Beautifully written piece, but I have a hard time with your way of reconciling the technicality of the word Christian. While I get your point that Jesus never heard the word Christian nor did he use it he did call others to "follow him" and then tells those that follow him to tell others about him to follow Him. That word Christian was just a term for those that followed Christ. It could have easily been some other term, but the point is people are supposed to follow Him and have a relationship with Him. He is the only one that can forgive sins and is the only way to have a relationship with the Father. While he doesn't say the word Christian that is only our word for describing someone who follows Him and only Him.
At the end you leave it up to readers interpretation whether Photia is offering the forgiveness of the sins of the centurion in an earthly way or heavenly way. While we need to forgive our trespassers, we don't have the ultimate authority in that judgement, and I wish she would have shared that piece of the puzzle with the centurion.
Worshipping in spirit and in truth means that your life looks different. Your story did a great job of contrasting the woman at the well's life before she met Christ and after she met Christ in that she told everyone she could about all that Jesus had done for her. This is our call as Christians, to go and make disciples of all nations teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded us. Christianity is not a denomination, it is simply a term for people who want to follow the Jesus way and observe what He told us to do. The woman had a choice, go back to her life of sexual immorality (though she no doubt was treated unfairly in her life as many are) or she could heed the offer of the Messiah and become a new creation. She chose wisely, the question to all hearing God's word today is, will you choose wisely as well? Do as Jesus command in Luke 13, "repent or you will likewise perish."
Imagine treating every human with dignity, as if they were all part of a common humanity and made in the image and likeness of God… such a radical concept! Happy Easter.
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Jesus made a distinction between true and false worshippers and that God determines the right way to be worshipped; with spirit and truth. The Creator decides how to be worshiped, not the creation.
How would people know the truth? At John 17:17 Jesus says in prayer to his Father “your word is truth”. It’s all there in the Bible. Answers to all of life’s big questions are there, and the answers may surprise you.
Beautifully written. Happy Easter.
Beautifully written piece, but I have a hard time with your way of reconciling the technicality of the word Christian. While I get your point that Jesus never heard the word Christian nor did he use it he did call others to "follow him" and then tells those that follow him to tell others about him to follow Him. That word Christian was just a term for those that followed Christ. It could have easily been some other term, but the point is people are supposed to follow Him and have a relationship with Him. He is the only one that can forgive sins and is the only way to have a relationship with the Father. While he doesn't say the word Christian that is only our word for describing someone who follows Him and only Him.
At the end you leave it up to readers interpretation whether Photia is offering the forgiveness of the sins of the centurion in an earthly way or heavenly way. While we need to forgive our trespassers, we don't have the ultimate authority in that judgement, and I wish she would have shared that piece of the puzzle with the centurion.
A blessed and happy Easter to you, Gregg.
Thank you Gregg.
Worshipping in spirit and in truth means that your life looks different. Your story did a great job of contrasting the woman at the well's life before she met Christ and after she met Christ in that she told everyone she could about all that Jesus had done for her. This is our call as Christians, to go and make disciples of all nations teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded us. Christianity is not a denomination, it is simply a term for people who want to follow the Jesus way and observe what He told us to do. The woman had a choice, go back to her life of sexual immorality (though she no doubt was treated unfairly in her life as many are) or she could heed the offer of the Messiah and become a new creation. She chose wisely, the question to all hearing God's word today is, will you choose wisely as well? Do as Jesus command in Luke 13, "repent or you will likewise perish."
Imagine treating every human with dignity, as if they were all part of a common humanity and made in the image and likeness of God… such a radical concept! Happy Easter.
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Jesus made a distinction between true and false worshippers and that God determines the right way to be worshipped; with spirit and truth. The Creator decides how to be worshiped, not the creation.
How would people know the truth? At John 17:17 Jesus says in prayer to his Father “your word is truth”. It’s all there in the Bible. Answers to all of life’s big questions are there, and the answers may surprise you.