Not long ago, I went to a minor league ice hockey game for the first time. Before climbing over people to get to our seats, we decided to go grab some concessions. Because ingesting calories while watching other people exert physical energy is my favorite pastime.
While standing out in the hallway next to the hot dog condiment area, I heard the Star Spangled Banner streaming over the TVs lining the walls. I found myself frozen, listening to the words, more intently than possibly ever before. Then that last line came blaring through the speakers, “O’er the land of the freeeeeeeeee and the hooooooooome of theeeeeeeeee braaaaaaaaave.” And to my total surprise, I teared up.
It surprised me because I’ve never really described myself as an overly patriotic person. I mean, I’ve always been thankful to live in the United States of America. I’ve always been thankful for the opportunities and privileges of my birthright and for those who gave their lives to achieve it. But tearing up over a patriotic song? That’s not really me. So I mulled over this question for a few days, Why the tears, Lord? And I landed on this answer: I’m grieving.
I’m grieving the current state of our country (for context, it’s currently November 2025 in the United States of America as I write this post). I’m grieving the atrocities of our world. I’m grieving the way fellow humans treat fellow humans. I’m grieving the rhetoric of some loud, unloving sects of the American “Christian” church. I’m grieving the tragic loss of life due to genocide, war, starvation, and greed. I’m grieving the lies. I’m grieving. So when that old patriotic song filled the air, grief sat like a lump in my throat.
As continual headlines have flooded my phone for what feels like infinity, I’ve had a desire to put words onto proverbial paper for weeks, or even months. But I always get stuck, because I’m not exactly sure what I want to say. Or what I should say…and what I should keep to myself. So after wrestling with which direction to go, I decided not to start with my words at all. Instead, I decided to spend some time with the “words in red,” a.k.a. Jesus’ words from Scripture. Because though my words don’t have the power to turn the tides of a heart…or a nation…his do.
That said, this is a new series sifting through the words and actions of Jesus as written in the gospel of John. Because as my sister says, “We have to know the Man.” This world is so. very. loud. People from every “side” claim to be following Jesus. So, let’s spend some time actually looking at him. Let’s listen to what he actually says and observe what he actually does. I have a feeling we may be a little surprised at what we discover.
What you can expect
To get the most of this series, I encourage you to prayerfully read the suggested text from the book of John before reading my commentary. As you read the text, keep a running list of anything the passage teaches you about Jesus – i.e. his commands, his example, his words, his convictions.
A second tip: Before you start reading the chapter each day, talk to God. Praise him for his goodness and faithfulness. Tell him the concerns on your heart. And ask him to speak to you as you read his Word.
Now, let’s discover what Jesus actually said and actuallly did. You ready?
