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John 5:1 – After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

In our last post, we studied the second miracle that Jesus did in Galilee – healing the official's son even though he was not present to see or touch the boy.

Sometime after that, Jesus and his disciples went up to Jerusalem for a feast.  John is not specific about which feast it was, and nothing can be gained by vain speculation.  Obviously, we don't need to know in order to understand the spiritual principles in this passage, so we won't bother to enumerate the many possibilities that have been given.

In any case, Christ came to Jerusalem partly because the Law commanded it and partly because there would be huge crowds of Jews present, which made this an opportune time to share the gospel.  The particular incident mentioned at the beginning of this chapter has important spiritual implications for all of mankind, but particularly the Jews.

John 5:2-3 – Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.  In these lay a multitude of invalids – blind, lame, and paralyzed.  

As we all know, the city of Jerusalem was surrounded by a wall.  Here is a trivia question for you:  How many gates did the wall contain? Can you name them?  You can find the answer at the end of today's post.

The gate mentioned in this passage is the sheep gate, which is situated in the northern portion of the wall.  It was the gate closest to the temple.  It is so named because the sheep (and oxen, goats, etc) which were taken into the city for temple sacrifice were led through this gate. 

Near to the sheep gate was a 'pool' or a small lake used for bathing and/or swimming.  The pool was named Bethesda which means 'House of Mercy'.  Around the pool were five porches or colonnades, which afforded shade from the intense sun and shelter from the rain.  Large numbers of blind and crippled people gathered under these porches.

Why would they choose to be there?      

John 5:4 - ** waiting for the moving of the water, for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred the water:  whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had.

John 5:4 is missing from some of the earliest biblical manuscripts.  Thus, there is some controversy over whether or not it is a genuine part of scripture.  Check your own Bible.  You may find it recorded in one of the margins of your own copy, rather than between verses three and five.   

For the purposes of our study, we are going to consider it a valid portion of scripture, for the following reasons:

• There is no conclusive evidence that it is NOT true.

• Scripture supports both supernatural healing, and the ministry of angels to mankind.

• Springs with medicinal properties still exist today.

• The historian Josephus does not mention the pool of Bethesda in his writings, however, there are also many other important places and events that he does not record.

• The Jews of that day believed God was responsible for these healings; they regarded this as proof of the mercy of God (hence the name).

So what was going on here?

The natural waters of this pool/lake/spring seem to have had some kind of medicinal properties.  This in itself is not really supernatural; there are natural springs today which are reputed to have healing properties as well.  In this case, the medicinal properties were activated or concentrated when the water was agitated in a certain way. 

The peculiar or supernatural part of the story is that God, in his mercy, would send an angel to periodically stir up the water and facilitate the healing of incurable diseases.

There is nothing to suggest that the people ever visibly saw the angel.  What they were looking for was a bubbling or agitation of the surface of the water.  This was the signal that healing was available. 

We are told that this occurred at certain seasons.  It is likely that those who were in need of healing knew exactly when those seasons were going to occur, so at the approximate time, they would gather under the porticos/porches to wait and watch.  

It should be noted that this process provided for the healing of diseases and afflictions that had no known cure.  If not for the stirring of the water, these people had no hope of getting better. 

It should also be noted that the scripture does not say these people were instantly healed.  If indeed it was the medicinal properties of the water that did the healing, it was most likely that the healings occurred gradually over time.

Speaking of time, when did this stirring of the water begin?  When did it end?

Nothing can be precisely determined, but there is almost universal agreement that the healings began close to the time of the coming of Christ.  

The gift of prophesy and the working of miracles had been withdrawn from the Jews for the last 400 years.  These healings awakened and raised hope/expectation within the minds and hearts of the Jewish people that the Messiah was shortly to arrive.  The events at the pool caused them to look for other signs of his coming.  Perhaps these healings were partly responsible for drawing people to the ministry of John the Baptist. 

At the very least, these miracles of healing gave them hope that God still remembered his people.  This was of great comfort to them as they lived under the tyranny of the Romans. 

As for when the miracles stopped, there is less agreement but many believe they ended with the crucifixion.

 John 5:5 – One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

Wow!  We are not specifically told what the actual infirmity of this man was, but we do know that it was paralytic in nature – it prevented him from walking.  His weakness was considered incurable by physicians. 

Back in those days, there were no social programs to assist people as there are today.  Since the man's weakness rendered him unable to walk, he was also unable to work.  He was a victim of both disease and poverty.

Everyone who came to the pool had probably seen this man and knew of his plight.  Thus, this miracle cannot be disputed.   

John 5:6 – When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?"

At that moment in time, Bethesda was truly the 'House of Mercy' because the God of all mercy had entered it!

In the midst of this throng of people, Jesus then walks up to this one particular invalid and asks him if he wants to be healed. 

At first glance, that seems to be a strange question; who wouldn't want to be healed?  But the question actually has several purposes:   

• First, it reminds the invalid of his helpless state – without the mercy of God, he has no hope to escape his bonds of disease/affliction. 

• Second, it kindles hope and faith in his heart, preparing him to receive his miracle. 

• Third, it grabs the attention of everyone else in the portico. 

Let's picture the scene.  There are dozens and dozens of afflicted people crammed into the porticos intently watching for the water to be stirred.  They are not passing the time talking or playing cards or looking at their phones.  They have a single unrelenting focus – to be healed by being the first person into the water when it is stirred up. 

Now imagine Jesus (speaking loudly enough for all to hear), bringing up the possibility of a complete healing for this invalid without getting into the water.  Don't you think it would have caught the attention of literally everyone there?  I am sure they turned their attention to Jesus immediately.  This put them in the position of being witnesses to the miracle that was about to take place. 

In turn, the miracle they witness prepares the people to hear and receive the gospel message that will bring them eternal life.

John 5:7 – The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me."

The man's answer implies that he did indeed wish to be healed, but in addition to all of his other problems, he had no friend or relative to help him into the water.  Practically speaking, his chances of being the first one in were zero.  He was utterly helpless and alone.

This answer reveals a lot about the man.  Like the official with the dying son, he limits God.   His mind can only see one path to healing – getting into the water first.  But God has something much greater in store for him.  The goodness and mercy of God extends far beyond the narrow limits of the invalid's faith and imagination.  Thankfully, it does in our case too!

What miracle are you looking for?  Does it seem as impossible as this man being healed?  With God, nothing is impossible.  Even when you don't see a way, God has it all under control.  Just stay in faith, and don't limit God… he is very likely to do something that surprises you!     

John 5:8 – Jesus said to him, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk."

If the invalid possessed the ability to walk around carrying his own bed, there would be no need for healing; no reason to be at the pool.  Clearly, this was a command that he could not complete in his own strength. 

Thus, we are presented with a spiritual principle that is still true today – God is made perfect in our weakness. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 - And he [God] said unto me [Paul], My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

What has God called you to do for his kingdom?  Are you a witness in your work place?  Are you feeding the homeless or ministering to the addicted?  Are you taking ground for the kingdom through political office or other places of leadership?  Are you starting your own company?  Do you ever feel like you don't have the strength to complete the task you were assigned?  Well, good - that means you are on the right track!

God never calls us to do things that we could do in our own strength.  If he did, we would take all the credit for the accomplishment.  But when we give him room to work in the midst of our weakness, the task is completed and he receives the glory for it.  When he is glorified, men are drawn to him and they receive salvation. 

If you ever find yourself growing weary, stop and remember the example of the invalid at Bethesda:  God gave him the strength to do as he commanded.  God was glorified in his weakness.  God will do the same for me and you!

Here is some further encouragement for you:  The man had his heart and mind set on being healed through the water, but in a single instant Jesus did more and greater things for him than the water ever could!  So lean into Jesus and let him bring about the victory. 

John 5:9 – And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.  Now that day was the Sabbath.

Remember, the stage has been set to accomplish great spiritual things through this miracle.  The man has a long public history of being disabled; his situation is well known in the community.  On the day Jesus shows up, the portico is crammed with people waiting for the water to be stirred. Jesus has called attention to the man by asking him if he wants to be healed, then he gives him the command to rise up and walk.

The man's sudden and complete restoration to health is an incontestable miracle!  It proves the divinity of Jesus and it shows that God is moving among his people.

But why does Jesus tell him to carry his bed?  What purpose does that serve? 

If we take a general look at the miracles of Christ, we find that he frequently connects a miracle with some kind of action which attests to its truth.  For example, after the miracle of the loaves and fishes, Jesus instructs the disciples to collect the leftovers, which were more than the actual lunch they started with.  This bears witness to the miracle. 

Another example would be the water turned into wine.  After the miracle had been performed, Jesus made the servants take the first cup to the master of the feast, to bear unbiased witness to its goodness and genuineness. 

In this instance, the man was told to carry his bed around, to show that his weakness/infirmity was completely vanquished and he was totally healed.  Thus, those who were not present at the actual healing event under the portico were still witnesses to the miracle when they saw him carrying the bed.  There were probably many more witnesses to him carrying the mat than there were to the actual healing by the water. 

This brings up another issue.

The scripture tells us that this miracle occurred on the Sabbath.  It was a violation of the Law to carry any burden or perform any work on that day (Jeremiah 17:21-22, Nehemiah 13:15-19).  At the time of Christ, violations were punishable by death or scourging. 

We can be sure that the timing of this miracle was no accident.  Jesus is proving that he is the divine Son of God and therefore, he is Lord of the Sabbath.  Because he was the one to give the command to the healed man, it was therefore lawful. 

Jesus did many of his miracles on the Sabbath to prove that the Jews misconstrued the Sabbath law.  They obeyed the letter of it (do no work) but not the spirit of it.  This is proved by the question of Jesus as he healed the man with the withered hand:

Luke 6:9 - Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good, or to do evil?  To save life, or to destroy it?

Over and over Jesus proved to the Jews that he was Lord of the Sabbath.

John 5:10 – So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed."

The religious leaders of the day certainly had the right to question the actions of this man.  Unfortunately, they were not interested finding the truth.   

For example, they completely ignore the miracle this man presented.  Here was the very man they had seen countless times over the years in a state of paralysis, unable to even walk.  No physicians had been able to cure him.  They probably watched year after year as he grew weaker and weaker, while slipping into abject poverty. 

And now he is walking around, completely healed!  At that very moment they were witnessing an undisputed miracle, and they knew it!  This should have played a major role in their inquiry.  Instead of rushing to instantly condemn his actions, they should have stopped and examined the evidence with an open mind. 

Had they done so, they would have been immediately drawn to Christ. This demonstration of his authority and power over disease should have led them to conclude that Jesus was not only the Messiah, he was Lord of the Sabbath too. 

John 5:11 – But he answered them, "The man who healed me, that man said to me, 'Take up your bed, and walk.'"

This common man is making more sense than the religious leaders!  In his mind, the one who healed him was at the very least a prophet and the healing was performed by divine authority.  Therefore, it was lawful for him to obey whatever divine command he was given, even if it contradicted the law or the traditions of the elders.  Therefore, he had no misgivings about carrying his bed on the Sabbath, and displaying the miracle of God to the masses. 

John 5:12 – They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?"

Again, instead of examining this miracle and acknowledging the hand of God in it, the Scribes and Pharisees stubbornly chose to focus solely on what they believe to be a violation of the law.  Their envy and anger are aroused against the person who healed this man!  Can you believe it?  Because of the hardness of their hearts, they are missing the day of their visitation!      

John 5:13 – Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.

Immediately after the miracle, Jesus slipped unnoticed into the crowd that was there.  By doing so, he avoids a confrontation with the unbelieving religious leaders.  He also avoids another danger – becoming the favorite of the fickle crowd, who would probably have wanted to make him a king so he could fight Rome.    

For his part, the newly healed invalid is only concerned about the fact that he is now healed; he hasn't yet thought to stop and thank the man he perceives to be a prophet.

John 5:14 – Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "See, you are well!  Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you."

The healed man seems to have gone at once to the temple, which would have been a privilege for him, since he could not go for so many years.  It was certainly proper for him to give thanks to God for his cure (although the best thank offering would be to live a holy life).

Jesus finds him at the temple and admonishes him to 'sin no more'.  The implication is that the infirmity of this man had its root cause in some prior sin.  The command to cease from sin is most likely attached to that one fault; Jesus is not commanding him to be perfect in every aspect of life from that day forward.  Rather, the man should repent of that sin/fault and never participate in it again.  For example, if it was drunkenness that caused his problem (there is no evidence that this was the case; this is just an example), Jesus is instructing him to repent and never drink again. 

Further, Jesus warns him about falling back into sin.  This proves that Jesus not only knew the secret past sins of this man's life, but he knows the future too – if the man returns to his former habits, something worse than 38 years of sickness will occur. 

John 5:15-16 – The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.  And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.

The man, still full of joy, went to the religious leaders and told them it was Jesus who had healed him.  His motivation was to honor Christ and make him known to his fellow Jews so they too could experience his power and goodness.  (Had his motivation been to betray Jesus, he would have told the Jews it was Jesus who directed him to 'take up his bed and walk'). 

But his innocent intentions backfired.  The reaction of the religious leaders is to persecute Jesus – to oppose him, to try and ruin his character, to destroy his popularity, even to slay him.

What is the main cause of their jealousy? 

One, Jesus did not operate within the narrowly defined parameters they had assigned to God.  If Jesus had healed this man on a different day, perhaps things would have been different; but healing on the Sabbath was just unacceptable!   

What about us?  We must guard against becoming religiously rigid and self righteous like these Jews.  What if Holy Spirit moves in your church next Sunday in a way that he has never done before?  Will you embrace the mercy and power he shows to people, or will you be angry that the service was 'weird'? 

What if God touches someone in the next praise service and they dance, or shout or laugh or loudly weep?  Will you be offended and indignant, or are you ready to embrace the move of the Spirit?

We say that we desire God to move in our midst, but we often fail to leave him any room in which to work.  Like the Jews, we try to keep Holy Spirit in the narrowly defined parameters that we have set for him.   What would happen if we spent some time in prayer before our next church meeting, giving Holy Spirit the freedom to minister without any of our preset limits?  What if we didn't follow the clock so closely?  Do you think He would show up in a powerful way?    

The second cause of the Jews' jealousy was their loss of power and prestige.  For many generations the Pharisees and Scribes enjoyed being treated as the 'royalty' of the nation.  Whatever they said or decreed as tradition was immediately put into practice.  When Jesus came and began to tear down those traditions, he was also tearing down the little kingdom of power and authority they had set up for themselves, and they hated him for it. 

In fact, they had so much pride and blind fury that they sought to kill Jesus – nothing but his blood would satisfy their vengeance.  Pride is a sin that causes us to sin against others and it always leads to our own downfall (Proverbs 16:18).  We need to guard against it at all costs.  

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and some strength:

Did you recognize the paralytic man in this bible passage?  If you saw a reflection of yourself in him, you are right on target!

In the beginning of the paralytic's life, he was healthy and whole.  In the beginning of time, God created mankind without sin and placed us into the Garden of Eden. 

At some point, the paralytic physically embraced sin and it completely ensnared him.  It robbed him of his health, his relationships, his money, his work/ability to accomplish things, his peace, his joy and his right to go into the courts of the temple.   Likewise, mankind embraced sin and it spiritually ensnared us.  We too were robbed of our health, relationships, money, work, peace and joy.  We lost the right to enter into the throne room and presence of God.

No one could help the paralytic; neither could he help himself.  There was no cure for his disease.  No physician could free him from the bonds of paralysis.  In fact, his disease got steadily worse as the years passed.  Spiritually speaking, mankind could not help himself overcome or cure the problem of sin.  There was no known cure in the world of man; there was no one to break the bondage of sin in our lives. 

But then Jesus came into the house, bringing his mercy with him!  He asked the paralytic if he wanted to be healed.  Likewise, Jesus asks this same question to each and every person.  If we want him to, Jesus will spiritually heal us.  He will free us from the bondage of Satan and restore us to spiritual health with his blood.  

The paralytic did two notable things after his healing:  He obeyed the command of Jesus to carry his bed, and he went into the house of God to give Him glory.  Once we have been redeemed by Christ, we too should be drawn into obedience.  We too should be ecstatic at the opportunity to enter into the presence of God. 

In truth, this was the lesson Jesus wanted to convey to the Jewish people.  But unfortunately, the religious leaders missed the message entirely.  They found themselves on a tangent that further ensnared them; their path did not lead to life.

Is it possible that this has happened to you too?  Have you somehow taken a wrong turn and you are not as close to Jesus as you used to be?  Is something driving a wedge between you and the Lord?  If so, let me offer you some relief.           

You can make things right between you and God right now.  If you have never had a relationship with him before, you can have one now by praying the following prayer, and meaning it from your heart:

Dear Jesus, I confess to you that I am a sinner.  I am sorry for all the wrong things I have done and I ask you to forgive me.  I believe that you are the Son of God, that you died on the cross and rose again, and that your blood paid the price for my sin.  I invite you to come into my heart and life and to be my Lord and Savior.  I commit myself to you right now.  Thank you for saving me from death and giving me the gift of eternal life.  Amen.

If you have prayed a prayer similar to this in the past, but your love for God has grown cold, you can pray to Jesus right now, asking that your relationship be restored.  Just speak to him from your heart and confess your sin; he already knows what has happened and he still loves you. 

In either case, begin to walk in obedience to God's commands, and spend time in his presence thanking him for healing your sin problem. 

TRIVIA ANSWER:

The wall of Jerusalem contained 10 gates.  They are:  The Sheep gate, the Inspection gate, the East gate, the Horse gate, the Water gate, the Fountain gate, the Dung gate, the Valley gate, the Old City gate and the Fish gate.  You can find all of this information in Nehemiah chapter 3.

 

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John 4:43-44 – After the two days he departed for Galilee.  (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.)

Back in verse 3 of this chapter, the author tells us that Jesus departed from Judea on his way to Galilee.  He left Judea (the area where he was ministering/baptizing) because of hostility from the Jewish leaders, particularly the Pharisees.  Taking the most direct route to Galilee, he and his disciples passed through Samaria where they wound up spending two days 'harvesting' souls for the kingdom.

At the end of two days, Jesus and the disciples resumed their journey to the region of Galilee, bypassing the city of Nazareth where Jesus was raised. 

Why did Jesus choose to bypass his home town?  Because he knew he would not be respected or honored there.  This is a general rule which was true of many holy men and women in the scriptures.  For example, Joseph was despised by his brothers when he began to have prophetic dreams (Genesis 37:5-8) and David was distained by his brothers when he was moved to fight Goliath (1 Samuel 17:28-29).

The root cause of this type of rejection is most likely pride and envy.  People do not want to be instructed, corrected or ruled over by those they knew as children. 

Just to be clear, Jesus did not bypass Nazareth because people might hurt his feelings.  The problem was an attitude of unbelief, springing from the sinful hearts of the townsfolk.  Their overwhelming and vehement unbelief would prevent or halt any ministry that Jesus desired to work in their lives.  As a result, ministry in that place at that time would be ineffective. 

You may find the same type of rejection when you try to minister to some people in your family.  If so, don't worry.  God will either bring someone else into their life to share the message, or bring them to a place where they are willing to allow you to share the gospel with them.       

John 4:45 – So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast.  For they too had gone to the feast.

Unlike the people of Nazareth, the Galileans are eager to welcome Jesus and embrace his doctrine. 

This is a wonderful example of God's promise to Isaiah that his word/message is never unfruitful – it ALWAYS accomplishes his will.   

Isaiah 55:11 - So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

This is of great comfort to us as well.  Even when you don't think your testimony is making any difference, it is!  Keep planting and watering the seeds of the gospel and Holy Spirit will eventually bring forth a harvest for the kingdom.

In this particular case, the Galileans had first heard Jesus/the Word (John 1:1, 1:14) when they traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover.  In Jerusalem, they witnessed his miracles and heard some of his teaching, which activated/strengthened their faith and made it possible for them to receive the message/gift of eternal life.

Did you catch the hidden significance here?  Obedience brings blessing.  God commanded all Jewish males to present themselves at his temple three times a year (Exodus 23:17).  No doubt, there were many Jews who did not obey this command.  No doubt, they had many fine excuses for not obeying (I'm too busy, it's too expensive, I hate crowds, etc).

But those who did come were blessed.  They encountered God and discovered things about him which would not have been revealed to them otherwise.  They positioned themselves to receive both spiritual and physical gifts and blessings. 

Are you walking in obedience to all that God has commanded you?  If so, you can live in a state of expectancy because God does not change.  He still has physical and spiritual gifts/blessings reserved for those who walk in obedience. 

Again, let me ask you:  Have you positioned yourself to receive these treasures?  The Galileans did, and they were not disappointed!  However, if you refuse to place yourself under the open window of heaven, then don't complain or blame God when you don't receive!    

John 4:46 – So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine.  And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill.

John now begins to relate a specific miracle which the other gospel writers only mention in passing (Matthew 4:23). 

It involves an official (your translation might say 'nobleman'), who lived in Capernaum, approximately 20 miles from Cana.  Many opinions have been given as to the identity of this man.  Some identify him as an officer in the court of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee.  Others think he was Chuza (Luke 8:3) or Manaen (Acts 13:1), but there is not enough evidence for a definitive identification. 

What we do know is that this man was a father, who had a sincere love for his son.  We also know that the son had some kind of serious illness, which could not be cured by the medical profession of that era. 

John 4:47 – When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.

I believe that every parent reading this post can sympathize with this official.  He is desperate to save the life of his child, and he will do anything, go anywhere, pay any amount and try anything in order to make that happen. 

Fortunately for him, he has heard testimonies of people who have been touched and healed by Christ.  These testimonies cause his own faith to activate and he sets out to find Jesus and beg him to come to Capernaum.      

This brings up an interesting point.  Obviously, the official has a measure of faith, but there is certainly room for growth.  He believes that Jesus can heal his son, but he believes that Jesus must come to Capernaum in order to do so.   

In his mind, the power of Jesus is connected to his bodily presence.  In other words, Jesus had to be right beside you, or perhaps touching you in order to heal you; therefore, Jesus' power was limited. 

This in turn suggests that the official viewed Jesus merely as a prophet of God who had the ability to work miracles in order to prove that he was from God.  The man does not understand that Jesus is the Messiah, the incarnate Son of God and nothing is impossible for him; there are no limits to his power and ability.    

As we pointed out in our introduction, the divinity of Jesus is one of the main focuses of John's gospel.  One of the reasons Jesus healed this boy may have been to show that his power was not limited; because he was divine he could heal people in any location on the globe with just a word. 

John 4:48 – So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe."

Jesus now offers a rebuke not only to the official, but to all the Jews who were present. 

By this time there were many, many credible testimonies of the miracle working power of Jesus; there was ample proof that Jesus had been sent from God.  The logical outcome was for the Jews to listen to the teaching of Christ and apply his instruction to their own personal lives.  Belief in his word/doctrine should lead them to deeper spiritual wisdom and understanding. 

But instead of maturing spiritually, they continued to crave demonstrations of the miraculous to satisfy their own curiosity and desires.    

The apostle Thomas (aka Doubting Thomas) demonstrates this same weakness and lack of faith when he refuses to believe Jesus has been resurrected, despite the credible testimony of the other apostles.

John 20:25 - The other disciples therefore said unto him [Thomas], We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

The desire of these people for miracles was in sharp contrast to the Samaritans, who believed in Jesus as the Messiah, without any miraculous demonstrations at all.

Jesus is calling the Galileans out on this in order to get them past the point of being spiritual babies. It is time for them to begin feasting on his word and maturing in their faith.       

John 4:49-50 – The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."  Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live."  The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.

Clearly, Jesus has heard the desperate plea of this father.  He does not rebuke the man as a preface to denying his request.  Rather, he uses this occasion to correct the fault that was preventing all of the Galilean Jews from exercising true/complete faith in him. As we will discover later, Jesus is not afraid to cause people a bit of earthly discomfort in order to bring about their spiritual good.  

Meanwhile, the official continues to display ignorance and lack of faith.  He urgently renews his request for Jesus to come to Capernaum; he does not believe that Jesus can heal from Galilee or that Jesus can help him once his son dies.  It never even enters into the mind of the official that Jesus is capable of raising his son from the dead. 

Nevertheless, Jesus honors the measure of faith that the official has.  By simply speaking a few words, Jesus heals the boy who is 20 miles away without ever seeing him or laying hands on him.    

This stunning demonstration of divine power wipes out the unbelief of everyone who was present.  Their spiritual eyes are opened and they now perceive Jesus as the Messiah, the divine Son of God.  Thus, the kingdom of God continues to advance on the earth. 

As for the official, he departs for home in a state of peace and hope.   

John 4:51-53 – As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.  So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."  The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live."  And he himself believed, and all his household.

As the official was making his way home, he was met by servants of his own household bearing good news – his son had recovered from his illness; there was no longer a need for Jesus to travel to Capernaum.

So… was the child healed by the power of God or some natural cause?  In order to confirm what really took place, the father asks what time his son started to feel better.  His servants respond by indicating that the fever left the child suddenly and entirely at 1 o'clock. 

When the father realizes that a complete healing took place at the exact time that Jesus declared it, the miracle is confirmed!  This was not a natural occurrence – Jesus had instantly healed his son from miles away!      

As a result of this miracle the official's entire household (wife, children, parents, servants, etc) believed that Jesus was truly the Messiah, the Son of God, and they become his disciples. 

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

What lessons can we take away from the demonstration of this second miracle? 

For starters, we are reminded that God has infinite power to heal.  The scriptures tell us that Jesus took stripes on his back to provide healing for us:

Isaiah 53:5 - But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

This is a verse we are all familiar with.  We routinely refer to it when we pray for people to be healed.  But much like the official of Capernaum, our thinking is often way too small and limited.   

Let me explain. There is nothing in Isaiah 53:5 that limits healing to our physical bodies.  Go ahead… read it again and see.  The truth is that Jesus has not only provided physical healing for us, he paid the price for emotional healing, mental healing, relational/relationship healing, financial healing and any other healing we may need.  He specializes in giving us beauty for the ashes we have in our lives (Isaiah 61:3). 

And there is more good news.  It doesn't matter who or what was at fault.  For example, if you went through a nasty divorce and you came out of that marriage emotionally scarred, Jesus is there to provide your emotional healing, even if you are partially or completely responsible for the situation.  Hallelujah! Let your faith strengthen and grow.  Trust in God for any and every kind of healing you may need.   

Secondly, we need to understand that God's power to heal is infinite and he always honors his promises, provided that we do not shut him out with our unbelief.  In this passage of scripture we find Jesus chastising the Jews.  The purpose of that was to bring them into a fuller measure of faith, which gives Him more room to work in their lives.  The same is true for us.  It is essential that we take every opportunity to stretch our faith, so that it grows and strengthens, preparing us for even greater gifts and assignments from God.  Unbelief is one of the only things that can prevent God from working on your behalf.  

Third, the official experienced a delay before his request was answered.  Who among us has not experienced the same thing?  But delayed answers to prayer always serve a purpose in our lives.  They draw us into closer fellowship with Jesus.  They mature our faith.  They provide testimonies to those around us.  They can actually bring people to salvation.  Need an example?  Consider Lazarus.

As you recall, Mary, Martha and Lazarus were siblings who all loved Jesus.  In fact, Jesus sometimes spent the night at their house.  One day, Lazarus gets sick to the point of death.  Mary and Martha send word to Jesus that they need him quick!  And what does Jesus do?  He delays coming to them for two additional days, waiting for Lazarus to die. 

The delayed answer to their prayers caused them anguish, yet God used their suffering to bring many people to Christ:

John 11:44-45 - And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a cloth. Jesus said unto them, Loose him, and let him go.  Then many of the Jews who came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.   

 We will discuss this more fully when we arrive at chapter 11 of John's gospel, but just so you know, if God has delayed in answering your prayer it isn't because he didn't hear you.  It's because he is doing something much greater than you can imagine.

Finally, we note that Jesus did not answer the prayer of the official in the way he expected (the same could be said of Mary and Martha).  This was also true for the woman at the well when she asked Jesus for living water.  We can expect the same thing.  Again, the truth is that many times we ask for something that is too small; God answers us in another way because he desires to give us something much, much better or bigger or of more worth than what we asked for (Ephesians 3:20, Isaiah 55:8-9). 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In this chapter, we see that Jesus cured the official's son from a distance.  This was something that had never occurred before.  Because it did not fit into the expectations of the people, it blew their minds! 

Let me offer you this encouragement:  Stop limiting God by your small thinking and small confessions!  Paul tells us that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above anything we could ever think (Ephesians 3:20). 

So who are you going to believe in your situation?  The God of the impossible, or your friends who are telling you there is no hope?      

Let me offer you some relief:

Jesus did not deny the request of the official because of his small faith.  But he did bring about circumstances that would multiply the faith he had. 

Perhaps you recognize a lack of faith in your own life.  Let me offer you some relief – your faith can multiply and strengthen.  Begin by reading and meditating on the scriptures (Romans 10:17) and look for opportunities to trust God.

Let me offer you some strength:

God is not adverse to delaying the answer to some of our prayers, for our greater good, or the good of his kingdom. 

When the answer to your prayer seems delayed, that is no time to give up!  It is time to dig your knees or face into the carpet and steadfastly continue to bring your request before the Father. Strengthen yourself, for in due season you will reap if you do not give up!

 

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John 4:30 – They went out of the town and were coming to him.

In our last post we were informed that the Samaritan woman left her water pot at the well and hastily went into town.  She went for the express purpose of informing her fellow citizens that she may have discovered the long awaited Messiah. 

Her testimony of Jesus must have been very convincing indeed, for we find that the citizens of Samaria paused right in the middle of a work day, and went to the well to check out her story. 

As this verse indicates, they were 'coming' or on the way to see Jesus, but had not yet arrived.  The conversation between Jesus and his disciples in verses 31-38 takes place before the Samaritans actually arrive.

Let's take this opportunity to comment on the 'mission field' of this woman.  Where did she go to share her discovery of the Messiah?  That's right - her own home town; her own neighbors and friends.  She shared the good news with the people that knew her faults and mistakes.  Many of them probably knew her history and had met several of her husbands.  Because they knew her and saw her excitement, they were willing to come and hear Jesus for themselves; she was a convincing witness because they already knew her.

We too, should consider our own friends, neighbors and cities as our primary mission fields.  While God does call some people into full time mission work in foreign lands, the number is relatively small.  Most of us are called to reach those in our own circle of influence.  Let's start sharing the gospel there, and see how God uses us.  If he needs us to go to a foreign country, he will let us know. 

John 4:31-32 – Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."  But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."

For their part, the disciples have no idea what is going on.  They are all hungry and tired.  They are concerned about the well-being of their teacher, who seemed too tired to go into town with them.  They return with provisions only to find Jesus actually (gasp!) speaking to a Samaritan woman in public! 

Unsure of what to do, they keep silent and wait to see what would happen.  The woman left almost immediately and the disciples see this as their chance to refresh Jesus with food and water.  Their actions were completely natural.

But as they offer Jesus some much needed food, he surprises them again by saying 'I have food you know nothing about'. 

John 4:33-34 – So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?"  Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work."

In keeping with their worldly outlook, the disciples are sure that Jesus is talking about physical food.  Although they can't imagine who would have done it, they are sure that somebody had fed Jesus. 

But just as he did with the Samaritan woman, Jesus turns their eyes from the natural realm to the spiritual. 

The great design of Jesus' life was to do the will of God.  There can be no doubt that he arrived at the well physically fatigued, thirsty and hungry.  But when the opportunity to save even one lost soul opened up, he embraced it with his entire being.  It absorbed all of his attention, making him forget his weariness and fleshly desires. 

Jesus makes it very clear that doing the will of God and accomplishing his work should be our main objectives in life.

Is it possible that we have lost sight of this?  For the most part, we devote a lot of time, energy and money to avoiding any semblance of fatigue, hardship or discomfort.  Obviously, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the comforts of this life, as long as they are kept in the right perspective.  

What priority does the avoidance of discomfort take in our lives?  Is our main consideration to seek a steady supply of our wants/desires?  What are we willing to sacrifice to see a move of God – some meals, some social media time, an hour of sleep?   

Furthermore, Jesus didn't just begin the work that God ordained for him, he completed it.  His last words were, 'It is finished' (John 19:30).  The apostle Paul was also confident that he had accomplished God's will for his life.  He said to Timothy, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (II Timothy 4:7).   

 Are we living our lives with the same goal in mind?  Or have we been side tracked by the pleasures of this world?  Is it possible that God has called you or me to a work that we joyfully began, but then we walked away when the going got tough (or when the discomfort set in)? 

Jesus should be our model in this area.  He was so absorbed in doing the will of God that he forgot everything else.  As he earnestly did the will of God, he rose above all hardship, bearing it with pleasure if it meant doing the will of God.  He was completely focused on his spiritual/eternal mission, and earthly things took second place.  

John 4:35 – Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'?  Look, I tell you lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest."

We have already seen that Jesus exhibits an intense desire to bring men to God.  He is so intently focused on his mission that he forgets about his hunger, his thirst and his fatigue. 

He is now attempting to stir up a fervent desire in his disciples for the same thing. 

As he often does, Jesus begins with an example in the natural realm, which helps explain a spiritual principle.  In this case, he reminds the disciples of some common knowledge:  you can expect a harvest after a fourth month wait.

In other words, the farmer who plants corn does not expect to harvest it immediately.  He expects to sweat and labor today knowing that he will not reap his harvest for about 120 days.  In the natural, it takes time for the seed to sprout, take root, grow to maturity and produce fruit. 

But in the spiritual realm, the seed of the gospel message produces immediate results.  Jesus shared the gospel message with the Samaritan woman a short time before the disciples returned.  The message that was planted in her life has already sprouted and taken root.  Already it is producing a harvest – not only does she believe, but she is bringing many more souls to Christ from her village.  Unlike a crop in the natural realm, it took only a matter of minutes for the gospel to produce a spiritual harvest. 

If the disciples will look around with their spiritual eyes, they will see that there are entire 'fields' of sinners with fertile hearts that are ready to accept the good news of the gospel (John the Baptist had prepared the hearts of many to accept Christ, Luke 1:17).

They will be ripe for 'harvesting' for the kingdom of heaven almost immediately (the Samaritans are a good example of this).  But if the disciples are not focused on this spiritual harvest, they will miss their opportunity to both plant/sow and harvest/reap.

Eventually, after Holy Spirit empowers them during Pentecost, they will not only sow the gospel message to the Jews in Jerusalem, but the message will be carried to Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world; souls will be harvested for the kingdom in every Gentile nation (Acts 1:8).   

We too should take every opportunity to sow and harvest in the kingdom.  We need to 'lift up our eyes' or focus our attention on spreading the gospel message and bringing souls to Christ.

John 4:36 – "Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together."

Jesus is the Lord of the harvest and he is the perfect example of sowing and reaping.  He sowed the gospel message into the life of the Samaritan woman and reaped a harvest of souls before the day was over!

Jesus invites us to participate in his work.  He recruits and equips people to sow the seed of the gospel message into the lives of sinners.  He sends Holy Spirit to empower that seed to come to life.  He also recruits and equips people to harvest souls – to assist sinners in making a decision for Christ.  Obviously, the harvest is a team effort that requires planters, harvesters and Holy Spirit.  Because we all have the same goal (to win souls to Christ) we can all rejoice together.

This truth should eliminate much of the envy and strife in religious circles.  When a ministry eclipses ours, or the church in the next city experiences a big influx of people, we should not be jealous.  We should always rejoice when the kingdom of heaven is expanding on planet earth.  Paul puts it this way:

1 Corinthians 3:6-8 - I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.  So then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase.  Now he that plants and he that waters are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

Did you notice that Jesus says the laborers in his kingdom receive wages?  Paul says those who labor in the kingdom receive a reward.  Either way it is evident that God will compensate those who choose to work for him. 

Stop and consider that for a second…. God calls us and equips us to share in the labor of his kingdom.  But that labor would be in vain if Holy Spirit did not make the gospel come alive in the life of a sinner.  Once Holy Spirit does his work, we can then reap that soul for the kingdom.  So God not only calls us, but he makes us successful and then rewards us for our success!  It's really astonishing, if you think about it!  God is so good to us!   

John 4:37-38 – "For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.'  I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor.  Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."

If the disciples were reaping a harvest, then someone before them had to have planted the seed.  Who would that have been? 

One example would be the prophets of old, who constantly sowed the laws of God and the promise of the Messiah into the lives of the Israelites.  During their darkest days, God still gave the prophets words of encouragement and hope for his people.  God constantly spoke of the coming Redeemer, who would save and bless Israel.

But it was more than just the prophets.  Public ministers, like John the Baptist sowed the seeds of repentance into the lives of multitudes, but he did not actually harvest those souls.  Jesus and/or the disciples did. 

But there is an even better example.  Every Israelite parent sowed the promises of God's covenant into the lives of their children.  They were admonished to keep the promises of God alive in the hearts and minds of their offspring (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). They kept the promise of the Messiah alive in every generation of Israel.

The disciples were able to reap a harvest of souls because earlier generations of Israelites had sown plenty of spiritual seeds into the children of their nation.  Thus, the disciples were reaping a harvest that they themselves did not plant; they 'entered into the labor' of others. 

This is such good information for all Christian parents.  Just like the Israelites, it is our job to sow the word of God into the lives of our children and grandchildren.  And there are different ways of sowing:

• We plant some seeds by what we say (or don't say). 
• We plant seeds by the way we act and treat others. 
• The way we choose to spend our money sows yet another type of seed into our children. 
• We plant seeds in our children when we live by faith. 
• We plant seeds when we actively read/honor the Holy Scriptures and pray. 

What seeds are you planting in your family?   

John 4:39 – Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me all that I ever did."

Are you aware of just how powerful your personal testimony can be?  The scripture plainly says that MANY people came to Christ because of the testimony of this one woman!

You don't need a degree in theology or a pastoral license to share the good news of what Christ has done in your own personal situation.  Just connect with hurting people, and be real.  A true, heart-felt experience is much more powerful and persuasive than facts recited from intellectual knowledge.  Your testimony can bring others into the kingdom!

John 4:40-41 – So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.  And may more believed because of his word.

Based on what we know of the relationship between Jews and Samaritans, this is shocking news!  It was unheard of for the Samaritans to invite a Jew into their midst, and sit under his teaching.  Likewise, it was unprecedented for a Jews to accept an offer such as this!  But with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27).  Barriers that divide people simply melt away under the influence of God and his love.  I'd love to know what truths Jesus revealed to that group of people who were despised by the world!  

John 4:42 – They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world."

The point here is that as the Samaritans listened to Jesus, their faith develops and grows to a point where they are fully convinced that he is the Messiah.  Their faith is based on the word of God, not solely the testimony of the woman. 

The Samaritans have come to believe that Jesus is not just a prophet, and not just the Savior of the Jews, but the Savior of the whole world. 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Remember, the mission field of the Samaritan woman was the people in her own town; the people she saw and interacted with every day.  For most of us, that will be our mission field too. 

How are you stewarding your mission field?  I encourage you to actively look for ways to introduce Jesus and/or your testimony into every day conversations with people you know.  You might be surprised at the results you get.

Let me offer you some relief:

The scriptures tell us that 'many' Samaritans listened and believed the testimony of the woman at the well.  By default, this means that some people did not believe.  But that wasn't the problem of the woman.  Her job was simply to share her testimony. 

Likewise, when you share your testimony, there will be people who reject the message.  But let me offer you some relief: That isn't your problem.  You just be faithful to share the truth and rely on Holy Spirit to ripen that seed into a harvest!   

Let me offer you some strength:

Jesus not only began the work his Father assigned him, he finished it.  Obviously, we want to do the same thing.  All of us want to stand before Jesus and hear him say, 'Well done good and faithful servant'. 

Finishing your race well may seem like a difficult assignment, but let me offer you some strength:  Just live one day at a time.  Today, spend time in prayer with the Lord.  Today, ask Holy Spirit to lead you to a hurting soul.  Today, plant some gospel seeds into the life of a sinner.  If we live for Christ one day at a time, it will add up to a life well lived.  

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John 3:13 – "No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man."

Jesus is continuing his late-night conversation with Nicodemus. He has just chided Nicodemus for his lack of understanding regarding spiritual things.  Jesus asks Nicodemus a rhetorical question – if he cannot understand spiritual matters that parallel things in the earthly realm (like birth), how can he understand deeper spiritual things, which have no basis on this planet?

Jesus goes on to declare that no man has ascended into heaven, except the one who has descended.  What is he saying here?

Think of it this way:  Here in Northern Ohio, the Ford motor company has an assembly plant.  I know where the plant is located, and I can see the vehicles it produces.  But I have never personally been inside the factory. 

I have absolutely no knowledge or understanding of the policies/procedures of the plant.  I couldn't even begin to guess how the assembly line is set up, stocked, or run.

Only the people in charge of the plant know how many units are being produced, what color they will be painted and where they will be shipped.  Only those running the facility understand how many workers are needed in each area/position. 

In essence, only those who have been in the plant and have first-hand knowledge of its inner workings can tell you how it functions.  Since I have never been there, I am not qualified to talk about how it works.

In the same way, Jesus is telling Nicodemus that no person on this earth is qualified to speak of heavenly/spiritual things, because they have never traveled to heaven and discovered the mysteries of God's kingdom.  This concept is well supported in the scriptures:  Deuteronomy 30:11-13, Psalms 73:17, Proverbs 30:4, Romans 11:34.

Jesus goes on to say that there is ONE individual who IS qualified to talk about these things – the person who is in heaven and yet has descended to earth – Himself!  

If we examine this verse in the King James Version, we find a somewhat odd wording:

John 3:12 (King James Version): And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

This version indicates that Jesus is still in heaven, even though he was also on earth in a physical body at the time he was speaking to Nicodemus.  Why would Jesus phrase it that way?  It doesn't seem to make any sense… or does it?

Scholars use this text to show that Jesus had two distinct natures.  Because he is God, he has a divine nature and because he is human, he has a human nature.  Thus, he can still be present in heaven, even though he is indwelling a physical body on earth.  Once again, we see John emphasizing/providing evidence of the divinity of Jesus.

And if Jesus is divine, Nicodemus needs to change the way he thinks about spiritual things.  His understanding and interpretation of the law must come into alignment with Jesus and his revelations about God's kingdom (the gospel).  Nicodemus must embrace Jesus as the Messiah.

John 3:14 – "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up…"

In the beginning of their conversation, Jesus instructed Nicodemus regarding spiritual birth into the kingdom of heaven by Holy Spirit (salvation).  He now goes on to explain how this will be accomplished – through his death and resurrection and our faith in his atoning work on the cross. 

As a parallel, Jesus uses the example of the bronze serpent.  Let us refresh our memories about this Old Testament narrative.  You can read the account yourself in Numbers 21:4-9.    

Basically, the children of Israel had rebelled against God and they were serving their 40 year sentence of desert wandering.  During this time, they continuously griped and complained about everything!  They were very ungrateful for all that God had provided for them.  They continuously accused God of bringing them out of Egypt just to kill them in the wilderness.  Despite the amazing miracles they witnessed in Egypt, they refused to believe that God was going to keep his word and take them to the Promised Land.  As a result, God sent snakes among the people.  Many people were bitten and unfortunately for them, there was no cure.  Death was guaranteed.

Of course they eventually repented.  At that point, God had Moses fashion a bronze serpent and put it on a pole.  Moses then stuck this unusual pole in the ground, so that the snake was high up in the sky.  Anyone who was bitten by a poisonous snake could look at the pole and be healed from the poison.  Life was guaranteed. 

Jesus uses this Old Testament event to illustrate his atoning work on the cross, so that Nicodemus can understand it.  Here are the main points Jesus is showing him:

• There was no cure for the poison of the snake.  The one and only way to be healed and live was by looking at the bronze serpent on the pole.  Likewise, there is no cure for the poison of sin; it is 100% deadly to our soul.  The only way it can be removed and we can be made spiritually alive is by looking to the cross (having faith in the shed blood of Christ). 

• The serpent was lifted up in the sight of all the people.  In other words, it was publicly displayed high up in the air, where everyone could see it.  When Jesus hung on the cross, he too was lifted up/publicly displayed in the sight of all the people.  [The Son of Man must be lifted up.]

• The bronze serpent itself was not magical, nor did it possess any power.  When people looked at the bronze serpent, they were actually demonstrating faith in the promise of the Lord that all who looked upon it would be healed.  As a result of their faith in God's promise, they were saved from physical death.  When people look to the cross, they are showing faith in the blood of Christ and the promise of redemption.  As a result of that faith, they are saved from spiritual death; they pass from death to life.  [That whoever believes in him may have eternal life.]  Having said that, I need to clarify one point – while the bronze serpent had no power in itself, the blood of Jesus certainly does!  (We don't want to carry the analogy of the serpent and the cross too far.)

• People could be bitten by the snakes multiple times, but the cure was always the same – obedience to God's command.  We are bitten by sin over and over, but the cure is always the same – faith in the shed blood of Christ our redeemer.

So we can conclude that Jesus shows Nicodemus why he came from heaven – to reveal the gospel message and so that he might be crucified for the salvation of men.  All those who believe and look to him will be saved.  External rituals or a Jewish heritage will not get them into heaven!  In addition, Jesus shows him that the Messiah will suffer and die; he will not be the conquering hero they have come to expect (at least not at that time).

Nevertheless, the example of the bronze serpent was a parallel that helped Nicodemus understand some of God's future plans regarding the Messiah.

I imagine that at the end of this meeting, Nicodemus' head was ready to explode!

Let's pause here because I have a trivia question for you…. What eventually happened to the bronze serpent?  Who was King of Judah when it happened?  You can find the answer at the end of today's post!

John 3:15 – "…that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."

The first issue of note here is the word 'whoever'.  This was a serious blow to the thinking of Nicodemus.  In his mind, only God's chosen people (Jews) would ever be eligible for eternal life.  The salvation of the heathen (Gentiles) wasn't even on his spiritual radar, even though it is taught extensively in the Old Testament scriptures.

The second issue of note is the phrase 'believes in him' or we might say 'has faith in him'.  Nicodemus has already said he believes in Jesus as a teacher sent from God.  He might also have believed that Jesus was a good man or even a prophet.  But those beliefs will not save him.  The scripture says that even the demons believe in God and tremble (James 2:19), but they are certainly not partakers of salvation. 

 Nicodemus must believe/trust/have faith in Jesus as his savior.  He must repent of sin, change his ways and become obedient to Christ.  He must allow Holy Spirit to first make him a new creature and then sanctify him; he must put off his old corrupt way of life and put on the new man, who is righteous and holy. 

Ephesians 4:22-24 -  That you put off concerning the former way of life the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Jesus has made it very clear to Nicodemus that no amount of obedience to the works of the law can bring eternal life and salvation to the soul.  It can only come through faith in Jesus Christ the Redeemer.

John 3:16 – "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

This may be the most well-known verse in all of scripture.  It is the first verse that many Christians memorized as children, yet is still speaks volumes to the most aged among us.  The longer we live on earth, the more we come to appreciate how exquisite and incredible the love of God is!

The true meaning and implications of this verse are so astonishing and so precious, I believe they can best be understood through meditation, rather than study.  So I am not going to offer any commentary on this verse. 

Instead, my hope is that you will spend some time considering the indescribable love of God which he has manifested towards YOU.  Carefully consider your unworthiness and compare it to an eternity of joy and goodness prepared for you by the Father and made available through the greatest sacrifice known to man. 

John 3:17 – "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."

During the time of Christ, the Jews considered 'the world' to refer exclusively to the Gentiles and Gentile nations.  They firmly believed that 'the world' would be destroyed in the days of the Messiah. 

But Jesus contradicts their understanding of the scriptures.  All men – Jew and Gentile alike - have sinned and come short of the glory of God and are in desperate need of a savior/Messiah.  And God has graciously and loving sent that Messiah into the world for the express purpose of providing salvation for all of mankind; all who choose to believe may obtain salvation by him. 

John 3:18 – "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."

Jesus himself assures us that those who believe/trust in Him as Savior are no longer under a sentence of condemnation.  They have been forgiven.  This applies to every person who has acknowledged the debt of sin which they owe, and has confessed and repented of that sin believing that the shed blood of Christ cleanses them.  

It is important to understand that being righteous before God is the present state of every Christian.  We don't have to wait until eternity to be forgiven.  We walk in forgiveness right now. 

Satan does not want you to understand this.  He wants to keep reminding you of your past sins and failures. By doing so, he hopes to trap you in a state of inaction where you do not feel worthy to participate in kingdom business such as spreading the gospel, starting a ministry, being active in the church, ruling with Christ or enjoying your earthly life. 

Don't let this happen to you!  If Satan tries to fill your mind with your past sins, you need to fight back by quoting scriptures which declare that you are a new creature in Christ right now; old things have already passed away (II Corinthians 5:17).  You have already been moved from a state of death into a state of life (John 5:24).  Your sin has already been cast as far from you as the east is from the west (Psalms 10:12).  Christ has already given you abundant life – so walk in it! 

If he can get you to believe that you are not worthy to participate in the kingdom, he can keep you from the true destiny that God has designed for your life.  He can prevent you from reigning on this earth with Christ.  He can steal your peace and replace it with worry and fear.  He can thus rob you of the abundant life that Jesus has promised every one of his children.

Search the scriptures and find those passages that strengthen your shield of faith and those which can be used as a weapon against the enemy of your soul.  Walk in the confidence of your salvation and become an active member of the family of God.

Likewise, those who reject the gospel message are already condemned.  Their sin clings to them like a shroud; they live their earthly lives under a sure and certain sentence of death.

So let me ask you this question – In light of the absolute, unconditional forgiveness which God has bestowed upon us through the cross, do we have the right to harbor unforgiveness towards anyone else? 

The answer is 'no'.  Scripture says that we must forgive others, as Christ has forgiven us (Matthew 18:23-35, Matthew 6:14-15, Mark 11:25-26, Luke 6:37).

Granted, forgiveness is not always easy for us.  At times it seems downright impossible.  But nothing is impossible with God.  This may be an area where you need to seek Holy Spirit guidance in order walk in obedience.  If you are willing, he will lead you into forgiveness and heal your past scars.  

John 3:19 – 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."

'Judgment' refers to the cause of condemnation or the reason men will face eternal death.  What is the cause?  It is not because they were born with a corrupt nature (we all were).  It is not because they spent years living in sin (we all did).  It is not because they lack a full or complete understanding of God (we all do).  The sole reason they are condemned is because they refuse to receive the salvation which God provided for them.

'Light' has a double meaning in this verse.  It refers to the person of Jesus Christ the Messiah (John 1:4, Isaiah 60:1, Isaiah 9:2, etc) as well as the doctrine he revealed.  Through his teaching and example, he has enlightened the hearts and minds of men with a saving knowledge of the truth. 

The truth of the gospel has been preserved in the Bible for each new generation.  Holy Spirit continues to work through both the written and spoken word to shine the light of the gospel message all over the world. 

But there are still people who choose darkness over the light.  'Darkness' refers to sin, ignorance, superstition or anything else that is opposed to the truth/light of the gospel.

There are people who love sin, darkness and death more than the light of Christ.  Because of their love for sin, they willingly reject the mercy of God.  As a result of this choice, they will experience divine justice – they will be convicted, condemned and punished.  In short, they are choosing death over life.  

John 3:20 – "For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed."

Criminals often work under the cover of night.  They fear the light, because it would expose their evil deeds.  So it is with the wicked man.  He hates the gospel because it shines a bright light into the deepest recesses of his heart and reveals his sinful ways.  It condemns his conduct, exposes his sin and troubles his conscience.    

Truly, that is the very purpose of the gospel – to convict us of sin, so that we seek a remedy for it.  Holy Spirit conviction leads to repentance which results in eternal life.

By avoiding the gospel, and clinging to wickedness, the sinful person avoids the conviction that leads to salvation.  But he cannot avoid God.  The sin which he seeks to conceal will be revealed during his judgment, and he will pay the price for it.     

John 3:21 – "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."

On the other hand, righteous men and women welcome an examination of their hearts, minds and deeds by the light of the gospel.  Unlike those who practice wickedness, they have nothing to hide.    

Psalm 26:2 - Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my heart and my mind.

The good deeds of the righteous are a result of their relationship with God.  They listen to the promptings of Holy Spirit and minister his love to a lost and dying world.  In so doing, they demonstrate the light of the gospel to those who still need it (Matthew 5:16).  They also lay up for themselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20).   

Now, this ends the meeting between Nicodemus and Jesus (or at least this is all that John recorded for us).  It was a full and weighty discourse of the gospel message.  It illustrated the need for repentance by each individual person; each one must believe in the Messiah and be regenerated by the Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God.

Trivia Answer:  The bronze snake was kept by the Israelites as a testimony of God's power.  Unfortunately, the Israelites eventually began to worship it as an idol, so King Hezekiah destroyed it (II Kings 18:1-4).

Let me offer you some encouragement and some relief:

God loves you when you do well and he loves you when you stumble.  He loves you when you make the right decision and when you make the wrong one.  He loves you when you succeed and when you fail.  In short, his love for you is not dependent upon your performance.  He loves you because you are his!

God's love for you is so vast and so deep, you will never fully discover its limits.  It was that love which motivated God to sacrifice Jesus for our atonement.  What an astonishing love!        

Let me offer you some strength:

In this post, Jesus talked about wicked men who hate and avoid the light because it exposes their evil deeds.  While that really doesn't apply to Christians, we must admit that all of us have areas of our hearts and lives that we withhold from the light.  We have certain sins that we cherish and we want to hold on to. 

It takes a lot of strength and courage to admit this, and even more to deal with it.  Can we determine to be sensitive to Holy Spirit when he brings these things to our attention?  Can we resolve to surrender these areas to him?

Purging these sins from our lives helps to make us into vessels of honor, fit for greater works in God's kingdom (II Timothy 2:19-21).  

 

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John 4:15 – The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water."

Welcome back readers!  In our last post we began to look at the interaction of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well.  We took a closer look at the history of the Samaritans and why they were such bitter enemies of the Jews. 

We saw that Jesus started out connecting with this woman on a very common level – the need of every person for water.  He then drew a parallel between the need for earthly water and the need for the spiritual water of Holy Spirit, the source of all spiritual graces including eternal life.

The woman does not yet discern the spiritual implications of what Jesus is saying; she is still focused on the natural realm.  She is probably thinking about how much time and labor she spends coming to draw water at this well every day.  Perhaps she is thinking about how uncomfortable it is to draw water during the hottest part of the day and how wonderful it would be to have water which permanently quenched the thirst.  She is interested in what Jesus has to say because she thinks it will ease her labor in this earthly life. 

John 4:16 – Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."

Strange as it may seem, this is actually a partial answer to her request.  The living water of salvation comes when Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin upon an individual and they embrace repentance.  The mention of her husband immediately leads her to consider her own sinful state; no one is more painfully aware of her sexual uncleanness than she is. 

Thus, by one simple statement, Jesus makes her conscious of her own sin.  He begins to open her spiritual eyes.  No doubt, she begins to understand that Jesus speaks of spiritual water, not earthly water.

Jesus is answering her prayer, but not in the way she imagined.  Has that ever happened to you?  When?  Have you ever been unhappy with the way God answered a prayer, only to realize later that he gave you the exact thing you needed?     

John 4:17-18 – The woman answered him, "I have no husband."  Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband', for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband.  What you have said is true."

The exact situation of the woman is unknown. 

Was she actually widowed five times, but then found to be living in a sinful relationship with a sixth man?  While possible, this is somewhat unlikely. 

A more plausible explanation is that, given the easy divorce laws of the day, she had been divorced from some of these men (Matthew 19:3-9).  While the most trifling reason could be given by the husband as grounds for divorce, the implication is that she had engaged in either adultery or some other lascivious behavior.  So while her life had at least some outward show of respectability, she was clearly living in a sinful relationship.

Notice that Jesus does not publicly announce her sin, so that others can judge her.  His goal is to bring her to repentance, not humiliate her.  We should treat others the same way. 

John 4:19 – The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet."

Look at this startling encounter from the Samaritan's point of view.  Here is a stranger - a man she had never met before.  He was a Jew, which means he was not hanging around Samaria where he could have picked up local knowledge about her situation.  If a man such as this knew the secrets of her life, then he could only have received that information by divine inspiration.  Conclusion:  The man is a prophet.   

Interestingly, the woman does not deny the truth of the charges Jesus brought against her.  She does not become angry and defensive.  She does not make excuses or attempt to justify her sin.  She implicitly acknowledges/confesses the truth of what he said.

And despite the reproof Jesus has just given her, she respectfully addresses him as 'sir' and she shows a willingness to be taught further by him.  (Notice the contrast between this woman and the Pharisees – when Jesus reveals their sins to them, they call him a Samaritan and claim he has a devil; they seek only to silence him.)

This is another step in the progression of this woman's spiritual awakening.  At first, she regarded Jesus as nothing more than a despised Jew.  She wonders how he would have the nerve to ask her for a favor.  As she engaged him in an unusual conversation, she begins to perceive that he is not just an ordinary man.  Now, she begins to see him as a prophet and she seeks his advice on one of the most troubling religious disputes of that day.

John 4:20 – "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship."

Our fathers:  Remember, the Samaritans were part Jewish, so they claimed all of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc) as their ancestors.

Worshiped on this mountain:  Again, she is referring to Mount Gerizim.  As we mentioned in our last post, Jacob did indeed build an altar to God in that place, so her statement is technically true. 

However, there is more to the story than just that.  As we also mentioned last time, during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Jews had returned from captivity and rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem.  They rededicated the priests to God.  Part of that rededication involved divorcing their foreign wives (Ezra 10:3).

One of the priests who had married a foreign wife was Manasses, son of Joiad, son of Eliashib.  He had married the daughter of Sanballat, an enemy of the Jews.  Because of this marriage, Nehemiah expelled him from the priesthood (Nehemiah 13:28). 

According to the historian Josephus, Sanballat promised Manasses that he would build a temple on Mount Gerizim, identical to the one at Jerusalem.  Further, he would make Manasses the high priest, provided Manasses did not divorce his daughter.     

Also according to Josephus (Antiquities book 1 chapter 11), other priests fled to the temple at Gerizim so they too could stay in the priesthood and keep their foreign wives. 

This was the beginning of the bitter dispute between the Jews and Samaritans over the true site of worship.  But sadly, there really was no dispute - God had clearly ordained only one place of true worship during the era of the law (Deuteronomy 12:1-14, 26) and that was Jerusalem.   

But you:  The Jews.

Say that Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship:  As sincere as the Samaritans were, they were still wrong.  There can be no doubt about Jerusalem being the place of true worship, as ordained by God all throughout the Old Testament (I Kings 9:3,   II Chronicles 6:3-6, Isaiah 2:3, Isaiah 44:28, etc, etc).

Jeremiah 3:17 - At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil hearts.

Why does the Samaritan woman bring up this controversial topic?

• Some believe she asked this question because she really thought that as a prophet Jesus could settle the dispute. 

• Some hold the opinion that she just wanted to divert the conversation away from the topic of her personal life; many sinners are willing to talk about religious topics, as long as the conversation doesn't get too close to their own heart.

• But most feel her question is genuine – she is a true spiritual seeker who wishes to be instructed on the pure worship of God.   

Regardless of her motivation, Jesus has the situation well in hand.  He is going to turn her focus away from rituals and places.  He is going to prepare her to become a true worshiper of God. 

John 4:21-22 – Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews."

The Samaritan had already acknowledged Jesus as a prophet - one who was there to reveal the will of God to man.  Since this was the case, she should pay careful attention to what Jesus is about to reveal to her.  He is about to make known a profound truth as yet unknown to mankind.  It is something entirely unexpected and so startling, many Jews will stumble because of it.  Nevertheless, it must be true because Jesus emphatically tells her to believe it.

Jesus declares that the Jews had regularly worshiped God in Jerusalem, which was right and proper.  At the same time, the Samaritans had superstitiously worshiped God on Mount Gerizim.  Yet a time was soon coming when the location of worship no longer mattered; it would no longer be confined to one place.  Since that was the case, the dispute over Gerizim versus Jerusalem was a moot point.  

When would this occur?  In slightly less than three years.  God had designated Jerusalem as the only center of true worship under the Law/old covenant.  But with the death and resurrection of Jesus, the ceremonial law (temple worship) would soon be set aside. 

Through the Jewish Messiah, the new covenant of grace would be instituted (salvation is from the Jews).  The wall between Jews and Gentiles would be torn down (Ephesians 2:14).  Under the new covenant, Holy Spirit indwells each individual believer (including those of Samaria) making them a temple of God (I Corinthians 6:19).  Thus, a true believer can worship the Father at any time, in any place.

This is good news for us.  We can worship God in our car, while mowing the lawn, folding laundry, shopping or walking through the woods.  There is no place that we cannot enter into the very throne room of God and make our petitions known to him (Hebrews 4:16).

John 4:23 – "But the hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him."

Jesus now drops another bombshell.  Not only will the place/location of worship change, but once he was resurrected from the dead, the worship itself will also be different. 

Under the law, worship consisted of prescribed rites and ceremonies.  There were holy days to observe, rules to follow, and bloody offerings to make.  God was served and worshiped in a very external manner. 

But with the coming of the gospel dispensation, worship is transformed.  It is no longer an external act but an internal event where the heart, soul and mind and offered to God.  People who worship in this way can be said to worship in the spirit.  In this case, 'spirit' stands in opposition to the rites and ceremonies of the law.  This type of worship manifests itself in faith, love, prayer, thanksgiving/praise, purity of heart and willing obedience to God's laws.  This kind of relationship is what God desires/seeks from mankind.

However, this is not to say that under the law/old covenant God did not know or was not concerned with the motivations of his people.  Scripture shows us that the exact opposite was true.

If the Jews tried to simply keep the rituals of the law without a pure heart, God always knew it (Psalms 139:2-2).  It disgusted and angered him (Isaiah 1:10-15).  Time and time again he sent his prophets to call out his people for vain worship. A good example of this can be found in Isaiah 58:1-14.

In this instance, the Jews could not understand why God did not honor their fasting before him.  But God reveals that their fasting was full of hypocrisy.  While they fasted, they also broke his laws, oppressed the poor and cheated each other.  This kind of worship was not acceptable to God.  Jesus made this plain when he quoted the words of Isaiah:

Mark 7:6-7 – And he [Jesus] said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"    

God never changes (Malachi 3:6), so while he appointed the old mode of worship found under the law, he still required it to take place with a pure heart.  Worship under the law was still spiritual in its substance, but because the law was a type and shadow of what was to come, the expression of that worship was wrapped in external earthly ceremonies and rituals.    

So we see that true worship, whether under the law or under grace, flows from a heart that is righteous before God. 

Now… let's examine ourselves.  Is our worship always true and pure?  I know mine isn't.  I can remember times in the past when I was singing a worship song in church, but thinking about all the tasks I had to complete that day.  I know there have been times when God called me to show love and acceptance to people, but I was unwilling; I did it, but only grudgingly and with complaining. 

God greatly desires us to worship him in spirit and in truth.  Will we answer that call?

John 4:24 – "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

Jesus reveals to us the true nature of God – he is a Spirit or we might say a pure spiritual substance; he does not have a body. 

So in order for worship to be acceptable to God (who is a Spirit), it must be spiritual in nature – it must spring from the heart, through the influence of Holy Spirit.  It must be sincere and also performed according to the truth/divine revelation he has given to mankind.

Since God is Spirit, he is absolutely free from all limitations of space and time.  Therefore worship of him cannot be limited to any particular time (like the Sabbath) or place such as the temple at Jerusalem (Acts 7:48-49). 

Since God is Spirit, by default he is not some kind of abstract force, as science might assert, but a true Being that has invited us to have a relationship with Him.  The very basis of this relationship is true spiritual worship.        

John 4:25 – The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ).  When he comes, he will tell us all things."

Remember, at this point, the woman believes Jesus is a prophet sent from God.  As the conversation progressed, she became aware that an extraordinary change was about to take place in religion.  This, no doubt, brought thoughts of the long anticipated Messiah to her mind. 

She actually reveals several things in this brief verse. 

• First, she says the Messiah is coming.  In the original Greek, her statement is present tense, meaning that the time is now or near at hand.  At the time of Christ there was a general expectation among people that the coming of Messiah was imminent.  Even the Samaritans looked for his arrival, though they followed a corrupted version of the law and anticipated a much different Messiah than the Jews.

• Second, she says the Messiah will 'tell us all things'.  The implication is that she realizes the law (and her/their understanding of it), was imperfect.  There was more that God planned to reveal to mankind.  And when the Messiah finally did reveal the will of God to the world, it would end or settle religious controversies (such as where and how to worship).  

• Third, she implies a contrast between the prophets and the Messiah.  The prophets of old had given God's people basic revelations of God and his ways.  They revealed parts or certain aspects of his nature, but their revelation was limited.  On the other hand, Messiah was expected to reveal everything about the Father.  Therefore, the Messiah will be the ultimate teacher/instructor of the godly.

John 4:26 – Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he."

What an incredible revelation!  And this is the first time Jesus openly professes it. 

The religious leaders of the day asked Jesus point blank, 'If you are the Christ, tell us plainly' (John 10:24), but Jesus refused to give a direct answer because the truth would have produced envy and opposition to his work. 

On the other hand, the Samaritan was an honest seeker of the truth.  God always delights to reveal himself to those with a true and humble desire to know him.

John 4:27 – Just then his disciples came back.  They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you seek?" or "Why are you talking with her?"

As the disciples return from buying groceries, they find Jesus in conversation with the Samaritan woman.  This shocked them, because it was unconventional in their day.

In that culture, men did not speak to women out in public as we do today.  In fact, Rabbinic law even forbid men to speak to their own wives in public.  So it was very unusual for Jesus to be speaking to this woman.  Furthermore, she wasn't just a woman, but a Samaritan; it was considered beneath the dignity of a Jews to interact with one of them.

But despite the amazement of the disciples, they never even considered questioning the actions of the Jesus.  Their acceptance of him as Messiah and their reverence/respect for him caused them to keep their opinions to themselves.  

John 4:28-29 – So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.  Can this be the Christ?"

Based on her conversation with Jesus, the woman is convinced that she has found the long awaited Messiah and she immediately goes into the town and publishes her findings to anyone who would listen.  Her desire is that others would also come to hear him and judge for themselves whether he was the Messiah or not.   

It seems that the living water of salvation was already springing up within her soul; she hardly noticed that she left without the earthly water she so desired!  What a contrast she presents with the Jewish religious leaders, who did their best to hinder people from turning to Christ. 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

God desires worship that is spiritual and true.  This means it is not just an external action, but an internal event of the heart which then manifests itself in an outward action such as prayer, praise or obedience.

Even as Christians it is possible for us to go through the motions of worship, while our hearts are far from God.  This is not acceptable worship.  Perhaps this is a good time to take a fresh look at ourselves.  Is worship something we do on automatic pilot, or are our hearts and minds actively engaged in what we are doing?   

Let me offer you some relief:

You don't have to have a doctorate in theology to share the gospel with people.  You just have to find some common ground with them.  Jesus connected with the Samaritan woman over their mutual need for water.  You and I connect with people over common things every day.  We need to train ourselves to use these opportunities to share the gospel.

Let me offer you some strength:

When the Samaritan asked Jesus to give her living water, the first step in the process was for her to acknowledge her own sin.  I am sure this was not what she expected.  It must have been somewhat painful, because she tries to avoid the issue of her numerous husbands.  

We too have sin that should be dealt with.  But that can be a painful process; one that we would rather avoid or pretend does not exist!  But if we have the courage and strength to face those issues, Jesus will cleanse us and set us free from the bondages that limit us.    

      

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John 4:1-3 – Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples),he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.

In chapter one, we saw that the religious leaders (particularly the Pharisees) sent representatives to question John the Baptist about his religious activities.  We noted that the Pharisees were very zealous for the Jewish religious rites.  They would never allow any changes to Jewish worship except by authority of the Messiah or a prophet. 

After interviewing John the Baptist, they determined that he was not Elijah, a prophet or the Messiah.  Therefore, his ministry of baptism was unlawful.  I am sure they did everything in their power to stop him from baptizing, particularly after he confronted them about their own need for repentance (Matthew 3:1-12). 

In chapter three John testified that Jesus was the Messiah, and he encouraged all people (even his own disciples) to follow Jesus.  Soon, Jesus had even more followers than John.   This would have been a substantial number, because 'all Jerusalem, Judea and the region around the Jordan' turned out to hear John (Matthew 3:4-6).  Jesus taught them about the kingdom of heaven and his disciples baptized them in water. 

Can you imagine how irritated the Pharisees would be when they discovered the growing ministry of Jesus?  In their minds, Jesus would be the second unlawful teacher and baptizer in their midst.  Just as in the case of John the Baptist, his ministry drew their own followers away, diminishing their influence and authority among the Jews.

Don't forget that about this same time, Herod had John the Baptist arrested and put in prison (Matthew 4:12, Mark 1:14, Luke 4:14).  This would actually have increased the followers of Jesus even more, as those who formerly followed John now followed Christ.       

Worse yet (according to the religious leaders), many Jews believed this man Jesus was the Messiah.  But according to their way of thinking, Jesus couldn't possibly be the Messiah they were expecting.  Therefore, he was an enemy of Israel who was leading people away from their true teachers (themselves). There can be no doubt that the Pharisees would confront Jesus and seek to take his life in order to protect their own religious authority.

So, when it comes to the attention of Jesus that the Pharisees are aware of the extent of his ministry, he simply leaves Judea and heads for Galilee.  By doing so, he avoids a premature confrontation with them. 

This is one example of how Jesus was in control of his destiny on earth.  He was not going to allow himself to be imprisoned or hindered from spreading the gospel; he needed to be free to complete his mission.  At this point, no purpose would be served by provoking the Pharisees, so simply leaving/avoiding confrontation was the right thing to do.

Mary and Joseph followed the same strategy when Jesus was a baby (Matthew 2:13).  Jesus advises us to do the same, if we need to (Matthew 10:23). 

There is a difference of opinion among scholars about exactly how Jesus became aware of the knowledge of the Pharisees.  Some maintain that Holy Spirit revealed it to him.  Others believe that a person (possibly one of John's former disciples) found out and simply relayed the information to him. 

Either way, the point is that Jesus exercised wisdom in how he dealt with those opposed to the gospel message.  There were times for confrontation and times to simply withdraw.

John 4:4 – And he had to pass through Samaria.

What do you recall about Samaria?

Originally, Samaria was the name of a city in ancient Israel.  It was founded by the wicked king Omri around 925 BC.  Omri made it the capital city of Israel, and he built a temple of Baal there (I Kings 16). 

The city was not a particularly peaceful place.  It was besieged (several times), destroyed, rebuilt and even renamed.  It is important to note that by the time Samaria is mentioned in the New Testament, it no longer refers to a specific city, but to the region or district where the city had been located.

Who did the Samaritans descend from? 

Well, Samaria was originally part of the nation of Israel.  As we would expect, the people who lived there were Jews.  However, in 722 BC when the Assyrians conquered Israel, they really mixed things up.  They resettled the best of the Israelites in Assyria.  Only the poorest and least desirable people were left in Israel (including Samaria).  Then, to avoid the land becoming uninhabitable, the Assyrians brought in foreigners from other conquered lands and forced them to settle in Israel/Samaria.  Over the course of time, the Jews who were left intermarried with these foreigners.  The people born from the union of the Jews and these foreigners were called Samaritans.

What did the Samaritans believe?

During New Testament times, the Samaritans considered themselves believers in the God of Israel, however, their religion had become corrupted: 

The Samaritans only believed in the Pentateuch, rejecting the Psalms, the law and the prophets accepted by the Jews.  Also, their version of the Pentateuch was slightly different than the one used by the Jews. 

The Samaritans were looking for a 'Taheh' or 'restorer' who was more of a teacher than a Messiah.  The Jews, however, were expecting a deliverer/Messiah who was a warrior/king. 

The Samaritans believed that Abraham had offered Isaac as a sacrifice on Mount Gerizim.  But Genesis 22 says that event occurred on Mount Moriah which is in Jerusalem.

The Samaritans taught that Melchizedek appeared to Abraham on (you guessed it) Mount Gerizim and they also taught that that when the Jews came to the Promised Land, they were to set up an altar of worship at Gerizim.  This was false; the altar was to be set up on Mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 27:4-5).  As you may recall, mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal were the mountains of cursing and blessing as mentioned in Joshua 8:30-35. 

Basically, the Samaritans considered Mount Gerizim to be the most sacred place on earth.  However, the Jews considered Jerusalem to be the most sacred place on earth, because that was where the temple or dwelling place of God was located and it was the place where God had chosen to manifest his glory. 

In fact, when the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity and began to build the temple, the Samaritans asked to help.  The Jews refused, and the hatred between the two groups never ceased (Ezra 41-5, Nehemiah 4:1-3).  For example, the Samaritans ended up building a temple on Mount Gerizim, which the Jews destroyed in 130 BC.

The worst insult a Jew could give someone was to call them a Samaritan.  For their part, the Samaritans were just as hostile; even after seeing the power of Jesus they refused him entrance to their district once they found out he was bound for Jerusalem (Luke 9:35).

So we see that these two groups despised one another because each felt the other had polluted/corrupted the Jewish religion.  By the time Jesus walked the earth, tensions had existed between the two groups for hundreds of years.  (Kind of sheds a new light on the parable of the Good Samaritan, doesn't it?).

Their hatred of each other was so intense, that the Jewish leaders refused to even pass through the district of Samaria.  Consequently, a trip from Jerusalem to Judea (which took 3 days if you went through Samaria) would take these men 7 days, because they would skirt Samaria and travel through Peraea. 

Now… notice that this verse says Jesus HAD to pass through Samaria.  This cannot mean that there was no way around Samaria, because we already know there was – the route through Peraea. 

John is referring to something else here –The Father had work for Jesus to do in that region.  That is why Jesus had to pass through Samaria, and this is correct explanation of this verse.

Thus we find that the purposes of God over rule the wickedness of man.  The Pharisees had driven Jesus to Galilee with their malice, but God used that occasion to bring the first fruits of the Gentiles into the kingdom of heaven!

In the same way, you and I find ourselves in this world but not of it.  Some Christians go to great lengths to avoid rubbing shoulders with the world (much like the Pharisees).  But let me ask you this – if you never associate with the lost, how can you show them the love of Christ?  If you never go to a movie, or a concert, or pass out candy on Halloween, how do you expect to minister to the lost?  Let's be honest – they are not flocking to church to hear the message.

Jesus did not hesitate to interact with the women of Samaria.  He met her where she was.  He treated her with respect and had honest communication with her, yet at the same time he did not approve or condone her false religious beliefs.  He spoke the truth to her in love and won her into the kingdom. 

This is an excellent example to us.  We need to interact with the sinners around us, meeting them at their spiritual level.  We need to treat them with respect, but without approving their sin or their false religious beliefs.  We need to be with them, to reveal the truth of the gospel when the time is right.

Being clothed with the whole armor of God and being in close fellowship with Holy Spirit will allow us to successfully minister to the lost without falling into the same sins they are practicing.

John 4:5 – So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.

Passing into the district of Samaria, Jesus comes to the town of Sychar.  This town was formerly known as Sichem, or as you may recognize it, Shechem (Genesis 33:18, 12:6).  It is located approximately 40 miles north of Jerusalem.  It is mentioned several times in the Old Testament.

Shechem was located in the territory of Ephraim (Joshua 21:21).  This was the place where Joshua gathered all Israel together before his death, to renew the covenant with God (Joshua 24).  After the death of Gideon, Shechem became a seat of Baal worship (Judges 9:46).  It was eventually destroyed by Abimelech (Judges 9:45) and rebuilt becoming the residence of King Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:25).  It was eventually destroyed and rebuilt again, being named Neapolis or Nablous. 

But let's back up a bit, because we want to focus on the history of Shechem during the times of the patriarchs. 

Back in the day, Jacob purchased a parcel of land from Hamor, the father of Shechem.  It was the place where he erected his first altar to the Lord.  Eventually, Jacob gave this parcel of land and an adjoining tract (Genesis 48:22) to his son Joseph:

Genesis 33:18-20 - And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.  And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money.And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe-israel.

Interestingly, this was the place where the children of Israel buried Joseph's bones after they left Egypt (Joshua 24:32).  It was a very historical place for the Jews.  As you probably already surmised, it is very near to Mount Gerizim.

John 4:6 – Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well.  It was about the sixth hour.

There is no well in the Old Testament identified as Jacob's well.  The name probably came as a result of an oral tradition which stated that Jacob had dug it, or because it was near to the land which he gave to Joseph. 

As we have already discussed in earlier lessons, the Jews marked time beginning at 6 am.  This makes the 'sixth hour' noon, a very hot time of the day.  Jesus was probably thirsty, hungry and tired from his extensive walking.  He waited at the well as his disciples went into the town to buy some food.

John 4:7-8 – A woman from Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."  (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.)

Jesus was certainly in need of a drink of water after his exhausting travels.  Although the divinity of Jesus is a frequent point in John's writings, he also provides proof that Jesus was dwelling in a body of flesh, and was bound to its weaknesses; he exhibits hunger, thirst and tiredness.

"Give me a drink" is a perfectly normal request for a traveler to make to a native beside a well.  This type of request is practically never refused.  But in this case, because Jesus is a man and a Jew, while she is a woman/Samaritan, it is an unusual request.

However, it was not unusual to find women at wells.  As we learn from historical records and other portions of scripture, it was often the job of females to draw water for both their families and their flocks (Genesis 24:11, Exodus 2:16).

The Jews used to say that those who wished to find a wife should go to the wells where the young women were to be found in abundance.  I guess that could be considered an ancient version of a dating site!

John 4:9 – The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?"  (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

How would the woman have known that Jesus was a Jew?  Although it might have been a particular mode of dress, the more likely reason is that Jesus spoke with a Galilean dialect; his speech identified him as Jewish.

This helps to explain the reply of the Samaritan woman.  Her response to Jesus is not so much a question as it is a reproach or a jeer, which had its source in the bitter enmity between Jews and Samaritans. 

The woman indicates that there were no 'dealings' between the two groups.  History indicates that the Jews had no qualms about buying and selling with the Samaritans, but the Sanhedrin forbid them from any familiarity or social interaction with them.  In other words, a Jew could not accept a gift from a Samaritan, or borrow anything from them, or marry them or even eat with them.

Thus the woman is surprised when Jesus asked her for a favor; any/every other Jewish man would have endured the worst type of hardship rather than be indebted to a Samaritan for help.  Their pride simply wouldn't allow it, even if it was only a drink of water.   Besides, a Jew wouldn't help a Samaritan, why should she show kindness to Jesus?

John 4:10 –Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

For his part, Jesus does not argue or debate with the woman, though he certainly could have.  Instead, he uses the situation at hand as a starting point to share the good news of the gospel. 

He builds up some anticipation in her mind by saying, 'If you knew'.  The implication, of course, is that there is something extremely important and valuable at hand, but she is ignorant of what it is. 

That extremely important and valuable thing is Jesus himself, the Messiah, the gift of God, the lamb who takes away the sins of the world!  She, a heathen sinner, has no idea that she is conversing with the God of the universe who is both willing and able to bestow a priceless blessing upon her – Holy Spirit! 

Holy Spirit is the agent of salvation in the lives of mankind.  He is often metaphorically referred to as water or living water.  Jesus himself refers to him as such later on in the gospel of John:

John 7:38-39 - He that believes on me [Jesus], as the scripture has said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.  (But this spoke he of the Spirit, whom they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Our souls are like dry, barren fields that have no hope of producing life.  In fact, they are dead.  But when the gentle rain of Holy Spirit falls down upon us, we are revived and brought to life and fruitfulness.

At other times the scriptures speak of Holy Spirit as a cleansing water, which washes us from sin/spiritual defilement (Hebrews 10:22). 

Holy Spirit is living water because he comes from a living source – Father God (Revelation 22:1).

For her part, the woman views Jesus as a weary traveler, burning with exhaustion and thirsting for rest and refreshment.  But in reality, she is the one who is spiritually dry/exhausted and needs to be revived!

John 4:11 – The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep.  Where do you get that living water?"

This woman exhibits the same spiritual blindness we saw in Nicodemus in the last chapter.  It should look familiar to us, because ALL of us were spiritually blind at one time, before Holy Spirit quickened us.  The scripture tells us that the natural or earthly man (like the woman or Nicodemus) cannot perceive or understand spiritual things because they are spiritually blind/dead. 

1 Corinthians 2:14 -But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

To us, it seems obvious that Jesus uses earthly water as a starting point to teach this woman about spiritual things.  But to her, it was confusing.  In her earthly understanding, she cannot imagine how Jesus will give her living water since the well is very deep and he has no bucket to draw with.

But we will see that Jesus patiently works with her until her spiritual eyes/understanding are enlightened and she begins to understand that he is not speaking about earthly water from her ancestor's well. 

John 4:12 – "Are you greater than our father Jacob?  He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock."

Apparently, this woman thinks that Jesus has access to another physical well of 'living' or fresh spring water.  In her mind, Jesus is saying his water is far superior to hers.  At that point, she defends the well of Jacob claiming that Jacob, his family and his live stock all drank from this well; whatever Jesus has can't possibly be as good as this.  Clearly, her understanding is still in the natural realm.

John 4:13-14 – Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

But Jesus is about to change all that. 

He begins by explaining to her that Jacob's well could produce nothing more than ordinary water.  As good as it might be, it is no different than other water.  It will quench your thirst for a moment, but in a few hours your thirst will return.  You will soon have as much need and desire for water as you ever had.

Just as a drink of fresh cold water could satisfy her earthly desire (temporarily), so the gospel of Christ could satisfy all the deep spiritual longings of her heart by introducing her to the living water of Holy Spirit.  Holy Spirit, however, never provides temporary satisfaction.    

Because the Spirit of God indwells the heart of the believer, he has a constant unfailing spring of grace, mercy, peace, joy, love, etc available to him.  This fountain of grace wells up and overflows in the life of a believer at all times – in times of comfort or hardship, hunger or plenty, prosperity or adversity, life or even the valley of the shadow of death.  Outside circumstances have no effect upon the grace that supplies and sustains his soul in all situations. 

The end result of this grace is that it wells up into eternal life, which we will enjoy forever, in the presence of our Savior.  This is the unspeakably wonderful gift that Jesus wants to bestow not only on this woman, but on all mankind!         

Let me offer you some encouragement and some relief and strength:

The world can be a really ugly and repulsive place – just ask the Jews.  They felt that nothing could be worse than a Samaritan.  But Jesus wasn't afraid to interact with the Samaritan woman.  Unless he stopped where she was and interacted with her, he could never have given her eternal life.    

You and I should definitely have Christian friends, who can support us in a time of need, advise us, sharpen us and journey with us through this life. 

But we also need to have friends and associates that are sinners.  If you know nothing of the struggles of the world, how can you relate to them?  If you never associate with the unsaved or unchurched, how do you expect to win them to Christ?  

I encourage you to take a look at your relationships.  Make sure some of them are with unbelievers.  As we will see in our next post, it is not our job to condone their sin, but it is our job to explain the truth to them in love.   

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John 3:1 – Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 

We actually find quite a bit of information in this short verse. 

Nicodemus is described as a Pharisee.  That means he has dedicated his life to studying, understanding and teaching others about the law.  He was a very well educated man.  He obviously took religion very seriously and he had a high degree of confidence in his spiritual life.

Nicodemus is also described as a ruler of the Jews.  This probably means he was a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the Jews and he may have been the ruler of a synagogue.  He definitely commanded a lot of authority.  He was a highly respected member of his community.  He was wealthy.  He no doubt lived in Jerusalem, the headquarters of the Sanhedrin. 

Apart from this chapter in John, Nicodemus is mentioned twice more in scripture.  In the first instance, he is defending Jesus against the unjust suspicions of his fellow Pharisees (John 7:50).  In the second, we find him assisting Joseph of Arimathea in the embalming of Jesus' body (John 19:39). 

These actions indicate a belief in Jesus as the Messiah.  This is a good place to note that Jesus called ALL men to salvation; the educated and the uneducated, the rich and the poor, etc.  Nicodemus is an example of a wise/noble/rich man of that day who believed in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:26). 

John 3:2 – This man came to Jesus 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."

For a moment, put yourself in the shoes of Nicodemus.  You have devoted your entire life to the study of the law/religion.  You think you understand everything there is to know about the coming Messiah, and you truly desire to see him appear.

At some point, you become aware of Jesus from Nazareth. He is proclaiming a new teaching about the kingdom of heaven.  There are whispers that he may be the Messiah, and there is indisputable evidence of the miraculous. 

But on the other hand, Jesus isn't what you expected in a Messiah. 

• He is not from a wealthy, respected family.  In fact, his mother's reputation is questionable at best. 
• He is accepted and even welcomed by the common uneducated people and crazy radicals like the Baptist.  But your colleagues, the religious leaders of the day, are rejecting him. 
• He isn't showing any signs of raising an army to fight against Rome.  So far, his only rebellion has been to disrupt commerce in the temple during Passover. 
• You are expecting a Messiah who will usher in a new golden age for Israel, but this man is focused on an unseen heavenly kingdom.

Naturally, you are experiencing a lot of doubt and indecision regarding this Jesus of Nazareth.  You would probably like to just dismiss him outright as many of your fellow Pharisees have done, but there is a problem… deep down in the bottom of your soul you feel something.  You feel a conviction.  Something about this man and his message resonates with your spirit.  Because of that, you are compelled to examine him and his message more closely.  You prefer a one-on-one meeting with this guy, so you can have your questions answered privately.

Now if you really were Nicodemus, how would you make that happen?

Trying to get him alone during the day is going to be a problem: 

• He is constantly surrounded by followers, and besides, you really don't want your colleagues to see you with him.  That could lead to all sorts of problems you don't want at this point! 
• He isn't scheduling office appointments. 
• There doesn't seem to be a way to manufacture a 'chance' meeting out on the street. 
• The cover of darkness may be the best way to accomplish your goal.

Although we don't know exactly how Nicodemus arranged that meeting with Jesus, we know he did.  And it was life changing for him.

Nicodemus begins his meeting with Jesus by addressing him with a title of honor (Rabbi) and acknowledging his divine miracles. 

Interestingly, he uses the phrase 'we' know…. This indicates that Jesus was a subject of discussion between himself and the other religious leaders (no doubt the entire Sanhedrin).  While many of the leaders had already rejected Jesus, there was a group who felt differently. 

Their conclusion was that Jesus had been sent to Israel from God.  This conclusion was based on the undeniable miracles that Jesus has exhibited.  These men correctly reasoned that miracles only come from God.  And because God would not work a miracle to confirm a falsehood or support a false teacher, Jesus and his message/teaching were approved of God.  In essence, the miracles are credentials from heaven.

Miracles serve a secondary purpose as well - they prepare the mind and heart for faith, which is what we see happening here in the heart of Nicodemus.  Have you ever seen or experienced a miracle?  Did it increase the faith of you or those around you?

There are some denominations that teach miracles are not for today, but they are wrong.  God continues to work miracles in our age; there are countless proofs of it.  Rather than trying to deny them as many of the Pharisees did, we should be looking for an increase in the miraculous.  God is planning an astonishing end time harvest of souls for his kingdom and he is going to pour out signs and wonders to confirm his message.

John 3:3 – Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

There does not seem to be any apparent connection between the words of Nicodemus and the reply of Jesus.  We can only conclude that John omits part of the conversation.  However, we can be confident that the content of John's gospel was inspired by Holy Spirit; this narrative contains the exact information He wants us to have.

Truly, truly:  Jesus begins his statement with the phrase 'truly, truly' (your version may say 'verily, verily').  This is an expression of strong affirmation which denotes both the certainty and importance of what is being said.

Unless one:  In this case, the King James Version might be a little clearer.  It says 'unless a man'.  This is a universal form of expression designed to include each and every individual member of the human race.  You (and you alone) must make the choice for or against Christ for yourself.  Your grandma or your minister or your friend can't decide for you.  Clearly, Jesus intended to convey this same idea to Nicodemus – he himself must choose to be born again.

This was probably a startling revelation to Nicodemus.  It was not enough to be a Jew, or a teacher of the law, or a man of rank.  Acknowledging that Jesus was sent from God was not sufficient either.  The only way into the kingdom of heaven is to experience spiritual rebirth. 

Born again:  Let's begin by noting that the original Greek word translated 'again' also means 'from above'. 

The Jews had a general idea of the concept of new birth.  The entire nation believed that they had a place in the kingdom of God because they were born as physical descendants of Abraham (Matthew 3:9).  If a Gentile wanted to become a proselyte, the Jews required adherence to the law (circumcision, etc) and baptism.  Once the candidate was baptized in water, they considered him like a child new born into the Jewish nation; they believed he now had a place in the kingdom of God.

This baptism of 'new birth' was done with earthly water (from below).  But Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus that new birth cannot come through external washings, religious professions or circumcision of the flesh.  It must come from above by the work of Holy Spirit; it requires circumcision of the heart.  In order to enter the kingdom of heaven, every person will must undergo two births – an earthly, physical one involving his body and a heavenly, spiritual one involving his soul. 

The analogy of birth is an easy one for us to understand. 

In the physical realm, a child must be born in the flesh before he can experience all of the joys and wonders of this life.  Likewise, a person must be spiritually born before they can enter into the joys and wonders of the kingdom of heaven.

Just as a child is born physically immature and develops over time, each one of us is born spiritually immature.  Over time we are sanctified; we mature in holiness and countless other spiritual graces through prayer, spiritual discipline and faith.

Kingdom of God:  The kingdom of God should not be understood as referring to heaven, although heaven is an eventual part of it.  The kingdom of God refers to a state of reconciliation/relationship with God.  Only reconciliation with Him will produce spiritual life.

John 3:4 – Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

We must understand the response of Nicodemus in light of what we have already mentioned. 

The Jews were familiar with the concept of being 'born anew'.  But they understood it exclusively in terms of a Gentile becoming a Jewish proselyte through baptism.  In their eyes it signified a change from being a heathen to being a Jew. 

Consequently, no Jew would EVER apply that concept to another Jew, because in their minds they were already a part of God's kingdom because they were born Jewish in the flesh.  All Jews, including Nicodemus, believed that as Jews they were already children of God and entitled to all the privileges that included.  When Jesus plainly and emphatically states that EVERY man must be 'born again' (even Jews) Nicodemus cannot reconcile the teaching of Jesus with his doctrine. 

So he answers Jesus according to the typical method of Rabbinic dialog – he carries out the meaning of Jesus' statement to its logical conclusion, in order to prove how absurd or impossible it is.  In this way, he seeks to draw out the true meaning of the words of Jesus.  (Again, this was a typical method of communication among the teachers of the law.)

We could accurately paraphrase it this way: 'You cannot mean that a person is required to enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born yet again, because that is impossible!  So what do you mean?'   

John 3:5 – Jesus answered, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."

The response of Jesus has been interpreted different ways.

The most common understanding is that 'water' refers to baptism and 'Spirit' obviously refers to the person of the Godhead who is the agent of conviction and repentance; it is Holy Spirit who transforms the mind and heart of a sinner from death to life.

Those who agree with this interpretation believe that Jesus is telling Nicodemus that in order to have a right relationship with God (enter the kingdom of heaven), he must be changed/renewed by Holy Spirit.  Once that change has taken place, he must be baptized in water as the outward sign of the change that has taken place in his soul.

Now, we want to be careful with this interpretation.  While it does credit Holy Spirit with the work of saving the sinner, it may give the act of baptism undue importance. 

There can be no doubt that Jesus prescribes baptism as an ordinance of the church.  There can be no doubt that those who wish to show obedience to Christ should be baptized.  But I think we need to be careful in asserting that water baptism is required for salvation. 

Salvation is a free gift of God, not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9).  There is no 'work' or action (including water baptism) that must be added to the work of Holy Spirit in order to produce salvation/new life.  Consider the case of the thief on the cross.  Holy Spirit convicted him of sin, and he repented.  He was never baptized in water, yet Jesus assures him that he has entered into the kingdom of God and that very day he will inherit heaven.  So again, we want to exercise caution with this interpretation.

There is a less widely embraced interpretation that we should also consider.  It says that the words 'water' and 'Spirit' refer to the same thing – the Holy Spirit and his work (John 7:38-39).  It is a metaphorical way of speaking which was designed to help Nicodemus make the connection between baptism and salvation. 

It could be paraphrased this way: 'No man is a son of God until he has been renewed by water, that is, by the Holy Spirit who washes away his iniquity and makes him a new spiritually reborn child of the kingdom' (Ezekiel 36:25-27).

Therefore, by 'water' Jesus simply means the inward purification of the soul which is produced by Holy Spirit during salvation.  This interpretation alleviates any hint that water baptism is a necessary component for salvation. 

Titus 3:5 - Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit;

This is consistent with the testimony and work of John the Baptist.  He paved the way for Christ by advocating repentance through water baptism. 

Matthew 3:3 - For this is he [John the Baptist] that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

What was John preparing the way for?  He was preparing the hearts and minds of the people to embrace/admit Holy Spirit into their lives to work salvation in their hearts/spirits (Matthew 3:11). 

 John 3:6 – "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

Jesus goes on to point out an underlying principle of the earth:  Like begets/produces like.

Genesis 1:21 - And God created great sea creatures, and every living thing that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after its kind: and God saw that it was good.

(See also Genesis 1:12, 1:25).  In the book of Genesis we see that God created the earth in such a way that living things always reproduce living things of the same kind.  If a dog has offspring, they will be dogs/puppies.  If a bird lays eggs, they hatch to reveal more birds, not dinosaurs or snakes.  Likewise, when apple trees reproduce, you get more apple trees.  When you plant cucumber seeds in your garden, you expect cucumber plants to sprout up and grow.  This same principle is true of man.  When you and your spouse reproduce, you have a baby – a new human being.    

 This principle is true in the spiritual sense as well.  When Adam fell, sin entered into the human race, and every offspring since then (except Christ because he is the Son of God/Holy Spirit) has been born into sin (see Romans 5):

Romans 5:12 - Therefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 

The conclusion is that when man reproduces, his offspring is 'fleshly' or spiritually fallen.  So even if Nicodemus could enter back into his mother's womb and be birthed a second time, nothing would be changed.  He would still be utterly and completely cut off from God and spiritual life.

Likewise, the man or woman who is spiritually reborn of Holy Spirit is made a partaker of the divine nature of Christ.  He or she is then eligible to be a part of the kingdom of heaven.

2 Peter 1:4 - By which are given unto us exceedingly great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.   

Jesus is showing Nicodemus that entrance into the kingdom of heaven cannot be produced by any physical means. 

Entrance to the kingdom requires radical change to the soul, which can only be wrought by Holy Spirit.  Of course, that change then manifests itself in the natural realm. 

John 3:7 – "Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again'."

Keep in mind that Nicodemus is just now seeing religion as something that emanates from his spirit, not his flesh.  His training has taught him to believe in physical birth through the line of Abraham, physical rites of purification, physical practice of the law, a Messiah who would set up a physical kingdom on earth, etc. 

Christ's way of looking at religion clearly perplexed him, and caused him to marvel!  Isn't it wonderful that later on, after meditating on these ideas, Nicodemus believed in Jesus and experienced spiritual rebirth by Holy Spirit for himself?  Perhaps one day, when we run across him in heaven, we can ask him about this conversation!

John 3:8 – "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.  So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Jesus explains to Nicodemus that he should not be surprised if there were things about spiritual rebirth that he did not understand or could not fully explain.  There are many instances of this dilemma in the natural realm.  As an example, Jesus mentions the wind.

We cannot see or control the wind.  We don't understand where it comes from or why it chooses to go one direction or another.  But just because you can't explain it is no reason to doubt or disbelieve it.  After all, we can see clear and definite evidence of the wind.  We can hear the sound of it.  We can feel it on our skin.  We can see the way it affects the objects it touches.  We can even harness it for power.       

Ecclesiastes 11:5 - As you know not what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so you know not the works of God who makes all.

In the same way, we cannot understand or control the way in which Holy Spirit produces new birth in the heart of a person.  But we know when he has given someone new birth by the effects that are produced.  Sinful men become holy, the rebellious become meek, the tough become tender, etc. 

Just because Nicodemus can't explain the workings of Holy Spirit in creating new life is no reason to doubt or disbelieve it.  

 John 3:9 – Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"

Nicodemus has acknowledged Jesus as a divine teacher, yet he was unwilling to receive his teachings when they were inconsistent with his own beliefs/doctrines.  But before we condemn Nicodemus, we should examine our own lives.

Do we believe in 'speaking in tongues' or the gift of a heavenly prayer language from Holy Spirit?  Many in the church today do not, though it is plainly taught in scripture and routinely exercised by many in the body of Christ.  

Do we believe in the other gifts of Holy Spirit such as words of knowledge, words of wisdom or discerning of spirits?  Or do we choose to reject the operation of these gifts because we don't fully understand them, even though we can see the Spirit move through them? 

What are your beliefs regarding worship?  I am just going to be honest with you… some of you think you have worship all figured out.  You think you are on the cutting edge of what God is doing in worship, but let me tell you this – don't get comfortable.  Don't get set in your ways.  God is always doing something new and unless you move with him, you will wind up an old wine skin!

What is your definition of church?  Must it occur on Sunday morning in a specific building with a preset agenda and a time limit?  Or are you willing to follow the Spirit of the Lord if he leads you in a new direction?    

If you want God to do something new in your life, you need to be willing to follow the Spirit even if you don't fully understand what he is doing.

John 3:10 – Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?"

This is a significant and stern rebuke from Jesus.  Despite the undeniable arguments of Jesus, Nicodemus persists in unbelief and doubt.    

We know the Pharisees were famous for zealously adhering to the minute portions of the law, like tithing the herbs in their garden, measuring the exact length of the fringes on their garments or washing their hands at every turn.  Yet they neglected the truly important parts of the law (Matthew 23:23-25). 

It seems that Nicodemus is guilty of this as well.  He has claimed the title of teacher of Israel.  He has taken it upon himself to instruct his fellow man in the truths of the scripture, yet shockingly, he himself has absolutely no clue as to the doctrine of regeneration, even though it appears extensively in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 31:31-33, Jeremiah 32:38-40, Ezekiel 11:19-20, Ezekiel 18:31, Psalms 51:10, Deuteronomy 30:6 etc).  Jesus rebukes him for this ignorance. 

John 3:11 – "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony."

Again we come across the phrase 'truly, truly' which indicates that what Jesus is about to say is both certain and important.  

He then declares 'We speak of what we know'.  The first question that arises is this:  Who does 'we' refer to?  Many answers have been given:   

• Jesus means himself and his disciples; those who have already believed in his doctrine. 
• Jesus is referring to himself and John the Baptist. 
• Jesus is referring to himself in connection with all the prophets of God.  
• Jesus is referring to the Trinity – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 
• Jesus is referring only to himself, but using the pleural word 'we' in contrast to the opening words of Nicodemus. There are other times in the scriptures when Jesus refers to himself in the pleural form (Mark 4:30).  In the next verse, he reverts back to using the singular form 'I'. 

We speak of what we know:  Regardless of which definition of 'we' seems best to you, the overall meaning of the phrase 'we speak of what we know' is clear.  Jesus is saying that he fully understands his doctrine and message.  He has an intellectual, spiritual and practical understanding of the gospel. 

Those who are a part of his kingdom also understand the gospel, because they have experienced it. 

We bear witness to what we have seen:  Obviously, Jesus knew all about the Spirit and his work of regeneration in the hearts of men.  This was always plainly visible/evident to him. 

While those who truly follow Jesus are unable to see the Spirit, they have seen the effects of the Spirit - they have seen sinful men repent and go on to live holy lives.  Therefore Jesus (and those in his kingdom) can testify from first-hand experience to the rebirth brought about by Holy Spirit in the lives of men and women.  Everyone in the kingdom of heaven is a witness to the saving power of the gospel.        

This is in contrast to the Pharisees, who fill the office of teacher, but do not even understand the basic principles of true religion.

You do not receive our testimony:   The gospel message was changing the hearts and lives of people.  The preaching of the word was accompanied by miraculous signs and wonders.  All around there was proof of the truth of the gospel, yet the Pharisees (and other religious leaders) rejected this evidence. 

John 3:12 – "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" 

Jesus illustrated the spiritual concept of regeneration/new birth by a metaphor taken from earthly things.  Yet, Nicodemus still refuses to accept and understand the truth that Jesus is teaching him. 

Jesus now rebukes Nicodemus again – if he cannot or will not believe concepts that have an earthly parallel, how can he understand things that have no counterpart in this life? 

How can he understand things pertaining to the government and plans of God?  Or the workings of angels?  Or the mysteries of Christ's priestly intercession?  Or the experiences of those pass from this life?  Or any one of a million other things about God that we don't know or understand?    

Let me offer you some encouragement: 

Nicodemus was NOT rebuked by Jesus because he didn't know everything.  He was rebuked because he refused to accept the obvious truth of the gospel when it didn't line up with his beliefs. 

Are you clinging to some religious beliefs that have no root in scripture?  Are you accepting certain things or holding certain beliefs because our culture says they are true, even when the Bible says they are not?   

If so, I encourage you to make a change and take a stand for biblical truth. 

Let me offer you some relief:

No one starts out as an expert in spiritual matters.  Whether Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, or his disciples or the crowds at Jerusalem, he meets people at their level, then seeks to elevate their understanding of his kingdom.

The key is to walk in the understanding that you have; as you do so, God will bless you with greater spiritual wisdom and insight.    

Let me offer you some strength:

Many Christians are afraid to teach Sunday School or share their faith with others, because they don't consider themselves to be knowledgeable Christians.  But I want to challenge that belief. 

If you have experienced salvation, then you are qualified to share your testimony with others!  All you really need is some boldness and strength.  The early believers prayed and asked God to grant them boldness – and he did!  Why don't you join with me in praying that same prayer?

Acts 4:29-31 - And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto your servants, that with all boldness they may speak your word, by stretching forth your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your holy child Jesus.  And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

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John 2:13 – The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

In our last post we examined the first miracle Jesus performed – turning the water into wine.  According to verse 12, Jesus, his family and his disciples went to Capernaum for a few days immediately following this event.  They only stayed in Capernaum for a few days, because Jesus wanted to be in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. 

As we all know, Passover is the name given to the feast that commemorates the night that the Lord 'passed over' the houses of the Israelites while visiting the homes of the Egyptians and destroying all of their first born males. 

Exodus 12:13-14 – The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are.  And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.  This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statue forever, you shall keep it as a feast.

According to the command of the Lord, Passover (and the feast of unleavened bread) was an annual observance for all Jews (Leviticus 23:4-8, Deuteronomy 16).  In later times, the word 'Passover' was also used to denote the lamb that was slain at the feast (Mark 14:12, I Corinthians 5:7).  Passover was symbolic of the sacrifice that Jesus would make for us on the cross.  

 Jesus attended four separate Passover/unleavened bread festivals during his active in public ministry.  This is the first instance.  The second can be found in Luke 6:1 and the third in John 6:4.  Jesus then celebrated the final Passover just before fulfilling the role himself in John 11:55.  Incidentally, this is one of the passages that scholars use to conclude that Jesus' public ministry lasted approximately 3½ years. 

Why would Jesus be so concerned about attending the Passover celebrations that occurred before his death? Why not just wait until the time came for him to atone for our sin?

The answer is that the law required all Jewish males to appear before the Lord three times a year (Exodus 34:23).  Since Jesus came to perfectly fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17), it only stands to reason that he would attend each of these Passover celebrations.

But there is another reason as well.  During the Passover celebration, the population of Jerusalem swelled to several times its ordinary number because Jews from every corner of the world came to celebrate Passover.  When Jesus taught at Jerusalem during this time, a larger number and cross-section of Jews would have heard the gospel message and taken it back to their corner of the world.  

John 2:14 – In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there.

John now bears witness to the cleansing of the temple by Jesus.  Scholars disagree on whether Jesus cleansed the temple once or twice.  In my humble opinion, the most logical interpretation is that he did it twice. 

In this scenario, the first cleansing (which happened very early in his ministry) is recorded for us here in the book of John, while the second cleansing (which occurred just before he was crucified) is what was recorded by the other three gospels.  Obviously, you are free to make up your own mind on this issue; many sources are available if you want to study this further. But for this study, we will proceed as if this were the first of two cleansings.

The situation we find in the temple was something that God had originally sanctioned: 

When the Jews appeared before the Lord, they were to bring sacrifices with them.  They were also to bring a tithe of all their increase - grain, wine, oil, flocks etc and eat it at the temple, to remind themselves that the Lord is the one who blesses them.   However, if you lived far away from Jerusalem, it would be very difficult to bring all those goods and animals with you.  Therefore, the Lord allowed those who lived far away to sell the tithe for money, and bring the money to Jerusalem.  Once at Jerusalem, they could then use the money to purchase what they needed (see Deuteronomy 14:22-27).

Deuteronomy 14: 24-25 – And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe… then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the Lord your God chooses… 

In addition, each male was to bring a half shekel temple tax when he came (Exodus 30:13). 

Overall, it sounds like a very simple straightforward process, right?  But of course, mankind found a way to abuse the system that God had set in place.

The market no doubt began far away from the gates of the temple.  But as time went on, merchants moved closer and closer to the gate in order to get the best/most profitable spots.   They were also notorious for price gouging; those who came from far away had no choice but to pay the price no matter how exorbitant!

Seeing an opportunity, some of the corrupt priests and Levites actually rented spots inside the court of the Gentiles (the outermost courtyard) to these merchants!  Can you believe it?  Picture what that would be like:  The noise, smell and excrement of animals… the sweat of the merchants and visitors… the constant din of voices as men haggled over prices or greeted friends and relatives… does that sound (or smell) like a good opportunity to engage in a reverent meeting with God?

But wait – there's more!

It seems that some of the priests and Levites would accept an animal for sacrifice, then turn around and resell the animal back to the merchants, who then sold them again to yet another customer.  It has been reported that the same sacrifice was sold to multiple different persons, and the money split between the religious leaders and the merchant. 

But wait – there's more!

Enter the money changers.  Those arriving from foreign countries would naturally have different currency than what was in use in Jerusalem.  The money changers performed the function of exchanging their foreign currency for money accepted in Jerusalem.  Of course, they charged a premium price for making the exchange!

Overall, their temple was in definite need of cleansing.  Sadly, so is ours. 

In many churches today, sexual sins, drunkenness, cursing and other sins are no longer considered a big deal.  The attitude of many Christians is 'live and let live'.  The mandate for personal holiness has all but disappeared.  Today, many Christians are simply interested in attending for an hour and checking church off their list of weekly chores.  If Jesus came into your church this Sunday, would he find things to overturn, cast aside, drive out or empty?        

John 2:15 – And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen.  And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.

Let's pause and consider this for a minute.  There are literally thousands of people in and around the temple at any given time.  There are probably a hundred merchants/money changers, all getting rich from their trade.  They had no intention of walking away from that opportunity and if someone tried to take it away from them, they would certainly fight back. 

But even though the odds were in their favor (100 to 1?), the merchants do not fight back.  Jesus takes complete control of the situation, and ruins their get-rich-quick scheme.  How can we explain that?  Where they afraid of the whip? 

When we dig a little deeper, we find that the whip of cords was NOT the type used to punish criminals.  That type of whip was made of leather and had pieces of metal or bone attached to the ends that would make a person bleed and could even kill them. 

The whip of cords that Jesus used was made of twisted reeds/rushes.  Its only use was to drive the animals from the temple.  There is no evidence to indicate that it was ever used against people; even if it was, it wouldn't have hurt.  Clearly, it wasn't fear of the whip that caused these hucksters to stand idly by while their businesses were destroyed.  So what was it? 

They were stilled by the authority of God which was clearly evident in Jesus.  Whether through his tone of voice, or the look in his eye, or his forceful actions, they recognized divine authority when they saw it and they knew better than to challenge it.  They were rendered inactive by a deep conviction for their own filthy sin as they watched Jesus passionately defend the honor of his Father.

John 2:16 – And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade."

Notice that Jesus identifies himself as the Son of God.  As such, he has the right and authority to cleanse the temple of his Father. 

And it certainly does need to be cleansed.  It has been corrupted by the greed, lust and wickedness of men.  It needs to be purified and restored to a state of holiness, so it will be fit for the worship of God.

We are very much aware that once Jesus died and rose again, the age of grace was ushered into existence. God no longer dwells in buildings made with hands; he lives in the hearts of his people.  This makes each of us a temple of God.

I Corinthians 3:16 – Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

What is the state of your temple?  Has greed, lust, wickedness or sin moved in?  If so, it might be time for spring cleaning.  Can we commit to zealously cleansing our own lives from sin so that we are fit to properly worship God?  

John 2:17 – His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me."

This is an Old Testament quote from Psalms 69:9.  The meaning is that the Messiah would have (and exhibit) great zeal for the pure worship of God. 

Zeal is defined as 'passionate ardor in the pursuit of anything; eagerness for a person or cause; ardent and active interest or fervor'.

Have you ever had zeal for something?  Like maybe playing a sport, or making music or even raising your kids? 

If so, you know that it's almost like your whole world revolves around that one thing.  It's the first thing you think about when you wake up, and the last thing on your mind when you fall asleep.  You plan your day so that you have time to be involved in it.  You budget your finances so that you have money spend on it.  You read about it, daydream about it and talk about it.  You seek out the company of others who are also zealous for the same thing you are.  It really is a consuming way to live.

Of course as humans, we are always in danger of crossing the line into sin.  If we are not careful, some of the things we are zealous for can take the place of God, and become an idol in our lives. 

Jesus, however, never had that problem.  He was perfectly zealous for the pure worship of his father.  It was proper for him to cleanse the house of God.

 John 2:18 – So the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?"

And here comes the push-back that we all expected!  Remember, the priests, Levites, money changers and a whole lot of merchants were getting filthy rich at the temple.  Naturally, when their enterprise came to a sudden halt, they were going to find out why.

The first thing I want to bring to your attention is that the religious leaders do not openly oppose Jesus. 

This incident happened in the midst of Passover.  During that time, the entire Roman army was on DEFCON 1.  At the slightest hint of trouble, they were going to shoot first and ask questions later.  They could not afford to have any trouble, especially among the Jews and/or at the temple.  If rioting broke out, they could lose control of the entire city. 

The point is, if Jesus had truly done something wrong, all the religious leaders had to do was call the temple guards and have them detain Jesus until they could fetch the Romans.  But they didn't.     

The second thing I want to call to your attention is that they never denied that they had made the temple a house of trade instead of a house of worship.  Neither did they deny that reform should take place.  Instead, they question the authority of Jesus to make these reforms.

In the minds of everyone present, Jesus had acted with the authority of a prophet.

There hadn't been a new prophet from God in 400 years, so if God was sending them one now, he should be able to prove it by performing a miracle or a sign on demand.  Or so the religious leaders thought.

But regrettably, they were so spiritually blind, they overlooked the miracle of the cleansing itself!  It was one man against a great multitude.  He was unarmed.  He was unknown and unsanctioned by the religious leaders.  He destroyed or displaced the business and money of a lot of people.  Yet no one dared to oppose him, or attempt to stop him. 

John 2:19-21 – Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?"  But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

Jesus does give them a sign, but it is not the kind of on-demand miracle they are looking for. 

As is often the case, Jesus gives them a sign that requires the hearer to seek further understanding.  It is full of revelation, meaning and life to those who earnestly seek to understand it, but it is worthless to those who don't.  In other words, he who has ears to hear will understand, while others will not (Mark 7:16, Luke 14:35, etc).

In this instance, the sign centers around the double meaning of the word 'temple'. 

'Temple' obviously refers to the very wood and stone edifice they are all now standing in; the Holy place where God's presence dwells.  But this temple was just a shadow of the true temple standing in their midst – the body of the Incarnate Word. 

The religious leaders had no reverence for the one; they made its outer court a place of illegal gain that was fast becoming a den of thieves.  Their very demand for a sign as they challenge the authority of Jesus shows they have no respect for the other. 

Both temples will be destroyed, but only one will be raised again.  The resurrection of Jesus will be the foundation and corner stone of God's new spiritual temple.   

Is there anything that Jesus is trying to get you to search out?

Proverbs 25:2 – It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings to search things out.

Are you actively asking God for wisdom or understanding in some matter?  Has he spoken to you in dreams or visions?  Are there portions of scripture that seem mysterious to you? 

These are all reasons to further 'search out' a matter.  Too often, as Christians, we are looking for quick and easy answers or a list of rules (do's and don'ts) to live by, when God is looking for a relationship.  He desires to have communion with us; he longs for us to know him better.  He wants us to spend time in his presence, where he can reveal mysteries to us.  He longs to impart wisdom and knowledge to us that will benefit us and the world as a whole.

Particularly in this present time, Holy Spirit is seeking to reveal his plans and purposes for this age to those who will listen and partner with him to bring about the greatest harvest of souls the world has ever seen.

But if we don't accept his invitation to search out a matter, we will miss what he has for us.  I don't know about you, but I don't want to be that person!  

John 2:22 – When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

If we read this verse carefully, we find that the resurrection of Jesus did two things.  It caused the disciples to believe and understand the words Jesus spoke at the temple that day concerning his own body AND it caused them to 'believe the scripture'.  What scripture or scriptures would that have been?

One possibility is Psalms 16:10:

Psalms 16:10 – For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

This Old Testament verse is often referenced by the apostles after the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2:31-32, Acts 13:35-37).  It is used as proof that he was the Messiah.

Another possibility is Psalms 2:7-9 (particularly verse 7):

Psalms 2:7 – I will tell of the decree:  The Lord said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you."

This passage of scripture is also referenced by the apostles and used to refer to the Messiah (see Hebrews 1:5, Hebrews 5:5, Acts 13:33).    

The overall meaning of this verse is that in light of the resurrection of Christ, the disciples understood these Old Testament scriptures in a different sense than they had previously.  Sometimes you and I will go through circumstances or events that deepen or expand our understanding of the scriptures as well.  When this occurs, it binds us even closer to God.  What example can you give from your own life?  

John 2:23 – Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.

Now that his public ministry has begun, Jesus 'jumps in with both feet'.  He taught about the kingdom of heaven and the Father confirmed that word with signs and wonders.

John 2:24-25 – But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Jesus did not maintain any ongoing fellowship and communion with these people as he did with his true disciples, because the true seed of faith had not yet taken a firm root in the lives of these Jews. 

Jesus could discern that they would quickly abandon the faith when he didn't match their understanding of who the Messiah was.  (They were expecting a Messiah who would be welcomed by the religious leaders.  They were expecting a conquering Messiah, who would overthrow Rome and set up his own earthly government.)

Jesus could, in fact, discern everything about them; he knew everything that they hid within their deepest hearts.   

Hebrews 4:12-13 - For the word of God is living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

As we mentioned in our introduction, one of John's great themes in this gospel is to assert the divinity of Christ.  Here he declares the omniscience of Jesus; Jesus did not understand the hearts of these men because God revealed it to him – he immediately understood and discerned it for himself.  Therefore, he is divine.

Let me offer you some encouragement and relief:

What new areas of your spiritual walk are you currently searching out?  If the answer is 'none', then you may have a problem.  God is always challenging us.  He is always seeking to bring us into deeper levels of revelation and fellowship with him.  I encourage you to ask him to show you something new.  And when he does, search it out! 

Let me offer you some strength:

The temple in Jerusalem was in bad need of a cleansing.  What is your temple like?  Is your personal holiness better than ever or has some dirt/sin crept in?  It isn't easy to take an honest look at yourself and admit your shortcomings, but it will be worth it.  Ask Holy Spirit to reveal to you any areas that need to be cleansed.  It is far better for you to do the cleaning voluntarily, than for Jesus to send a situation to bring it to the surface!

 

  

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John 2:1-2 – On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.

We now come to the narrative that contains the first public miracle which Jesus performed.  It occurs in Cana of Galilee, which was situated about six miles outside Nazareth, on the road to Tiberias. 

Isn't it interesting that Jesus did not choose Jerusalem as the site of his first public miracle?  Why do you suppose that was the case?

Well, it certainly proves that Jesus was not simply seeking honor from men.  If Jesus had been looking only for earthly glory, then he would have 'performed' miracles for as many spectators as possible.  This would have best been accomplished in the crowded city of Jerusalem.

But miracles have nothing to do with Jesus trying to earn human honor.  Miracles are acts of mercy which display the love and power of God to mankind.  They are a confirmation of the gospel message. This is why we always see them in conjunction with the preaching of the word.  In this particular case, the miracle confirmed the divinity of Jesus to his disciples.  This allowed Jesus to earn the trust and allegiance of his apostolic team before embarking on a wider ministry.  It also brought relief to the bridegroom and his family.

Later on, at the appointed time, Jesus' doctrine and miracles would spread to the city of Jerusalem.  In the meantime, they began inconspicuously among the humble people of Galilee.

John further reveals that Jesus and his disciples were invited to this wedding, while Mary is described as simply 'being there'.  The common belief is that the wedding was in the family of Alphaeus, whose wife was Mary's sister.  This makes Mary a relative.

As a relative, Mary was no doubt assisting with the wedding.  This explains why she calls on Jesus for help when the wine ran out.  If she was simply a guest, the lack of wine would not have been her problem.  We might be tempted to wonder why Mary didn't call upon Joseph for help.  The answer is that scholars believe Mary was a widow by the time Jesus began his public ministry. 

John 2:3 – When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."

This might be a good time for us to reacquaint ourselves with basic ancient Jewish wedding customs.  There were actually a number of steps in the marriage process.  We are only mentioning the highlights here, so if you are curious, please look for other resources on this fascinating topic. 

In biblical times, marriages were arranged by the fathers of the bride and groom.  The feelings or wishes of the couple were not normally taken into consideration.  It was not uncommon for the couple to meet for the first time at the wedding ceremony.  In some instances, the marriage contract was established when the bride and groom were still children, and held until they reached maturity. In any event, the parents would agree upon what amounted to a purchase price, and then establish a marriage covenant. 

Once the contract was agreed upon by the parents, the couple was betrothed.  At this time, the woman was considered legally married, although she remained in her father's house.  She could not belong to another man unless she was divorced from her betrothed.  This explains why Joseph was going to divorce Mary when he found out she was pregnant before they were married (Matthew 1:18-20).

Eventually, after at least one full year, the next step would take place – the fetching of the bride.  In this step, the groom would go to the home of the bride and bring her back to his house.  (We see a reference made to this in the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25).  Two things should be noted in connection with step two.  The groom had to have a place prepared for the two of them to live before he could get his bride.  Also, it was the father of the groom who determined the exact moment that the groom went to collect his bride.

Step three was the actual wedding ceremony.  Normally, only a few guests were invited. 

The final step was the marriage feast, which could last for 7-14 days.  Lots of people were invited to the feast (many, many more than the marriage ceremony).  It seems to have many of the same elements that might be found at a modern wedding reception – food, lively music, special clothing, dancing and wine. 

Now, let's talk specifically about wine. 

In Jewish tradition, wine is closely associated with the Sabbath.  According to Chabad.org, wine ushers in the onset of the Holy Day in a spirit of sanctity (Kiddush) and it marks the end/close of the Holy Day (Havdalah) as well.  Thus, wine marks the boundaries that separate the Holy Day from other ordinary days.   At a Jewish wedding, wine does the same thing for the new marriage – it symbolizes both the sanctity and separation of the marriage bond. 

In addition, wine is always associated with song and festivity.  As such, it is an integral part of joyous occasions such as Sabbath and marriage celebrations - both are not only to be observed, but celebrated.  Both actually represent covenantal, reciprocal love relationships!

Knowing this, we can imagine how unthinkable it would be for a host to run out of wine before the end of a marriage feast!  Not only would the host be mortified, but the guests would be insulted; a lack of wine would be seen as a show of disrespect to the guests. 

But sadly, that seems to be exactly what happened in this case. 

So we find Mary telling Jesus 'They have no wine'.  What are we to make of this simple sentence?  Many interpretations have been given, but these are the three most common:

• Jesus brought a number of disciples to the feast with him – too many for the short supply of wine.  Mary was actually asking him and his friends to leave the feast; this would preserve the already short supplies of wine.  Besides, if others saw Jesus leaving, they might decide the party is over.  If the party broke up early, the supply of wine would be sufficient. 

• Mary was not asking for a miracle.  She was expecting Jesus to give a pious exhortation to the crowd, which would have supposedly relieved the shame of the family, while at the same time pacifying the insulted guests.  In this scenario, there is still a lack, but people accept it and hold no grudges against the host.  

• Mary said this to Jesus because she had faith in him as the Son of God, and she believed he could (and should) address this need.  Even though Jesus had not yet performed a miracle, Mary had faith due to the extraordinary/divine circumstances surrounding his birth, the words Anna and Simon spoke at Jesus' dedication at the temple, and the testimony given by the Baptist.  If Elijah could entreat God for a supernatural supply of meal and oil (I Kings 17:1-16), then surely Jesus could request a supply of wine.

John 2:4 – And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me?  My hour has not yet come."

In our culture, the use of the word 'woman' seems to be a mild reproof against Mary.  We would likely interpret it as a sign that she was interfering in something that did not concern her. 

But we can quickly conclude that this was not the case.  'Woman' is the same term by which Jesus addresses his mother when he was on the cross (John 19:26).  He also uses the term with Mary Magdalene after his resurrection (John 20:15), with the Samaritan woman (John 4:21) and with the Syrophoenician woman (Matthew 15:28).  This address/title does not show any disrespect in the least.  In fact, it is actually a tender and compassionate way to address these women.    

So we know that Jesus addresses his mother with respect and compassion.  How then, should we interpret his answer to Mary – 'My hour has not yet come'?

We need to understand that the 'hour' or time that Jesus refers to here is not to be understood in the context of his public ministry.  He is NOT saying, 'It isn't time for me to begin my public ministry yet, so no miracle is going to be performed, regardless of your need'. 

Actually, the opposite is true.  Jesus is concerned about every aspect of peoples' lives, including the honor of the wedding host.  Jesus fully intends to intervene in this situation.

When he says 'My hour/time has not yet come' he is referring to the precise moment of his intervention in this specific situation. 

Let me explain it this way: Mary is obviously concerned about the social reputation of her relatives.  They are running out of wine, which is a social disaster of epic proportions.  They could be shamed for years/generations to come. 

In Mary's mind, the best solution is for Jesus to create a new (and generous) supply of wine before the old wine runs out.  Her preference would be for the guests not to even be aware that there was an issue.  She wants a seamless transition between the wine provided by the host and the wine created by Jesus.

But if the miracle occurs this way, where is God's glory?  If people don't even know a miracle occurred, then what good was it?  How does it bear testimony to the love and power of God?  How does it identify Jesus as the Son of God, or confirm the gospel message?  The answer is, it doesn't!

So when Jesus says 'My hour/time has not yet come', he means that the precise moment for him to take action and produce a creative miracle of turning the water into wine has not yet occurred.

As human beings, our timing is very often wrong.  We do things too early or too late.  But God is not like that.  He always does the perfect thing, at the perfect time, in the perfect way.   It has often been said that God is never late, but neither is he early!

Jesus will perform this miracle at the exact right moment: 

• It will occur when people are aware of the need, and fully cognizant that they cannot fix the problem. 
• It will occur when the miracle will confirm Jesus as the Son of God. 
• It will occur when God will be glorified. 
• It will occur when the disciples and others are there to bear witness to what they have seen. 

While Jesus is absolutely firm that he himself will determine when intervention will come (not Mary or anyone else), he also gives hope that the need will certainly be met.

I want us to pause here, and apply this to our own lives.  Isn't it true that we are much like Mary?  We want God to meet our needs before they even become needs.  And much of the time, that is exactly what happens.  But sometimes, for reasons we may not understand right at the moment, we must wait.  Let me give you an example from my own life.

My truck was 'totaled' a few days before Christmas.  No one was hurt in the accident (thank you, Lord!), but it was an older truck and the insurance coverage was liability only.  This meant that I did not receive any money at all when the truck was destroyed.  But since I am still working, I need a vehicle of some kind to get to work.

I didn't panic too much.  I was on vacation the week of Christmas and the week after, so my need for a car was there, but it wasn't desperate (sort of like the wine that was low, but not completely empty).  Like Mary, I asked Jesus meet my need seamlessly, before it actually became a need (I wanted a replacement vehicle before I had to return to work).    But that didn't happen.  I have been borrowing vehicles from friends and family members for almost two weeks now. 

So what will my attitude be?  Will I grumble and complain?  Will I accuse God of an injustice because I think he was late in meeting the need?  Will my pride rise up and make me bitter because I am forced to ask others for a favor?  Will I be cranky and mean with my spouse, children and coworkers?  God forbid!

I may not fully understand this situation, but I have the same assurances that Mary did – God hears my request, he understands my need and he fully intends to intervene.  He also knows the perfect time in which to act.   

The best thing I can do at this point is continue to pray, continue to praise him for an answer, and continue to look for the right vehicle.  By faith, I can give him the glory for helping me before I see that help actually manifest.  I can testify to all who will listen that God is in control and he will meet my need at the perfect time and in the perfect way. 

What about you?  Do you have needs in your life that you need Jesus to miraculously meet?  Are you fully convinced that God hears your request, that he understands your situation and that he is going to intervene at the exact right moment?  

John 2:5 – His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

There can be NO doubt whatsoever that Mary fully believed Jesus was going to meet this need.  We see the evidence of her faith when she tells the servants to obey the instructions of Jesus, no matter how strange or unconventional they may seem! 

But do you notice the secondary issue here?  Mary peacefully submits to the timing of Jesus.  No matter how low the supply of wine was at that moment, she shut her mouth and accepted God's providence without complaint.

This is another good lesson.  We too must accept God's perfect timing. 

I believe that all of us would like to see some changes in our nation; we would like evil to be defeated and righteousness to reign in America once again.  No doubt, all of us are praying and working for change.  No doubt, we all believe that God is going to intervene in the affairs of this nation, and show forth his glory.  But frankly, I wish he had done it six months ago!  Sometimes I get frustrated because it seems to be taking forever!  This may not apply to you, but as for me, I need to trust not only in God's power but in his perfect timing.  When the time is right, he will act. 

John 2:6 – Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.

Washing with water was included under certain circumstances of the law.  But the tradition of the elders had created a whole false hierarchy of ceremonial washings for the people of Israel (surprise, surprise).  

Because of the traditions, the Jews had to wash their hands after any contact with Gentiles or their goods.  They had to wash before eating (Matthew 15:2).  They also washed their cups, dishes and tables (Luke 11:39, Mark 7:3-4).  This is just a small example of their ceremonial washings.

Obviously, a lot of water would have been needed for all the guests of a 7 day feast.  So the host provided stone water jars for the guests.  These jars were open (no lids) and they were never used for any purpose other than water for cleansing. 

While the exact measurement of the water is uncertain, no one denies that even by the lowest estimates, these jars held a huge amount of water.

John 2:7 – Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water."  And they filled them up to the brim.

Here we see that Jesus takes care to ensure that the miracle he is going to perform cannot be denied.

• As we already mentioned, the water jars did not have lids.  Therefore, no one could say that wine had been hidden in the jars; water was plainly visible in the pots.  

• The jars NEVER held anything but water; no one could say that the jars had been used for wine in the past and people were noticing the after taste of something from the past.

• The jars were filled to the brim.  This ensured that no actual wine could have been poured into the water, to give it the diluted taste of wine.

• The servants were required to fill the pots as opposed to the disciples.  This ensures that Jesus and his disciples were not attempting to pull off some kind of trick.  The servants were well known to the hosts; they did not have the power or means to pull off a trick of this magnitude, nor would they have a reason to do so.  The servants actually become eye witnesses to the miracle – they know and can testify exactly what occurred.

• The vast amount of water/wine made it virtually impossible for this to be a hoax.  Where would Jesus get that much wine?  How would he have transported it or hidden it?  How could he have placed it into the water jars without anyone seeing him?

By the way, have you noticed that when God works miracles, he requires our participation?  For example, the man with the withered hand had to stand up and stretch out that hand (Luke 6:6-10).  The blind man had to go to the pool and wash mud off his eyes (John 9:6-7).  When Jesus fed the 5000, the disciples had to organize the people into groups (Mark 6:38-44).  In this case, the servants had to fill the stone water pots. 

Can you imagine the reaction of the servants?  They probably thought Jesus was nuts.  There was no shortage of water, so why would they need to fill these pots?  Besides, it was probably a lot of work to do so.  Nevertheless, they did as they were told and the miracle occurred.

Are you looking for a miracle?  What part has God asked you to play?  Have you done as he asked?

John 2:8 – And he said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast."  So they took it.

Even though this was Jesus' first miracle, there was no pomp or show associated with it.  He simply instructed the servants to draw the wine out and deliver it to the master, just as they would any other wine. 

Who was the master?  He appears to have had the responsibility of ensuring that all the guests had enough to drink, but that none of them became drunk and crossed over into disorder or indecency.  He was well acquainted with the custom of serving the best wine first.

John 2:9 – When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom…

Again, we see that there can be no conspiracy surrounding this miracle.  The servants who saw the water turned into wine did not have an opportunity to taste it.  The master who tasted the wine had no idea that it had been mere water just moments ago.  Both parties will give impartial witness; there is no way they could conspire to falsify the miracle. 

John 2:10 – and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine.  But you have kept the good wine until now."

The reaction of the master in this verse is actually comical!  I can picture his face in a grimace as the servant brings him a cup of what he thinks will be the worst wine (probably closer to vinegar than wine) imaginable.  I bet he takes the smallest sip possible, anticipating how bad it will be!

But then I can picture his jaw dropping open in astonishment as he realizes how incredibly good the wine actually is!  No doubt, it has better body, better flavor and better aftertaste than any of the other wine served at the feast.

Because he is so caught off guard, he gives us his true, unfiltered opinion– this is the best wine.  Not knowing where it had come from, the master gives the credit to the bridegroom.  But you and I know the true source of this miracle – Jesus our savior!

John 2:11-12 – This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory.  And his disciples believed in him.  After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

This miracle shows that God has great compassion for his people, in all aspects of life.  He is willing and able to assist us in everything that concerns us, whether great or small.

Not only did Jesus meet the need of this family, he also confirmed for his disciples that he was indeed the long-awaited Messiah.  But let me make this distinction:  This miracle did not create faith in the minds of the disciples.  Rather, it confirmed the faith that the disciples already had. 

As we saw earlier, the disciples believed on Jesus when John the Baptist pointed him out.  They believed in Jesus after spending a night hearing what he had to say.  They believed without seeing any miracles at all; this miracle was a confirmation of what they believed.

On the other hand, we know that the religious leaders would see many miracles during the ministry of Jesus.  But these miracles did not give them faith.  Because they had already rejected Jesus as the Messiah, they would not accept him no matter how many miracles he did!

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Do you need a miracle in some area of your life?  I encourage you to believe God for what you need!  He is concerned about every aspect of your life, even things that seem small or insignificant compared to the problems of others.  He is even there if you are at fault (like the host who did not provide enough wine).

Let me offer you some relief:

How much time do we actually waste worrying and fretting?  We could relieve a lot of our stress if we just remind ourselves that God hears our requests, he understands our needs and he fully intends to intervene in our lives.  He also knows the perfect time for action! 

So give yourself some relief from worry and stress – let God handle your need at the perfect time, in the perfect way.

Let me offer you some strength:

Although you certainly can't make your miracle happen, you will probably play a role in it.  Just as the servants had to draw out the water and serve it to the master, or the man with the withered hand had to stretch it out, God will also ask you to take a step of faith in order to claim your miracle. 

So be strong in your faith, and do as you feel Holy Spirit leading you!

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John 8:12 – Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Jesus just finished dealing with the woman caught in adultery.  He quickly and completely shut down the plan of the Pharisees to ensnare him in a controversy that could have potentially ended his ministry and/or his life.

At the same time, he shows the mercy of God to the woman who deserved death (according to the law).  He forgives her sin and sends her on her way with the command to sin no more. 

This shows that Jesus doesn't just teach with words; he teaches by example.  This is one of the attributes that makes him a good leader.  Anyone can talk about forgiveness or mercy, but Jesus shows us how to shower these blessings on a confused and desperate world.    

To start with, we note that Jesus did not immediately condemn this woman, even though she was guilty of sin.  He did not embarrass her in front of the crowd, nor did he pound his fist on the ground and tell her she was going to hell. 

Why is that?  For one thing, those who are caught in the web of Satan have an immediate need for mercy/grace, not judgment. 

Mark 2:16-17 - And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with tax collectors and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?  When Jesus heard it, he said unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Many Christians, perhaps unwittingly, decide which sins they will accept in other people and which sins they will not.  For example, there are Christians who are willing to forgive people who have an addiction to alcohol, but they immediately condemn and dismiss a person who is addicted to drugs.  Some Christians are willing to support women and men involved in an adulterous relationship, but they turn their backs on people who are confused about their gender.     

In God's eyes, sin is sin.  ALL those who are caught in Satan's snare are in need of God's love.  When dealing with the lost, we should follow the example of Jesus as he dealt with the woman caught in adultery – he demonstrated the love and grace of God without affirming her sin or life choices.  

This is a powerful key in relating to the lost.  Most of them are expecting judgment from you, so when you show mercy it tells them something is 'different' about you. This opens the door for you to share the gospel message.

Once Jesus had shown her the mercy of God, then he privately addressed the issue of her sin.  For us, it is best to establish a solid relationship with the lost before we approach the topic of their sin.    

Jesus then reaffirms that he is the light of the world.  As we discussed in John chapter 1, nothing on earth would survive without the light of the sun.  The same is true in the spiritual realm – none of us could live spiritually without the Son.  It is our privilege to give the world a glimpse of spiritual life in Christ.

Here is something interesting to consider:  Although the woman in John chapter 8 saw the light of Christ while in the temple, that is NOT true for most people, because the vast majority of sinners aren't attending church.  For most of them the only glimpse of Jesus they will get is the one they see in you. 

Let me repeat that:  For most sinners, the only glimpse of Jesus they will get is the one they see in you.  

Therefore, it is imperative that the light of Christ is shining brightly in our own lives (Matthew 5:16).  It is essential that we offer his love and grace to the lost.  Jesus has done his part – he shed his blood so we could be set free from sin.  Now we need to do our part and show that grace to those who need it most.  

John 8:13 – So the Pharisees said to him, "You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true." 

When Jesus declares to the religious leaders that he is the light of the world, they immediately oppose him. 

As we have discussed in earlier studies, the Law required two witnesses for a testimony to be accepted as true.  Since Jesus is testifying about himself, the Pharisees reject his testimony as false.

However, they are spiritually blind.  All Jews believed that only God could work miracles.  Since Jesus was working miracles by the hundreds, God was surely confirming that Jesus was the Messiah. 

John 8:14 – Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going."

Jesus responds by basically saying he is an exception to this rule. 

The law demanded two witnesses because men are sinful and they often speak from a spirit of pride or falsehood.  In other words, human beings will lie or deceive to gain an advantage or to make themselves look good.  But Jesus is not a mere man.  As the divine Son of God, he never promotes himself or his own agenda.  He says and does only what the Father has commanded him.  Therefore, this law doesn't really apply to him (John 5:30-32).

Furthermore, Jesus points out that his testimony is true because he fully knows and understands that he came from heaven at the command of God.  He also fully knows and understands that after he has been crucified and resurrected (completed his mission) he will once again return to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.

No other man on earth could possibly confirm these facts, because no one on earth had seen or witnessed Jesus as he lived in Heaven with Father God and Holy Spirit.  Consequently, none of them were qualified to pass judge the testimony of Jesus. 

John 8:15-16 – "You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me."

There are two ways to perform judgment – by the flesh or by the Spirit.

To judge according to the flesh is to judge according to appearances, preconceived opinions and/or prejudices.  This was exactly how the religious leaders judged Jesus. 

For example, the Jews believed that the Messiah would come as a conquering hero, who would immediately defeat their enemies and set up a kingdom that rivaled the 'golden age' of Israel under David and Solomon.  As such, he would obviously be rich and powerful.  Because Jesus did not fit their preconceived ideas, they rejected him as Messiah.  They judged according to the flesh.

We know that when Jesus came to earth as our redeemer, he did not come to judge/condemn the world, but to save it.  Yet even if he did (and he one day will), his judgment would be fair, true and impartial because he judges by the Spirit.  To judge with the guidance of Holy Spirit is to judge righteously (Psalms 72:2) – according to the facts and the motivations of a man's heart: 

1 Samuel 16:7 - But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.           

Unlike the Pharisees, Jesus has the right and authority to pass judgment because he is no ordinary man.  He is the divine Son of God, sent by the Father.  Since he and his Father are in complete agreement, their testimony/judgment is true (two witnesses).    

John 8:17-18 – "In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true.  I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me."

Once again Jesus shows that he has come to fulfill the law, not to abolish it.  There are indeed two persons who agree about his testimony – he and his Father.

As he mentioned earlier, Jesus' testimony of himself is credible/true because he knows where he came from (heaven) and where he is going (into the presence of the Father and Spirit).  No man on earth could confirm this testimony, but that's okay; it is accredited by a much higher source – Father God.

The Father had indeed testified to the divinity of Jesus in several ways including audibly at his baptism (Matthew 3:17), through fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy (Zechariah 9:9, Micah 5:2, etc) and through the performance of miracles. 

The same is true for any judgment Jesus makes – it would not be an individual judgment but the judgment of two witnesses because he and the Father are in agreement on all things.  This was discussed at length in our study of John chapter 5.

John 8:19 – They said to him therefore, "Where is your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father.  If you knew me, you would know my Father also."

There can be no doubt that the Pharisees asked this question in a spirit of mockery and spite, because they were well aware that Jesus was referring to God when he spoke of his Father.  We can even picture them pretending to look around for Joseph as they asked it. 

By ridiculing Jesus, they have also mocked and rejected the very God they claim to serve.  If you were Jesus, how would you deal with these people?  Perhaps your reaction would be similar to mine – I would probably call fire down from heave to consume them!

But Jesus does not allow them to stir up his anger.  Instead, he ignored their contempt and gave them a righteous response – if they will listen to his instruction, and receive him as the Messiah, then they will know his Father. 

The fact is, no man can approach God unless the Messiah (Jesus) makes a way for him through his blood.  Consequently, anyone who rejects Jesus has rejected their only path/avenue to find God.  The Pharisees did not seem to grasp this concept, no matter how many times Jesus taught it to them!

Once again, we find Jesus teaching us by example.  Do we respond righteously when we are mocked or ridiculed for our faith?  We are definitely called to do so:

2 Timothy 2:24-26 - And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose them; if God perhaps will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

The apostle Paul admonishes us to respond righteously, as Christ did.  We are to consider the lost as captives of the devil, snared by his evil schemes.  We are to have compassion for them as a shepherd has compassion for a lost sheep. 

Paul cautions us not to strive with them, but to answer them gently and patiently so they can escape the deadly snare of the enemy.  If Jesus can ignore the taunts of his enemies, can't we do the same?   

John 8:20 – These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

The treasury was a part of the temple where the sacred offerings were collected.  It was within the court of the women.  Scholars tell us it held 13 chests or collection boxes – one for each tribe and one that only women were permitted to use for offerings.  It was a much frequented place; we can safely infer that the confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees was witnessed by a large group of Jews.  But strangely, the religious leaders did nothing to stop Jesus.

Think about what a remarkable miracle this really is.  The religious leaders held immense power and influence in the Jewish nation, especially in the temple.  They had the authority to permanently banish people from the temple with a single command (John 9:22).  Yet, we find Jesus constantly teaching in the temple and they do nothing to stop him!  Furthermore, they had already decided to kill him, but he continues to teach while they stand by and allow him to speak!   

Clearly, God protected Jesus and restrained Satan so that mankind could hear the gospel message.  Eventually, Jesus would die for us, but only at the time appointed by God.

Let me offer you some encouragement and relief:

God had an appointed time for Jesus to finish his ministry by dying on the cross and then rising again.  If you think about it, the same is true for you and me.  God numbered the days of our earthly existence before we were ever born (Psalms 139:16).   He established a plan/purpose for our lives, just as he did with Jesus. 

So let me give you some encouragement and relief – Satan may hate you, but he cannot cut your life short unless God allows it.  Stay close to God, and let your light shine for Christ.  He will make sure you are able to complete all the good works God ordained for you to do. 

Let me offer you some strength:

The religious leaders mocked and taunted Jesus, but he never allowed them to bait him into an angry response.  Instead, he answered them righteously and revealed the truth of the gospel to them. 

We need to follow the example of Christ in this area.  The first step in this process is seeking the help of Holy Spirit, who can give us the strength and wisdom to avoid these traps.