Sermon Tone Analysis

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

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.

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.

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:

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).