Day #279

Sermon - Audio
John 2-4 - Reading
John 2-4 - Audio

Daily Insights - Please Comment

John 2

Notes on Cana of Galilee:

1. Jesus is having a good time. He is not spoiling the party, in fact he keeps it going. Also notice that Jesus is making wine, yes wine.

2. To run out of wine at a social event (wedding) would be a disgrace upon the person throwing the party. Since wine is seen as a symbol for joy in the Jewish culture, it would have been if the joy had run out.

3. Jesus seems to tell Mary that this is not the hour that he will reveal Himself as the coming Messiah and seemingly didn't want to do the miracle, but He will be obedient to His mother and grant her request.

4. Jesus' wine is the best of the best.

5. Moses turned water into blood. Jesus turns water into wine. Jesus seems to do everything a little better. While Moses' water into blood brought death, Jesus' water brought life and joy.

Notes on Temple Cleansing:

1. Jerusalem would have been crowded for Passover. This is why there are so many people trying to make money and take advantage of the situation.

2. Jesus is disgusted at what the people have done with a place that was meant to be holy (separated). Gentiles that wanted to worship or come to see who this God is would have seen people just doing business like everywhere else in the Temple courts. God's house was no different than the world...this was a problem.

3. Ps 69:9 is the reference for "Zeal for your house..."

4. The basic message that I think Jesus is giving by doing this is that He has come to remove all barriers of worshiping the true God. This is seen by his statements in 18-22 about Himself.

5. Jesus claimed authority to drive out these people, so the people wondered who gave Him it.

6. Jesus claims that He will raise Himself up.

The comment in v 24 indicates the inadequacy of the faith of those who believed in Jesus solely because of “signs”: “Jesus did not trust them” (Haenchen). This does not mean that faith prompted by the miracles of Jesus is spurious, rather that “such faith is only the first step towards Jesus; it has not yet seen him in his true significance, and it is therefore not yet fully established” (Bultmann, 131). -WBCNT-

v23-25 set us up for Jesus' interaction with Nicodemus in the following chapter.

John 3

Notes on Nicodemus:

1. Nicodemus was impressed by Jesus and His signs. He was very religious (Pharisee) and also influential (ruler). Nicodemus is most likely a good man and well respected among other believing Jews.

2. Nicodemus acknowledges that Jesus has been sent by God.

3. This idea of being "born again" is earth-shattering to any good Jew. It is their identity as God's people that assures them of God's grace. It was man's first birth that identified them with God. No wonder Nicodemus is confused/perplexed by this (v4).

4. "water" - The background is probably Ezek. 36:25–27, where God promises, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean… and I will give you a new heart… and I will put my Spirit within you.” - ESVSB-

5. Jesus basically tells Nicodemus that He does not have "enough.." he like everyone must now be born again. Jesus makes it clear to Nicodemus that he is missing something that he should understand from the Text regarding Himself and this new birth.

6. Serpent/Moses - The reference to the Son of Man being lifted up is the first of three “lifted up” sayings in John’s Gospel (cf. 8:28; 12:32). All three sayings speak of the future “lifting up” of the Son of Man in a typical Johannine double meaning, so that it refers to both Jesus’ death and his resurrection and exaltation to glory in heaven. -ESVSB-

God	The Almighty Authority
So loved the world	The Mightiest Motive
That He gave His only begotten Son	The Greatest Gift
That whoever	The Widest Welcome
Believes in Him	The Easiest Escape
Should not perish	The Divine Deliverance
But have everlasting life	The Priceless Possession

*The time of God's love to be revealed for the entire world, and not just His people, has come. God desires the entire world. Jesus ends this phrase here by telling us that it is people's love for their own selfish desires that keeps them from seeing Him clearly.

Notes on JTB Interaction:

1. John knows the grand Story is not about him. He knows that he must decrease while Christ increases.

Q. How many of us make it about ourselves and plans...not His?

2. 31-36 - John declares who Jesus is.

*John 3 is one of the most important chapters in the Bible because we see that we must be born again, the Son of Man must be lifted up, and Christ must increase while we decrease.

John 4

Notes on Woman at the Well:

1. The woman was a Samaritan: When the southern kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians, they took almost every captive, exiling them to the Babylonian Empire. All they left behind were the lowest classes of society, because they didn’t want "that type" in Babylonia. These that were left behind intermarried with other peoples who slowly came into the region, and the Samaritans emerged as an ethnic and religious group. They started mixing the Jewish faith with other ones, thus the "true Jews" viewed them as half-breed idolaters.

2. Notice that Jesus is "weary." He is fully human, it's easy to forget this.

3. The woman is at the well at an abnormal time of the day, because she didn't want to run in to other people. Not only does she run into a person, but a Rabbi who by tradition would not speak directly to women in public. A Jewish Rabbi asks for a favor from this adulterous Samaritan woman...unheard of!

4. The woman is confused at what worship of the true God is. Jesus comes in declaring that salvation and worship is for all people. He ends by claiming to be the Messiah. Jesus chooses to reveal himself to this downcast of society.

5. v27 - Disciples are stunned that Jesus is talking with the woman! Look at the reasons previously stated in #1 & #3.

6. Jesus tells his disciples that what nourishes Him and keeps Him going is to do the will of the Father. Jesus knows He doesn't have much time. He lets His disciples know that many people have gone before them that have laid the groundwork for this time. Jesus is now doing the work and they must reap the harvest.

7. Samaritans believed on behalf of this woman. This woman is blessed to be a blessing.

Notes on Nobleman's Son:

1. Jesus was known in the Galilee, which is why it would have been hard for people to accept Him as the Messiah..."Isn't that Joseph's son?" etc. So Jesus leaves.

2. Jesus rebukes those people who need signs and wonders to believe in Him. God showed His people signs and wonders for may years, and yet they turned time and time again.

3. Notice how this man believes in the word of Jesus...nothing more. This is true faith.

4. Again, more people are effected by the one being blessed. We see this time and time again in the Gospels...people are blessed to be a blessing.