REDEEMER INTERNATIONAL
CONGREGATION
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
GOSPEL OF JOHN
April 16, 2023: John 20:24-31
Preacher: Samuel Tedder
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Samuel Tedder rounded out our series on the Gospel of John with a fresh focus on John's purpose statement in John 20:30-31 (also our memory verse this week): "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may [come to believe and] continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name." Samuel led us into a deeper exploration of what these claims mean, in terms of historical theology and the relation of Jesus Christ to his Father God, in a loving, interconnected trinitarian unity. And then we made the faith journey more personal, tracing the paths of discipleship taken by several individuals earlier in the Gospel, and ending with the faith journey of the doggedly loyal realist, Thomas. We ended with a reflection on John 17, and Jesus' prayer for our own journey of faith, as those who will not see and yet will believe.
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April 9, 2023: John 20:1-23
Easter Sunday
Preacher: Rob Glahn
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On resurrection Sunday, we gathered for worship in the pre-dawn darkness of the NLM garden and remembered how Jesus’ life is the light in this dark world. We were encouraged as we remembered that Jesus’ relationships are personal, human, and continuous in the resurrection. The tomb is empty; Jesus’ voice is recognizable; he retains his scars: the old body is the new body. Christ’s resurrection restores and glorifies the old body and person for physical, Spirit-infused, familial relationships of peace between God and his disciples.
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Memory verse was John 20:21 - Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’
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Sunday, April 2, 2023: John 12:12-26
Palm Sunday
Preacher: Mari-Anna Stalnacke
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Palm Sunday is power Sunday: Jesus rides into Jerusalem, with power over all the forces of sin and evil, but demonstrating his power in humility. Jesus had a mission; everyone else had an agenda. In this sermon, we are called to locate ourselves in the crowd, shouting "Hosanna! God Save us!" But what kind of salvation do we long for? Relief from our immediate circumstances and problems-- life on demand? Or a longer term salvation, eternal hope, the deep fruitfulness that requires loving sacrifice and death?
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Memory verse was John 12:24, "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."
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(please pardon the technical challenges with the sound system)
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March 26, 2023: ​John 16:1-15
Preacher: Mikko Leppanen
On the last night of his earthly life, Jesus tells his disciples that it will be better for them if he goes away. How can this possibly be true, when they can no longer enjoy his physical presence? In this passage we learn more about the promised Holy Spirit, the Counselor, and why Holy Spirit is such a powerful gift given to us as Jesus followers. We learn about the Counselor's Power, Goals, Methods and Results and are encouraged by the message that we have access to Holy Spirit 24/7, giving us the power and strength to become more and more like the Lord Jesus.
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Memory verse John was 16:13 - "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."
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Sunday, March 19, 2023: John 15:1-17
Preacher: Rebecca Mosley
We are in the upper room, a day before Jesus will die, as Jesus tells his friends, "I am the True Vine and you are the branches." First we unpack the metaphor of the Vine, applied Israel and now Jesus takes it on himself. Next we explore the commandment. Does Jesus command us to love one another? Or has he commanded something different in order that we might love one another? Jesus has a purpose in all that he is sharing, showing what we need in order to produce the good fruit of mutual joy, and aiming all of us together in the direction of full joy.
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Memory verse was John 15:4, "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me."
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March 12, 2023: John 14:1-21
Preacher: Philip Manickam
We have turned the corner in our series on John: Jesus is sitting with his disciples at the Last Supper, giving them the teaching that will help them carry on his Kingdom work. Here we confront the key strategic message of the Gospel: it is through Jesus Christ that we are saved. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit is at work to empower us to live in and through Jesus daily. We are invited 1. To know Jesus. 2. To believe in Jesus. and 3. To ask in the Name of Jesus.
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Memory verse was John 14:6. - Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
March 5, 2023: John 11:1-45
Preacher: Andrew Haverly
The raising of Lazarus is the seventh and final sign in John's Gospel pointing to Jesus' identity. It speaks deeply to us in times when we are dealing with suffering and disappointment. Why doesn't Jesus' timing match our expectations? If Jesus can raise the dead, why can't he act immediately -- here, now, in this thing I am facing? We are challenged to trust Jesus' deep love for us and to trust his wisdom in knowing what is for our ultimate good.
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Memory verse as John 11:25 - Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,”
February 26, 2023: John 10:1-30, with Ezekiel 34:1-16
Preacher: Rebecca Mosley
When Jesus uses metaphor to describe himself, he keeps getting into arguments with the Jewish leaders! Why is it so offensive to people that Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd? How do we understand the difference between bad shepherds, and the one, unique Good Shepherd? Closer to home, what does it mean for us -- for me? -- that Jesus is the leader and loving shepherd of our congregation right now?
Preacher: Rebecca Mosley
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Memory verse was John 10: 10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
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February 19, 2023: John 9:1-41
Preacher: Paul Mosley
What happens when Jesus heals a man born blind? Do his neighbors celebrate? Are parents happy? Contrary to our expectations, everyone around him is resistant to this positive transformation. Religious leaders recognize Jesus' action for what it is: a threat to their own authority. But no one can contravene the evidence of the healing itself. The spiritual transformation of one man highlights even more intensely the spiritual blindness of Jesus' detractors. When Jesus opens our eyes, will we also see the real needs of those around us?
Memory verse was John 9:25 - He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
Sunday, February 5, 2023: John 6:25-59
"I am the bread of life"
Preacher: Rebecca Mosley
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What does the Exodus from Egypt have to do with the Bread of Life discourse? If Jesus is the bread of life, why are we so hungry? And what makes the Judeans so angry when Jesus offers them his flesh as real food? On this communion Sunday, we tasted and swallowed as much as we could of the satisfying bread that Jesus offers. The recording of the sermon is below.
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NB: unfortunately, the live recording of the sermon cut off after about 9 minutes. I re-recorded the rest of the sermon from there. Thankfully, the congregational dramatic reading of the text was preserved.
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January 29, 2023: John 6:1-15
Preacher: Samuel Tedder
As we continue in our series on John, it's important to note the setting of Jesus' signs. We consider how much John is rooted in the Jewish context, and how Jesus' ministry connects him to Moses, as he provides bread in the wilderness. John also shares the significance of Jesus' identity to the wider world: Jesus' version of Kingship is nothing like what humans expect. Jesus' interactions with his disciples and with a little boy in the multitude offer personal insights as well. What does it mean that Jesus comes to his followers with a question? How do we respond when we hear God asking something impossible of us? What does it look like to offer the insufficient little that we have, and wait to see what God has up his sleeve?
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Memory verse was John 6:14. "After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
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January 22, 2023: John 5:1-24
Preacher: Fredrik Hector
In our sermon series on John, we continue to explore signs by which Jesus reveals his identity. In this passage, Jesus heals a man at the pool of Bethesda. Thinking through the context in which this man lived, it may not be so obvious for him to seek healing. But he rises to the challenge Jesus offers, takes up his mat, and walks, sparking a controversy with the Pharisees over Sabbath rule-keeping. Jesus' response to the challenges of the religious leaders infuriates them. His claims force them (and us) to confront the questions of Jesus' identity: Is he a madman, someone deeply evil, or is he really who he claims to be, the Son and the equal of Almighty God?
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January 15, 2023: John 2:1-11
Preacher: Rebecca Mosley
Following our new sermon series on the Gospel of John, we moved from theology to story in John 2:1-11 When Jesus takes on flesh and dwells among us, what does it look like? What are the signs that reveal his glory? In Cana of Galilee, Jesus offers us a first sign, providing abundant wine at a wedding where they had run out. In this sermon, we take account of the cultural context and then we step into the Gospel account to relive the story and understand its significance. One surprise: almost no one realized that Jesus had done a miracle. Are we ready to see him reveal his glory today?
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January 8, 2023: John 1:1-18
The Prologue to John’s Gospel
Preacher: Bob Glahn
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John shares some dizzyingly deep theological principles about who Jesus is as the Word, who was with God eternally, is God and by whom all things have been created. We have nourishment for our Heads, Hearts and Hands as we explore Jesus’ identity.
Head: We know that the Word, Jesus, existed eternally
Heart: The Word Enlightens humankind
Hands: The Word exegetes or explains God’s glory.
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Our memory verse was John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”
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