The blessing of biblical theology in public

by Lucy Anderson

One opportunity offered by the EU for growth in biblical and theological maturity are weekly public meetings. In my time as a student and now as a Howie, these meetings have deeply shaped my understanding of how the Bible fits together and all points to Jesus.

This year, Rowan Kemp has been teaching through John’s gospel, the ‘book of the year’ for public meetings. In what are often familiar stories to us, Rowan has made clear layers of meaning which we miss if we don’t know our Old Testament well enough. For example, knowing the purpose of the six stone water jars used for Ceremonial washing in understanding John 2 (water into wine), and knowing about the figures of the Servant of the Lord from Isaiah, the Son of Man from Daniel 7, and the description of the Messiah from Ezekiel 34 in helping us understand John 9-10. These rich layers help us to understand afresh who Jesus is and the promises he fulfils in the gospels. Stories and prophecies Jesus’ original hearers would have had in their minds.

To have access to teaching which so clearly fits different parts of the puzzle together and helps us know the God of the Bible more deeply is a huge blessing. Praise God that the EU is able to offer this to students in a public setting open to everyone, that anyone could walk in and hear the good news about Jesus.

In a recent public meeting on John 13 and Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, we were helpfully reminded of Jesus’ words in verse 35: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Please pray with me that this rich resource we have on campus in the EU would not be one of building ourselves up in intellectual knowledge, but a resource of love that we can take off campus and to the world, that many more people may know of God’s redemptive plan through history.

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