“Jesus demonstrated power over the things which threaten our bodies. Jesus showed power over all manner of hurts and harms, diseases and disorders. Jesus healed people. And He did it seemingly effortlessly. His power over all manner of bodily trouble was not the result of elaborate rituals or incantations – He had such power that all He had to do was say, “Be healed,” and it happened!”

“And so the public ministry of Jesus begins.”

“If we were asked to summarize what Jesus’ ministry was all about, I suspect most of us would answer that He came down to earth so that our sins could be forgiven. And that answer is not incorrect – but it is very incomplete.”

“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” For us, this is perhaps the single most important implication of the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.

“John isn’t condemning us so much as he is inviting us. The words may be harsh, but the meaning is filled with the good news of God’s grace: that while we are sinners, we are not forever doomed to carry our sins, repeat our sins, sink down beneath the weight of our guilt and shame. Rather we can repent – and the Lord God will forgive. And that is, indeed, good news.”