Monthly Archives: November 2025

JOHN’S GOSPEL…NICODEMUS – 9

Bible Study, ,

“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.””

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Nicodemus, who was he? A Pharisee…a highly educated, deeply religious, greatly respected member of the ruling class, appearing by name in John’s narrative, only a few times…an enquirer near the beginning, (chapter 3), a defender in the middle, (chapter 7), and a believer in the end (chapter 19).

Among the few honest Pharisees, Nicodemus stands out as one who had the courage to meet with Jesus, albeit alone and at night, to ask honest questions. At this stage, he was trying to connect the dots about Jesus but confused by the general expectation of the Messiah…a mighty conquering king who would come to deliver Israel from Roman oppression and set up His David-style rule over His people. Jesus was no ordinary man but yet, He didn’t fit the narrative of the anticipated Messiah.

What puzzled Nicodemus was what Jesus was doing versus what the other Pharisees were saying about Him. Why did Nicodemus say, “We know…”, as though the Pharisees were in agreement with him that Jesus was from God…?

“He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

… and yet, they denied what they secretly believed.

Jesus cut short Nicodemus’ explanations…

“Forget about what you and your colleagues think about me. Let’s look at the facts. None of this will make sense to you unless you are supernaturally born into God’s kingdom.”

“How can that happen?” Nicodemus was even more confused!

“Only through the Holy Spirit.” Jesus included the Holy Spirit in the mix…the Holy Spirit into whom Messiah would baptise His people.

The subject of this conversation mystified Nicodemus and surprised Jesus. Why did Nicodemus not understand what He was telling him?

““You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Nicodemus, of all people, should have understood the spiritual truths hidden in the Old Covenant. Had he become so “religious” in a legalistic and ritualistic sense that he had lost his spiritual connection with God?

Gently, thoroughly, Jesus began to unpack some of the symbolism of events during Israel’s journey through the wilderness. Seemingly, miracles that God did for His people on their journey, like providing miracle bread and miracle water, and like a look at the bronze serpent on a pole that saved them from the bite of poisonous snakes, became pictures of what Messiah would do.

Was Nicodemus slowly beginning to understand?

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The man whom Nicodemus admired was, after all, not just a man sent from God to do the works of God. He was none other than the Son of God! He came to do the greatest work of God…to save His people from the penalty of sin by being ”lifted up” on the cross.

The door to the kingdom of God was open, not by trying to obey God’s laws but believing what God had done through His Son. “Then, Nicodemus, this spiritual conversation will make sense to you.”

To Nicodemus, this conversation only added to his confusion. His anticipation of Messiah as king needed to undergo a radical change as Jesus added the dimension of the cross to his incomplete understanding of Messiah’s work. The “Suffering Servant” of Isaiah’s prophecy would only come into full view when Jesus was “lifted up” on the cross.

To be continued…

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

Bible Study, ,

“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

Bible Study, ,

“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.