by Marcia Mount Shoop
John 3:14-21
“This Gospel was not written for 21st Century Christians or colonized Christians, or Christians with formal political and judicial powers.
It was written to 1st Century Jewish people who were in a crisis situation in their Jewish community because of their belief in Jesus. The struggle of the Johannine community was about belonging, it was about identity–and the strong language in John was spoken not from Christians to Jews, but from Jews to Jews. That is so very important for us to remember whenever we encounter this text. ESPECIALLY when we read the third chapter of John and we get to this loaded verse of John 3:16.
The Jewish community was not a monolith–just like Christians are not a monolith today–nor is any religious identity a monolith.”
Watch the full GCPC service on 3/10/24 here
(Scripture and sermon begin at 43:05)