God has planted throughout the Scriptures time-released fireworks. At various periods in the church's history these bombs go off under their texts, exploding for all to see, inviting people of that era to "look at me" and take seriously the Word of God coming alive specially for them right before their eyes.

Two books of the Bible exploding under us, and wanting to explode within us (that's what preaching basically is), are the books of John and Genesis. Why John? First, it stands apart from the other gospels in its interest in "spirituality." That is why Clement of Alexandria called it "the spiritual Gospel." Second, it uses image after image (John is also called the "I-Am" Gospel), appealing to a visual culture where the perceptual is more galvanizing and mobilizing than the conceptual. …