Mystical Gospel of John

​ Lesson Handout In this third lesson of our John 3 introduction, we shift from John’s rhetorical device to the rich symbolism and character development woven throughout his Gospel. 📖 In this lesson we cover: Major Symbolism in John’s Gospel – We explore recurring images such as light and darkness, water and Spirit, birth and new life, and how these themes shape John’s message about Jesus. Characters as Symbols – John intentionally crafts his characters so they embody themes

​Lesson Handout This short lesson continues our introduction to John 3 by moving from the theories of inspiration (how John participates in the communication of God’s Word) to one of John’s most important rhetorical devices. Throughout his Gospel, John structures conversations where: 1. Jesus makes a statement 2. The listener takes it too literally 3. Jesus then provides a deeper explanation We’ll walk through several examples of this pattern, helping us see ho

Explore biblical inspiration and how John uses literary artistry, symbolism, and rhetorical techniques to communicate the deeper meaning of Jesus’ teachings.

Explore self-sacrifice, ego death, and spiritual transformation through John 2, Romans 12:1, and the biblical meaning of qorban—drawing near to God.

​In this first of a two-part series on John chapter 2, we uncover the brilliant literary and symbolic structure that John uses to communicate a deeper message--transformation through divine grace requires zeal. John brackets the chapter with key references to the number three, ritual, and zeal, guiding the reader toward the center of a chiastic structure where the heart of the message lies: God's grace transforms us from the inside out. Lesson Handout PDF In this episode, we

Explore Jesus’ claim to rebuild the Temple in three days and discover how Second Temple Jewish expectations reveal the risen Christ as God’s new Temple.

Explore Jesus cleansing the Temple in John 2, the Soreg dividing wall, and Ephesians 2 to discover how Scripture challenges us to tear down barriers and welcome others into God’s presence.

In Part 2 of our Rethinking Spirituality series, we explore the deep wisdom of the Hebrew Bible and the ancient rabbis on the nature of the human soul. Scripture uses three distinct Hebrew words to describe the inner essence of a person—each pointing to a different layer of our spiritual being. The rabbis liken the soul to a candle: - Nefesh connects us to the body—like the wick. - Ruach links soul to spirit—like the flame. - Neshamah is the divine spark—the pr

Explore the biblical meaning of faith and the Greek phrase “faith of God.” Discover how faith may be understood not simply as something we produce, but as a gift we receive and share in relationship with God.

Lesson Handout Over the centuries, the word faith has accumulated layers of meaning—some helpful, others deeply misleading. In this first of two lessons, we begin to peel back those layers and rediscover what faith meant in the biblical world. Today, many view faith as blind belief or intellectual agreement with abstract propositions. But in the world of the Bible, faith was far more concrete. Rooted in the Hebrew verb ’aman—from which we get words like amen, truth, steadfast

Rediscover the ancient meaning of kosmos as a sacred, ordered creation alive with God’s presence, and explore how the Enlightenment reshaped our understanding of God, creation, and spirituality.

In this final lesson on Dionysus, we travel to Ephesus and Pergamum to explore how deeply the god of wine, transformation, and resurrection was embedded in the Greco-Roman world of John’s audience. We examine Dionysian rituals involving wine and the symbolic consumption of the god’s flesh and blood and ask how this cultural backdrop may illuminate some of John’s most provocative claims about Jesus.

Gospel of John (pt. 24 b) This lesson continues our exploration of the striking contrast between Jesus turning water into wine at Cana and the worship of the Greek god Dionysus. We begin by examining key passages from the Old Testament where the vine plays a central role—including Israel itself being portrayed as God's vine. From there, we turn to Greek symbolism, where wine is seen as a divine gift and the vine a sacred image. In Dionysian worship, wine was believed to bring

Gospel of John (pt. 23b) In this follow-up to our previous lesson on the symbolism of John Chapter 2, we examine the rich cultural and spiritual backdrop of the Wedding at Cana. What did John mean when he said it was the “third day”? At first glance, this might seem like a small detail, but when viewed through the lens of Jewish wedding traditions, it opens up a powerful layer of meaning that brings the Cana scene to life. In this lesson, we’ll explore: The cultural significa

Lesson Handout PDF This is Part 1 of a series exploring the Greek god Dionysus and how John's audience in Ephesus would have understood the Water-to-Wine miracle. Dionysus was well known in both Asia Minor, where John was writing, and in the land of Israel. The Greeks had brought Dionysus to Israel hundreds of years before Jesus was born, and he was a very popular agricultural god. The water-to-wine miracle in John 2 points directly to Dionysus, as he is the god of wine. In t

Lesson Handout PDF I invite you to join me as we begin our journey through John Chapter 2, a remarkable section of Scripture that contains two profound events: the Wedding at Cana and Jesus cleansing the Temple courts. Though seemingly unrelated, these stories are deeply connected—and together, they reveal powerful lessons that still speak to our spiritual journey today. Throughout this series, we will explore the rich layers of meaning found within John 2: The Wedding at Ca

Lesson Handout PDF When most people think of Jacob, one word often comes to mind: deceiver. We’ve been told he tricked his brother out of his birthright and deceived his father Isaac—but is that really what the text says? In this lesson, we take a fresh look at the story of Jacob through the lens of the biblical narrative itself. When we slow down and pay close attention to the details, a very different picture begins to emerge—one that challenges traditional assumptions and

Lesson Handout PDF In this lesson, we explore the rich Hebrew idiom “to sit under a fig tree”—a phrase that, in ancient Jewish culture, came to mean sitting under the teaching of a Rabbi. But how did a fig tree come to symbolize a Rabbi? We begin with Proverbs 27:18, which draws a comparison between tending a fig tree and attending to one’s master. In both, the goal is the same: to cultivate fruit. In Luke 8:24, the disciples refer to Jesus as “Master,” echoing this same dyna

Lesson Handout PDF In this two-part series, we begin by diving deep into the Hebrew concept of meditation—a practice that is far more active and engaged than what most of us imagine today. In the modern Western world, "meditation" often conjures images of stillness, silence, and mental detachment—emptying the mind to escape the clutter of thought. But in the Bible, the Hebrew word translated as meditate is "Hagah" (הגה)—a word that paints a very different picture. "Hagah" doe

Lesson Handout PDF In this lesson, we explore the rich and multi-layered dialogue between Jesus and Nathanael in John 1:47–51. What begins with a curious statement about a man “under the fig tree” ends with a stunning reference to Jacob’s dream—the vision of angels ascending and descending from Genesis 28:10–15. But the connections don’t stop there. You’ll discover how Jesus quotes Psalm 32:2, a psalm of David, and yet the ancient Rabbinic Midrash on that same verse ties it d