Week 07 - Lazarus, Judgement and Us (2018)

This week John MacMurray outlines the book of John. We talk about the story of Lazarus and why the midpoint of John is significant. We talk about John 5 and the meaning of judgement. We wrap the class with thoughts about what this means in our lives.

Week 06 - Understanding Incarnation and John 2 (2018)

This week John MacMurray talks about the Incarnation and why God is different in Christianity than other religions. He continues with why that is important to us and how this changes everything. John also discusses questions about Jesus on the cross, why Jesus died and what God thinks of sacrifice. We start on John 2 and learn what questions to ask while we read about what Jesus does.

Week 05 - John 1:12 (2018)

This week John MacMurray talks about John 1:12 and how to translate this verse, focusing on ex ousia (out of being/essence). He continues by diving into Jesus’s death and the cause, the meaning of atonement and why Jesus is the perfect representative of God.

Week 04 - Why God Creates (2018)

This week John MacMurray continues talking about the nature of God, what self-love means in the context of the Trinity, and why God creates (out of His nature of self-giving, other-centered love). He also goes into God as a relational being, hell, and what we should look for when we read the Gospel of John.

Week 03 - The Incarnation (2018)

This week John MacMurray continues in John chapter 1. We talk about the choice of the word “Word” in the prologue, what it means that the “Word became flesh” (1:14) and what the Incarnation is. We end by talking about the fundamental truth of God and what's missing from the Catechism.

Week 02 - John 1:1 (2018)

This week John MacMurray dives into the text beginning with John 1:1. We talk about the importance of this verse and the following verses in understanding the entire book, as well as what John is attempting to say in starting his Gospel off with a prologue. We talk about creation, what “The Word” really means and the importance of the trinity and relationship to understanding God.

Week 01 - Introduction to the Gospel of John (2018)

Welcome to Gospel of John class—2018 edition!

This week John MacMurray takes a look at the whole of the Gospel of John. Before we actually dive into the text, it’s important to take note of how the author wants us to see this book. We do this by looking at the narrative structure and the storytelling tools of selection, arrangement and editorial comments. We also learn about the prologue and the importance of John 17.