto something greater that was happening at that moment in time. If Jesus had gone down the path of trying to redefine the concept of “work” with these Jewish leaders, it would have been a lost cause, because defining “work” was what these Jewish leaders were experts at doing.

Instead, Jesus draws in someone else who works on the Sabbath, and by placing God in the position of His Father, Jesus simply has to lean on the cultural cliché that says “like father, like son”.

Jesus drew the attention of everyone present onto the idea that there is something bigger at “work” regarding Sabbath rest. Jesus did not claim that He wasn’t working, but He also didn’t sweep the commandment aside either. In other places, Jesus elevates the Sabbath away from a list of restrictions for the day, and He instead frames it as a day where we are free to do good deeds and help others.

Blending that idea with this one, the message I see in Jesus’ initial response to the Jewish leaders is that the Sabbath was intended to be a blessing, not a burden and the Sabbath should be more about worship than about avoiding work.

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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Being a Neighbor: Luke 10:25-37

Published June 4, 2026 in Audio Journal Entries

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As we move through the gospels and the parables Jesus shared, we come to an illustration that is definitely a story Jesus shared, but unlike many of Jesus’ other parables, it is so realistic that it may have actually happened. I’m confident that those listening to Jesus’ story were not surprised by the way any of the characters acted, that is except for one.

Let’s read this illustration and discover what we can learn from Jesus’ message to the crowd. Our passage is found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 10, and we will read it from the Contemporary English Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 25, Luke tells us that:

25 An expert in the Law of Moses stood up and asked Jesus a question to see what he would say. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to have eternal life?”

26 Jesus answered, “What is written in the Scriptures? How do you understand them?”

27 The man replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.’ They also say, ‘Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.’”

28 Jesus said, “You have given the right answer. If you do this, you will have eternal life.”

29 But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about. So he asked Jesus, “Who are my neighbors?”

Let’s pause for a moment right here before reading Jesus’ reply. In this first portion of this conversation, Jesus has just given a very simple formula for gaining eternal life. Eternal life is gained by loving God with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength, and all our mind, and through loving our neighbors as much as we love ourselves.

This seems like a pretty straightforward formula, but it is one that many people seem to have trouble with. I remember a neighborhood meeting of people living in my neighborhood where someone became agitated over how someone else had parked their vehicle. When the suggestion was made that this person talk to the owner of the vehicle, the quick, almost instantaneous reply, was that the owner of the vehicle was not this individual’s neighbor. The term neighbor apparently is a very subjective term, because I would think that those living in my “neighborhood” would be considered my neighbors, while this person was applying the term neighbor to the homes in the neighborhood that were directly around his.

Perhaps this question was in the experts mind when he followed up his question to Jesus by asking who his neighbor was. From the context of our passage, I get the impression that this leader wanted to know where the line was between excluding people from help versus including them in our help. The term neighbor was a noun that needed defining.

Let’s read Jesus’ response and the illustration Jesus shares answering this question:

Continuing in verse 30:

30 Jesus replied:

As a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, robbers attacked him and grabbed everything he had. They beat him up and ran off, leaving him half dead.

31 A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he walked by on the other side. 32 Later a temple helper came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side.

33 A man from Samaria then came traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him 34 and went over to him. He treated his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, “Please take care of the man. If you spend more than this on him, I will pay you when I return.”

36 Then Jesus asked, “Which one of these three people was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers?”

37 The teacher answered, “The one who showed pity.”

Jesus said, “Go and do the same!”

In this parable-illustration, the person who showed pity was the least likely candidate for showing mercy. This parable contains two representatives for God who do nothing, while a secular, non-religious person steps in to help.

Oddly enough, Jesus’ illustration here has become so well known that when thinking of a Samaritan, we often think of the fictional one in Jesus’ story here and not on any of the others, many of whom rejected Jesus and were hostile towards the Jews.

Also, while this illustration is prompted by a Jewish religious leader who wanted a definition for the term neighbor so he could know the groups that are included while also knowing those that are excluded, Jesus does not define neighbor as a noun, but as a verb. Jesus’ illustration does not overly focus on the nationality of those present. Instead, Jesus’ illustration focuses on what the neighborly individual did to help the one in need.

This passage ends with one of the most challenging commissions we can think of. Jesus concludes by saying in verse 37, “Go and do the same!”

It is in this challenge, which is connected to this illustration, where we get the true definition of what it means to love our neighbor. Nothing changes Jesus’ confirmation that loving God with everything we are and with everything we have is central for our salvation. However, with this illustration, we have a definition and a central focus for what it means to love our neighbor.

According to this parable, loving our neighbor means genuinely helping those in need when we see them in our life. Every situation is different, but we are called to be a neighbor rather than simply keep our eyes open for our literal neighbors. Jesus has called us to help those in need who He brings into our path.

The Good Samaritan didn’t start his journey thinking that he would find someone who needed help, but when his path came to someone needing help, it didn’t matter that this Samaritan had no idea who the injured man was, or even that others had refused to help. The Samaritan knew that he could help, and he chose to do so.

Being a neighbor is helping because God has brought someone into our path who needs help, and being a neighbor is choosing to help simply because that is who God has called us to be. Like Jesus challenged those present for this teaching to do, we too should “Go and do the same!”

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

As I regularly challenge you to do, be sure you always seek God first. Remember that while this passage focused mainly on being a neighbor, the context also stressed the importance of placing God first in our lives. Be sure that you are loving and serving God while also helping others as God brings them into your path.

In order to keep your connection with God strong, keep praying and studying the Bible for yourself and grow your personal relationship with God even more. Don’t let me or anyone else get between you and God. Focus on growing your relationship with God and let Him lead and direct your path towards those who need your help!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, run away from, chicken out of, or deviate away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Year of Parables – Episode 23: In one of His more famous parables, discover how Jesus defines for us the term neighbor, and why being a neighbor is important in God’s eyes.

Join the discussion. Share your thoughts on this passage.

Testing Jesus in Your Life: John 7:10-24

Published June 3, 2026 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: John 7:10-24 (NASB)

There are several points we could talk about in this passage, but one really big idea that I want to focus on in this post are Jesus’ words in verse 17: “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.”

This verse jumped off the page at me because it is so simple, but also so profound. Those who are doing the will of God are the ones who will be able to clearly tell whether Jesus’ teaching is from God or whether Jesus was false. It is by obeying God that we are able to test Jesus’ truth, and by obeying God, He will make it clear to us the nature and role Jesus should have in our lives.

Too many people want to talk, preach, or speak a powerful message, and many can inspire and motivate large crowds. The real test though isn’t what someone says, but what they do. Actions are more important to God than intentions. We cannot be perfect as Christ is perfect, but we can be willing to be used by God to bring joy to others, and we can admit that we need Jesus and His sacrifice to bridge the gap sin created between God and us.

It is by doing God’s will that we are able to bring clarity in our lives regarding Jesus and His teaching.

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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Using Our Pain: Matthew 8:1-4

Published June 2, 2026 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: Matthew 8:1-4 (NCV)

1 When Jesus came down from the hill, great crowds followed him. 2 Then a man with a skin disease came to Jesus. The man bowed down before him and said, “Lord, you can heal me if you will.”

3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I will. Be healed!” And immediately the man was healed from his disease. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. But go and show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded for people who are made well. This will show the people what I have done.”

Read Matthew 8:1-4 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

Early on in Jesus’ ministry, we learn about a miracle He did for a man with a skin disease. Matthew’s gospel places this event after Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount”, and specifically as Jesus was coming down from the hill.

What makes this healing unique in my mind is what it says about the man requesting healing, and more importantly, what this healing says about Jesus’ character towards those who are hurting. Matthew sets up this event by writing, “When Jesus came down from the hill, great crowds followed him. Then a man with a skin disease came to Jesus. The man bowed down before him and said, ‘Lord, you can heal me if you will.’” (v. 1-2)

The thing that I find amazing about this request is that the man is completely open to the possibility that Jesus might not want to make him well. He acknowledges Jesus’ healing power, but he also recognizes that there might be a purpose for his condition that God wants to still use. In a very unique and spiritually mature way, this man, through his request, is open to whatever God’s will is for his body, whether it is to continue living with disease, or whether it is healing.

However, in response to the man’s request, Matthew tells us that, “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I will. Be healed!” And immediately the man was healed from his disease.” (v. 3)

This miracle is amazing in my mind because it tells me that God’s first plan for all of us (we could call this “His will”) is that none of us are sick. The man asks what God’s will is regarding him being healed and the response is both quick and clear that God wants to make him well.

But this might not be the case for everyone. In the world today, sometimes there are people who get sick and they don’t get better. Sometimes sickness ultimately leads to death. This passage clearly states that this is not God’s will (i.e. God’s first plan), but it does allow for God to use the place we are in for His glory.

Perhaps He wants to plant a seed or leave an impression on a doctor or nurse through interacting with you, or maybe He has a divine appointment in mind with a fellow patient. God may even be protecting us from something worse. It’s truly hard to know in the moment what God’s reasons are, but whatever reasons He has, chances are that we won’t be as aware of them in the moment as we will be when we are looking back later.

When we look back on our lives, even if it is looking back from heaven’s perspective, things usually look clearer. We are better able to see how God directed His will through our pain to bring about His glory. It is never God’s will to make or keep anyone sick, but while sin exists in the world, God is able to use sickness that comes for His glory.

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.