Tag: bible

  • Preaching Paths 12 May 2024 Easter 7B

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The Gospel reading today, John 17:6-19, is the middle section of Jesus’ intercessory prayer, the final chapter of the “Farewell Discourses” (John 13-17). Here, the one who is God’s Word embodied in the world communes with the divine Source, the one he calls “Father,” about his mission…

  • Preaching Paths 5 May 2024 Easter 6B

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s lection, John 15:9-17, continues and completes the Vine discourse of 15:1-8. Today’s reading is best understood in relation to those verses. Two verbs tie the two sections together: “to abide” and “to bear fruit.” Yet, verses 9-17 introduce fresh language, most notably, “love.” Occurring 9 times…

  • Fifth Sunday of Easter & Sixth Sunday of Easter, 28th April & 5th May 2024

    John 15:1-1715:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 15:2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 15:3 You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 15:4 Abide in…

  • Preaching Paths 28 April 2024 Easter 5B

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The metaphor of the vine, its gardener,  and its branches is a familiar one (John 15:1-8).  Jesus clearly alludes to OT passages that envision Israel as God’s vine (sometimes lamentably fruitless). The text opens with the last of the “I am” statements (with predicate nominative) in John,…

  • Preaching Paths 14 April 2024 Easter 3B

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary We shall focus this week on the First Reading, Acts 3:12-19 (20-21), Peter’s second sermon in Acts. Texts from the Acts of the Apostles stand in for OT readings in Eastertide. They present key events in the emerging community of Jews—and later, Gentiles—who affirmed Jesus’ resurrection and…

  • Second Sunday of Easter, 7th April 2024

    John 20:19-3120:19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20:20 After he said this, he showed them his hands…

  • Preaching Paths 31 March 2024 Easter Yr B

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Mark’s gospel ends with Easter morning (Mk 16:1-8). Three women carry burial spices to the tomb “early in the morning, when the sun had risen.” They are relieved, at first, when they see from a distance that the immense stone closing the tomb has been rolled aside. …

  • Preaching Paths 17 March 2024

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s gospel lection, John 12:20-33, forms part of the “bridge” in John between Jesus’ public ministry and his Passion (arrest, trial, crucifixion, resurrection).  In John, Jesus refers to this as his “glorification”—the revealing, through his dying, of the glory of the Father  (Jn 1:14, 18). John’s gospel…

  • 5th Sunday in Lent, 17th March 2024

    John 12:20-3312:20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 12:21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 12:22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 12:23 Jesus answered them,…

  • Preaching Paths 3 March 2024 (Lent 3B)

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The violence of Jesus’ clearing of the Temple courtyard in today’s lection (John 2:13-22) can lure an unwary preacher into presenting a sermon with an anti-Semitic slant. It is crucial for preachers to make clear that John is a Jewish gospel. Jesus is a Jewish teacher and…