I just past through the worst month of my 25-year computer life. Some benign viruses left unattended called in all their friends and one was a deep, dark, evil virus that required the complete dismantling and rebuilding of my hard drive. Needless to say, I have been hard to reach for those accustomed to emails and blogs, etc. Anyway, I'm back for now and all seems well again with the laptop.

    As I mentioned in the previous blog, the power of Craig Koester’s language (The Word of Life: A Theology of John’s Gospel [Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2008]) is better experienced than described. So here I share some of my favorite short quotes from the book. Most of these are even more powerful in context. Along with each quote is a number indicated the page on which the quote can be found. If you are interested in a summary of the book’s chapters, see the full review on the Armageddon web site (www.thebattleofarmageddon.com).

“A witness speaks in contexts where the truth is disputed.” (34)

“The enslaving power of sin might be compared to addiction, where a chemical distorts the way people see reality and overpowers their will, taking away the freedom to do something other than what the addiction demands. The relationship to the chemical becomes the primary relationship, distorting all other relationships.” (74)

“The prologue takes readers to an elevated vantage point, where they can see things that those confined to the flat plain below cannot see.” (98)

Regarding John 13:1-3: “John says that God put all things in Jesus’ hands, and Jesus now uses his hands to wash the disciples’ feet, apparently including the feet of Judas.” (117)
    
“Sins and their consequences hem people in, so that they cannot move forward without some act of release. This is what forgiveness provides.” (159)

Regarding the challenge of Christian faith as expressed in the Gospel: “(The author) calls readers to believe in a God whom they have not seen by believing in a Jesus whom they have not seen (20:29)!” (171)

“If people are created for life, they will seek whatever they think will bring it. The issue is not whether people will seek life—that is a given. The issue is where their pursuit of life will take them and where their faith will be centered.” (171)

“To say that those who believe have life now, and those who do what is good will have life in the future, is to understand that faith shapes action.” (178)

With reference to death and resurrection: “Someone who falls asleep can remain in the care of someone else until he or she is awakened.” (182)

Regarding John 13:31-35: “The traditional commandment makes self-love the standard. People are to love others as they love themselves. In the new commandment, the basis and the standard is the love that Jesus gives.” (194)

“Abiding means wholeness in relationship. It points to a relationship that endures rather than one that is transient.” (195)

    I found the following combination of statements very powerful: “Theologically, the empty tomb is a presupposition for resurrection faith, but it is not the basis of resurrection faith. Such faith requires an encounter with the risen Jesus himself. . . . The Gospel speaks to those who have not seen the risen Jesus (20:29), and Mary’s story shows that seeing the tomb, seeing the angels, and even seeing Jesus himself do not guarantee faith. Like Mary, others will be called to faith by the risen Jesus. . . . The call to resurrection faith occurs, for people of later generations, when the message about the risen Jesus is made effective by the risen Jesus.” (125-126)

This book is worth meditating on line by line. Hope these summary statements are meaningful to you.