Gospel of John - 4

Gospel of John - 3

2:1 – 3:21

Introduction

- We now begin the 3rd day of Jesus’ ministry.

o 1:29 started the 1st day

o 1:35 started the 2nd day

o 1:43 started the 3rd day

- Going to start moving at a much quicker pace. I originally separated many of Jesus’ signs from the corresponding discourses. No need to do that. So we will combine them, thus ending this study before Thanksgiving.

- Tonight, we will see his first sign and its corresponding discourse, one which is quite famous.

o When John uses the word “sign,” which is his word for miracle, he is highlighting for us that these miracles are not just a physical act but have much symbolism. They point us to larger truths.

John 2:1-12

- Since Mary, Jesus, and his disciples were invited, we can assume that this wedding is for a close family friend, or a family member of Jesus, as they did not live in Cana. Cana is 8 miles north of Nazareth.

o Weddings were huge celebrations, lasting up to a full week.

o Run out of wine. This would have been a huge issue and an embarrassment for the groom’s family. This would even have opened them up to a lawsuit from the bride’s family.

o But pick up on all the latent symbolism that John is pointing us to.

§ Psalm 104:15

§ Proverbs 3:10

· Wine was a symbol of blessing from God.

· They are at a Jewish celebration, which runs out of God’s blessing. John is pointing us to the spiritual barrenness of Judaism.

- Mary tells Jesus about the problem. His response seems rude to us. It isn’t in its culture. ‘Woman’ was a term of politeness. Think ‘ma’am’ today.

o But he does use his response to distance himself from her. The question “what does this have to do with me?” is a Semitic idiom that separates the person speaking from the person asking. It is used in Judges 11:12 and 2 Samuel 16:10. It highlights for Mary that Jesus is more than just her son who does things for her…he is the Son of God.

o Shows Mary does not have the authority to intervene in the duties of the Messiah. She does not influence him with real authority. This is why praying to Mary is an unbiblical concept. She has no power to do anything.

o ‘My hour has not yet come.’ – this is the first of 7x that Jesus will use this phrase. His hour always refers to his crucifixion (7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 12:27; 13:1; 17:1)

- One of the signs of the Messianic Age was that wine would flow freely (blessing)

o Isaiah 25:6-9

o Jeremiah 31:12

o Hosea 14:7

o Amos 9:13-14

- Six stone water jars for Jewish purification ceremonies

o They are empty. Do you see what John is doing? This physical representation of Jewish life and religion is about to be transformed. It’s empty, but Jesus is going to do something about that.

o Average it at 25 gallons each, so 150 gallons of new wine. So, there is first an emphasis on the quantity of wine.

§ But next there is an emphasis on the quality of it.

§ Master of the Feast is surprised at how good it is. Best to put out the good wine first, then once people are a bit snickered, then put out the lower quality stuff, no one will notice or care. But this is the good stuff.

- So, the Jewish wedding is out of God’s blessing…the Jewish ceremonial laws are empty and lifeless. Jesus is transforming everything. The Messiah has come, symbolized by the wine, and he will bring life to the lifeless.

o Which is also setting us up for what Jesus is going to teach in chapter 3 on the new birth.

- V. 11 – the first of Jesus’ signs…meaning he did not do any during childhood. Many apocryphal stories in false gospels about this. No, this was his first one.

o Manifested his glory…the second time ‘glory’ is used in reference to Jesus (1:14). A clear reference to his deity. Only God has glory.

§ Sovereign Creator and Ruler over material universe

§ Merciful God who provides for his people

o And his disciples believed in him. This takes us back to the purpose of the Gospel of John…that you may believe.

- V. 12 – brothers

o Mark 6:3

John 2:13-22

- Moneychangers and animal sellers in Court of the Gentiles. With all the people traveling such distances to the Temple for Passover (any Jewish male over 20), it was highly inconvenient to travel with sacrificial animals. Easy just to buy it there.

o Same with non-kosher money…for the Temple tax, it had to be specific money…happy to exchange it for you.

o Became quite a racket…exorbitant rate of exchange, bloated costs for the animals…worship had become a means to make money. To take advantage of people.

- Comes in with a homemade whip (just cool!) and clears them out.

o Malachi 3:1-4

- Synoptic Gospels record a second clearing of the Temple right before crucifixion. Scholars have attempted to reconcile these accounts as the same thing. Almost impossible to do. Best to see that Jesus did this twice.

o Zeal for your house will consume me – Psalm 69:9

- This is first reference to Jewish feasts

o Passover – 6:4; 11:55/12:1

o Unnamed feast – 5:1 (possibly Tabernacles)

o Feast of Tabernacles – 7:2

o Feast of Dedication – 10:22 (Hanukkah)

- V. 18 – what sign do you show us?...what gives you the right?

o Destroy temple and raise it in 3 days.

§ The first temple (Solomon’s) was destroyed in 586 BC by Babylonians.

§ Second-Temple period…built once they got back from captivity

§ Herod the Great began renovating and expanding ~20BC…finished ~65AD.

o Not talking about the physical temple…but himself. First reference to his resurrection.

§ This claim used against him at his trial for blasphemy…he will destroy the temple.

- Another symbolic replacement…now the Temple itself is unclean and will be transformed.

o Hebrews 10:1-14

o Temple destroyed in 70AD by Rome…Ephesians 2:19-22

o Eternal Temple – Revelation 21:22

John 2:23-25

- Only God can know what is in someone’s heart – Jeremiah 17:9

- Play on words…’believed in his name’ // ‘did not entrust himself’

o Same word – pisteuo

o Shows that to ‘believe’ in Jesus is more than intellectual agreement…it is to entrust oneself to him.

John 3:1-15

- Nicodemus – rules of the Jews. Member of the Sanhedrin, a group of 71 high ranking Jews who oversaw civil and criminal jurisdiction in Israel. High Priest (president), chief priests, Elders (family heads), scribes.

o Comes to Jesus at night

§ Needs to keep his association with Jesus private. High price to pay.

§ Significant that John would include this detail. Night is the realm of evil, falsehood, and unbelief (9:4; 11:10; 13:30).

§ Also representative of spiritual darkness – theme in John. Nicodemus is definitely in spiritual darkness, but he is searching.

o Rabbi – title of respect for Jesus. No formal rabbinical training (7:15)

§ ‘we know’ – there on behalf of the Sanhedrin

- Must be born again – can translate ‘born from above’ (19:11…above) – double-meaning

o Nic takes it as ‘again’…how can this happen? Notice he views it all through a physical lens…climb back in mother’s womb. How can I do this?

o Jesus’ point is that physical birth doesn’t count (ethnic Jews) but God must do a new transformative work.

- Born of water and Spirit

o Not a reference to baptism…Christian baptism was not a thing yet.

o Simple reference to cleansing brought about by regenerating work of the Holy Spirit

§ Titus 3:5

§ Ephesians 5:26

§ Isaiah 32:15; 44:3; Ezekiel 36:25-27

- Must be…required for entrance into Kingdom

o Synoptics have Kingdom as major topic…only here in John

§ Quick reference to Jesus’ kingdom in 18:36

- Born again…transformed…born from above

o Already referenced by John in 1:12-13

o 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1,4,18

o 2 Corinthians 5:17

o 1 Peter 1:3-5, 23

- Doctrine of Regeneration

o ‘unless’ – universal condition

o Not ‘turning over a new leaf’ but the new life of a radically transformed person

o Solely the work of God

§ Ephesians 2:1-10

· You were dead…but God made you alive

§ John 3:7-8

· Just as you did nothing to control or contribute to your physical birth, you cannot control or contribute to your spiritual birth.

· You can see the effects of the wind, but you cannot control it…same with work of HS.

o Illumination by the Holy Spirit precedes faith in Christ. We are dead and cannot make the decision to follow Christ on our own. He must ‘flip the switch’ enabling us to believe (1 Cor. 2:6-16…doctrine of illumination). And upon that spiritual awakening when we come to see the Gospel as true, we must repent of sin and place trust in Christ (personal responsibility). Then the Holy Spirit does his regenerating work.

§ This explains why two people can hear the same Gospel presentation and respond in opposite ways.

§ It is not up to us whether someone believes the message…we are called to be faithful to tell it.

- V. 9-10 – Nic doesn’t get it. Though he is ‘the teacher of Israel.’ Shows the standing that Nic had within 1st century Judaism.

o Jesus is fairly harsh with him here…as someone so steeped in the OT, all of this had been prophesied. He should have known.

§ Message like the resurrection of Ezekiel 37

§ Message like promise of a new heart in Deut. 30:6; Jer. 31:33; Ezekiel 36:26

o Switches from singular to plural ‘you.’ If Nic is there on behalf of Sanhedrin, Jesus wants this message to go back to all of them. But with the plural ‘you’ we end up getting included. This message is for all peoples of all times.

§ ILL – George Whitfield was known to constantly preach that ‘you must be born again.’ A woman came up to him and asked ‘why do you constantly tell us we must be born again?’ He answered, ‘because, dear madam, you must be born again.’

o And if Nic can’t understand earthly things like this, he isn’t ready for the deeper stuff of Heaven. Only the Son of Man is the authoritative teacher…only he had the permanent home in Heaven and came down to Earth.

- Moses lifted up the Serpent

o Reference to Numbers 21

o ‘lifted up’ – 3x in John…here, 8:58; 12:32

§ Reference to his crucifixion and exaltation

o Just as looked to bronze serpent and lived…so look to Jesus and live

§ Eternal life…first of 17 references (50x in NT)

- Not end of Nicodemus

o 7:50-52

o 19:38-42

John 3:16-21

- Scholars debate if these verses are Jesus continuing or if this is John’s commentary.

- God loves the world

o Shocking statement…didn’t God only love Israel? No, what God is up to goes beyond national Israel…the Gentiles are going to be invited into this deal.

o Also shocking because the ‘world’ opposes God (1:10; 7:7; 14:17; 15:18-19)

§ The wonder of God’s love is displayed in the unworthiness of its object.

- For…links God’s love for the world to the previous statement of Jesus being lifted up

- Believes…will not perish…the theme of the book

- V. 17 – no judgement…this time.

o John 5:25-29

o John 9:39

o John 12:27-36a

- V. 18 – unless believe in Jesus, people are under condemnation already

o Those in unbelief are not in neutral standing with God…under his wrath

§ Eternally…contrast with eternal life. Hell is forever.

o Refutes idea of a sincere worshiper in any religious being saved

§ John 14:6

§ Acts 4:12

§ Romans 10:13-17

§ 1 Timothy 2:5-6

o Unbelief is the climax of rebellion against God…resist even his gracious offer of salvation in Christ.

- V. 19-21 – explains why people reject Christ…they don’t like the light.

o Elaborates prologue’s reference to darkness/unbelief (1:5,10-11)

o Evil doesn’t just ignore the light…it wages war

Application

Turning water into wine…list description of your old life and your new life. Marvel at what God has done.

Church is for worship, not personal gain or profit…ILL – guy at Cornerstone wanted database to promote his business.

Nicodemus knew much but came seeking more…how can you learn more?

Have you been born again?

God loves all kinds in the world...do we really believe that?

We trust God’s sovereignty in evangelism. We cannot control their response.

Not condemned…live in the freedom of forgiveness.

v. 21 – ‘does what is true.’ Truth isn’t just something to believe, but something to live.