THE TEXT
John 3:22–36
Want to subscribe to our new podcast feed? Click here or search ‘ChristKirk’ in your podcast app.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus[a] by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.’ 3 Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God’ . . .” (John 3:1–21).
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers [a]doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house [b]has eaten Me up.”
18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this [c]to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. 24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, 25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man (John 2:13–25).
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”
11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and [a]manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
John 1:29–41
In some sense, John the Baptist did not know who Jesus was. This was revealed to him at the baptism of Jesus, when the Holy Spirit descended as a dove upon Jesus. This prompted John the Baptist’s testi- mony that Jesus was the long-foretold “lamb,” which God would send to take away the world’s sin. This was the lamb that God promised Abraham he would provide (Gen. 22:8), which was symbolized at Passover ( John 19:36), and was prophesied of Jesus (Is 53:7). Jesus was the lamb that God said he would provide.
This testimony culminated at the baptism of Jesus, when John beheld the descent of the Spirit, which confirmed a prophecy that he had been given as a key part of his own ministry. This was indeed the Son of God. John doesn’t describe the actual baptism of Jesus, but he does provide us with the place where this happened.
Two of John’s disciples, Andrew and probably John, leave John the Baptist to follow Jesus. It is said of Andrew that every time he shows up he is bringing someone to Jesus. Here, Andrew recruits his brother, Simon, whom Jesus renames Cephas (or Peter). Next, Jesus calls Phillip and Nathanael, and demonstrates his power to Nathanael by revealing to Nathanael his vision of him from afar.
Throughout this section there is a constant testimony that Jesus is being recognized as the “Son of God” – 1:34 and 49. This is a declaration the Jesus Christ was the eternal Son of God (1:18). But now Jesus introduces himself as something new. He says that he is the “Son of Man” – 1:51. With this he points back to the prophecy of Dan. 7:13-14. This refers to the pre-ordained earthly ministry that the Son of God came to perform. We should note that this launches the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy. And from here, Jesus adds the reference to Jacob’s ladder (Gen. 28:12), the upcoming union of heaven and earth.