Sermon Tone Analysis

*Who Is Jesus?*

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Today, we commemorate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

It is a moment in history where Jesus shows to the world the power he does have as God.

But who is Jesus?

What do these three million Jews see in Jesus that would make them proclaim him king?

Let’s examine seven miracles that Jesus did according to the Gospel of John.

And how these miracles show who Jesus is.

The first miracle mentioned in the Gospel of John can be found in John 2:7-11.

Here we find Jesus at the wedding in Cana “Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water.

And they filled them up to the brim.

And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.

And they bare/ it/.

When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse:/ but/ thou hast kept the good wine until now.

This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.”

Jesus not only turned water into wine.

He turned water into “good wine”  It wasn’t diluted, it wasn’t generic.

This was the good stuff.

You see Jesus is the master of quality in answer to man’s discouragement.

And we do get discouraged.

We do have those times when our plans fail.

For example, how many people here had their plans altered this winter because of the weather?

I know I did.

Now how many people felt at least a little bit discouraged  by these change in plans?

We all do.

But, though we may be discouraged there is Jesus who knows no defeat, no failure, and no discouragement.

In John 4:46-50 we read of the next miracle: “So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine.

And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.

Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth.

And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.”

Jesus healed this nobleman’s son from a distance.

Could Jesus have gone with the nobleman to his house?

Of course he could.

It was about seventeen miles away as the crow flies.

So figure a two days journey at a comfortable pace.

But Jesus chose not to.

Instead Jesus revealed to us and the nobleman that he is the master of distance in answer to man’s doubt.

After all, it never entered into the nobleman’s mind to ask Jesus to heal his son from where he stood.

This nobleman had put limitations on what Jesus could do and asked Jesus to come to his house to heal his son.

Jesus knew of the nobleman’s doubt and sent him home with the promise that his son lives.

The nobleman obeyed but did not believe wholeheartedly in the healing of his son.

We know this because in verses 51 thru 53 we read : “And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told/ him/, saying, Thy son liveth.

Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend.

And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

So the father knew that/ it was/ at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.”

He never believed until he got confirmation that his son lived.

We would rather believe the testimony of a servant and doubt the authority of the master.

The third miracle mentioned in the Gospel of John is found in John 5:1-9: “After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep/ market/ a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time/ in that case/, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.”

This man had been paralyzed for 38 years, trying for a long time to be the first to get into this pool so that he might be healed.

Jesus came along and asked the man if he wished to be healed.

Instead of asking for help the man begins a list of excuses why he can’t get to his healing.

His excuses place a dependency on everything but God.

I think that this man has suffered for so long that he really didn’t believe in the hope of healing.

After all it’s been 38 years, he’s probably seen many physicians, and healers, why should he expect anything?

Because Jesus is the master of time and dependability in answer to man’s disability.

As far as Jesus is concerned there is nothing that is beyond his ability to cure.

No matter how long an ailment takes us down, Jesus still has power over it.

Time has no meaning to Jesus.

In the forth miracle we read “When Jesus then lifted up/ his/ eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

And Jesus said, Make the men sit down.

Now there was much grass in the place.

So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

Therefore they gathered/ them/ together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.”

With five barley loaves and two little fishes, Jesus feeds five thousand men plus women and children whose numbers we are not told.

Why did Jesus do this?

He could have simply told the people to go into town and get food but he didn’t.

Instead, Jesus provided for the needs of the people.

These people had been following Jesus around listening to him talk all day.

They were tired and hungry.

Jesus provided not just a piece of bread and fish for everyone, but a feast.

He met their needs and satisfied their desires.

Everyone, ate until they were full and there were leftovers to boot.

Jesus is the master of quantity in answer to man’s desires.

Jesus can sustain us with what we need but he can go further and provide what we desire.

Mankind’s greatest desire is probably to eat.

When we are faced with the impossibility of eating such as these 5000 were, Jesus still satisfies our desires with overflowing baskets.

The fifth miracle recorded in the Gospel of John takes place shortly after Jesus feeding the five thousand and is perhaps one of the most well known miracles in the Bible.

It takes place in John 6:16-21: “And when even was/ now/ come, his disciples went down unto the sea, And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.

And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.

And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.

So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.

But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.”

These disciples went on a ten mile journey across the Sea of Galilee.

The winds came down and the sea began to roll.