Tag: jesus

  • Preaching Paths 19 May 2024 Pentecost Sunday

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Why, one might ask, would we preach from John when Luke’s dazzling Acts 2 account of the Spirit poured out is on the lectionary menu? We can preach from John without setting Acts aside.  A celebrative presentation of Acts 2:1-21 is fitting every Pentecost Sunday. Overlapping readings…

  • 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,…

  • Fourth Sunday of Easter, 21st April 2024

    John 10:11-1810:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 10:12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away–and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 10:13 The hired hand runs…

  • Preaching Paths 21 April 2024 Easter 4B

    Sally A. Brown,  Professor Emerita,  Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s lection, John 10:11-16, presents metaphors familiar to many since childhood. Jesus identifies himself as “the gate” of the sheepfold and the “good shepherd” of the sheep. Most of us have heard (or preached!)  feel-good sermons that romanticize this text as a pastoral “love song” of the…

  • 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 7 April 2024 Eastertide 2B

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary John’s gospel reports four post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples. Mary is the first to meet the risen Lord; she does not know him until he speaks her name. The fourth appearance is on the lakeshore, where some disciples have been fishing (Jn 21). The second…