Easter Confessions

“Confession” is a slippery word in our language today. For many people, confessions are the stuff of TV courtroom dramas and police precincts, often public admissions of guilt related to crimes. In our context, confession also calls to mind a tabloid divulging the latest tidbit about a particular celebrity. Among religious folks, however, confession has a variety of meanings. Confession is what we do on the far side of sin. We hear preachers and laypeople talk about “the confession of sins.” The word is also used to describe a set of foundational beliefs, such as in the case of an early Baptist statement of faith called the 1689 London Confession of Faith. With so many variations on the word “confession,” it needs a qualifier and a context to help us understand its intended meaning. For these next five sessions, the best qualifier for the word confession is Easter, and the context of these Easter confessions is the Gospel of John.