Category Archives: Bible Study

JOHN’S GOSPEL…DESTROY THIS TEMPLE -8

Bible Study, ,

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.”…

“The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.”

‭‭John‬ ‭2‬:‭13-15, 18‬-‭19‬, ‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus had just driven the merchandisers out of the temple with a whip, scattering money and making mayhem of the birds and animals being sold for sacrifices. Imagine that! So mundane had their worship in God’s “house” become to them that they thought nothing of trading in the very precincts of the temple.  

Jesus was enraged. This behaviour was the most blatant expression of disrespect and lack of the fear of God.  The merchants and money changers deserved the treatment they got from Him!

The religious leaders, who were no doubt at the helm of this disgraceful spectacle for a cut of the profits, were equally enraged. Someone had dared to overstep their authority! The whole issue was not about what Jesus had done but who had given Him authority to go over their heads and do what He had done. He was in serious trouble if He had acted without valid authorisation. 

Jesus’ response was mystifying. If He said, “My authority comes from God,” they could have counter claimed…”but we have God’s authority in Israel.” It was His word against theirs. 

Proof! Evidence! 

Jesus refused to engage in a futile argument. “I’ll show you the evidence of my authority,” was His strategy. Across the whole spectrum of the gospels, Jesus, acting on the Father’s authority, provided the people with signs of His legitimate authority against which there was no argument.  He backed up His claim to be the Son of God with signs they could not explain. Who could argue with that? The Pharisees tried to identify His authority as Beelzebub but this made no sense.  

“Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see…But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” 

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭22‬, ‭24‬, ‭26‬-28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Pharisees had no answer! Hard as they tried, because of the evidence, they could not disprove His claims.  They had only one alternative! Silence Him forever, so they thought!

Jesus response to their question, 

“What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 

…prophetically pointing them to the greatest of all evidence that He was the Son of God to whom the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth. 

So, John  concludes…

“After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.”

…the resurrection of Jesus is the final and irrefutable evidence and proof that He IS the Son of God, that He IS Lord, and that He HAS all authority in heaven and on earth. 

To be continued…

JOHN’S GOSPEL…NEW WINE -7

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“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding….“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.” What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Without going into the details of this story which we know well, let’s examine John’s reason for beginning his record of “signs”, that Jesus was both the Son of God and the Messiah, with a story about a wedding. 

Wine and a wedding? Not unusual in the context of Jewish life but significant in Jesus’ life because it symbolised the purpose of His sojourn on earth. 

Marriage is God’s idea. The Bible begins with a wedding…Adam and Eve joined together in a union authorised by their Creator, the beginning of their love story…and ends with a wedding, between Jesus and His bride, the church joined together forever in a union of love…the culmination of His love story. 

An integral part of a wedding celebration is, of course, wine! Strangely enough, wine is also God’s idea. “Religious” people might repudiate drinking wine but God chose to include it in His Word and in the context of a wedding. 

“He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭104‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Wine heightens and enhances human enjoyment when taken in moderation but causes havoc when imbibed to excess. So do many other things when taken too far. 

Jesus’ presence at this wedding and His subsequent intervention to provide wine endorses both marriage and the drinking of wine.   However, it has an even greater significance, as John points out, in our understanding of Jesus’ mission on earth. 

Among the many miracles Jesus did, John chose this one to introduce his readers to Jesus’ glory. This is a mystery. How can a wedding and some wine cast light on Jesus and magnify His character and attributes?

We must dig deeper to find the significance of Jesus’ action in these human activities. The entire record of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation is a love story…of a Father seeking a bride for His Son.  After wooing Israel, His chosen people, to no avail, the Father sent His Son in person to purchase, save, and set apart a people for Himself.  

The purpose of the Son was to espouse to Himself a people who would be filled with the “new wine” of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would restore the joy of the true and eternal union of God and His people. 

Paul endorsed this symbolism in his encouragement to the Ephesian church….

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The ”sign” of the abundance of the “best wine” at the wedding in Cana of Galilee was the greatest possible way of introducing Jesus to His people… the glory of the God who came in person to find a bride and to fill her with the joy of His own presence in her forever. 

So, this story heads the list of “signs” because it starts with a picture of the end result, the marriage supper of the Lamb and the union of Jesus and His bride forever. We celebrate the anticipation, sealed and filled with the “new wine” of the Holy Spirit, we await the moment of our marriage to our eternal bridegroom on that day when He returns to take us to Father’s house to be with Him forever. 

JOHN’S GOSPEL…FOLLOW ME – 6

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“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 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’s record of Jesus calling His disciples differs from the stories told by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Why is this? Does it mean that the Bible is inaccurate or contradictory? Not at all! What if John was recording what happened before Jesus officially ratified His choice of the Twelve after a night of prayer?

“The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 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.” When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭40‬-‭45‬, ‭47‬-‭49‬ ‭NIV‬‬

 Jesus’ call to follow Him was both general and specific. 

“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬

From a larger group, He chose twelve men who would follow Him, walk with Him, live with Him, learn from Him, trust Him, love Him and, except for one defector, Judas, eventually carry on His mission across the known world… and some would even die for Him. 

What convinced Jesus’ first followers that He was indeed their Messiah, however they understood, at that moment, what “Messiah” meant?

It happened as a chain of events.

  1. John pointed two of his disciples to Jesus. 

True to his calling, John the Baptiser turned his attention away from himself to Jesus. Two of his unnamed disciples got the message and went after Jesus to discover for themselves who He was. One of these two turned out to be Andrew. 

“When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭37‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why did they want to know where He was living? Was it a veiled request to spend time with Him?

A whole day with Jesus! What did they learn that cemented their conviction that He was indeed their Messiah? It would be impossible to spend a few hours with Jesus without coming away convinced that He was far more than just a man!

  1. Andrew went home and told Simon, his brother. 

 Of course Andrew couldn’t keep quiet! How could he when he had found the very person the whole of Israel was anticipating with eager longing. What a find!

“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus…”

John 1:41 NIV

If Andrew’s story didn’t convince Simon, surely Jesus’ first words to him must have blown his mind…

“Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭42‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. Jesus noticed Philip

On Jesus’ way to Galilee, Philip caught His attention. How? Where? We don’t know, but it happened. 

  1. Philip found Nathanael

Nathanael was more than convinced. He was gobsmacked, sold out. How did that happen? 

Jesus made a strange comment…

“When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭47‬-‭48‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“I know who you are! I saw you under the fig tree! I know what you were doing! I know why you came to me…because Philip told you!” What more did Nathanael need to convince him that Jesus was no ordinary man. 

Let’s unpack Jesus’ words…”an Israelite in whom is no deceit…” “I know you!”Jesus affirmed Nathanael’s character…a genuine, honest man. 

“I saw you…” Not only did Jesus see into him, He also knew where he was, “under the fig tree…”, symbolically still under the yoke of Judaism, locked into a system of slavery to the law. Was Nathanael faithfully praying the ritual prayers of Judaism “under the fig tree” both literally and symbolically since the fig tree was a symbol of Israel? Was Nathanael hoping that even in his faithfulness to his religious practices, someday Messiah would come to free him from the law to something much better?

Nathaniel’s response to Jesus’ affirmation was an explosion of excitement, anticipation, and hope! 

“Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭49‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus concluded His revelation with words that would resonate in Nathanael’s spirit…a fulfilment of his great ancestor, Jacob’s dream. 

“Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭50‬-‭51‬ ‭NIV‬

Jesus…the ladder between heaven and earth!

The chain is growing longer! Andrew, Simon, Philip, Nathanael…four men convinced that Jesus was the Messiah!

To be continued…

JOHN’S GOSPEL…THE SPIRIT’S WITNESS – 5

Bible Study,

“The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭29‬-‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How could John the Baptist be so confident that Jesus was God’s sacrificial Lamb? Wasn’t he being a bit presumptuous? After all, Jesus was no different from any  other man…or was He? What made Him stand out to John as the special one sent from God?

The three Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, record Jesus’ baptism as the moment when the Father affirmed Jesus as His Son. The Holy Spirit coming on Him in visible form was the sign to the onlookers of His anointing even if they didn’t believe or even remember that moment.  

To John, the coming of the Holy Spirit on Jesus had special significance. It was the sign that Jesus was the one to whom he would bear witness to all Israel who would baptise people in the Holy Spirit. John would never forget that moment. God had told him it would happen. 

“And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

However, for John, this moment meant more than identifying Jesus as Messiah. Once he knew who Jesus was, he was able to do the task he was called to do…to point Him out to every Israelite whenever and wherever he could as God’s sacrificial Lamb and the baptiser in the Holy Spirit. 

What did John’s witness mean to his hearers? Lamb…sacrifice…the focal point of Israel’s worship. From the moment of their deliverance from Egypt to this moment, the lamb was the symbol of God’s forgiveness, the dividing line between life and death. 

Did Israel understand the message? No, they did  not! How ironical…Israel killed Him for being God’s Lamb!

The baptiser in the Holy Spirit…Israel’s greatest need! Their history was the witness to their failure. They could not obey God’s covenant because of their corrupt hearts. God’s Spirit left the human race when Adam disobeyed God. Only through God’s Lamb and the forgiveness He made possible could God restore His Spirit to humanity. 

So, John’s message was simple and clear. The one on whom he saw the Spirit descend was the one he was to reveal to God’s people. His constant refrain? “Look at Him!” More than that. “Look to Him!” 

“The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!””

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭35‬-‭36‬ ‭NIV‬

John was faithful! He went ahead of Jesus to show the way, never to get in the way. When he had accomplished his mission, he bowed out graciously, if not rather abruptly, by losing his life.  

Jesus, in turn, cemented John’s place in history…the greatest of the Old Covenant prophets despite his short ministry and untimely death.  

“But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭7‬:‭26‬-‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To believe John’s message, to look to the Lamb of God, to receive His forgiveness and His gift of the Holy Spirit, is the only way to cross the great divide between death and life. 

JOUN’S GOSPEL…KNOWING GOD – 4c

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It seems that John had taken seriously Jesus’ instruction during His last hours with them in the Upper Room. Jesus had told them that loving Him equated to keeping His commandments. He gave them His new commandment to love one another as He had loved them.  

The question is…since we love Jesus by obeying Him, in what tangible ways can we love one another as evidence of our love for Him? Does the Bible give us the ways in which we can love each other in God’s family?

Across the New Testament letters, there are many instructions to help us fulfil this commandment. 

  1. By meeting one another’s needs

John wrote…

“This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead….If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬, ‭14‬, ‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This instruction is for everyone and specially for those who have enough to meet their own needs and some left over to help others in need. 

  1. By serving one another through our spiritual gifts

Spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit are a great way to show our love for each other. In every church group, there are a variety of spiritual gifts spread across the congregation. These are gifts that can minister to many different needs in the family of God. 

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Not everyone has the same gift, so, by using our gifts, we can together contribute to the life and health of Christ’s body. 

  1. By building up one another’s faith and encouragement to do good works 

“But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith…”

‭‭Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Faith and good works are an essential part of our everyday lives. We live by faith, not by sight or feelings. Good works are the ways of serving each other, led by His Spirit, especially by using our spiritual gifts. 

  1. By doing life together

“Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Doing life together is the way God’s children are a witness to His life in us. This means participating together in all the ups and downs of ordinary life by protecting the love and unity that binds us together. 

“Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Without the witness of the Holy Spirit’s power in us to overcome our natural selfishness, the preaching of the gospel of Jesus is hollow and unconvincing. Love and unity in Jesus’ body are the best witness to the truth that Jesus came from heaven to save us. 

  1. By praying for one another

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭2‬ ‭

“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

‭‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There are many encouragements to pray for one another in all circumstance. How better can we love one another than by identifying with each other at God’s throne of grace?

  1. By identifying with one another’s suffering

“Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬ NLT

We can link this encouragement together with prayer as the best way to identify with each other in suffering. 

We can’t do all of these things all of the time especially because we are separated by time and distance. However, we are encouraged to do what we can, when we can, to whom we can, especially in our local fellowship. We can also go global with our prayers and financial support when we can. 

Since we are children of God, led by His Spirit, we can ask Him to show us ways to obey Jesus’ command to love one another that will witness to His presence in and among us. 

There may be other ways in which we can love each other but these samples give us insights into the closeness of God’s family and the need to support and protect one another against the ravages of the sin nature in us and the sinfulness of the world around us.