- Why is Jesus called the lamb of God? Refers to the Passover lamb. "Of God" means that God provides the sacrifice. Both are OT references, one to Abraham and Isaac and the other to the Exodus
- Gen 22:7-8 (NIV) Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"
- Ex 12:3 (NIV) Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.
- Why does John say "sin" and not "sins?"
- Phrase that can be used to reflect the totality of sin in the world
- Could also refer to the original sin which was Adam & Eve's rebellion
- Apparently, John did not know the identity of his cousin
- God did give him a sign to identify the Lamb of God
- Only gospel which doesn't record the event but rather the result
- Here as in other places in this Gospel, John refers to Jesus as the Son of God
- Clearly indicates his deity
- The term "Messiah" would not in any way convey deity
- What is John's mission? To point people to Jesus
- How do at least two of John's disciples respond? They start following Jesus
- There is a dual-intention in John's gospel. On the surface the question asks one thing but at the same time it asks a much more deeper question. I like the idea that God does not ask questions to gain information, but to cause us to think or respond to the question. What does the question "what do you want" ask at a deeper level?
- You were following John, why are you now following me?
- What you are looking for by following me?
- Do you really want to follow me?
- They call Jesus "Rabbi" which indicates what?
- They consider him a teacher they could learn from
- The phrase "come and see" describes the first step. Understand, Jesus wasn't just showing them where he lived, but rather to spend time with him. Spending time with Jesus is the first step in becoming a disciple of Jesus
- We also learned something of these first two, who are they?
- One is Andrew, identified as Simon Peter's brother
- The other is not identified. Some of speculated that hints at the author, John, but there is no evidence
- Andrew invites Peter. Inviting others to Jesus is a natural result of spending time with Jesus
- APPLICATION: Getting to know Jesus is the essence of discipleship
- Now Philip enters the picture. The "follow me" invitation is not a call to drop everything, but rather an invitation to learn. This point is very early in Jesus' ministry, long before his public start
- Philip appears to be acquaintance or friends with Andrew and Peter. Andrew finds Peter; Philip finds Nathanael
- This is how the gospel spreads, friends finding other friends
- The best thing anyone can do for another is to introduce them to Jesus
- Philip repeats Jesus earlier invitation to Andrew, "come and see"
- How does Jesus know Nathanael?
- He had seen him under a fig tree
- Shows what God-like attribute? Omnipresence
- He calls him a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit or falsehood
- The term Israel is God's new name for Jacob
- Jacob's name meant deceit
- Nathanael's reaction seems extreme and over the top, why wouldn't he think Jesus a Prophet?
- Possible that they were already discussing Jesus' claim to deity
- Miracle is something only God could do, although God could have revealed it to the prophet, as was the case with Elisha
- Jesus promises him even great things
- He alludes to Jacob's dream at Bethel, where Jacob saw angels ascending and descending to heaven
- This dream preceded years of change that God would bring about in Jacob's life
- APPLICATION: God is in the business of change. Are you changing, becoming a different person or just treading water? If you are treading water, you will have a miserable life
- Constable, 2012 writes "John's account of the beginning of Jesus' public ministry highlights the fact that Jesus replaced what was old with something new (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). New wine replaced old water. Later a clean temple replaced a dirty one, a new birth replaced an old birth, living (flowing) water replaced well water, and new worship replaced old worship. The larger underlying theme continues to be the revelation of Jesus' identity."
- Constable, 2012 writes
- John's specific reference to days in chapter 1 and here is unusual for him
- On the first day, John the Baptist gave his veiled witness to Jesus (1:19-28)
- The second day he gave his open witness to Jesus (1:29-34)
- The third day John's two disciples followed Jesus (1:35-42)
- The fourth day Philip and Nathanael met Jesus (1:43-51).
- On the third day after that, the seventh day, Jesus did His miracle at Cana
- Customarily, the wedding of a maiden took place on a Wednesday, and that of a widow on Thursday (Edersheim). The Jews regarded periods of seven days as reflecting God's creative activity. Perhaps John wanted his readers to associate this beginning of Jesus' ministry with the beginning of the cosmos (Gen. 1) that also happened in seven days. If so, this would be another witness to Jesus' deity"
- Who is getting married and how might you infer your answer?
- Jesus is invited so he either knows the couple or he is family
- Why doesn't Jesus decline the event?
- Shows Jesus is not a recluse
- God takes joy and participates in events of joy
- Mary's involvement suggests that it is one of her children getting married
- Since no mention of Joseph during Jesus' ministry days, we can assume Joseph was already passed away
- Mary would have naturally leaned on the oldest
- To run out of wine would have been a social disgrace that probably would have haunted the family for years
- Jesus response to Mary has to be understood culturally
- "Woman" as opposed to "mother" was acceptable and only shows his new relationship as he enters his public ministry
- "Why do you involve me?" was a gentle rebuke to suggest that this was not his mission or ministry. But his involvement does show his compassions
- Apparently, his mother's response shows that she interpreted his answer differently than we might read it
- What do we know of these pots?
- Stone, used for ceremonially cleansing. Clay absorbed water and bacteria
- You did not drink out of them
- 20-30 gallons or total 120-180 gallons
- How does the head waiter respond?
- Normally, hosts holds the cheap wine until people are inebriated (proves the wine was not just grape juice)
- God makes a wonderful wine, in which people could get inebriated (APPLICATION: people often abuse God's good gifts and use them in a manner that God did not intend)
- What is the significance?
- It shows Jesus with the power of creation, and even the appearance of age
- It shows that transformative power of Jesus -- he can change water into blood or water into wine
- 2 Cor 5:17 (THE MESSAGE) Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!
- APPLICATION: God wants to change us. God wants to recreate us. But we must spend time with Him regularly if we are serious about change. We need a regular quiet time
John
1:29-34 (NIV) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is
the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me
because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came
baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."
32
Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as
a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one
who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit
come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34 I have
seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.
"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but
where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for
the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.
John
1:35-42 (NIV) The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36
When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
37
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning
around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
They
said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you
staying?"
39
"Come," he replied, "and you will see."
So
they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was
about the tenth hour.
40
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said
and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his
brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is,
the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus
looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called
Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).
John
1:43-51 (NIV) The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip,
he said to him, "Follow me."
44
Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found
Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the
Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of
Joseph."
46
"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
"Come
and see," said Philip.
47
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true
Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."
48
"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
Jesus
answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before
Philip called you."
49
Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King
of Israel."
50
Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree.
You shall see greater things than that."
51 He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven
open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
John
2:1-11 (NIV) On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus'
mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the
wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have
no more wine."
4
"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time
has not yet come."
5 His
mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
6
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial
washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
7
Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they
filled them to the brim.
8 Then
he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the
banquet."
They
did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned
into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who
had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said,
"Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine
after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till
now."
11
This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee.
He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
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