(Sermon Notes from Jan. 15, 2023)
As I continue reading through John’s Gospel devotionally & meditatively I was intrigued by this verse:
“This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.” – John 1:28
Reflecting on this verse I was moved to investigate other “happenings” in Bethany. I wondered how Jesus influenced the lives of those living in and around Bethany.
What happened at Bethany (where John was baptizing)?
John 1:28 The testimony of John “The voice of one crying in the wilderness … This encounter took place in Bethany.”
The Raising of Lazarus John 11:1, 17 & 18 “A man named Lazarus … lived in Bethany.”
Jesus (arrived in &) Anointed at Bethany John 12:1 [& Mt 26:6 & Mk 14:1,3]
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry Mt 21:17 & Mk 11:1, 11, 12 & Lk 19:29
The Ascension Lk 24:50 Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them.
Was Bethany a place of arrival? departure? or layover (transition)? In search of an answer to this question, I read scripture passages that preceded and followed each of these episodes in Jesus’s ministry.
It appears that Bethany served as a kind of Home Base for Jesus?
This then leads me to ask … Where is my Home Base, the place (physical or spiritual) that I go out from and return to??
How about you? Where is your Home Base? That place of renewal and source of strength to continue.
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