Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God."
3 Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?"
5 Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' 8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
9 Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"
10 Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 11 "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."
John the Baptist Exalts Jesus
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized.
23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept coming and were being baptized 24 --John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison. 25 Now a discussion about purification arose between John's disciples and a Jew. 26 They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him."
27 John answered, "No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. 28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.' 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease."
31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true. 34 He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God's wrath.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
John 2- Andy's thoughts
Signs
In an age of Google and Wikipedia, we are overwhelmed with an abundance of information. When we have questions about what to believe, the challenge is not in finding information, it is in finding credible sources. I just googled “god” and found 2.2 billion results. 2.2 billion! What am I supposed to do with that? I don’t just want information; I want to find people and sources that I can trust.
Even in Jesus’ day, there were lots of people claiming to have knowledge about God. There were the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the teachers of the Law, Stoic philosophers, Epicurean philosophers, Gnostics, disciples of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and so many more. God used signs to validate his messengers so that they could be identified as something more than all of these earthly teachers.
I believe that God is still validating his messengers by enabling us to do the extraordinary- not simply for the sake of show or immediate gratification. God is enabling us so that we can show the world that we are His messengers as we tell the world about Jesus.
At the end of the gospel, John states that his purpose for writing was, “so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” (20:31). It seems that John chooses particular accounts of Jesus’ life and teaching in order to help his readers to believe in Jesus. Throughout the gospel, he includes a series of signs that are supposed to help us believe in Jesus.
When we see signs or miracles in the Bible we should look to see the reason why they are given. Signs are not given just to show off or to benefit the audience. Signs empowered by God are given to validate the authority of the messenger and the importance of the message. I think that, at times, we look for miracles as an end unto themselves. To do this would be to miss the greater context in which Biblical miracles take place. When we see signs, we should see them as something connected to a message.
At the wedding in Cana we come across the first sign.
I see that in the comments on this chapter there were a few thoughts and questions about some of the significance of what happens during this first miraculous sign. I agree with Jared in that the primary significance is that Jesus is sparing the host the shame that would come from failing to supply sufficient wine for his guests.
I think that there are few lessons that we can learn from this sign. The first is that Jesus cares about people in a very practical way. He sees that someone has a need and he meets it. He does not give a discourse about the ethics of alcohol. He does not berate the groom for being unprepared. He very subtly sees a need and takes care of it.
Second, we see that Jesus is attentive to our needs and has the power to meet them. He doesn’t just go out and buy some more wine. He uses what is at hand and transforms it into something not only sufficient but lavishly delicious. I think that Jesus does this not only with things but also with people. He uses ordinary people and transforms them into extraordinary people equipped to fulfill the mission of God.
Third, we see that Jesus is identifying himself as an approved messenger of God. When Moses first went to the Pharaoh in Egypt, he performed a sign in order to show that he was not just some schlep saying a bunch of stuff. He performed a sign to validate his message. His first sign was to turn water into blood. Jesus’ first sign was to turn water into wine.
While there are definitely more lessons that we could take away from this story, I want us at least to consider these three. Jesus cares for us, he has the power to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, and he is revealing his divine authority.
Kim, you asked about the significance of using the ceremonial jars of water. I was reading a few commentaries about that (I’m mostly using a commentary by D.A. Carson on John and I like it a lot). They say that the use of stone jars probably shows that these types of jars were less susceptible to defilement than jars made of clay or other materials. There may also be some veiled significance to Jesus disregard of ceremony in exchange for celebration. (This would be something similar to Jesus not performing ceremonial cleansing before eating because he is the Sabbath is for him and not he for the Sabbath.)
Sanctuary
The word sanctuary means a holy place or a place set apart for the Lord. When we read the word sanctified in the Bible it is in reference to those who are set apart for God in holiness. When Jesus sees the temple area being treated as unholy, he takes action. This is not the sheepish “nice guy” Jesus that has permeated our culture. This is the true Jesus who gets angry and passionate. How dare these people defile his Father’s house?
Pete, I really appreciate the humility of your comments about CD’s at the service. I understand the practicality of making them available on Sundays and that you are always really careful to not “sell” them. I don’t think it comes across as anything defiling. You set a good example of how to help people in worship without being commercial.
Belief
In verse 11, we see that the disciples believed in Jesus. The Greek reads something like “they placed their faith into him.”I think the feel of the language makes me imagine Jesus as a bank into which the disciples placed their savings. (Though the language is not financial, that’s just my weird brain making connections).
In verse 22, we see that after the resurrection, the disciples believed the Scriptures and what Jesus had said. In verse 23, we see that the crowds started to put their trust in Jesus but that he didn’t trust their faith. What is the significance of all this believing going on?
I think that we are beginning to see that belief can vary. When I first started to develop my theology and for many years afterwards, I tended to try to make fixed definitions and conceptions for all of my theological terms and phrases. I wanted a firm definition for what belief meant. I wanted a one-size-fits-all portrait of conversion and salvation. As I continue to read the Bible and meditate on it, I realize that I have to loosen up on that desire.
While the Bible does define some things very explicitly, it seems to describe other things very broadly. I think that belief is one of them. It seems that John records the disciples as repeatedly coming to faith in Jesus. It’s a bit frustrating to read this because I want to think of belief as a one-time action. But if I am going to take the Bible as it is, then I have to conform my theology to the Bible and not the Bible to my theology.
So what I am learning about faith is this- for some people faith is instantaneous and permanent. For others, it is progressive. Some people learn a little about Jesus and believe in that, but later they learn more and believe in him more fully. The language that we use to describe this may be a bit more flexible than we might like. It is also interesting to note that Jesus is instantly able to identify who truly believes and who doesn’t.
Application:
• Do we believe that Jesus cares for us and knows what we need?
• Do we believe that Jesus has the power to transform us into extraordinary people?
• Are we seeking his transformation so that we can better proclaim the gospel?
In an age of Google and Wikipedia, we are overwhelmed with an abundance of information. When we have questions about what to believe, the challenge is not in finding information, it is in finding credible sources. I just googled “god” and found 2.2 billion results. 2.2 billion! What am I supposed to do with that? I don’t just want information; I want to find people and sources that I can trust.
Even in Jesus’ day, there were lots of people claiming to have knowledge about God. There were the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the teachers of the Law, Stoic philosophers, Epicurean philosophers, Gnostics, disciples of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and so many more. God used signs to validate his messengers so that they could be identified as something more than all of these earthly teachers.
I believe that God is still validating his messengers by enabling us to do the extraordinary- not simply for the sake of show or immediate gratification. God is enabling us so that we can show the world that we are His messengers as we tell the world about Jesus.
At the end of the gospel, John states that his purpose for writing was, “so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” (20:31). It seems that John chooses particular accounts of Jesus’ life and teaching in order to help his readers to believe in Jesus. Throughout the gospel, he includes a series of signs that are supposed to help us believe in Jesus.
When we see signs or miracles in the Bible we should look to see the reason why they are given. Signs are not given just to show off or to benefit the audience. Signs empowered by God are given to validate the authority of the messenger and the importance of the message. I think that, at times, we look for miracles as an end unto themselves. To do this would be to miss the greater context in which Biblical miracles take place. When we see signs, we should see them as something connected to a message.
At the wedding in Cana we come across the first sign.
I see that in the comments on this chapter there were a few thoughts and questions about some of the significance of what happens during this first miraculous sign. I agree with Jared in that the primary significance is that Jesus is sparing the host the shame that would come from failing to supply sufficient wine for his guests.
I think that there are few lessons that we can learn from this sign. The first is that Jesus cares about people in a very practical way. He sees that someone has a need and he meets it. He does not give a discourse about the ethics of alcohol. He does not berate the groom for being unprepared. He very subtly sees a need and takes care of it.
Second, we see that Jesus is attentive to our needs and has the power to meet them. He doesn’t just go out and buy some more wine. He uses what is at hand and transforms it into something not only sufficient but lavishly delicious. I think that Jesus does this not only with things but also with people. He uses ordinary people and transforms them into extraordinary people equipped to fulfill the mission of God.
Third, we see that Jesus is identifying himself as an approved messenger of God. When Moses first went to the Pharaoh in Egypt, he performed a sign in order to show that he was not just some schlep saying a bunch of stuff. He performed a sign to validate his message. His first sign was to turn water into blood. Jesus’ first sign was to turn water into wine.
While there are definitely more lessons that we could take away from this story, I want us at least to consider these three. Jesus cares for us, he has the power to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, and he is revealing his divine authority.
Kim, you asked about the significance of using the ceremonial jars of water. I was reading a few commentaries about that (I’m mostly using a commentary by D.A. Carson on John and I like it a lot). They say that the use of stone jars probably shows that these types of jars were less susceptible to defilement than jars made of clay or other materials. There may also be some veiled significance to Jesus disregard of ceremony in exchange for celebration. (This would be something similar to Jesus not performing ceremonial cleansing before eating because he is the Sabbath is for him and not he for the Sabbath.)
Sanctuary
The word sanctuary means a holy place or a place set apart for the Lord. When we read the word sanctified in the Bible it is in reference to those who are set apart for God in holiness. When Jesus sees the temple area being treated as unholy, he takes action. This is not the sheepish “nice guy” Jesus that has permeated our culture. This is the true Jesus who gets angry and passionate. How dare these people defile his Father’s house?
Pete, I really appreciate the humility of your comments about CD’s at the service. I understand the practicality of making them available on Sundays and that you are always really careful to not “sell” them. I don’t think it comes across as anything defiling. You set a good example of how to help people in worship without being commercial.
Belief
In verse 11, we see that the disciples believed in Jesus. The Greek reads something like “they placed their faith into him.”I think the feel of the language makes me imagine Jesus as a bank into which the disciples placed their savings. (Though the language is not financial, that’s just my weird brain making connections).
In verse 22, we see that after the resurrection, the disciples believed the Scriptures and what Jesus had said. In verse 23, we see that the crowds started to put their trust in Jesus but that he didn’t trust their faith. What is the significance of all this believing going on?
I think that we are beginning to see that belief can vary. When I first started to develop my theology and for many years afterwards, I tended to try to make fixed definitions and conceptions for all of my theological terms and phrases. I wanted a firm definition for what belief meant. I wanted a one-size-fits-all portrait of conversion and salvation. As I continue to read the Bible and meditate on it, I realize that I have to loosen up on that desire.
While the Bible does define some things very explicitly, it seems to describe other things very broadly. I think that belief is one of them. It seems that John records the disciples as repeatedly coming to faith in Jesus. It’s a bit frustrating to read this because I want to think of belief as a one-time action. But if I am going to take the Bible as it is, then I have to conform my theology to the Bible and not the Bible to my theology.
So what I am learning about faith is this- for some people faith is instantaneous and permanent. For others, it is progressive. Some people learn a little about Jesus and believe in that, but later they learn more and believe in him more fully. The language that we use to describe this may be a bit more flexible than we might like. It is also interesting to note that Jesus is instantly able to identify who truly believes and who doesn’t.
Application:
• Do we believe that Jesus cares for us and knows what we need?
• Do we believe that Jesus has the power to transform us into extraordinary people?
• Are we seeking his transformation so that we can better proclaim the gospel?
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
John 2
The Wedding at Cana
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."
4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come."
5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it.
9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now."
11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days.
Jesus Clears the Temple
13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!"
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me."
18 The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?"
19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
20 The Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22 After 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.
Jesus and Nicodemus
23 When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."
4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come."
5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it.
9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now."
11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days.
Jesus Clears the Temple
13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!"
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me."
18 The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?"
19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
20 The Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22 After 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.
Jesus and Nicodemus
23 When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.
John 1- Andy's thoughts
Since I have gotten a little behind on my blog posts, I decided to hop into John 1 in order to keep up with the daily readings. I hope to go back and add posts on Luke 22-24 soon.
As some of you have already noted, this gospel is distinct from Luke. I agree with you Kathleen, it is encouraging to see the different ways that people talked about Jesus. I am reminded that it is good to have a variety of perspectives and styles of communication. I think this is a reminder for us that we should welcome and celebrate the plethora of ways that people talk about Jesus today (provided that it is in keeping with what the Bible actually says).
Overview of the Book
John’s gospel was most likely written towards the end of the first century. Christian tradition says that the disciple John, the brother of James, one of the several fishermen, is the author. Throughout the book we will see the phrase, “the disciple Jesus loved” or “the beloved disciple.” These phrases are probably referring to John himself.
The style of the book is different than the other three gospels. The other three (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are often referred to as the synoptic gospels. Synoptic comes from a Greek phrase- “syn” meaning together, and “optic” meaning seen. The synoptic gospels present a view of Jesus that is seen from a similar vantage point. John presents a slightly different view. The literary style is also distinct in that John tends to use much more metaphorical language and imagery. In contrast to Luke’s very systematic, chronological, academic style, John uses more of a story-teller, pictorial, philosophical style.
There are several themes that permeate the book too. Look for repeated words and phrases as keys to understanding the emphases of the gospel. John likes to use words such as- light, dark, law, word, grace, truth, believe, and “I am” throughout the book. This should prompt us to ask questions such as- “what does light signify?” and “what does it mean to believe?”
The Word
The beginning of the chapter is so full of theological references and ideas that I couldn’t begin to sum up all of them. I will note a few key ones that jump out at me. The first is the use of the word “word.” In Greek “word” is “logos.” Logos carried a rather extensive amount of meaning to Greek philosophers and Jewish theologians. At that time many believed in a logos that was reason or wisdom personified. It was a term associated with God but more as something distinct from God himself.
John says that this logos not only was close to God but in fact was God himself. John indirectly says that this logos is Jesus and that Jesus is God. There is also a whole discussion that can be had concerning how to translate the phrase “and the word was God.” This discussion is primarily over the use of a definite versus indefinite article before “God.” (do we say the word was” a god” or was [the] God”?) I won’t go into all of that here either, but good Greek grammarians assert that the text is best translated as “and the word was God.
I mention this discussion because Jehovah’s Witnesses will say that Jesus was only “a god” and not God himself. In their translation of the Bible (the New World Translation) this passage says the word is a god. The historical tradition of the Church and practically all competent Greek scholars refute this translation. If you ever get into a discussion with Jehovah’s Witnesses, this may be a point that is raised and you can tell them they have a very inferior translation that was deliberately altered to fit their bad theology.
John also chooses to open his gospel with the phrase, “In the beginning the Word...” I think that this intentionally parallels the opening of Genesis, “In the beginning God…” By doing this, John substitutes the “Word” for “God” as a means of identifying that the Word is equal to God. Throughout Genesis 1, there are ten occurrences of the phrase “God said.” God’s creative work is seen in His speaking the word. It may also be interesting to note that in Exodus, when God gives the Ten Commandments, the Hebrew actually reads, “the ten words.”Jesus is equated not only with God’s word of creation but also with God’s word of the Law.
I think that the gist of what John is saying in these first few verses is that Jesus was not only with God in the beginning of creation, he was the means by which all of creation came into existence. We are getting a very theologically driven introduction to the Trinity. God the Father creates and Jesus is the word that God spoke in order to create. (That could and would take a lifetime to ponder fully). Jesus is the Word of God.
The Light
The light is also a reference to Jesus. The phrase “did not overcome it” in verse 5 might be an intentional play on words. The Greek phrase is “katalaben” which can be translated as “overcome” or “apprehend” or “understood.” I think the idea might be that people either didn’t understand the light that Jesus brought or that they couldn’t conquer it. They could neither distinguish it nor extinguish it.
The word light is also used as a synonym for the Law or the Word of God. In Psalm 119:105 we read, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” John is systematically and elegantly building the case for the divine nature of Jesus. Jesus is the Light of the world.
Belief
John goes on to say that John the Baptist (not John the disciple) was not the light. John the Baptist pointed people to the light so that they might believe. When Jesus came to his own (the Jews) they did not believe in him. The Jews were known as the children of God. Yet in this gospel we learn that the true children of God are not those who have some type of special family heritage. The true children of God are those who believe in Jesus as the word and light of God.
It is very very interesting to keep track of the accounts of what people believe about Jesus and even how many times John records the disciples as “believing in him.” In contrast to the typical portrayal of conversion, John records the disciples as coming to faith repeatedly. I will explore this idea and its implications in later chapters.
The Word Became Flesh
Man. I love this part. Theologians like to call this the “incarnation” of God. This word comes from the Greek root- “carne”- which means flesh (think carnivore). This phrase introduces the humanity of Jesus. Not only was Jesus divine (equal to God in character) but he was also human (equal to people in form and nature). This is the part of the gospel where John really departs from the traditional views of Greek and Jewish thinkers.
I guess that there are really two main types of Greeks that thought about God or the gods. The first was the more superstitious folksy group. They would have believed in the stories of the pantheon of mythological gods like Zeus, Apollo, Dionysius, Hades, and Poseidon. This group did believe that the gods took on a human appearance. To them the gods were just like humans- having all of their vices and failings- but they also had superhuman abilities and immortality.
The second group was the more academic philosophical types. They would have rejected the myths of the Greek gods in exchange for a belief in an abstract existence of Reason (Logos). If you are familiar with Plato- think of the “forms” and how everything that existed was just a reflection of an idealized form that existed only in concept and not reality.
Perhaps we can make comparisons of these two groups to people today. I think that there are a lot of superstitious people who have deeply held religious beliefs about God. They may have constructed a view of God that is essentially one of a God who is a lot like us only a little bit nicer and a little bit stronger but still susceptible to our human failings. There may be others who pride themselves on their education. They may have constructed a view of God that is the model of Enlightenment Rationalism that is essentially a combination of Spock and Data (driven by reason and knowledge and yet torn by the pull toward emotionalism). (I’m totally stealing from Stan Grenz on that last train of thought).
I think that both of these groups would have had a hard time hearing that there is a true and powerful God who would take on human flesh and dwell among us as a compassionate being.
I think that the Jews of the time would have had a different take on it too. The language that John uses “lived among us” is literally “tabernacled among us.” This would have conjured up images of the way that God commissioned the Israelites to make a tabernacle (a huge tent) to house the ark (which held the Ten Commandments/ Ten Words). This tabernacle was understood to be God himself dwelling among the people as they traveled through the wilderness.
Jesus is God’s Word living among His people. When we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate God choosing to live among us not as a distant force or abstract concept but as a very personal God present among people. The same God who showed up to the Israelites more than 3000 years ago is still present among us today. And his name is Jesus.
The Lamb of God
“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God. This is a reference to the Passover celebration. The Lamb of God was the sacrifice for the sins of the people. The Lamb of God died in the place of the people. The Lamb of God had its blood shed so that the judgment of God would “pass over” the people. Jesus is that Lamb of God.
Witnesses
The rest of the chapter shows how the witnesses to Jesus live out their calling as witnesses. As people see Jesus, they automatically want to bring other people to see Jesus. Andrew brings his brother Peter to see Jesus. Philip brings Nathanael to see Jesus. As we see Jesus, I think it is natural for us to want to bring others to see him too.
These disciples don’t wait years to understand everything about Jesus; they just go out and bring others to him. I think this is a beautiful portrayal of what we are called to do as witnesses. Pete, I like what you said about Nathanael’s response. “Can anything good come from there?” There is a certain incredulity that people have when they hear second hand about the way that God works. Yet when they see for themselves, they are forever changed.
Application:
• Do you believe that Jesus is the Word of God, the Light of the World, the Lamb of God?
• Are we bringing others to see Jesus for themselves?
As some of you have already noted, this gospel is distinct from Luke. I agree with you Kathleen, it is encouraging to see the different ways that people talked about Jesus. I am reminded that it is good to have a variety of perspectives and styles of communication. I think this is a reminder for us that we should welcome and celebrate the plethora of ways that people talk about Jesus today (provided that it is in keeping with what the Bible actually says).
Overview of the Book
John’s gospel was most likely written towards the end of the first century. Christian tradition says that the disciple John, the brother of James, one of the several fishermen, is the author. Throughout the book we will see the phrase, “the disciple Jesus loved” or “the beloved disciple.” These phrases are probably referring to John himself.
The style of the book is different than the other three gospels. The other three (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are often referred to as the synoptic gospels. Synoptic comes from a Greek phrase- “syn” meaning together, and “optic” meaning seen. The synoptic gospels present a view of Jesus that is seen from a similar vantage point. John presents a slightly different view. The literary style is also distinct in that John tends to use much more metaphorical language and imagery. In contrast to Luke’s very systematic, chronological, academic style, John uses more of a story-teller, pictorial, philosophical style.
There are several themes that permeate the book too. Look for repeated words and phrases as keys to understanding the emphases of the gospel. John likes to use words such as- light, dark, law, word, grace, truth, believe, and “I am” throughout the book. This should prompt us to ask questions such as- “what does light signify?” and “what does it mean to believe?”
The Word
The beginning of the chapter is so full of theological references and ideas that I couldn’t begin to sum up all of them. I will note a few key ones that jump out at me. The first is the use of the word “word.” In Greek “word” is “logos.” Logos carried a rather extensive amount of meaning to Greek philosophers and Jewish theologians. At that time many believed in a logos that was reason or wisdom personified. It was a term associated with God but more as something distinct from God himself.
John says that this logos not only was close to God but in fact was God himself. John indirectly says that this logos is Jesus and that Jesus is God. There is also a whole discussion that can be had concerning how to translate the phrase “and the word was God.” This discussion is primarily over the use of a definite versus indefinite article before “God.” (do we say the word was” a god” or was [the] God”?) I won’t go into all of that here either, but good Greek grammarians assert that the text is best translated as “and the word was God.
I mention this discussion because Jehovah’s Witnesses will say that Jesus was only “a god” and not God himself. In their translation of the Bible (the New World Translation) this passage says the word is a god. The historical tradition of the Church and practically all competent Greek scholars refute this translation. If you ever get into a discussion with Jehovah’s Witnesses, this may be a point that is raised and you can tell them they have a very inferior translation that was deliberately altered to fit their bad theology.
John also chooses to open his gospel with the phrase, “In the beginning the Word...” I think that this intentionally parallels the opening of Genesis, “In the beginning God…” By doing this, John substitutes the “Word” for “God” as a means of identifying that the Word is equal to God. Throughout Genesis 1, there are ten occurrences of the phrase “God said.” God’s creative work is seen in His speaking the word. It may also be interesting to note that in Exodus, when God gives the Ten Commandments, the Hebrew actually reads, “the ten words.”Jesus is equated not only with God’s word of creation but also with God’s word of the Law.
I think that the gist of what John is saying in these first few verses is that Jesus was not only with God in the beginning of creation, he was the means by which all of creation came into existence. We are getting a very theologically driven introduction to the Trinity. God the Father creates and Jesus is the word that God spoke in order to create. (That could and would take a lifetime to ponder fully). Jesus is the Word of God.
The Light
The light is also a reference to Jesus. The phrase “did not overcome it” in verse 5 might be an intentional play on words. The Greek phrase is “katalaben” which can be translated as “overcome” or “apprehend” or “understood.” I think the idea might be that people either didn’t understand the light that Jesus brought or that they couldn’t conquer it. They could neither distinguish it nor extinguish it.
The word light is also used as a synonym for the Law or the Word of God. In Psalm 119:105 we read, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” John is systematically and elegantly building the case for the divine nature of Jesus. Jesus is the Light of the world.
Belief
John goes on to say that John the Baptist (not John the disciple) was not the light. John the Baptist pointed people to the light so that they might believe. When Jesus came to his own (the Jews) they did not believe in him. The Jews were known as the children of God. Yet in this gospel we learn that the true children of God are not those who have some type of special family heritage. The true children of God are those who believe in Jesus as the word and light of God.
It is very very interesting to keep track of the accounts of what people believe about Jesus and even how many times John records the disciples as “believing in him.” In contrast to the typical portrayal of conversion, John records the disciples as coming to faith repeatedly. I will explore this idea and its implications in later chapters.
The Word Became Flesh
Man. I love this part. Theologians like to call this the “incarnation” of God. This word comes from the Greek root- “carne”- which means flesh (think carnivore). This phrase introduces the humanity of Jesus. Not only was Jesus divine (equal to God in character) but he was also human (equal to people in form and nature). This is the part of the gospel where John really departs from the traditional views of Greek and Jewish thinkers.
I guess that there are really two main types of Greeks that thought about God or the gods. The first was the more superstitious folksy group. They would have believed in the stories of the pantheon of mythological gods like Zeus, Apollo, Dionysius, Hades, and Poseidon. This group did believe that the gods took on a human appearance. To them the gods were just like humans- having all of their vices and failings- but they also had superhuman abilities and immortality.
The second group was the more academic philosophical types. They would have rejected the myths of the Greek gods in exchange for a belief in an abstract existence of Reason (Logos). If you are familiar with Plato- think of the “forms” and how everything that existed was just a reflection of an idealized form that existed only in concept and not reality.
Perhaps we can make comparisons of these two groups to people today. I think that there are a lot of superstitious people who have deeply held religious beliefs about God. They may have constructed a view of God that is essentially one of a God who is a lot like us only a little bit nicer and a little bit stronger but still susceptible to our human failings. There may be others who pride themselves on their education. They may have constructed a view of God that is the model of Enlightenment Rationalism that is essentially a combination of Spock and Data (driven by reason and knowledge and yet torn by the pull toward emotionalism). (I’m totally stealing from Stan Grenz on that last train of thought).
I think that both of these groups would have had a hard time hearing that there is a true and powerful God who would take on human flesh and dwell among us as a compassionate being.
I think that the Jews of the time would have had a different take on it too. The language that John uses “lived among us” is literally “tabernacled among us.” This would have conjured up images of the way that God commissioned the Israelites to make a tabernacle (a huge tent) to house the ark (which held the Ten Commandments/ Ten Words). This tabernacle was understood to be God himself dwelling among the people as they traveled through the wilderness.
Jesus is God’s Word living among His people. When we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate God choosing to live among us not as a distant force or abstract concept but as a very personal God present among people. The same God who showed up to the Israelites more than 3000 years ago is still present among us today. And his name is Jesus.
The Lamb of God
“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God. This is a reference to the Passover celebration. The Lamb of God was the sacrifice for the sins of the people. The Lamb of God died in the place of the people. The Lamb of God had its blood shed so that the judgment of God would “pass over” the people. Jesus is that Lamb of God.
Witnesses
The rest of the chapter shows how the witnesses to Jesus live out their calling as witnesses. As people see Jesus, they automatically want to bring other people to see Jesus. Andrew brings his brother Peter to see Jesus. Philip brings Nathanael to see Jesus. As we see Jesus, I think it is natural for us to want to bring others to see him too.
These disciples don’t wait years to understand everything about Jesus; they just go out and bring others to him. I think this is a beautiful portrayal of what we are called to do as witnesses. Pete, I like what you said about Nathanael’s response. “Can anything good come from there?” There is a certain incredulity that people have when they hear second hand about the way that God works. Yet when they see for themselves, they are forever changed.
Application:
• Do you believe that Jesus is the Word of God, the Light of the World, the Lamb of God?
• Are we bringing others to see Jesus for themselves?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
John 1
Prologue: Christ the Eternal Word
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through him,
and without him not one thing came into being that has come into being.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'")
16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.
The Testimony of John the Baptist
19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah."
21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the prophet?"
He answered, "No."
22 Then they said to him, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
23 He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'" as the prophet Isaiah said.
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, "Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?"
26 John answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal."
28 This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
Jesus, the Lamb of God
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel."
32 And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God."
The First Disciples
35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?"
They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.
40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed).
42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth."
46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"
Philip said to him, "Come and see."
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!"
48 Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?"
Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you."
49 Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
50 Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." 51 And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through him,
and without him not one thing came into being that has come into being.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'")
16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.
The Testimony of John the Baptist
19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah."
21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the prophet?"
He answered, "No."
22 Then they said to him, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
23 He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'" as the prophet Isaiah said.
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, "Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?"
26 John answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal."
28 This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
Jesus, the Lamb of God
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel."
32 And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God."
The First Disciples
35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?"
They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.
40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed).
42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth."
46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"
Philip said to him, "Come and see."
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!"
48 Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?"
Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you."
49 Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
50 Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." 51 And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
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