"John, The Gospel of Belief" by Edwin Jones Part3 - a podcast by lehmanavechurchofchrist

Sept 23 2020 - Wednesday PM Sermon
JOHN, THE GOSPEL OF BELIEF
Weddings, the Temple, and a Pharisee
John 2:1-3:21
 
 
CHAPTER TWO VERSES ONE thru TWELVE
(Wedding and Wine)
 
Significance in the ordinary
Jesus, as He would later commission, saw His ministry as an “as you are going” daily exercise.
Jesus’ “hour” had not yet come (Jn. 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27(2x); 13:1; 16:32; 17:1); but the broader events of life continued as always (note Exodus 20:12).

Jesus said to His mother, “What does this have to do with us?”
Wedding feasts commonly lasted at least a week.
Mary was apparently especially associated to this wedding.
Mary puts the problem in the hands of her son.
He does comply, ordinary concerns are not inconsequential to Jesus.

The wine
First of all, Jesus isn’t facilitating some sort of drinking party (I Pet. 4:1-4).
Second, the alcoholic wine of the day was less potent than what is commonly imbibed today.
Third, wine of any quality was mixed with 4 to 5 parts water.
Fourth, unfermented wine was considered by many to be the choicest product of the grape.
Fifth, our unavoidable cultural issue is influence (I Cor. 8:13).
The water turned to wine was in pots used for ceremonial cleansing procedures.
“New wine” was associated with Messianic times (Jer. 31:12; Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13-14).
This would well fit this beginning of Jesus ministry as it related to the “signs” John recorded to create belief in Jesus as the Messiah.
Additionally, the symbolism of the “fruit of the vine” in the Lord’s Supper representing Jesus’ atoning blood would stand in sharp contrast to ceremonial washings.

Signs
The Greek word semeion, translated “sign,” is preferred by John over dunams, “miracle” the preferred word in the Synoptics.
John stresses the symbolism of these deeds whereas the Synoptics emphasize their power.
While John has seven distinctly referenced “signs,” there are other such actions in his Gospel that qualify to be placed in this category.
The signs, with the totality of Jesus’ ministry, aim at creating initial belief to then be followed by sustained belief (Jn. 8:31-32).


CHAPTER TWO VERSES THIRTEEN thru TWENTY-FIVE
(The Temple and THE Temple)
 
This is the first Passover John cites of what was possibly four in Jesus ministry (Jn. 5:1; 6:4; 11:55).
The first cleansing of the temple at the first Passover of Jesus ministry that would see the second cleansing at the last Passover of His ministry (Matt. 21:12-16; Mk. 11:15-18; Lk. 19:43-47).
Zeal had consumed Him!
Business had replaced intended spiritual purposes.
Larger issues with the treatment of the Gentiles would become more obvious at the second cleansing.
The “Jews” wanted a sign to show that Jesus had authority to do such an audacious act (note Matt. 21:23-27).
The statement, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The physical structure had taken on a significance unintended by God (Matt. 24:1-2; I Kg. 8:22-30).
What Israel wanted, God’s return to the temple, they, as warned, would not receive well (Ezek. 10:4, 1811:23); Mal. 3:1-2).
A Resurrection seed.

Many signs, belief generated, yet ….
Jesus understood humankind (note Jn. 1:50-51).
Initial belief must be followed by a move into maturity or it will wither away (Matt. 28:19-20; Eph. 4:14-15; Heb. 4:12-1).


 
CHAPTER THREE VERSES ONE thru THIRTY-SIX
(The Pharisee Who Visits at Night)
 
Miracles got attention. Nicodemus, a leader among the Pharisees, came to check Jesus out. His coming by nigh is especially mentioned, undoubtedly indicating that he did not want to be seen with Jesus until He passed the muster of the Jewish leaders (Jn. 2:23; 3:1-2; cf. Jn. 7:50; 19:39).
The pride of Nicodemus came between Jesus and access to his heart. When Jesus tells him the he, a notable Rabbi (v. 10), must undergo a fundamental change if he is to be saved, he baulks and gives a silly response. Nicodemus was accustomed to telling, not to being told (Jn. 3:1-9; cf. Rom. 2:17-24).
The word “again” in born again comes from a Greek word that also means “from above,” being born spiritually by God’s grace. The word can also mean born “again.”
Jesus almost surely refers to the former, while Nicodemus decides to be evasive by injecting the absurd idea of entering again into his mother’s womb.
Spiritual rebirth, as Jews saw it, was for Gentiles, not for them. When we do not like to go where God directs us, we can become ridiculous (Jn. 3:1-9).

I believe Jesus is referring to either the water of John’s baptism or to Jewish ceremonial washings in His comments to Nicodemus, since he was expected to know what Jesus meant (cf. vv. 10-12).
I favor the latter since, in the Jewish context of Jesus’ day, ceremony was often given in place of the heart. The heart or spirit must be engaged in a life of service to God.
As a Pharisee, Nicodemus would have relied heavily on the outward things and neglected spiritual concerns (Matt. 23:1-39).
Whether or not I am correct on this one, people today must be baptized by the authority of Christ (Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3-4).
In Christian conversion, the water of baptism is inescapable (Acts 8:36; Eph. 5:26; Titus 3:5; I Pet. 3:21; Acts 22:16; I Cor. 6:11).

Jesus attempts to turn Nicodemus to spiritual things by using an analogy between how the spirit works and how the wind works (the Greek word for spirit and wind are the same).
As the wind is invisible, but its work is visible, so the invisible work of the spirit on the heart is visible in the changed actions of a converted person (Jn. 3:8).
Again, matters of the heart are at the foundation of a relationship with God.

Jesus refers to the nature of His atoning death by referencing Moses’ lifting up the bronze serpent in the wilderness (Jn. 3:14; Num. 21:9; cf. Jn. 8:28; 12:34).
Belief requires a response.
Almost everybody believes this (cf. Rom. 10:9-10; Lk. 24:47; Jas 2:14-26; Mk. 16:16).
The real question is, “What is required?” The giving of Jesus gives believers a “right” to be saved that “should not” be refused (Jn. 3:16; cf. Jn. 1:12).

The phrase “only begotten’ links Jesus to Abraham’s son of promise, the only one of his kind, Isaac, who was a type of Christ (Jn. 3:16-18; Gen. 22:1-12; Heb. 11:17-19).
God is far more desirous of salvation than of condemnation (Jn. 3:17; I Tim. 2:4; II Pet. 3:9).

Evil hates light. It exposes it for what it is, removing its disguise to reveal its ugliness (Jn. 3:19-21; cf. Matt. 7:15; Eph. 5:11-12).
Note that John chose where he baptized because “much” water was required. A testimony to immersion (Jn. 3:23; cf. Acts 8:38-39; Rom. 6:3-4).
John the Baptizer shows his greatness by willingly stepping back from a very popular ministry to clear the way for Jesus (Jn. 26-30; cf. Matt. 11:7-11).
It is interesting to note that inspiration commonly links belief with obedience (Jn. 3:36; Rom. 1:5; 16:26).


 
Edwin
 
Duration 44:59

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