JFK and CSL Made Their Marks

I remember that my parents did not vote for him. When I heard he had been shot I was only 9 years old and unsure how to respond. The general tone of my school was one of sadness and reflection. I didn't know how to feel. It was sad that a man had been shot. It was sad that so many people I knew were sad. But my parents really thought JFK was not good for America. So was it good he was gone? I didn't know.
I also don't remember knowing he was a Catholic. Maybe I did. I don't remember knowing what any of our president's denomination was until JC, Jimmy Carter came along. He was a Baptist. That was nice I guess.
But on this 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK people are remembering its the 50th for other men as well. One writer looks at the proximity in death of Kennedy, Lewis and Huxley here: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/eclipsed-in-death-we-remember-jfk-but-what-about-aldous-huxley-or-cs-lewis-8957192.html. Ed Stetzer writes of the greater impact of Lewis here: http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2013/november/narnia-and-camelot-tribute-to-cs-lewis.html

     I remember browsing through a tiny bookstore at a Catholic Monastery near Pecos, NM. It was just a few miles down the road from Glorieta Baptist Encampment. I was close to my 19th birthday when I discovered these books. These Chronicles of Narnia. And the Perelandra trilogy. I hadn't seen these at the much larger Baptist Bookstore at the Camp, so I wondered... are these Catholic? Are they contraband? To be fair, I hand't been looking for these books, but I stumbled across them at a Benedictine Monastery of all things.
Later I found out this was one of the least "Catholic" monasteries around.
     It was 1973 and I couldn't read them fast enough. CSL, Clive Staples Lewis, had been dead some 10 years now. He died the day JFK did. I was sad there would be no more tales like Narnia. That Summer I tried to wrap my brain around The Problem of Pain and the Great Divorce etc. They were hard, and profound, and I wanted to 'get' what he was saying. I had only been a Christian a year at this time, though raised with the Bible stories and the gospel being preached. I didn't 'get it' till I was almost 18 and now I was trying real hard to 'keep it.' It would be sometime before I understood He was "Keeping" me!
     Can I say, my life has been much more influenced by CSL than JFK? The stories of Narnia were life like in my mind and as I read them a few years later to my little girls. The concept Lewis dealt with in His other works caused me to think more deeply about things than I ever had.
     JFK was a smart man, a proud veteran, and a fairly centrist democrat. I think he would have been re-elected and become one of those presidents who goes on to be a statesman. But I don't know that he would ever have had the long term effect on folks that Lewis did. Because Lewis' effect's touch the eternal. And he taught us that Aslan is no tame Lion.

John Chapter 2: Outline and Footnotes

Joh 2:1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana

in Galilee[C1] , and the mother of Jesus was there.

                2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding 

                 with his disciples.

                3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus 

                 said to him, "They have no wine."

                           4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman[C2], 

                           what does this have to do with me[C3]?

                           My hour has not yet come."

                           5 His mother said to the servants, 

                           "Do whatever he tells you[C4] ."

                6 Now there were six stone water jars there 

                for the Jewish rites of purification[C5] , each 

                holding 20 or 30 gallons.

                           7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the 

                            jars with water." And they filled them 

                            to the brim[C6] . 8 And he said to them 

                            "Now draw some out & take it 

                            to the feast-master." So they took it.

                9 When the master of the feast tasted the 

                 water now become wine[C7] ,

                                 and didn't know whence it came

                                   (though the servants who had 

                                    drawn the water knew[C8] ),

                                 the master of the feast called the 

                                 bridegroom 10 and said… 

                                 "Everyone serves good wine first 

                                 and when people have drunk 

                                 freely[C9], then poor wine. But 

                                 you have kept the good wine

                                            [C10] until now."

11 This, the first of his signs[C11] , Jesus did at Cana in Galilee,

                and manifested his glory[C12] .

                And his disciples believed [C13] in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum[C14] , with 

his mother, brothers and disciples, and stayed there 

a few days.13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, 

and Jesus went up to Jerusalem[C15] .

                14 In the temple he found those who were 

                selling oxen [C16] and sheep [C17] and pigeons, 

                and the money-changers sitting there.

                                15 And making a whip[C18]  of cords 

                                he drove them all out of the temple 

                                w/ the sheep & oxen.

                                And he poured out the coins [C19] 

                                of the money-changers and over-

                                turned their tables. 16 And he told 

                                those who sold pigeons, "Take 

                                these things away[C20]; don't make 

                                my Father's house [C21] a house of 

                                trade[C22] ." 

                                17 His disciples remembered it was 

                                written, "Zeal for your house will consume me."

                18 So the Jews said to him, "What sign do you 

                 show us for doing these things?"

                                19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy 

                                this temple, and in three days I 

                                will raise it up[C23] ."

                20 The Jews then, "It's taken 46 years to

                build the temple, will you raise it in 3 days?"

                                21 But he was speaking about the 

                                temple of his body.

                                22 When therefore he was raised 

                                from the dead,

                                                his disciples remembered 

                                                he said this, and they

                                                believed the Scripture [C24] 

                                                and the word Jesus had 

                                                spoken.

                23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the 

                Passover Feast, many believed in his name 

                when they saw the signs [C25] he was doing.

                24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust 

                himself to them,

                           because he knew all people[C26] 

                           25 and needed no one to bear witness 

                           about man, for he himself knew what 

                           was in man.

---

 [C1]In Jn 1 Jesus is in Judea then suddenly appears in Galilee.  But, 1 ends with story of Nathanael and acc to Jn 21.2 he is from Cana!

 [C2]Woman, like Ma’am, not in a motherly way but respectfully

 [C3]OR: Jesus said to her, `What--to me and to thee, woman? ‘

 [C4]Obedience is vital

 [C5]Jesus redeems the OT

 [C6]Not ½ or ¾ - fully obedient

 [C7]The miracle changed the substance of water, transubstantiation doesn’t!

 [C8]And so word got out

 [C9]Ref to inebriation

 [C10]Jesus didn’t make bad wine

 [C11]Called signs not miracles because signs point to something

 [C12]Joh_12:32  if I be lifted up

 [C13]The purpose of “Signs”

 [C14]From Cana – up in the hills, to Capernaum on the coast of Galilee

 [C15]South in Judea but “up”

 [C16]Some say this is cleansing just b4 crucifixion, but details are different!

 [C17]Not in Synoptics (oxen, sheep)

 [C18]Not in synoptics

 [C19]Not in synoptics

 [C20]Not in synoptics

 [C21]Not in synoptics –  doesn’t quote scripture but claims His Father’s house

 [C22]Not suggesting thievery just a wrong use of God’s house and impeding to true worship.  Zec 14:21 every pot in Jeru-salem… shall be holy to the LORD… so all who sacrifice may come…boil the meat of sacrifice… And there shall no longer be a merchant in the house of the LORD… on that day. Mal 3:1

 [C23]Mt 26:61 and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple …

 [C24]A purpose of His teachings

 [C25]Purpose of signs

 [C26]Omniscience

John Ch. 1 In Outline Form

I often find outlining the text of scripture helps me understand it. Not outlining the main points but arranging the words in outline form. It helps frame conversations, activities and teaching material in a logical points and sub-points.

I submit these examples for your consideration but encourage you to outline passages for yourself.

John 1 Prologue (A Chiasm)

A 1 In the beginning was the Word, the Word was w/ God, the Word was God.

  B 3 All things were made through him,   

    C 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in darkness, and 
        darkness has not overcome it. 

      D 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness,to 
         bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, 
          but came to bear witness about the light. 

        E 9 The true light ...was coming into the world.

           F 10 He was in the world, the world was made through him, yet the world 
                 did not know him.

             G 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

             G 12  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to 
                       become children of God, 

           F 13 who were born, not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will
                    of man, but of God.

        E 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, as of
                the only Son from the Father,  full of grace and truth. 

      D 15 (John bore witness about him, cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who 
               comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'")

    C 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

  B 17  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

A 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has
       made him known.

Testimony of John

Joh 1:19 And this is the testimony of John,

                when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him,
                 "Who are you?"

                         20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."

                21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?"

                          He said, "I am not." 

                 "Are you the Prophet?" 

                          And he answered, "No."

                22 So they said to him, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those 
                      who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

                          23 He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
                            'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."

                24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him,
                 "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, 
                   nor the Prophet?"

                          26 John answered, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one 
                              you do not know,

                          27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am 
                               not worthy to untie."

Confession of John re Jesus

28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

                29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,

                 "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

                30 This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before 
                       me, (not worthy to untie) because he was before me.' 

                31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing
                      w/ water, that he might be revealed to Israel."

                32 And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a 
                     dove, and it remained on him. 

                33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water 
                      said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, 
                      this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

                34 And I've seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."

The Gaze of Christ

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples,

           36 he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"

           37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

           38 Jesus turned & saw them following & said, "What are you seeking?" 

                And they said, "Rabbi" (meaning Teacher), "where are you staying?" 

           39 He said to them, "Come and you will see." 

                So they came and saw where he was staying, and stayed with him 
                 that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

           40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew,
                Simon Peter's brother.  
           41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, 
                 "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). 

           42  He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, 
                "You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called  Cephas"
                 (which means Peter).

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip 
and said to him, "Follow me."

           44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 

           45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom 
                 Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, 
                   the son of Joseph."

           46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"

                      Philip said to him, "Come and see."

           47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, 
                 "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"

           48 Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" 
           Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you,
          when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."

           49 Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! 
               You are the King of Israel!"

           50 Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you 
           under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater                     
           things than these."

           51 And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, 
                you will see heaven opened, and the angels of  God ascending 
               and descending on the Son of Man."