Jesus for Life

Spiritual Readings in John’s Gospel

Richard S. Briggs

• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9781532667244
  9781532667251
• eBook ISBN:
  9781532667268
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

This book is for all those who wonder how to hold together spiritual life and the study of the Bible. It asks: "How may we read Scripture for a word of life?" The answer: by reading carefully, critically, imaginatively, theologically . . . in short, spiritually. Richard Briggs offers a series of "spiritual readings" in John's Gospel, going in search of life, and life to the full. Along the way he discovers surprises, love, humor, tears, truth, and suffering, all wrapped up in a profound theology that is designed to be understood by everyone, from newcomers right through to those who have loved John's Gospel for a long time. He leads readers on a life-giving adventure, and models the best of careful reading of the biblical text. In a short concluding essay he helps readers understand what it means to read John's Gospel well; to read it in life-long pursuit of a word of life.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• A Prayer For Our Reading of John’s Gospel
• Chapter 1: Finding our Identity in the Beginning—John 1
• Chapter 2: Behold, the Lamb of God—John 1
• Chapter 3: Mary Takes Her Son to a Wedding . . . —John 2
• Chapter 4: True Love, or “What John 3:16 Really Means”—John 3
• Chapter 5: Encounter at the Well—John 4
• Chapter 6: Walking on the Water of the New Creation—John 6
• Chapter 7: Not Dead Yet—John 11
• Chapter 8: Jesus Gives Himself Away—John 13
• Chapter 9: Learning from Philip How Not to Understand—John 14
• Chapter 10: Beyond the Dying of the Light: Resurrection—John 20
• Concluding Reflection: An Essay on Spiritual Reading and John
• Closing Credits: In Others’ Words