Book Review: Jesus for Life: Spiritual Readings in John's Gospel

“There are many ways to read the Bible. Not all of them are helpful” (1). With that arresting sentence, Richard Briggs begins this book in which he offers a way of reading John’s Gospel designed to help the reader read to receive “a word of life,” or to have an encounter with Jesus. This approach Briggs calls “spiritual reading.”

In ten chapters, Briggs offers spiritual readings on a selection of texts from John’s Gospel, sometimes but not always, these are paired with a reading from the Old Testament. Briggs considers that the Old Testament is important background to the New, but in his readings, the Old Testament is only slightly considered, while the Gospel remains the main focus.

The first two chapters consider texts in John 1. A reading of the prologue to the Gospel (John 1:1–18) and the encounter with Nathanael (vv. 43–51) yields the thought that the Gospel begins like this because our lives as Christians begin with Christ, and are surrounded by Christ. Christ is the light in the darkness. Baptismal identity is all about beginning with Jesus. Like Nathanael, we are invited to find our identity in meeting Jesus.

Meanwhile, the Baptist’s witness (John 1:24­–42), “Behold the Lamb of God,” is seen in the light of a brief tour of Isaiah to draw out the connection between Jesus and the “lamb of God” in the suffering servant and also Israel’s role as a servant to be a light to the nations. The upshot is that this also applies to us: we are to be light to the world (as was Jesus), but we can only do it as we understand ourselves as forgiven by the “Lamb of God” who takes away our sin and as we live in the power of the Spirit of Jesus. This chapter also contains a long illustration of Brigg’s own lack of confidence as a swimmer, over against his daughter’s natural confidence. The lesson is that we must learn to trust God (like jumping into a pool confidently).

Chapter Three (“Mary Takes Her Son to a Wedding—John 2”) teaches us that we can and must, like Mary, when we are in trouble and out of ideas, turn to Jesus and do whatever he tells us. We may not understand; we just need to do as directed. In Chapter Four (“True Love, or ‘What John 3:16 Really Means—John 3”), we discover that God’s love, as seen in John 3:16, is for everyone. John is interested to show us the kind of God, God is: a God of love, and to show us that God’s love is defined by Golgotha. God is a God whose love also involves judgment, which is about justice and “holding open the door of life” (42). God’s judgment works for our good.

Chapter Five, “Encounter at the Well–John 4,” links the story of the Samaritan woman with other Old Testament stories of encounters at wells, many of which end in betrothal and marriage. The Samaritan woman falls in love with Jesus (she has been looking for love in five plus one other men). But to fall in love with Jesus is not romantic love: it means to receive “living water,” the forgiveness of sins, and rescue from darkness. To meet Jesus is to meet God in human form. To sustain a love relationship (here Briggs turns to the reader), we need to listen (read the Gospels/Bible) and talk (pray).

Chapter Six, “Walking on the Water of the New Creation–John 6”, treats the story in John 6:16–24. It shows us that Jesus is the light of the world who comes to us in the darkness of the world’s hopelessness and despair and bring us to the “promised land” (a nod here to God’s rescue of Israel through the Red Sea; the OT readings being Exodus 13:17–18; 14:21–29). All our desires are met in Jesus, the “bread of life.”

These summaries may give a flavour of what Brigg’s “spiritual reading” is like. It seems to me that two themes predominate: rescue, or help in the face of the world’s darkness, trouble, despair, our own confusion and feelings of not knowing what to do; and the theme of needing to put our trust in God or Jesus and do what Jesus does, or what he calls us to do. The Lazarus story (John 11:1–45) shows us that resurrection life will trump the darkness, despair, sorrow, and death of this world. Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet (John 13) shows us that our ideas and God’s, or Jesus’, do not always match (just as Peter did not then understand what Jesus was doing, but would later: John 13:6, 7). Philip’s question (John 14:8–10) means we should stick with Jesus, as Philip did, despite not understanding or know what the answer will be. Jesus’ resurrection brings a new dawn, new hope, and new world: life out of the “breathless dust of the earth”, slavery in Egypt, wilderness wanderings, dry bones (Ezekiel), for God is and always was “the God of resurrection life” [88–89].

The book ends with an excellent “Essay on Spiritual Reading and John.” It looks at the use (and not such usefulness) of historical criticism; the need to focus on “the real Jesus”; the need to attend to what the text is conveying beyond historical information, and the role of the Old Testament in the New Testament.

Briggs writes in a chatty and informal style. He includes personal anecdotes and folksy stories, laced with humour. On one occasion, reflection on the Lazarus story, associated with the “valley of dry bones” episode (Ezekiel 37), threatens to be overtaken by a riff on “Dem Bones, Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones” (59).

Briggs notes the importance of the Old Testament on the Gospel. But I wish he might have attended more to the significance of the Old Testament references supplied to the Gospel passage under consideration. Most are introduced only cursorily. For instance, I wish he had drawn out more deeply what the significance of Jesus citing Moses’ snake on the pole (Numbers 21:4–9), in John 3:14, meant for his reference to his own death (43). He encourages the reader to read the passages provided at the head of each chapter before reading the chapter (which I did). Sometimes, the verses selected seem a bit arbitrary: why cite Ezekiel 37 in full, when only vv.1–14 are pertinent; why pluck John 3:11–16 out of the wider passage?

Who is the book for? For Christian readers; for those wanting an “easy entry” into John’s Gospel. The book betrays (I think) its origins in sermons and talks to study groups. I am not sure that Briggs fulfils all of the principles he outlines for “spiritual reading” in the execution of his own readings. But there are some lovely insights along the way, and helpful connections made with the challenges of everyday life.

Derek Tovey is the book review editor for Stimulus.