John: Intro

FIRST THOUGHTS ON JOHN'S GOSPEL

Our MacArthur study book provides a full introduction on the overall place and time of John's gospel and I suggest you read pages 1-4 to prepare for this gospel study.

When the Lord desired to feed the physical hunger of those chosen to be His, he did not provide them with ready made loaves of fresh baked bread. Scripture teaches us in Deuteronomy 16:14-15 & 35 that His people were given manna from above, described as “a small round thing” which had to be gathered for the day's supply. It then had to be ground into flour and baked for eating to nourish.

When the Lord wishes to feed the spiritual hunger of those chosen to be His sons and daughters, His actions are the same. He provides but expects us to gather and grind and bake His Word to nourish our hunger to feed us as we travel through the spiritual wilderness seeking the promised land.

The four gospels deal with the earthly life of the Savior, but each one presents Him in an entirely different character. Matthew presents the Lord Jesus as the Son of David, the heir of Israel's throne, the King of the Jews. In Mark, Christ is seen as the servant of Jehovah, the perfect Workman of God, emphasizing His service and the manner of that service. Luke teaches of the humanity of the Savior, presenting Him as the perfect man, in contrast to the sinful sons of men. John views Him as the Heavenly One come down to earth, the eternal Son of the Father made flesh and living among men to demonstrate the final revelation to mankind from above.

The viewpoint of this fourth gospel is more elevated than the first three. It's content brings into our view spiritual ties rather than human ties. The one born of a spiritual father, laid in a manger, and grown to become our perfect sacrifice for our sin has humbled himself as a servant on our account. The theme taught is of the deity of Jesus. Here we have the full unveiling of His divine glories and we behold him dwelling with God AS GOD before time began on the earth.

John differs in several ways with the Synoptic gospels (Matthew/Mark/Luke):

• A ministry of several years.

• Frequent trips to Jerusalem.

• Long term clashes with Jerusalem temple authorities.

• A role of Annas in the interrogation of Jesus.

• Passover Eve, not Passover Day, as the death day.

• At the start of John's gospel, his account is based upon OT theology with the opening phrase “In the beginning...” recalling the start of the OT in Genesis.

There are also a number of areas in which we are given valuable information which is not found at all in the other gospels. These include:

• CH 4 / John's writing on the Samaritans, their theology, their practice of worship on Mount Gerizim (which continues today), & the location of Jacob's well.

• CH 5 / John's information on the pool at Bethesda is proven accurate in our time as to location.

• CH 6 / The theological themes of the Passover & the Feast of the Tabernacles and surrounding ceremonies are explained.

• CH 7 / Details on the pool of Siloam, Solomon's Portico as a winter shelter and the description of Pilate's office are all found to be accurate in later years.

These details enhance the knowledge of Palestine in the time of Jesus.

John explores and advances the dual points of the teachings of Jesus on light and darkness and truth and falsehood.

In John's gospel, Jesus speaks exactly like Yahweh spoke in Deuteronomy and Isaiah. As an example, in 8:28 Jesus promises that when the Son of Man is lifted up (in return to the Father), “... then you will know that I AM (ego eimi).

In Isaiah 43:10 Yahweh says that the Father has chosen Israel “... that you may know and believe me and understand that I AM he...” (ego eimi)

In other less celebrated passages Jesus uses the same language to make His teaching points:

8:24 Unless you come to believe that I AM, you will surely die in your sins.

8:58 Before Abraham was, I AM.

The figure of Jesus who walks in the pages of John differs from the Jesus in the Synoptic gospels. There is a different way of speaking and His majestic divinity seems more clear to us. The Jesus in John presents himself with the seven “I AM” statements that define himself in a more divine light:

• 6:35 & 51 I am the bread of life.

• 8:12 I am the light of the world.

• 10:7 & 9 I am the gate.

• 10:11 & 14 I am the shepherd.

• 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life.

• 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life.

• 15:1 & 5 I am the true vine.

The noted seven signs (first division / Book of Signs) point clearly to the divine side of the dual nature of Jesus Christ (fully God & fully man). These are:

• 2:1-11 Water into wine at Cana.

• 4:4-54 Curing the official's son at Cana.

• 5:1-15 Curing the paralyzed man of Bethesda.

• 6:1-5 Multiplication of the loaves in Galilee.

• 6:16-21 Walking on the sea.

• 9 Curing the blind man in Jerusalem.

• 11 Raising of Lazarus from the dead.

Through these episodes, John strongly teaches that Jesus is the Messiah, the very claim rejected by the Jews. John uses the Greek form  of this title, Christos, more than any other gospel and is the only gospel to use the Messiah term (1:41 & 4:25).

John also identifies Jesus with OT figures of speech:

• 1:29 & 34 Servant of God.

• 1:29 The apocalyptic lamb.

• 1:49 King of Israel

• 6-69 Son of the Living God.

Further, unlike the Synoptics, John has no birth narrative, no Sermon on the Mount, no Lord's Prayer, no transfiguration, no Lord's Supper, no parables, no demon exorcisms, and no end times discourse.

While without direct connection, the teaching in Matthew, Mark, and Luke do correspond to John's theme of eternal life. Their parables are replaced by extended discussions (discourses) on the symbolism of the signs of Jesus.

In John we see the family relationship of the spirit in view. Through faith, the Son of God comes together with the sons of God. Within the first chapter we are told that “He came unto his own, and his own received him not”. The Jews claim upon Jesus Christ was only a “fleshly” one, from the fact that he was the Son of David. Believers are related to the Son of God by SPIRITUAL union, not through the flesh.

It is by the new birth that we enter the family which reaches out far beyond the Jews. It is this family that has come to be the true church of Christians.

Even though there are noted and clear differences, all four gospels present Jesus as the Son of Man AND as Savior fulfilling all OT prophecy and types.

LET'S STUDY THIS UNIQUE GOSPEL TOGETHER

John - Chapter 1, Part 1

THE WORD IS MADE FLESH

JOHN 1:1-18

A number of teachers have supposed that these first 18 verses of John's gospel were taken from a hymn of the early church days with a few verses added to explain the coming of John  the Baptist. Surely these first verses are among the most poetic and eloquent passages in all of scripture.

Here in the first few verses we will find revealed a treasure chest of information. Notice in these 18 verses we learn:

• The Word's activity in creation (1-5)

• John's witness concerning the light (6-8)

• The incarnation of the Word and our privilege in becoming God's children (9-14)

• John's witness concerning the priority of the Word (15)

• The final revelation brought by Jesus Christ (16-18)

John's gospel presenting the deity of our Savior is apparent from the opening words of his first chapter. The Holy Spirit has placed the key to the gospel to hang over the front door of the gospel.

These verses present the Lord Jesus in His divine relationships and unveil for us His glories. In the first 13 verses we see:

• The relation of Christ in time. “In the beginning...” therefore eternal.

• The relation of Christ to the Godhead. “...with God...”.

• The relation of Christ to the universe. “... all things were made by Him...” He is the creator.

• The relation of Christ to men. Their “light”.

• The relation of John the Baptist to Christ.  Witness of His deity.

• The reception Christ received here.

• “...the world knew him not...” “... his own received him not...”

John opens by immediately presenting Christ not as the Son of David, nor as the Son of Man, but as the Son of God. John takes us back to the beginning and shows that the Lord Jesus had no beginning. John travels back to creation and shows that the Savior himself was the creator.

He tell us that the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Not only was the Savior the one by whom God expressed His will but John teaches that the Word (Jesus) is equal to The Father & The Spirit. He was in the beginning therefore without beginning and so was eternal. (Jesus himself teaches this fact in Revelation 1:8:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end”.

Jesus also teaches this same fact in His great prayer in John 17:

“And now, O father, glorify thou me, with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was”.

His deity is established.

It is here also that we learn of His separate personality as John writes that “... the Word was with God...” John's scripture does not say AND GOD WAS WITH GOD. While there are three persons, they all share the one essence, and there is only one God. So John is teaching us that while God is the Father, and later will teach us that God is the Holy Spirit, here he teaches that God IS the Word. THIS IS IMPORTANT:

It is only in Christ that God is revealed fully to man. Nature, while beautiful, remains under the curse given in the garden. It is therefore imperfect. John teaches us here that it is God in flesh that reveals himself to us. This is why that believers who wish to develop a fuller and deeper relation with God must prayerfully study the Word

In 1:3 John shows that all creation is in the hand of the Word, more proof of His deity. Only God can create and John teaches that all things were made by him, not some things, not a few things, ALL things.

In 1:4 John shows that if Christ created all things then He is by definition the fountain of life. He is the life giver. Here begins the lesson of all life. Physical life is given by Him, and spiritual eternal life is found in Him. This life is the light of men. Here is the relation that Christ holds toward mankind. His light gives us life and separates that forever life from the darkness of the world.

In 1:5 “And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not”.

In verse 1, He is the Word. In verse 3 He is the maker. In verse 4 He is the life. Now we are taught that He is the light. We should recall the teaching verse John gives us in  1 John 1:5 that teaches us “... God is light...”. We have further conclusive proof that He is divine and is indeed God and man.

In 1:6 John introduces the first witness, John the Baptist. He is introduced to us as a “man” to contrast that the one to whom he brings witness is more than a man. The name of this witness, John, is translated to mean “gift of God”. Notice that the Baptist is not just a witness or just happened to be at the right place at the right time. This verse concludes that he was sent from God. Why was he sent?

1:7 gives us our answer, “… to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe”. The Light shone but the darkness did not receive it. So God sent John to bear witness to the Light. God did not allow His beloved Son to come here unrecognized or without notice. As soon as He was born angels announced His arrival. Now John appears to tell Israel to receive Him.

1:8 carefully advises us that the Baptist was NOT that light, but came to bear witness to it. We must remember that John had no light of his own. No prophet had his own light, no believer carries his own light. All reflect the light of the Lord. Paul allows us a great lesson on this very issue in Ephesians 5:8”

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light”.

1:9 demonstrates that we are not discussing just any light, but rather the True Light. A great lesson again arrives in a few words:

Christ is the True Light, and stands as the undeceiving Light. Satan himself may appear as an angel of light but he appears in this fashion only to deceive.

Christ is the Real Light. This is in contrast to the shaded light and shadow which was shown throughout the Old Covenant and its rituals that only pointed to Christ.

Christ is the Possessed Light, needing none other to shine forth (as the moon must have the sun to light it). Jesus holds His own Light. Hebrews 1 tells us He is the brightness of the glory of God. 

1:10 “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, but the world knew him not”.  Now John formally announces the incarnation, shadowing verse 14 to come.

He came to serve, not to be served. The creator of all humbled himself to take on human life in order to arrange our salvation by His once and perfectly sufficient sacrifice. Sufficient for all, but effective only for some. Why some only? 

1:11 provides our answer. “... his own received him not”. He came to knock on the door of the house of Abraham and not through ignorance, but rather through unbelief, they drove Him from their door, gave Him no welcome, and conspired to banish Him from the earth. Their own prophets, given so graciously by God for generations, had told the truth of Him but were ignored and mistreated by His own. Was the purpose of His coming defeated?

1:12 is  our answer. Proverbs 19:21 teaches and forecasts the reply: “... the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand...”. To those who believed, then and since, He gives power to become the sons of God. Here is the human side of salvation, what is required of sinners. Salvation comes to the sinner through “receiving” Christ, that is, by believing on His name. Who are those that receive Him?

1:13 is clear that it is not all who receive Him as we have already been taught that His own generally did not. Is the number of those who do receive and believe left up to chance? Far from it. These are those “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”.

Just as verse 12 gives us the human side of salvation, now verse 13 gives the divine side of the same process. The divine side is the new birth and it is clear that this birth is not hereditary (not of blood), and not of the will of the flesh (natural man), not by the persuasion of friends, nor of the wonderful words of the preacher. It is a work of God, through the Holy Spirit applying the living word to the heart. Here is the great mystery at work that we call regeneration. Acts 13:48 is another teacher on this subject as we see that “... as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” Note that the conviction precedes belief. 

1:14 “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us...”

Our divine Savior took upon himself human nature. He became a real man, though sinless, holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners (Heb 7:26). This union of two natures is one of the mysteries of our faith. Once more Paul reflects well on this matter in 1 Timothy 3:16: “... great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh”.

Why was this union so important?

It was necessary for Him to arrange Jesus as our mediator. Three things happened in this matter. First, now it was possible for Him to die. Second, He could now be touched with our infirmities. Third, He gave us the example of how we are to live as men, when he became a man, and showed himself to engage in natural flesh things, eating, sleeping, working, not yielding to temptation which faces all men.

The incarnation does not mean that Christ dwelt IN a man, but rather that He BECAME  a man.

He dwelt among us. Some translations have written this verse as He tabernacled among us. While I prefer dwelt, the tabernacle may have stronger precedent. Christ was the one to whom the wilderness tabernacle pointed. There are many shadows here:

• The tabernacle was temporary (as was the dwelling of Christ in man).

• The tabernacle was humble, just a tent (Jesus was forever humble).

• The tabernacle was God's dwelling place ( as was Jesus).

• The tabernacle was where God met with man (as was Jesus).

• The Tabernacle was the center of Israel's camp (He is our gathering place)

• The tabernacle was the place the law was preserved (Jesus fulfilled the law).

• The tabernacle was the sacrifice place ( Jesus was our forever sacrifice).

“... we beheld his glory...” gives us a simple definition of His supreme excellence in perfection.

“... full of grace and truth...” gives us a simple definition of what God is. With no words added we can understand God's person.

1:15 begins the true witness of John the Baptist. Historically we know that the Baptist was six months older than Jesus but here we see that John bears witness that Jesus was in His eternal existence before John, added evidence for His deity.

1:16 “And of his fullness have we all received, and grace for grace”.

The same lesson is taught again by Paul in Col 1:19 & 2:9 “... For it pleased the father that in him should all fullness dwell”. His fullness is without end, cannot be exhausted, and provides us peace, joy, and God's own revealed will as from a great storehouse, full to overflowing, all that we as believers will need now and in the life eternal.

Grace is heaped upon us in abundance. As Jesus told Paul, “My grace is sufficient”.

1:17 is strongly important to us as a foundation strength message upholding the New Covenant. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ”.

Grace and truth were not given. They CAME by Jesus Christ. The law given to Moses was not his own, but grace and truth were not given to Christ for these were a part of His own begotten perfections.

The law revealed God's justice but it did not make well known His mercy. It testified to His righteousness but it did not exhibit His grace. The law was the knowledge of sin, not the knowledge of God. The law could not save. Salvation came by Jesus Christ.

1:18 The declaration and the final revelation of God has been made evident by Jesus. No man has seen God. Now John summarizes his beginning given in the first 17 verses. Christ, who was with God forever, who is God, who came to be ours and suffer for us has declared (told – revealed – unveiled – displayed) the Father and the one who has done this is the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father. Here we see the eloquent intimacy described by John. Jesus is close and intimate with the Father. Notice that when Jesus came to be in flesh He did not give up his intimate relation with the Father. John teaches that He IS in the bosom of the Father, not that he WAS in the bosom of the Father.

Now we are given the favor and privilege that even Moses nor David nor Abraham never received. We come to know the Father through the Son. John teaches us later in 10:30 the words of Jesus that confirm this matter for us, “I and the Father are one”.

NEXT WE BEGIN THE BOOK OF SIGNS

John - Chapter 1, Part 2

THE TESTIMONY OF CHRIST'S FORERUNNER, 

JOHN THE BAPTIST

JOHN 1:19-51

John the Baptist is one of the most remarkable characters of the NT. He was the subject of OT prophecy in Isaiah 40. His birth was due to the direct and miraculous intervention of God (Luke 1). He was filled with the Holy Spirit in the womb of his mother. John has already taught that he was a man sent from God. How amazing was the description of him from Christ himself in Matthew 11 when he said, “Among them that are born of women,there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist”.

To this man was given one of the highest honors of all scripture as he was chosen to baptize the Lord and to stand beside Him as the Spirit of God revealed itself over the Jordan river.

As we begin the Book of Signs, we see that certain men have been sent from Jerusalem to question John concerning his own identity as well as why he has begun this new technique of baptism which is drawing many to him.

In verses 19-26 we see the Jew's inquiry to John and his answers.

Who art thou? John confesses his work but denies that he is the Christ.

Art thou Elijah? John says no.

Art thou that prophet? John says no.

What sayest thou of thyself? I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness.

Why baptizeth thou? To prepare the way for Christ.

John now opens his strongest witness so far of Jesus as the Christ. Verse 27 teaches that John introduces Jesus as one who these men do not know. He who is coming after John is preferred before him and John clearly indicates the position that Jesus holds, as John tells he is unworthy to loose the sandal of Jesus.

The very next day, Jesus himself arrives and John makes the announcement that is clear and pure about who Jesus is. He says:

“Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”. John further testifies to the eternal nature of Jesus as he says that Jesus was before him. 

John saw the spirit descending from heaven to rest upon Jesus (1:32) and the spirit has taken residence on Jesus (abode upon him). John testifies that the one who sent him to baptize now has told him that this one on whom the Spirit rests will baptize with the Holy Ghost.

This issue of the description of Jesus as “the Lamb of God” by John was fulfilling the OT types & shadows of the Lord, each of which pointed to Jesus, the Savior.

Standing before John was the one whom all OT sacrifices prepared for His coming. Note the order of the OT shadows and NT views of the Lamb:

In Genesis 4, we have the lamb typed as the firstling of the flock slain by Abel in his acceptable sacrifice.

In Genesis 22, we have the prophecy of the lamb as Abraham told Isaac that God will provide himself a lamb for sacrifice.

In Exodus 12, we have the lamb slaim and the blood applied which saves the chosen people of God from the death angel.

In Isaiah 53, we are told the lamb to come would be a man.

In John 1:29, we learn exactly who this man is.

In Revelation 5, the lamb is before all the host of Heaven.

In Revelation 22, the lamb is seated on the throne.

The sacrifice in Genesis 4 is for the individual. In Exodus 12 the sacrifice is for the nation. But now here in verse 29 we see the sacrifice is for the entire world.

Now, Jesus finds His first disciples. Verse 37 teaches that from the witness of John the Baptist, two disciples followed Jesus. One was Andrew, Peter's brother. He quickly goes to find Simon and tells him that the Messiah has been found. When he arrives, Jesus knew him by name already and by family and immediately gave him the new name of Peter, the stone.

Next Jesus calls Phillip and Phillip finds and brings Nathaniel, who is skeptical that any good thing may come from Nazareth, but Phillip answers, “Come and see”.

When Nathaniel arrives, Jesus knows him already as well by name and gives him a large compliment, saying he is an Israelite without guile. Nathaniel has no problem quickly saying that Jesus is the Son of God and the King of Israel.

Jesus opens a divine thought to Nathaniel by telling him that he believed simply because Jesus knew him, but that Nathaniel will now see greater things. Jesus pulls back the curtain of the future by telling Nathaniel that he will see Heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Here is Jacob's vision in Genesis 28:12. When Jacob awoke from his vision he spoke the words that came true in the words of Jesus in this verse. He said: “This is none other than the House of God; this is the gate of Heaven.” (Genesis 28:17)

God's word and will revealed and fulfilled!

We should be careful to note the open ended question that Jesus asks these new followers in verse 38 which is “What seek ye”?

What would be the answer each of us would give to this simple question from the Lord? Is it not true that this is the spiritual question the Lord still asks each of us every day as we struggle to walk with Him? 

What do we seek? Does our life indicate that we seek gold & silver, or the acceptance of men, or success as defined by the world? What portion of our lives is consumed seeking these things?

Where is our heart? Is our heart truly set on Jesus as not only our Savior but also our Lord? Can we say the beautiful words of Psalm 42:1:

“As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O Lord.”

When these first disciples asked Jesus in verse 38 “...where dwellest thou...”,

Jesus gives the answer that all his followers wish to hear. “Come and see”. Remember the one word Jesus gave Peter to have him walk on the sea toward him, “Come” This is His gracious invitation to the first followers and it remains his constant invitation to us today. Come and be close. Come and you will see what you seek in me.

Come to all who labor and are heavy laden.

John - Chapter 2, Part 1

FIRST MIRACLE 

We should note that chapter two begins with the word “And” which connects it's beginning to the verses that closed chapter one. 

One of the strongly implied lessons of chapter one is the failure of Judaism and we see it magnified in chapter two. We saw the ignorance of the Jewish temple leaders who send their messengers to discover who John the Baptist truly is. These leaders were so blind as to not be able to recognize the forerunner of Christ that the OT had provided specific witness.

The Jewish temple leadership was coming to an end and we have two strong lessons in scripture to prove it:

Galatians 4:4: “But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son”. The time chosen by the Father was full and the time for the Son to begin his ministry was now. 

Luke 16:16: “The law and the prophets were UNTIL John”.

Now the scene is set for the first miracle as Jesus, His mother, and others are invited to a marriage in Cana. It may be no coincidence that Jesus chose this time for the beginning of signs. Marriage was ordained by God in Eden and began the family of man. Jesus now sanctifies the same holy ordinance by His presence whose signs will confirm the eternal spiritual family.

Mary tells Jesus that the feast has run out of wine. Here we see quickly a symbol in the story. Wine in scripture is the emblem of joy as Psalms 104:15 teaches: “And wine that maketh glad the heart of man”. Of course we will also see later that wine will further be the symbol of the blood of salvation. Joy and saving had both run out in Israel. Judaism still existed as a religious system but it gave no joy nor comfort to the heart. It had become a dry and corrupt system of greed and rules.

Now we are told that there were six waterpots at the feast, all empty. The number is worth noting. Six is the imperfect number of man and represents further the emptiness of the working of the Jews. Six waterpots, not seven, which is the perfect number of God. God was no longer present in the corruption of the Jews and the temple. We even see in verse 13 that the “feast of the Jews” is the name given to what was taught in Leviticus 23:2 to be the “feast of the Lord”.

The mother of Jesus plays an important role in this story. Notice that she is not called by her name (as in Acts 1:14) but is called “the mother of Jesus”. She originally tries to tell Jesus what to do about the problem and he promptly rebukes her. We are sure that Mary knew that Jesus was Lord and she knew from conception that he was divine.

Mary seemed to want Jesus to display His power and authority. The answer Jesus gave to Mary was direct and might be viewed as harsh. He says in verse 4: “... Woman, what have I to do with thee, mine hour is not yet come”. It was not that Jesus resented Mary for her direction but that the time of His subjection to earthly parents was closed. Now He was to begin and would be subject from this point forward only to His Father above.

This statement of  “mine hour is not yet come” became perhaps the strongest continual statement made by Jesus for a large part of His ministry. His idea of the “hour” was looking forward to that final hour at Calvary.  There are seven (note the number) instances in John of this statement:

• 2:4 Current statement.

• 7:30 No man could lay hands on him for his hour was not yet come.

• 8:20 And no man laid hands on him, for his hour was not yet come.

• 12:23 Jesus said the hour is come, and the Son of man should be glorified.

• 12:27 What shall I say, Father save me from this hour: But for this cause I came unto this hour.

• 16:32 Behold the hour cometh, yea, is now come.

• 17:1 Father the hour is come, glorify thy son.

Mary meekly accepts the rebuke of Jesus and tells the servants to do whatever He told them, now recognizing that the matter is entirely in His hands. We would do well to recognize this long ago lesson today in our own lives. We should commit ourselves to the Lord and accept that he will supply all needs in His time and His manner.

Jesus knew that performing this miracle would forever change His life. Before this time, He lived in quiet times in Nazareth. Now He would become famous and all would know that a great change had arrived among them. This beginning would provoke the religious leaders and he would be spied on and conspired against from this day forward.

HE DID NOT CHOOSE TO IGNORE THIS MOMENT.

As He chose to supply the need of the moment, he told the servants to fill the waterpots with water and they filled them to the brim. He commanded them to draw out the new wine and present it to the governor of the feast. Notice that Jesus displayed no visible divine power. The change was by His power. But the servants filled the pots with water, and the servants drew the new wine out and the servants presented the wine. 

His first miracle showed that He was content to use human instruments to arrange the miracles of His ministry. We remember that He told the men at the tomb of Lazarus to roll away the stone. Jesus could have easily commanded the stone to move but he allowed man a part of the miracle.

Also it makes sense to realize that the element that Jesus chose to transform was water. We know that water is one of the symbols of the written Word, as taught in Ephesians 5:26:

“That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.”

We also remember the description Jesus gave to the Samaritan woman at the well of the living water that He can give. The water in the waterpots was made alive and transformed by divine power into wine, the first miracle in the Book of Signs.

Finally, we are told that the new wine was considered the “good wine”, better than the original wine and in verse 10 he says that normally poor wine is supplied after men have drunk some good wine. This moment symbolizes the contrast between the ways of men and the ways of God.

The world (and Satan surely) gives the best first and keeps the worst for last. First comes the pleasures of sin for a season and then comes the wages of sin. But with God the opposite is true. He brings His people into the wilderness before He brings them into the promised land. In God's plan first came the cross and then came the glory of the rising. So the lesson for us here is that the best “wine” (life & joy) is yet to be. Proverbs 4:18: “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more until the perfect day”.

We look only toward our faith in Christ for this lesson. Only He can bring the “better wine”, quench the thirst of the soul and bring joy to the heart.

John - Chapter 2, Part 2

CLEARING THE TEMPLE

The Jerusalem temple was the symbol of Jewish national identity and its religious identity as well. The original temple of Solomon had been destroyed by the Babylonians and was later rebuilt by Zerubbabel, and modified by Herod. As we begin, it is right for us to recall that Israel glorified in the temple. It was one of the main things that set them apart from other nations, as the favored and chosen people of God. What other race of people, before or since, has been able to claim accurately that Jehovah God dwelled in their midst in a home designed by himself and built for him by man to His specifications?

It is evident also that there exists a strong prophecy of the intention of a third temple, for the age of the Messiah, as revealed in Ezekiel 40-44. 

This setting is what must be viewed as we study the clearing (cleansing) of the temple by Jesus.  What some see as an impetuous act of quick rage was not so. This act was the Lord bringing to reality what scripture had foretold as He saw that the temple had become corrupted and profaned by the temple leaders. First we should examine the OT prophecy concerning this issue:

Zech 14:21: “... and in that day (the final day) there shall be no more the Caananite (merchants) in the house of the Lord of hosts”.

Mal 3:1: “... the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple...”

Is 56:7: “... for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people: This prophecy become primary as the commerce Jesus saw in the temple was conducted in the court of the Gentiles, therefore leaving no place for them to worship.

In the first temple, the merchants and the money changers set up and conducted business away from the temple grounds on the hillside across the Kidron valley. Mercenary activity was prohibited on temple ground.

Now, in the second temple time, the Pharisees had grown a corrupt arrangement to prosper and enrich themselves at the expense of the poor and those wished to worship sincerely in the manner of sacrifice required by the law.

1. They had established a temple currency, allowing no other to be used to purchase sacrificial animals. This currency exchange included a massive markup, far exceeding normal business cost with the profits being pocketed by the Pharisees.

2. They also had arranged a system that did not allow the worshiper to actually see the offering up of the animal he had purchased. The worshiper simply accepted that his animal was indeed sacrificed. But the Pharisees sold the same animals over and over which was truly theft by deception, with larger and larger profits going to them.

It was for these reasons that Jesus said in the version of the act given in Matthew 21:13: “It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves”.

Matthew's version further explains the total corruption and profaning of the holy place by including the fact that Jesus cast out all of those who SOLD & BOUGHT, not just the sellers. We should take note that Jeremiah 7:11 comments closely on this matter as well: “Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord”.

Some Jewish scholars have written that it was Caiaphas himself who established these practices.

So Jesus saw and attacked the corrupt practices of the temple leaders, but He also took great offense that these things had crowded out the original intent that all people might come in to worship.

Verse 17 brings to mind the zeal of the house. In this case, the zeal had become a desire for money rather than for love of the Lord. It had truly come to represent idolatry as the worship was not of the Lord, but of the money that was to be made from a place that was supposed to remain holy and clean. Jesus saw this fact clearly and acted to clear out the profane things and practices.

We should at this time in scripture study remember that this incident shows another side of the Lord. While we normally see Him as meek and humbly mild toward man, we now see another view. While He is gentle and compassionate, that is not ALL he is. In this moment we see a glimpse of the wrath and judgment of God, and what is going to happen when the wicked stand before His throne to receive their due.

Finally, we also must note that this clearing of the temple was rightfully symbolic of the fact that the old system of Judaism was over and was being replace by Jesus himself becoming the temple of worship, and the central position of the life of those who worship the Living God, one portion of which (His Incarnate Son) was in flesh before all of Jerusalem.

We see in verse 17 also that the disciples are beginning to remember that scripture  was written concerning these actions.

Now, the Jews ask Jesus in verse 18 what sign He will give after these things have been done? Jesus gives an answer that is truthful and righteous while not immediately revealing its true and inner meaning. He says:

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”. (verse 19)

The Jews assume He speaks of the physical building of the temple which took 46 years to construct. Verse 21 reveals the truth to us (but not to them) that He spoke of His own body which scripture now addresses as “the temple of His body”.

The temple clearing represents a symbolic act conveying the inner meaning of the crucifixion of Jesus and bodily resurrection by which He becomes the replacement of the physical temple in the life and worship of His people. The physical temple, where he should have been accepted, became the place of His rejection by His own.

We see that it was only after His rising that the disciples remembered He had so spoken and then, after remembering, believed the scripture and His word. Mark 16:11 is clear to teach us that even when Mary Magdalene told the disciples that she had seen the risen Lord, they “believed not”.

Verses 23-25 allow us a final chapter lesson. Even though Jesus performed more miracles in this passover time, and there were many who did believe, He did not commit himself to them, because he knew the heart of man. It seems that Jesus knew their inner being and that they represented hearers who were like the “stony ground” parable, where some seed may sprout but grows no deep roots. These were intellectually convinced by signs, but Jesus knew their hearts not to be changed or devoted to Him. Belief, acceptance, and salvation require a change not just of the mind, but of the heart.

ONWARD TO NICODEMUS

John - Chapter 3, Part 1

CHRIST AND NICODEMUS

JOHN 3:1-21

The last three verses of chapter two provide a slight transition into the powerful teaching that we will find in chapter three. All scripture is important for us but there are some passages that seem to shine brighter than others and John 3 is one of those. Here we will view the bedrock foundation footings dug and set by Jesus to establish the firm base upon which His gospel will forever solidly rest.

Here in the first 21 verses we will meet a man named Nicodemus who approaches Jesus and the conversation that happens between them could fill volumes on Christian theology. What will we learn of Nicodemus in these verses?

• Who he is and what is his position.

• His timid reasoning revealed.

• His ignorance.

• His instruction by Jesus.

• His dullness.

• His unbelief.

• The power of Christ explained to him.

• God's greatest gift of love explained to him.

• Why God sent Christ explained to him.

• What brings God's condemnation explained to him.

We begin by noting that Jesus is still in Jerusalem starting His ministry after clearing the temple. The scene is set for us quickly in verse 1 as a Pharisee named Nicodemus visits Jesus and is described as a ruler of the Jews. He is therefore positioned highly in the temple leadership, a leadership position. 

There are two images that are revealed to us immediately. The first is that he came to Jesus by night. This image begins one of the important themes in John, that of light and darkness. He came to Jesus under the cover of darkness because he did not wish to be seen conversing one on one with Jesus by others in the temple for he already has understood the tension that has begun to exist between Jesus and the Pharisees. He wanted to speak with Jesus but he was afraid to be seen doing so, therefore he allowed the darkness to be his disguise.

This issue is considered so valuable that it is repeated more than once in this gospel. We see in 7:50-51 & 19:39 that the description given of him is his name PLUS the phrase that he had come to Jesus in darkness. Notice also that his fear of personal discovery is extended to his use of the pronoun “we” as he is unwilling to use his own identity and say “I know” but rather hides behind the collective word “we”. 

The second image that we are given is another example of teaching from the lesser to the greater. As we look at this conversation, Nicodemus starts out speaking strongly and as the talk proceeds is more and more diminished as the teaching of Jesus increases to this man who thought he knew more than he did know. 

In verse 2 Nicodemus speaks 26 words. In verse 4 he speaks 23 words. In verse 9 he speaks 5 words and in verse 10 zero. Meanwhile, Jesus not only completely takes over the conversation but also completely changes the priority of it, granting wisdom to Nicodemus that he did not seek but was blessed among men to receive. Nicodemus begins the talk as a leader of the temple Pharisees and ends the talk as subdued student who has been schooled by the Lord. In verse 10 Jesus also displays a hint of impatience by the use of some scorn as he reminds Nicodemus that he is a master of Israel but is ignorant of the most important spiritual understandings. 

The reasoning of Nicodemus is timid when he begins talking and strongly ignorant as shown in verse 4 when he tries to reason new birth physically while Jesus is teaching new birth spiritually. But through his ignorance of more important things, he at least does know that in order to do the miracles Jesus does, He must be sent from God. In 4:48 we will see that Jesus is less than happy with those who will not believe unless they see signs. As we know, He wishes His gospel message to be accepted by faith in God by the heart of man rather than only received if the eye of man see miracles.

Jesus had already had a full day done when Nicodemus came in the night. Notice He did not refuse him the time. Here is a lesson for all sinners. There is no time which is unacceptable to seek Christ. Day or night He remains accessible to any sinner who repents and comes.

As Jesus turns the conversation into teaching moment for this Pharisee, and provides him the wisdom of how the Lord is to be gained from this time until the end of time in new birth, he speaks of this new teaching in seven clear ways:

• Supreme importance of the new birth (verse 3)

• Instrument of the new birth, water and then spirit (verse 5)

• Producer of the new birth, the Spirit (verse 5)

• Necessity of the new birth (verse 6)

• A new nature, of spirit (verse 6)

• No need to marvel (verse 7)

• Process of the new birth as compared to earthly wind (verse 8)

Verse 3 holds perhaps the greatest portion of this new teaching: “...Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”. Do we know what is meant by “kingdom of God”?  This phrase is not found elsewhere in John. Romans 14:17 helps us:

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost”.

It is this issue that has been and remains the most difficult for many. The new birth is not removal of our inclination to sin. It is not church attendance nor hearing great sermons nor personal study. It is the acceptance that we are and always shall be creatures of sin in need of redemption. That redemption ONLY arrives through acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Savior, and through faith in Him alone, in His death on the cross, His resurrection from the dead, and His ascension back to Heaven where he prepares a place for those that are His. Until we arrive there by mortal death or rapture, we have received the blessing of His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and guiding us as we have become a new creature “IN CHRIST”.

We have become like Christ. Just as Jesus was His only begotten Son, sent because He loved His world, James 1:18 teaches us that our new life is also a divine begetting, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth...”. 

After verse 9 where Nicodemus asks Jesus “How can these things be”, he disappears from the scene verbally. Now Jesus controls the remainder of the conversation with His glorious teaching, re-educating one who was considered among the highest of the Jews and the temple.

Notice how Jesus uses the same pronoun “we” that was used earlier by Nicodemus as his covering introduction. Jesus replies in kind in verse 11 by telling him 

“We speak” “we do know” “we have seen”. But Jesus also reminds him that “... ye receive not our witness” (John the Baptist). 

Much has been made of verse 13 with some continually asking how Jesus could make this statement while scripture clearly teaches that Enoch & Elijah were taken into Heaven from earth. The verse needs more careful study to grasp its meaning. Some have used this verse to justify the false doctrine of soul sleep. It is untrue and has no home in scripture. Study teaches us that Jesus says no man “ASCENDED” and scripture teaches that Enoch was “translated” and Elijah rode a whirlwind upward. Only Jesus Christ ascended.

Now Jesus uses the OT story of the brass serpent and Moses to allude to His own lifting up on the cross. Just as those who believed the word of God could save them from the fiery serpents were saved from death, now those who believe on the Son of Man will  not perish, but have eternal life. The Jews were expecting a different kind of lifting up, to a throne here and an earthly ruler from their Messiah. They were not able to grasp that the ruler will come and sit on the throne but only after the cross of shame and enduring God's wrath by taking the sin of the world upon himself, redeeming us.

Finally we see that verses 17 – 21 bring us the purpose of God in sending His Christ into the world. 

God's intervention into the world of man at this time in this way was not to condemn but to save. The teaching of verse 18 is one of the most graphic in all of scripture. Those who believe on the Son are not condemned. Those who do not are condemned already. 

THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND.

THERE EXISTS NO ALTERNATE PATH.

And we also are provided the cause of the condemnation of those who refuse to believe. We see in verses 19 – 21 that man loves the darkness rather than the light that has come into the world in Jesus. Those who do not believe choose the darkness for their deeds are evil and they know that if they come to the light they must repent of them & live in light.

Those who do come to the light of Christ have deeds that may be manifest (easily seen), for their deeds are wrought by God.

John - Chapter 3, Part 2

TESTIMONY OF THE BAPTIST

JOHN 3:22-36

We now are given a study in 15 verses of what resided in the mind of John the Baptist concerning his own mission and his deep understanding of the mission of Christ. 

It begins with the fact that Jesus and His disciples remain in Judea while John continues to preach and baptize in Aenon. A human nature view shows some were trying to provoke jealousy in the mind of John but we quickly see his humility and his joy. From this view we see the priority of Christ and once more the only two choices men can make concerning the Lord.

A deeper look at these few verses reflects the sad state of Judaism in these days. The Jews were only concerned with the external values of faith (verse 25), and were envious of the rising ministry of Jesus (verse 26) and were rejecting that ministry (verse 32).

With no heart for the Son of God among them, and with ignorance of  His forerunner (verse 28), the Jews only concerns were of the ceremony of faith, not its deep internal promise that led to life eternal.

Initially we are told that John was baptizing in the area of Aenon near to Salim, which literally means “many springs” and “peace”.  The area itself speaks of John being in a place of blessing after serving in the wilderness previously. Now there was refreshment and peace. This place provided much water for the sacrament of repentance for believers and perhaps provides a clue as to the process of the sacrament itself. A place of “many springs” gave much water for true baptism, the immersion that represents obedience to follow Jesus into death and rising symbolically. If the sacrament were by sprinkling or pouring, many waters would not be necessary. We remember Romans 6:4 teaching that we are buried with Him and rise up with Him.

When some report to John that Jesus and His followers remain in Judea AND were baptizing, John did not stop his work. Even though he knew that Jesus was preferred over him and that other baptizing was evident, he continued. He found no discouragement even as his time of popularity was ending and some were trying to make him jealous of Jesus. He persevered in the work God had given him to do. What a lesson for each of us today. Paul speaks of this lesson in Gal 6:9: “And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not”.

We will learn later in 4:2 that Jesus personally did not baptize but this reference here is that His disciples did.

As these Jews tried the patience of the Baptist, trying to provoke him can we see the hand of darkness of the great deceiver hard at work?

John's testimony is righteous and direct. He tells those around him that he must neither exceed the calling he has received from God nor compare himself with others. He quickly reminds them that he has already said in their hearing that he is not the Christ but was sent before Christ ( in preparation of the Lamb to come).

John is clear in verse 30 that He must increase but I must decrease. We might view this in the aspect of light once more. In the morning light's arrival those lights that twinkle at night must diminish. John was a star of God but in the light of a new beginning as the sun (and the Son) began to rise, John's light dims and will soon no longer be seen.

John further uses the image of a wedding to reflect that Jesus is the bridegroom and that John is His friend, rejoicing at the voice he hears of the bridegroom. John sweetly says that it is this that fills him with joy. John was correct for all ages. The true church will always be the Bride of Christ, not the bride of John. Israel is that bride here.

This testimony is one of the most profound and complete of all scripture and gives us a strong look at one who was humbly serving his Lord. John reveals his true and inner nature and his wisdom to grasp both his limited mission and the expansive mission of the “lamb who taketh away the sin of the world”.

• John was the one who could receive nothing unless it was given him from heaven.

• Christ was the one to whom the Father hath “given all things”.

• Jesus was the Christ, and John was only the one “sent before”.

• Jesus was the bridegroom, and John was the friend (best man standing with Him).

• Christ must increase, and John must decrease (in stature and mission).

• John was “of the earth”. Jesus had come “from above” and is “above all”.

• John had only a measure of the Spirit but Christ was filled beyond measure.

• John was a servant while Jesus was the Son.

John gave a blessed and complete testimony. Each believer should learn from his words as they apply to us as well.

Our study passage ends with the beautiful thought confirming the basis of all salvation. He that believeth on the Son HATH everlasting life. Eternal life is not a future expectation. It began for each believer at the moment conviction changed the heart and heart, spirit, mind & body all said YES to the Lord.

While life eternal has begun for each believer, and is a present possession, its full joy awaits us ahead. We are to live in faith of the promise to come just as those whose examples are given us in the roll call of heroes in Hebrews 11, the faith chapter.

Believing on the Son is not optional but is essential to gain eternal life. Verse 36 also warns that the wrath of God awaits those who do not.

John - Chapter 4, Part 1

THE SAMARITAN WOMAN

JOHN 4:1-42

Before we begin the study of chapter 4, it seems right to take a pause to recall what we have seen before in John's gospel that brought us to this point.

Each scene in the first three chapters has taught us a different theme but each was an aspect of the awful condition that Judaism was in as Jesus was revealed as the Christ slowly to His own.

• A blinded priesthood (1:19 & 26)

• A nation without joy (2:3)

• A temple profaned (2:14)

• A spiritually dead temple leadership (3:7)

• Jesus' authority questioned to the Baptist (3:25-26)

• His testimony rejected (3:32)

Now after all these sad teachings, we are given a clear view of the heartless indifference of Israel to their neighbors. (Both Leviticus 19:18 & Mark 12:33 are clear on this point as we are to love our neighbors as ourselves and this is of more value than ALL the burnt offerings and sacrifices given).

After the rejection of Christ we saw in the last verses of chapter 3, Jesus now makes a prophetic turn in His ministry. He turns toward the gentiles. Romans 11 provides the strong lesson on this matter by Paul.

Just as an interesting start, notice that verse 40 says that Jesus abode with the Samaritans two days. What did Peter teach us about days? In 2 Peter 3:8, Peter teaches that one day is 1000 years and 1000 years is one day. So Jesus abode with these Gentiles the same amount of time that the Lord has turned away from the Jews toward us, the Gentiles, 2,000 years. Just a thought to ponder as we begin.

Verse 4:1 begins by telling us that Jesus started ministry by making and baptizing more disciples than John, and with an adder that Jesus himself did not baptize. Now Jesus leaves Judea toward Galilee and verse 4 tells us that He must needs go through Samaria. This path was a somewhat direct route but most Jews chose a longer and more circular route to Galilee, going around Samaria. Into this region Jesus travels, stopping alone at the well at the small town of Sychar. His disciples had gone onward to purchase food and Jesus stopped at the well. 

The wording of verse 4 “He must needs go through Samaria” provides the clear teaching that the will and plan of God is here unfolding as designed. We could have been told that He traveled this way to set this stage. But the teaching is that He MUST NEEDS, which means that the Lord's will compelled this way. Divine necessity required it to be so in order that all who would ever read the words of John would understand that this path was ordained that the Messiah and His salvation has a Gentile portion.

The relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans in those days was strained. The Jews looked down on these people as half breeds and verse 9 specifically says the Jews have no dealings with them. While the Samaritans believed in God the Father, and accepted that a Savior would come, they remained in distrust and discord with the Jews.

The Samaritans had built a temple to God  on Mount Gerizim around 400 B.C. which was destroyed by the Jews around 128 B.C. The scripture of the Samaritans was the first five books (the books of Moses). So perhaps there were good reasons for the hard feelings toward the Jews.

Also, it is important to know that this well in Sychar was known as the well of Jacob. Even though OT provides no proof of Jacob digging a well, the people there were sure that this was the land that Jacob gave his son, Joseph, which we know from Genesis 33 that he bought from the sons of Hamor and it later served as the burial place of Joseph. The well was a convenient stopping place for those who traveled this way to drink and refresh their camels.

Jesus displays once more the evidence for us that although fully God, his dual person was also fully man. He sat down at the well. 4:6 tells us He was weary and 4:7 tells us He was thirsty. And He meets a Samaritan woman there, who is alone, and asks her for a drink. We are told it was the sixth hour, meaning noon. The sun would have been very hot overhead and we are taught (Genesis 24:11)  that most women came to draw their daily water in the evening, not in the heat of the day. It may be possible, that as we will learn later, that due to her low reputation in her village, that the other women did not wish her to walk with them.

Jewish men usually did not speak to any women in public, and never one that was considered Gentile and was alone. Such a moment would have been considered improper and perhaps even a flirting moment.

As the conversation begins, we notice quickly that the woman was not diminished in the talk (as was Nicodemus who said less and less as his talk with Jesus went on). She was quite conversant and open with this stranger at the well. After Jesus asks for the drink of well water, the woman is sharp toned and terse with Jesus, asking him why a Jew would ask a Samaritan for a drink, and noting that Jesus is ill equipped to get His own water, having brought no bucket or jar to hold water or to draw it from the deep well. Then she is confrontational by challenging Jesus as to whether He was greater than Jacob, who gave the well.

Jesus answers that whoever drinks of this water will again thirst but he who drinks of the water Jesus provides will never again be thirsty, and that His water will bring everlasting life. Now the woman changes her tune and asks for the water Jesus described. Notice the next verse (16) in which Jesus gives two commands, “... Go, call thy husband, and come hither”. Jesus knew she had no husband, and she confirms that fact. Jesus knows all. He tells her she had had five husbands before, and the one that she now has is not her husband (perhaps he is someone else's husband). We will learn later in 7:37-39 that this living water is the Holy Spirit.

This issue of thirst is a symbol of meeting a critical human need. Thirst is seen in scripture as a spiritual desire (PS 42:2 & 63:1 & 143:6).  As she realized that Jesus knew the sins of her life, she became somewhat hurt and maybe more serious as it no longer was necessary to conceal her life as Jesus already knew it. So now she concludes that He must be a prophet. 

Now she does the only thing she can think of which is to change the subject. Is it possible that we do the same thing when we try hard not to reveal and confess ALL sin to the Lord in prayerful communion?

She now wants to discuss “where” worship should be done. She tells Jesus that her people worship on Mount Gerizim (where the Israelites were blessed by Moses in Deut 11:29).  She further pushes Jesus by saying that the Jews say worship should be at Jerusalem. Now Jesus imparts one of His strongest messages to her (and to us) that the time is coming when the “where” no longer matters, but will be replaced by the “what” men worship. He teaches that the Lord is a spirit and wishes men to worship in spirit and truth.

Now, the HOLY TRUTH is revealed not from some apostle but from the lips of Jesus himself. Notice that the woman says “I know that Messiah is coming which shall be called Christ”. Notice that the woman does not seek to cover her words as Nicodemus did, by saying “we know”. She is direct and clear and says “I know”. 

In verse 26 Jesus says “... I that speaketh unto thee am he”.

This disclosure is unique to all gospels, as Jesus chose not to disclose it before His trial except here to a Gentile serial fornicator. Now she leaves her water jar and goes to gather her people to come and meet the Lord. She left her previous work to go and witness for Jesus (exactly like each Apostle had done). 

Now the disciples return and ask Jesus to eat but Jesus has no wish to accept as he tells them  He has other meat to give him sustenance, doing the Father's will and finishing his work. 

The Samaritans return, listen to Jesus, ask Him to stay with them and  He agrees. Now many more believe on Him and the most profound statement is given by these of her village, not because of her words, but because they heard Him their selves, and they “... know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world”.

Do we see the irony again that He is despised and rejected of His own but quickly accepted by the Gentiles? The age of the Gentiles has begun!

John - Chapter 4, Part 2

THE SECOND CANA SIGN

JOHN 4:43-54

In the opening chapters of this gospel, we have seen the strong decline in the spiritual faith (as opposed to the ceremonial faith) of the Jews. We also have seen the work of the Holy Spirit drawing our attention away from them toward Christ alone, and toward the Gentiles.

After Samaria, the Savior leaves the happy scene He experienced there and departs back into an area where He had received no honor among His own. There is an immediate lesson here for us as believers. No matter how successful we are in an area, we should heed the word of God when we are urged by His Spirit to move onward. While it is good to find a place of happiness, finding such a place is not the goal of the Christian walk. The fruit of the Spirit is to obey. Jesus moves onward. 

Prophecy surely makes known the will of God. Since we know that Christ came to do the will of God, He once again fulfills prophecy by this turning back to Galilee. Notice the words of the prophet Isaiah in 9:1-2:

“...in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined”. Jesus Christ IS that light.

For two days we know He had enjoyed the joys of harvest in Samaria. His spirit had been refreshed. He taught His disciples that His “meat” was to do the will of the Father. Those half-breed Gentiles honored Him, strengthened Him, and believed upon His word WITHOUT the signs and wonders demanded by the Jews. Verse 45 says that these in Galilee received Him because of those signs they had seen at Jerusalem at the feast.

Now we are told that Jesus came again into Cana (verse 46) and notice that the town is described not just by name but by the added phrase “...where he made the water wine...”. Why do we think this addition was necessary and why was it necessary in verse 54 (the last verse) to remind us it was the second miracle in Galilee?

Is it because the two are connected and related with common aspects for us to recall? 

Both were 3rd day scenes – After two days in Samaria He departed into Galilee. In 2:1 we were told the marriage was in the 3rd day.

When Mary approached Jesus He rebuked her. In 4:48 He rebukes the nobleman.

Both works were works of the WORD, a miracle only by speaking.

Both were confirmed by the servants.

Both brought belief, first by His disciples, and then by the man and his household.

There was a certain noblemen, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

The word “nobleman” points to the fact that he was a royal officer, likely in the service of Herod, and was a man of high station and means ( he has house servants). His son lay at the door of death. One who had his position had probably already tried every remedy money could buy. What is the lesson? It is that money is not almighty nor can it purchase the work of the Lord. Also, we know that affliction is a common application of the will of God. It is a good thing when trouble leads a man to God instead of away from God. God's healing (physically AND spiritually) is creation's finest medicine.

We see immediately that the faith or the understanding of the nobleman was small indeed at the start. He asks Jesus to “come down” with him to his home to heal his son, for if Jesus does not come then the boy will die. Jesus had rebuked him in the previous verse by telling him that his belief was already suspect and conditional upon his seeing signs and wonders. The man believed Jesus could heal close up but he seemed never to consider that Jesus could heal from afar. (Remember the Roman centurion who knew and said that Jesus could heal from afar with only a command and Jesus noted that man had shown the greatest faith in all Israel).

Jesus seemed to be saying (in paraphrase) that the man would not trust the healing to Jesus unless he saw Jesus touch and restore the child. Here is a lesson in unbelief that still resides in even the saints today. We seem to wish to tell the Lord how to do His work among us, and we seem at times to only want His help if it is given in the way we wish it. It seems so wondrous to us later that He seems to work best when we step out of His way and simply believe that He can do all!

Jesus now says to the man in verse 50, “... Go thy way, thy son liveth...”. The Lord never turns away a soul which sincerely seeks Him, even with small faith in the beginning. If the heart is truly set upon the Lord, He always responds. Our problem is at times that we do not wish to accept the answer He provides.

The nobleman was a Gentile and the Lord healed his son from a distance of about ten miles (the distance from Galilee to Capernaum). Do we have a scripture teaching that helps us to grasp why this healing was done in this manner? The Jews were in a “covenant” relationship with God and therefore “nigh” to Him but the Gentiles, being “...aliens from  the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise...” were “far off” and this fact was clearly reinforced by Jesus. (Read Eph 2:12-13).

Now in verse 50 we are taught that the man “believed the word that Jesus had spoken, and went on his way...”.  Jesus spoke the word of power and the healing was instantly done. His words were “...spirit and life...” which we will study in 6:63.

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word. How true and serious do we see the result of this healing in John 4? 

In verses 51 & 52 we see first that the man met his servants the next day and they told him the son was healed and when he inquired as to the time of the healing, the answer confirmed that it had been done at the moment Jesus spoke the word. We see also the depth of the new found faith the nobleman now had within him. His inquiry of the servants was of the healing “yesterday”.  He was so sure of the word of Jesus that he did not even go home the day before. His assured faith was twice rewarded. First the boy was healed, and second now the nobleman AND his whole house believed on the Lord. 

What an example for us of the mysterious work of the Lord far and beyond our ability to understand.  A boy brought to the point of death that a man of high position AND the entire household might gain eternal life.

John - Chapter 5

THE SABBATH HEALING

JOHN 5

As we open this chapter which is filled with wisdom, we see that Jesus is in Jerusalem for a feast time and He finds one lame man among many afflicted and heals him. We see the wisdom that results as Jesus is challenged not as to what He had done, but when He had done it. After this opening episode we are granted one of John's finest teachings which provide the evidence of the deity of Jesus and the teaching from the lips of Jesus as to His relationship with the Father. 

John sets the scene for us at the pool of Bethesda in the temple in the area of the five porches. (verse 2). It seems likely that this is the gate known as the sheep gate through which sheep were taken for washing before sacrifice in the temple. This is the first gate rebuilt by the efforts of Nehemiah (3:1) and it points us clearly to the cross and Christ as the Lamb of God is found at the spot where so many earlier lambs were slain.

The pool name is translated as “mercy” and gives further symbol to us as it is only by the Lamb of God that mercy is gained.

The porches being five in number also provides an immediate symbol as we remember that five is the number of grace and this graceful number appears more than several times as symbols for us in scripture. It was with five loaves the Lord fed the hungry multitudes. The fifth portion of the Lord's prayer is “give us this day our daily bread” (now come to mean the bread of life). The fifth commandment is the only one with a promise attached. These few examples make our point.

We see now what the Lord saw. Verse 3 says that there were there a great multitude of impotent folks, blind, halt, and withered. How strong is the type here once more of the nation. They are impotent, without power, unable to stand spiritually. They are blind in their understanding and heart. They are halt, meaning unable to walk, or to spiritually walk with their Lord among them. They are withered, no longer in strength for God.

Verse 5 begins the initial message of the chapter. A certain man was there who had suffered his infirmity 38 years. While he believed the water of the pool was stirred by an angel, and others may have been healed, he cannot arrange to be the first one in the pool when the waters are stirred with healing properties for he has no MAN to help him. 

Why should the Holy Spirit be so specific as to the term of his illness? The length of his suffering was exactly the length of time that the nation of Israel was afflicted by the wilderness wandering from the time they came under law until their entry into the promised land. (Deut 2:14) 

Jesus asks the afflicted man one small question, “Wilt thou be made whole?” After a sad answer Jesus heals him and says, “Rise, take up thy bed and walk”.

Notice carefully that there were a great multitude of those there who suffered. This man showed no faith, made no calling out to the Lord, no evidence is given that he crawled toward Jesus in hope. The Lord picked him out of the crowd and healed him and even after healing we have no verse that allows he showed new faith. Here is one of the Bible's strongest teaching on the elect of the Lord. It shines the strongest light upon our firm foundation that our healing (physical & spiritual) comes from grace. There is NOTHING we may do ourselves to bring it or to deserve it.

Jesus asks His question that might be viewed in paraphrase as “Are you willing, just as you are, to put yourself in my hands and are you willing to have me do for you what you cannot do for yourself?”

Verse 9 provides the evidence that the man was healed but it also provides the evidence that the healing day was the sabbath. The man is obedient in that he picks up his bed and walks away. The Jews see him carrying the bed and challenge him that he is breaking the law. Jesus was not ignorant of what day it was. He knew the consequences to come. The man evades the challenge by telling the Jews that the man who healed him told him to carry the bed. Here is a good lesson for us still today, obey and stand upon the command of the Lord!

The pitiful portion of this part of the message is that the man broke no law. The Jewish temple writings of the hundreds of rules taught the Jews that it is okay to carry a bed on the sabbath if there is a man in it, but not if it is empty. Might we see here one more example of the emptiness of the logic of these Jewish leaders as they were more concerned about their ceremonial law than whether one lame for so long was now well.

Later Jesus meets the man once more and gives him strong advice (verse 14):

“Behold, thou are made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee”. After grace came the truth to this man. Now that he is whole, he should take the word into his conscience as he is reminded that he is still subject to the government of God. Now as the man departs he tells the Jews it was Jesus who made him whole.

Now in verses 16-30 we will open up wide the door of John's wisdom for us as we begin to see the proof that comes upon the Jews of the divinity of Jesus. He will grant them His nature by revealing the testimony of the Father.

Verse 16 shows the iniquity of the Jews as now that the healer has been named, they seek to kill Jesus for healing on the sabbath.

Here we are granted from the holy lips of Christ himself the truth of His nature and He sets forth the equality of the Son with the Father. 

He is equal in the following ways:

• In Service (16-18)

• In Will (19)

• In Intelligence (20)

• In Sovereign Rights (21)

• In Divine Honor (22-23)

• In Giving Life (24-26)

• In Judgment Power & Authority (27-30)

The truth and foundation of these few verses open our understanding of the mystery of the Son. Here in 15 verses is formed the solid rock of all we believe and in these rests our comfort forever that we know the truth, accept it and mold our lives to it.

The sum of this wisdom seems to be that the love of the Father, and of the Son, is manifested in the perfect knowledge which the Son has and in the purpose and manner of this love, Divine power, equally held by both is put forth.

The Father has life, and gives life to the Son, and all those who believe on the Son HATH eternal life (not to be obtained at some future day, but have it upon believing, meaning NOW. 

Now in the last 17 verses Jesus provides the witnesses to the facts that he has revealed. These witnesses for the defense of His true nature are noted as:

• Christ's witness is not independent of the Father (31-32)

• The Witness of John the Baptist (33-34)

• Christ's Witness to John (35)

• The Witness of the Works of Christ (36)

• The Witness of the Father (37-38)

• The Witness of the Scriptures (39)

• Christ's Witness Against the Jews (40-47)

Several lessons come to our study from these witness verses. 

Verse 39 is near to the final witness and has great meaning for us. The Apostle John is long dead. The voice of the Word from the lips of Jesus ended with His ascension. The testimony of the scriptures abides forever, confirming all He has taught.

Christ was not deceived by these self righteous Jews. He knew they had no love of God within them and this is exactly why they refused to come to Him for life. The lesson is surely the same today. There are those who have ears but do not hear and have eyes and do not see. Mankind is no better today than they were that day on the porch of the temple. Notice the strong words of condemnation Jesus now speaks:

“I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive”. (43)

“How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only”? (44)

Honor may be thought of as praise. While these Jews have high opinions of one another, they are indifferent to the approval of God. To come to Jesus they will have to humble themselves, and that they are unwilling to do. Does this lesson still apply today?

Finally in verse 45 Jesus once and for all hammers down into the hearts of these who claim to hold the law and its rituals & ceremonies above worship of the living God.

If there is one thing these Jews held close to their hearts it was Moses and his writings. They held Moses above almost all others in their hearts, perhaps only Abraham or David came close to the love they claimed for Moses.

Now here is the Son of God declaring that these Jews did NOT believe in Moses, for if they had they would remember Moses wrote of the One who stood in their midst. 

Verse 45 is the hammer verse. “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust”. Moses, whom they hold so high, will himself judge these Jews. 

How powerfully Jesus exerts His Sonship over these men who wallow in their unbelief.

Our lesson here is that the OT scripture carries just as much weight to convey the authority and position of Jesus Christ as does the NT scripture. They are bookends of mutual wisdom to reveal to all men the authority of the Son and the fact that belief in Him is not optional for eternal life. It is essential.

John - Chapter 6

PASSOVER IN GALILEE

FEEDING THE MULTITUDE

THE BREAD OF LIFE

JOHN 6

The scene is the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, the time is spring, shortly before the Jewish Passover.

Verses 1-15 teach the lesson of the feeding of the multitude.

Of all the miracles performed by the Lord Jesus the feeding of the five thousand is the only one recorded in each of the four Gospels.

This miracle was a different and much more powerful lesson as it was a clear example of the almighty power of Christ. Of all the wonderful works done by Jesus, no others were quite so public and no other was before so many witnesses.

Food was called into existence which did not exist before. In healing the sick and raising the dead there was always something already existing that needed repair. Here was a miracle of absolute creation. Only His first miracle resembles this one in that water was changed into wine, but even in that work, nothing was multiplied. That miracle symbolized His blood, and this one represents His body as it in a peculiar way shows that He is the bread of life.

We are told that Jesus was withdrawing to a mountain with the disciples. As we learned in the recent chapters, Jesus was drawing away from an unbelieving world. The miracles done before drew many after Him, but few to him. Verse 4 tells us the Jewish Passover was near. The feast was close, but still the Lamb of God, the only Redeemer, was not sought by those religious leaders of the temple.

Verse 5 tells that Jesus saw this crowd and His heart went out to them. He was not indifferent to their need. Matthew 14 teaches us that He was moved with compassion. Now He asks Philip how they might feed all these people, actually asking where needed food might be bought. Philip quickly estimates the need and advises Jesus that food might be bought and perhaps could meet the need “if everyone took a little”. Peter's brother, Andrew, says that there is lad who has five barley loaves and two small fishes but “... what are they among so many”?

We notice quickly that these disciples were looking only at the physical circumstance, not even considering how the Lord works with little to make much. Are we like these two, when difficulty faces us, and our resources are small, do we simply repeat what we have from the world, as opposed to leaning on the Lord to meet our need from His willing power for us? Here was unbelief showing itself. Our lesson is not to let it happen to us.

Jesus commands the men to sit down. Here was an test of obedience. Why make hungry people sit? But God had spoken. Here is another quick lesson for each of us. When God speaks, the only proper reply is to obey. We must be in obedience even if we do not at the exact moment understand why. Why were Adam & Eve told not to eat of the tree? Simply because God had said so. Why was Noah to build the ark in the many dry years? Because God said so. So while their faith had not yet passed the test, their obedience did pass. Jesus begins to dispense His blessings. By obedience, faith becomes enlightened and every need supplied.

God likes things done in order. Exodus 13:18 tells us the people went out of Egypt “harnessed” not as a mob. Mark 6:40 tells that these people sat down in ranks, by hundreds and fifties. There was no confusion present.

Verse 11 teaches that Jesus took the five loaves, gave thanks for them, and then began to distribute the food through the disciples. The loaves were small (just for one boy) as were the fish, but Jesus makes great things from small things. Note: It was only when the loaves & fishes were placed into the hands of Jesus that they were multiplied. Jesus uses human instruments to supply the labor of the miracle, just as he did at the marriage in Cana. His was the increase, and theirs was the distribution.

Verse 12 tells us when they were “filled” the remnants were gathered and there were 12 baskets left over. Remember that Philip had said that these could eat possibly only if each took a little. Now each was filled and abundance was left. All fulness rests in Christ. Countless souls have been saved by His grace in these past 2,000 years, but grace remains in abundance and shall never diminish. 

Christ ministers to His people in His sovereign grace. Five is the biblical number of grace. Here were 5,000, here were 5 loaves, and ALL were filled.

Now those who had witnessed the event thought that a prophet had come into the world. Jesus knew that they wished to take Him by force to install Him as king, and so he departs into a mountain alone.

Verses 16-21 teach us of Christ walking upon the water.

After the feeding of the multitudes, the disciples leave the the mountain area, and took a boat across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, with Jesus not among them. A great storm is on the water and the men had to row strongly to proceed the 6 to 7 miles across the sea. As the storm rages, the disciples see Jesus walking on the water toward them and they were afraid.

In Matthew 14 we are taught that Peter asked to walk to Jesus on the water and Jesus gave him the beautiful one word command each believer has heard at conversion time “COME”. And Peter did walk until he took his eyes off the Savior and began to sink. In Mark 6 and in John, we do not have this walking by Peter. In both these gospels Jesus announces himself, calms their fears, and is welcomed into the ship. 

In John, we do see perhaps even another miracle if we read verse 21 carefully. We are told that after Jesus entered the ship and IMMEDIATELY the ship was at land. Here may be an overlooked miracle as Jesus was received and all on board were delivered to where they hoped to be.

Verses 22-59 are the passages that bring us the discourse on the bread of life.

The next day, people from the multitude, knowing that Jesus had not left with the disciples, took passage on boats from Tiberias to Capernaum, seeking Jesus once more.

When they found Him on the other side, knowing He had not taken the single boat that had left with His disciples, they asked Jesus how he got there.

Jesus knows that they are not interested in the deeper significance of signs, but were showing interest because they had been filled with the food the day before. Now He takes the opportunity to teach them that they should be far more interested in the meat from God, rather than the meat for the stomach. It was this spiritual meat that Jesus teaches they should seek, and that it was to come from the Son of man.

As they now have some interest, they ask Jesus how they themselves might work the works of God? Jesus uses the time as a teaching moment by telling them that they  should believe on Him who God had sent and that this is the work of God.

Now they show their shallow understanding by reminding Jesus that God gave their fathers bread in the desert. They ask Jesus what sign He will give them?  Now Jesus is more detailed in His reply. He tells them that God has now sent the true bread from heaven, that bread which gives life to the world.

Now Jesus delivers His “bread of life” discourse.

Jesus teaches:

I am the bread of life. He that cometh shall never hunger. 

He that believeth shall never thirst.

Ye have seen and believed not.

All that are given by the Father will come and He will never cast them out.

I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me.

The will of him is that I should lose none of them, but raise them up again at the last day.

And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him, may have everlasting life.

The Jews murmured, remembering he was the son of Joseph so how could he have come from heaven?

Jesus says they should murmur not.

No man can come unless the Father draw him.

Every man that heard AND learned cometh unto me.

No man has seen the Father, save he which is of God.

He that believeth HATH (present tense) everlasting life.

I am that bread of life.

Your fathers ate manna and are dead.

Man may eat of the bread that cometh down from heaven, and not die.

I am the living bread, and the bread that I give is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world.

The Jews answer, how can this man give us his flesh to eat?

Unless ye eat of this flesh and drink of this blood ye have no life in you.

He that does so dwelleth in me and I in him.

These things were said in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Verses 60-71 give the sad fact that after this teaching many of his disciples were unable to understand and left Him.

Jesus teaches them that these words he taught them are spirit and they are life.

But Jesus knew that there were those who believed not among them, and he knew who would betray Him. Jesus now asks the twelve if they also will leave Him and Peter answers for all by telling Jesus, “... to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life”.

And Peter goes even further by telling Jesus “... we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God”.

Jesus reveals that He had chosen the twelve and that one of them will betray Him.

He knew it would be Judas Iscariot.

After so much unbelief surrounded Jesus, now He is secure within these faithful few who have accepted and believe that He is the Christ.

John - Chapter 7

THE FEAST OF THE TABERNACLES

CHRIST TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE

JOHN 7

(1-13)

The Lord's ministry in Galilee was now over but He remained there because the leaders in Judea sought to kill Him. The annual Feast of the Tabernacles was at hand and the brethren of Jesus were anxious for Him to go to this feast. They were urging His visit there to display publicly His miracle powers.

Jesus tells His brethren to go ahead without Him with the excuse that his time had not yet come. But shortly thereafter He also does travel to the feast in Jerusalem, but we are told that He goes in secret. The Jews who wished to kill Him sought him, but were unable to find Him. Then we are told that Jesus went to the Temple to teach. There appears to be some contradictions here so we should examine them to understand them better as we proceed in John's gospel.

Several questions arise:

• Who are His brethren?

• Did they believe in Him?

• Why did He refuse to go to the feast with them?

• Why did He go, after saying His time had not yet come?

• Why go in secret?

• After all that had happened, why go openly to the temple to teach?

These Jews who sought to kill Jesus were the religious leaders in the temple. Some added information will be given to us in the next lessons to shed light on their true feelings about Jesus:

• 8:48 They will accuse Jesus of being a Samaritan who has a demon.

• 9:22 They will cast out of the temple the blind man who had been healed by Jesus.

• 10:31 They will take up stones to actually stone Jesus to death.

• 18:12 The officers of the Jews were the ones who seized Jesus and bound Him.

• 19:38 Because of “fear of the Jews”, Joseph of Arimathaea goes in secret to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.

• 11:53 We will shortly see that “they took counsel together to put him to death. Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews”.

The hatred and jealousy that these hypocrites feel is clear.

The feast mentioned was one of several commanded by God to be attended by all males and the command is delivered in Deut 16:16. In the OT we see only twice that the feast noted is observed (1 Kings 8 to dedicate the Temple under Solomon) & Neh 8:13-18 on the occasion of the Jewish remnant settling back into Palestine after their captivity.

These brethren were thought to be the additional sons of Mary & Joseph, likely to include James. They were blind to His glory and did not believe. We know that James himself came to faith only after the resurrection. These men were not pleased with the reception Jesus had found in Galilee and were suggesting He leave and take His miracles to Jerusalem. The feast was near and the city would be full. They say to Jesus, “... If thou do these things, show thyself to the world...”. So they were goading Jesus to make himself the center of attention and were good examples of the “pride of life” sin we are taught in 1 John 2:16. Verse 5 today clearly tells us “... neither did his brethren believe in him...”

Jesus tells them His time is not yet come but their time is always ready. He knew they were always ready for attention and the eyes of men to be on them. We notice that Jesus did not say He was not going to the feast, only that He was not going with them. The phrase “my time” should not be confused with “my hour” which Jesus uses to note His ending of His mortal life. So He does indeed go, but goes alone and “in secret” means in private, making no grand entrance. Jesus was still in mortal flesh and he was sure to obey the command of His Father to attend the feast as it was written.

We see in verses 12 & 13 that some said Jesus was a good man but others said that Nay, he deceiveth the people. As a final note we are told that “... no man spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews...”. How awful was the misunderstanding of these people. It seems right to recall Proverbs 29:25, “... The fear of man bringeth a snare...”.

 (14-53)

Now in the middle of the feast, Jesus enters the temple and teaches. Remember that twice before the actual temple was discussed. Once when Jesus cleared it and then again when He healed there. But now he chooses to teach there.

We are not given the subject of this teaching but it must have been a wonder surely because we are taught in verse 15 that the Jews marvelled and wondered how he could teach with such authority as He was not an educated man (as they considered education to be of man's schooling). Jesus answers their confusion by telling then He teaches not His own doctrine but that of him who sent Jesus. Jesus is not speaking here as one third of the Godhead, but as the incarnate Son in human form, showing himself to be the servant of Jehovah.

As He sends stronger words toward these leaders, he asks them why if Moses gave them the law, did they seek to break the law by trying to kill Him? Now the tables are turned as the debate goes against them (could it turn any other way?). They know the letter of the law but not the obedience to the law. Their murderous intent was all because He had healed a man on the Sabbath.

So now they revert to form and accuse Him of having a devil (verse 20).

Jesus scorns them by saying He had done one work and they marvel. He reminds them that Moses gave them the law of circumcision which is always done on the 8th day, even if that day is a Sabbath day. Which is worse, cutting away flesh or healing flesh on the Sabbath? Jesus uses the law of Moses against them who hold Moses so dear. 

Verse 30 says they tried to take Him by force but no man laid hands on Him as His hour had not yet come (note it was His hour not His time). Why was His hour not yet come?

Not until the 69th week of Daniel's  prophecy had run it's course could the Messiah be “cut off”. All the hatred of men or the evil workings of Satan and all his demons could not bring the death of the Son one minute sooner. Until the very minute that God had ordained for the perfect sacrifice to be made and the Son willingly gave up His spirit, He was immortal.

On the last day of the feast, Jesus provides His most sacred words concerning the salvation of all then and since that day in our verses 37-38:

“If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”.

It is likely that Jesus, as in other moments, quoted Isaiah as we see words to this effect in 58:11: “And thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not”.  In 3:5 He had spoken of being born of water and spirit, and in 4:14 He spoke of the water of everlasting life. Water was a common symbol used by Christ.

Verse 39 tells us that He spoke of the Holy Spirit to come.

Verse 40 tells us that many said He was a prophet.

Verse 41 tells us that others said He was the Christ.

Verse 43 shows there was a division in the people because of Him.

Verse 44 tells us that some would take Him but no man laid hands on Him.

When the temple officers who were supposed to seize Him reported back empty handed they were harshly rebuked and questioned as to why they had not taken Him.

The officers answered “never man spake like this man”. (verse 46) Instead of arresting Him , they were arrested by his teaching. We should note here as we close that this moment brings strong focus on the beginning of John's gospel. It was not miracles worked that stayed the hands of these officers, but it was the WORD that turned them from their evil mission.

Now we see Nicodemus enter the story once more. As a member of the Sanhedrin he makes a plea for fairness. His appearance at this point and his plea are likely shown to contrast the hard hearts of the other temple leaders. Nicodemus requests an official hearing for Jesus. The irony of this moment is that OT law requires such a hearing to investigate those accused fairly (Deut 1:16 & 17:9). Since no hearing results we see these leaders who are supposed to be the examples of obedience to every part of the law ignoring the requirements of the law.

Now to shift the discussion they scorn Nicodemus by asking him if he also was from Galilee, where no prophets rise. Once more they ignore the facts as scripture teaches that prophets have risen from Galilee, Jonah (2 Kings 14:25, Elijah 1 Kings 17:1, & Nahum Nahum 1:1).

These so called religious leaders strictly obeserve the law when it is to their advantage and ignore it when it is not.

Verse 53 teaches that now every man went to his own house. They left and went away from Jesus Christ once more.

John - Chapter 8, Part 1

THE ADULTEROUS WOMAN

JOHN 8

As we begin to study John 8, it is important to consider some degree of controversy concerning this story of the adulterous woman. Scholars have come to agreement that this story appears in no manuscript copy of this gospel written before the 5th century AD. In a few manuscripts of Luke within the first 500 years, it appeared immediately after Luke 21:38 (the end of that chapter also describing Jesus teaching in the temple). The early writer Eusebius said that the story originally was included in the book of Hebrews.  At some point church fathers settled upon it belonging in John and that is where it has rested for the past 1600 years in John 8:1-11.

Some have put forward the idea that this woman represents Israel herself as Jehovah's unfaithful wife. 

The chapter opens with the scene that “... early in the morning he came again into the temple...”. This opening is perfect for the early morning is the hour at which “light” first appears. Here we visit again John's lesson of light and darkness.

All the people came unto him (verse 2), and he sat down and taught them.

We remember that at the close of the last chapter the temple leaders were unhappy that the officers sent to seize Jesus returned empty handed. Now the enemies of Christ have decided on a new effort to try and trap the Lord. We are told that the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in the very act of adultery. 

These men were not shocked at her deed or conduct. They were not upset because the holy law had been broken. If they had abided in this part of the law, both the woman AND the man would have been brought to answer for their act. Their object was to use this woman to exploit her sin and thereby trap the Lord. Remember there were many people present, and they hoped to discredit Him before the people with what they thought was an unsolvable problem for any judge.

They were correct that the law required stoning for the offense (Lev 20:10 & Deut 22:22). Now they challenged Jesus with the law's requirement and asked Him, “... what sayest thou...”?  If He ignored the charge they brought against this guilty woman, they could accuse Him of compromising with sin. If He passed sentence on her (death) what could He say about His own earlier word that He was not sent to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved (3:17).

We know that scripture teaches us that God is holy as well as righteous. His holiness will not allow evil and will not tolerate that which is defiled to be in His presence. So what is to become of every poor sinner, who is each day a transgressor of the law? Then and now (truth never changes) the only hope is in mercy, and salvation only possible through grace.

• We need to summarize this position.

• The Savior of all stood in His Father's temple, sent to save the lost.

• A sinner, clearly guilty, could not clear herself.

• The law was against her and she had broken God's law.

• The declared penalty was death.

• She was accused by many, indicted by each of them.

• Would grace now stand helpless before the law?

Now Jesus stooped down and wrote in the sand. No person has ever known what He wrote that day. But the point was that it was His finger writing. Immediately our minds should travel to Exodus 31:18 which teaches that the law was given to the servant of God, Moses, but much more importantly was “...written with the finger of God..”. 

As Jesus wrote again, it was as if he was silently scolding these leaders by His message that they dared to quote to Him the law, but it was HIS FINGER that wrote the law on the stone tablets. How blind they were to who was among them.

 When they continued to press Him, He said His perfect remedy. He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone. When he wrote the second time it was as if He was reminding them that He had himself written the law TWICE, necessary after Moses broke the original tablets.

All were silenced. The accusers were convicted. Each man was convicted in his own conscience, and they all left, one by one, eldest first to the youngest.

Now the Lord speaks to the woman asking her where her accusers were now and whether any accused her now. She replied “No man Lord”. Jesus then allows His perfect will to be shown by telling her that neither do I condemn thee. Here is even greater evidence of the mind of the Lord. The law requires two witnesses to convict, but none now remained (Deut 19:15). None were left to testify.  So the way was clear for Christ to  award His grace, clearing the woman but not forsaking the law.

Augustine wrote of this moment that there were only two left that day, and they were to be thought of as Misery & Mercy. The sinner and the Savior were face to face and we see clearly the results of the gospel. Mercy flowed out to the sinner while the law was not ignored. 

The entire incident confirms the greatness of the wisdom of the first chapter as expressed in John 1:17:

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ”.

John - Chapter 8, Part 2

CHRIST – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

JOHN 8

(12-59)

From the lesson taught in verses 1-11, we saw that a trap was put in place for Jesus and we saw His divine wisdom turn it away and place it back upon those who contrived it. The Lord's light of mercy shined brighter than the legal trap arranged to condemn the sinful woman.

Now we see that Jesus begins the next lesson for the Pharisees by telling them that He is the light of the world. This statement has been misused over time to wrongly suppose that because He is the light of the world He meant that ALL are saved. Not so!

We know that the one who chooses not to follow Christ rests in darkness forever. Verse 12:46 teaches us later that “... I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness...”.

This claim by Jesus further confirmed His identity as both God and man. So now the Pharisees say that His record is not true. Jesus sharply responds in verse 14 that His record is true for He knows whence He came and whither He goes, but they do not know these things. This reply, in other words, says that though My divine glory is veiled, though at this present time I am not exercising My divine power in full, though I stand before you in the form of a servant, be assured that I have spoken the truth.

As evidence, Jesus reminds them that in “your law” the testimony of two is required to prove truth. The Father bears witness of me and I bear witness of myself. The father had borne witness through the prophets of Christ to come. The Father had sent John the Baptist as witness. The Father had spoken His witness at the Jordan river to the world. So even with clear proof of two witnesses, they reject the evidence given.

Notice that Jesus uses the term “your law” rather that “the law”.

Now Jesus tells them that He will go His way and they shall seek him, but they will die in their sins (21). He is speaking of His departure from earth. Now they ask Him again who He is, and He repeats that He has told them from the beginning who he is.

He is basically saying that He has spoken of light and He is that light. He has spoken of truth and He is that truth. Now He tells them that when they have lifted Him up they will know the truth. He is speaking now of His death on the cross. He further reassures them in verse 29 that the Father has not left Him alone. Verse 30 reveals that many now believed in Him. Jesus teaches them that if they continue in His word, they will be His disciples. Here is a great lesson for us. It is not how a man begins in faith that matters. Being steadfast in His word is not a condition of being a disciple, rather it is a result of it.

Now He teaches that they shall know the truth and it shall set them free. Verse 36 assures them that if the Son therefore makes you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Free from what?

• Free from the condemnation of sin.

• Free from the penalty of the law.

• Free from the wrath of God to come.

• Free from the powers of Satan.

• Free from the bondage of continued sin.

• Free from the authority of man.

Paul taught us in 1 Cor 7:22 that the believer is the Lord's freeman.

This freedom is not our license to do whatever we want. It is freedom from slavery to Satan so that we do what we should.

Now Jesus tells them He knows they are the seed of Abraham. But they still seek to kill him and they do not the works of Abraham. They agree that Abraham was their father. Now they bring their high minded gossip to bear by saying that THEY were not born of fornication, implying Jesus was so born.

Jesus tells them that they are the offspring of Satan. The leaders accuse Jesus in return of having a devil and challenge Jesus to say whether He is greater than Abraham. Now Jesus confirms to them that Abraham rejoiced to see His day. 

• How did Abraham see the Lord?

• By faith in the promises of God (Heb 11:13)

• By type, as seeing Isaac as a type of Jesus, receiving him back after considering his son as dead (Gen 22:1-4)

• By special revelation from God (Psalm 25:14)

Jesus now reveals His most profound claim to His eternal being. He says to them that “... before Abraham was, I am...”.

Christ has revealed His true self and being to these who remained blind and He leaves them now to the slavery of their sin of rejection of God''s holy incarnate Son.

John - Chapter 9

JESUS HEALS A BLIND MAN

JOHN 9

The healing of the man born blind is the sixth sign chosen by John to demonstrate that Jesus is the Christ. Like the clearing of the temple and the healing of the lame man, this sign is done in Jerusalem. The healing in chapter 5 and now in chapter 9 both use a pool of water to complete the miracle. In these two healings, however, the reaction to the healing by the man healed are quite different.

Restoring sight to the blind is considered messiah like in the OT as seen in Isaiah 29:18 & 35:5. In the context of the gospel, John places the work perfectly as an example of the light & darkness contrast he uses so well. Just as Jesus is the light of the world, He again strongly demonstrates this divine power by bringing light to a man who has lived in physical darkness from birth. The lesson is that the world, and the Jews, lie in darkness and must come to Jesus in order to walk in light.

Here the two main characters, the blind man and the Jews, progress along reverse paths. The blind man progresses from calling Jesus a prophet to defending Him against the Pharisees, invites the Pharisees themselves to become disciples of Jesus, corrects their doctrine, confesses Jesus as Lord, and then worships Him.

The spiritual blindness of the Pharisees grows darker with each verse. They try to work every angle to accuse Jesus and every step they take is a deeper step away from the light of glory.

The disciples and Jesus meet a man who has been blind since birth. In those days blind people, and others afflicted would stay close to the temple entrance hoping to receive alms from those who were seeking to go to worship. When this man is seen, the disciples ask Jesus who has sinned, the man or his parents such that he was blind when born. The first part of the question is fairly obvious as impossible as the man would have to have sinned in the womb to have been punished at birth.

Jesus is quick to teach that there was no sin causing the affliction, but that it was brought upon the man so that in this moment the work of God may be manifest in his life. Here we have a lesson that even evil ultimately contributes to the greater glory of God. We remember the words of Joseph to his brothers who had sold him into slavery, saying you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.

Jesus quickly goes to work to do the work He was sent to do.  He teaches that the work must be done while day is here for soon night will arrive when no work may be done, using the contrast again of light/darkness. When Jesus leaves, darkness will be upon all who believe.

After healing the man by making mud with His own saliva, he applies it to the eyes of the man and sends him to wash in the pool of Siloam. The healing was successful and we find in verse 16 that the healing took place on the Sabbath.

Jewish temple law required that unless faced with life or death, all work should await the following day. He had also kneaded the dirt to make mud and kneading was one of the 39 things prohibited and another of those actions prohibited was anointing the eyes. Once more the issue is the keeping of ceremonial law or custom over making a man whole.

As the Pharisees question the man, he has no idea who healed him other than the name of the man, Jesus. They badger the man until he identifies Jesus as a prophet. Next the Pharisees question the man's parents, who are of course sure he was born blind.  Verse 22 tells us they were afraid of the Jews and tell the leaders to ask again the man himself as he is old enough to speak for himself. They also know that those who confess Jesus as Christ would be put out of the temple.

In a second time of questioning, the man himself begins a spiritual transformation. First he makes a profound statement that one thing he does know is that he was blind but now he sees. The Jews ask the man to repeat his story asking him several questions hoping to find the man with different answers the second time. But under the cross examination, the man becomes more spiritually aware. He says he has already told them the story and he questions the Pharisees that they might want to become disciples of Jesus too. Note the last word, too, as the man already considers himself a disciple. Now the Pharisees know the man “sees” through their method and begin to insult him as they say they are disciples of Moses. 

They say they know God spoke to Moses and do not even know where Jesus came from. Notice that the Jews once again cling to their dedication to the one to whom God gave the law, while continuing to reject the one who is the source of the current and final revelation from God to man. Rejection rules them again.

Now the man becomes the teacher of the leaders telling them that if Jesus was not of God, He could do nothing. He says that an amazing thing has happened and these temple leaders do not even know the origin of this man of miracles. He mocks their knowledge by teaching them how God works. Now, in frustration, the Pharisees expel the man from the temple.

Jesus finds the man once again, seeking him after He heard that he had been expelled. He asks the man if he now believes on the Son of God and the man asks who is he so that he may believe. Jesus reveals His identity and the man believes and worships.

Jesus grants His final truth by saying that I am come into the world that they which see not might see, and they which see might be made blind. 

John - Chapter 10

CHRIST - THE DOOR – THE GOOD SHEPHERD – ONE WITH THE FATHER

JOHN 10

(1-10)

We must look back just for a moment to chapter 9 ending to understand exactly who Jesus is addressing as chapter 10 begins by Jesus speaking one of His most used lines, “Verily, verily, I say unto you...”. At the end of chapter 9 He is speaking to the Pharisees and as we begin that talk is ongoing.

At the occasion of the excommunication of the man healed of blindness, Jesus now delivers a parable to the Pharisees, who had overheard His last conversation with the man who was healed. He begins His talk with the word picture of the door of the sheepfold and the proper and improper way to enter it. He is making the point of spiritual leaders being in a pastoral relationship with believers who are the sheep. Those who enter improperly to the sheepfold are “thieves and robbers” and His parable finger is pointing at the Pharisees as false shepherds.

To gain understanding of these verses we should first note that the Lord speaks of three doors in these 10 verses:

• The door into the sheepfold (1)

• The door of the sheep (7)

• The door of salvation (9)

In each village in these days was a large sheepfold which was common property to all who were shepherds, protected by a wall 10 to 12 feet high, normally rocks. When night came, the shepherds would lead their flocks into this common area for safety, all going through the door of the sheepfold. Their safety for the night was left in the hands of a porter who stayed all night at the door and watched for thieves or animals trying to get in or to scale the walls. In the morning the different shepherds arrived to call their own flock to themselves to go to graze. Each called his sheep by name and his sheep would respond only to his voice and none other could call them.

The sheepfold pictured here is a symbol of Judaism, in which some who were God's elect were found. Jesus had come to enter Judaism by the proper door to call his sheep out. Jesus had presented himself to Israel in a lawful way, the way prepared by prophecy in scripture. He had been virgin born, of the Covenant people, of the line of David, in the royal city of Bethlehem (all foretold in the OT). He was born under the law (Gal 4:4) and circumcised on the 8th day, and presented in the temple at the purification of Mary (Luke 2:22). He had met all requirements to be accepted as the shepherd.

Verse 3 tells us to Him the porter openeth with the reference here to John the Baptist. Three things are shown to confirm Jesus is the Good Shepherd:

• He entered the fold by the door and did not climb over the walls.

• He entered by the “porter” opening the door to Him.

• His sheep now recognized His voice  and responded.

 Last chapter (9:4) further confirmed the evidence by the teaching that He had come working the works of God. Now we see in verse 10:3 that He calls His own sheep by name. His own sheep were those given to Him by the father from all eternity. We were already taught in 6:37 that “... all the Father giveth me shall come unto me...”.

Notice verse 3 is very clear that He only calls His “own sheep by name”.

In chapter 11 we have an even greater evidence of this teaching as the Lord will raise Lazarus from death by calling him BY NAME to come forth.

This call needs to be understood as the 2nd call to the elect by God. There is always the general call that goes out to all who hear the gospel and Matthew 20:16 teaches that many are so called while few are chosen. The 2nd call is  the effectual call to the heart in conviction to each of His sheep. This call is inward and cannot be over ruled (Rom 11:29). Romans 8 grants us the most in depth view of the “golden chain” of the call to the elect.

Jesus teaches in verse 7 that He is the door of the sheep. He himself is the door by which the elect will pass from Judaism into grace through faith. We have a foreshadow of this door in Exodus 33 when Moses placed the tabernacle outside of the camp when unbelief and rebellion were present. All who sought the Lord then had to leave the camp . So here, just as in the time of Moses, those who sincerely seek God had to leave the camp (Judaism) to find Him (Christ).

Finally in verse 9 Jesus grants His strongest teaching “... I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved”. Notice here no more talk of sheep, now we view the true picture of salvation as Jesus teaches of “ANY MAN”, meaning Jews or Gentiles. Remember the wonderful lesson of 3:16 “WHOSOEVER”!

(11-21)

As we take wisdom from the lesson of verses 11-21 concerning Christ being the Good Shepherd, it is likely that to first understand the will of God for us on this matter, we should revert to prophecy. In this case we have some of the clearest prophecy possible on this matter from the words of Ezekiel 34:

Ezekiel 34:1-4 teaches us on the Pharisees in our gospel.

“And the word of the Lord came unto me saying, 

Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.

The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick,neither have ye bound up that that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost: but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them”.

David's poetry of Psalm 23 shows us the other side of this matter:

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want... he restoreth my soul... he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake”.

Notice that Jesus teaches strongly on this matter of the shepherd abiding with the sheep:

“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine” (14)

Hebrews 13:20 teaches us of the great shepherd, and 1st Peter 5:4 teaches us of the chief shepherd.

Jesus teaches of laying down His life for the sheep (15) and that the life He gives is given freely, no man takes it from Him(18) and He has the power to lay it down and the power to take it up again (18). This has been commanded from the Father (18).

A division appears among the people again with some saying He has a devil, but others ask the more powerful question. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?

(22-42)

Winter is the season and Jesus walks along the portion of the temple known as Solomon's porch, which is not inside the temple but is a long colonnade shielded somewhat from the wind. The Jews surround Him, and challenge Him to reveal himself as the Messiah. His answer is clear and direct. He says I told you and you believed not. Jesus speaks further using the shepherd image again by telling them they are not His sheep. His sheep follow Him, know His voice, and he knows them. He gives them eternal life and none can pluck them from His hand. He says His Father gave them to Him and the Father is greater than all and gives His powerful conclusion in verse 30:

“I and my Father are one”.

They seek to stone Him but Jesus verbally stops them by asking which of His good works they intend to stone Him for. They reply that they intend to stone Him not for any works but rather for blasphemy, claiming to be God.

As they seek to seize Him, He again slips away and goes back to the Jordan river where John preached and baptized. Many came to Him and said that John had done no miracle but the things John had said about Jesus were true.

And many believed on Him there.

John - Chapter 11

THE GREATEST SIGN – THE RAISING OF LAZARUS

JOHN 11

(1-45)

The central design of John's gospel is to present Jesus Christ  as the Eternal Word that has come to reside in the likeness of man, in flesh, with the glory of the Lord shown to us in the appearance of man. Here we are given His divine nature within a form that those there at His time could see, touch, hear, and know.

In chapter 11 we will see His mighty power alongside His blessed tenderness. We see not only His absolute authority but His dependence upon the Father while in human form. We see one of the Trinity come from heaven to earth entering into the everyday nature of man, except without sin. The chapter which reveals His mightiest power also reveals the principles by which He lived which were submission, dependence, and obedience. While we see His voice calling the dead to life we also hear that in His compassion He groans and weeps.

To now, we have seen the increasing ill will and hatred of Jesus by the leaders of the Jews. We have also seen that no power of darkness, no effort by Satan or his demons could hasten the appointed hour chosen by God for His death.

While each of us knows the story of the raising of Lazarus well, we might gain some understanding by looking at a few items within the story that may not have been included when we heard the story in childhood.

The end of the public ministry of Jesus was coming soon and He was still afflicted with the hatred of the Sanhedrin. These leaders were perfect examples of the words of Paul to the Ephesians. They were dead in their trespasses and sins. The Eternal Word had come into their lives and they had only responded with rejection. After six signs that could only be seen as God's labor, the Lord reserved a greater sign to fully reveal His power and glory.

Mary and Martha and their brother, Lazarus, were close to the Lord. Lazarus was ill and his sisters sent for Jesus to come. We are told that this man was one that Jesus loved. Jesus tells that this sickness is not unto death and He chooses not to go immediately, staying two more days where He was and then deciding to go. His apostles quickly warn Him that the Jews wanted to stone Him and Jesus gives a puzzling reply concerning 12 hours of daylight and then comes the night.

With Bethany, the home of Mary & Martha, only two miles from Jerusalem, Jesus knew that His travels and work there would quickly be known at the temple. While the reply of Jesus seemed puzzling, we should think carefully that Jesus already knew what His remedy would be. He told the disciples that Lazarus was sleeping and the disciples missed the meaning, thinking that sleep is helpful for recovery, and only then did Jesus reveal that Lazarus was dead. So what His reply had meant was that this sickness was not to be seen as resulting in true death, that is that death would be the end of this sickness.

Jesus teaches that this sickness will be for the glory of God (just as He had revealed concerning the healing of the man blind from birth). Just as 12 hours are allotted to a day, there is also a time allotted for the will of God to be done.

To see properly the full effect and plan of this sign, we must recall that Jesus had brought the dead back at other times. Mark records the raising of the daughter of Jarius, and Luke records the raising of the widow's son but these were those who had just died.

Lazarus was dead four days, and in the tomb where the flesh gives way to nature.

When He arrives at Bethany, His heart is moved as the sisters are in sorrow. As He asked where the body was laid, and was shown to the tomb, we have the shortest of all Bible verses, “Jesus wept” (35). 

When Martha had greeted the Lord, she said that if Jesus had been there her brother would not have died. Jesus tells her that her brother shall rise again. She voices her understanding of Jewish faith by telling Jesus that she knew he would rise in the last day at the resurrection. Jesus provides perhaps the strongest evidence He has ever given of His identity and power when He says:

“I AM THE RESURRECTION”

Jesus commands that the stone closing the tomb be removed. Here, as in other miracles, He could have spoken the word and the stone would move away, but He includes men inside the work of God. They moved the stone. 

Jesus moves His gaze upward to the Father and prays. He says that the work is for those standing there that they may see the glory of God work among them. He speaks the words, “Lazarus, come forth”. Lazarus walks from the tomb in his grave clothing and Jesus commands those there to loose him. Notice that Jesus thanked the Father BEFORE the miracle was done. 

ARE WE THANKFUL BEFORE WE MAKE OUR REQUESTS OF GOD?

We should also carefully note that Jesus used the name of Lazarus before His command to come forth. If He had simply said “come forth” all the dead in that graveyard and all the dead in Hades would have left their rest to come forth. Here in a small way is the picture of what will occur at Rapture time. Each will be called and each will come forth.

Here Jesus shows His mightiest power. Captivity was led captive and Christ stood as the one who had defeated death and Satan. Here was a foreshadow of that glorious third morning when death, hell, and the grave, AND sin, will have been cast aside until He appears on the Mount of Olives at the last day.

It was during the bodily absence of Jesus Christ from Bethany that death exercised its power over Lazarus. It is the same with us now. When Jesus returns bodily, as the Resurrection and the Life Eternal, His power will prevail over death just as it was that day at Bethany.

Until that time, the tears He shed before this sign grant us the symbol proof of His love and compassion for us while we are here awaiting His return. 

(46-57)

A meeting was hastily called of the temple leaders. The question is obvious to them. What do we do? This man does many miracles. If we do nothing, this man will grow in influence and reputation until the Romans hear of him and think of him as a threat. The Romans may then take our place and nation away. 

Caiaphas then speaks and proposes the remedy that all were thinking but none had yet voiced. Caiaphas places the issue in the aspect that it is better for one man to die that the nation may live. Verse 53 is clear as to the meaning:

“Then from that day forth, they took counsel together for to put him to death”.

Jesus leaves the area, going to Ephraim with His disciples. The Jewish passover was near so many people went to Jerusalem. They sought Jesus there and asked whether He might come to the feast. The Pharisees gave a command to all the people that if Jesus was seen, He was to be reported so that they may take Him.

Do we notice the irony in the last 3 verses that while the people were approaching the temple of God and were purifying themselves for the feast of the deliverance, the leaders were staining themselves as they plotted to kill the sinless Son of God who could deliver all who believed on Him from death for eternity?

John - Chapter 12, Part 1

CHRIST IS ANOINTED AT BETHANY

JOHN 12:1-11

We now enter into the last week of the Lord's mortal life. 

Now there was a deeper appreciation of Him among His own followers but also there was a steady hardening of heart and unbelief among His enemies. Jesus is seen in the middle of a circle of friends who overflowed with love for Him. There is also a hint of a wider acceptance as the Greeks wish to hear Him but there seems also to be an even stronger effort to eliminate Him by His enemies in the temple leadership. We also note in verse 10 that these chief priests consulted how they may also kill Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead by Jesus, and who, along with Mary and Martha now made Him a meal.

The contrasts of the chapter are several. The opening scene is filled with bliss and love as those who loved Jesus prepare for Him a meal, likely to celebrate the blessing of new life given to Lazarus.  At the very same scene we see the moment when Mary pours out her affection by anointing Jesus with the costly pound of ointment. 

Here in these first verses of chapter 12 we see that we are on resurrection ground. The foreshadow of this happy gathering in Bethany allows a view of what is waiting for all believers in the life to come:

Lazarus is seated at the table with Christ, resurrected, sharing the place where Christ is. (John 14:3 teaches us that Jesus says that where He is we may be also).

Martha serves. (Rev 22:3 teaches that His servants shall serve Him)

Mary displays her loving devotion, worship given to Him who has sought us, bought us, and saved us.

Here Christ shares loving fellowship and happiness with those whom He had earlier shared sorrow and tears at the tomb of Lazarus. 

We must remember the teaching of Paul in Ephesian 2 that tells us that we are raised up together to sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.

The lesson of Mary's devotion is strong for us. She took the very expensive ointment, opened it, anointed the feet of Jesus with it, and then dried His feet with her hair. This was no sudden impulse by Mary. Jesus says that “... against the day of my burying hath she kept this...”.(7) This word “kept” also means “diligently preserved” so it was saved for this occasion.

Both Matthew and Mark teach that she anointed His head but John only saw the anointing of His feet. 1st Cor 11:15 teaches us that if a woman has long hair it is a glory to her, and she uses her glory to wipe the feet of her Lord, in deep affection and humility.

Now Judas Iscariot wants to know why this ointment was not sold and the money given to the poor. Here is another contrast. Verse 6 tells us that he did this not because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief who carried the money purse. We notice this false concern only a few days before he himself will sell Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

At the very time Satan was preparing Judas to betray the Lord, the Holy Spirit moved the heart of Mary to pour out her love for The Lord. 

Jesus teaches that we will not always have Him, so the act of Mary was devoted and accepted, given to Him in love while He was here. The poor will always be with us and this verse in no way teaches that the poor should be neglected. 

Verse 9 teaches us that many Jews came there not only to see Jesus but also to see Lazarus. There were very few times that the worker of the miracle and the receiver of the miracle were to be seen together after the miracle was done. Here was one of those times and the people knew what had been done and wanted to see for themselves.

Verse 11 gives us the beautiful conclusion that because of that reason many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus.

Here is another reason for the Jewish temple leaders to want Jesus dead and gone. They would soon get half their wish. He would be dead, but NEVER gone.

John - Chapter 12, Part 2

JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM IN TRIUMPH

JOHN 12:12-19

The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in triumph is recorded in all four Gospels and is unlike any other event in His life. 

Before this moment we have seen Him again and again withdraw into Himself, retiring into the wilderness, not seeking public acclaim, not willing to display Himself.

We are taught in Matthew 12:19 that he did not cause His voice to be heard in the streets. In Matthew 16:20 He told His disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ. In Mark 5:43 when He raised the daughter of Jarius He told all that no man should know of it. When He came down from the Mount of Transfiguration He gave orders that the disciples tell no man what they had seen (Mark 9:9).

How are we to account for this startling change of policy?

Why did the Lord send for the ass, and ride it into the city? Why did He allow the crowds to hail him with the “hosannas”? Why did He permit them to claim Him as their King, when less that a week later he would suffer all for them in shame and lay down His own life as their sin sacrifice?

The answer is that He did it because scripture required it.

Loving obedience to the Father who sent Him was the hallmark of His ministry. The Father's plan had all along been to have the Son fulfill all prophecy and so it was done exactly in that fashion. We remember His cleansing of the temple was foretold in Psalms 69:9 and we will see in John 19:28 that when He cried on the cross “I thirst”, John notes it was done so that “the scripture might be fulfilled” (Psalms 69:21).

Prophecy was given in more than a few scriptures concerning this moment. We see in Daniel's prophecy of the 70 weeks that the time of the cutting off of the Messiah was given (Daniel 9:24-27). Daniel foretells of the Prince presenting Himself to the holy city. The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was Him presenting Himself as their Prince.

Luke 19:42 shows Jesus saying:

“If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes.” The time of the visit of their Prince had come.

Further scripture prophecy gives clear evidence of this need to fulfill that Jesus met completely in this entry into the city.

Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion, shout O daughter of Jerusalem, behold thy king cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass”.

The people welcomed Him with palm branches just as foretold in Lev 23:40:

“Ye shall take you... boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, … and ye shall rejoice before the Lord...”.  We will see this scene again as foretold by John in Rev 7:9:

“innumerable multitude before the throne and before the Lamb, … and palms in their hands”.

The Lord of all glory was about to lay down His life for sacrifice & victory over sin, death, hell, and the grave, but before He did so, He fulfilled all scripture. His own disciples did not remember these things until they saw Him glorified (verse 16). 

Perhaps they still clung to the hope that this moment would overcome the awful things Jesus Himself had confided to them about His hour to come. He said in Luke 24:25-26 that they were fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken and He challenged their understanding that Christ must suffer these things before  He comes into His glory.

The suffering comes before the glory. The cross before the crown.  

John - Chapter 12, Part 3

THE AGE OF THE GENTILES BEGINS

JOHN 12:20-36

In John 11 we see the proof positive that Jesus was the Son of God in His remarkable miracle of the raising of Lazarus to life after he was dead four days. Next we see Jesus as the Son of David, as seen by the jubilant crowds who welcomed Him as Prince and King into the holy city of Jerusalem one week before he will be crucified. Now we will see Him as the Son of Man. 

As the Son of David, he is tied to Israel only and the tie is through the flesh. His final title of the Son of Man takes on  a far wider connection that extends beyond the Jews into the entire world. Here He is fulfilling the prophecy of Daniel 7:14:

“...there was given him dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away...”.
Jesus as the Christ has led those given to Him by the Father out of Judaism into liberty, and He will lay down His life to protect His sheep from sin. In John 11 He is seen as the resurrection and the life, the victor over death and the grave (when Lazarus is raised upon His command).

Now in John 12 He speaks of Himself as a “corn of wheat” that falls to the ground that it may bear much fruit. Now we learn His teaching of exactly how He will become to all who are His the resurrection and the life. It is to be through His death. Verse 24 clearly teaches us that the corn of wheat must die to bring forth much fruit. We remember that Jesus taught us that unless a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom, and unless Christ dies, none could be born again. Paul speaks so very well on this issue in Romans 6:23 when he teaches that “...the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord”.

As our destination is to be heavenly people we must be related to Him in more than the flesh. All believers must be related to Him in spirit, and this is possible only on the resurrection side of His death. Here is the profound teaching, that the One who has been lifted up (above the earth) is the One who draws all to Himself, Jews AND Gentiles.

In verses 20 & 21 we see that certain Greeks among them came to worship at the feast and said to Philip ,” Sir, we would see Jesus”. Philip tells Andrew and both men tell Jesus. Jesus is within days to be delivered up to the Romans just as Daniel had foretold (69 weeks). Now as we see in Acts 15:14, God visits the Gentiles to make of them a people for his name. 

The Greeks are the “other sheep” and provide proof of the fields being “white with harvest”. We should note that it was the Gentiles who sought Him at His birth and it is the Gentiles who now seek Him just before His death.

Here is our first hint that the world to exist after Jesus dies, rises, and ascends will be a world made up of far more believers that the Jews. Once more OT prophecy is made true. Hag 2:7 teaches “And the Desire of all nations shall come”.

Jesus in verse 23 tells them that the hour is come that the Son of Man may be glorified. We are not granted insight as to whether Jesus met with these Greeks. But I believe He did. He seemed always willing to go to those who sincerely seek Him. Even today, believers know this to be true through His Holy Spirit.

Jesus now begins to reveal His inner turmoil in verse 27 by saying that His soul is troubled. Here is the preview of the time in Gethsemane. He was not troubled at the hour, for it was for this hour He came. He was accepting the bitterness of the cup. Now He asks the Father to glorify the name of the Father, and the voice from Heaven thunders the Father's reply that “.. I have both glorified and will glorify again...”. (28)

We should take note of the future tense of the last portion of the Father's statement. We know this refers to the glorious raising of the Lord from the dead after three days as Paul teaches us in Romans 6:4: “raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father”.

Jesus once more assures the people that this voice from heaven was given not for Himself but for their sakes. (30) for “now is the judgment of this world (31) and now shall the prince of this world (Satan) be cast out (31). Not only was life to rise from death but victory to rise from what was seen as defeat. 

The Savior crucified – The Savior glorified.