Responding to Jesus

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, we get a beautiful reminder about the nature and origin of Scripture.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

This is, in part, why we spend so much time studying Scripture. It is our textbook and guide, it is our primary source of information about God - his character, his works, his will.

Over the last couple of months, we’ve been focusing on one specific book - the Gospel of John. This is a book that the breath of God inspired the apostle John to write. I don’t believe the Holy Spirit dictated this to John, but rather guided him to use his words and point of view to tell us about Jesus.

We began by considering John’s stated purpose.

John 20:30–31 ESV

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

From there we began looking at the book, verse by verse, seeking to expose or exposit (which is where we get expository preaching from) the message of the text. My hope is that as I preach, or as Armal or Andrew or any guest preacher preaches, this will be our bent - to expose Scripture - and not our personal preferences.

Today, as we look at John’s gospel, instead of looking at the next section, we’re going to take a brief look back at chapters 2 through 4. We won’t read or closely examine each verse again, but we’ll zoom out a bit to discern why John packaged these things together. In fact, if you have your copy of scripture in front of you, it may be helpful. I personally like to circle and highlight things in order to help me see patterns.

You see, it seems that John ordered these chapters in sort of...

A Chiastic Structure

This is a common tool that the biblical writers used to highlight a point, to bring our attention to something specific.

A Chiasm or chiastic structure might be visualized in a sort of sideways triangle. The idea is that the first and the last elements seem to relate, the second and second to last relate, the third and third to last relate - all pointing to a central point or theme.

I think that John does that in these chapters. You can see it there in your handout, but let’s reflect on this briefly and then draw some conclusions about Jesus.

(slide structure)

A - Sign at Cana: Change the Water to Wine (2:1-12)

B - Clearing the Temple/Suspicion of the Jews (2:13-25) (Jerusalem)

C - Conversation with Nicodemus (3:1-15) (Jerusalem?)

D - Focus: Salvation in Jesus, the Son of God, the bridegroom (Judean wilderness) (3:16-36)

C’ - Conversation with the Samaritan Woman (Samaria) (4:1-30)

B’ - Faith of the Samaritans (Samaria) (4:31-45)

A’ - Sign at Cana - Healing the Official’s Son (4:46-54)

(speaking structure)

Of course, as we are read, we are reading sequentially and not in an outside in manner, but looking at the passages in this way allows us to see the main point.

Now, John gives us some linguistic clues to help us pay attention to what’s happening here. You see, he begins and ends with a sign at Cana.

A - Sign at Cana: Change the Water to Wine (2:1-12)

We’ve already reflected on this section a bit, so I don’t want to re-hash it too much. In this encounter, Jesus, his mom, and his disciples were at a wedding. They ran out of wine and Jesus was asked by his mom to help. So Jesus instructed some servants to fill six stone jars with water and then take the water to the master of ceremonies. Sometime in the process, the water turned to wine.

(as we look at each of these pericopes or sections, we’ll reflect on the setting, religious element addressed, and the result)

Setting: Wedding in the town of Cana in Galilee

Religious element: purification jars - John points out that those jars were for purification - washing hands, utensils, etc. for worship

Result: Disciples believed

Notice what John says in John 2:11 “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”

In our study last week, we came across a very similar verse that should cause us to look back and remember. Look at...

John 4:54 “This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.”

Notice, John not only draws our attention to the sign, but also to the geography - Jesus movement from Judea in the south to Galilee in the north. Prior to changing the water to wine, Jesus had been in the south, getting baptized and gathering followers.

So the end of this chaism is...

A’ - Sign at Cana - Healing the Official’s Son (4:46-54)

If you remember, last week, we learned that a political official’s son was deathly ill. He travelled roughly 20 miles to ask Jesus to come with him. Jesus pushed back a bit, but then healed the boy from a distance.

Setting: Cana in Galilee (and, sort of Capernaum)

Religious element: none specifically, except Jesus seems to push back to what causes us to believe - are we believing because of a sign or a miracle or are we believing because of who he is.

Result: The man and his household believed

So, now we have the beginning and the end of the chiasm. Let’s take the next step in.

B - Clearing the Temple/Suspicion of the Jews (2:13-25) (Jerusalem)

After turning the water to wine, Jesus headed south to Jerusalem for the Jewish festival of Passover. He goes into the temple and finds it filled with traders who are selling animals for sacrifice and money changers who are converting Roman money into Temple money. In response, Jesus turns over tables and drives out the animals and money changers. The leaders ask him for a sign to prove that they should pay attention to him and he tells them simply that if they destroy this temple (referring to his body), then he will raise it up in three days - a foreshadowing of His crucifixion and resurrection.

Setting: Temple in Jerusalem

Religious element: Worship/Sacrifices

Result: Jewish leaders resisted, many others believed

In the corresponding section, we find Jesus in Samaria and we get to see the...

B’ - Faith of the Samaritans (Samaria) (4:31-45)

Samaritans were a people of mixed ethnicity - part Jewish and part Assyrian. They had developed worship practices that were contrary to Jewish customs. Jesus spent a few days with them because they were interested and hungry to learn about the Kingdom of God. Where the people (Jewish leaders) who should have been closest to Jesus and most accepting of his message actually seemed to reject him, here, the people who were farthest from Jesus and rejected by the Jews, were intrigued.

Setting: Town in Samaria

Religious element: Explaining true faith

Result: Many believed

Bracketing our central theme are two conversations. The first is a...

C - Conversation with Nicodemus (3:1-15) (Jerusalem)

Nicodemus was a religious leader who had some questions for Jesus. He seemed to be intrigued.

Setting: Night likely in Jerusalem (darkness)

Religious element: Theological conversation - that centers on new life and faith

Result: Unknown, misunderstanding? - Nicodemus eventually seemed to come around, but it’s unclear here.

The second is a...

C’ - Conversation with the Samaritan Woman (Samaria) (4:1-30)

Here, Jesus defies so many cultural expectations by talking to this woman who had a sordid background and lifestyle.

Setting: Well in Samaria, midday (light)

Religious element: Living water, worship, family

Result: Woman believed - and told the town about Jesus.

All of this examination really gets us to the central element in this chiasm. The point that John is leading us to is...

D - Salvation in Jesus, the Son of God, the bridegroom (Judean wilderness) (3:16-36)

John is communicating to us that it’s all about Jesus. That we have to do something with Him. Let’s look at a couple of key verses here.

John 3:16–18 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

After this section, we get to see an encounter between John the baptist and his disciples over Jesus. John’s whole point is that Jesus is the One in whom they should believe and have faith. John is just a groomsman, Jesus is the groom!

To which we are again given a challenge:

John 3:34–36 ESV

For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

There is a clear argument here - Jesus, the One who came from God, speaks the words of God and has been given authority by God - therefore - our response should be faith (which then gets lived out in a life of obedience).

So the central theme seems to be that we can have salvation if we believe in Jesus. But...

What is salvation?

There is an element here where the salvation seems to talk about salvation from judgment.

It’s not found in...

ritual purification -

In the wedding aJesus replaced that with wine using purification jars - a symbol of the new covenant, but when you think about how wine is used - it also seems to signify a salvation into fellowship with Him

ritual sacrifices -

In the encounter at the temple, Jesus replaced that with his life - he is the temple - Scripture says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission or forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22) - because of Jesus’ replacement here, we get to see that it is his blood and not the blood of animals that brings eternal forgiveness and salvation (Hebrews 10:4 “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” ).

our first birth -

All of the solutions that we could devise would fall short. What’s more, our parent’s faith can’t save us. They can certainly influence and are called by God to show us the way. We must be born again - born from above - as we learned in the conversation with Nicodemus.

our activity

Since we are born in sin every action and activity is tainted by sin’s stain. The woman at the well may have been trying time and again to get it right by re-entering into marriage - only to be let down and let go by her lovers. We can’t achieve salvation by working for it.

the location of worship

The people of Samaria had devised their own order and manner of worship. It’s not so much about worshiping in this church or that church, but rather a worship that has as it’s object Jesus. Jesus said true worshipers will do so in spirit and truth.

our means

The man who had the sick son likely had means and resources - just as we do, but he found that in the most important things in life - he was powerless, he was helpless. We can’t purchase our salvation with money or influence or power or authority.

Ultimately, all of these things fall short. Our salvation...

It’s only found in Jesus

The Apostle Peter said when tested...

Acts 4:12 ESV

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

John has been using all of these encounters to communicate that. Salvation is only in Jesus and it’s obtained by faith - by belief, by entrusting our lives in Him.

Salvation seems to have a two-fold element- that we are saved from and what we are saved to.

from - perishing - because of our sin - John 3:16-17 - saved from eternal separation from God.

To - fellowship in the light - a lifestyle that is fashioned and and guided by life with God.

John 3:19–21 ESV

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Think about the element of light for a moment. There is no shame in the light. Light illumines, it reveals.

There is a sweet fellowship that we get to enjoy with God, in God through Jesus In the light.

Peter describes it this way

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

What’s more, we learn that...

Jesus is for everyone

Skeptics like to decry Christianity as a “white-man’s” faith. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Caucasians are a minority of Christians globally. Women make up roughly 60% of those who profess faith in Jesus Christ - both here and around the world. So this is far from a religion for white men or white people at all - it’s a faith for everyone - and we get to see that in these encounters.

Jesus is for...

those celebrating

the people at the wedding got to receive Jesus’ grace.

the religious

The people at the temple would find their religious acts have new significance and importance if they would turn and trust in Jesus’ finished work.

the outcast/sinful

The woman at the well, whose life had been battered by sinful decisions and broken promises, was able to see new life and hope in Jesus. He was for her.

The Apostle Paul echoes this sentiment:

1 Timothy 1:15 “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

the faithful

John the Baptist seems to give hope to those who grew up in the faith. There are some of us who have the powerful testimony like the Samaritan woman - we might even summarize it - “party animal becomes a preacher”. But John never seemed to stray. He was faithful - not perfect, but faithful to the end. He doubted a bit, but trusted through it. If you’ve grown up in the faith and came to Jesus early on - be encouraged - your salvation is genuine, Jesus is for you.

the powerful

with the political leader - we learn that Jesus is for the powerful.

but we also see that Jesus is for...

the helpless

we all have to come to this point. We all have to recognize that we need Jesus to atone for our sin, to advocate for us before the father, to bring us eternal life, hope, and purpose.

In the end - Jesus is for...

you

John tells us that...

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

As you look at his encounters with all of these people, as you look back on how Jesus has encountered you…

Have you responded to Him?

Have you responded to Him for Who He is? You see, some people like to make Jesus into a revolutionary - in a sense he was. Some people like to make him into just a good teacher. But they fail to see Jesus the way that Scripture reveals him - as the Son of God.

Have you responded to him by entrusting your eternity to him?

Beloved, as you read scripture, work diligently to lay aside your preconceptions and let the word speak and reveal God and His will to you.

benediction

2 Corinthians 13:14 ESV

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.