John 5:25-30

John 5:25-30 - Daily Devotion - 1 January 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

25 Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. 27 And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

28 Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice 29 and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

30 I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Nathan Ting

“Everyone dies – but not everyone lives”. That’s a quote I heard somewhere several years ago. I remember when I processed what it meant, I had a bit of a moment of having my mind blown – I thought it was really clever. In its context, what this quote was saying is that everyone will die at some point, but whether you can look back and be content with the life you’ve lived is a different matter altogether. The quote is an encouragement to take a step back, reflect on the things that truly matter in life and live in a way that is meaningful to you.

Reflecting on it now, I think it’s a bit vague and subjective, but it got at least one thing right: that in the big scheme of things, death is imminent.

Today’s passage strikes me as a reminder of the need to urgently share the gospel with the world because death is imminent – but it’s also not the end. We saw from verse 24 in yesterday’s passage that whoever hears and believes Jesus will receive eternal life, having crossed over from death to life. Verse 29 makes it clear that everyone will be resurrected, however not everyone will be resurrected to life – sadly, some will not have crossed over from death and will instead be resurrected to face eternal judgment. Verse 25 highlights the urgency of sharing the gospel with people – Jesus says that the hour is not just coming, but that the hour “has now come” when those who hear and believe will be saved. All who are spiritually dead in their sin have an opportunity to hear about the grace of God and to find salvation in Jesus, which is the will of the Father as we saw earlier in John 3:17.

The question for us is: As followers of Christ, are we Christ-like in seeking the will of our heavenly Father, which is to see a world that puts their trust in Jesus? Are we taking the opportunities given to us to share this eternity-changing news with those around us? Ask God to help you be bold and live with urgency in sharing the gospel – so that even though everyone dies, they might also live because of Jesus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nathan is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

John 5:22-24

John 5:22-24 - Daily Devotion - 31 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

22 Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

24 Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Have you ever had the experience of thinking you’re in deep, deep trouble, you can see no possible way out – and suddenly you get handed a seemingly-miraculous lifeline? That’s how today’s short passage made me feel.

It starts, in verses 22-23, with one of the most shocking and direct statements in Jesus’ whole ministry. The Jewish religious leaders already suspected that Jesus was claiming to be equal with God (v 18). Jesus pours petrol on the flames by directly confirming it. The Old Testament declared that the Lord God is the one who will judge the world (Psalm 96:13), and that he will not share or give his glory to any other (Isaiah 42:8). Then Jesus goes and says, “the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.”

Jesus claimed that he is fully and completely God, because he is the Son of the Father. That’s either breathtaking or blasphemous.

But if you get stuck on how shocking Jesus’ words are (as the Jewish leaders did), you’ll miss the breathtakingly good news that follows. Remember, Jesus the Son is the glorious, holy judge of all – the one whom the apostle John would later see, in a vision, riding a war horse, a terrifying king with eyes like blazing fire and a sharp sword coming from his mouth, treading the winepress of God’s wrath (Revelation 19:11-16). His judgment brings death to all sinners.

So when I read verse 24, I felt a wave of relief and thankfulness: “Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.”

What a word of amazing comfort and assurance! No judge in a human courtroom has any power to declare a person “guilty” but then miraculously wipe away their charge and acquit them, or sentence them to life in jail and then instantly release them with no criminal record. That’s what Jesus did – because he is not only the glorious judge, he is also the servant of the Lord who came to suffer our death sentence for us. And he offers us that death-to-life gift if we listen to his word and believe in him.

That is, quite literally, the most miraculous lifeline that ever existed, offered by the one who is himself “the radiance of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3). Praise and worship Jesus the Son, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for his amazing kindness!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

John 5:16-21

John 5:16-21 - Daily Devotion - 30 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

16 Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews began to persecute Him. 17 But Jesus answered them, “To this very day My Father is at His work, and I too am working.”

18 Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

19 So Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does. 20 The Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. And to your amazement, He will show Him even greater works than these. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Mercy Saw

On first reading this passage, verse 19 stood out to me. What does it mean that “the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it”? Isn’t Jesus fully God, so couldn't he have done whatever he wanted? Actually, this tells us something profound about the Trinity – that because the Son is fully God, he does everything the Father does, and always acts in perfect union with the Father’s will.

However, reading this verse in context, Jesus is speaking particularly about the work he came to do. Jesus gives us a glimpse of the intimate relationship he has with the Father, where the Father loves the Son and shows him his work, and the work that Jesus does is fully aligned with the Father's purposes. He can do nothing by himself, because he and the Father are so entwined in love and will.

This contrasts sharply with the Jewish leaders' response to Jesus' miraculous healing of the paralysed man. Rather than responding in joy or praise to God, the Jewish leaders instead try to persecute Jesus for breaking the law by working on the Sabbath. Whilst claiming to be doing God's work by upholding the law, they completely miss the signs pointing to Jesus as the one sent to do the work of the Father, the one who would bring the true Sabbath rest and restoration to creation. They act to oppose the work of God and ironically, they try to kill Jesus because they recognise he is claiming to be equal with God.

This reminds me that it is only by God's grace and work in us that any of us can see Jesus clearly as the one sent by God to reveal himself to us. It is possible – like the Jewish leaders – to see the miracles of Jesus and still not believe in him. This reminds me to keep praying for those who are lost, that God would work in them to help them receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

This passage also fills me with thanks for the greatest work God the Father has done in raising Jesus from the dead, and through Him giving us new life. God is still at work in bringing people to himself, and we have the privilege of sharing in his work too by sharing the good news of Jesus and praying for the salvation of those who do not yet know him. This may feel small when we focus on our efforts, but we can be encouraged that God is the one who is powerful and mighty to save. Praise God that he is always at work!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mercy is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

John 5:9b-15

John 5:9b-15 - Daily Devotion - 29 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

Now this happened on the Sabbath day, 10 so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath! It is unlawful for you to carry your mat.”

11 But he answered, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

12 “Who is this man who told you to pick it up and walk?” they asked.

13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while the crowd was there.

14 Afterward, Jesus found the man at the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.”

15 And the man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

Today we return to the man who was an invalid for 38 years and was miraculously healed by Jesus.

Two things stand out to me today. First, when the Pharisees notice him and see that he can walk, the first thing they say to him is not, “How is this amazing thing possible?” Instead they say, “It is unlawful for you to carry your mat” – because it was the Sabbath day. How often do we, even as well-meaning Christians, forget to marvel at the amazing work of the gospel of Jesus Christ in people's lives, and instead get caught up in personal differences or even grievances we have about how something is said or done, or even whether someone is or isn’t doing what we think is right? I can recall a conversation I had with a Pentecostal friend who talked enthusiastically about how the Spirit was leading him – only for my mind to be questioning whether it really is the Spirit, or whether he really is in his right mind. What I should have been thinking instead is how wonderful it is that my brother calls Jesus Lord, and that the transforming work of the Spirit is calling him to do things for God’s great kingdom, to the praise of his wonderful name.

The second thing that stands out for me is Jesus’s stern warning to the man who had received this miraculous healing: “Stop sinning.” Jesus was not saying that sin had caused the man to be an invalid. This was Jesus saying to the man: “Recognise who I am. Remember me by the proof that you have been made well. Respond appropriately by stopping sinning.”

I too have received the miracle of Jesus having mercy upon me. I was once dead in my sins, but now I have been made alive by faith in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. So what should my response be? Recognise who Jesus is, remember him by the proof that I have been made well, and stop sinning.

The passage ends with the man going back to the Pharisees and telling them that it was Jesus who made him well. I kind of wish it had ended more like this: “And the man went away, put to death the sin in his life, and committed the remainder of his life to faithful service in worship to the one who made him well.”

What will your response be to Jesus today?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

John 5:1-9a

John 5:1-9a - Daily Devotion - 27 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

Some time later there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool with five covered colonnades, which in Hebrew is called Bethesda. 3 On these walkways lay a great number of the sick, the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed.

5 One man there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and realized that he had spent a long time in this condition, He asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am on my way, someone else goes in before me.”

8 Then Jesus told him, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk.”

9 Immediately the man was made well, and he picked up his mat and began to walk.

REFLECTIONS

Written by MIchael Legaspi

The power of God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – always astounds me. But even though God has the power to heal and remove all sickness and disease in the world, he does not – well, not yet. There is a purpose and intention to all that God does.

The miraculous healing in today’s passage happens at a large pool called Bethesda, which was discovered by archaeologists in the 1880s. When Jesus arrives there, the pool is surrounded by the desperate, the dependent, the distressed and despairing. What could they do to help themselves, being blind, lame and paralysed? Where are their families? Where are their friends? These people are almost entirely dependent on others, and they long to have what most of us take for granted: the ability to walk and see.

The scene focuses on one man – an invalid for 38 years. His helplessness is illustrated in verse 7: “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred.” He is a picture of human limitation and the need for divine help.

What stands out in verse 6 is that Jesus knows the man’s situation, his limitation, and his need. In the ESV translation, it says: “When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be healed?’”

Jesus knew. But Jesus doesn’t just know about people’s physical needs. Jesus has a deep understanding of our real situation, a deep understanding of our life. Jesus has the true wisdom of knowing our situation of sin and rebellion, our limitation that we can’t save ourselves, and our need to be saved from judgment.

What was this man’s greatest need? And what is yours?

Let us ask God to help us remember the reality of humanity’s situation and the limitations we face. But even more, ask God to help us know and trust the one who has the deepest wisdom and understanding of us: Jesus Christ. And let us remember Jesus’ power to solve our real need – just as he said to the man “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk,” and at once the man was cured, picked up his mat, and walked.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

John 4:51-54

John 4:49-54 - Daily Devotion - 26 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

Reminder: We read the first half of this episode on Christmas Eve, when the royal official came to Jesus because his son was about to die. We will pick it up again in verse 49.

~~~

49 “Sir,” the official said, “come down before my child dies.”

50 “Go,” said Jesus. “Your son will live.”

The man took Jesus at His word and departed. 51 And while he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was alive.

52 So he inquired as to the hour when his son had recovered, and they told him, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.”

53 Then the father realized that this was the very hour in which Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and all his household believed.

54 This was now the second sign that Jesus performed after coming from Judea into Galilee.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Queenie Favelle

This passage challenges us to trust God even when we do not yet see the fruits of our prayers.

The royal official was desperate. His son was dying, and he thought that Jesus had to travel and go to his son in order to heal him. But as we saw last time, Jesus simply said to him, “Go – your son will live” (v 50), and the man believed him. John told us, “The man took Jesus at his word” – that is, Jesus’ word was enough for him. So he was able to leave Jesus and return home, despite not yet seeing for himself that his son was healed.

Notice the order: he believed first, before he had any signs that his son was healed. I think often trusting in Jesus is very much like that. Even though we do not know how our prayers will be answered, we take God at his word, trust him, and persevere. Ultimately, we have God's biggest sign, which is Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead, through which he conquered death once and for all. This ought to lead us to repentance and trust, even when we don’t yet see God’s answer to our prayers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Queenie is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Hebrews 9:27-28

Hebrews 9:27-28 - Daily Devotion - 25 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

27 Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Today we’re taking a break from our devotions in John’s Gospel for a special Christmas devotion. And if you’re reading this on Christmas Day, then: Merry Christmas!

In Christian tradition, Christmas isn’t just about remembering that the Son of God came into our world as a baby. It’s about remembering that we are living in the time between the first and second comings of Jesus. That’s why this season is known as Advent. The word “advent” means “coming” or “arriving”; and at Christmas, we not only look back to Jesus’ first coming, we also look forward with hope to the day when he will come back again in glory to raise his people to everlasting life in God’s new creation.

This year in the leadup to Christmas, I’ve been reflecting on the angel’s announcement in Luke 2:11-12:

“Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

What joyful news – a baby who will be the Saviour! But Hebrews 9:28 tells us two extra details. First, the “saving” part isn’t quite done yet. In one sense, if you have turned to Jesus as your Lord, then you have already received the gift of salvation. But in its full sense, salvation is what Jesus will bring when he appears a second time. That is why we “eagerly await him” – because we have not yet taken hold of our inheritance of resurrection life in God’s kingdom.

But Hebrews 9:28 also spells out the grim truth about Jesus’ first coming, which the angel’s announcement didn’t reveal: The purpose of his first coming was for him “to bear sin.”

That got me thinking about Jesus the “baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” There are several reasons why God didn’t fully reveal the details of his plan until the moment Jesus died on the cross. But if he had got the angels to include that bit, I wonder … would the burden have been too much for Mary and Joseph to bear? When you look at a little baby, all pudgy folds and soft skin, it’s so clear that human flesh is … well, weak, vulnerable and ever so easy to pierce.

God knew the cost. The Father knew in sending the Son. The Son, in his eternal unity of will with the Father, knew the agony he would bear. And yet he came as a baby, to bear our sin through his flesh on the cross – all so that he will be able to return in glory and victory “to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him,” as Hebrews 9:25 says.

“This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10)

Spend some time thanking God today for his indescribable love poured out in Jesus’ first coming, and ask him to help you each day to eagerly await our final salvation at Jesus’ second coming.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

John 4:43-50

John 4:43-50 - Daily Devotion - 24 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

43 After two days, Jesus left for Galilee. 44 Now He Himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown. 45 Yet when He arrived, the Galileans welcomed Him. They had seen all the great things He had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they had gone there as well.

46 So once again He came to Cana in Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Him to come down and heal his son, who was about to die.

48 Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.”

49 “Sir,” the official said, “come down before my child dies.”

50 “Go,” said Jesus. “Your son will live.”

The man took Jesus at His word and departed.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Scott Favelle

Words or Wonders – what is more important? Of course I love the word of God and love to delve into it, but there are times when I think how amazing it would be to be the people in these accounts and actually witness the things Jesus did! His miracles, His signs – how much stronger would my faith be, how much more tangible would the gospel feel rather than “simply words on a page”? But today’s passage seems to be a strong challenge against such thinking.

In our reading today, we hear about the Galileans who all too recently had taken offence at Jesus and his amazing teaching (see Mark 6:1-6 for the background). But now they welcome Jesus. Why? Because they sat with his teaching and thought and reflected on it some more? No, not at all! It was because they saw him doing signs and wonders. That is why Jesus gives a scathing rebuke: “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” Their desire for spectacle over substance showed the fickle and unreliable nature of their faith.

The royal official is a stark contrast to the rest of the Galileans. He comes to Jesus and begs him to come down and save the life of his sick son. But Jesus simply replies, “Go – your son will live”. So what does the man do? Does he demand that Jesus come with him or do something impressive? No, he simply takes Jesus at his word and leaves. (We will find out tomorrow if this was the right call, so stay tuned.)

So I go back to my first question: Words or Wonders, what is more important? It seems intuitive that if we saw the wonders Christ performed, our faith would be stronger. But that isn’t the reality. Instead, a faith that relies on wonders as its foundation is fickle and weak, because when the miracles stop, so will our belief. Instead, we should ground our faith on the words of Jesus and of God, just as the royal official did: “The man took Jesus at his word” (v 50). Why? Because the Word of God is secure and never changing. As Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” – so believe what he says.

As we celebrate Christmas, let’s reflect on the trustworthiness of God’s word and his promises. Yes, Christmas is the story of a miraculous virgin birth and the miracle of God becoming man, but even more importantly, it is the beginning of the fulfilment of every one of God’s promises, culminating at the Cross of Christ.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Scott is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

John 4:27-42

John 4:27-42 - Daily Devotion - 23 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

27 Just then His disciples returned and were surprised that He was speaking with a woman. But no one asked Him, “What do You want from her?” or “Why are You talking with her?”

28 Then the woman left her water jar, went back into the town, and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 So they left the town and made their way toward Jesus.

31 Meanwhile the disciples urged Him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

32 But He told them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

33 So the disciples asked one another, “Could someone have brought Him food?”

34 Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months until the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe †  for harvest.

36 Already the reaper draws his wages and gathers a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the hard work, and now you have taken up their labor.”

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days.

41 And many more believed because of His message. 42 They said to the woman, “We now believe not only because of your words; we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man truly is the Savior of the world.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Ashel Singh

In this passage, we see something powerful happen in a small Samaritan town. It begins with one woman. She doesn’t have a theology degree or a polished testimony. She simply tells people what happened to her: “He told me everything I ever did.” And that was enough for many to believe.

At first, the Samaritans believe because of her words. Her story opened the door. Her honesty sparked curiosity. This reminds us that God uses ordinary people to draw others to himself.

As the story continues, the people then ask Jesus to stay with them, and he does. Over the next two days, they listen to him, watch him, and experience him personally. They say: “We now believe not only because of your words; we have heard for ourselves.” They experience true faith in a depth which is much more serious than before.

Many of us come to faith because of someone else — a parent, a friend, or a leader. Jesus doesn’t want to remain someone we only know through others. He invites us to spend time with him, to listen to his voice, and to encounter him personally.

And notice how they finish: “We know that this man truly is the Saviour of the world.” Not just my Saviour, but the Saviour for everyone. He calls us to have a personal relationship with him, always leading to a bigger vision of who Jesus is.

Today, I wonder if it’s helpful to reflect on this: Do I rely on someone else’s direction towards faith in Jesus, or do I have my own personal relationship with him?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ashel is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

John 4:16-26

John 4:16-26 - Daily Devotion - 22 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

16 Jesus told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

17 “I have no husband,” the woman replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are correct to say that you have no husband. 18 In fact, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. You have spoken truthfully.”

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I see that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem.”

21 “Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”

26 Jesus answered, “I who speak to you am He.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Mary Hong

Yesterday we heard about the moment when Jesus met this Samaritan woman at the well. He offered her “living water” (v10), but she didn’t understand – she thought he was talking about literal water that would permanently take away her physical thirst.

Today, Jesus changes the direction of the conversation. He asks her, with graciousness and sensitivity, about her husband (v16-18). However, she still is not convinced about who she is speaking to. She thinks Jesus is merely a prophet (v19) and that the Messiah is yet to come (v25).

At that point, Jesus gives her clarity as he proclaims: "I who speak to you am he." (v26)

What strikes me most is the fact that Jesus already knew this woman before He started speaking with her. Even though he was only passing through the town of Samaria on his way to Galilee, Jesus was familiar with her story (v16-18). He had supernatural knowledge of the shameful details of her personal life, yet he was interested in her and cared about her.

That got me thinking about what it must have been like to be that woman at the well. She probably wasn't well regarded by her own people, yet she had learned and knew about the Messiah and was waiting for His arrival – but she didn’t realise He had already come! It must have been an astounding moment when she realised and believed that she was speaking to the Messiah Himself. Later in the chapter, we will hear about how she goes home and excitedly tells all her friends about Jesus the Saviour.

It’s so amazing that this meeting and interaction with Jesus soon becomes her personal testimony.

I am also reminded of my faith journey. For a long time, I doubted and didn't accept Jesus into my life as my Saviour. I recall having many excuses. In many ways, I too was limited in the belief system I had known. I recall asking the “doubt” questions, taking time to reflect – and then one day it happened: I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.

Friend, if you are still in doubt, is there a Saviour you are longing for? Are you still searching or waiting in hope? What is it that you need to find peace in your heart and believe in Him?

If you are someone who already believes in Jesus: Are there areas in your life where you are still waiting for hope? Is there anywhere in your life you are still hoping to find peace to settle your heart?

Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well is a reminder of the reason He came into world. He came to the waiting, longing hearts, to a world in need of hope. As we gather to celebrate His birth this week, may we make room to reflect and remember: That hope has come.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

John 4:1-15

John 4:1-15 - Daily Devotion - 20 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 When Jesus realized that the Pharisees were aware He †  was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although it was not Jesus who baptized, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and returned to Galilee.

4 Now He had to pass through Samaria. 5 So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Since Jacob’s well was there, Jesus, weary from His journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

9 “You are a Jew,” said the woman. “How can You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 

10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

11 “Sir,” the woman replied, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then will You get this living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?”

13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”

15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I will not get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

Growing up, I don’t ever really recall a time when I carried a drink bottle around. I don’t even think I really owned one. These days, I see them everywhere – my wife, my kids, and pretty much every kid at school has one. And with good reason too – water is vital. When we have water with us, it helps satisfy thirst, which is our body’s signal to tell us that it needs water to not die. Why do we get thirsty? Well, sometimes it’s because it’s a hot day and we can get dehydrated. Sometimes it's because we have just done exercise. Or sometimes, we might be sick and increasing our fluid intake helps our bodies to recover.

In today’s passage, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.” What Jesus is getting at here is that there is something that we as human beings need even more than water, something like water but somehow better. There is also something in us that produces thirst – not a thirst that physical water can satisfy, a thirst for this living water that only Jesus can provide.

Just like everyone thirsts for physical water, I believe we all thirst for this living water. But sadly, we don’t always turn to Jesus for it. Too often, we try to satisfy this thirst with all kinds of other things, like social media, toys and gadgets, or in the Samaritan woman’s case, relationships (as we will see tomorrow). But none of those things really satisfy.

The Samaritan woman doesn’t understand any of this yet – though she is making a good start: she is asking Jesus for the water he can provide. For most people, it takes time to really understand what Jesus offers us. Because the “living water” he offers is eternal life – not just life that lasts forever, but a life of true fullness and joy, life to the full (John 10:10).

The question for us today is: are you thirsty? Have you come to Jesus to ask for a drink from the water that only He can provide? Listen to these words from Revelation 22:16-17:

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.

Come, brothers and sisters: thirst, and drink freely from the one who, out of his inexhaustible grace, offers eternal life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

John 3:31-36

John 3:31-36 - Daily Devotion - 19 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

31 The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The One who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. 33 Whoever accepts His testimony has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.

35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.” 

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

John 3:36 has been burned into my memory ever since I learned the gospel presentation “Two Ways to Live” many years ago. It’s in the last bit in the presentation, where you explain the two ways we each have to choose between – to submit to Jesus as our ruler and rely on his death and resurrection, or reject him and live our own way.

It’s a great verse for challenging people with the “pointy end” of the gospel. But today it struck me that the verses leading up to it explain why that’s the “pointy end” of the gospel. After all, it seems pretty extreme, doesn’t it? Why should your eternal fate rest on whether you believe in Jesus? Why are the consequences so absolute – eternal life, or staying under God’s wrath?

Well, for starters, it’s because Jesus is the one who came from God and who “speaks the words of God,” so if you don’t believe Jesus, you are calling God a liar (v 33-34).

But even more than that, it’s because the relationship between God the Father and his eternal Son is the heart of the universe. “The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands” (v 35). The entire universe is a love story about the Father’s love for the Son in the Spirit. That love is the reason and purpose for all reality.

So of course we can only find eternal life in the Son – it turns out that’s pretty obvious. But the far more wondrous thing is that when we believe in Jesus, God draws us into that love story. He gives us a share in the same Spirit whom he pours out eternally and “without limit” on his Son (v 35). When we embrace our true purpose – when we say, “I believe you and submit to you, Jesus” – we begin to be filled with that same never-critical, always-delighted love of the Father for his Son.

All praise be to him alone forever and ever! Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

John 3:22-30

John 3:22-30 - Daily Devotion - 18 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

22 After this, Jesus and His disciples went into the Judean countryside, where He spent some time with them and baptized.

23 Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because the water was plentiful there, and people kept coming to be baptized. 24 (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)

25 Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a certain Jew   over the issue of ceremonial washing. 26 So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Look, Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, the One you testified about—He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.”

27 John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must increase; I must decrease.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Vinh Dang

When I read these verses, I find myself deeply challenged by John the Baptist’s humility. His disciples are worried that people are leaving him to follow Jesus (v 26), but instead of feeling threatened or insecure, John responds with a calm and confident trust in God’s plan (v 27-30). I realise how often I respond differently. When circumstances change or when someone else seems to succeed in ways I wish I could, I feel a need to compare myself with others. I want to have what is familiar, to hold on to what feels like “mine.” But John reminds me that everything I have is a gift from God, not something I earn or deserve or get to keep forever (v 27).

What I find most surprising is John’s joy. He doesn’t simply accept that Jesus must become greater—he celebrates and rejoices Jesus becoming greater and he himself decreasing (v 30). He sees himself as the friend of the bridegroom who is happy just to hear the bridegroom’s voice. This challenges my idea of being joyful about something. I often associate joy with my own success or comfort. John associates joy with Jesus being glorified, even if that means that John must step away from the centre stage. It makes me think of what truly rejoicing looks like. Am I willing to decrease so that Christ can increase?

That sentence—“He must increase; I must decrease”—feels like an invitation to trust that God’s plan in Jesus is bigger and better than my own, and it reminds me to ease up on my own desire for status, personal gain and comfort. It also reminds me that my real purpose should come from aligning my life with Jesus, not competing for attention.

As I reflect on the passage, I feel encouraged to let humility shape my heart, and to celebrate and rejoice in God’s work, even when it shifts the focus away from me. I want to find joy in making Christ greater in all areas of my life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vinh is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

John 3:16-21

John 3:16-21 - Daily Devotion - 17 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

19 And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.” 

REFLECTIONS

Written by Rebecca Mihas

When I read John 3:16–21, I’m reminded again of the amazing depth of God’s love. John 3:16 is one of the most well-known verses in the Bible: “For God so loved the world…”, yet when I stop and reflect, I’m struck by how personal it is. God didn’t just love the world in a general sense; He loved me enough to give His only Son so I could have eternal life. That sacrifice shows how precious His gift really is.

This passage also speaks into times when I’m struggling in my walk with God. When I know I’ve done the wrong thing or acted poorly toward my family, colleagues, or friends, I often withdraw from God. I read my Bible less and pray less, because I feel unworthy of His love and grace. My pride appears, and I don’t want to admit my faults, even though I know I need to. Those are the times when shame makes me want to hide.

But verses 17–18 remind me that Jesus didn’t come to condemn me. He came to save me. That truth brings comfort, especially when I feel like I fall short. God’s heart is not to punish but to restore. Even when I distance myself out of guilt, He still invites me back into His light, not to shame me but to free me.

Verses 19–21 challenge me because they confront my tendency to stay in the “darkness”, in excuses, pride, or fear. God’s light can feel uncomfortable, but His light isn’t meant to harm me. It reveals what needs healing and invites me to grow. Choosing the light means choosing honesty, humility, and transformation.

This passage shows me a love that comforts and challenges me. It reassures me that salvation is a gift, not something I earn. And it calls me to walk in the light, where I continually find grace, freedom, and a God who never stops coming after me.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

John 3:9-15

John 3:9-15 - Daily Devotion - 16 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.

12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.†  14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Rebecca Shead

Our family enjoys playing games together, and one that we've tried recently is called Wavelength. There are two teams. One person is given a category with a spectrum between two extremes (like “cold” to “hot”), and a point somewhere in between the extremes. They have to give a clue to help their teammates guess where that point lies – but they’ll need to be on the same “wavelength” to get close. Even if you know the person very well, it's still possible to be on a different wavelength and completely miss the mark!

I can't help but feel sorry for Nicodemus in this passage. Jesus has just told him that for a person to be saved, they need to be born again (v3). I'm guessing that's the last thing he expected Jesus to say! No wonder he's a bit confused – he's not on the same wavelength as Jesus.

But then Jesus rebukes him. Nicodemus is a Pharisee and a teacher, so he would have known his Old Testament very well. He would have been waiting for God to send the Messiah, and should have recognised who Jesus is.

In his kindness, and to help Nicodemus understand, Jesus explains about the salvation that is coming. Moses lifted up a bronze snake on a pole, to save the Israelites who were bitten by venomous snakes when they grumbled against God (v14, see Numbers 21:4-9). He tells Nicodemus that in the same way, the Son of Man (Jesus) will be lifted up.

Of course, we know that he is talking about dying on a Roman cross and rising to new life on the third day, but Nicodemus didn't know that! He was on a different wavelength. And then Jesus said that salvation will be eternal and will come through faith (v15). The Pharisees were dedicated to following the law perfectly to earn God’s favour. They were on a different wavelength.

Many of our family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues are also on a different wavelength. They don’t understand why Jesus is so amazing, and they think faith is about trying to be good. Let’s pray for them this Christmas and help them to get onto God’s wavelength – sharing the good news that Jesus came to die in our place and they can receive his gift of eternal life by trusting in him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

John 3:1-8

John 3:1-8 - Daily Devotion - 15 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.”

3 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. ”

4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You[B] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

No one. Jesus says, “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” Lots of people find that offensive, because we naturally tend to think that at least some people (hopefully me!) will be able to earn their way into the kingdom of God, or at least get there without needing much help from God. But Jesus is saying that the only possible way anyone can reach the joy of God’s everlasting kingdom is if God does a profoundly miraculous work in them – a work that none of us can possibly do for ourselves.

Jesus’ language of being born of “water and the Spirit” comes from Ezekiel 36, where God promised his sinful people that one day he would wash their sin away, give them a new heart, and put his Spirit in them to help them obey him (see Ezekiel 36:24-27). What Jesus says to Nicodemus is: That saving work is like a complete new birth – it’s a radical transformation, a new start; and it’s also something you can’t claim any credit for. That would be like claiming the credit for when you were born as a baby! This is 100% the work of God.

That can offend our pride, but I find it a relief, because it means I’m not in control of how and when God gives new birth. It doesn’t (or shouldn’t!) take away my burden for the millions who haven’t yet found life and hope in Jesus, or my desire to share the message of Jesus with as many as possible. But God’s Spirit is the one who ultimately can, does, and will give them that cleansing and transformation that is new life in Jesus.

Today’s reading is amazing timing, because yesterday (Sunday) I baptised 5 members of our Bossley Park morning congregation. Baptism is a beautiful picture of the spiritual realities Jesus is describing here. In the words of the baptism service, it symbolises “the extraordinary work of God in cleansing us from sin and giving us a new heart to trust and serve him.” It was so encouraging to hear the testimonies of these 5 brothers and sisters – to hear how they came to trust in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, and the complete assurance they have now of salvation and of God’s love for them. Pray now that God would give us the joy of baptising many more people in 2026 – that his Spirit would pour out new life in Jesus, for his glory.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

John 2:18-25

John 2:18-25 - Daily Devotion - 13 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

18 On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”

19 Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

20 “This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?”

21 But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body. 22 After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

23 While He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the signs He was doing and believed in His name. 24 But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew them all. 25 He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Ian Mu

I often hear people say – and I am guilty of doing it myself – “Lord, I promise I will love You more, or I will read and pray more, if You do THIS for me.” When I catch myself thinking like that, I realize I’m kind of acting like the Jews in John 2:18-20, whose faith depended on proof or something they could see. Another example I hear often is, “Lord, give me a sign You’re real, and I’ll believe You.”

I think this is why Jesus didn’t entrust Himself to them in verse 24, He knew their hearts, and their belief was mostly centred around miracles and signs, not on who He truly is. At the same time, I think it’s okay to start believing in Him because of the miracles and signs Jesus did, as long as it leads into a stronger, deeper relationship with Him. Like in verse 22, after He was raised, the disciples truly believed the Scriptures and the words Jesus had spoken. Jesus showed the greatest miracle of all: dying and rising again (verses 18-21). So now the question is: What are we going to do with that proof?

For me, the question becomes, “What now?” We’ve seen the greatest sign, the proof of Jesus dying and rising again. All the things I said I needed to see to pray more, read more, or do more… do I really need those? By even asking, do I truly believe? This passage challenges me to take a hard look at myself and what real faith is. I shouldn’t need more signs to trust God; His ultimate proof is already here. Now the challenge is to be like the Twelve disciples after seeing and believing the “proof” of Jesus’ resurrection, and let that belief guide everything I do.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ian is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

John 2:12-17

John 2:12-17 - Daily Devotion - 12 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

12 After this, He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and His disciples, and they stayed there a few days.

13 When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts[B] He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables. 15 So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!”

17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Two thoughts struck me as I reflected on this famous episode when Jesus made a mess of the furniture and the livestock in the temple courts. Both thoughts relate to zeal for God’s house.

Before I get to the two thoughts, it’s good to remember how the concept of God’s “house” grew and changed as God revealed himself more fully in Jesus. In the Old Testament, it was the temple – the holy space, God’s dwelling place, where people could (in theory) draw near to God, find forgiveness, and worship him. As tomorrow’s passage will make clear, Jesus himself replaced the temple. He is the true dwelling place of God, through whom we can draw near, find forgiveness, and worship God. And as we come to Jesus, we – the church, the people of God – become God’s “house” (1 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 3:6).

My first “zeal” reflection is about the temptation of money in ministry. Originally, the system of providing sacrificial animals for worshippers to buy had a good purpose. If you were a pilgrim travelling to Jerusalem from far away, it would have been very difficult to bring a live animal with you on the journey to sacrifice – and what if you didn’t have one that qualified? However, over time the religious authorities became greedy and corrupt, and they moved the temple market from outside to within the temple courtyard itself, and started looking to maximise their profits.

Jesus was consumed by an unwavering zeal for the honour of God’s name, and wanted nothing to get in the way of people approaching God to find forgiveness and new life – especially not the corrupting influence of money, profits and greed. I’m so thankful that the Anglican Church has fantastic processes and systems for protecting financial integrity and guarding against ministers or church members being greedy … but that doesn’t “cure” the temptation itself. Pray for me, for our staff, for our wardens, and for all those who deal with our finances, that God would give us an unwavering zeal for Jesus’ name, and that we would always long for nothing more than people to come to Jesus and find new life in him.

My second “zeal” reflection is this: As I was reading, it dawned on me that Jesus’ zeal for God’s house is not just his zeal for God’s honour. It’s also his zeal for … us. He was consumed by a pure, perfect, never-wavering desire to bring sinners like us to his Father so that we might find new life. That was what drove him not just to make a whip and drive out sheep and cattle from the temple, but to offer his back to a far more vicious whip and stretch out his arms to cruel nails, so that we might become holy, consecrated to God – his own house, “a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22). Praise Jesus for his amazing love!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

John 2:6-11

John 2:6-11 - Daily Devotion - 11 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

6 Now six stone water jars had been set there for the Jewish rites of purification. Each could hold from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.”

So they filled them to the brim.

8 “Now draw some out,” He said, “and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone serves the fine wine first, and then the cheap wine after the guests are drunk. But you have saved the fine wine until now!”

11 Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Tim Mitry

I find it interesting that in John's Gospel, the first miracle or sign that he records is one about wine at a party. He even highlights this event as the first way Jesus chose to reveal his glory, and that this is when his disciples first believed in him.

Wine for a party isn’t what I would expect Jesus to choose for his first miracle to reveal his glory. But one of our ministers helpfully pointed me to reflect on the significance of the Old Testament prophets, who talked about the age of fulfilment as a time of abundant “new wine”. For example, Joel 3:18 (NIV):

“In that day the mountains will drip new wine,
and the hills will flow with milk;
all the ravines of Judah will run with water.
A fountain will flow out of the LORD’S house
and will water the valley of acacias.

Or Amos 9:13-14a (NIV):

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD,

“when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman
and the planter by the one treading grapes.
New wine will drip from the mountains
and flow from all the hills,
and I will bring my people Israel back from exile.

By performing this miracle, Jesus was signalling that He is the one to bring the age of fulfillment and life that God had promised through the prophets.

This helps me reflect on two things. The first is that Jesus is the fulfillment of all God’s promises of restoration, of salvation, and of triumph. The second is that I can trust in God’s provision. He has provided for my greatest need in sending Jesus – which He has done both for Jesus’ glory and out of love for us. He is powerful enough to provide for all my other needs in this life too, and I can trust Him to do that because of His love displayed on the cross.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim is a member of our Fairfield Morning church.

John 2:1-5

John 2:1-5 - Daily Devotion - 10 December 2025
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to Him, “They have no more wine.”

4 “Woman, why does this concern us?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Helen Mitry

I love weddings – and we’ve had a fair few weddings from Fairfield Evening church! I love dressing up, I love having a “boogie on the dancefloor,” and I love the food.

Jesus, in today’s passage, was also at a wedding. So far, in chapter 1 of John’s Gospel, we have seen Jesus start his ministry by gathering his first disciples. Maybe this wedding was a chance for Jesus to relax, have fun and celebrate in festivities with his newly made friends? Wrong! Tomorrow we’re going to see that it was to reveal Jesus’ glory (v 11).

Today, what we see is that the wedding went downhill fast, because the wine ran out. In those days, letting the wine run out at a wedding was a major social blunder. It would be like the Crystal Palace reception centre at Canley Heights running out of mud crab at a wedding reception before all the tables are served. It would bring shame on the groom’s family, because it implied that they had failed to provide for their guests. In a small town like Cana, this would be remembered and spoken about in the community for many years.

Jesus’ mother Mary was also at the wedding, and she seemed to think that this would be the perfect opportunity to get Jesus’ ministry started. But Jesus responds by saying, “Woman, why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come” (v 4, NIV). I found Jesus’ response a bit surprising and not the way you would speak to your mother. My Bible footnote says that the term “Woman” wasn’t one of disrespect. In any case, this is not just a relationship between mother and son, but also between an ordinary woman and the Messiah, and Mary needed to know that it was not yet time for Jesus to reveal his glory fully to the world. That time would come at the cross.

Mary then says to the servants at the wedding, “Do whatever he tells you.” This is such a great example for us. She accepts that Jesus has a grand plan and that he will do it in his own timing. But she also directs people to listen to Jesus and do whatever he says.

Do we expect Jesus to run on our time and our plans, or on his? Let’s trust that whatever he has in store for us is for his glory and for our good.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Helen is a member of our Fairfield Evening church.