30.11.08 John 2:12-22 (NASB)
Audio Sermon File: John 2:12-22
Going Deeper: Study Guide-Page 1 , Study Guide -Page 2
Cleaning Out The House
Today’s passage takes place in the spring - and in some ways it could be likened to a spring cleaning that some of us might do each year, because Jesus is - CLEANING OUT THE HOUSE. It does take place in a house…that house being the temple of God. Our text in John 2:12-22 reveals this to us:
12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and [His] brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days. 13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated [at their tables]. 15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove [them] all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business." 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house will consume me." 18 The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?" 19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
From the Cleansing of the Temple we will see that Jesus was CLEANING OUT THE HOUSE - that is God’s house, cleaning it out of unrighteousness so that true worship could take place.
Today I want all of us to see as we apply the text - by studying this event we may apply three general principles in our own worship here at c3.
1. Believers should not promote activities that prevent genuine worship and devotion
2. Christians should welcome all people to the Lord’s house
3. Christians should take a stand for right even when it is unpopular
v.12 Last week we were with Jesus as he performed His first sign, turning water into wine, at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. It was there that Jesus revealed a part of His glory. We find this afternoon that after leaving the wedding ceremonies Jesus moves on to another area of Galilee - in His eventual travel to Jerusalem for the Passover. Cana was located in the inland hill country of Galilee, and now Jesus went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and [His] brothers and His disciples. Capernaum was located on the NW shores of the Sea of Galilee, about 16 miles NE of Cana. Capernaum was a larger town, located on a trade route. Many Gentiles came to this town for it was a center of political and commercial activity. It is also the home of Peter and Andrew, James and John, and Matthew. Jesus would do a lot of His ministry here - and many Bible students consider this as Jesus’ headquarters. At this point in time Jesus and those with Him, stayed there a few days.
v.13 Now as we begin the main narrative of Jesus CLEANING OUT THE HOUSE - we note that the The Passover of the Jews was near. The Passover commemorates the time that the Jews were delivered from slavery in Egypt. The Passover was in remembrance of the tenth plague upon the Egyptians. The Lord sent the angel of death to ‘pass over’ the Jewish homes on which the doorposts were sprinkled with blood (Exod 12:23-27). As the angel ‘passed over’ these homes, those who did not have the blood of the lamb upon their doorposts - the result was that the firstborn of men and animal of these homes, were judged by death.
In the OT the symbolism of Passover expressed - innocent life given for guilty life. Ultimately this foreshadowed Christ’s permanent work of glorifying God by His sacrifice - the shedding of His blood upon the cross, and therefore the bearing away of the sins of the people. Christ’s innocent life has already been given for our guilty lives, therefore Christians do not need to observe the Passover. In addition John’s gospel was written after the destruction of the temple in AD 70, and mainly for believers - so it was termed The Passover of the Jews - it was something that unbelieving Jews continued to observe.
In preparation for the Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, like any devout Jewish male over the age of 12 was required to do annually. It is quite interesting to note when the Bible mentions travel to Jerusalem, it is usually associated with going in a certain direction…which is up. For the Jew, Jerusalem was the center of the world. Any one who has traveled to Jerusalem, would realize that the road is on a gradual incline. The temple at Jerusalem is built upon a mountain - Mt. Moriah, with an elevation of 2,425 feet above sea level. To give you an idea of the height of this mountain - by comparison Grouse mountain is roughly 3700 feet.
In v.14 we find that Jesus is in the temple courts. The specific part of the temple that Jesus is in would be the area known as the Court of the Gentiles. We know this because this is the only part where the described activities of a marketplace can take place. The text does not identify the exact location within this court though. When Jesus entered the temple area, He would be able to smell the oxen and sheep and doves; and see and hear the transactions and noise from the moneychangers’ tables. Maybe the noise could be likened to Granville Island on a busy Saturday afternoon or maybe the PNE in the summer.
For the convenience of pilgrims, the cattlemen and the money changers had set up businesses in the Court of the Gentiles. The animals were sold for sacrifices at the temple. It was far easier for a pilgrim in Jerusalem to purchase one that was guaranteed kosher (pass the inspection of the high priests). Otherwise worshippers would have to bring an animal with him and have it inspected for meeting the kosher requirements - and then risk the possibility of failing the requirements. The vendors of the market were authorized by the temple authorities and therefore the temple authorities would receive financial benefits. The sellers were either part of the temple hierarchy or they needed to pay a large fee to the temple authority for the privilege.
The very existence and control of the market displayed the personal greed and corruption of the temple administration. It also showed their contempt of the Gentiles since this was the only area that the Gentiles could worship - thus Gentiles were forced to worship in effect in a "market place sanctuary." Jesus was troubled at what He found, for the very place - the temple where God was to be worshipped and magnified - became the very opposite - it had been made unclean. As a result of seeing these activities Jesus - made a scourge of cords, and drove [them] all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen (v.15). It was a decisive action on Jesus’ part against the commercial activities that both buyers and sellers shared in by engaging and conducting their evil practices. It was a Messianic act which was performed. Jesus then proceeded and - He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. The Roman money the pilgrims brought from various parts of the world to Jerusalem had to be changed into the Tyrian currency (the closest thing to the old Hebrew shekel) or into shekels themselves, since the annual temple tax had to be paid in that currency. The annual temple tax was half a shekel per year for every Jewish male 20 years or older (Exod. 30:11-16). This amount equaled almost double of a standard days wage of a working man and was paid at the Passover period. Exorbitant prices were often charged for changing the currency - ranging from a total of 10% to as high as 30 percent for the conversion.
When Jesus overturned the tables of the moneychangers - it indicated that Jesus’ actions were done fervently and not in a matter of fact way. Jesus dealt a serious blow to the money changers’ business - but doing so in a way which did not bring in the Roman forces.
v.16-17 In cleansing the temple not only were the moneychanger affected but also those who were selling the doves (v.16). The dove sellers were ordered by Jesus to - Take these things away - referring to the cages, baskets and other goods these merchants used. The doves or pigeons were such a common sacrifice that there is separate mention of them. Jesus was against the dove sellers and not against the use of doves, since doves are required by the Law for those who were poor and could not afford the cost of an animal (Lev. 12:6; 14:22; 15:14, 29; cf Lk. 2:22-24).
Jesus continues and rebukes the merchants - stop making My Father's house a place of business. Jesus was proclaiming that the temple was being misused, and commands them to stop this practice. The temple’s divine purpose was being perverted. The temple was turned into a market place of goods and services. The turn of events and the resulting actions that Jesus took in the temple court, leads us to think about our own worship. Jesus clearly saw how His temple was turned into something that it was never intended to be. Likewise if we were to look at our own church we might conclude from this passage that …
1. Believers should not promote activities that prevent genuine worship and devotion.
Do we engage in practices during worship service that distract others to focus upon the worship of God? The strangest thing that I have observed in a church before, not here at c3, was that consistently some time during the service someone would be clipping their nails. Others fall asleep because they have not prepared themselves to worship the prior evening. Some are always talking with the person they sit with. Some people come to worship dressed in an inappropriate way that other worshippers cannot but help stare at them and maybe even talk about them during worship. Some churches now model their worship to cater to unbelievers, by making the worship service entertaining - worship is never to cater to unbelievers because they do not and will not in their unsaved condition worship God - read Romans 1.
Do we join events or have habits that frequently keep us away from fellowship, corporate worship? I cannot overemphasis the priority of worship in every aspect of our lives. We were made to worship God, but our sin prevents worship. We are saved to a new relationship in Christ to worship God. In fact we are exhorted to worship - Hebrews 10:25 - ‘Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.’ Are you putting priority on work, on study, on recreation, or personal desires ahead of your ultimate priority - worship? I would challenge you to commit yourself to worship and fellowship. I fully believe that if you have this priority in check then all other areas of your life will be changed for God’s glory.
Do we come to church for reasons which are not solely for the purpose of true worship? Some people come to church to do business. They know that there are a good number of people at church so they attend church to network in the hopes of making some sales. Some people come to church because of personal friendships and not God. Others come to church for the music, food, or social activities. If we took all of these things away would you still come to church to worship God? The challenge for our generation is to come back to the fundamentals of worship and to make worship a priority.
In what ways as a believer are you promoting genuine worship and devotion that please God? And in what ways are you not, and how will you change your behaviour in response to God’s Word?
The only place in the temple area where Gentiles were allowed to worship God, was in the Court of the Gentiles. By allowing the Court of the Gentiles to become a noisy, smelly public market, the Jewish religious leaders were preventing Gentiles from exercising the spiritual privilege promised them. This was a form of religious elitism which targeted all ethnic people groups except for the Jews. Think about this? How could a Gentile pray amid all that noise and stench? And God’s house was supposed to be "a house of prayer for all nations" (Is. 56:7). The Gentiles were denied of the only place where they could worship.
One pastor wrote this: ‘Jesus came to earth in humiliation as the incarnate Son of God, but on this occasion…he forcefully manifested divine hatred against sin, especially sin that profanes God’s name and sullies His holiness. By this mighty, unresistable display of power He made the Temple symbolically clean. With the great clutter of animals, tables, chairs, money, and frightened people, it was far from tidy; but it was for a brief time cleansed of overt moral defilement.’
The significance of the cleansing of the temple is linked to the coming of the Messiah. Jesus seeks to make available to the Gentiles the privileges which God had granted to them as part of His people. So what Jesus was doing is to proclaim that the time of universal worship, uninhibited by Jewish restrictions, has arrived.
When you come to church each Sunday you probably have an image of what the church should be like. You would expect that you would be able to worship freely. You would look forward to a time to be spiritually refreshed by drawing near to God. You would want it to be a place where you could bring your offerings, take time to meditate, be in praise, prayer, and confession.
King David wrote this in Psalm 27:4 - ‘One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to meditate in His temple.’ This is what Jesus knew His house should be like. This is what true believers Jew and Gentile alike would desire, but they found something different.
Once again this should cause us to think what about our church? The Gentiles were really not being included in the Lord’s house, because the marketplace was in the midst of their area of worship. By the permission of the temple authorities - vendors were welcome but the Gentiles were not. How should we respond and reflect upon this? How can we safeguard against such attitudes? Perhaps we need to consider that…
2. Christians should welcome all people to the Lord's House
The majority of our churches are cold to outsiders or just superficial in their welcome. The Lord has regularly brought to our church new visitors. Have you taken notice of that? Sometimes we have people coming in just as the service starts - so we can’t greet them. And they also leave just before the service ends - is there something you can personally do to greet them - so that they don’t feel like a total stranger either coming or going?
I do want to commend most of you for being welcoming. Yet we don’t want to rest in our accomplishments…but is there anything else you can do? Have you told and invited them to join one of our fellowship groups? Have you encouraged newcomers in some way? Have you helped them get orientated to our church? One thing that I was impressed with at one church we had visited (this was quite a while ago) was that we were invited over to one of the members homes for tea after the service - I was not a pastor at that time and we were total strangers to them.
If we are God’s people and are so wrapped up in our own little worlds - then what kind of impression do you think people would have of Christians? Of God? We are God’s ambassadors, let us shine for Him.
Jesus’ actions in the temple brought to the minds of the disciples an OT passage from Psalm 69:9. Verse 17, states as quoted in the text - ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ These words of the psalmist David, expressed his insistence upon the people of his time to act in accordance to their outward claim of devotion to God. The psalmist felt pain because he saw God dishonoured, because the psalmist loved God so greatly. Jesus applies this verse to His own attitude in the cleansing of the temple. Jesus was greatly offended by the happenings in the temple. The disciples recognized that Jesus’ actions were in fulfillment to Scripture. They also realized that the attitude and responding actions that Jesus had were a response of righteous indignation.
v.18-19 In the commotion of this day the Jews came to Jesus and said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?" The Jews being referenced to were probably the temple authorities and members of the religious establishment. They wanted from Jesus proof to His claim to the right to say all that He did, and His act to cleanse the temple. They demanded of Jesus to give them justification for everything that just took place.
It was through the Jews demand for Jesus to prove His authority, it revealed their hearts. The Jews should have recognized that all the merchandising, in the temple was wrong. They should have welcomed Jesus’ act of CLEANING OUT THE HOUSE, to restore true worship. But instead the Jews focused upon the issue of authority. If the Jews were truly in line with God and His Word, they would have taken Jesus’ actions as their ‘sign.’ A sign which the disciples picked up on in relation to the prophecies in the OT concerning the Messiah. In response, Jesus would give them no sign. Jesus was no performer, doing miracles at the request of others just to prove a point - He worked according to the Father’s will.
Not only did Jesus do what was right in CLEANING OUT THE HOUSE, He also stood up against the whims and erroneous dictates of man - the Jewish authorities. Jesus risked His own popularity to restore God’s glory. Therefore we may consider and learn that…
3. Christians should take a stand for right even when it is unpopular.
Do you seek to maintain a God centered worship even if others may have other ideas of the way things are being done? Do you cater to your own ideas of worship or do you desire to make our worship here as Scriptural as we can for the glory of the Head of the church - Jesus Christ? Following God’s way is the harder path, Scripture tells us - 2 Tim. 3:10 - ‘In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.’ Are you ready and willing to stand up and persevere for that which is right in God’s eyes?
Jesus doesn’t bow down to the foolish request of the Jews, instead Jesus offers them a prophetic look into the future. Jesus tells them that He will - Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. To the Jews it was taken to be understood in light of the physical buildings of the temple that Herod the Great remodeled. Herod used the temple to boost his reputation with the Jews, by rebuilding and enlarging it (started in 19/20 BC). This building was the second Jerusalem temple built, by the returning Jews from captivity in Babylon, started in 536 BC and completed in 515 BC (Ezra 3:1-6:15). They didn’t realize that Jesus had something more in mind…that of spiritual importance. The word temple used in the Greek, refers to the sanctuary or Holy Place; and not to the entire complex of the temple including the courts. This gives us insight as to what Jesus was referring to - which was Himself - Jesus is our true sanctuary.
v.20 The Jews were surprised at the statement since they misunderstood the full impact of it. They thought the statement by Jesus was ridiculous. They were only thinking of the buildings which had to this point taken forty-six years to build. As a historical note, the detail of the number of years it has taken to build the temple dates this event to AD 27/28. At this time period of the cleansing of the temple, the temple had only been reconstructed about half way. It was not until AD63 that the temple was fully completed. Then seven years later it was physically destroyed in AD 70, under the command of Roman General Titus, as a final blow to the Jews for their resistance to Roman rule.
The Jews reply to Jesus was condescending - and will You raise it up in three days? To the Jews, Jesus was an upstart from Galilee, He was not belonging to any of the religious establishment, so in their eyes He was a nobody.
In verses 21 and 22 the Apostle John explains to us, the reader of this gospel, what was meant by Jesus’ words. We must keep in mind that this gospel was written between the years of AD 80-90. Many years have passed since Christ died. John’s writing was from a post resurrection vantage point. Jesus was alive and reigning in heaven.
John emphatically explains Jesus’ words. He tells us that what Jesus meant when He referred in His words ‘Destroy this temple.’ It was a reference to the temple of Jesus’ own body. Jesus was the full manifestation of God - He was the Word that became flesh (1:14). And being so, Jesus fulfilled all that the temple meant. The temple was were God dwelt among His people on earth, and the center of all true worship. But now in Jesus Christ - God dwelt among men and in Christ we have true worship. There was going to be true worship for believers because Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice - that…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scripture.
True worship of God starts at the point that you repent of sin and believe in Christ alone as your Saviour. And through the indwelling Holy Spirit, in us the born-again - in the temple of our hearts does He dwell manifesting true worship. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 expresses this clearly about true believers - ‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit , who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.’ This new relationship with the Holy Spirit is inseparably and directly tied to worship. Worship for the believer is our ultimate priority and is driven by submitting to the Holy Spirit through the application of His Word.
In a closing statement - John then adds that this was not understood even by the disciples until after Jesus was raised from the dead - resurrected. It was then that the disciples believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken. The disciples faith in Christ was not matured, until after Jesus was raised to life.
In our passage this day, we see God’s holy temple cleansed. Jesus directs us in rethinking human religion of unrighteousness into one that is pure. The temple court for the Gentiles had become a market place filled with greedy vendors who denied the true Gentile worshippers a sanctified place for reverent worship. Jesus jealously guards the sanctity of the Father’s house and insists upon purity in worship. Jesus foreshadows the day when true worship will be established through His death and resurrection for He is the fulfillment of what the earthly temple pictured. Today true worship is found in our relationship with Christ in the temple of our hearts, a temple that is not made by man’s hands.
As a believer your heart is set apart for worship. Your whole life is to be consumed in the worship and glory of God in Christ Jesus. Do you have such a zeal for the temple of the Lord? His Kingdom, His work? This only will be true if you have a genuine and deep relationship with Christ.
Through the application of our Scripture passage we are challenged with the reality that we may need to be CLEANING OUT THE HOUSE…of our own hearts…in our relationship with God not only in corporate worship, but in a personal life of worship.
(For a full explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - click here - http://www.doihaveeternallife.blogspot.com/)
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Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
John 2:1-11 A Consuming Crisis
23.11.08 John 2:1-11 (NASB)
Audio Sermon File: John 2:1-11
Going Deeper: Study Guide
A Consuming Crisis
Guinness World Records (TM) has made it official: Pittsburgh now holds the record for the most couples, 624 to be exact, to simultaneously renew their wedding vows. The attempt occurred on Feb. 10, 2008, when participants filled the Carnegie Music Hall for The World's Largest Wedding Vow Renewal Ceremony, and said "I Do" all over again.
Here is another wedding event of interest (believe it or not):
June 2006 - Carly O'Brien (16), of Gloucester, dreamed of a big wedding dress for her big day. And when she said big, she meant big. A determined young lady, she made sure her dream came true. The resulting wedding gown, which cost £25,000, had 30 layers of tulle, 3,000 Swarovski crystals, and a 60 foot long train. It measured 8 feet wide, weighed 25 stone (350 lbs.), and it took 9 1/2 hours to get her into the dress.
The bride arrived at the church in a glass carriage, pulled by six horses, and had to be lifted out by 3 men and assorted members of the wedding party. Her gown was so wide it became stuck in the church door, so she was tugged into the church. Then 20 guests had to push and pull Carly up the aisle toward her groom, Michael Coffey, 17. This took an hour and a half, possibly the longest bride walk in history. Afterwards, she was so exhausted that her new husband and 14 relatives had to carry her from the chapel.
Nevertheless, she was determined to wear the dress at her reception, though she spent most of the evening sitting down.
Today I invite you to another wedding which permanently shatters any record of Guinness World Records (TM) - which is found in chapter 2 of the Gospel of John - a wedding in Cana in Galilee.
2:1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; 2 and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." 4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." 6 Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. 7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." So they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, "Draw [some] out now and take it to the headwaiter." So they took it [to him]. 9 When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, 10 and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when [the people] have drunk freely, [then he serves] the poorer [wine]; [but] you have kept the good wine until now." 11 This beginning of [His] signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
At the beginning of chapter 2 we find Jesus at a wedding. As He was there a ‘CONSUMING CRISIS’ takes place. The narrative gives us several insights which challenge us.
In chapter 2 we are able to see how Jesus reveals His glory through:
The Culminating Crisis (v.1-3)
The Commitment of Purpose (v.4)
The Communication of Glory (v.5-10)
The Compensation of Faith (v.11)
As we enter into today’s text we will find that from this point on we will begin to see that Jesus’ ministry influence is gaining momentum. At Cana Jesus now demonstrates His power and gives us the first sign, which demonstrates His Deity. Once again there is a time reference. This event takes place ‘on the third day’ after the calling of the first group of disciples. So it would be on the third day after Philip and Nathanael were called by Christ in verse 41 of chapter one.
So let us enter in to the festivities as we look at:
1. THE CULMINATING CRISIS (v.1-3)
The context of today’s narrative is a wedding that occurs in a place named Cana. If you remember from last weeks sermon, that I mentioned that Cana was the home town of Nathanael (Jn. 21:2). Cana’s exact location has been lost over the years. Some people say that it could be the town named Khirbet Qana, which lies in ruins now, and is located about 9 miles north of Nazareth. But its exact location is not an important factor, but what takes place in Cana is.
This is the first of eight signs in the Gospel of John which give confirmation of whom Jesus is. There were many other miracles that Jesus performed, but John selects 8 signs, which lend to his purpose that ‘Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name’ (Jn. 20:31). Quite often the gospel of John is referred to as ‘The Book of Signs’ - revealing Jesus’ full identity.
A wedding in the ancient near east was always a major occasion in the life of the local people. This would have been a community celebration and invited guests would come from the surrounding areas. It seems probable that the mother of Jesus - Mary, knew the couple that was being married since the mother of Jesus was already present, being a guest of the celebrations. Jesus and His Disciples were also guests, but it is possible that He was invited because of His mother, as the Greek words give us a sense of this.
A wedding celebration in Biblical times, in its totality, would last as long as one week and in some cases longer. Before we would even get to any wedding festivities, the marriage would be preceded by betrothal. It is a common mistake to equate the betrothal of these times to our modern day engagement. The betrothal was an important and seriousness matter. The couple would be solemnly pledged to one another and complete faithfulness was to be present. Any violation of the betrothal would be treated as adultery and the prescribed penalty was the stoning death of the offender (Dt. 22:23-25). The betrothal was so binding that if one were to break it, divorce proceedings would be necessary (we have a glimpse of this in the account of the virgin birth of Christ - where Joseph was going to quietly seek a legal divorce to dissolve his betrothal to Mary - Matt. 1:19).
At the end of the betrothal period came the marriage. The bridegroom and his friends would make their way to the brides home. Often this was done at night which would allow for an impressive procession, utilizing torches which would light the darkened skies. At the brides home, it was customary to make speeches, and the people would express their well wishes for the couple. Following this the procession, which now would include the bride, would make their way back to the grooms home. The wedding ceremonies and festivities would be held here. And this is were we find ourselves in the opening verses of chapter 2.
During the course of all the festivities the wine runs out and Jesus’ mother informs Jesus that "They have no wine" (v.3). For a celebration of this kind, it was the responsibility of the hosts to provide sufficient food and beverages to their guests. Wine was a part of these provisions and now the wine was all consumed, even before the end of the festivities. This was not good. In fact it would be more than just an embarrassment, it was a social disgrace. The host family and couple would be held accountable for the shortfall and failure to discharge their responsibility of hospitality. Their reputation would be tarnished which haunt them for a long time to come. Why? Because this situation would be taken as an insult to all those present. The guests had given their gifts, and in some sense there were certain expectations involved. In addition the groom could face a possible lawsuit from the brides family as a failure to fulfill his obligations to them.
The reason for not being fully prepared in providing enough wine for the guests is not revealed. But we do know that there was not enough. Maybe this was an oversight, maybe they could not afford to provide, maybe they were too busy.
Isn’t it often like this in our life? We enter into something unprepared. We involve ourselves into too much, which in the end, causes a crisis.
The CULMINATING CRISIS - gives way to:
2. THE COMMITMENT OF PURPOSE (of Jesus’ ministry) - (v. 4).
So the situation was out of the ordinary and was urgent. It is not clear why Mary felt responsible to make this known to Jesus, but she does. This is Jesus’ response to the social crisis - He says to His mother - Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come. Jesus’ answer seemed to be harsh since He did not respond with terms of endearment - but Jesus calls His mother ‘woman.’ The word ‘woman’ is not a condescending word, and Jesus does not use it in a condescending manner. It can be equated to our modern day term ‘Ma’am’ which still involves a level of politeness. But its use does set Jesus at a certain distance apart from His mother and her request. This is reinforced by Jesus’ connected words - ‘what does that have to do with us?’ (v.4) - words which were abrupt, but not rude. Jesus is setting out clearly that there is a new relationship between Himself and His mother, especially at the outset of His public ministry.
Jesus was destined not to be known as the Son of Mary, but to fulfill His earthly mission that is to be the ‘Son of Man’ - the link between God and man as we discovered last week in the last verse of chapter one. This reference helps us to keep everything in context. A new relationship is founded. THE COMMITMENT OF PURPOSE is made by Jesus for He is no longer under the authority of His mother - and she understands this. Mary is not surprised by Jesus’ response, and she doesn’t take offense at His statement, but acknowledges that Jesus should act independently of her. She recognized that the son that she had raised… was indeed the Son of God, the promised Messiah.
Jesus is always in submission to the will of the Father, that He was on a Divine timetable as Jesus states - "My hour has not yet come." Jesus’ response therefore focuses upon the future - that is - upon His end goal of dying on the cross - as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (1:29) - and then being exalted through His resurrection from the dead - and His glorious ascension into heaven. These events had not come yet - nor were even imminent, and therefore Jesus, was not to be under the direction of people (his mother), but under the will of God. Jesus was to manifest His full glory at a later time, but not now. But in response to Mary’s request, He reveals only a part of His glory.
We can learn from Jesus here - that He always clearly had the will of the Father in mind, no matter the circumstances. He never lost focus of His ultimate goal. How often do we lose sight of the calling of our salvation? The phone is ringing off the hook at the office - and there are so many demands from my boss and people. The work is piling up on my desk and I just need more time to do it - so sacrifices must be made. So something must give…or should I say SOMEONE (point upward) must give… Jesus gets pushed aside…
Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we were saved from our sins: ‘For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we would walk in them.’ Often - more than we would like to admit - our purpose in life is lost in the shuffle of the life - with our careers - personal life - hobbies plowing ‘full steam ahead,’ and so we suddenly are reminded that there is no time left to serve our Saviour - I’ll just come to church on Sunday and that is enough.
Focus upon the Father’s will - is also lost in the recreational pleasures of a city such as Vancouver - it is the Sun Run…I can skip worship this Sunday to run for good cause - God will understand - our ultimate purpose as a believer is left behind.
Good works in Christ in response to our salvation - are left behind on the playing field of life - and our Christian witness is compromised. Life is busy and we lose sight… Life doesn’t do that to us - we do it to ourselves. Jesus never lost sight of His ultimate priority, and He is able to re-focus your attention upon Him if you let Him. Jesus never forces us to do anything.
What area in your life needs the priority of Christ, to be at the center? Jesus said to warn those who were unbelievers - For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? (Matt. 16:26). A reminder to us, as believers, is that we should not be seeking the things of this world. Our souls have been redeemed by Christ, so let us not neglect a fitting and proper response to such a great salvation.
Perhaps in the midst of your situation you are being reminded by God to get back to basics…get back to the foundation which sets your life in proper order…your spiritual foundations...the realm of your salvation in which you are to operate. Maybe you really need to rethink Jesus’ words to you - But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt. 6:33-34). Jesus never lost sight of His purpose. Have you lost sight of yours?
Jesus’ COMMITMENT TO PURPOSE sets the stage for Him now to perform His first miracle as we unfold:
3. THE COMMUNICATION OF GLORY (v.5-10)
V.5 Jesus’ mother even in the face of Jesus’ mild rebuke, believes that Jesus will respond appropriately to the crisis at hand. We know this because Mary orders her the servants in this way - ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’ As His mother, she knew Jesus very well, and she had confidence and faith in the powers that Jesus had. Mary is used to set the stage for Jesus to act in His own independent authority. Any actions that are to be taken to correct the crisis will be in response to Jesus’ commands.
The whole focus of this passage is upon Jesus’ glory, and not those around Him. Jesus acts in His own accord and in perfect submission to the Father’s will, and not in response to the whims of man. From this point on in Jesus’ first sign, Mary fades from the scene, for Jesus is to take center stage.
V.6 Jesus sees six stone water pots nearby, and calls to the servants that they should fill the jars with water. These water pots were not made of pottery, but of stone. Hand carved stone was necessary since these jars were used for ceremonial washing. Stone was the material to be used because it was more impervious, and therefore would not be subject to contamination. Any guest that came, would use these pots for the traditional ceremonial washing of their hands, before eating (Mk. 7:3). A large quantity of water was necessary to do this. These pots were of quite a large size because they were capable of containing twenty or thirty gallons each. As an average the pots would be able to hold about 150 gallons, which would be up to 750 liters. In comparison this would be about 20 tanks full of gas for a small car. In terms of servings of wine, it would be the equivalent of about 2400 glasses. This would be able to serve a large amount of people for the remainder of the marriage celebrations.
V.7-10 As the account continues, the jars are filled by the servants to the brim. They were completely full, and nothing more could be added into the jars. Jesus then instructs the servants to do this - Draw [some] out now and take it to the headwaiter. This was the person who was literally ‘the ruler of the table.’ Probably this is the superintendent of the dining room in which the banquet was being held. The headwaiter would be the one who would make sure that the room was set up properly. He would also be the one who tasted the food for quality purposes, so it was proper that the servants take the new wine to him to approve of.
When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, he was surprised. He didn’t know where the wine came from, but he did recognize it to be of a high quality. And after tasting the wine he called the bridegroom to make a comment to him. It was common in those times to serve the better wine first. The guests palates would be more attentive to the quality of the wine at this point. It is like us, sitting down to a meal where we are trying something for the first time. Our taste buds are very anticipating and discerning, to see of it is to our liking or not. Or simply we want to try to figure out what ingredients are in the food. So it was with the guests of the wedding. After the good wine was served then a host would serve the poorer stuff (ie - cheap), when the guest’s senses were dulled and less caring of the quality. It would also be possible to say that the guests at this point would have had drunk freely - meaning that they had more than they desired.
Our text does not necessarily say that the guests were drunk, causing the lack of properly functioning senses. The statement serves to contrast the quality of the wine that Jesus made. So it was a surprise to the headwaiter of the banquet, that the best was saved and served last - the bridegroom spared no expense and cut no corners as was a typical practice. This just emphasizes the quality of the wine as a result of the miracle - this was perfect wine. Jesus through this first sign COMMUNICATES in a very tangible way HIS GLORY. Jesus does all things well.
One thing that Christians reading this passage think about is this - Does Jesus approve the consumption of alcohol, in this passage? Jesus after all turns water into wine, knowing full well that some of the guests already had drunk freely. The use of alcohol has continued to be a problem upon our society. It seems that nearly every few weeks we hear of another fatal car crash which is a result of driving under the influence. And even on the home front, some of us have been directly affected by the effects of alcoholism - whether on a personal basis or under the abuse of it by a family member. So what is the Biblical perspective of consuming alcohol?
It is important to note that this passage is a narrative and therefore we cannot come to any foundational principles about the use of alcohol based on this event. We must look to other clearer parts of Scripture. Some Christians force into this passage what they want to believe - that is they claim that what was produced by Christ was merely grape juice. This is incorrect because the Greek word in the text is the word for wine (oinos). There is another word specifically used for grape juice (trux).
In the historic context of this first sign, wine was not the same as what we have today. The wine used in Jesus’ time was normally diluted with water. It has been recorded in extra-Biblical texts that ‘…it is injurious to drink wine by itself…’ The ratio of dilution varied, but the usual mix was 1 part wine to 3 parts water. So the alcohol content was lower than our standards today.
What does the Bible teach about alcohol? The Bible never condemns the use of alcoholic products (Deut. 14:26). In fact it may be considered as one of God’s gifts which is able make the heart glad (Ps. 104:15; Eccl. 9:7). The Bible also gives some examples of its use - one example is in today’s passage - it is used for celebration. It also was used medicinally - Paul instructed Timothy to take some wine for his stomach and frequent illnesses (1 Tim. 5:23). The Bible does however regulate its use. It condemns drunkeness (Eph. 5:18), and cautions against its abuse especially by church leaders (Prov. 23:29-35; 1 Tim. 3:3,8).
So what is the bottom line - should I drink it or not? Well the principles are laid out also in the Bible. There is no text which calls for total societal abstinence, nor is there anything said regarding social drinking. The bottom line is that the Christian must decide for himself guided by conscience and Biblical principles. The use of wine is a Christian liberty. But as with any liberties, we are to be aware of its affect upon other believers. Christian liberty is always to be exercised with love and restraint (1 Cor. 8:9-13). Paul makes it clear in Romans 14:21 - ‘It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or [to do anything] by which your brother stumbles.’ Whatever your decision, we are not to cause a brother or sister in Christ to stumble and sin over food (Rom. 14:15). If you decide to use alcohol then you must set an example of self control through moderation and discretion. If you do not desire to use alcohol then you must be careful not to censure other peoples’ words or actions concerning responsible drinking. Above all we must not speak out for or against, alcohol in such a manner which rises above the revelation of Scripture.
The first miracle that Jesus performs achieves its desired ends, as we leave the wedding and discover:
4. THE COMPENSATION OF FAITH (v.11)
The culminating point of today’s passage is brought to light in verse 11. The apostle John as he concludes this account, does not refer to the turning of water into wine as a miracle, but as a sign. The text states - This beginning of [His] signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. John is driving home the point that this was not just a mere miracle - a mere display of power, a spectacular wonder to be seen.
But the emphasis is that this was a sign - yes it is a miracle, but it had deeper spiritual meaning. A sign points to a spiritual truth - it points to God and His provision in Jesus. Jesus used these signs, in order to demonstrate that He was sufficient for all specific needs that we have. Jesus in His signs reveals that He is the Son of God, revealing His own glory, a glory which reminds us of verse 14 - ‘And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.’
Jesus was fully doing the work of God, and revealing what God is like. And by this first sign, Jesus’ - disciples believed in Him. The six disciples that followed Jesus, whom we identified last week - their faith was now firmly fixed when Jesus manifested His glory. They had known quite a bit about Jesus before, as they willingly followed Him. But now their trust in Jesus Christ began to mature. Their FAITH WAS BEING COMPENSATED as they saw Jesus perform the miracle right before their own eyes. The disciples were able to draw from the sign the deeper spiritual significance, beyond the outward manifestation of power. Their eyes were spiritually open, and they realized in a deeper way that there before them was - the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the King of Israel. Jesus substantiated Himself by His first sign - an act of mercy and power and glory.
Today we have seen Jesus perform His first miraculous sign. A sign which transitions us from John the Baptist’s witness in chapter 1, to the witness of Jesus Christ. We find from Jesus’ first miracle that:
Jesus never lost sight of His mission - and might we through God’s grace also keep on course.
and Jesus is able to meet peoples needs and likewise ours too - leading us to true faith and a deeper relationship with Him. Jesus does all things well.
What a wonderful Lord and Saviour we have in Christ Jesus.
(For a full explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - click here - http://www.doihaveeternallife.blogspot.com/)
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Audio Sermon File: John 2:1-11
Going Deeper: Study Guide
A Consuming Crisis
Guinness World Records (TM) has made it official: Pittsburgh now holds the record for the most couples, 624 to be exact, to simultaneously renew their wedding vows. The attempt occurred on Feb. 10, 2008, when participants filled the Carnegie Music Hall for The World's Largest Wedding Vow Renewal Ceremony, and said "I Do" all over again.
Here is another wedding event of interest (believe it or not):
June 2006 - Carly O'Brien (16), of Gloucester, dreamed of a big wedding dress for her big day. And when she said big, she meant big. A determined young lady, she made sure her dream came true. The resulting wedding gown, which cost £25,000, had 30 layers of tulle, 3,000 Swarovski crystals, and a 60 foot long train. It measured 8 feet wide, weighed 25 stone (350 lbs.), and it took 9 1/2 hours to get her into the dress.
The bride arrived at the church in a glass carriage, pulled by six horses, and had to be lifted out by 3 men and assorted members of the wedding party. Her gown was so wide it became stuck in the church door, so she was tugged into the church. Then 20 guests had to push and pull Carly up the aisle toward her groom, Michael Coffey, 17. This took an hour and a half, possibly the longest bride walk in history. Afterwards, she was so exhausted that her new husband and 14 relatives had to carry her from the chapel.
Nevertheless, she was determined to wear the dress at her reception, though she spent most of the evening sitting down.
Today I invite you to another wedding which permanently shatters any record of Guinness World Records (TM) - which is found in chapter 2 of the Gospel of John - a wedding in Cana in Galilee.
2:1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; 2 and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." 4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." 6 Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. 7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." So they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, "Draw [some] out now and take it to the headwaiter." So they took it [to him]. 9 When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, 10 and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when [the people] have drunk freely, [then he serves] the poorer [wine]; [but] you have kept the good wine until now." 11 This beginning of [His] signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
At the beginning of chapter 2 we find Jesus at a wedding. As He was there a ‘CONSUMING CRISIS’ takes place. The narrative gives us several insights which challenge us.
In chapter 2 we are able to see how Jesus reveals His glory through:
The Culminating Crisis (v.1-3)
The Commitment of Purpose (v.4)
The Communication of Glory (v.5-10)
The Compensation of Faith (v.11)
As we enter into today’s text we will find that from this point on we will begin to see that Jesus’ ministry influence is gaining momentum. At Cana Jesus now demonstrates His power and gives us the first sign, which demonstrates His Deity. Once again there is a time reference. This event takes place ‘on the third day’ after the calling of the first group of disciples. So it would be on the third day after Philip and Nathanael were called by Christ in verse 41 of chapter one.
So let us enter in to the festivities as we look at:
1. THE CULMINATING CRISIS (v.1-3)
The context of today’s narrative is a wedding that occurs in a place named Cana. If you remember from last weeks sermon, that I mentioned that Cana was the home town of Nathanael (Jn. 21:2). Cana’s exact location has been lost over the years. Some people say that it could be the town named Khirbet Qana, which lies in ruins now, and is located about 9 miles north of Nazareth. But its exact location is not an important factor, but what takes place in Cana is.
This is the first of eight signs in the Gospel of John which give confirmation of whom Jesus is. There were many other miracles that Jesus performed, but John selects 8 signs, which lend to his purpose that ‘Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name’ (Jn. 20:31). Quite often the gospel of John is referred to as ‘The Book of Signs’ - revealing Jesus’ full identity.
A wedding in the ancient near east was always a major occasion in the life of the local people. This would have been a community celebration and invited guests would come from the surrounding areas. It seems probable that the mother of Jesus - Mary, knew the couple that was being married since the mother of Jesus was already present, being a guest of the celebrations. Jesus and His Disciples were also guests, but it is possible that He was invited because of His mother, as the Greek words give us a sense of this.
A wedding celebration in Biblical times, in its totality, would last as long as one week and in some cases longer. Before we would even get to any wedding festivities, the marriage would be preceded by betrothal. It is a common mistake to equate the betrothal of these times to our modern day engagement. The betrothal was an important and seriousness matter. The couple would be solemnly pledged to one another and complete faithfulness was to be present. Any violation of the betrothal would be treated as adultery and the prescribed penalty was the stoning death of the offender (Dt. 22:23-25). The betrothal was so binding that if one were to break it, divorce proceedings would be necessary (we have a glimpse of this in the account of the virgin birth of Christ - where Joseph was going to quietly seek a legal divorce to dissolve his betrothal to Mary - Matt. 1:19).
At the end of the betrothal period came the marriage. The bridegroom and his friends would make their way to the brides home. Often this was done at night which would allow for an impressive procession, utilizing torches which would light the darkened skies. At the brides home, it was customary to make speeches, and the people would express their well wishes for the couple. Following this the procession, which now would include the bride, would make their way back to the grooms home. The wedding ceremonies and festivities would be held here. And this is were we find ourselves in the opening verses of chapter 2.
During the course of all the festivities the wine runs out and Jesus’ mother informs Jesus that "They have no wine" (v.3). For a celebration of this kind, it was the responsibility of the hosts to provide sufficient food and beverages to their guests. Wine was a part of these provisions and now the wine was all consumed, even before the end of the festivities. This was not good. In fact it would be more than just an embarrassment, it was a social disgrace. The host family and couple would be held accountable for the shortfall and failure to discharge their responsibility of hospitality. Their reputation would be tarnished which haunt them for a long time to come. Why? Because this situation would be taken as an insult to all those present. The guests had given their gifts, and in some sense there were certain expectations involved. In addition the groom could face a possible lawsuit from the brides family as a failure to fulfill his obligations to them.
The reason for not being fully prepared in providing enough wine for the guests is not revealed. But we do know that there was not enough. Maybe this was an oversight, maybe they could not afford to provide, maybe they were too busy.
Isn’t it often like this in our life? We enter into something unprepared. We involve ourselves into too much, which in the end, causes a crisis.
The CULMINATING CRISIS - gives way to:
2. THE COMMITMENT OF PURPOSE (of Jesus’ ministry) - (v. 4).
So the situation was out of the ordinary and was urgent. It is not clear why Mary felt responsible to make this known to Jesus, but she does. This is Jesus’ response to the social crisis - He says to His mother - Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come. Jesus’ answer seemed to be harsh since He did not respond with terms of endearment - but Jesus calls His mother ‘woman.’ The word ‘woman’ is not a condescending word, and Jesus does not use it in a condescending manner. It can be equated to our modern day term ‘Ma’am’ which still involves a level of politeness. But its use does set Jesus at a certain distance apart from His mother and her request. This is reinforced by Jesus’ connected words - ‘what does that have to do with us?’ (v.4) - words which were abrupt, but not rude. Jesus is setting out clearly that there is a new relationship between Himself and His mother, especially at the outset of His public ministry.
Jesus was destined not to be known as the Son of Mary, but to fulfill His earthly mission that is to be the ‘Son of Man’ - the link between God and man as we discovered last week in the last verse of chapter one. This reference helps us to keep everything in context. A new relationship is founded. THE COMMITMENT OF PURPOSE is made by Jesus for He is no longer under the authority of His mother - and she understands this. Mary is not surprised by Jesus’ response, and she doesn’t take offense at His statement, but acknowledges that Jesus should act independently of her. She recognized that the son that she had raised… was indeed the Son of God, the promised Messiah.
Jesus is always in submission to the will of the Father, that He was on a Divine timetable as Jesus states - "My hour has not yet come." Jesus’ response therefore focuses upon the future - that is - upon His end goal of dying on the cross - as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (1:29) - and then being exalted through His resurrection from the dead - and His glorious ascension into heaven. These events had not come yet - nor were even imminent, and therefore Jesus, was not to be under the direction of people (his mother), but under the will of God. Jesus was to manifest His full glory at a later time, but not now. But in response to Mary’s request, He reveals only a part of His glory.
We can learn from Jesus here - that He always clearly had the will of the Father in mind, no matter the circumstances. He never lost focus of His ultimate goal. How often do we lose sight of the calling of our salvation? The phone is ringing off the hook at the office - and there are so many demands from my boss and people. The work is piling up on my desk and I just need more time to do it - so sacrifices must be made. So something must give…or should I say SOMEONE (point upward) must give… Jesus gets pushed aside…
Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we were saved from our sins: ‘For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we would walk in them.’ Often - more than we would like to admit - our purpose in life is lost in the shuffle of the life - with our careers - personal life - hobbies plowing ‘full steam ahead,’ and so we suddenly are reminded that there is no time left to serve our Saviour - I’ll just come to church on Sunday and that is enough.
Focus upon the Father’s will - is also lost in the recreational pleasures of a city such as Vancouver - it is the Sun Run…I can skip worship this Sunday to run for good cause - God will understand - our ultimate purpose as a believer is left behind.
Good works in Christ in response to our salvation - are left behind on the playing field of life - and our Christian witness is compromised. Life is busy and we lose sight… Life doesn’t do that to us - we do it to ourselves. Jesus never lost sight of His ultimate priority, and He is able to re-focus your attention upon Him if you let Him. Jesus never forces us to do anything.
What area in your life needs the priority of Christ, to be at the center? Jesus said to warn those who were unbelievers - For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? (Matt. 16:26). A reminder to us, as believers, is that we should not be seeking the things of this world. Our souls have been redeemed by Christ, so let us not neglect a fitting and proper response to such a great salvation.
Perhaps in the midst of your situation you are being reminded by God to get back to basics…get back to the foundation which sets your life in proper order…your spiritual foundations...the realm of your salvation in which you are to operate. Maybe you really need to rethink Jesus’ words to you - But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt. 6:33-34). Jesus never lost sight of His purpose. Have you lost sight of yours?
Jesus’ COMMITMENT TO PURPOSE sets the stage for Him now to perform His first miracle as we unfold:
3. THE COMMUNICATION OF GLORY (v.5-10)
V.5 Jesus’ mother even in the face of Jesus’ mild rebuke, believes that Jesus will respond appropriately to the crisis at hand. We know this because Mary orders her the servants in this way - ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’ As His mother, she knew Jesus very well, and she had confidence and faith in the powers that Jesus had. Mary is used to set the stage for Jesus to act in His own independent authority. Any actions that are to be taken to correct the crisis will be in response to Jesus’ commands.
The whole focus of this passage is upon Jesus’ glory, and not those around Him. Jesus acts in His own accord and in perfect submission to the Father’s will, and not in response to the whims of man. From this point on in Jesus’ first sign, Mary fades from the scene, for Jesus is to take center stage.
V.6 Jesus sees six stone water pots nearby, and calls to the servants that they should fill the jars with water. These water pots were not made of pottery, but of stone. Hand carved stone was necessary since these jars were used for ceremonial washing. Stone was the material to be used because it was more impervious, and therefore would not be subject to contamination. Any guest that came, would use these pots for the traditional ceremonial washing of their hands, before eating (Mk. 7:3). A large quantity of water was necessary to do this. These pots were of quite a large size because they were capable of containing twenty or thirty gallons each. As an average the pots would be able to hold about 150 gallons, which would be up to 750 liters. In comparison this would be about 20 tanks full of gas for a small car. In terms of servings of wine, it would be the equivalent of about 2400 glasses. This would be able to serve a large amount of people for the remainder of the marriage celebrations.
V.7-10 As the account continues, the jars are filled by the servants to the brim. They were completely full, and nothing more could be added into the jars. Jesus then instructs the servants to do this - Draw [some] out now and take it to the headwaiter. This was the person who was literally ‘the ruler of the table.’ Probably this is the superintendent of the dining room in which the banquet was being held. The headwaiter would be the one who would make sure that the room was set up properly. He would also be the one who tasted the food for quality purposes, so it was proper that the servants take the new wine to him to approve of.
When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, he was surprised. He didn’t know where the wine came from, but he did recognize it to be of a high quality. And after tasting the wine he called the bridegroom to make a comment to him. It was common in those times to serve the better wine first. The guests palates would be more attentive to the quality of the wine at this point. It is like us, sitting down to a meal where we are trying something for the first time. Our taste buds are very anticipating and discerning, to see of it is to our liking or not. Or simply we want to try to figure out what ingredients are in the food. So it was with the guests of the wedding. After the good wine was served then a host would serve the poorer stuff (ie - cheap), when the guest’s senses were dulled and less caring of the quality. It would also be possible to say that the guests at this point would have had drunk freely - meaning that they had more than they desired.
Our text does not necessarily say that the guests were drunk, causing the lack of properly functioning senses. The statement serves to contrast the quality of the wine that Jesus made. So it was a surprise to the headwaiter of the banquet, that the best was saved and served last - the bridegroom spared no expense and cut no corners as was a typical practice. This just emphasizes the quality of the wine as a result of the miracle - this was perfect wine. Jesus through this first sign COMMUNICATES in a very tangible way HIS GLORY. Jesus does all things well.
One thing that Christians reading this passage think about is this - Does Jesus approve the consumption of alcohol, in this passage? Jesus after all turns water into wine, knowing full well that some of the guests already had drunk freely. The use of alcohol has continued to be a problem upon our society. It seems that nearly every few weeks we hear of another fatal car crash which is a result of driving under the influence. And even on the home front, some of us have been directly affected by the effects of alcoholism - whether on a personal basis or under the abuse of it by a family member. So what is the Biblical perspective of consuming alcohol?
It is important to note that this passage is a narrative and therefore we cannot come to any foundational principles about the use of alcohol based on this event. We must look to other clearer parts of Scripture. Some Christians force into this passage what they want to believe - that is they claim that what was produced by Christ was merely grape juice. This is incorrect because the Greek word in the text is the word for wine (oinos). There is another word specifically used for grape juice (trux).
In the historic context of this first sign, wine was not the same as what we have today. The wine used in Jesus’ time was normally diluted with water. It has been recorded in extra-Biblical texts that ‘…it is injurious to drink wine by itself…’ The ratio of dilution varied, but the usual mix was 1 part wine to 3 parts water. So the alcohol content was lower than our standards today.
What does the Bible teach about alcohol? The Bible never condemns the use of alcoholic products (Deut. 14:26). In fact it may be considered as one of God’s gifts which is able make the heart glad (Ps. 104:15; Eccl. 9:7). The Bible also gives some examples of its use - one example is in today’s passage - it is used for celebration. It also was used medicinally - Paul instructed Timothy to take some wine for his stomach and frequent illnesses (1 Tim. 5:23). The Bible does however regulate its use. It condemns drunkeness (Eph. 5:18), and cautions against its abuse especially by church leaders (Prov. 23:29-35; 1 Tim. 3:3,8).
So what is the bottom line - should I drink it or not? Well the principles are laid out also in the Bible. There is no text which calls for total societal abstinence, nor is there anything said regarding social drinking. The bottom line is that the Christian must decide for himself guided by conscience and Biblical principles. The use of wine is a Christian liberty. But as with any liberties, we are to be aware of its affect upon other believers. Christian liberty is always to be exercised with love and restraint (1 Cor. 8:9-13). Paul makes it clear in Romans 14:21 - ‘It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or [to do anything] by which your brother stumbles.’ Whatever your decision, we are not to cause a brother or sister in Christ to stumble and sin over food (Rom. 14:15). If you decide to use alcohol then you must set an example of self control through moderation and discretion. If you do not desire to use alcohol then you must be careful not to censure other peoples’ words or actions concerning responsible drinking. Above all we must not speak out for or against, alcohol in such a manner which rises above the revelation of Scripture.
The first miracle that Jesus performs achieves its desired ends, as we leave the wedding and discover:
4. THE COMPENSATION OF FAITH (v.11)
The culminating point of today’s passage is brought to light in verse 11. The apostle John as he concludes this account, does not refer to the turning of water into wine as a miracle, but as a sign. The text states - This beginning of [His] signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. John is driving home the point that this was not just a mere miracle - a mere display of power, a spectacular wonder to be seen.
But the emphasis is that this was a sign - yes it is a miracle, but it had deeper spiritual meaning. A sign points to a spiritual truth - it points to God and His provision in Jesus. Jesus used these signs, in order to demonstrate that He was sufficient for all specific needs that we have. Jesus in His signs reveals that He is the Son of God, revealing His own glory, a glory which reminds us of verse 14 - ‘And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.’
Jesus was fully doing the work of God, and revealing what God is like. And by this first sign, Jesus’ - disciples believed in Him. The six disciples that followed Jesus, whom we identified last week - their faith was now firmly fixed when Jesus manifested His glory. They had known quite a bit about Jesus before, as they willingly followed Him. But now their trust in Jesus Christ began to mature. Their FAITH WAS BEING COMPENSATED as they saw Jesus perform the miracle right before their own eyes. The disciples were able to draw from the sign the deeper spiritual significance, beyond the outward manifestation of power. Their eyes were spiritually open, and they realized in a deeper way that there before them was - the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the King of Israel. Jesus substantiated Himself by His first sign - an act of mercy and power and glory.
Today we have seen Jesus perform His first miraculous sign. A sign which transitions us from John the Baptist’s witness in chapter 1, to the witness of Jesus Christ. We find from Jesus’ first miracle that:
Jesus never lost sight of His mission - and might we through God’s grace also keep on course.
and Jesus is able to meet peoples needs and likewise ours too - leading us to true faith and a deeper relationship with Him. Jesus does all things well.
What a wonderful Lord and Saviour we have in Christ Jesus.
(For a full explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - click here - http://www.doihaveeternallife.blogspot.com/)
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Sunday, November 16, 2008
John 1:35-51 Follow Me
16.11.08 John 1:35-51 (NASB)
Audio Sermon File: John 1:35-51
Going Deeper: Study Guide
Follow Me
Our Passage today reads as follows: 35 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John [speak] and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter). 43 The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He ^ound Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow Me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip ^found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and [also] the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel." 50 Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And He said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
We discover that in two days Jesus calls to Himself the first disciples and Apostles. Likewise when we apply this we find that we are also disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus has saved us and calls us to ‘Follow Him.’ And our text will lead us into reflecting at how well we are ‘Following Him.’
Jesus says to us today ‘FOLLOW ME’ - through the calling of :
1. Jesus’ First Disciples (Andrew and Peter - John) v.35-42 - and then
2. Jesus Draws More Disciples (Philip and Nathanael) v.43-51
Through the response of these disciples we are able to learn some important lessons for us as Jesus’ modern day disciples.
First - let us look at the call of Andrew and Peter (John)
1. Lessons from Jesus’ First Disciples v.35-42
V.35-36. As we begin this section, we once again find John the Baptist giving testimony as a witness for the third time. The focus now begins to shift from John the Baptist’s ministry to Jesus’ ministry. During the ministry of the Baptist he developed not only a following of the masses, but he also had his own disciples.
All this was the next day, after John the Baptist pointed out the Lamb of God. So we are in the third day since verse 19. John the Baptist in verse 35 has two of his disciples with him, and as he sees the Messiah as He walked, he willing directs his disciples to Christ. John sees the Messiah and announces ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’ This is the third and last time, as far as we know from Scripture that John saw Christ (first at baptism, v.29, and here). Once again John the Baptist demonstrates his humility and faithfulness to his calling - instead building his own empire, he willingly turns his disciples over to Christ.
What would you do if you were in this kind of situation? A situation where you know that you will lose some people - maybe in a project work group - how about even in a ministry? A situation where you have your own friends/people that were of a great help to you? It is natural that if we were in this situation, it would be very probable that we would want to retain our co-workers for ourselves. We would want to make a name for ourselves, we would want to associate our name with what we built. We see this happening all around us. People have named rooms, buildings, streets, after themselves so that they would be remembered. We see this happening in many churches…we belong to the James Smith Memorial Church, this is the Franklin Rogers Library, these pews are donated in loving memory of Rachel Rowstead. If we are to follow the example of John the Baptist then we would remember that, true Christian humility calls for Christ to be exalted and not ourselves.
John the Baptist, announced the coming of the Messiah, he baptized Him, had told people about Jesus, and now once again - for the second time - identifies the Lamb of God. And this is the whole point of the Gospel of John - that Christ be made known - and later in chapter 3:30, John the Baptist states this: "He must become greater; I must become less."
V.37-39. So it is that in the opening verses of our passage we have already discover that there are two of the Baptist’s disciples (v.35, 37). Upon the Baptist’s identification of the Messiah, he humbly and willingly turns them over to Him and they followed Jesus. In the word - followed (v.37) it doesn’t have a fixed sense of definiteness. So it is very possible that the disciples were following Jesus to find out more about Him, since John the Baptist pointed them to Jesus. But, we do know for certain that a formal ‘discipleship’ relationship developed later on in Scripture.
What is a disciple? A disciple is the same as a learner, or follower - since they literally followed or ‘walked in the tracks of the teacher.’ A disciple, in the first century, learned from his teacher by following their teachers words and actions. The teacher was the disciples mentor and model of what was taught. Before Christ ascended to heaven he called all believers to be disciple makers. The Great Commission states that we are to - Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;. The emphasis in this verse is ‘to make disciples.’ So throughout the church age - discipleship is a normal pattern for the New Testament believer.
Are you being discipled or discipling someone? If not find someone in this church who is older, more spiritually mature than yourself - and ask that person if they would be able to disciple you. Discipleship has great benefits because you will be able to learn Scripture, and see how it is applied to everyday situations in your life. Your discipler would be able to help you to be more rooted in your faith. Discipleship can take place in small groups or on an individual basis - formally and informally.
In the midst of this transfer, Jesus hears the footsteps of the disciples behind Him, and turns around and sees the two disciples following Him. He asks them, What do you seek? - not ‘Whom do you want?’ - Jesus is seeking the purpose of what they want. And the disciples answer with a question - "Rabbi… , "where are You staying? This exchange indicates that the disciples were preparing to follow Jesus as their Rabbi. The purpose that the disciples had was to find and follow ‘The Rabbi’ - which is the Hebrew word for Teacher - as explained in the parenthesis of the text . It literally refers to - my noble one, or master and the author of this gospel is explaining it to his Greek readers.
Jesus responds by inviting them - Come, and you will see. The disciples then follow Jesus and find out where He is living and spend the day with Him, by His side. The exact time of this first encounter with Christ is given to be ‘about the tenth hour.’ The tenth hour would have been at 4:00 pm, by our way of calculating time. The Jews divided the daylight period of the day into 12 hours. The day for the Jews would start at 6 am. Why was the exact time given? We will look at this in a moment.
V.40. As we move forward we now discover the identity of One of the two disciples. The first one is identified as Andrew. Andrew is Simon Peter’s brother. Andrew is not one of the main leaders of the ‘twelve’ disciples of Christ. Instead Andrew in this gospel is mentioned twice outside this reference. In chapter 6:8 we find that Andrew is the one who brings the boy with ‘five loaves and two fish’ to Jesus. And in 12:22 Andrew with Philip bring a message from the Greeks that they wanted to see Jesus, after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. So Andrew is not really a key figure in this gospel, but he is portrayed as a helper or aid. He also is one that introduces others to Christ.
In this verse and if we go back to verse 35 - we note that there were two disciples, Andrew was just one of the two disciples that followed Jesus. So who is the second disciple? The text never mentions his name. It is most likely the Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. If you have read our introduction of this gospel - on our church info blog - you would know that the Apostle John never mentions his own name in this book.
It is likely to be him because if you look back down at verse 39, an exact time reference is given - ‘about the tenth hour.’ This would indicate that this is eyewitness information. It also indicates that there was some impact to this meeting, so the exact time was remembered. It would imply that the Apostle John who wrote this gospel was so impacted by his first meeting with Jesus that he includes this seemingly insignificant detail. Further support that this second disciple was John, is the fact that John is mentioned in the other gospels as among the first disciples - these being Andrew and Peter, and James and John. We should note that implied in this passage, and substantiated in the other gospels is that John and James became followers of Christ together.
V.41-42 Andrew was so excited about meeting Jesus, that he did not keep this treasured time to himself. The first thing Andrew does is to go and get his brother Simon. When Andrew finds Simon, he tells him that he has found the Messiah - ‘the anointed One.’ In the excitement of his amazing discovery, Andrew not only told his brother, but he brought him to Jesus. It appears from the Greek tense of the phrase - he brought him, that there was some reluctance on Simon’s part to go and see Jesus. When the two came to Jesus, before Simon even said anything - Jesus states ‘You are Simon the son of John.’ And then Jesus renames Simon. Jesus gives him the name - Cephas.
Cephas is a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic word - meaning ‘rock.’ The formal Greek word for ‘rock’ - as explained by the Apostle John in the parentheses, is Peter - or petros. Peter/petros was not a formal name in Jesus’ time, but it was more likely a nickname - perhaps a modern equivalent would be ‘rocky.’ His name foreshadowed the changes that were going to be made in his impulsive, volatile, and unreliable character. And it pointed to the role that Peter would play in the early church. Let us stop her for a moment and see what lessons can we learn from Andrew? Well we know that he is portrayed as a helper and also he brings others to Christ. As we allow the Lord to use us in building His church, can we learn something from Andrew’s example and apply it here at Cornerstone Community Church? How can you be a helper in some of our current and planned ministries? How can you become the instrument that the Lord would want to utilize - to build His church? Consider being a helper and be the one who takes the initiative to help out. Make yourself available to serve the Lord.
In addition Andrew was a person who introduced others to Christ. I had already mentioned about the Great Commission earlier. Think about ways you can introduce others to Christ this week - and DO IT. Make it your goal to take ownership of the Great Commission. The Great Commission is not the great suggestion - it is a command - meaning we must be active in implementing it. This can be simply done by encouraging others to come to some of our ministries like the new small group Bible studies. You can invite your non- Christian friends, neighbours, co-workers to join us. Perhaps you could simply invite someone to come with you here on Sundays. Go and bring them here yourself - like Andrew did for his brother Simon. Wake up a little bit earlier and go pick your friend up and bring them to church. There are so many things that can be done, so many blessings experienced, if we commit ourselves to being faithful to Christ.
Jesus says "FOLLOW ME’ calling each one of you here today to be His committed disciple. Our reflections come - not only by examining the response and actions of Andrew and Peter - but we also may pattern our response to Christ, by applying the lessons we discover from Philip and Nathanael.
2. Jesus Draws More Disciples v.43-51
V.43-45 As we begin verse 43, we also begin the next day - this would be the fourth day in a series of days, which began in verse 19. The scene changes as we find that Jesus departs for Galilee. Jesus then finds Philip , He gives him this challenge - or order (imperative) - Follow Me. It was no accident that Jesus found Philip, who was from the same town as Andrew and Peter. Scripture portrays Philip , as a man of ordinary capability. In this gospel, the apostle is portrayed as one who seemed to be challenged beyond his ability. But it is a comfort to know that Jesus seeks out those who are ordinary people. This encourages us to know that plain old people like us can be used by the Lord to do His work in this church… we don’t all need to be superstars, but we just need to faithfully follow, and use our gifts and abilities for the glory of Christ.
Now we see Philip use his ordinary abilities. We see that in turn Philip finds Nathanael. Philip makes a statement to Nathanael, which reveals his view of who Jesus is. Philip says - We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and [also] the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph (v.45). Philip finds in Jesus, what the OT Scriptures witness to - that is the coming Messiah - the coming Christ is now here. Jesus is the fulfillment of the OT Scriptures.
V.46 In reply, Nathanael with scorn and unbelief questions - Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Nathanael was from Cana, a close by town of Nazareth. It appears that there was some rivalry between these two Galilean towns. Nathanael was skeptical as to the fact that Jesus, the Christ would come from such a place. Philip in response doesn’t argue with him, he doesn’t enter into some long discussion to prove that Jesus is the Christ. Instead he follows the method that Jesus used with Andrew and Peter in verse 39 - that is he simply states ‘Come and see.’
An application is imbedded in this text for us. It is a reminder that when we witness to others, and when we go out an do evangelism…that we do not need to argue about who Jesus is, but rather we should evangelize with ‘genuine, concerned, loving proclamation and invitation’ (Borchert). This is the way that we deal with the skeptic…by asking him or her to - Come and see. This is a reminder to us that God is sovereign in salvation. The Bible and Christ are not up for debate, they stand upon their own, authority and power. No one has ever been won over to Christ by arguing them into the Kingdom.
Philip’s example should cause you to reflect - How can you invite someone who doesn’t know Jesus, to ‘come and see?’ Invite them to church, one of our Bible studies, or any other event where they can see Christianity in action and to learn about Christ. In Philip’s response to Nathanael - the skeptic, we see godly wisdom in action, as he leads Nathanael to follow Christ.
V.47-49 As Nathanael follows Philip to see Jesus, Jesus says this of Nathanael - Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit! In the context of what Jesus says later in verse 51, there seems to be an allusion to Genesis 28 - the account of Jacob and the ladder from heaven. Jacob was known for his deceitfulness, and now Nathanael is being contrasted to Jacob. What Jesus is saying of Nathanael is that he is a true and authentic Israelite. Nathanael was a model for others. Nathanael was a man in whom there is no deceit - there is nothing false about this guy. This statement described that Nathanael, demonstrated no deceit and represented what God desired for His people as His servants - unlike the character traits Jacob demonstrated.
We can pause once again and do some self examination. As a Christian are we afraid to make that known to others? And if we are is it because we do not live up to the righteous standards of the Word in our actions and speech each day? Do we know that we are living a double standard and therefore ashamed of our hypocrisy? Or can we as a Christian stand before the Lord and hear Him rightfully say of you - in whom there is no deceit!
Nathanael was now astonished and curious as to how and why Jesus would make this kind of statement. How did Jesus know him and therefore make this tribute? Nathanael discerned that somehow Jesus knew him. In Greek there are 2 words that can be translated as ‘know.’ The first word in Greek states knowledge as a fact - intellectual knowledge, but the second speaks about knowledge through experience / personal knowledge. And in verse 48 the word know, is the later of the two - which expresses that Nathanael asked Jesus how He had a personal knowledge or experiential knowledge of him. Jesus’ answer was this - Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.
It was a custom in this time period that Jewish rabbis would study Scripture, pray, and meditate under a vine, fig tree, or olive tree. It was quite possible that Nathanael was doing the same as Jesus had already complimented him for being a true Israelite.
When Jesus looks at us, what does he find? Does Jesus find in us the character of Nathanael? Does He find someone who is faithful to Him in discipleship, in worship, in evangelism? Does Jesus find you faithful in study of His Word, in leading others to follow Christ? Does He find you as a ‘model’ representative of a true Christian?
In Jesus’ response we see aspects of Christ’s nature of Deity at work, that He is all knowing and all seeing. Jesus Christ super-naturally is able to see Nathanael’s presence and also into his heart. In this encounter, Nathanael comes to the full realization that right before him is the Messiah. Nathanael’s hopes for the coming Messiah have now come to pass. The Rabbi who was present was no other than the ‘the Son of God’ - in the fullness of His Deity, and ‘the King of Israel - in the fulfillment of OT prophecy that Jesus is the Messiah. And with Nathanael’s confession there follows his personal response - submission and obedience to the Christ.
All this is a vivid picture of verse 14 of this chapter of the gospel - And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. The Word who was God, now coming in human flesh - in the person of Jesus Christ, is standing right before Nathanael and the other disciples. Nathanael now openly confessed Jesus Christ, as his earlier doubts turned into belief. It was Nathanael’s knowledge of the OT, Philips’s witness, and Christ’s display of supernatural knowledge that God used to draw and convert Nathanael…and now he joyfully followed Christ.
V.50-51 Jesus’ response to Nathanael confession of who Jesus Christ is this - Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And He said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Jesus affirms Nathanael’s faith and announces that he will see greater demonstrations of God’s power and revelation.
In verse 51 when Jesus states - Truly, truly, I say to you… if you use the NIV, it is poorly translated. The original Greek is better translated as found in the NASB as - Truly, truly, I say to you… Why is this important? It is important because there is a drawing of the listener and subsequently of the readers attention to what is to follow. In other words what is to be said is so important that it should not be missed. The word truly (NASB) in Greek is a well know word to us - it is the word amen. So literally Jesus says ‘Amen, amen, I say to you…’
"The word "amen" is a most remarkable word. It was transliterated
directly from the Hebrew into the Greek of the New Testament, then
into Latin and into English and many other languages, so that it is
practically a universal word. It has been called the best known word
in human speech. The word is directly related -- in fact, almost
identical -- to the Hebrew word for "believe" (amam), or faithful.
Thus, it came to mean "sure" or "truly", ‘may it be so’ - an expression
of absolute trust and confidence. – HMM from BDB/Thayers"
As Jesus continues speaking, it appears that He is once again making an allusion to Genesis 28:12, where Jacob dreams of the ladder from heaven. Jesus is emphasizing to Nathanael, and includes the other disciples, that they can be absolutely sure that they will, like Jacob, experience supernatural heaven-sent revelation. The disciples will see the heavens opened - because in Christ there is complete, open and direct, communion between God and man (And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us - v.14). In this case supernatural revelation from heaven will confirm who Jesus - the Son of Man - is.
The term ‘the Son of Man,’ was Jesus’ favourite self designation. Jesus referred to Himself by this title over 80 times in the NT. In its general usage, the term identifies Jesus’ relationship to man. As the incarnate Christ - Jesus is the perfect representative of man before God and is the One who reveals divine truth. Later on in the gospel, we will see its specific implications in regards to the scope of God’s plan of salvation. In today’s passage, the term ‘the Son of Man’ replaces the ladder of Jacob’s dream, which indicates that in Jesus there is free access between God and Man. This is what A.T. Roberston wrote about this section:
Christ is himself the bond of fellowship between
heaven and earth, between God and man….
for Jesus is both "the Son of
God" as Nathanael said and "the Son
of Man" as Jesus here calls
himself. ‘God and man meet in Christ. He is the true Jacob's
Ladder. "I am the Way," Jesus will say. He is more than
King of Israel, he is the Son of Man (the race). So quickly
has this Gospel brought out in the witness of the Baptist,
the faith of the first disciples, the claims of Jesus Christ,
the fully developed picture of the Logos who is both God
and man, moving among men and winning them to his
service….He sets forth the dignity
and majesty of His Person.’ - Word Pictures
Overall in our text we see that in the first disciples, they find the Christ. Andrew finds Jesus and then he gets his brother Simon (who is given the name Peter). John, one of the 2 disciples of the Baptist goes and finds his brother James (this is in between the lines of this text but we do know this from the other gospels). Jesus finds Andrew and Peter’s fellow townsman, Philip. And then in turn, Philip goes and finds Nathanael (but on the bigger scale of salvation it was by the will and drawing of the Father - cf. Jn. 6:44 ).
How are we doing at ‘following Jesus’ will, as a church? How are you doing at ‘following Jesus’ as a Christian? Jesus says to His disciples come and follow me. If we really are bringing ourselves before Him, and following Jesus then we will see great and wonderful things that Christ is doing. We will experience the joy of being a Christian, because in faith and faithfulness there is blessing. Amen.
______________________________
By Noah Ressler
Change is inevitable in life. We all know this by experience. Sometimes the change we have experienced is pleasant and sometimes – not so pleasant. But the person who has placed their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His saving work on the cross on their behalf, that person is called to follow Christ. And from that moment forward as we follow, it is inevitable that change will take place in our lives, if we are truly following. To follow is to be a disciple, student, learner of all that Christ is and our obeying His lessons and making them a part of our lives brings about radical change that has supernatural consequences because the source is supernatural.
Jesus’ first disciples are just like you and I. They were not celebrities. They were not wealthy. They were not mighty in stature in the community. They were hard working people just like us. These were common men in every respect – just like you and me. They brought nothing to Jesus’ ministry that gave Christ a reason to select them because of some personal character trait or strength. As a matter of fact, the opposite is true.
John the Baptist’ ministry is diminishing and Jesus’ ministry is just beginning. Change is inevitable as Jesus interacts with people and demonstrates His being the Son of God. Once we encounter Christ Jesus and believe and obey the Gospel, change must and will take place for our sanctification and growth into the likeness of Christ. No fruit in the Christian life is evidence that we have not encountered Christ and repented of our sins and obeyed the Gospel. These men were changed from common men who were used by Christ to turn the world upside down for the cause of Christ. We too have been called in our common state to become men and women who propagate the Gospel and impact our community for Christ. That is the mandate of The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20.
Where are you at in the view of the Scriptures in John 1:35-51? Do you know that Jesus Christ is God, that He by means of His work on the cross has opened the doors of His Kingdom in heaven for access to you that have repented of your sins and confessed Him as Lord and Savior? I urge you to repent, even now and call upon His name for your acquittal before the bar of God’s justice. To those who have done so – are you following Him as a disciple? Are you learning and committing your soul to Him that is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient? Make a commitment, even now, to commit to a life of obedient worship of your Creator, Jesus Christ.
EXCURSUS ON THE FIRST DISCIPLES.
Andrew
Andrew means "manly." He was bold, decisive, and deliberate. As our text says, Andrew was the first called by name. He was part of the 1st group although he was not included in some of the important events as Peter, James, and John were with Christ (Mt. 17:1; Mk. 5:37; 14:33). At other times he was featured as part of the inner circle (cf. Mk. 1:29; 13:3). There was no question that he had a particularly close relationship with Christ, b/c he was so often the means by which other people were personally introduced to the Master, as is the case here in our text.
Andrew’s eagerness to follow Christ, combined with his zeal to introduce others to Him, fairly typifies Andrew’s character.
Andrew lived his life in the shadow of his better-known brother. Many of the verses that name him add that he was Peter’s brother, as if that were the fact that made him significant. But in Andrew’s case there is no evidence that he begrudged Peter’s dominance. Almost everything Scripture tells us about Andrew shows that he had the right heart for effective ministry in the background. He did not seek to be the center of attention. He did not seem to resent those who labored in the limelight. He was evidently pleased to do what he could with the gifts and calling God had bestowed on him, and he allowed the others to do likewise.
Of all the disciples in the inner circle, Andrew appears to be the least contentious and most thoughtful. Peter tended to be impetuous, to rush ahead foolishly, and to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. He was often brash, clumsy, hasty, and impulsive. James and John were nicknamed the Sons of Thunder because of their reckless tendencies. They were evidently the ones who provoked many of the arguments about who was the greatest. But there’s never a hint of that with Andrew. Whenever he speaks, which is rare in Scripture – he always says the right thing, not the wrong thing.
Andrew may be a better model for most church leaders than Peter, because most who enter the ministry will labor in relative obscurity, like Andrew, as opposed to being renowned and prominent, like Peter.
Peter
Here in our text Jesus describes His first face-to-face meeting with Simon Peter… from then on "Rock" was his nickname. If the Lord called Peter "Simon," he was signaling him that he was acting like his old self. If he called him "Rock," He was commending him for acting the way he ought to be acting. Simon, who would become Peter, was impetuous, impulsive, and overeager. He needed to become like a rock, so that is what Jesus named him. From then on, the Lord could gently chide him or commend him just by using one name or the other.
In Luke 5:5, for example, Luke writes, "Simon answered and said unto Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your Word I will let down the net.’" … He is skeptical and reluctant. But as he obeys and his eyes are opened to who Jesus really is, Luke begins to refer to him by his new name. Verse 8 says, "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!
In Luke 22:31, foretelling Peter’s betrayal, Jesus said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat." Later, in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Peter should have been watching and praying with Christ, he fell asleep. Mark writes, "[Jesus] came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation. The Ssirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mk. 14:37-38). Thus usually when Peter needed rebuke or admonishment, Jesus referred to him as Simon. It must have reached the point where whenever the Lord said "Simon," Peter cringed. He must have been thinking, Please call me Rock! And the Lord might have replied, "I’ll call you Rock when you act like a rock."
After the resurrection, Jesus instructed His disciples to return to Galilee, where He planned to appear to them (Mt. 28:7). Impatient Simon apparently got tired of waiting, so he announced that he was going back to fishing (Jn. 21:3). As usual, the other disciples dutifully followed their leader. They got into the boat, fished all night, and caught nothing… But Jesus met them on the shore the following morning, where He had prepared breakfast for them. The main purpose of the breakfast meeting seemed to be the restoration of Peter (who, of course, had sinned egregiously by denying Christ with curses on the night the Lord was betrayed). Three times the Lord addressed him as Simon and asked, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" (Jn. 21:15-17). Three times Peter affirmed his love… That was the last time Jesus ever had to call him Simon. A few weeks later, on Pentecost, Peter and the rest of the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. It was Peter, the Rock, who stood up and preached that day.
Peter was exactly like most Christians – both carnal and spiritual. He succumbed to the habits of the flesh sometimes; he functioned in the Spirit other times. He was sinful sometimes, but other times he acted the way a righteous man ought to act. This vacillating man – sometimes Simon, sometimes Peter – was the leader of the Twelve.
Peter’s occupation of fishing and his discipleship can be listed as follows:
a. In John 1:42 the Lord did not say "Follow Me" when Andrew drew him away from his fishing to be brought to the Messiah. It is as if He would test the faithfulness of Peter to see if he would follow Him.
b. In Matt. 4:18 He found Peter fishing again by the Sea of Galilee. The Lord said, "FollowMe", and he would be made a fisher of men. Again, Peter left his fishing, and followed Him.
c. In Luke 5:1-11 Peter had returned to his fishing again. Having caught nothing, and having seen the miraculous catch of fish, he confessed to being a sinful man. So he forsook all and followed Him.
d. In John 13:36 the Lord announced to Peter that he could not follow the Lord there and then. Stating that he would follow the Lord even to unto death, he soon forsook Him and fled, and shortly afterwards denied Him.
e. In John 21:3 after the Lord’s resurrection, Peter decided to go fishing in the Sea of Galilee so familiar to him. Only when John said, "It is the Lord" did Peter know who was standing on the shore. In the final conversation that ensued, the Lord predicted Peter’s ultimate death by crucifixion, adding "Follow thou Me" when Peter asked what would happen to John.
f. In the Acts Peter never returned to fishing again, following the Lord until his decease "as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed Me" (I Pet. 1:14).
Philip
Greek name meaning lover of horses. He must also have had a Jewish name, b/c all 12 apostles were Jewish. But his Jewish name is never given. Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter, 1:44. John MacArthur says of Philip in his Twelve Ordinary Men: "Piecing together all that the apostle John records about him, it seems Philip was a classic "process person." He was a facts-and-figures-guy – a by-the-book, practical minded, non-forward thinking type of individual. He was the kind who tends to be a corporate kill-joy, pessimistic, narrowly focused, sometimes missing the big picture, often obsessed with identifying reasons things can’t be done rather than finding ways to do them. He was predisposed to be a pragmatist and a cynic – and sometimes a defeatist – rather than a visionary."
Nathanael
Nathanael means God has given. In the other Gospels he is called Bartholomew, a Hebrew surname meaning "son of Tolmai. So he is Nathanel, son of Tolmai, or Nathanael Bar-Tolmai.
According to John 21:12 Nathanael was from the small town Cana in Galilee, the place Jesus performed His first miracle of changing water into wine (John 2:11). Cana was close to Jesus’ hometown Nazareth. He was a searcher of Scripture and a seeker of Messianic truth, Jn. 1:43-44. We must remember he knew the Scriptures very well and Nazareth was not in Scripture as the place from which Messiah was to come – Bethlehem was, but not Nazareth. His statement, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" shows his prejudice. Nazareth was a rough town. Its culture was largely unrefined and uneducated. Nazareth is not a necessarily picturesque place. Although it has a nice setting on the slopes of the hills of Galilee, it is not a very memorable town, and was even less so in Jesus’ time. The Judeans looked down on all Galileans, but even the Galileans looked down on the Nazarenes. Nathanael, though he came from an even more lowly village, was simply echoing the Galileans’ general contempt for Nazareth.
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Audio Sermon File: John 1:35-51
Going Deeper: Study Guide
Follow Me
Our Passage today reads as follows: 35 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John [speak] and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter). 43 The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He ^ound Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow Me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip ^found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and [also] the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel." 50 Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And He said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
We discover that in two days Jesus calls to Himself the first disciples and Apostles. Likewise when we apply this we find that we are also disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus has saved us and calls us to ‘Follow Him.’ And our text will lead us into reflecting at how well we are ‘Following Him.’
Jesus says to us today ‘FOLLOW ME’ - through the calling of :
1. Jesus’ First Disciples (Andrew and Peter - John) v.35-42 - and then
2. Jesus Draws More Disciples (Philip and Nathanael) v.43-51
Through the response of these disciples we are able to learn some important lessons for us as Jesus’ modern day disciples.
First - let us look at the call of Andrew and Peter (John)
1. Lessons from Jesus’ First Disciples v.35-42
V.35-36. As we begin this section, we once again find John the Baptist giving testimony as a witness for the third time. The focus now begins to shift from John the Baptist’s ministry to Jesus’ ministry. During the ministry of the Baptist he developed not only a following of the masses, but he also had his own disciples.
All this was the next day, after John the Baptist pointed out the Lamb of God. So we are in the third day since verse 19. John the Baptist in verse 35 has two of his disciples with him, and as he sees the Messiah as He walked, he willing directs his disciples to Christ. John sees the Messiah and announces ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’ This is the third and last time, as far as we know from Scripture that John saw Christ (first at baptism, v.29, and here). Once again John the Baptist demonstrates his humility and faithfulness to his calling - instead building his own empire, he willingly turns his disciples over to Christ.
What would you do if you were in this kind of situation? A situation where you know that you will lose some people - maybe in a project work group - how about even in a ministry? A situation where you have your own friends/people that were of a great help to you? It is natural that if we were in this situation, it would be very probable that we would want to retain our co-workers for ourselves. We would want to make a name for ourselves, we would want to associate our name with what we built. We see this happening all around us. People have named rooms, buildings, streets, after themselves so that they would be remembered. We see this happening in many churches…we belong to the James Smith Memorial Church, this is the Franklin Rogers Library, these pews are donated in loving memory of Rachel Rowstead. If we are to follow the example of John the Baptist then we would remember that, true Christian humility calls for Christ to be exalted and not ourselves.
John the Baptist, announced the coming of the Messiah, he baptized Him, had told people about Jesus, and now once again - for the second time - identifies the Lamb of God. And this is the whole point of the Gospel of John - that Christ be made known - and later in chapter 3:30, John the Baptist states this: "He must become greater; I must become less."
V.37-39. So it is that in the opening verses of our passage we have already discover that there are two of the Baptist’s disciples (v.35, 37). Upon the Baptist’s identification of the Messiah, he humbly and willingly turns them over to Him and they followed Jesus. In the word - followed (v.37) it doesn’t have a fixed sense of definiteness. So it is very possible that the disciples were following Jesus to find out more about Him, since John the Baptist pointed them to Jesus. But, we do know for certain that a formal ‘discipleship’ relationship developed later on in Scripture.
What is a disciple? A disciple is the same as a learner, or follower - since they literally followed or ‘walked in the tracks of the teacher.’ A disciple, in the first century, learned from his teacher by following their teachers words and actions. The teacher was the disciples mentor and model of what was taught. Before Christ ascended to heaven he called all believers to be disciple makers. The Great Commission states that we are to - Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;. The emphasis in this verse is ‘to make disciples.’ So throughout the church age - discipleship is a normal pattern for the New Testament believer.
Are you being discipled or discipling someone? If not find someone in this church who is older, more spiritually mature than yourself - and ask that person if they would be able to disciple you. Discipleship has great benefits because you will be able to learn Scripture, and see how it is applied to everyday situations in your life. Your discipler would be able to help you to be more rooted in your faith. Discipleship can take place in small groups or on an individual basis - formally and informally.
In the midst of this transfer, Jesus hears the footsteps of the disciples behind Him, and turns around and sees the two disciples following Him. He asks them, What do you seek? - not ‘Whom do you want?’ - Jesus is seeking the purpose of what they want. And the disciples answer with a question - "Rabbi… , "where are You staying? This exchange indicates that the disciples were preparing to follow Jesus as their Rabbi. The purpose that the disciples had was to find and follow ‘The Rabbi’ - which is the Hebrew word for Teacher - as explained in the parenthesis of the text . It literally refers to - my noble one, or master and the author of this gospel is explaining it to his Greek readers.
Jesus responds by inviting them - Come, and you will see. The disciples then follow Jesus and find out where He is living and spend the day with Him, by His side. The exact time of this first encounter with Christ is given to be ‘about the tenth hour.’ The tenth hour would have been at 4:00 pm, by our way of calculating time. The Jews divided the daylight period of the day into 12 hours. The day for the Jews would start at 6 am. Why was the exact time given? We will look at this in a moment.
V.40. As we move forward we now discover the identity of One of the two disciples. The first one is identified as Andrew. Andrew is Simon Peter’s brother. Andrew is not one of the main leaders of the ‘twelve’ disciples of Christ. Instead Andrew in this gospel is mentioned twice outside this reference. In chapter 6:8 we find that Andrew is the one who brings the boy with ‘five loaves and two fish’ to Jesus. And in 12:22 Andrew with Philip bring a message from the Greeks that they wanted to see Jesus, after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. So Andrew is not really a key figure in this gospel, but he is portrayed as a helper or aid. He also is one that introduces others to Christ.
In this verse and if we go back to verse 35 - we note that there were two disciples, Andrew was just one of the two disciples that followed Jesus. So who is the second disciple? The text never mentions his name. It is most likely the Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. If you have read our introduction of this gospel - on our church info blog - you would know that the Apostle John never mentions his own name in this book.
It is likely to be him because if you look back down at verse 39, an exact time reference is given - ‘about the tenth hour.’ This would indicate that this is eyewitness information. It also indicates that there was some impact to this meeting, so the exact time was remembered. It would imply that the Apostle John who wrote this gospel was so impacted by his first meeting with Jesus that he includes this seemingly insignificant detail. Further support that this second disciple was John, is the fact that John is mentioned in the other gospels as among the first disciples - these being Andrew and Peter, and James and John. We should note that implied in this passage, and substantiated in the other gospels is that John and James became followers of Christ together.
V.41-42 Andrew was so excited about meeting Jesus, that he did not keep this treasured time to himself. The first thing Andrew does is to go and get his brother Simon. When Andrew finds Simon, he tells him that he has found the Messiah - ‘the anointed One.’ In the excitement of his amazing discovery, Andrew not only told his brother, but he brought him to Jesus. It appears from the Greek tense of the phrase - he brought him, that there was some reluctance on Simon’s part to go and see Jesus. When the two came to Jesus, before Simon even said anything - Jesus states ‘You are Simon the son of John.’ And then Jesus renames Simon. Jesus gives him the name - Cephas.
Cephas is a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic word - meaning ‘rock.’ The formal Greek word for ‘rock’ - as explained by the Apostle John in the parentheses, is Peter - or petros. Peter/petros was not a formal name in Jesus’ time, but it was more likely a nickname - perhaps a modern equivalent would be ‘rocky.’ His name foreshadowed the changes that were going to be made in his impulsive, volatile, and unreliable character. And it pointed to the role that Peter would play in the early church. Let us stop her for a moment and see what lessons can we learn from Andrew? Well we know that he is portrayed as a helper and also he brings others to Christ. As we allow the Lord to use us in building His church, can we learn something from Andrew’s example and apply it here at Cornerstone Community Church? How can you be a helper in some of our current and planned ministries? How can you become the instrument that the Lord would want to utilize - to build His church? Consider being a helper and be the one who takes the initiative to help out. Make yourself available to serve the Lord.
In addition Andrew was a person who introduced others to Christ. I had already mentioned about the Great Commission earlier. Think about ways you can introduce others to Christ this week - and DO IT. Make it your goal to take ownership of the Great Commission. The Great Commission is not the great suggestion - it is a command - meaning we must be active in implementing it. This can be simply done by encouraging others to come to some of our ministries like the new small group Bible studies. You can invite your non- Christian friends, neighbours, co-workers to join us. Perhaps you could simply invite someone to come with you here on Sundays. Go and bring them here yourself - like Andrew did for his brother Simon. Wake up a little bit earlier and go pick your friend up and bring them to church. There are so many things that can be done, so many blessings experienced, if we commit ourselves to being faithful to Christ.
Jesus says "FOLLOW ME’ calling each one of you here today to be His committed disciple. Our reflections come - not only by examining the response and actions of Andrew and Peter - but we also may pattern our response to Christ, by applying the lessons we discover from Philip and Nathanael.
2. Jesus Draws More Disciples v.43-51
V.43-45 As we begin verse 43, we also begin the next day - this would be the fourth day in a series of days, which began in verse 19. The scene changes as we find that Jesus departs for Galilee. Jesus then finds Philip , He gives him this challenge - or order (imperative) - Follow Me. It was no accident that Jesus found Philip, who was from the same town as Andrew and Peter. Scripture portrays Philip , as a man of ordinary capability. In this gospel, the apostle is portrayed as one who seemed to be challenged beyond his ability. But it is a comfort to know that Jesus seeks out those who are ordinary people. This encourages us to know that plain old people like us can be used by the Lord to do His work in this church… we don’t all need to be superstars, but we just need to faithfully follow, and use our gifts and abilities for the glory of Christ.
Now we see Philip use his ordinary abilities. We see that in turn Philip finds Nathanael. Philip makes a statement to Nathanael, which reveals his view of who Jesus is. Philip says - We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and [also] the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph (v.45). Philip finds in Jesus, what the OT Scriptures witness to - that is the coming Messiah - the coming Christ is now here. Jesus is the fulfillment of the OT Scriptures.
V.46 In reply, Nathanael with scorn and unbelief questions - Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Nathanael was from Cana, a close by town of Nazareth. It appears that there was some rivalry between these two Galilean towns. Nathanael was skeptical as to the fact that Jesus, the Christ would come from such a place. Philip in response doesn’t argue with him, he doesn’t enter into some long discussion to prove that Jesus is the Christ. Instead he follows the method that Jesus used with Andrew and Peter in verse 39 - that is he simply states ‘Come and see.’
An application is imbedded in this text for us. It is a reminder that when we witness to others, and when we go out an do evangelism…that we do not need to argue about who Jesus is, but rather we should evangelize with ‘genuine, concerned, loving proclamation and invitation’ (Borchert). This is the way that we deal with the skeptic…by asking him or her to - Come and see. This is a reminder to us that God is sovereign in salvation. The Bible and Christ are not up for debate, they stand upon their own, authority and power. No one has ever been won over to Christ by arguing them into the Kingdom.
Philip’s example should cause you to reflect - How can you invite someone who doesn’t know Jesus, to ‘come and see?’ Invite them to church, one of our Bible studies, or any other event where they can see Christianity in action and to learn about Christ. In Philip’s response to Nathanael - the skeptic, we see godly wisdom in action, as he leads Nathanael to follow Christ.
V.47-49 As Nathanael follows Philip to see Jesus, Jesus says this of Nathanael - Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit! In the context of what Jesus says later in verse 51, there seems to be an allusion to Genesis 28 - the account of Jacob and the ladder from heaven. Jacob was known for his deceitfulness, and now Nathanael is being contrasted to Jacob. What Jesus is saying of Nathanael is that he is a true and authentic Israelite. Nathanael was a model for others. Nathanael was a man in whom there is no deceit - there is nothing false about this guy. This statement described that Nathanael, demonstrated no deceit and represented what God desired for His people as His servants - unlike the character traits Jacob demonstrated.
We can pause once again and do some self examination. As a Christian are we afraid to make that known to others? And if we are is it because we do not live up to the righteous standards of the Word in our actions and speech each day? Do we know that we are living a double standard and therefore ashamed of our hypocrisy? Or can we as a Christian stand before the Lord and hear Him rightfully say of you - in whom there is no deceit!
Nathanael was now astonished and curious as to how and why Jesus would make this kind of statement. How did Jesus know him and therefore make this tribute? Nathanael discerned that somehow Jesus knew him. In Greek there are 2 words that can be translated as ‘know.’ The first word in Greek states knowledge as a fact - intellectual knowledge, but the second speaks about knowledge through experience / personal knowledge. And in verse 48 the word know, is the later of the two - which expresses that Nathanael asked Jesus how He had a personal knowledge or experiential knowledge of him. Jesus’ answer was this - Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.
It was a custom in this time period that Jewish rabbis would study Scripture, pray, and meditate under a vine, fig tree, or olive tree. It was quite possible that Nathanael was doing the same as Jesus had already complimented him for being a true Israelite.
When Jesus looks at us, what does he find? Does Jesus find in us the character of Nathanael? Does He find someone who is faithful to Him in discipleship, in worship, in evangelism? Does Jesus find you faithful in study of His Word, in leading others to follow Christ? Does He find you as a ‘model’ representative of a true Christian?
In Jesus’ response we see aspects of Christ’s nature of Deity at work, that He is all knowing and all seeing. Jesus Christ super-naturally is able to see Nathanael’s presence and also into his heart. In this encounter, Nathanael comes to the full realization that right before him is the Messiah. Nathanael’s hopes for the coming Messiah have now come to pass. The Rabbi who was present was no other than the ‘the Son of God’ - in the fullness of His Deity, and ‘the King of Israel - in the fulfillment of OT prophecy that Jesus is the Messiah. And with Nathanael’s confession there follows his personal response - submission and obedience to the Christ.
All this is a vivid picture of verse 14 of this chapter of the gospel - And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. The Word who was God, now coming in human flesh - in the person of Jesus Christ, is standing right before Nathanael and the other disciples. Nathanael now openly confessed Jesus Christ, as his earlier doubts turned into belief. It was Nathanael’s knowledge of the OT, Philips’s witness, and Christ’s display of supernatural knowledge that God used to draw and convert Nathanael…and now he joyfully followed Christ.
V.50-51 Jesus’ response to Nathanael confession of who Jesus Christ is this - Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And He said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Jesus affirms Nathanael’s faith and announces that he will see greater demonstrations of God’s power and revelation.
In verse 51 when Jesus states - Truly, truly, I say to you… if you use the NIV, it is poorly translated. The original Greek is better translated as found in the NASB as - Truly, truly, I say to you… Why is this important? It is important because there is a drawing of the listener and subsequently of the readers attention to what is to follow. In other words what is to be said is so important that it should not be missed. The word truly (NASB) in Greek is a well know word to us - it is the word amen. So literally Jesus says ‘Amen, amen, I say to you…’
"The word "amen" is a most remarkable word. It was transliterated
directly from the Hebrew into the Greek of the New Testament, then
into Latin and into English and many other languages, so that it is
practically a universal word. It has been called the best known word
in human speech. The word is directly related -- in fact, almost
identical -- to the Hebrew word for "believe" (amam), or faithful.
Thus, it came to mean "sure" or "truly", ‘may it be so’ - an expression
of absolute trust and confidence. – HMM from BDB/Thayers"
As Jesus continues speaking, it appears that He is once again making an allusion to Genesis 28:12, where Jacob dreams of the ladder from heaven. Jesus is emphasizing to Nathanael, and includes the other disciples, that they can be absolutely sure that they will, like Jacob, experience supernatural heaven-sent revelation. The disciples will see the heavens opened - because in Christ there is complete, open and direct, communion between God and man (And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us - v.14). In this case supernatural revelation from heaven will confirm who Jesus - the Son of Man - is.
The term ‘the Son of Man,’ was Jesus’ favourite self designation. Jesus referred to Himself by this title over 80 times in the NT. In its general usage, the term identifies Jesus’ relationship to man. As the incarnate Christ - Jesus is the perfect representative of man before God and is the One who reveals divine truth. Later on in the gospel, we will see its specific implications in regards to the scope of God’s plan of salvation. In today’s passage, the term ‘the Son of Man’ replaces the ladder of Jacob’s dream, which indicates that in Jesus there is free access between God and Man. This is what A.T. Roberston wrote about this section:
Christ is himself the bond of fellowship between
heaven and earth, between God and man….
for Jesus is both "the Son of
God" as Nathanael said and "the Son
of Man" as Jesus here calls
himself. ‘God and man meet in Christ. He is the true Jacob's
Ladder. "I am the Way," Jesus will say. He is more than
King of Israel, he is the Son of Man (the race). So quickly
has this Gospel brought out in the witness of the Baptist,
the faith of the first disciples, the claims of Jesus Christ,
the fully developed picture of the Logos who is both God
and man, moving among men and winning them to his
service….He sets forth the dignity
and majesty of His Person.’ - Word Pictures
Overall in our text we see that in the first disciples, they find the Christ. Andrew finds Jesus and then he gets his brother Simon (who is given the name Peter). John, one of the 2 disciples of the Baptist goes and finds his brother James (this is in between the lines of this text but we do know this from the other gospels). Jesus finds Andrew and Peter’s fellow townsman, Philip. And then in turn, Philip goes and finds Nathanael (but on the bigger scale of salvation it was by the will and drawing of the Father - cf. Jn. 6:44 ).
How are we doing at ‘following Jesus’ will, as a church? How are you doing at ‘following Jesus’ as a Christian? Jesus says to His disciples come and follow me. If we really are bringing ourselves before Him, and following Jesus then we will see great and wonderful things that Christ is doing. We will experience the joy of being a Christian, because in faith and faithfulness there is blessing. Amen.
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By Noah Ressler
Change is inevitable in life. We all know this by experience. Sometimes the change we have experienced is pleasant and sometimes – not so pleasant. But the person who has placed their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His saving work on the cross on their behalf, that person is called to follow Christ. And from that moment forward as we follow, it is inevitable that change will take place in our lives, if we are truly following. To follow is to be a disciple, student, learner of all that Christ is and our obeying His lessons and making them a part of our lives brings about radical change that has supernatural consequences because the source is supernatural.
Jesus’ first disciples are just like you and I. They were not celebrities. They were not wealthy. They were not mighty in stature in the community. They were hard working people just like us. These were common men in every respect – just like you and me. They brought nothing to Jesus’ ministry that gave Christ a reason to select them because of some personal character trait or strength. As a matter of fact, the opposite is true.
John the Baptist’ ministry is diminishing and Jesus’ ministry is just beginning. Change is inevitable as Jesus interacts with people and demonstrates His being the Son of God. Once we encounter Christ Jesus and believe and obey the Gospel, change must and will take place for our sanctification and growth into the likeness of Christ. No fruit in the Christian life is evidence that we have not encountered Christ and repented of our sins and obeyed the Gospel. These men were changed from common men who were used by Christ to turn the world upside down for the cause of Christ. We too have been called in our common state to become men and women who propagate the Gospel and impact our community for Christ. That is the mandate of The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20.
Where are you at in the view of the Scriptures in John 1:35-51? Do you know that Jesus Christ is God, that He by means of His work on the cross has opened the doors of His Kingdom in heaven for access to you that have repented of your sins and confessed Him as Lord and Savior? I urge you to repent, even now and call upon His name for your acquittal before the bar of God’s justice. To those who have done so – are you following Him as a disciple? Are you learning and committing your soul to Him that is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient? Make a commitment, even now, to commit to a life of obedient worship of your Creator, Jesus Christ.
EXCURSUS ON THE FIRST DISCIPLES.
Andrew
Andrew means "manly." He was bold, decisive, and deliberate. As our text says, Andrew was the first called by name. He was part of the 1st group although he was not included in some of the important events as Peter, James, and John were with Christ (Mt. 17:1; Mk. 5:37; 14:33). At other times he was featured as part of the inner circle (cf. Mk. 1:29; 13:3). There was no question that he had a particularly close relationship with Christ, b/c he was so often the means by which other people were personally introduced to the Master, as is the case here in our text.
Andrew’s eagerness to follow Christ, combined with his zeal to introduce others to Him, fairly typifies Andrew’s character.
Andrew lived his life in the shadow of his better-known brother. Many of the verses that name him add that he was Peter’s brother, as if that were the fact that made him significant. But in Andrew’s case there is no evidence that he begrudged Peter’s dominance. Almost everything Scripture tells us about Andrew shows that he had the right heart for effective ministry in the background. He did not seek to be the center of attention. He did not seem to resent those who labored in the limelight. He was evidently pleased to do what he could with the gifts and calling God had bestowed on him, and he allowed the others to do likewise.
Of all the disciples in the inner circle, Andrew appears to be the least contentious and most thoughtful. Peter tended to be impetuous, to rush ahead foolishly, and to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. He was often brash, clumsy, hasty, and impulsive. James and John were nicknamed the Sons of Thunder because of their reckless tendencies. They were evidently the ones who provoked many of the arguments about who was the greatest. But there’s never a hint of that with Andrew. Whenever he speaks, which is rare in Scripture – he always says the right thing, not the wrong thing.
Andrew may be a better model for most church leaders than Peter, because most who enter the ministry will labor in relative obscurity, like Andrew, as opposed to being renowned and prominent, like Peter.
Peter
Here in our text Jesus describes His first face-to-face meeting with Simon Peter… from then on "Rock" was his nickname. If the Lord called Peter "Simon," he was signaling him that he was acting like his old self. If he called him "Rock," He was commending him for acting the way he ought to be acting. Simon, who would become Peter, was impetuous, impulsive, and overeager. He needed to become like a rock, so that is what Jesus named him. From then on, the Lord could gently chide him or commend him just by using one name or the other.
In Luke 5:5, for example, Luke writes, "Simon answered and said unto Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your Word I will let down the net.’" … He is skeptical and reluctant. But as he obeys and his eyes are opened to who Jesus really is, Luke begins to refer to him by his new name. Verse 8 says, "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!
In Luke 22:31, foretelling Peter’s betrayal, Jesus said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat." Later, in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Peter should have been watching and praying with Christ, he fell asleep. Mark writes, "[Jesus] came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation. The Ssirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mk. 14:37-38). Thus usually when Peter needed rebuke or admonishment, Jesus referred to him as Simon. It must have reached the point where whenever the Lord said "Simon," Peter cringed. He must have been thinking, Please call me Rock! And the Lord might have replied, "I’ll call you Rock when you act like a rock."
After the resurrection, Jesus instructed His disciples to return to Galilee, where He planned to appear to them (Mt. 28:7). Impatient Simon apparently got tired of waiting, so he announced that he was going back to fishing (Jn. 21:3). As usual, the other disciples dutifully followed their leader. They got into the boat, fished all night, and caught nothing… But Jesus met them on the shore the following morning, where He had prepared breakfast for them. The main purpose of the breakfast meeting seemed to be the restoration of Peter (who, of course, had sinned egregiously by denying Christ with curses on the night the Lord was betrayed). Three times the Lord addressed him as Simon and asked, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" (Jn. 21:15-17). Three times Peter affirmed his love… That was the last time Jesus ever had to call him Simon. A few weeks later, on Pentecost, Peter and the rest of the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. It was Peter, the Rock, who stood up and preached that day.
Peter was exactly like most Christians – both carnal and spiritual. He succumbed to the habits of the flesh sometimes; he functioned in the Spirit other times. He was sinful sometimes, but other times he acted the way a righteous man ought to act. This vacillating man – sometimes Simon, sometimes Peter – was the leader of the Twelve.
Peter’s occupation of fishing and his discipleship can be listed as follows:
a. In John 1:42 the Lord did not say "Follow Me" when Andrew drew him away from his fishing to be brought to the Messiah. It is as if He would test the faithfulness of Peter to see if he would follow Him.
b. In Matt. 4:18 He found Peter fishing again by the Sea of Galilee. The Lord said, "FollowMe", and he would be made a fisher of men. Again, Peter left his fishing, and followed Him.
c. In Luke 5:1-11 Peter had returned to his fishing again. Having caught nothing, and having seen the miraculous catch of fish, he confessed to being a sinful man. So he forsook all and followed Him.
d. In John 13:36 the Lord announced to Peter that he could not follow the Lord there and then. Stating that he would follow the Lord even to unto death, he soon forsook Him and fled, and shortly afterwards denied Him.
e. In John 21:3 after the Lord’s resurrection, Peter decided to go fishing in the Sea of Galilee so familiar to him. Only when John said, "It is the Lord" did Peter know who was standing on the shore. In the final conversation that ensued, the Lord predicted Peter’s ultimate death by crucifixion, adding "Follow thou Me" when Peter asked what would happen to John.
f. In the Acts Peter never returned to fishing again, following the Lord until his decease "as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed Me" (I Pet. 1:14).
Philip
Greek name meaning lover of horses. He must also have had a Jewish name, b/c all 12 apostles were Jewish. But his Jewish name is never given. Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter, 1:44. John MacArthur says of Philip in his Twelve Ordinary Men: "Piecing together all that the apostle John records about him, it seems Philip was a classic "process person." He was a facts-and-figures-guy – a by-the-book, practical minded, non-forward thinking type of individual. He was the kind who tends to be a corporate kill-joy, pessimistic, narrowly focused, sometimes missing the big picture, often obsessed with identifying reasons things can’t be done rather than finding ways to do them. He was predisposed to be a pragmatist and a cynic – and sometimes a defeatist – rather than a visionary."
Nathanael
Nathanael means God has given. In the other Gospels he is called Bartholomew, a Hebrew surname meaning "son of Tolmai. So he is Nathanel, son of Tolmai, or Nathanael Bar-Tolmai.
According to John 21:12 Nathanael was from the small town Cana in Galilee, the place Jesus performed His first miracle of changing water into wine (John 2:11). Cana was close to Jesus’ hometown Nazareth. He was a searcher of Scripture and a seeker of Messianic truth, Jn. 1:43-44. We must remember he knew the Scriptures very well and Nazareth was not in Scripture as the place from which Messiah was to come – Bethlehem was, but not Nazareth. His statement, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" shows his prejudice. Nazareth was a rough town. Its culture was largely unrefined and uneducated. Nazareth is not a necessarily picturesque place. Although it has a nice setting on the slopes of the hills of Galilee, it is not a very memorable town, and was even less so in Jesus’ time. The Judeans looked down on all Galileans, but even the Galileans looked down on the Nazarenes. Nathanael, though he came from an even more lowly village, was simply echoing the Galileans’ general contempt for Nazareth.
(For a full explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - click here - http://www.doihaveeternallife.blogspot.com/)
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Sunday, November 9, 2008
John 1:29-34 The Lamb of God
09.11.08 John 1:29-34 (NASB)
Audio Sermon File: John 1:29-34
Going Deeper: Study Guide
The Lamb of God
John 1:29-34 states:
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 "This is He on behalf of whom I said, `After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.' 31 "I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water." 32 John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 "I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, `He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' 34 "I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God."
Today we will affirm four great truths about Jesus Christ, as the Lamb of God. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God as evidenced by four powerful confessions:
1. The Lamb of God SAVES
2. The Lamb of God is SUPERIOR
3. The Lamb of God SANCTIFIES
4. The Lamb of God is SUPREME
Last week we reacquainted ourselves with a humble servant of the Lord - John the Baptist. John the Baptist was under interrogation by the Jews from Jerusalem. Their purpose was to investigate the Baptist. They needed to report back to the religious authorities, with the answer to this question - ‘WHO ARE YOU?’ And in reply John the Baptist - plainly, truthfully - states that he is not, who they think he might have been. Now continuing in the Gospel of John in chapter 1, verse 29, John the Baptist gives us 4 powerful confessions.
Jesus Christ takes our place, and is the only perfect sinless sacrifice which pleases God so that He forgives us of all our sins - Jesus Christ SAVES; Jesus Christ surpasses all of us because He is God Jesus Christ is SUPERIOR; Jesus Christ sets us apart for holiness when He saves us - in other words Jesus Christ SANCTIFIES; Jesus Christ is the only way in which we may be saved because He is the Son of God Jesus Christ is SUPREME.
John the Baptist begins with his first confession which is that :
1. The Lamb of God SAVES (v.29)
As the our passage begins we should note that it begins with the words ‘the next day’, in verse 29. ‘The next day’ appears here, and also in verses 35, 43, and in 2:1. It points the reader to the fact that there a series of days and consecutive events that are chronological. These series of days contain happenings which give testimony and confession of who Jesus is. They serve to develop a positive identification of the coming Saviour to which John the Baptist pointed to. As each day progresses a deeper picture of the Messiah - Jesus Christ, is painted.
For a long time the Jews were awaiting their coming Messiah that had been prophesied about in the Scriptures. When the word spread around about the John the Baptist’s ministry, it gained a lot of attention. So in response to the Baptist’s ministry - in the direct preceding context of verses (v.19-28) - the religious authorities sent out some of their members to figure out who John the Baptist was. They questioned him as to whether he was the Christ - and the Baptist’s reply was no he was not. They questioned him as to whether he was Elijah, or the prophet - and once again received the answers - no. Instead John declares himself to be the ‘voice,’ the one whom God called to point others to the Saviour - and to call them to prepare. And now the Baptist does do that - he points decisively at Jesus - the Christ he prepared others for and exclaims ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ John the Baptist declares ‘Behold’ - or look - drawing attention to Jesus. John then attributes to Jesus the title - ‘the Lamb of God.’ John anticipates something so important to this gospel book. The event that is foreshadowed is the cross upon which Christ dies. Jesus Christ is the Lamb - a special kind of lamb which is able to permanently take away our sin.
With this statement there is a possible link to the Passover celebration, which looms just over the horizon, in chapter 2. The Passover commemorates the time that the Jews were delivered from slavery in Egypt. The Passover was in remembrance of the tenth plague upon the Egyptians. If you remember this 10th plague was in judgement of the nation for Pharaoh’s obstinance. In the tenth plague, the Lord sent the angel of death to ‘pass over’ the Jewish homes on which the doorposts were sprinkled with blood (Exod 12:23-27). As the angel ‘passed over’ these homes, those who did not have the blood of a lamb upon their doorposts - the result was that the firstborn of men and animal of these homes, were judged by death.
In the Old Testament we have the concept of a ritual taking away of sin through the life of a sacrificial animal. It was a wiping away of sin, a covering over (Heb. -kephar), or getting rid of sin - specifically symbolized by its blood which was required in exchange for the life of the worshipper. This was a symbolic expression of - innocent life given for guilty life. The Passover foreshadowed Christ’s work of glorifying God through His sacrifice - the shedding of His blood upon the cross, and therefore the bearing away of the sins of the people. The shed blood of Christ upon the cross and the subsequent removal of our sins - constitutes the atonement. The atonement is the act where we are made to be ‘at one’ with God once again. Christ’s innocent life was given for our guilty lives.
In both the offering of the sacrificial animal and in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross - only those who were genuine in faith and repentance, received its benefit, which was the forgiveness of God. God’s forgiveness , was not based on any animal sacrifice, but on The One - that is Jesus Christ. Because all the sacrifices of the OT pictured and pointed the person to their need of a permanent solution to sin - and that was found in Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death in our place. The Old Testament ritual anticipated the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate High Priest, who died on the cross for you and for me. What was presented in the OT, now in the NT what was foreshadowed, has been revealed clearly to us - that Jesus Christ is ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’
It is interesting to note here in verse 29, that the word sin is used, and not the plural ‘sins.’ The point is that the Baptist is not only looking at a number of individual acts of sin, but looks to the broader scope. He foreshadows the cross, and acknowledges that ‘the Lamb of God’s’ sacrifice is sufficient. It is sufficient for taking away the totality of the world’s sin - but that it effectively only reaches all people whom are chosen. Though the forgiveness of sin is offered, only those who receive Christ will it become efficacious - because if we remember back in verses 11 and 12 - it states that Jesus Christ - "came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
The word ‘World’ speaks of the comprehensive nature of Christ’s work on our behalf to satisfy God’s just wrath upon the sinner. Christ’s death and resurrection is adequate for anyone who would come in humble reliance upon the Lord, for salvation from the penalty of their sins.
REPEAT - There is a tendency for believers to live in the light of their sins; and not in the light of the One who has granted us the forgiveness of our sins.
Yes, we do sin, as believers - though being saved by God from our sins - yet we often dwell upon the grief which was associated with our sins. Despite our confession of sin often we cling to the remembrance of them - even though they have been forgiven. Our past sins, though forgiven - plague our memories. And because of this we often live in the past and not in the present and the future. Do you ever feel that you are too sinful to be forgiven? Do you feel that even though you have asked God to be forgiven, there is no assurance of this? Let us look to Scripture to help us with these often very real feelings.
Jeremiah 31:33-34 states: 33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, `Know the Lord,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." This statement from Jeremiah is the announcement of the New Covenant which tells us the reality of the results of the coming of Jesus Christ, which we as believers are a part of in Christ. Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us we are now a new creation in Christ, and all our sins have been forgiven.
1 John 1:9 tells us - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
In this verse, it points us to the fact that God will indeed forgive us if we confess our sins to Him. In order to be assured of God’s forgiveness we need to accept what God has stated in His Word. When we have genuinely sought out God’s forgiveness then - God will remember our sins no more. God will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. For the believer - we need to live in light of the facts of forgiveness and not in light of our emotions which may deceive us.
For those of you who do not know Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour - there is no one who is too sinful to be forgiven - Jesus Christ saves. So it is revealed that - Jesus Christ takes our sins away as the perfect sinless sacrifice on our behalf if we put our complete trust in Him.
John the Baptist ads further weight to his testimony. This time it relates to the proper identification of the Messiah he just pointed to. He states on behalf of the One he pointed to, that:
2. The Lamb of God is SUPERIOR (v.30)
Verse 30 states - This is He on behalf of whom I said, `After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.' The focus of this verse is solely upon the Lamb of God. This Man is the one who is superior to - and also having priority over the Baptist. The Baptist makes this same declaration back in verse 15, if you look back there in your Bibles. Prior to that point John could not make a positive ID of the Christ. But in v. 15 and now in v. 30 - the Baptist is now able to point out Jesus the Christ, beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Jesus Christ is SUPERIOR as the Baptist uses in his description of Christ - ‘a Man’ - and we see that John balances the reality of who Jesus is. In context to the opening verses of chapter 1 - Jesus Christ is the God-Man. For the Lamb of God - is fully human yet He is also the eternal Word of God. John the Baptist affirms the priority of the incarnate Word. John the Baptist humbly declares without any question that Jesus Christ, though coming after John - has a higher rank than him (ie - pre-eminent) and Jesus Christ existied before the Baptist (ie - Jesus was eternally pre-existent cf. v.1-2).
Not only is it that Jesus Christ SAVES, and that Jesus Christ is SUPERIOR to us, John in verse 31 delivers his 3rd powerful confession of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God - which is that:
3. The Lamb of God SANCTIFIES (v.31-33)
v.31 - At this point of the our passage in verses 31-33, we should note that John had already Baptized Jesus earlier. And up to that point, John the Baptist makes the claim that he did not recognize Jesus. And the knowledge that Jesus was indeed the Messiah did come through God’s revelation later, which was revealed at the Baptism of the Messiah. Scripture does not mention if John the Baptist and Jesus knew one another personally before this event - but we do know that they were related to one another (Lk. 1:36). It was, however the Baptist’s function to reveal and make known the Messiah to Israel, which only was affirmed at Jesus’ baptism.
v.32 - Through the Baptist’s own personal experience of baptizing Jesus - did God confirm that Jesus was indeed the Lamb of God. At this junction of human history, the Baptist states - I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. The descent of the Spirit was a visible event. The Spirit of God manifested Himself in likeness as a dove as a sign. The dove, to the Jews it seems was associated as a symbol of the Holy Spirit (it is important to note that the Spirit is not a dove). It was only the sign which God used to confirm to the Baptist, who the Messiah was. John the Baptist did recognize Jesus as the Messiah when He came to John to be baptized, but now the permanent and undeniable proof was given by God. The presence of the Spirit of God coming out of heaven served to authenticate Jesus’ earthly ministry. It also represents the seal of Christ’s work in the people He saves.
v.33 - John was in no way portraying himself as the one who could impart the Spirit to his own disciples or anyone else. He did announce that it was the Lamb of God that could do so. John baptized with water - in a call to repentance and preparation for the Messiah, but Jesus Christ baptizes in the Holy Spirit. Baptism with the Holy Spirit was foreshadowed in the OT, in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel reveals God’s future plans of restoration of His people in chapter 36. Ezekiel 36:25-27 states: 25 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
Once again like the passage I quoted earlier from Jeremiah, this too is a reference to the New Covenant. In the Lamb of God the New Covenant is fulfilled. In Jesus Christ we are cleansed - washed clean from our sins through His saving grace imparted to the believer. It is Jesus Christ who baptizes believer’s with the Holy Spirit.
At the beginning of our worship we sang the hymn "WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS" penned by Joseph Scriven, who lived between the years 1819-1886. This was written about the author and the song in the book Amazing Grace (which gives the stories behind the hymns):
A true friend loves and accepts us just as we are, stays close to us in good or in bad, and is always ready to help in time of need. Because the author of this hymn text found just such a friend in his Lord, he decided to spend his entire life showing real friendship to others.
Joseph Scriven had wealth, education, a devoted family, and a pleasant life in his native Ireland. Then unexpected tragedy entered. On the night before Scriven’s scheduled wedding, his fiancée drowned. In his deep sorrow, Joseph realized that he could find the solace and support he needed only in his dearest friend, Jesus. Soon after this tragedy, Scriven dramatically changed his lifestyle. He left Ireland for Port Hope, Canada (which is about an hour east of Toronto), he was determined to devote all of his extra time in being a friend and helper to others. Scriven became known as "the Good Samaritan of Port Hope."
When Scriven’s mother became ill in Ireland, he wrote a comforting letter to her, enclosing the words of his newly written poem with the prayer that these brief lines would remind her of a never-failing heavenly Friend. Sometime later, when Joseph Scriven himself was ill, a friend who came to call on him happened to see a copy of these words scribbled on scratch paper near his bed. The friend read the lines with interest and asked, "Who wrote those beautiful words?" "The Lord and I did it between us," was Scriven’s reply.
Scriven’s song begins with these words - ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!’ Yes, Jesus is our friend He is the Lamb of God who takes away your sins. When you place your complete trust in Him, He will not disappoint you, for He is faithful. When you believe in Jesus Christ, He gives you the indwelling Holy Spirit which does the work of sanctification in you. The song closes with these words - ‘in His arms He’ll take and shield thee—Thou wilt find a solace there.’ (Osbeck, K. W. 1990. Amazing grace : 366 inspiring hymn stories for daily devotions. Includes indexes. (Page 19). Kregel Publications: Grand Rapids, Mich. )
In the Lamb of God we find our shelter from our sin.
When we were saved by Christ we are made new - 2 Cor. 5:17 tells us this - Therefore if anyone is in Christ, [he is] a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
At the time of our conversion, when we have sincerely repented (turned away from the love of sin) and confessed our sin and our utter need for Christ, as our Saviour from our sins - we receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then indwells in the believer - He lives in us permanently, which is our seal of the new life received in Christ. Ephesians 1:13-14 affirms to us this spiritual reality: 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God's own] possession, to the praise of His glory.
God gives us the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that we are truly saved. With the Holy Spirit living in the believer, there will be marks of spiritual growth and maturity - because we are being sanctified - in other words - set apart for holiness - set apart for God’s purposes.
Finally we find our last important confession:
4. The Lamb of God SUPREME (v.34)
John supports his testimony of the Messiah with his fourth confession - ‘that this is the Son of God,’ in verse 34. He once again gives us the reader the positive identification of who the Lamb of God is. John emphatically declares that in Jesus Christ we find the anointed elect One. And I want to lead you to discover this yourself. And how you can do this is to look in your Bibles - to draw this back to the things we have learned from verse 1 and to bring things back ‘full circle’ down to verse 34 and then back to verse 1 - we then have this certainty unfolding in the inspired, inerrant, infallible text :
that in verse 1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (v.1); now in verse 14 - And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth; and in verse 17b - grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ; in verse 29 - The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ; connect this with verse 34 - "I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God; and now bring it back full circle to verse 1c - the Word was God.
Therefore it is undeniable that the Word became flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God and Son of God - to die as the sole sacrifice for our sins if we receive this truth and cast ourselves upon His grace and mercy - in repentance of our sins.
Now back to verse 34 - the focus is once again on the identification of ‘The Lamb of God’ - and this time it is on His supremacy. This is the concern of the Baptist because God sent him to be a witness to the Messiah. John was the voice preparing the way for the Messiah’s arrival, and now that the Messiah is here, he states - I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God - John the Baptist identifies and points to Jesus Christ. This is also the concern of the Apostle John, as he recounts the Good News about the Christ.
As the Son, Jesus has a special relationship with the Father. It speaks of an intimate and unique knowledge of the Father - that Jesus Christ alone shares the same nature as the Father. As we will discover later on in the Gospel, Jesus on several occasions, applies to Himself this special relationship of being the Son of God. In so doing Jesus asserted His Deity. Yet what we find here - is that Jesus, as the Son of God, is the chosen One that would be in fulfillment of God’s plan of Salvation….Jesus has been chosen as the suffering servant, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! In none other is there salvation, for - there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
In our passage today we have come to understand four important confessions of who Jesus Christ is:
Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God - and as the sacrificial lamb, Jesus removes the sin of the world. The removal of our sin is found through the atoning sacrifice of Christ upon the cross - which places the believer - ‘at one’ with God.
Jesus Christ is able to take away your sin and that of the world because He is the One who has a higher rank than John and existed before John. Jesus Christ is superior to us in all respects - He is superior to any existing claims of world religions - for He solely is the Eternal God.
Jesus Christ is the only One who grants salvation from our sins and is the giver of eternal life because He is the only One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. At the moment that we are saved by Jesus Christ - He sanctifies us - setting us apart for holiness - through His Spirit whom lives in the born again believer.
Jesus Christ is truly the unique One from the Father as He is the Son of God. As it states in Col. 2:9 - ‘For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.’
We have spiritual victory in our life because of the source of our victory over sin is in Christ alone - the Lamb of God. Christ SAVES us from the penalty of our sins, Christ is SUPERIOR in every regard, Christ SANCTIFIES us, and Christ is SUPREME - all powerful because HE IS God.
Have you come to the Lamb of God for the forgiveness of your sin? Have you turned your life over to the Lamb of God as your Lord and Saviour?
(For a full explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - click here - http://www.doihaveeternallife.blogspot.com/)
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Audio Sermon File: John 1:29-34
Going Deeper: Study Guide
The Lamb of God
John 1:29-34 states:
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 "This is He on behalf of whom I said, `After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.' 31 "I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water." 32 John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 "I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, `He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' 34 "I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God."
Today we will affirm four great truths about Jesus Christ, as the Lamb of God. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God as evidenced by four powerful confessions:
1. The Lamb of God SAVES
2. The Lamb of God is SUPERIOR
3. The Lamb of God SANCTIFIES
4. The Lamb of God is SUPREME
Last week we reacquainted ourselves with a humble servant of the Lord - John the Baptist. John the Baptist was under interrogation by the Jews from Jerusalem. Their purpose was to investigate the Baptist. They needed to report back to the religious authorities, with the answer to this question - ‘WHO ARE YOU?’ And in reply John the Baptist - plainly, truthfully - states that he is not, who they think he might have been. Now continuing in the Gospel of John in chapter 1, verse 29, John the Baptist gives us 4 powerful confessions.
Jesus Christ takes our place, and is the only perfect sinless sacrifice which pleases God so that He forgives us of all our sins - Jesus Christ SAVES; Jesus Christ surpasses all of us because He is God Jesus Christ is SUPERIOR; Jesus Christ sets us apart for holiness when He saves us - in other words Jesus Christ SANCTIFIES; Jesus Christ is the only way in which we may be saved because He is the Son of God Jesus Christ is SUPREME.
John the Baptist begins with his first confession which is that :
1. The Lamb of God SAVES (v.29)
As the our passage begins we should note that it begins with the words ‘the next day’, in verse 29. ‘The next day’ appears here, and also in verses 35, 43, and in 2:1. It points the reader to the fact that there a series of days and consecutive events that are chronological. These series of days contain happenings which give testimony and confession of who Jesus is. They serve to develop a positive identification of the coming Saviour to which John the Baptist pointed to. As each day progresses a deeper picture of the Messiah - Jesus Christ, is painted.
For a long time the Jews were awaiting their coming Messiah that had been prophesied about in the Scriptures. When the word spread around about the John the Baptist’s ministry, it gained a lot of attention. So in response to the Baptist’s ministry - in the direct preceding context of verses (v.19-28) - the religious authorities sent out some of their members to figure out who John the Baptist was. They questioned him as to whether he was the Christ - and the Baptist’s reply was no he was not. They questioned him as to whether he was Elijah, or the prophet - and once again received the answers - no. Instead John declares himself to be the ‘voice,’ the one whom God called to point others to the Saviour - and to call them to prepare. And now the Baptist does do that - he points decisively at Jesus - the Christ he prepared others for and exclaims ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ John the Baptist declares ‘Behold’ - or look - drawing attention to Jesus. John then attributes to Jesus the title - ‘the Lamb of God.’ John anticipates something so important to this gospel book. The event that is foreshadowed is the cross upon which Christ dies. Jesus Christ is the Lamb - a special kind of lamb which is able to permanently take away our sin.
With this statement there is a possible link to the Passover celebration, which looms just over the horizon, in chapter 2. The Passover commemorates the time that the Jews were delivered from slavery in Egypt. The Passover was in remembrance of the tenth plague upon the Egyptians. If you remember this 10th plague was in judgement of the nation for Pharaoh’s obstinance. In the tenth plague, the Lord sent the angel of death to ‘pass over’ the Jewish homes on which the doorposts were sprinkled with blood (Exod 12:23-27). As the angel ‘passed over’ these homes, those who did not have the blood of a lamb upon their doorposts - the result was that the firstborn of men and animal of these homes, were judged by death.
In the Old Testament we have the concept of a ritual taking away of sin through the life of a sacrificial animal. It was a wiping away of sin, a covering over (Heb. -kephar), or getting rid of sin - specifically symbolized by its blood which was required in exchange for the life of the worshipper. This was a symbolic expression of - innocent life given for guilty life. The Passover foreshadowed Christ’s work of glorifying God through His sacrifice - the shedding of His blood upon the cross, and therefore the bearing away of the sins of the people. The shed blood of Christ upon the cross and the subsequent removal of our sins - constitutes the atonement. The atonement is the act where we are made to be ‘at one’ with God once again. Christ’s innocent life was given for our guilty lives.
In both the offering of the sacrificial animal and in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross - only those who were genuine in faith and repentance, received its benefit, which was the forgiveness of God. God’s forgiveness , was not based on any animal sacrifice, but on The One - that is Jesus Christ. Because all the sacrifices of the OT pictured and pointed the person to their need of a permanent solution to sin - and that was found in Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death in our place. The Old Testament ritual anticipated the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate High Priest, who died on the cross for you and for me. What was presented in the OT, now in the NT what was foreshadowed, has been revealed clearly to us - that Jesus Christ is ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’
It is interesting to note here in verse 29, that the word sin is used, and not the plural ‘sins.’ The point is that the Baptist is not only looking at a number of individual acts of sin, but looks to the broader scope. He foreshadows the cross, and acknowledges that ‘the Lamb of God’s’ sacrifice is sufficient. It is sufficient for taking away the totality of the world’s sin - but that it effectively only reaches all people whom are chosen. Though the forgiveness of sin is offered, only those who receive Christ will it become efficacious - because if we remember back in verses 11 and 12 - it states that Jesus Christ - "came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
The word ‘World’ speaks of the comprehensive nature of Christ’s work on our behalf to satisfy God’s just wrath upon the sinner. Christ’s death and resurrection is adequate for anyone who would come in humble reliance upon the Lord, for salvation from the penalty of their sins.
REPEAT - There is a tendency for believers to live in the light of their sins; and not in the light of the One who has granted us the forgiveness of our sins.
Yes, we do sin, as believers - though being saved by God from our sins - yet we often dwell upon the grief which was associated with our sins. Despite our confession of sin often we cling to the remembrance of them - even though they have been forgiven. Our past sins, though forgiven - plague our memories. And because of this we often live in the past and not in the present and the future. Do you ever feel that you are too sinful to be forgiven? Do you feel that even though you have asked God to be forgiven, there is no assurance of this? Let us look to Scripture to help us with these often very real feelings.
Jeremiah 31:33-34 states: 33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, `Know the Lord,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." This statement from Jeremiah is the announcement of the New Covenant which tells us the reality of the results of the coming of Jesus Christ, which we as believers are a part of in Christ. Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us we are now a new creation in Christ, and all our sins have been forgiven.
1 John 1:9 tells us - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
In this verse, it points us to the fact that God will indeed forgive us if we confess our sins to Him. In order to be assured of God’s forgiveness we need to accept what God has stated in His Word. When we have genuinely sought out God’s forgiveness then - God will remember our sins no more. God will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. For the believer - we need to live in light of the facts of forgiveness and not in light of our emotions which may deceive us.
For those of you who do not know Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour - there is no one who is too sinful to be forgiven - Jesus Christ saves. So it is revealed that - Jesus Christ takes our sins away as the perfect sinless sacrifice on our behalf if we put our complete trust in Him.
John the Baptist ads further weight to his testimony. This time it relates to the proper identification of the Messiah he just pointed to. He states on behalf of the One he pointed to, that:
2. The Lamb of God is SUPERIOR (v.30)
Verse 30 states - This is He on behalf of whom I said, `After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.' The focus of this verse is solely upon the Lamb of God. This Man is the one who is superior to - and also having priority over the Baptist. The Baptist makes this same declaration back in verse 15, if you look back there in your Bibles. Prior to that point John could not make a positive ID of the Christ. But in v. 15 and now in v. 30 - the Baptist is now able to point out Jesus the Christ, beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Jesus Christ is SUPERIOR as the Baptist uses in his description of Christ - ‘a Man’ - and we see that John balances the reality of who Jesus is. In context to the opening verses of chapter 1 - Jesus Christ is the God-Man. For the Lamb of God - is fully human yet He is also the eternal Word of God. John the Baptist affirms the priority of the incarnate Word. John the Baptist humbly declares without any question that Jesus Christ, though coming after John - has a higher rank than him (ie - pre-eminent) and Jesus Christ existied before the Baptist (ie - Jesus was eternally pre-existent cf. v.1-2).
Not only is it that Jesus Christ SAVES, and that Jesus Christ is SUPERIOR to us, John in verse 31 delivers his 3rd powerful confession of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God - which is that:
3. The Lamb of God SANCTIFIES (v.31-33)
v.31 - At this point of the our passage in verses 31-33, we should note that John had already Baptized Jesus earlier. And up to that point, John the Baptist makes the claim that he did not recognize Jesus. And the knowledge that Jesus was indeed the Messiah did come through God’s revelation later, which was revealed at the Baptism of the Messiah. Scripture does not mention if John the Baptist and Jesus knew one another personally before this event - but we do know that they were related to one another (Lk. 1:36). It was, however the Baptist’s function to reveal and make known the Messiah to Israel, which only was affirmed at Jesus’ baptism.
v.32 - Through the Baptist’s own personal experience of baptizing Jesus - did God confirm that Jesus was indeed the Lamb of God. At this junction of human history, the Baptist states - I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. The descent of the Spirit was a visible event. The Spirit of God manifested Himself in likeness as a dove as a sign. The dove, to the Jews it seems was associated as a symbol of the Holy Spirit (it is important to note that the Spirit is not a dove). It was only the sign which God used to confirm to the Baptist, who the Messiah was. John the Baptist did recognize Jesus as the Messiah when He came to John to be baptized, but now the permanent and undeniable proof was given by God. The presence of the Spirit of God coming out of heaven served to authenticate Jesus’ earthly ministry. It also represents the seal of Christ’s work in the people He saves.
v.33 - John was in no way portraying himself as the one who could impart the Spirit to his own disciples or anyone else. He did announce that it was the Lamb of God that could do so. John baptized with water - in a call to repentance and preparation for the Messiah, but Jesus Christ baptizes in the Holy Spirit. Baptism with the Holy Spirit was foreshadowed in the OT, in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel reveals God’s future plans of restoration of His people in chapter 36. Ezekiel 36:25-27 states: 25 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
Once again like the passage I quoted earlier from Jeremiah, this too is a reference to the New Covenant. In the Lamb of God the New Covenant is fulfilled. In Jesus Christ we are cleansed - washed clean from our sins through His saving grace imparted to the believer. It is Jesus Christ who baptizes believer’s with the Holy Spirit.
At the beginning of our worship we sang the hymn "WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS" penned by Joseph Scriven, who lived between the years 1819-1886. This was written about the author and the song in the book Amazing Grace (which gives the stories behind the hymns):
A true friend loves and accepts us just as we are, stays close to us in good or in bad, and is always ready to help in time of need. Because the author of this hymn text found just such a friend in his Lord, he decided to spend his entire life showing real friendship to others.
Joseph Scriven had wealth, education, a devoted family, and a pleasant life in his native Ireland. Then unexpected tragedy entered. On the night before Scriven’s scheduled wedding, his fiancée drowned. In his deep sorrow, Joseph realized that he could find the solace and support he needed only in his dearest friend, Jesus. Soon after this tragedy, Scriven dramatically changed his lifestyle. He left Ireland for Port Hope, Canada (which is about an hour east of Toronto), he was determined to devote all of his extra time in being a friend and helper to others. Scriven became known as "the Good Samaritan of Port Hope."
When Scriven’s mother became ill in Ireland, he wrote a comforting letter to her, enclosing the words of his newly written poem with the prayer that these brief lines would remind her of a never-failing heavenly Friend. Sometime later, when Joseph Scriven himself was ill, a friend who came to call on him happened to see a copy of these words scribbled on scratch paper near his bed. The friend read the lines with interest and asked, "Who wrote those beautiful words?" "The Lord and I did it between us," was Scriven’s reply.
Scriven’s song begins with these words - ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!’ Yes, Jesus is our friend He is the Lamb of God who takes away your sins. When you place your complete trust in Him, He will not disappoint you, for He is faithful. When you believe in Jesus Christ, He gives you the indwelling Holy Spirit which does the work of sanctification in you. The song closes with these words - ‘in His arms He’ll take and shield thee—Thou wilt find a solace there.’ (Osbeck, K. W. 1990. Amazing grace : 366 inspiring hymn stories for daily devotions. Includes indexes. (Page 19). Kregel Publications: Grand Rapids, Mich. )
In the Lamb of God we find our shelter from our sin.
When we were saved by Christ we are made new - 2 Cor. 5:17 tells us this - Therefore if anyone is in Christ, [he is] a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
At the time of our conversion, when we have sincerely repented (turned away from the love of sin) and confessed our sin and our utter need for Christ, as our Saviour from our sins - we receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then indwells in the believer - He lives in us permanently, which is our seal of the new life received in Christ. Ephesians 1:13-14 affirms to us this spiritual reality: 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God's own] possession, to the praise of His glory.
God gives us the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that we are truly saved. With the Holy Spirit living in the believer, there will be marks of spiritual growth and maturity - because we are being sanctified - in other words - set apart for holiness - set apart for God’s purposes.
Finally we find our last important confession:
4. The Lamb of God SUPREME (v.34)
John supports his testimony of the Messiah with his fourth confession - ‘that this is the Son of God,’ in verse 34. He once again gives us the reader the positive identification of who the Lamb of God is. John emphatically declares that in Jesus Christ we find the anointed elect One. And I want to lead you to discover this yourself. And how you can do this is to look in your Bibles - to draw this back to the things we have learned from verse 1 and to bring things back ‘full circle’ down to verse 34 and then back to verse 1 - we then have this certainty unfolding in the inspired, inerrant, infallible text :
that in verse 1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (v.1); now in verse 14 - And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth; and in verse 17b - grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ; in verse 29 - The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ; connect this with verse 34 - "I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God; and now bring it back full circle to verse 1c - the Word was God.
Therefore it is undeniable that the Word became flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God and Son of God - to die as the sole sacrifice for our sins if we receive this truth and cast ourselves upon His grace and mercy - in repentance of our sins.
Now back to verse 34 - the focus is once again on the identification of ‘The Lamb of God’ - and this time it is on His supremacy. This is the concern of the Baptist because God sent him to be a witness to the Messiah. John was the voice preparing the way for the Messiah’s arrival, and now that the Messiah is here, he states - I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God - John the Baptist identifies and points to Jesus Christ. This is also the concern of the Apostle John, as he recounts the Good News about the Christ.
As the Son, Jesus has a special relationship with the Father. It speaks of an intimate and unique knowledge of the Father - that Jesus Christ alone shares the same nature as the Father. As we will discover later on in the Gospel, Jesus on several occasions, applies to Himself this special relationship of being the Son of God. In so doing Jesus asserted His Deity. Yet what we find here - is that Jesus, as the Son of God, is the chosen One that would be in fulfillment of God’s plan of Salvation….Jesus has been chosen as the suffering servant, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! In none other is there salvation, for - there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
In our passage today we have come to understand four important confessions of who Jesus Christ is:
Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God - and as the sacrificial lamb, Jesus removes the sin of the world. The removal of our sin is found through the atoning sacrifice of Christ upon the cross - which places the believer - ‘at one’ with God.
Jesus Christ is able to take away your sin and that of the world because He is the One who has a higher rank than John and existed before John. Jesus Christ is superior to us in all respects - He is superior to any existing claims of world religions - for He solely is the Eternal God.
Jesus Christ is the only One who grants salvation from our sins and is the giver of eternal life because He is the only One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. At the moment that we are saved by Jesus Christ - He sanctifies us - setting us apart for holiness - through His Spirit whom lives in the born again believer.
Jesus Christ is truly the unique One from the Father as He is the Son of God. As it states in Col. 2:9 - ‘For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.’
We have spiritual victory in our life because of the source of our victory over sin is in Christ alone - the Lamb of God. Christ SAVES us from the penalty of our sins, Christ is SUPERIOR in every regard, Christ SANCTIFIES us, and Christ is SUPREME - all powerful because HE IS God.
Have you come to the Lamb of God for the forgiveness of your sin? Have you turned your life over to the Lamb of God as your Lord and Saviour?
(For a full explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - click here - http://www.doihaveeternallife.blogspot.com/)
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