Monthly Archives: November 2019

John 2:1-12

The Wedding at Cana in Galilee

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. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 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 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.” 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.

Time Frame

This took place before Jesus’ public preaching ministry had begun.

Vs 4 – My hour has not yet come

      • It was not yet time for him to publicly display his glory with a miracle
      • Jesus did not do miracles just to get attention 
      • His miracles confirmed his preaching which had also not yet begun

Matthew 4:12,13,17

      • Matthew, Mark and Luke focus mostly on Jesus’ public ministry of preaching, teaching, healing and driving out evil spirits
      • This ministry began after John the Baptist had been arrested (Matthew 4:12,17)
      • John’s narrative covers a longer time frame than the other 3 gospels
        (3 Passovers, some events that took place before Jesus’ pubic ministry began)
      • In John’s narrative, John the Baptist is still active in chapters 3 and 4

Matthew 4:18-22

      • He called Simon (Peter), Andrew, James and John to follow him after John’s arrest
      • The events of John 1:36-42 (when Andrew and Simon Peter were first introduced to Jesus) happened well before the events of Matthew 4:18-22.  

Conclusion

      • Everything in John 1-3 is prior to Matthew 4:12 (prior to Jesus’ public teaching and preaching ministry in Galilee)
      • Jesus is still going back and forth freely between Galilee and Judea
      • In John 2 and 3, Jesus already has some disciples but they have not yet been called to leave everything behind and follow him in his full time preaching and teaching ministry.
      • After John the Baptist is imprisoned, Jesus withdraws into Galilee and begins his public ministry there

Events of the Wedding

The mother of Jesus was there – this was probably the wedding of a close relative. Mary seems to have had some responsibility for the hospitality at the wedding. 

Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples – It may have been a social obligation to include the disciples of the Rabbi if he was included. For a poor family, this might strain their resources. Wedding celebrations could last several days. “In the first century, a wedding feast lasted for a week, and running out of wine would subject the host to ridicule” (Jews for Jesus, Biblical Background of Weddings)

They have no more wine – It’s not clear what she expected him to do. She may have simply wanted him to help pay for more wine (apparently wedding guests were expected to help with expenses). 

What does this have to do with me?  [or Why do you involve me? – NIV] – Jesus’  response indicates that he understood Mary to be asking him for a miracle. 

My hour has not yet come – it was not yet time for him to go public with his ministry of preaching and teaching. Jesus had a very strong sense of timing. He didn’t just do what he wanted when he wanted. He was fully surrendered to the Father’s will. See John 5:19, John 7:6-8. 

Do whatever he tells you – after first appearing to direct Jesus, Mary now surrenders the whole situation to Him.

six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification – these rites accomplished only outward cleansing (Hebrews 7:18-19, 9:8-10). Jesus filled the jars with the best wine, symbolizing the new wine of the Spirit which empowers us to live in a way that will please God and bring glory to Him. 

each holding twenty or thirty gallons – Jesus made a lot of wine! There is no shortage of the Holy Spirit’s power. We sometimes live as though the wine was running out, but it is not. 

You have kept the good wine until now – Our Bridegroom King, Jesus, gives the new wine of the Spirit which is a powerful sign of the Age to Come when God makes all things new. 

the first of his signs – the first half of the Gospel of John is sometimes called the Book of Signs because of John’s focus on miracles as signs of Jesus’ glory.

his disciples believed in him – this miracle was not a confirmation of his public ministry, as the later ones would be. It served the purpose of building up the faith of Jesus’ disciples and revealing to them who He really was. Later, when he called them to leave everything and follow him, they responded immediately.

Personal Reflection 

How are people affected when they encounter Jesus’ glory? ( 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, Revelation 1:12-17, Revelation 4:8 ) 

Do you want more of Him?  Are you seeking His glory or are you mostly content with the things of this world?

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John 1:43-51

Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Jesus calls Philip (vs 43-44)

Galilee. Most of Jesus’ inner circle of disciples were Galilean.

He found Philip.

  • In last week’s study (vs 35-42) we saw that Andrew sought out Jesus, and after spending time with him, he went to get his brother and introduced him to Jesus. But here Jesus takes the initiative and seeks out Philip.
  • Philip is a Greek name, which may indicate that he spoke Greek. Not everyone in Judea and Galilee would have spoken Greek.
  • Philip is much more prominent in the Gospel of John than in the other gospels (John 6:5-7, John 12:20-22, John 14:8-9). Notice that he introduced the Greek-speaking seekers to Jesus.
  • Although Matthew, Mark and Luke don’t include these references to Philip, all the gospel writers include him in the inner circle of followers from whom Jesus named twelve apostles (Mark 3:13-19, Matthew 10:1-4, Acts 1:12-14 – written by Luke) .

Philip seeks out Nathanael (vs 45-46)

Philip found Nathanael

  • His name means “God has given” or “Gift of God”
  • He isn’t named as one of the apostles in Matthew, Mark, Luke or Acts, but is listed again as a disciple in John 21:2
  • This could mean that although he was a close follower of Jesus (a “disciple”), he was not among the apostles. Not all disciples were apostles. See Acts 1:15-23.
  • Another possibility is that he is identified with Bartholomew (which is probably a last name – bar tolmai, i.e. “Son of Tolmai”). Quite likely John was identifying him by his given name, which – as part of Jesus’ inner circle – John would have known. Bartholomew is listed directly after Philip in the lists of apostles in Matthew and Mark.

We have found Him Everyone was eagerly looking for the Messiah.

The son of Joseph This was how Jesus was legally identified, and how he would have been known within the community (Luke 4:22, John 6:42).

Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Jesus came from a very ordinary place. It might even have had a bad reputation. But that’s where the Messiah spent his growing-up years. See Matthew 15:10-11,17-19 . What’s on the inside is what counts – not how things look on the outside (as Nathanael was soon to find out).

Come and see. This is almost identical to what Jesus had said to Andrew the day before (John 1:39). In today’s language, “come and check it out”. Jesus invites scrutiny. He has nothing to hide. Time spent with him changes people, so that they want to invite others into what they have found.

Nathanael meets Jesus (vs 47-51)

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him Evidently John is speaking on more than one level. Jesus not only saw Nathanael physically coming toward him. He also looked into his inner man and saw a snapshot of his character. See vs 48.

Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit! Jesus recognized Nathanael’s forthrightness and honesty, and praised him for it. He is looking for followers who are “straight as an arrow”. Proverbs 4:23-25. He could possibly have found fault with Nathanael’s critical assessment of Nazareth, but he didn’t focus on that. He focussed on identifying a godly quality that he wanted to call forth in Nathanael’s life.

Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”

Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel

  • These were signs of the inauguration of the Messianic Age. See Luke 4:16-21.
  • See also John the Baptist’s question in Luke 7:18-23
  • Why do you think John asked this?

You will see greater things than these

  • What things?
  • What do you think Jesus’ response about the angels means?
  • See Genesis 28:12

For Reflection

Do you want to see what Jesus promised Nathanael he would see? Let’s ask God for an open heaven. Let’s ask him for a greater revelation of His glorious presence in our lives.

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John 1:35-42

Andrew brings his brother to meet Jesus

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

vs 35-37

John

  • John the Baptist, not John the author of the gospel
  • See John 1:28

with two of his disciples

  • Why did people go to John the Baptist in the wilderness? (Mark 1:4-5)
  • Why do you think some of these people became John’s disciples?
  • Who did John teach his disciples to look for? (Mark 1:7-8, John 1:29-31)

the Lamb of God

the two disciples … followed Jesus

  • These two were followers of John the Baptist. Why did they now turn and follow Jesus?

vs 38-39

Jesus … said to them, “what are you seeking?”

  • Why did Jesus ask them this question?
  • What do you think they were seeking?
  • What do you think drew them to follow Jesus? (John 6:44)

Rabbi

  • This is a Hebrew word. It is one of many places where John uses Hebrew or Aramaic terminology. This characteristic of the gospel of John upholds its authenticity as the work of an early Hebraic follower of Jesus who knew him (and the events surrounding his ministry) in great detail.
  • What do we know from the gospels about the relationship between a first-century Jewish Rabbi and his disciples? (Matthew 4:18-22, see also 1 Kings 19:19-21)

where are you staying?

  • at this stage Jesus had not yet called anyone to follow him, but these two disciples of John the Baptist were already seeking him out.
  • Why did they want to know where Jesus was staying?

Come and you will see

  • Why do you think Jesus responded in this way?
  • What happened next?

They stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour

  • Some translations render this as 10 o’clock in the morning but this is likely incorrect. By Hebrew reckoning, the day began at dawn (about 6 am). A more likely rendering of “the tenth hour” is “four o’clock in the afternoon” (NIV)
  • Even so, if they spent the rest of the day with Jesus, they would have been with him for several hours and probably shared a meal.
  • What does this tell you about what they were looking for, and what Jesus was willing to offer?
  • What does this tell you about how people get cleansed of sin and filled with the Holy Spirit?

vs 40-42

We have found the Messiah

  • What was Andrew’s conclusion after having spent several hours with Jesus?
  • What did he do about it?
  • Is it significant that he spent several hours with Jesus before drawing this conclusion and acting on it?

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas.”

  • Cephas is another Aramaic or Hebrew word, meaning Rock.
  • What was Jesus doing here (what spiritual gift was at work)?
  • Why is this significant?

Prayer and reflection

Ask the Lord to work in you a desire to spend time with him, to be changed by Him and to share this knowledge with others.

Andrew introduced his brother to Jesus and the impact was enormous. Who can you introduce to Jesus?

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