John 1:29-42 Sermon Commentary
Epiphany 2A
A theme in the Gospel of John is that of testimony, or being a reliable witness. Throughout the whole text, Jesus is establishing himself as needing no other witness. Here at the beginning of the narrative, we see John pointing to this reality through his own witness, supported by the witness of the prophecy he…
John 1:10-18 Sermon Commentary
Christmas 2A
The world didn’t know what it has, but God keeps giving anyway. That grammatically incorrect sentence is my best quickfire attempt at summing up this Christmas dip into the Gospel of John’s prologue. The world didn’t know that it had a gift waiting to be recognized and enjoyed. And because it could not recognize the…
John 1:(1-9), 10-18 Sermon Commentary
Christmas 2C
George Beasley-Murray describes this second half of the gospel of John’s prologue as an echo of the Exodus narrative, particularly verses 14-18. As the Israelites made their exodus from slavery in Egypt by the salvific passover work of God through the prophet Moses, they entered the wilderness full of unknown and were challenged to come…
John 1:43-51 Sermon Commentary
Epiphany 2B
Our lectionary text picks up in the midst of calling and witness narratives. After the prologue in verse 19, we start with the witness of John the Baptist (including his account of Jesus’s baptism, which isn’t recorded in John’s gospel) and then follow along as Jesus begins to call his disciples. He starts with brothers…
John 1:6-8, 19-28 Sermon Commentary
Advent 3B
John is asked questions that will also be pointedly asked of Jesus: Who are you? Why do you do what you are doing? They are questions we ask because we don’t understand, or we don’t believe what we’re seeing. It’s important to remember that they can be questions borne by curiosity as well as incredulity…
John 1:29-42 Sermon Commentary
Epiphany 2A
Our text this week is yet another transition story between John and Jesus. This time, John “pushes his disciples out of the nest” by urging them to follow Jesus, the Lamb of God. We are to understand that John has already baptized Jesus, since he’s seen the sign God told him about: the Holy Spirit…
John 1:(1-9) 10-18 Sermon Commentary
2nd Sunday after Christmast C
There is overwhelming emphasis in this passage on how things “from above” are received here on earth. In the advent season, we remembered that we are actively waiting to receive the gift of the Word in full, and that God is actively at work to bring about his Kingdom on earth. In John’s prologue, it’s…
John 1:43-51 Sermon Commentary
Epiphany 2B
Note: Rather than writing the usual notes on the text, I have attached a sample to show how on this occasion I assembled those same notes into a sermon. I pray it will spark even more creativity in you! The Child’s Leading
John 1:(1-9), 10-18 Sermon Commentary
Christmas 2B
As we come to the first Sunday of 2021, most of us are only too glad to have left 2020 behind. If on New Year’s Eve a year ago we toasted the happy arrival of a new year, this past week we probably did less of a toast to welcome 2021 and offered up instead…
Sermon Commentary Library
Our weekly sermon commentaries are Lectionary-based, which across its three-year cycle, encompass a vast array of biblical texts. Filter the Sermon Commentary Library to search Scripture texts by book and chapter to find commentary, illustrations, and reflections to spark ideas.
Looking for something else? View our Heidelberg Catechism sermon resources and our Reformed Connections to the RCL section that traces Lectionary texts to specific parts of the Heidelberg Catechism and the Belgic Confession.