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February 21st, 2026

2/21/2026

e are in a new season. This Sunday’s title is the First Sunday in Lent. The tradition is that the Gospel Reading for this Sunday covers the temptation of Jesus at the beginning of his public ministry. Since this is year A in the three-year series, that Reading is from the Gospel according to Matthew, and the text is Matthew 4:1-11. And this same text happens to be the Gospel Reading for the One-Year Lectionary.

With last week’s Gospel Reading from chapter seventeen, to this week’s Reading being chapter four, to next week’s Reading being from the Gospel according to John, there are significant jumps in this set of lectionary readings. Within the writings of this website, we have been going through the four gospel accounts, taking a little at a time, in the order in which they were typically laid out. And these writings are currently going through the Gospel according to John, and we are currently on what is typically called the sixth chapter of that account.

It may be helpful to note a more specific context to that chapter. At the beginning of this chapter, Jesus fed five thousand men, along with many women and children, and that gave him a lot of notoriety among the people. Jesus, in his words after the miracle, is in the process of trying to get them to not so much focus solely on himself and the miracle, nor upon Moses, but to focus on Jesus’ Father, the One in heaven.

Near the beginning of his talk before the following section, Jesus described himself as the “Bread of life”. At the end, he talked about people believing in him, and that by believing in him, they would have eternal life. And the very last point of Jesus is that he would raise those people on the very last day—it was called the “eschaton” day in the translation. After that point, the grumbling started that will be in this week’s text. And the text itself helps a bit by pointing out the reason for the grumbling. It will also point to the important points that Jesus just gave. Often it is good to repeat important things.

If you are familiar with the translations of this writing, you may skip this and the following paragraph. But it may be helpful to repeat what has been said in the past. The translation below may be described as EXTREMELY literal, and because of that, it may be helpful to have another translation of the text nearby or perhaps a study bible.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of being EXTREMELY literal is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. These numbers were added later and may be distracting from the overall message of the text. It should also be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And the particular words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that sometimes occurs between the English and Greek languages. Also important to mention is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words that are usually second (or sometimes third) in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. One more thing to mention is that, although this does not happen in the text below, the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS, where a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. These have been explained elsewhere, and here again it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website.

What follows is what was promised, an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 6:41-71 [It could also be noted that the second paragraph has the Father first, the verb second, and subject noun third, and the “d.o.” was added to signify that the Father is the direct object in this case; and that particular order also gives emphasis to the Father]:

Therefore  they-were-grumbling,  the  Jews,  concerning  him,  because  he-said,  “I,  I-am  the  bread,  the-one  having-come-down  out-of  the  heaven,”  and  they-were-saying,  “Not  this-one  is  Jesus,  the  son  of-Joseph,  of-whom  we,  we-know  the  father  and  the  mother?  How  now  he-says  that,  ‘Out-of  the  heaven  I-have-come-down’?

He-answered,  Jesus,  and  he-said  to-them,  “Do-not  grumble  among  one-another.  No-one  is-able  to-come  toward  me  if  not  the  Father,  the-one  having-sent  me,  he-drags  him,  and-I,  I-will-raise-up  him  in  the  eschaton  day.  It-is  having-been-written  in  the  prophets:  ‘And  they-shall-be  all  taught  of-God.’  Every  the-one  having-heard  from  the  Father  and  one-having-learned,  he-comes  toward  me.  Not  that  the  Father[d.o.],  he-has-seen,  anyone,  if  not  the-one  being  from  the  God,  this-one  has-seen  the  Father.  Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  the-one  believing  has  life  eternal.  I,  I-am  the  bread  of-the  life.  The  fathers  of-you,  they-ate  in  the  desert  the  manna,  and  they-died;  this-one  is  the  bread,  the-one  out-of  the  heaven,  coming-down,  in-order-that  anyone,  out-of  it  he-may-eat  and  not  he-may-die.  I,  I-am  the  bread,  the  living,  the-one  out-of  the  heaven,  having-come-down.  If  anyone  eats  out-of  this,  the  bread,  he-will-live  into  the  age;  and  now  the  bread  which  I,  I-will-give,  the  flesh  of-me,  it-is,  on-behalf-of  the,  of-the  world,  life.”

Therefore  they-were-fighting  toward  one-another,  the  Jews,  saying,  “How  is-he-able,  this-one,  to-us  to-give  the  flesh  to-eat?”

Therefore  he-said  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  if  not  you-eat  the  flesh  of-the  Son  of-the  Man  and  drink  of-him  the  blood,  not  you-have  life  in  yourselves.  The-one  munching  of-me  the  flesh  and  drinking  of-me  the  blood,  he-has  life  eternal,  and-I,  I-will-raise-up  him  in-the  eschaton  day.  For  the  flesh  of-me,  true  it-is  food,  and  the  blood  of-me,  true  it-is  drink.  The-one  munching  of-me  the  flesh  and  drinking  of-me  the  blood,  in  me  he-remains,  and-I  in  him.  Just-as  he-sent-out  me,  the  living  Father,  and-I,  I-live  on-account-of  the  Father,  and  the-one  munching  me,  and-that-one  will-live  on-account-of  me.  This  is  the  bread,  the-one  out-of  heaven,  having-come-down,  not  just-as  they-ate,  the  fathers,  and  they-died;  the-one  munching  this,  the  bread,  he-will-live  into  the  age.”

These-things  he-said  in  a-synagogue,  teaching  in  Capernaum.  Therefore  many,  having-heard  out-of  the  disciples  of-him,  they-said,  “Hard  it-is,  the  word,  this;  who  is-able  it  to-hear?”

Now fully-knowing,  the  Jesus,  in  himself  that  they-are-grumbling  concerning  this,  the  disciples  of-him,  he-said  to-them,  “This,  you,  it-scandalizes?  Therefore  if  you-behold  the  Son  of-the  Man  going-up  where  he-was,  the  formerly?  The  Spirit  is  the-one  doing-life,  the  flesh  not  profits  no-thing;  the  sayings  which  I,  I-have-spoken  to-you,  spirit  it-is,  and  life  it-is.  But-on-the-contrary,  there-are  out-of  you,  some  who  not  they-do-believe.”  For  he-fully-knew  out-of  beginning,  the  Jesus,  who  are  the-ones  not  believing,  and  who  he-is,  the-one  betraying  him.  And  he-was-saying,  “On-account-of  this,  I-have-told  to-you  that  no-one  is-able  to-come  toward  me,  if  not  it-is  having-been-given  to-him  out-of  the  Father.”

Out-of  this,  many  out-of  of-the  disciples  of-him,  they-came-away,  into  the  behind,  and  no-longer  with  him,  they-were-walking-around.  Therefore  he-said,  the  Jesus,  to-the  twelve,  “Not  also  you,  you-want  to-go-away?”

He-answered  him,  Simon  Peter,  “Lord,  toward  whom  shall-we-come-away?  Sayings  of-life  eternal  you-have.  And  we,  we-have-believed  and  we-have-known  that  you,  you-are  the  Holy-One  of-the  God.”

He-answered  them,  the  Jesus,  “Not  I,  you,  the  twelve,  I-have-selected,  and  out-of  you,  one  a-diabolos  he-is?”  Now  he-was-speaking-of  the  Judas  of-Simon  Iscariot;  for  this-one  was-about  to-betray  him,  one  out-of  the  twelve.

This has been said many times, but it could be repeated here also. There are many, many ways in which words could be translated. And one often finds in a language that some important things have more than one word attached to them. This happened above with the verb to eat. (There are also two different words for knowing.) Since there were two different verbs for eating, one was just described as eating, but the other as “munching”. In other words, there is an audible eating. Whether or not this is polite is another matter. And it may be said that this type of eating may have added to the grumbling of the Jews. That grumbling certainly was audible. And certainly all of this may get many Christians thinking about the Lord’s Supper.

It may be noted that Jesus, only in this Gospel account, repeats himself in a special way when he says, “Amen, amen.” It may also be noted that you find Jesus repeating himself with other points in the text above. And he does that in the other accounts as well. That is fine. Sometimes we do not get the point right away.  Amen, amen to that.

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February 14th, 2026

2/14/2026

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We are nearing the end of the Epiphany season. This Sunday, the last Sunday after the Epiphany, is traditionally known as Transfiguration Sunday. It is as simple as that. But certainly the action of Jesus being transfigured is incredibly complex. Like many other things, it is to be taken by faith. In other words, it is to be seen as a gift. This is especially appropriate since this miracle is closely connected to Jesus’ predictions of what is going to happen very soon in Jerusalem.

The Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Matthew 17:1-9. Certainly there is a jump from last week’s reading being from the sixth chapter. Very soon the readings will jump to the Gospel according to John, and then very soon they will also jump to the Passion account in the last chapters of the Gospel according to Matthew. This is also fine. The central topic is a sure and certain One. The details are just that.

In the writings of this website, we are handling some of those details. In the last three years we went through the three similar Gospel accounts, and this year we are going through the Gospel according to John, a significantly different account. Some of these differences may be more obvious than others. And many of them have already been mentioned. These writings have been archived to give the reader an opportunity to see some of those differences.

The rest of this week’s writing will focus on the next section in what is commonly known as the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to John. The section from last week ended with a reference to Jesus as Lord, and the comment was made that the miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand was summarized by the verb that he “gave thanks”. Certainly Jesus gave thanks for the little food that he received. And certainly five thousand men (and many others) were fed because of that food. But the word to give thanks is, in Greek, the word for Eucharist, the word for the Lord’s Supper, the Sacrament of the Altar.

After a connection within the Gospel according to Matthew and the Father, then the Gospel according to Mark to the Son, then the Gospel according to Luke and the Holy Spirit, why not a connection to the Sacraments in the Gospel according to John? These are special, holy things of God that reach out to his people living today and deliver some great gifts.

Now if you have been reading these writings in the past, and if you are familiar with the type of translation that is below, you may skip this and the following paragraph. The translation below may be described as EXTREMELY literal. It is designed to help the reader give a new perspective on a text, and it is one that may work well with another translation of the bible or study bible nearby.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of being EXTREMELY literal is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. These numbers were added later and may be distracting from the overall message of the text. It should also be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And the particular words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that sometimes occurs between the English and Greek languages. Also important to mention is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words that are usually second (or sometimes third) in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. One more thing to mention is that, although this does not happen in the text below, the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS, where a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. These have been explained elsewhere, and here again it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website.

What follows is what was promised, an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 6:24-40.
Therefore  when  it-saw,  the  crowd,  that  Jesus,  not  is  there,  nor  the  disciples  of-him,  they-stepped-in,  they,  into  the  small-boats,  and  they-came  into  Capernaum,  seeking  the  Jesus.  And  having-found  him  across  the  sea,  they-said  to-him,  “Rabbi,  when  here  did-you-come?”

He-answered  them,  the  Jesus,  and  he-said,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  you-are-seeking  me,  not  because  you-saw  signs,  but-on-the-contrary,  because  you-ate  out-of  the  breads,  and  you-were-satisfied.  Work  not  the  food,  the  perishing,  but-on-the-contrary,  for-the  food,  the  remaining  into  life  eternal,  which  the  Son  of-the  Man,  to-you  he-will-give;  for  this,  the  Father,  he-sealed,  the  God.”

Therefore  they-said  toward  him,  “What  may-we-do  that  we-way-work  the  works  of-the  God?”

He-answered,  the  Jesus,  and  he-said  to-them,  “This  is  the  work  of-the  God,  in-order-that  you-may-believe  into  he-whom  he-sent-out,  that-one.”

Therefore  they-said  to-him,  “Therefore  what  are-you-doing,  you,  a-sign,  in-order-that  we-may-see  and  we-may-believe  you?  What  are-you-working?  The  fathers  of-us,  the  manna,  they-ate  in  the  desert,  just-as  it-is  having-been-written,  ‘Bread  out-of  the  heaven,  he-gave  them  to-eat.’”

Therefore  he-said  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  not  Moses  has-given  to-you  the  bread  out-of  the  heaven,  but-on-the-contrary,  the  Father  of-me,  he-gives  to-you  the  bread  out-of  the  heaven,  the  true.  For  the  bread  of-the  God,  it-is  the-one  coming-down  out-of  the  heaven  and  life  giving  to-the  world.”

Therefore  they-said  toward  him,  “Lord,  always  give  to-us  the  bread,  this.”

He-said  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “I,  I-am  the  bread  of-the  life;  the-one  coming  toward  me,  certainly  not  he-hungers,  and  the-one  believing  into  me,  certainly  not  he-will-thirst,  never.  But-on-the-contrary,  I-said  to-you  that  both  you-have-seen  me,  and  not  you-do-believe.  All  which  he-has-given  to-me,  the  Father,  toward  me  he-will-come,  and  the-one  coming  toward  me,  certainly  not  I-will-throw-out,  outside,  because  I-have-come-down  from  the  heaven,  not  in-order-that  I-may-do  the  will,  the  my,  but-on-the-contrary,  the  will  of-the-one  having-sent  me.  Now  this  is  the  will  of-the-one  having-sent  me,  in-order-that  all  which  he-has-given  to-me,  not  I-shall-lose  out-of  it,  but-on-the-contrary,  I-raise-up  it  in  the  eschaton  day.  For  this  is  the  will  of-the  Father  of-me,  in-order-that  all  who  beholding  the  Son  and  believing  into  him,  he-may-have  life  eternal,  and  I-raise-up  him,  I,  in  the  eschaton  day.”

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February 7th, 2026

2/7/2026

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The season of Epiphany continues, and this Sunday is the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany. And this year being Series A, this Sunday’s Gospel Reading is from the Gospel according to Matthew (5:13-20), and the reading continues on, following immediately after last week’s text.

In the Gospel Reading of the previous week, Jesus went up on a mountain and sat down. With the writings of this website, we are currently going through the Gospel according to John, and we are now currently in what is usually called the sixth chapter of that account. And in this text as well, Jesus is also described as going up a mountain and sitting down. Repetition is certainly helpful when dealing with sinful and easily distracted human beings.

We also are not skipping over any of the text of the Gospel according to John, but we are taking a short section each week, one right after the previous text. And the goal is to get to the end of this account before the end of the church year in November.

If you have been to this website in the past and are familiar with the type of translation that is below, you may skip this and the following paragraph. It should be said, first of all, that there are VERY numerous ways to translate. The translation below may be described as EXTREMELY literal. It is designed to help the reader give a new perspective on a text, and it is one that may work well with another translation of the bible or study bible that the reader also uses.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of being “extremely” literal is that, other than in the introduction, the verse numbers will not be included. These were added later and may be somewhat distracting from the overall message of the text. Secondly, it should be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And the particular words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that sometimes occurs between the English and Greek languages. Hopefully that is not too confusing as well. Also important to mention is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (such as “therefore”, “for”, and “now”) that are usually second or third in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. One more thing to mention is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS, and in the Gospel according to John, they basically remind us that some small things are very important to God. It may also be said that the living creature that is connected to this Gospel account is the eagle, and the eagle can see the small but important things rather easily.

What follows is what was promised, an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 6:1-23. This chapter is one of the longer chapters, and a lot of things are going on here. This particular section of this chapter will end with something special, that Jesus is called the Lord once again. When the beginning of chapter four was being discussed, the title was connected to baptism. The text below connected that special title with some special food that is being received.

Although many have pointed out that the Gospel according to John does not have the institution of the Lord’s Supper within it, one should not think of the Passover being described as “near” to be a coincidence when an amazing gift will soon be discussed. Eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood is truly an incredible gift. Here is the translation:

After  these-things,  he-came-away,  the  Jesus,  to-the-other-side-of  the  Sea  of-the  Galilee,  of-the  Tiberias.  Now  it-was-following  him,  a-crowd,  a-great-one,  because  they-were-beholding  the  signs  which  he-was-doing  upon  the  without-strength-ones.  Now  he-came-up  into  the  mountain,  Jesus,  and  there  he-was-sitting  with  the  disciples  of-him.
Now  It-was  near,  the  Pascha,  the  Feast  of-the  Jews.  Therefore,  having-lifted-up  the  eyes,  the  Jesus,  and  having-beheld  that  a-great  crowd  is-coming  toward  him,  HE-SAYS  toward  Philip,  “From-where  may-we-agora  breads,  in-order-that  they-may-eat,  these?”  Now  this  he-was-saying,  testing  him;  for  he,  he-knew  what  he-was-about  to-do.

He-answered  him,  the  Philip,  “Of-two-hundred  denarii,  breads  not  they-are-enough  for-them,  in-order-that  each,  a-little,  it  he-may-receive.”

HE-SAYS  to-him,  one  out-of  the  disciples  of-him,  Andreas,  the  brother  of-Simon  Peter,  “He-is  a-lad  here  who  he-has  five  breads,  barley,  and  duo  fish;  but-on-the-contrary,  these,  what  is-it  into  so-many?”

He-said,  the  Jesus,  “Make  the  people  to-recline.”  Now  It-was  grass,  great,  in  the  place.  Therefore,  they-reclined,  the  men,  the  arithmetic  as  five-thousand.  Therefore,  he-took  the  breads,  the  Jesus,  and  having-eucharistic,  he-gave-out  to-the-ones  reclining,  likewise  also  out-of  the  fishes,  as-much-as  they-were-wanting.  Now  as  they-were-filled-in,  HE-SAYS  to-the  disciples  of-him,  “Synagogue  the  having-overflowed  fragments,  in-order-that  not  anything  is-lost.”

Therefore,  they-synagogued,  and  they-filled  twelve  [Jewish-]baskets  of-fragments  out-of  the  five  breads  of-the  barley  which  they-overflowed  to-the-ones  having-eaten.  Therefore,  the  people,  having-seen  the-thing  he-did,  a-sign,  they-were-saying  that,  “This  is  truly  the  Prophet,  the-one  coming  into  the  world.”  Therefore,  Jesus,  knowing  that  they-were-about  to-come  and  to-seize  him  in-order-that  they-might-make  a-king,  he-withdrew  again  into  the  mountain,  himself,  mono.

Now  as  evening  happened,  they-went-down,  the  disciples  of-him,  upon  the  sea,  and  having-embarked  into  a-boat,  they-were-coming  to-the-other-side-of  the  sea,  into  Capernaum.  And  darkness  already  it-had-happened,  and  not-yet  he-had-come  toward  them,  the  Jesus;  and  the  sea,  a-wind,  mega,  blowing,  it-was-raised-thoroughly.

Therefore,  having-rowed  as  stadia,  twenty  five  or  thirty,  THEY-BEHOLD  the  Jesus,  walking-around  upon  the  sea,  and  near  the  boat  happening,  and  they-feared.  Now  the-one  HE-SAYS  to-them,  “I,  I-am;  not  do-fear.”  Therefore  they-were-wanting  to-take  him  into  the  boat,  and  immediately  it-happened,  the  boat,  upon  the  land  into  which  they-were-going.

On-the  succeeding,  the  crowd,  the-one  having-stood  the-other-side-of  the  sea,  they-saw  that  small-boat,  another,  not  was  there,  if  not  one,  and  that  not  he-did-come-into-with  the  disciples  of-him,  the  Jesus,  into  the  boat,  but-on-the-contrary,  mono,  the  disciples  of-him,  they-came-away;  other  it-came,  small-boats,  out-of  Tiberias,  near  the  place  where  they-ate  the  bread,  having-eucharistic,  the  Lord.

If you have read the writing until this point, it should first of all be said that congratulations are in order. Just one more thing that could also be said is that you may have noticed that the word “Jewish” was added to the word “basket” in the above translation. (Congratulations are also in order if you caught that addition.)

Like so many other things in a particular culture, something that is very common may have more than one word to describe it. The words of “car” and “automobile” are an example for our culture. And think of how helpful it was to have a basket to transport things, no matter the culture to which it was connected. The last thing that could be said is that the so-called feeding of the FOUR thousand had baskets connected to Gentiles rather than Jews. That may be something to keep in mind when going over these accounts again.

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A Sabbath Day's Journey

February 21st, 2026

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February 7th, 2026

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