August 15th, 2026

Things will continue on until the Lord says otherwise. With the three-year series, this Sunday’s title is the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, and the Gospel Reading is Matthew 15:21-28, and it has moved a significant distance from last week’s text (14:22-33).

With the writings of this website, we have currently been going through the Gospel according to John. It is a significantly different Gospel account when compared to the other three, but it also is one with a lot of good news. And we are much farther along in that account. We are finally getting to that point of Jesus’ arrest in Gethsemane.

Jesus had been doing a LOT of talking in the previous chapters. And a LOT of what was said does not appear in the other Gospel accounts. Now what does this mean? It is very easy to “go down the road” of history (and chronology) and say that this Gospel account was written AFTER the others, when John knew what the others included about Jesus, and he wanted to make sure these other words were included. That kind of reasoning helps to make the Gospel accounts an “Information Issue”. And with that perspective, our totally sinful condition does not seem to be too important. With that emphasis, the only thing that needs help is the brain.

It is better to see the Gospel accounts as a “Salvation Story”. (And the use of the word “Story” here does not mean that things are made up.) These actual events are related through the mouth (and a brain) of a follower of Jesus. Perhaps a slightly better way to say it would be “Narratival News”.

This idea of Jesus talking a lot may also be seen in another way. In a recent writing of this website, connections were made between the four verbs of the Paraclete and the four Gospel accounts. And other connections were made to the four accounts from other things in both the Old and New Testaments. For example, significant connections have been made between the Gospel accounts and the four living creatures of the Lord’s throne. If the reader has not seen that recent writing, reading it may be helpful.

One more connection may be helpful, and this time it is to the stars of the sky. In the account of creation, it is said that the sun rules the day and that the moon and the stars rule at night (Genesis 1:16-18). One may see a sun or the stars on the ancient throne of a king. It is interesting that some of the constellations may be connected to the living creatures that are on the Lord’s throne in the book of Ezekiel. In chapter one the order of the living creatures is a man, lion, ox, and eagle.

To get an idea of the possible connections, a couple of statements will be made. Hopefully the point will be clear that the Lord is involved in what is HIS creation. The constellation that is known as Aquarius is a man carrying a jar, and it is said to be full of water. From looking at the way those particular stars are patterned, the jar appears to be a heavy thing. That constellation may particularly be seen in the northern sky in February. A constellation that appears in May is Taurus, an ox. And that ox seems to be pictured as definitely moving forward. The next constellation is Leo, the lion. It looks to be pictured as in the midst of a great leap. This constellation is most prominent in August.

It is interesting that two months are between each constellation. After two months after August, the constellation is known as Scorpius (or Scorpio). It appears in November. Certainly the combination of stars may look like a scorpion. But instead of following the zodiac, one also might be able to see an eagle. And this eagle has an EXTREMELY open mouth and its tongue sticking out. Taking the scorpion to be an eagle, that would have the four living creatures evenly distributed throughout the year in the northern night sky.

A point that could be brought up again is that the man is working by carrying the jar, the ox is moving forward with some power, and the lion is in the midst of a great leap. The eagle, with its great “strength” being that it has a huge perspective from above, is also hard at work by giving a great call with its mouth.

An overview of the previous chapters in the Gospel according to John may support the seriousness of Jesus’ words and the “great call” he is giving. He refers to his being betrayed. He refers to his death and resurrection. He refers to another Comforter, another Counselor, the Holy Spirit. These are EXTREMELY important topics.

With such an important topic, we continue to study the Lord’s words for more clarity, especially when it comes to the Gospel. When we take a little bit of a Gospel account at a time, we study it carefully, in the order in which it has been laid out, and we are not skipping any parts.

It should also be mentioned that we are going through this Gospel account with a unique translation called an EXTREMELY literal translation. If you are familiar with this style of translation, then you may wish to skip the next two paragraphs.

The first significant thing to mention regarding the description of this type of translation is that the chapter and verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. Both numbers were added quite later after the text was written, and they are certainly useful when someone is searching for a particular text, but the structure they imply is not always helpful. This pair of numerical designations makes the very beginning of the text important. There is always a first verse, and there is not always a twenty-fifth verse. With this structure, the focus tends to be on the beginning of the writing. The act of writing those verses is probably not the most important thing that the writer wants to get across to the reader. The biblical writers basically wanted the readers to focus on God and not on themselves. And the words are much more important than the numbers, and often those words lead the reader near the middle and/or the end of the text in some way, to give to the reader some structure to all the words being read.

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 it should also be noted that some of the words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that often occurs between the English and Greek languages. It is also important to mention 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 or phrase. Sometimes this emphasis will be shown with a “(!)”. Recently the things that Jesus has just spoken have been emphasized in this way. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (like “therefore” and “now”) that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. And although it should be obvious, it should be said that repetition of words should be noted as another type of emphasis. One more thing to mention is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS.  Historical presents are somewhat frequent within all the Gospel accounts, but they are especially frequent in the Gospel according to John. It is when a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. More detail regarding the historical present has been explained elsewhere in these writings, and it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website. With all of the above things to consider, it will probably be helpful to have another translation or a study bible nearby as you read the text below.

What follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of the first part of the what has been called the eighteenth chapter of the Gospel according to John (18:1-27). These words continue to be important, and it is certainly a nice gift that we have. And these words immediately follow what has been called the high priestly prayer of Jesus, and a (!) also appeared at the very start of that chapter as well.

These-things(!)  having-said,  Jesus  came-out  with  the  disciples  of-him,  across  the  torrent  of-the  Kidron,  where  it-was  a-garden,  into  which  he-came-into,  he,  and  the  disciples  of-him.  Now  he-knew-well  also,  Judas,  the-one  betraying  him,  the  place,  because  often  he-was-gathered,  Jesus,  there,  with  the  disciples  of-him.  Therefore  the  Judas,  having-taken  the  cohort  and  out-of  the  archpriests  and  out-of  the  Pharisees,  attendants,  HE-COMES  there  with  lanterns  and  lamps  and  weapons. 

Therefore  Jesus,  knowing-well  all  the  things-coming  upon  him,  he-came-out,  and  HE-SAYS  to-them,  “Whom  are-you-seeking?”

They-answered  him,  “Jesus,  the  Nazarene.”

HE-SAYS  to-them,  “I,  I-am.”

Now  he-was-standing,  also,  Judas,  the-one  betraying  him,  with  them.  Therefore  as  he-said  to-them,  “I,  I-am,”  they-came-away,  into  the  back,  and  they-fell  to-the-ground.  Therefore  again  he-questioned  them,  “Whom  are-you-seeking?”

Now  the  ones  said,  “Jesus,  the  Nazarene.”

He-answered,  Jesus,  “I  said  to-you  that  I,  I-am;  therefore  if,  me,  you-are-seeking,  allow  these  to-go-away.”  In-order-that  it-might-be-fulfilled,  the  word  which  he-said,  that,  “Whom  you-have-given  to-me,  not  I-lost  out-of  them  no-one.”

Therefore  Simon  Petros,  having  a-sword,  he-drew  it,  and  he-struck  the-one,  of-the  archpriest,  slave,  and  he-cut-off  of-him,  the  ear,  the  right-one;  now  it-was  the-name  of-the  slave,  Malchus.  Therefore  he-said,  the  Jesus,  to-the  Petros,  “Throw  the  sword  into  the  sheath;  the  cup  which  he-has-given  to-me,  the  Pater,  certainly  not  shall-I-drink  it?”

Therefore  the  cohort  and  the  chiliarch  and  the  attendants  of-the  Jews,  they-took-with  the  Jesus,  and  they-bound  him,  and  they-led  toward  Annas  proton;  for  he-was  father-in-law  of-the  Caiaphas,  who  was  archpriest  of-the  year,  that-one.  Now  it-was  Caiaphas,  the-one  having-advised  the  Jews  that  it-was-useful,  one  anthropoid  to-die  on-behalf-of  the  people.

Now  he-was-following  the  Jesus,  Simon  Petros,  and  another  disciple;  now  the  disciple,  that-one,  he-was  known  to-the  archpriest,  and  he-came-into-with  the  Jesus,  into  the  courtyard  of-the  archpriest;  now  the  Petros  stood  toward  the  door,  outside.  Therefore  he-came-out,  the  disciple,  the  other,  the-one  known  of-the  archpriest,  and  he-said  to-the  doorkeeper,  and  she-led-into,  the  Petros.  Therefore  SHE-SAYS  to-the  Petros,  the  maidservant,  the  doorkeeper,  “Not  also,  you,  out-of  the  disciples,  are  of-the  anthropoid  of-this?”

HE-SAYS,  that-one,  “Not  I-am.”

Now  they-stood-into,  the  slaves  and  the  attendants,  a-charcoal-fire  having-made,  because  cold  it-was,  and  they-were-thermal.  Now  he-was,  also  the  Petros,  with  them  standing,  and  thermal. 

Therefore  the  archpriest  questioned  the  Jesus,  about  the  disciples  of-him  and  about  the  teaching  of-him.  He-answered  him,  Jesus,  “I,  with-plainness(!)  I-have-spoken  to-the  cosmos;  I  at-all-times(!),  I-taught  in  synagogue  and  in  the  temple,  where  all  the  Jews  come-together,  and  in  crypto  I-spoke  nothing.  Why  me  do-you-question?  Question  the-ones  having-heard  what  I-spoke  to-them.  See,  these  know  what-things  I-said,  I.”
Now  these-things  he,  having-said,  one  standing-by  of-the  attendants,  he-gave  a-slap  to-the  Jesus  having-said,  “Thus  you-answer  the  archpriest?”

He-answered  him,  Jesus,  “If  badly  I-spoke,  martyr  about  the  evil;  now  if  well,  why  me  do-you-beat?”  Therefore  he-apostled  him,  the  Annas,  having-been-bound,  toward  Caiaphas,  the  archpriest. 
Now  he-was,  Simon  Petros,  standing  and  thermal.  Therefore  they-said  to-him,  “Not  also  you,  out-of  the  disciples  of-him  you-are?”

He-denied,  that-one,  and  he-said,  “Not  I-am.”

HE-SAYS,  one  out-of  the  slaves  of-the  archpriest,  a-relative  being  of-him-who  he-cut-off,  Petros,  the  ear,  “Not  I,  you,  I-saw  in  the  garden  with  him?”  Therefore  again  he-denied,  Petros,  and  immediately  a-rooster  phoned.
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Now obviously it is a bit difficult for a rooster to make a phone call. But hopefully the point gets across that many words in English have their “ancestry” in Greek. If you know English, you have already grown in your knowledge of many Greek words. And hopefully you have seen the tension grow significantly within the above text. And things will continue on until the Lord says otherwise.