Hey Church Family,
Last summer we spent some family time at Lake Tahoe and swam at Kiva Beach. Here’s a picture. That’s my nephew Drew stepping out of the water in the black and gray rashguard. My other nephew Josh is right behind him in navy blue.
Tahoe is one of the deepest lakes in North America. But here’s the funny thing: at this beach, you can walk out 100 yards or more and still have your feet on the bottom. See the guy on the kayak with the life jacket way in the distance? I’m sure if he fell off his little boat, he could easily stand up with his head above water and walk back to shore. Really surprising. And yet, despite its shallowness around the edges, if you’re out in the middle of the lake where the color changes, you could never touch the bottom without the help of scuba gear or a submersible. It’s 1,644 feet deep.
To me, this is a helpful picture of John’s Gospel. It’s shallow and accessible around the edges. Any reader can splash around in it and be spiritually refreshed. But if you’re out in the middle of this Gospel, you’ll never touch the bottom and comprehend it fully. The Gospel of John just extends down…down…down to a depth far beyond any believer’s ability to fathom. Just like Tahoe is green-blue and inviting, this first-hand story of Jesus draws us in with its simple stories. But when we go out into the middle, we find allusions that go deep into the earlier books of the Bible, like Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Isaiah, Micah, and Malachi.
To really grasp John, you have to study the whole Bible. Otherwise, you’ll just remain at the surface near the shore. That’s why some Bible scholars just focus on John for their entire careers. It’s endlessly interesting and the best part is this: they can’t get enough of the wonderful and mysterious Jesus they discover in the pages. I have a theory that John scholars are the happiest people in the world. It’s the equivalent of living on the banks of Lake Tahoe if it were summer all year round.
Please come this Sunday as we swim around in John 14:1-14. Dave, Thomas and others have made careful preparations. We’ll have songs, narrations, and other rich elements to honor our Lord and restabilize us after being battered all week by physical and spiritual “winds.”
Also, please come to our Valley Church Passover Dinner.
Check out the details above. After a tasty dinner, we’ll lead you through a simple Passover celebration (readings and prayers) that will allow you to participate. Come with a curious spirit. Our worship of Jesus, our Passover Lamb, will continue with the Good Friday Service at 7:00 PM in the Worship Center. Space is very limited. Please sign up beginning Sunday on the website.
Let me give a special thanks to Anne Scott, Leslie Gates and Susie Morales who are working hard to organize this new Valley Church tradition. By the way, 2023 is our learning year, which is why the number is limited to about 100. In 2024 (Lord willing), we’ll double the number who can attend our Passover Dinner by having it in the Activities Center. That’s all for now, my friends.
For Jesus the King,
Darren