Every family has one; a beloved story that occurs during a particular holiday.  In our family it is the time my cousin’s antics upset the “kid’s table” which my grandmother had set with china and crystal “just like the grown-ups' table” during a Thanksgiving meal.  We still tell that story whenever we’re together and note that after that, the kid’s table was set with more kid-friendly plates and cups!  The same could be said of the Gospel of John, although this aspect of John’s writing is often overlooked.  John relates much of his Gospel account to events surrounding the Jewish festivals because Jesus did an overwhelming majority of His public ministry at the Temple during those special holidays.  In fact more than half of the 879 verses in the Gospel of John are related to an event that occurred during one of the feasts.  Why would Jesus choose these particular days to preach, minister and reveal Himself to the people of Israel?

            The obvious reason is that He was able to reach large masses of people in a short amount of time.  The Temple was the center of Jewish worship and devout Israelites would travel there for the festival celebrations.  But that is not the only reason Christ chose these holy days to engage in public ministry.  Christ used the festivals (and the commands to observe them) as a backdrop to reveal specific characteristics of Himself depicted within those holy days to Israel and to mankind at large.

            John records Jesus’ participation in Passover (Jn. 2:13-3:21; 6:1-71; 12:1-20:31), Rosh Hashanah (Jn. 5:1-47), Sukkot (Jn. 7:10-21), and Hanukkah (Jn. 10:22-39).  The Passover celebrations serve to introduce and point to Christ’s role as the Lamb of God and His credentials as the Messiah.  Whether He is cleansing the Temple, celebrating the Passover meal with His disciples or debating religious leaders, against the backdrop of Passover these actions cause us to sense the zeal with which Jesus celebrated these treasured holidays.  When Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), His actions and words harked back to the prophecies of Joel (Jl. 2:1-3:21) and Zephaniah (Zeph. 1:14-16) using the central symbol of the shofar (trumpet) as a call for repentance because the time of judgment was drawing near (also a central theme of the fall festivals).  During the high light of Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) Jesus again uses its imagery to illustrate the nature of His upcoming death.  The symbolism of the Outpouring ritual and the Fire Ceremony (lighting of the enormous candlesticks in the Temple courtyard) speak of the ordeal He will go through when He takes upon the sin of the world.  But they also illustrate the work of His Spirit in the life of the believer.  Hanukah is perhaps the most surprising feast found in John as it does not appear in the list of God’s holy days in Leviticus 23 (4-44).  However, in celebrating Hanukkah Jesus was relating to Israel’s historical past and prophetic destiny and its two themes (dedication and light) also point to the nature and work of the Messiah.

            When the book of John is viewed through the lens of these festivals, three major truths become evident.  First, Christ is prefigured in all the feasts and He has a strong bond with the Old Testament types, symbols, and prophetic announcements made in them.  Secondly, there is a rich and deeper meaning found in the words and actions of Christ spoken during these celebrations which demand us to see the consequences of how we respond to Jesus’ words.  And lastly, the signs and miracles which occur at these feasts provide us with confidence in Christ that He is the One foreshadowed in them.  In the same fashion that the miracles of the Old Testament signified God was at work in the midst of His people, the miracles of Jesus testify that He is indeed God in the flesh (Jn. 1:14).

              But more importantly, and John’s main reason for drawing out this wonderful imagery is not to impress us with Christ’s status as the Son of God or His amazing power.  Instead John writes that these things were written so that we might believe (Jn. 20:31) and belief requires a response in the way the live.  Do we really believe Jesus is the “bread that came from heaven”?  If so, then where do we go for spiritual nourishment?  Do we believe that Jesus is the Living Water?  If so, then what well do we draw from when we are thirsty?  Do we really believe Jesus is the Light of the World?  Then whose light are we using to guide us each day?  If we believe that John’s witness is true (Jn. 5:33), that Christ’s works attest to His authenticity (Jn. 5:36), that the Father affirms His words (Jn. 37-38), and that the Scriptures also confirm this (Jn. 5:39-47), then what we do and say in the coming week (and for the rest of our lives!) will also bear witness of the same.

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            There are some pictures that everyone enjoys looking at such as the glow of the sun poking over the horizon in the morning or the unfolding layers of soft and muted hues across a mountain range on a misty day.  No one turns away from these beauties but there are pictures that can cause us to turn our heads at their intensity and graphic revelations.  Some may be compelling and drive us to examine our thoughts and attitudes toward their subject.  But others will repulse us and we will struggle to erase their memory in order to get past the unnerving image.  These images although frozen in time are still transitory in some ways.  The disgust over some of them can change from era to era or generation to generation depending on the subject matter.  These photos are what I call “Ugly Pictures”, but they are nothing compared to the ugliness of sin and in many ways are the result of its residence within humankind.  Like unsettling images, we try to turn away from sin or redefine it, but in God’s eyes, it can only be removed in one specific way.

            In the early 1980's, a popular Christian musician by the name of Steve Taylor, wrote a scathing musical commentary called "Whatever Happened to Sin?", which hit the Christian radio airwaves and immediately became a hit.  Taylor's satirical song attacked branches of Christianity which had turned away from God's Word and embraced the reasoning of the world in order to accept behavior completely opposite of God's will.  Although Taylor's song was popular, not many paid attention to its point.  Who really wants to be confronted with sin?  It's an ugly picture no matter what way you look at it.

            Yet the Bible is very clear on the effect of sin.  It has irrevocably separated us from God.  Sin in its simplest definition is rebellion against God.  It is falling short of God's standards; missing the target.  Although we were created to be in community with God, sin has corrupted human nature so that humankind is hostile to God.  Sin causes us to be held captive to our baser emotions and desires, constantly fighting with and being unwilling to submit to God's ways, and therefore it has not only corrupted individuals, but society at large as well (Romans 7:21-25).  The Bible teaches that sin entered the human experience at a very early stage.  Adam and Eve overrode God's authority by eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:6).  After that fateful decision, sin became an issue that every person must deal with throughout their lifetime.  Each one of us faces decisions on a daily basis that either puts God in authority over us, or puts us over and above God in the same manner of Adam and Eve's choice in the Garden. 

            The Old Testament sacrifices were a constant reminder of the penalty for sin, and the Book of Leviticus drives that point home with verse after verse describing what an Israelite must do to maintain a relationship with God.   Why is God so hot and bothered by sin?  His holiness demands perfection and purity.  Anything other than perfect or 100% pure cannot withstand His holiness (Leviticus 19:2).  The only acceptable substitute to cover the effect of sin was the blood of a sacrificial animal (Leviticus 17:11).  Why blood?  The Bible does appear to be interested in the subject!  Of the 406 times it is spoken of, the majority lie in the Old Testament; but blood is also mentioned 97 times in the New Testament.  Blood is called the “seed of life” for obvious reasons.  Without blood, you cannot live.  Imagine yourself as an ancient Israelite who has come to the Tabernacle with another sacrifice to make a payment for sin.  You place your hands on the animal's head and the priest offers a prayer for the transfer of your sin to this innocent animal.  As you watch its life slip away, you recognize the severity of your predicament.  Had not this animal died for you, you would be there in its place.

            Sin is an Ugly Picture.  Whenever I see it present in current events or within myself, I wish I could eradicate its image from my mind.  I cannot, but for some redefining it becomes a way to circumvent God’s demands and get that ugly picture out of sight.  You can rename it all you want but it’s still sin in God’s eyes.  It must have seemed hopeless, that endless cycle of sin and sacrifice back in ancient Israel.  But it was not.  The Book of Hebrews tells us that God replaced the temporary blood of animal sacrifice with the blood of His Only Begotten Son (Hebrews 9:11-14).  The blood of Christ is an eternal solution to the problem of sin.  As a man, He is able to be the substitute for all people.  As God, His eternal nature makes the payment for sin eternal as well. Therefore Christ has put away the need for perpetual sacrifices through His blood.  We are no longer bound to the obligation of the Law.  We do not need to substitute the blood of an animal for our sin.  Christ has put away the need for perpetual sacrifices through His blood (Romans 5:6-10) and has reconciled us to God forever (Romans 8:1-4).  He replaces those Ugly Pictures with His love (Rom. 5:6-11).

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            Every photographer has one- a story about finding a picture in an unusual place.  Mine goes like this:  I was traveling along Route 209 and was just about to reach the light at Dingman’s Ferry when I saw it- a “Port-a-potty” sitting off to the side of one of the parking areas along with some paving equipment.  Normally one does not give these things a second glance, but there was something different about this one.  Next to the generic green relief station was a contractor’s bucket and cemented in the bucket was a long pole with a mailbox and newspaper holder on it!  I laughed and thought “Now THAT’S a story that deserves a picture!” and of course I took one.

            Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies conducted an intense study on the way our eyes see and concluded that we actually do not see with our eyes but with our brain.  While it may seem that it takes very little effort to ‘see’ with our eyes it is up to our brains to process and understand what information is parading before them.  From the time light hits the retina till the signal is well along the brain pathway that processes visual information, at least 70 milliseconds have passed. During this time, a baseball that clocks in at a rather lame 85 mph has already traveled 10 feet! For the player to hit the ball, experience notwithstanding, his brain has to compensate for the delay.  I believe that in the photographic realm that 10 seconds is used to “see” a story beyond the obvious- it’s the ability to look more deeply and that translates into others seeing the story as well.  Kathy Ryan, former Director of Photography for the NY Times Magazine wrote, “Photographers teach us to look again, look harder and look through their eyes.”

            Several words across the pages of the Scripture describe seeing and carry all the nuances of both the action and the mental associations that take place during the process of sight.  The different words used for seeing in the New Testament are particularly clear when applied to Jesus.  The first, blepo, is primarily used to define the physical ability to see or having the faculty of sight.  The second, horao (hoe-rah-oh), means “to see or perceive with the eyes, to look at” implying not the mere act or ability to see but also the actual perception of some object.  The third is even more specific.  Theaomai (thay-ah-oh-my) is seeing more deeply.  It is derived from the verb which means to wonder and is usually defined as “to behold, view attentively, to contemplate” and involves the sense of careful and deliberate vision which interprets the object.  We call this insight.  It’s looking at a person’s face and knowing they’re sad or happy, assessing a situation and seeing that it’s safe or dangerous, sizing up a person’s actions and knowing whether or not they mean what they say.  Jesus had the unique ability to put all three of these components of sight into whatever moment was at hand.

            One thing which Jesus repeatedly took note of was the crowds which followed Him (Mt. 5:1; 8:18; Mk. 6:34; 9:25).  Jesus looked (theaomai) at the crowd in Matthew 9:35-38 with the deepest sense of understanding.  He saw that they were “harassed and helpless” as some versions translate it.  In the Greek these words literally mean torn or mangled and thrown down.  The sheep Jesus saw were pummeled by life.  Barclay described them as people who were wearied from being on a journey that has no end.  Doesn’t life seem like that sometimes?  I think many people might describe their story that way.  Jesus does not see “the sheep” with a quick glance.  He sees their story from the deepest level of His being.  We might say today that Jesus had a “gut reaction” to the sight of them.  The story Jesus sees compels Him to teach the disciples that they are on a mission (Mt. 9:37-38) to procure a harvest so they should seek the Lord’s assistance in reaping it.

            What makes you see is the natural faculty of sight.  What makes you see a shot beyond the obvious is perception or insight.  As a photographer I want to look at my world and see things that others don’t see.  I want to see beyond the obvious.  If my pictures are taken with honesty and precision in the way Kathy Ryan suggested, they will make others “look again and looker harder”.  As a believer I want this kind of seeing present in my walk of faith too.  I want to see what Jesus saw and the way He saw because His kind of seeing makes me look again and look harder. It is the kind of seeing that recognizes sheep without a shepherd.   I don’t want to rush by a scene and miss a visual story neither do I want to rush by a person and miss his or her story.  I want my seeing to be on the deepest level not only for a picture’s sake but even more importantly for Jesus’ sake.

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre