Introductory Survey Of The Book

These can be very helpful in gaining a sense of the overall message and emphasis of the book.

Bill McRae: “John” [Audio Only]
From the series: “Survey of the Bible”

**Mark Dever (Capital Hill Baptist Church): “Jesus, the Son of God – The Message of John” [Audio]

**Ray Stedman (Peninsula Bible Church): “The Gospel of John: WHO IS THIS MAN?” [Text, PDF, Audio, Spanish translation available]
From the Series: “Adventuring Through the Bible” [Text, PDF, Audio, Spanish translation available]

Exposition

Usually this is the systematic exposition of a biblical text in the form of a sermon, and is usually part of a larger series of messages on that book.

Ken Boa: “Studies in the Book of John” [Text, Audio] (a 22 lesson study of John, plus introduction)

Steve J. Cole: “The Gospel of John” [Text, Word, Audio] (Series in progress, posting as become available)

Bob Deffinbaugh: “That You Might Believe: A Study of the Gospel of John” [Text, Word] (48 lessons on the Gospel of John, plus introduction)

**Mark Dever: “The Gospel of John” [Audio] (21 audio sermons – one per chapter – on the entire Gospel of John)

**Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church): “The Gospel of John” [Audio] (34 Messages)

**S. Lewis Johnson: “The Gospel of John” [Text, PDF, Audio] (88 lessons on John)

**Ray Stedman (Peninsula Bible Church): “The Gospel of John” [Text, PDF, Audio, Spanish translation available] (48 lessons on John)

Bob Deffinbaugh: “Highlights in the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ” [Text, Word] (many lessons are related to the Gospel of John –Scripture text viewable in the title of each message)

Keith Krell: “Focus on Your Family: Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17)” [Text, Word, Audio] (This is a 14 lesson study of John 13-17.)

Bill McRae: “The Lord’s Upper Room Discourse” [Audio] (a 5 lesson audio study on the Upper Room Discourse in John 13-17)

Jeff Miller: “The Seven Signs of Christ” [Audio] (an 8 lesson study of the signs of Christ in John’s Gospel)

Commentaries

W. Hall Harris III: “Commentary on the Gospel of John” [Text, Word] (21 chapters, plus introductory material)

Study Helps And Related Materials

Tom Constable: Constable’s Expository Notes on John [PDF] Also available in our Bible Study Tool under the Constable’s Notes Tab

David Malick: “An Introduction To The Gospel Of John” [Text]
“An Argument Of The Gospel Of John” [Text]
“A Selected Bibliography For The Gospel Of John” [Text]

Daniel B. Wallace: “The Gospel of John: Introduction, Argument, Outline” [Text, Word]
From the Series: “New Testament: Introductions and Outlines” [Text, Word]

Peter L. Smith: “Chronology & Synopsis of the Passion Week” [Text, PDF]

Devotional Studies

Greg Herrick: “Loving the Giver not Just the Gifts” [Text, Word] (In part deals with John 6:25-27)

Women’s Studies

Kay Daigle: “Snapshots of Jesus: A Study in John for Wise Women” [Text, Word, PP, Audio] (12 lesson study, with introduction and downloadable resources)

Vickie Kraft: “[Women of the Bible 4] The Adulterous Woman: Bait for the Trap” [Text, Audio]
From the Series: “Women of the Bible” [Text, Audio] (a 10 lesson study)

Susie Hawkins: “I AM” [Audio] (4 lessons on Jesus’ I Am’s in John)
“People Who Met Jesus” [Audio] (lessons 4 and 5 focus on John 4 and 8)

Children’s Studies

Jodi Hooper: “Jesus in John” [Text, Word, PP] (8 Bible Lessons for Kidz, covering John 1-4, 9-10, 11)
“Jesus in Matthew and Mark” [Text, Word, PDF, PP] (8 lessons for Kidz. While the series title focuses on Matthew and Mark, parallel passages in John are also dealt with.)
“Holy Week” [Text, Word, PDF, PP] (10 lessons for Kidz which cover Holy Week in the Gospels)

Storying

John Walsh: “Book 4: Beauty from Ashes,” lessons 174-219.
From the Series: “All the Stories of the Bible” [PDF]

March 24, 2013

Several decades ago, “All in the Family” poked fun at the red-neck, blue-collar, bigots of America through the lead bigot, Archie Bunker. On one show, Archie told his wife Edith that he wanted to be on the bowling team so bad that he could taste it! He described the bowling shirts that the Cannonballers wore: All yellow silk, with bright red piping on the collar and sleeves. And on the back, there’s a picture of a cannon firing a bowling ball at the set of pins. He said, “When you got something like that on your back, Edith, you know you’re somebody!” (Raymond Gibson, Minister’s Annual [Abingdon, 1987], ed. by Jim & Doris Morentz)

That show was satirizing that a man could gain a sense of identity and importance from being a part of a bowling team and wearing a gaudy shirt. But that anecdote raises the questions, “Who are you? What is the source of your identity? How should your sense of who you are before God as a Christian shape how you live and what you do?”

Our text shows us that John the Baptist was a man who was clear on who he was not and who he was. He was also clear on who Jesus is. So he was able to point others clearly to Jesus as the only Savior whom they desperately needed.

At this point, we leave the prologue and begin a long section (1:19-12:54) that amasses testimony for Jesus as the Son of God, the one in whom all should believe. The rest of chapter 1 presents the witness of the forerunner, John the Baptist, to Jesus. Andreas Kostenberger (John [Baker], p. 53) points out two purposes for this section: “(1) to show John’s witness to Jesus at the inception of [Jesus’] ministry; and (2) to clarify John’s relationship to Jesus as one of witness rather than rivalry or antagonism.”

Back in 1:6-8, we saw three aspects of the Baptist’s testimony to Jesus: (1) he was not the Light; (2) he was sent to bear witness to the Light; (3) his aim was that all might believe through him. Those three points outline John 1:19-51: In 1:19-28, John testifies that he is not the Light; in 1:29-34, he bears witness to the Light; and, in 1:35-51, we see John’s witness bear fruit as several of his disciples believe in Jesus and begin to follow Him (C. H. Dodd, cited by James Boice, The Gospel of John [Zondervan], one-volume ed., pp. 49, 94; also noted by Kostenberger, p. 53). In this message, we will cover the first point, which we can state as it applies to us:

We need to be clear on who we are in God’s kingdom so that we can effectively point others to Jesus for salvation.

To appreciate this section, you have to use some holy imagination to put yourself in John’s sandals. God has called you to preach, even though you haven’t had any formal training. To be honest, you’re a bit different in how you dress and in what you eat. Rather than the common linen tunic, you wear a camel’s hair garment with a leather belt and your diet consists of locusts and wild honey (Matt. 3:4). You don’t quite blend in with the mainstream of your culture! You don’t go to the capital to launch your ministry, but are out in the tules. Your message isn’t exactly user-friendly or sensitive. Your opening line is (Luke 3:7), “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” A ministry consultant might tell you that you need to improve your public image!

But surprisingly, thousands are flocking out there to hear you preach. You’re baptizing many who repent for the forgiveness of their sins. And then, one day a delegation of nicely-dressed fellows from the religious “big boys” in Jerusalem arrives to check you out. They take you aside and ask, “Who are you?” It could be a bit threatening if you weren’t sure of your calling and your message! But John was clear on who he was not and on who he was. And because of that, he clearly pointed the religious bigwigs to Jesus.

1. To effectively point others to Jesus, we need to be clear on who we are not (1:19-21).

In this section, the apostle John sets up the tension that will mount between the religious crowd versus Christ and His true followers. In 1:19, he first mentions “the Jews.” John will use this term about 70 times (Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans], p. 130). Sometimes he uses it in a neutral sense (e.g. 2:6); sometimes in a good sense (e.g. 4:22); but, more often he uses it to refer to the Jewish people and especially the religious leaders from Jerusalem who are hostile toward Jesus (ibid., 130-131). Because of John’s frequent use of this term, some have accused him of being anti-Semitic. But we need to keep in mind that John himself was a Jew (as was Jesus). John was not attacking Jewish people or what was right and good in Judaism. Rather, as D. A. Carson points out (The Gospel According to John [Apollos/Eerdmans], p. 142), he was trying “to controvert those who have so failed to appreciate their own heritage that they have failed to see its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.”

A. John the Baptist was clear that he was not the Christ (1:19-20).

Messianic expectations were running high in Israel as people longed for deliverance from Roman rule. Based on different promises in the Hebrew Scriptures, the people were expecting that one day God would send an especially great person, a mighty deliverer, who would represent God in a unique way and usher in an age of righteousness and peace, including deliverance from foreign rule.

So when the religious leaders in Jerusalem heard about John’s popularity, they decided that they had better check him out. He was a puzzling man to them. He was of priestly descent and he could have been a part of their crowd—living comfortably in one of the cities, dressing in conventional robes, and functioning as a part of the religious establishment. But instead he was living out in the wilderness in a very unconventional way. His message wasn’t friendly toward the establishment. He seemed a bit odd!

Apparently the religious delegation asked John if he were the Christ (the Messiah), or at least John sensed that it was implicitly behind their question, “Who are you?” The apostle John piles up phrases to indicate that the Baptist vigorously denied that he was the Christ (1:20): “and he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’” It’s as if the apostle John is saying, “I myself heard him confess and not for one instant deny, and this is what he confessed, that he is not the Christ.” The Baptist’s strong reply left no room for further questioning along those lines.

B. John the Baptist was clear that he was not Elijah (1:21a).

The delegation tried a different tack (1:21): “What then? Are you Elijah?” It was a good guess. John looked like the description of Elijah, both in his rugged wilderness lifestyle and in his fiery message of judgment (1 Kings 17:4-6; 2 Kings 1:8-10). Malachi (the last O.T. prophet, 400 years before) states (4:5) that before the great and terrible day of the Lord, God would send Elijah the prophet to restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers. This was taken to mean that before Messiah came, Elijah would come. But again, John’s answer was not ambiguous: “I am not.”

This denial seems to contradict what Jesus later stated, that John was the Elijah of Malachi 4 (Matt. 11:14; 17:11). Also, the angel who predicted John’s birth to his father Zecharias, cited the same prophecy and said that John would go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). So why does John deny that he is Elijah?

There could be several answers. First, John probably knew that some Jews were expecting the literal Elijah, who did not die but was carried to heaven in a fiery chariot, to return in a spectacular way from heaven. John denied that he was this literal Elijah. But Jesus was not speaking of the literal Elijah, but of John coming in the spirit and power of Elijah. Also, John had a humble opinion of himself. He may not have seen as much significance in his ministry as Jesus did (Carson, p. 143). Leon Morris (pp. 135-136) observes, “Jesus confers on John his true significance. No man is what he himself thinks he is. He is only what Jesus knows him to be.” John was not interested in building a following after himself as a latter-day Elijah, but rather in pointing others to Jesus as the Christ. So John denied that he was Elijah.

C. John the Baptist was clear that he was not the Prophet (1:21b).

The delegation tries a third possibility: “Are you the Prophet?” John’s answers are growing increasingly short: “No.” He wants to cut off all this misleading speculation about himself. The religious leaders were referring to the prophet that Moses had predicted in Deuteronomy 18:15, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.” The Jews distinguished between this latter-day prophet and Messiah (John 6:14; 7:40-41), but early Christian preachers equated the prophet that Moses predicted with Messiah (Acts 3:22; 7:37). But John doesn’t want to go there, so he just gives the terse reply, “No.”

At this point the delegation has nothing positive to put in their report to the leaders back in Jerusalem, so they repeat their question (1:22): “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” This leads to John’s plain statement of who he is:

2. To effectively point others to Jesus, we need to be clear on who we are (1:22-28).

John was clear on who he was and on what his role was in God’s economy. His interchange with these leaders brings out three positive ways that John viewed himself:

A. John the Baptist saw himself as a voice of one crying out in the wilderness (1:23).

John 1:23: “He said, ‘I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as Isaiah the prophet said.’” He was citing Isaiah 40:3. The point of the quotation is that it gives no prominence to the preacher whatever (Morris, p. 137). He did not say, “I am the great voice referred to by Isaiah in the Scriptures!” He did not say, “I am the important voice, the voice that will forever change world history. That is my exalted role!” Rather, he is just a voice, calling attention to the coming of the Lord. The imagery was that before a king would visit a town, a messenger would go before him to announce his coming. The townspeople would hurry out to clear away the obstacles and fill in the washed out parts of the road to smooth the way for the king’s coming. The messenger didn’t call attention to himself, but to the coming king. And John here makes it clear that the coming King is none other than the Lord. Messiah is God!

“Wilderness” here may have a spiritual allusion to the barren state of the Jewish religion (J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels [Baker], 3:51). It had degenerated into religious ritualism and legalism, rather than a personal relationship with the living God. It is the tendency of all religions, including Christianity, to devolve from knowing God and walking with Him on the heart level into outward observance of rituals and rules. Whenever that happens, God raises up spokesmen to call people back to walking with Him. To do that, we have to clear away the obstacles of sin and fill in the ruts of ritualism that have robbed us of reality with God.

B. John the Baptist saw himself as one who baptizes the repentant in water (1:24-26a).

Some Pharisees in the delegation were still not satisfied with John’s answer. So they ask (1:25), “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” At this point, John could have gone into a lengthy discussion of himself and his role as the baptizer. But again, his reply with regard to himself is as brief as possible and then he directs things to Christ (1:26), “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know.” John waits until the next day to draw the contrast between his baptizing in water and Jesus’ baptizing in the Holy Spirit (1:29, 31-33). In verse 28, John identifies the location where John was baptizing as “Bethany beyond the Jordan” (the NJKV follows an inferior textual variant, “Bethabara”), distinguishing it from the Bethany that was near Jerusalem.

John’s baptism was unique. It was common for Gentile proselytes to Judaism to be baptized. And some Jewish communities practiced self-baptism for cleansing. But John was doing the baptizing and he was doing it on Jewish people, even calling on the Jewish religious leaders to repent and be baptized (Matt. 3:7-12). This surely would have been offensive to the racially and religiously proud Jews.

His baptism seemed to have two facets: First, it was a baptism of repentance in which those being baptized confessed their sins and prepared themselves for the coming kingdom of God (Matt. 3:2, 6; Luke 3:3). He exhorted those being baptized to bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance, as opposed to relying on their Jewish heritage for right standing with God (Luke 3:8-14).

Second, his baptism anticipated the coming Messianic baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matt. 3:11-12; Luke 3:16-17). It was a sign to point people to the coming of the Messiah (John 1:31). John may also have seen his baptism as a rite of prophetic symbolism. The Old Testament prophets often performed symbolic acts to make their message more vivid. John may have been symbolizing through baptism the Old Testament prophecies that spoke of God cleansing His people before the coming of Messiah (Ezek. 36:25; 37:23; Zech. 13:1). But as with his role as a voice crying out in the wilderness, so with his role as baptizer: He was preparing people for the coming of the Lord, the Messiah. He was not building up his own following. The third way that John saw himself lines up with the first two:

C. John the Baptist saw himself as a lowly slave of Jesus (1:27).

After telling the religious leaders that they did not know the One standing among them (1:26b), John continues to describe Him (1:27): “It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” Rabbi Joshua ben Levi (A.D. 250) taught, “All manner of service that a slave must render to his master, the pupil must render to his teacher—except that of taking off his shoe” (cited by Kostenberger, p. 65). So John saw himself as a lowly slave and Jesus as such a worthy Master that John wasn’t even worthy to untie His sandal strap. To point people to Christ, we need to join John in esteeming ourselves less and exalting Christ more. People don’t need to be impressed with us, but with Jesus!

The world will always give us opportunities to esteem ourselves more highly than we ought, but those who are growing in godliness see themselves as unworthy slaves (Luke 17:10). The world will ask, “Are you the Christ?” While they may not go so far as to answer “yes,” there are plenty of self-inflated preachers who will say, “No, I’m not the Christ, but I’m glad that you noticed the resemblance!” “Well, then, are you Elijah or the Prophet?” “Well, you could say that I’m a lot like them. Yes, if Elijah were here now, I’m sure that we’d be best of friends because we’re so much alike!” Many of the TV preachers reek of pride. But genuine prophets, like John, don’t call attention to themselves, except to admit, “I’m just an unworthy slave. Jesus is the only worthy Master. Follow Him!”

3. When we’re clear on who we are in God’s kingdom, we can effectively point others to Christ.

We’ll see more of how John pointed these religious leaders to Jesus in our next study. In the study following that, we will see how he pointed his own disciples to Jesus. He wasn’t trying to hang onto them for himself or to build a following or a legacy to “John the Baptist Ministries, International.” John’s motto was (John 3:30), “He must increase, but I must decrease.” It’s a good rule to keep in mind when you get a chance to talk about spiritual things. Ask, who do you think Jesus is? Have you considered His claims? Have you read the gospels to learn about His supernatural life? Everything hangs on who Jesus is and what He did for us on the cross.

Also, the need of every sinner is to know Christ as Savior and Lord. That’s especially true of religious sinners. John easily could have thought that these religious leaders had it together spiritually. After all, they meticulously kept the Law of Moses. They went beyond the Law by tithing their table spices and keeping rituals of cleansing and other outwardly observable religious duties (Matt. 23). But their hearts were far from God (Mark 7:6-9). Religious sinners are often the most difficult to reach for Christ, because they are proud of their religion and blind to their pride. But they need to be confronted with the fact that in their midst stands One whom they do not know (John 1:26).

Conclusion

Here are four lessons from John the Baptist on how to evaluate accurately who you are so that you can point people to Christ:

First, if you’re only into religion rather than Christ, you will flatter yourself with your religious performance rather than humble yourself in the holy presence of Christ. These religious leaders didn’t go out to hear John preach so that they could repent and come to know God better. They were quite satisfied with their religious performance, thank you! They were there to bring John under their control so that more people didn’t follow him, because he threatened their comfy religious establishment. Their religion filled them with pride and kept them from knowing the Messiah and Savior. Religion is always the enemy of reality with God.

Second, you can only evaluate yourself correctly and point people to Jesus to the extent that you truly know Him. Ask yourself, “Do I have reality with God? Do I walk daily with Christ? Do I repent of my sins on the heart or thought level?” J. C. Ryle (3:48) observed, “It will be better at the last day never to have been born, than to have had Christ ‘standing among us’ and not to have known Him.”

Third, humility is essential for a correct view of yourself, but self-esteem is detrimental. That may shock you since self-esteem is viewed in evangelical circles as foundational for the Christian life. But that “doctrine” has only flooded into the church in the past 40 years thanks to Christian leaders importing it from worldly psychology.

When you read the godly men from the past, they consistently pit self-esteem against the self-denial and humility that Jesus commanded. John Calvin (The Institutes of the Christian Religion [Westminster Press], ed. by John McNeill, trans. by Ford Lewis Battles, 2:1:2) observed, “There is, indeed, nothing that man’s nature seeks more eagerly than to be flattered.” He goes on to point out that self-love is innate in us all and that people will flock to preachers who tickle their pride and build their self-esteem. But such talk only deceives us and drives us into utter ruin (see also, Calvin, 2:8:54; 3:7:5; 3:8). In commenting on John’s humility, J. C. Ryle (3:44-45) said, “Never shall we feel the need of humility so deeply, as when we lie on our deathbeds, and stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. Our whole lives will then appear a long catalogue of imperfections, ourselves nothing, and Christ all.”

Fourth, whatever your gifts and calling, you can do as John did and point people to Jesus. John’s aim was to deflect attention from himself and to exalt Christ as the one worthy of all glory. As we’ll see in verses 29 & 36, he pointed everyone to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Sinners need their sins forgiven. By offering Himself as the substitute for sinners, Jesus will forgive the sins of all that trust in Him. Tell people that wonderful news!

Application Questions

1. What obstacles (1:23) keep people from coming to the Lord? How can we help remove them to “make straight” His way?
2. Why are religious sinners the most difficult to reach with the gospel? How can we try to break through their pride?
3. John was pretty blunt in his witness, as was Jesus (Matt. 3:7; 23:1-36). Is there a place for us to be so blunt? Consider Col. 4:5-6 & 2 Tim. 2:24-26.
4. What is true humility? How can we grow in it? Is there a legitimate place for pride in our (or our kids’) accomplishments?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2013, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

April 14, 2013

If you’ve never watched “The Gospel Blimp,” I encourage you to do so (you can watch a fuzzy version of the 1967 film at vimeo.com/45680269). It’s a hilarious satire of some well-meaning but misguided Christians who want to share the gospel with their neighbors. They get together to strategize about how to do it, a blimp flies over, and someone comes up with the idea of getting a blimp and using it to preach the gospel to the entire city.

So they raise the money, buy some land for the hangar, and get the blimp. The whole operation requires a corporation, a board of directors, an office, and much more. The guy who came up with the plan quits his job and goes full time with the blimp. Eventually he hires a PR agent who outfits him in a uniform and promotes his image as “the Commander.” He has to neglect his family to play golf with important contacts, but the cause is worth it!

They finally get the blimp airborne and it rains down cellophane-wrapped tracts all over the city. But the people in the town are annoyed at having their yards littered with these droppings from the sky. Next they outfit the blimp with a loud PA system and make themselves even more obnoxious to everyone.

But one guy decides to leave the board of the blimp. Meanwhile, the board sees him going to the beach on Saturday with his beer-drinking neighbor. They’re concerned that he’s becoming “worldly.” By the end of the movie, he and his wife have led their neighbors to Christ. But the blimp crowd still doesn’t get it.

The message of that movie is that the best way to share the gospel with your neighbors is to befriend them and tell them about Jesus. That’s the message of John 1:35-51:

Because Jesus is the Savior that everyone needs, friends bring friends to Him.

John the Baptist points two of his disciples (Andrew and probably John) to Jesus as the Lamb of God (1:35-36). They follow Jesus and Andrew finds his brother Simon Peter and brings him to Jesus (1:41-42). Jesus finds Philip and says to him (1:43), “Follow Me.” Philip quickly finds Nathanael and tells him (1:45), “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote.” Although Nathanael was skeptical, Philip simply replies (1:46), “Come and see.” And so Nathanael met Jesus. All of these men’s lives were drastically changed because they met Jesus.

1. Jesus is the only Savior that everyone needs.

The Gospel of John is all about who Jesus is and the first chapter gets a running start in telling us. We have seen that He is the eternal Word who was in the beginning with God and who was God (1:1). Jesus has life in Him and that life is the light of men (1:4). He is the true light that enlightens every man (1:9). He gives to all that believe in Him the right to become children of God (1:12). The Word also became flesh and dwelt among us, glorious as the only begotten or unique Son of the Father (1:14). He is full of grace and truth (1:14). He is greater than John the Baptist, who testified of Him (1:15). He is greater than Moses and the Law (1:17). He is the only begotten God who explains the Father to us (1:18). He is the Lord (1:23). He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (1:29). He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit (1:33). He is the Son of God (or, chosen One of God; 1:34).

Our text repeats some of these for emphasis, bringing out no less than 12 truths about who Jesus is as John shows us five men who meet Jesus and follow Him. Remember, John’s overall purpose for writing is (20:31) “so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”

(1). Jesus is the Lamb of God (1:36).

John 1:35-37: “Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” John has mentioned and will continue to mention a sequence of days. Some have suggested that since John 1:1 begins the same way as Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning,” that John is outlining a new creation that centers in Jesus Christ. It has also been pointed out that the sequence of days in John 1:19-2:1 parallels to some degree the last week of Jesus’ life introduced in John 12:1 (see Merrill Tenney, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. by Frank Gaebelein [Zondervan], pp. 38-39). At the very least, it conveys a vivid recollection of an eyewitness who remembered this life-changing week when he and some others, who eventually became Jesus’ apostles, met the Savior.

Last week we looked in detail at John’s proclamation in 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” We saw that it focuses on Jesus as the supreme and final sacrifice for sinners that all of the Old Testament sacrifices pointed toward. Whether the two disciples, Andrew and John, were not present the day before when John made that proclamation or whether it took the second time on the second day to sink in, we don’t know. But they knew that they were sinners who needed Jesus as their Lamb, so they followed Jesus.

(2). Jesus is the Teacher or “Rabbi” (1:38, 49).

John translates the term for his Greek readers. “Rabbi” was an honorary title that students would use to address their teachers. Even the Pharisee, Nicodemus, addressed Jesus as “Rabbi” (3:2). Of course, Jesus is the Teacher, par excellence (13:13-14). We all should be students of His teachings and His example.

(3). Jesus is the Messiah (1:41).

Again John translates the term. “Messiah” (used only here and in 4:25 in the NT) means “Anointed One” in Hebrew; in Greek, Anointed One is “Christ.” In the Old Testament, “Anointed One” is used of the king of Israel (1 Sam. 6:16; 2 Sam. 1:14), the high priest (Lev. 4:3), and of the patriarchs (Ps. 105:15). Daniel (9:25, 26) refers to “Messiah the Prince” in his prophecy of the 70 weeks. It’s a title for the one prophesied of in the Old Testament who would be supremely God’s anointed prophet, priest, and king.

(4). Jesus is the authoritative Lord who changes people for His sovereign purposes (1:42).

Andrew found first his own brother Simon and brought him to Jesus. Then we read (1:42), “Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).” “Cephas” (which John again translates for his Greek readers) comes from the Aramaic word for rock, and Peter is the Greek word for rock. But John’s focus here is not so much on the meaning of the name, but rather on Jesus’ authority over people and His power to change them into what He wants them to be so that He can use them in His sovereign purposes.

It would be rather unnerving to meet a man only to have the first words out of his mouth be the audacious declaration that he is changing your name! Our name is our identity! Jesus didn’t ask Simon if it would be okay with him if He changed his name. He didn’t suggest it as a possibility and say, “Think about it for a while; maybe it will grow on you.” Rather, Jesus declares authoritatively, “You are Simon; you shall be called Peter.” Got it? As the Sovereign Lord, He has that kind of authority over us!

(5). Jesus is He of whom the Old Testament speaks (1:45).

“We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote.” The Law and the Prophets is a common term to refer to all of the Old Testament. There are over 300 prophecies plus many types in the Old Testament that point to Jesus (Luke 24:25-27, 44-46).

(6). Jesus is of Nazareth, the son of Joseph (1:45).

John often uses irony and this is probably an instance of it. Actually, Jesus was born in Bethlehem and was not the biological son of Joseph. He grew up in Nazareth and was “as supposed the son of Joseph” (Luke 3:23). It was commonly rumored that Jesus was born of fornication (John 8:41). But Philip’s description of Jesus brings out His humanity: He was a man who came from a small town in Galilee, raised by Joseph who was married to Mary. John Calvin (Calvin’s Commentaries [Baker], p. 75) points out that although Philip erroneously thought that Jesus was a native of Nazareth and the son of Joseph, he led Nathanael to the Son of God who was born in Bethlehem. Sometimes God overrules our inaccurate witness to bring people to the truth about Jesus!

(7). Jesus is the omniscient One who knows each person (1:47-48).

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, He said (1:47), “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit.” Nathanael was startled that Jesus seemed to know him even before they met, but then Jesus adds to it (1:48), “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Apparently, Nathanael had been sitting under a fig tree, meditating on the story in Genesis 28 about Jacob’s ladder (1:51). Jesus’ supernatural knowledge of Nathanael’s character and his private activity was enough for him to declare (1:49), “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”

Jesus has a way of unmasking us and boring into our souls to reveal what we really are. He later reveals that He knew what Thomas had said privately to the other disciples about touching Jesus’ wounds (20:25, 27). Hebrews 4:12-13 says, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Jesus (the Word) knows all about you, so it’s pointless to try to hide from Him. The good news is that He loves you in spite of knowing all about you, and He wants to change you for the good!

(8). Jesus is the Son of God (1:49).

This is a Messianic title. In the Old Testament, Israel is God’s son (Exod. 4:22-23; Deut. 1:31; 32:6; Jer. 31:9, 20; Hos. 11:1), and in John, Jesus is presented as the true Israel (D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans/Apollos], p. 162). But “Son of God” also refers to God’s promises to David that one of his sons would sit on the throne of Israel forever (2 Sam. 7:12, 16; Ps. 2:7; Matt. 22:42-45). Nathanael was probably referring to this Messianic designation of “Son of God.” But as John’s Gospel shows, the title also describes Jesus as the eternal Son of God, in intimate relationship with the Father as the second person of the Trinity. Thus, “Nathanael spoke better than he knew” (Carson, ibid.).

(9). Jesus is the King of Israel (1:49).

This was also a Messianic term, related to the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:12). At this point, Nathanael and the others who meet Jesus and proclaim Him to be the Messiah and King have a political understanding of those terms. They think that He will free Israel from Roman rule and usher in a new Davidic age of peace and prosperity. They still need to learn that His kingdom was not of this world (6:15; 12:13; 18:33-37; 19:19). But at least at this point, by acknowledging Jesus as the King of Israel, Nathanael is acknowledging Him to be his own King (Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans], p. 168). So should we!

(10). Jesus is the only bridge between heaven and earth (1:51).

Jesus tells Nathanael (1:51), “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.” In 1:50, the pronouns (“you”) are singular, but in 1:51, “you” is plural. Jesus addresses this promise to these five disciples. This is the first time Jesus uses the double affirmation, “Truly, truly,” which occurs only in John and points to a significant truth to follow. As I said, Nathanael had probably been meditating on Jacob’s dream about the ladder between heaven and earth with the angels ascending and descending on it. But here, they ascend and descend on Jesus. He is the only way to the Father (14:6), the only link between heaven and earth. By seeing the heavens opened, Jesus is promising the disciples that they will have greater visions of divine truth (Carson, p. 163). We can only know the Father through believing in Jesus the Son.

(11). Jesus is the dwelling place of God with us (1:51).

This also stems from the imagery of 1:51, relating to Jacob’s dream. After his dream, Jacob declared (Gen. 28:16), “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” He added (28:17), “This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” So he named that place “Bethel” (“House of God”). Jesus is the new dwelling place of God with man (14:23). We are to abide in Him (15:4).

(12). Jesus is the coming Son of Man (1:51).

“Son of Man” was Jesus’ favorite way to refer to Himself (12x in John; 66x in the Synoptic Gospels). The term comes from Daniel 7:13-14, where Daniel sees one like a Son of Man who approaches the Ancient of Days, who gives to Him an everlasting kingdom. Since Jesus refers to these verses at His trial to testify to the high priest that He is coming again in power and glory (Matt. 26:64), there may be an allusion in John 1:51 to the second coming (J. C. Ryle and James Boice both take it this way).

Leon Morris (pp. 172-173) points out four reasons that Jesus adopted this term for Himself. First, it was a rare term without nationalistic associations. People would not view Him as a political Messiah. Second, it had overtones of divinity (because of its connection with Daniel 7:13-14). Third, He adopted it because it implies the redeemed people of God. Fourth, it had undertones of humanity. Morris says (ibid.) “He took upon Him our weakness. It was a way of alluding to and yet veiling His messiahship, for His concept of the Messiah differed markedly from that commonly held.” He adds (p. 173), in the Gospel of John “the term is always associated either with Christ’s heavenly glory or with the salvation He came to bring.”

All of these gloriously piled up terms to describe Jesus show us that He is the only Savior that everyone needs. I had hoped to go through these verses and elaborate more on these five men who found Jesus, but I’ll have to do that next time. But to conclude, note that …

2. Because of who Jesus is, friends bring friends to Him.

One striking thing in the Gospel accounts about how people met Jesus as Savior is the variety of circumstances and the variety of gospel presentations. The gospel message is always the same, but there was no uniform, memorized gospel presentation. While it’s not wrong to learn a gospel presentation, such as the Four Spiritual Laws or the Evangelism Explosion outline or the Way of the Master approach, we need to be careful to tailor it to each person as best we can. Notice the different ways these men came to Jesus:

The first two, Andrew and presumably John, were disciples of John the Baptist. They heard him declare Jesus to be the Lamb of God and they followed Jesus (1:36-37). John means that they followed Jesus literally, walking after Him (1:38), but he probably also means that they began to follow Jesus as His disciples. Jesus’ opening words to Philip were, “Follow Me!” There is no such thing as truly believing in Jesus as your Savior and not following Him obediently as your Lord.

John the Baptist was content to let his disciples go after Jesus. The goal of every disciple-maker is not that his disciples would follow him, but that they would follow Jesus. Also as I mentioned, there is no indication that these men followed Jesus the first time when John declared Him to be the Lamb of God. But the second time, the message hit home. Studies have shown that on the average, it takes seven times for a person to hear the gospel before he believes. So keep telling people about Jesus, even if they’ve heard it before. You may or may not see the person respond, but the seed of the gospel may eventually sprout.

Note also that it is by exalting Christ that people are drawn to Him (J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels [Baker], 3:68). John proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God, and that resonated with Andrew and John who felt the need for a Savior from their sins. Andrew told Peter that they had found the Messiah, which intrigued Peter enough to go see for himself. Philip extolled Jesus to Nathanael as the one about whom Moses and the Prophets wrote. Although Nathanael was skeptical at first, Philip’s gentle invitation, “Come and see,” drew Nathanael to the Savior. Jesus called Philip directly and with authority: “Follow Me!” We have no idea how much Philip knew about Jesus before this, but something about Jesus’ manner and command drew Philip after Him.

Also, you never know how God may use your witness. Andrew’s witness brought Peter to Christ. Andrew never preached to large crowds (so far as Scripture records), but his one on one witness to Peter led to thousands coming to Christ when Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost. Peter became the leader of the twelve and Andrew was apparently content to let him take that role. Every time we encounter Andrew in John’s Gospel, he is bringing someone to Jesus (6:8; 12:22). That’s not a bad legacy!

Few people would know the name of Edward Kimball. He was a Sunday School teacher who led one of his pupils, D. L. Moody, to Christ. Kimball was a timid, soft-spoken man. He decided to talk with Moody, who was a 19-year-old shoe salesman, about his soul. Moody was untaught and ignorant about the Bible at this point. When Kimball got near the store where Moody worked, he almost chickened out. But he finally went for it, stumbled over his words, and said later that he never could remember exactly what he said—just something about Christ and His love. He admitted that it was a weak appeal. But Moody gave his heart to Christ then and there. Later God used Moody mightily to lead thousands to Christ in America and England. His impact continues today through Moody Bible Institute, where thousands of Christian workers have been trained and sent out all over the world (from John MacArthur, Twelve Ordinary Men [W Publishing Group], pp. 69-70).

Conclusion

But the point is, Jesus didn’t launch His kingdom through a mass mailing or by preaching to large crowds at an evangelistic campaign. There was no corporate headquarters or organization. There was no Gospel Blimp! It began quietly with two of John the Baptist’s disciples. Andrew told his brother. Probably, John also later told his brother, James. Philip told Nathanael. All of them recognized in Jesus the Savior that they needed. They all got excited about who Jesus was and that excitement spilled over into telling their relatives and friends.

That’s how the Lord wants the good news to spread out from us. If you’re excited about Jesus, then tell your family and friends about Him. Make a list of the 8-15 people with whom you have regular contact, who don’t know the Lord. Begin praying for opportunities to talk to them about their need for Jesus. Because everyone is a sinner alienated from God and because Jesus is the only Savior who bridges the chasm between us and God, friends want to bring their friends to Him.

Application Questions

1. Have you ever had someone you were “discipling” leave you to move on in his Christian life? How did it make you feel? Glad? Sad? Mixed? Why?
2. It’s often difficult to turn a conversation toward spiritual things. What are some effective ways to do this?
3. How aggressive should we be in sharing our faith with close family members or friends? Is there a rule of thumb to follow?
4. What is your biggest obstacle that keeps you from telling others about Jesus? Fear of what they may think? Lack of biblical knowledge? Fear about not being able to answer objections? Lack of opportunities? How can these obstacles be overcome?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2013, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

April 28, 2013

A little girl from a poor section of a large city became ill on Christmas Day and was taken to the hospital. Lying in her bed, she heard carolers singing and listened while someone told how Christ had come to redeem a lost world. With childlike faith, she received the gift of salvation by trusting Jesus. Later she said to a nurse, “I’m having a good time here. I know I’ll have to go home as soon as I’m well, but I’ll take Jesus with me. Isn’t it wonderful why He was born? He came to save us!”

“Yes,” the nurse said wearily, “that’s an old story.”

“Oh,” said the girl, “do you know about Him too? You didn’t look like you did.”

“Why, how did I look?” she asked.

“Oh, like a lot of folks—sort of glum,” replied the girl. “I thought if you really understood that He came to bring us to heaven, you would be glad!” (“Our Daily Bread,” Dec., 1985)

I wonder how many of us by our demeanor communicate to others that we know the Savior in whose presence is fullness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures forever (Ps. 16:11)? How many of us experience the fact that Jesus came so that we would have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10)? He wants His joy to be in us and our joy to be made full (John 15:11).

If we’re lacking in the “fullness of joy department,” we might benefit by meditating on the story of Jesus’ first miracle, when He turned about 150 gallons of water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. He didn’t say, “They’ve had enough fun. Let them drink water.” No, He made wine, and lots of it! While there is much more to this story, one obvious lesson is that Jesus was not a killjoy! He wanted this young couple and their guests to enjoy the wedding festivities. He wants us to enjoy the blessings of salvation.

It’s an interesting story in that there is no mention of who the groom or bride or their families were. There is no mention of how the wedding party or the guests responded to the miracle, if they even knew about it. John doesn’t even tell us how the miracle was done. It was very low key. Jesus didn’t call all the guests around and like a magician have someone confirm that it was only water in the pots. Then, “Abracadabra,” He had them taste it again. Everyone marveled, “Wow! How’d He do that?” In fact, so far as John reports, Jesus didn’t even touch the waterpots or pray. The focus in the account is not on the spectacular part of the miracle, but on Christ and His glory. Those who had eyes to see knew what He did and believed in Him.

John calls this miracle a “sign” (2:11): it pointed to something beyond itself, namely, to Jesus and what He came to do. It was an actual historical event—if you had been there you could have tasted the new wine after the miracle. But the miracle is like a parable, in that you have to think about the meaning behind it. With some of the other miracles that John reports, the significance is more obvious. In chapter 6, Jesus feeds the 5,000 and then proclaims (6:35), “I am the bread of life.” In 8:12 He claims, “I am the light of the world,” and then in chapter 9 He opens the eyes of a man born blind. In 11:25, He asserts, “I am the resurrection and the life,” and then He raises Lazarus from the dead.

But here there is no explanation to tell us the significance or deeper meaning of the miracle. Some well-meaning commentators read all sorts of fanciful meanings into the text. To determine the intended meaning, we need to consider the context as well as some clues in the account itself. In John 1:16-17, we read, “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” The contrast with Moses and the Law puts the focus on the new covenant blessings that Jesus provides. “Fullness” emphasizes the abundant blessings that Jesus bestows. Here He gives an abundance of wine, a symbol of the Messianic kingdom.

In the context following this miracle, we read of Jesus cleansing the Jewish temple and proclaiming His risen body as the new temple (2:13-22). In chapter 3, we see Jesus teaching a leader of the Jews about the new birth that He came to bring. Nicodemus had the rituals and the commandments down pat. What he lacked was new life. In chapter 4, instead of the water of Jacob’s well, Jesus offers a sinful woman living water that will quench her thirst forever. Instead of the worship at Gerazim or Jerusalem, Jesus talks about worship in spirit and in truth (see D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans/Apollos], p. 166). And here, in the story itself, we see the empty waterpots that were used for the Jewish custom of purification filled with the new wine that Jesus gives. And, we have John’s statement (2:11) that this sign manifested Jesus’ glory with the result that His disciples believed in Him.

Also, to interpret the miracle properly, we need to understand that in their culture, the Jews viewed wine and weddings as times of joy and celebration, and even as symbolic of the future Messianic kingdom. The rabbis could say, “There is no rejoicing save with wine” (cited by Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans], p. 179, note 15). Morris adds that this does not indicate drunkenness, which was strongly condemned. Also, the wine was usually diluted with one part of wine to three parts of water. It was not as strong as our wine or beer are.

But wine was associated with joy and gladness (Ps. 104:15; Judges 9:13). Isaiah 25:6 promises, “The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; a banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined, aged wine.” Joel 2:19, 24, promises, “The Lord will answer and say to His people, ‘Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied in full with them; and I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.... The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil.’” (See, also, Jer. 31:12; Joel 2:19, 24; Amos 9:13-14.)

So we can sum up the significance of this miracle:

Jesus’ first miraculous sign should cause us to see His glory and the superiority of the joyous salvation that He brings so that we believe in Him.

I’m going to explain the text by looking at the situation (2:1-2); the sign (2:3-10); and the significance (2:11).

1. The situation: Jesus, His mother, and His disciples attend a wedding in Cana of Galilee (2:1-2).

“The third day” (2:1) probably refers to the third day after Jesus’ encounter with Nathanael (1:43). Cana was probably about 8-9 miles from Nazareth, where Jesus grew up. We don’t know the social connection, but apparently Mary and Jesus knew the family (Joseph may have been dead by this time; but, see 6:42). John never uses Mary’s name, but refers to her as “the mother of Jesus.” The disciples at this point would probably be just the five men mentioned in chapter 1. John doesn’t mention “the twelve” until 6:67; he never tells us how the other seven came to be disciples.

To run out of wine at a wedding was a major social blunder that would have been very embarrassing and even could have led to legal action against the groom’s family, which had failed to provide the proper wedding gift (Morris, p. 179). It may mean that they were poor. But in a shame-based culture, this social mishap would have been hard to live down.

Jewish weddings had three stages. First was betrothal, which took place at least a year before the wedding celebration. This could not be broken except by divorce. When Joseph first learned that Mary was pregnant with Jesus, they were betrothed and so he sought to divorce her for unchastity (Matt. 1:18-19). The second phase was the procession, where the groom and his friends would go to the bride’s house and joyously lead her and her friends back to his house. The third stage, which is described in our text, was the wedding feast, which could last for as long as a week. It was a major social event for the community.

2. The sign: Jesus met the couple’s need by turning the water into wine (2:3-10).

The story proceeds by narrating the counsel of Mary to Jesus, the commands of Jesus to the servants, and the comments of the headwaiter.

A. The counsel of Mary to Jesus: Do something to fix this situation (2:3-5).

Mary may have had something to do with catering the food and drink. Commentators differ over exactly what she was asking Jesus to do. Some argue that since Jesus had not yet performed any miracles, she was merely asking Him to use His resourcefulness to come up with a solution (Carson, pp. 169-170). But the problem with that view is: short of a miracle, what could He do? He didn’t have access to funds to run out and buy more wine. Keep in mind that Mary knew that the angel had spoken to her about Jesus’ birth, announcing that He would be the Son of the Most High and would reign on the throne of David forever (Luke 1:32-33). She knew that she had conceived Him while she was still a virgin. She remembered the prophecies of Simeon and Anna over the baby Jesus in the temple (Luke 2:28-38). She treasured in her heart the incident with Jesus in the temple when he was twelve (Luke 2:41-51). And so it seems likely that here she is suggesting to Jesus that He do something to demonstrate that He was the Messiah (Morris, pp. 179-180, following Godet).

Jesus’ reply strikes us as abrupt and rude (2:4), “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” “Woman” was not rude in that culture. Jesus used the same word to speak tenderly to Mary from the cross (19:26). So it was a term of respect, although it wasn’t a customary way for a son to address his mother.

The next phrase is literally a Hebrew idiom, “what to me and to you” (Judges 11:12; 2 Sam. 16:10). In the gospels, on several occasions the demons address Jesus with these words (Matt. 8:29; Mark 1:24; 5:7; Luke 4:34; 8:28). It serves to put some distance between the two parties. It may be translated (Carson, p. 170), “What do you and I have in common (so far as the matter at hand is concerned)?” It was a rebuke of Mary’s suggestion that He do something to demonstrate that He was the Messiah. Also, Jesus was indicating to Mary that there was now a new relationship between them as He entered His public ministry. He was now out from under her authority and was totally under the authority of His heavenly Father. Thus she must not presume upon Him or dictate to Him how He must act. She must allow Him to minister in His own timing and way. D. A. Carson (p. 171) observes regarding Mary,

She could no longer view him as other mothers viewed their sons; she must no longer be allowed the prerogatives of motherhood. It is a remarkable fact that everywhere Mary appears during the course of Jesus’ ministry, Jesus is at pains to establish distance between them (e.g., Mt. 12:46-50). This is not callousness on Jesus’ part: on the cross he makes provision for her future (19:25-27). But she, like every other person, must come to him as the promised Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Jesus explains His comment by adding, “My hour has not yet come.” Jesus’ “hour” refers to the time for His glorification, especially as culminated in the cross (see 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 17:1). But how was this comment an answer to Mary’s statement about the wine? Jesus means that it is not the time to reveal His identity publicly by performing a miracle that would show Him to be the Messiah. (There is a similar situation in 7:1-10 with Jesus’ brothers.) Here, He denies Mary’s request, but then fulfills it on His own terms, more discreetly and behind the scenes. Mary must have taken some hope from His answer, because she tells the servants (2:5), “Whatever He says to you, do it.” That’s not bad advice for any situation: Whatever Jesus tells you to do in His Word, do it!

B. The commands of Jesus: Fill the waterpots with water (2:6-8).

The six stone waterpots would have held between 120-180 gallons. The Jewish purification rituals were extensive. The last book of the Mishnah contained 126 chapters with 1,001 separate items of purification. There are two special tractates with instructions about purifying hands and vessels, the latter containing over 30 chapters! Judaism had become a religion that emphasized external cleansing and rituals, but often their hearts were far from God (Mark 7:6-8). John notes that the servants filled the waterpots to the brim, so there would be no room for wine to be added. We’re not told how Jesus did the miracle. He simply told the servants to draw some water out of the pots and take it to the headwaiter. Somewhere in the process, the water had become wine.

Was it real wine? In a word, yes. The word used means wine. Verse 10 implies that it was alcoholic. The headwaiter is not endorsing drunkenness, but is simply stating the common practice. A host would serve the best wine first and hold the cheaper wine for later when the guests’ palates would be deadened and they wouldn’t notice the difference. Also, while the Bible strongly condemns drunkenness (Prov. 20:1; 23:29-35; Hab. 2:15; Luke 21:34; Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:18), it does not command total abstinence. It may be wise to abstain from all alcohol for several reasons. First, it’s easy to get addicted to alcohol, especially if you begin to depend on it to relieve stress or block out your problems. Before you know it, you can’t get along without a daily drink or two. I’ve read that if you have two beers a day, you’re an alcoholic. So, be careful! Second, if a brother who has a problem with alcohol sees you drinking and is led to go back to drinking himself, you have caused him to stumble, which is sin on your part (Rom. 14:21). But at the wedding, since the wine was diluted and since drunkenness was condemned in the Bible, Jesus was not endorsing drunkenness, even though He made alcoholic wine.

C. The comments of the headwaiter: “You have kept the best wine for now” (2:9-10).

The headwaiter didn’t know where this wine had come from and we’re not told whether he (or the bridegroom) ever did know. But he attests to its superb quality. It was better than the good wine that the host had served earlier in the wedding feast. Several commentators note that the world always gives its best things first and saves its worst things for last. Sin draws you in by its instant gratification, but it hides the painful long term consequences until later. Jesus’ servants, on the other hand, may have to suffer hardship and trials in this life, but He saves the best for last. We’re promised eternity with Him, with no sorrow or pain or death (Rev. 21:4).

3. The significance: This miracle points to Jesus’ glory as the Christ, the Son of God, who provides the abundant joy of salvation to His people.

Remember John’s purpose for writing these “signs” (20:30-31): “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” The result of this miracle is that His disciples (the five men from chapter 1) believed in Him. They had already believed, but for John faith isn’t a “one-time and you’re done” sort of thing. You believe in Christ at the moment of salvation, but you go on believing more and more as you see more of who He is.

I’ve already commented on the main significance of this miracle. Wine is a symbol of joy, especially of joy in the coming Messianic kingdom. The six stone waterpots that were for the Jewish custom of purification point to the old rituals of Judaism that could not completely satisfy. Jesus fulfilled those ceremonial rituals with the abundant joy of salvation and new life in Him. He is the Son of God who brings the transforming joy of salvation to all that believe. Leon Morris states (p. 176): “This particular miracle signifies that there is a transforming power associated with Jesus. He changes the water of Judaism into the wine of Christianity, the water of Christlessness into the wine of the richness and the fullness of eternal life in Christ, the water of the law into the wine of the gospel.”

Also, John says that Jesus manifested His own glory, not God’s glory, showing that He is the Son of God. R. C. Trench (Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord [Baker], p. 73, italics his) observes, “Of none less or lower than the Son could it be affirmed that He manifested forth his glory; every lesser or lower would have manifested forth the glory of God.” After Isaiah wrote (40:3), “A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness,’” he adds (40:5), “Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed ….” John the Baptist has already referred to himself as clearing the way for Jesus as the Lord (John 1:23). So here the apostle John is saying, “The glory of Jesus that we saw in this first miracle is none other than the glory of the Lord.” Jesus is God.

This miracle also reveals Jesus as the Creator: “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:3). Just as He transformed the water into wine He also can change sinners into saints. He transforms the deadness of religious ritualism into the new wine of a relationship with Him. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17). Jesus has the power to change your heart!

This miracle also emphasizes the abundant provision of Christ for our needs. The wine had run out. There was no way to get more to supply the need of the guests and to save the groom from social disaster. But it’s when we come to the end of ourselves that the Lord displays His power. It was when there was no way to feed the hungry multitude that the Lord provided enough bread to satisfy everyone’s need, with 12 baskets full left over. It was in Paul’s weakness that he came to know the sufficiency of the Lord’s power (2 Cor. 12:9). If we think that we’re rich and have need of nothing, we will not experience the Lord’s sufficiency. It’s only when we recognize that we are “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” (Rev. 3:17) that we will hear Jesus knocking, open the door, and enjoy dinner with Him (Rev. 3:20). And He brings all the food!

Conclusion

Some of you may be like these waterpots: empty or only partially full with the water of religion, but you’re lacking the joy of knowing Jesus as your Savior from sin and judgment. The solution is to believe in Him as your Savior and Lord.

Others of us may have believed in Christ as Savior, but we’re not experiencing the abundant joy of the salvation He has given to us. We need to see more of His glory so that we believe in Him again and again.

John Stott (Christianity Today [June 12, 1981], p. 19) told of a Salvation Army drummer in England who was beating his drum so hard that the band leader had to tell him to tone it down and not make so much noise. In his Cockney accent the drummer replied, “God bless you, sir, since oi’ve been converted, oi’m so ’appy, oi could bust the bloomin’ drum!” That’s the kind of joy that Jesus wants us to have. He wants to change the water of dead religion into the joyous, abundant wine of His kingdom rule.

Application Questions

1. What does it mean to experience the joy of the Lord? Do different personality types experience it differently?
2. Is it a sin to be depressed? If so, how so? If not, why not? Defend your answer biblically.
3. Discuss: In light of our nation’s problem with alcohol abuse, should Christians be teetotalers?
4. Share some ways that you have fought for joy in the Lord (to use John Piper’s terminology). What has helped you the most?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2013, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation