Hey! Eyes Up Here, Buddy

 

He who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.  --Psalm 121 3b-4

In our study of John's Gospel, we have seen that the Apostle has woven together several threads that color the life of our Savior.  Jesus was described as the Word of God, the Light of the world, and the Lamb of God.  We see Him work in very intimate and personal ways: 

• He turned water into wine without the bride or bridegroom knowing about it; 
• He met with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and teacher of the Law, explaining that he must be born again;  
• He met with a Samaritan woman at a well and changed her life; and 
• He met with a member of king Herod's court who begged Jesus to come heal his son, when Jesus showed His power extends beyond time and place.  

Not only did Jesus meet people on an individual basis to meet their specific needs; He also had a very public ministry where He performed many signs and wonders: 

• He chose His disciples and took over the ministry of John the Baptist, having His disciples baptize many; 
• He cleansed the Temple; 
• He created a following that demanded more signs and more wonders, much to His consternation.

In the fifth chapter of John we see that Jesus' private ministry and His public ministry intersect.  He starts with a private conversation that leads to an individual healing.  We read about it in verses 1 - 9

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches.  In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.  Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"  The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."  Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."  And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.  --John 5:1-9a

The need to shift our focus

When I was in middle school, I was confused and bewildered.  Going through puberty, getting picked on at school, starting to notice girls--all the things one goes through at that age.  I didn't think my parents would understand, so I didn't want to talk with them about it.  I was a preacher's kid, so I couldn't go to my pastor. I thought I needed help, so I made an appointment with the middle school guidance counselor.

It took several days, but when they finally called me out of class to go see the counselor, it was not at all what I expected.  The man with that title apparently had other responsibilities in the school: he was in charge of attendance, of getting substitute teachers when needed, and also of replying to requests to change classes.  When I arrived in his office, he told me to take a seat, that he'd be with me in a moment.  His mind was laser-focused on what he was furiously writing in a 3-ring binder.  This was before computers (yes, I am that old), and his desk was filled with files, binders, and loose sheets of paper.

When he finally turned his attention to me, he did not look up.  "So, Mr. Stewart, I assume that you want to drop Basic Math and sign up for Intro to Algebra?"  I could only stammer, "I...guess so."  Here I was, a young person in crisis, with questions about Life, Love, and Longing; and here was a "counselor" who was focused on class sizes, class schedules, and classifying students in his myriad binders.  "The class you are dropping is third period," he said, "but Mr. Short's class that meets at that time is full.  You'll have to switch your fourth period class.  Do you mind switching to the early lunch?  I think we can make this work."  I could only nod my head, as it dawned on me that I would not get my real questions answered on this day.

This is how I see the sick man's response to Jesus's questions.  He had been ill longer than Jesus had been alive on this earth, yet I imagine him to be laser-focused on the water.  Like an avid fisherman not averting his gaze from the line, I imagine he barely looked at Jesus as He approached and tried to engage the man in conversation.  I could be wrong, but his answers seem rote to me--he was sick of having to tell the same story over and over, and he didn't want to miss an opportunity to rush down to the mineral water when the pool started bubbling up.

"Do you want to be made well?"  Those words seem foolish to us.  The man had been in that condition for almost four decades, and he was in a place where there was some hope of healing, however small.  "Don't You see I'm trying?" the man responds.  "I'm here by myself, with no one to help me.  So when the opportunity arises I try with all my might, but the prize always goes to another."  You can hear the frustration, the angst.

Jesus heard him. 

You may go to church every Sunday.  You may read your Bible and pray regularly.  If Jesus spoke to you audibly, and asked you, "Do you want to be made whole?" or "Do you want to be delivered and set free?" what would your answer be?  "I come to church every time the doors are opened," you might say in response.  "I volunteer for the choir, serve on the benevolence committee, and teach a children's Sunday School class.  But sometimes it seems like my prayers never get past the ceiling, and my efforts leave me frustrated and unfulfilled."

Jesus hears you.

Fittingly, the name of the pool where Jesus met the man was called Bethesda, which means House of Grace.  Jesus doesn't give up just because the man was not giving Him his full attention.  "Get up, pick up your bed, and walk," Jesus commands.  That, I think, is when the man actually looked up and saw Jesus.  Suddenly, he felt strength he hadn't felt since he was a kid.  He was energized, motivated, and obedient.  He picked up his bed and looked for Jesus, perhaps so he could thank Him.  Jesus had slipped away, disappearing into the crowd.

The plot thickens

And that day was the Sabbath.  The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."  He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk'." Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?"  But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.  Afterward, Jesus found him in the Temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."  The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.  For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.  But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."  Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His father, making Himself equal with God.  --John 5:9b-18

Not being able to thank Jesus directly, the man went directly to the Temple to thank God for his healing.  As he approached the Temple grounds, he was stopped by some Jews, probably religious leaders, maybe even Pharisees.  They gave the man a stern warning.  "Hey, you," they said, "don't you know you're not supposed to do any work on the Sabbath?"

Sabbath Regulations

The fourth commandment is to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  This command is followed by commentary in Exodus 20:9-11, "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.  In it you shall do no work; you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that was in them, and rested the seventh day.  Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."  Further, Moses said in Exodus 31:14-15 that anyone who does any work on the Sabbath shall be put to death, or at the very least cut off from his people.

Those are some pretty severe consequences, and therefor the Pharisees over the years had many discussions about what constitutes work.  Not wanting to break God's command or be in danger of being cut off or even put to death, they had traditions that became pretty ridiculous in the extreme:

• “The Rabbis of Jesus’ day solemnly argued that a man was sinning if he carried a needle in his robe on the Sabbath. They even argued as to whether he could wear his artificial teeth or his wooden leg.” (Barclay)
• The absolute devotion to the traditions of man surrounding the Sabbath can’t be understated. For example, Deuteronomy 23:12-14 tells Israel to practice good sanitation when their armies are camped. Ancient rabbis applied the same principle to the city of Jerusalem, which they regarded as “the camp of the Lord.” When this was combined with Sabbath travel restrictions, it resulted in a prohibition against going to the bathroom on the Sabbath. (David Guzik)
• This devotion to the rabbis’ interpretation of the Sabbath law continues in modern times. An example is found in an April 1992 news item: Tenants let three apartments in an Orthodox neighborhood in Israel burn to the ground while they asked a rabbi whether a telephone call to the fire department on the Sabbath would violate Jewish law. Observant Jews are forbidden to use the phone on the Sabbath, because doing so would break an electrical current, which is considered a form of work. In the half-hour it took the rabbi to decide “yes,” the fire spread to two neighboring apartments. (Guzik)

THAT'S what you heard?

When the man was confronted with doing unlawful work on the Sabbath, he explained that he had been infirm and bedridden for 38 years, but that he had been healed that very day, and the Man who healed him told him to pick up his bed and walk.  This shifted the rabbis' focus, but not in the way you would think. Lightfoot writes, “Whosoever on the Sabbath bringeth anything in, or taketh anything out from a public place to a private one, if he hath done this inadvertently, he shall sacrifice for his sin; but if willfully, he shall be cut off and shall be stoned.”  On the other hand, “Inciting others to break the law (as they understood it) was worse than breaking it oneself. Therefore they launched a campaign against Jesus which was not relaxed until his death some eighteen months later.” (Bruce)

So instead of rejoicing with the man that he had been miraculously healed after decades of being unable to walk, let alone work, the rabbis started investigating who had made this outlandish demand of the man.  This is one reason I think the man never really looked at Jesus.  If he had, he would have known, as Jesus was well-known in Jerusalem.

Jesus finds the man and begins to disciple him

There were tens of thousands of visitors to Jerusalem for this feast (we don't know which feast it was--it's not important to John's story here).  The chances were low for two people to randomly meet someone in the Temple area that they had seen outside the Temple.  However, Jesus somehow finds this gentleman and greets him.  Notice He does not make small talk.  He doesn't say, "How's it going?  Legs working okay for you?"  Instead, Jesus gives the man instructions in life and righteousness.  "It's good you are at the Temple, for it was God who made you well.  Now make sure you live a life of repentance, so that God's work in you was not in vain."

Jesus seeks us out after we receive a blessing, to make sure we are continuing to walk in His grace.  Jesus warned the man that something worse may befall him if he fails to live a life of repentance.  What could be worse than being disabled for 38 years?  I don't think Jesus was threatening hell, although that would certainly be a fate worse than sickness.  It would be a tragedy for someone to be miraculously healed then not trust Jesus as Savior and Lord.  Another outcome that might be worse than a lifetime of illness would be to be graciously healed then fail to share that grace with others.

Having seen Jesus and recognizing Him as the One by whom he was healed, the man goes to tell the Rabbis.  I don't think he was intentionally betraying Jesus to the authorities, but was rather acting as a witness of Jesus's grace and power.  Unfortunately, the Jewish leaders did not see it that way.

The Pharisees start building a case against Jesus

In the view of the Rabbis, Jesus had profaned the Sabbath.  Not only that, He had directed someone else to break the Sabbath.  They knew that Jesus already had a sizable following--not only the Disciples, but the throngs of people who followed Him and hung on His every word.  If they all started playing fast and loose with the Law of Moses, they feared a spiritual insurrection.  Sure, they may have feared for the peoples' safety, as the Law proscribed death as a penalty for profaning the Sabbath.  They may have been concerned for the peoples' spiritual condition, for ignoring one part of God's commands is a slippery slope--once you start questioning the Sabbath regulations, how long before you start breaking the other commandments with impunity?  More likely, however, was that the Pharisees enjoyed their position of power, and Jesus threatened their elevated position.

Jesus starts poking the bear

In verse 17 Jesus gives the Pharisees an answer that He must surely know will infuriate them.  "My Father," He says, "has been working until now, and I have likewise been working."  A venerated rabbi, Philo of Alexandria (who was a contemporary of Jesus and of whose teachings the Pharisees in Jerusalem would have been familiar) wrote, "God never ceases working; but as to burn is the property of fire, and to be cold is the property of snow, thus also to work is the property of God, and much the more, inasmuch as He is the origin of action for all others”

 Moses said in Genesis that God "rested" on the seventh day during the work of creation.  However, God's "rest" was for us to use as an example, but it does not mean that God ceases all of His work on the seventh day.  Without God exercising power and working His will in the universe, the entire Creation would spiral out of control.  The Jewish leaders knew this, and they understood it.

What really made them mad, however, was not the assertion that God worked on the Sabbath, but that Jesus said He does His Father's work as well.  Just who did Jesus think He was?  Was He equating Himself with God Almighty?  This was worse than breaking the Sabbath; this was blasphemy.

As I was researching this passage, I read this from Barnes' Notes On The Bible:

The answer of Jesus was suited greatly to irritate them. He did not deny what he had done, but he "added" to that what he well knew would highly offend them. That he should claim the right of dispensing with the law, and affirm that, in regard to its observance, he was in the same condition with God, was eminently suited to enrage them, and he doubtless knew that it might endanger his life. We may learn from his answer:

1.  that we are not to keep back truth because it may endanger us.
2.  that we are not to keep back truth because it will irritate and enrage sinners. The fault is not in the "truth," but in the "sinner."
3. that when any one portion of truth enrages hypocrites, they will be enraged the more they hear.

Whenever we have an opportunity to speak truth to power, we should follow the example Jesus gave us.  There may be consequences, but we should be willing to suffer them for the sake of the truth.  Today in many large cities in the United States, protesters will hold political rallies.  Their rallying cry will be "No Kings."  They believe that they are speaking truth to power, as they perceive the current President as usurping Constitutional limitations.  I wonder, though, whether any of them would support a counter argument: No King But Christ.  Sadly, I feel that if a preacher were to find himself in one of these rallies, upholding Christ as King, he might be shouted down.  Worse, he may be persecuted for speaking this truth to the counter-culture.  Should this threat of persecution deter the preacher?  No, not if he wants to be like Christ.  He should call people to re-focus, to not look to the right or to the left, but to look up.  We should encourage folks to turn their eyes toward Jesus, to look full in His wonderful face; then the things of earth will turn strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. 

Interpreting signs, unwinding wonders

 

For the Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."  --1 Corinthians 1:22-24

 The story goes that a prisoner was transferred to a new prison.  On his first night there he was sitting in his cell and he hears another inmate down the hall shout out, "Number 23!"  He hears a few chuckles up and down the ward.  Someone else says, "Number 31!"  A bunch of the men on the ward laugh out loud.  Another shouts, "Number 17!" and the entire cell block erupts in laughter.  The newbie asks his cellmate what was going on.  He explains that the prisoners have all told the same jokes for so long, that whenever one of them wants to tell a joke, he just shouts out the number.

The new prisoner, wanting to fit in, takes his shot.  "Number 14!" he shouts.  This is met with dead silence.  Again, the new prisoner is puzzled.  He asks his cellmate why nobody laughed.  The old-timer shrugs his shoulders.  "It's all in the delivery," he says.

When we read our text today in John 4:43-54, it may seem to us that something might be missing.  Let's take a look together.

Context Clues

Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.  For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.  So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.  --John 4:43-45

Let's stop here for now. At first glance, it looks like John is glossing over some events without giving any context.  This is probably because John's Gospel was written last, and his readers would be familiar with the story of Jesus's first attempt at teaching in Nazareth (in the Southern region of Galilee) as told in the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.  Here is what Matthew's Gospel records:

Jesus's first sermon in Nazareth

Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.  When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter's son?  Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?  And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?" So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.  --Matthew 13:53-58

Mark 6:1-5 recounts the same scenario almost word-for-word, with the addition of, "And He marveled because of their unbelief."  Luke, however, goes into the most detail.  He reminds us that Jesus grew up in Nazareth.  When He spoke at the synagogue there, Jesus quoted from the book of Isaiah, reading a passage that indicated God had sent Him and anointed Him "to preach the gospel to the poor," and to "heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

The response was underwhelming.  The people asked one another, "Is this not the carpenter? Isn't this Joseph's son?  Don't we know His mother Mary, and all His brothers and sisters?"  Jesus answered them by saying, "You will surely say this proverb to Me: 'Physician, heal yourself!'  Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country." 

Then He said, "Assuredly I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.  But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.'  So all those in the synagogue, when they hear these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.  Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.  --Luke 4:24-30

What a traumatic response to His message!  Not only would the people of Nazareth not listen to Him, but they tried to kill Him right then and there.  

Jesus goes back to Galilee, not expecting much

We looked at the background of Jesus having visited Galilee before.  We saw the context of the phrase, "Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country."  Moving on in our text in John 4, we see in verse 45 that when He went back the second time into Galilee, He was well received--not because of who He was (the Son of God) or that they believed, but that they had seen him perform many signs and miracles down in Jerusalem.  To them He was a source of entertainment, a carnival side-show.

Now, remember last time we saw that He was accepted in Samaria for His words alone.  There was no miracle done there--no turning water into wine as He had done in Cana of Galilee, no signs and wonders as He had done in Jerusalem.  How He must have longed for His words to have the same effect in His hometown of Nazareth, and throughout all of the region.  How He longed for people to believe in Him without His having to perform signs and wonders.

Jesus had the blues

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine.  And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.  When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.  Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." -- John 4:46-48

Was Jesus feeling used?  Did it seem that His sermons were like preaching to a brick wall?  We see from the passage in Isaiah that Jesus had quoted to them the first time He was there what His purpose was on earth. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me," He read, "because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19, quoting Isaiah 49:8-9)

The people needed to hear good news, because they were poor in spirit.  They needed their broken hearts mended, not just their broken bodies.  They needed freedom from the oppression of sin, not political freedom from the oppression of Rome.  The year of Jubilee had come, and they couldn't see it.  All they could see was their physical situation--their hunger, their sicknesses, their political servitude.

One man's troubles

So there was this man, described in the text as "a nobleman" who lived in Capernaum, about 20-25 miles from Cana.  Some commentaries say this man may have had a Jewish upbringing, and that he may have served in Herod's court, since Herod was the Tetrarch (sometimes translated "king") of Galilee.  This man had a son who was on his deathbed.

When the man heard that Jesus was in Galilee, he made the seven-hour walk (uphill, I'm told) to Cana to ask Jesus for help.  We don't know what words he used to try to convince Jesus to "come down (to Capernaum) and heal his son."  He may have admitted, "Listen, Jesus, I don't know what magic incantations or potions You use; I don't understand the voodoo that You do.  I just know that if You come and lay Your hands on my son, he will be healed."  To this, Jesus responded "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."

Painting with a broad brush

Jesus may have lumped this man in with everyone else, or He may have had a larger audience listening to Him there.  We do know that the Greek word He used for "you" is plural.  In certain regions of the U.S., He might have said "you guys."  In the South, He would be translated "all y'all."  He wasn't picking on this one man so much as issuing an indictment to all who saw Him there, expecting Him to do those signs and wonders they saw Him do in Jerusalem.

We see this happen in other times in Jesus's ministry.  Later, we read in John 6:30, "Therefore they said to Him, 'What sign will you perform then, that we may see it and believe You?  What work will You do?'"  Even after His resurrection, when Thomas witnessed His resurrected body and believed, Jesus told him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed.  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

CS Lewis once wrote, "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."  If we are distracted by signs, we miss the point entirely.  We read in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved."

Jesus would not always physically be around to be at their beck and call.  Did they believe in Him enough to pray to Him after He had ascended?  Is the Jesus that you believe in powerful enough to heal from heaven?

The man gets good news

Not understanding Jesus's words, the nobleman reiterates his purpose, and in his statement we see his heart.  "Sir," he says earnestly, "come down before my child dies!"  Jesus doesn't answer him the way he expected.  John Piper preached a sermon on this passage; you can read it here desiringgod.org/messages/go-your-son-will-live.  Here's what Piper had to say:

Verse 49, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Neither Jesus nor John comments on the man’s sincerity. Jesus simply gives him a gift. Verse 50: Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” John says (still in verse 50), “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.” What is remarkable about this is that the man had asked Jesus to come with him. But when Jesus simply spoke, “Go; your son will live,” the man obeyed without a question. He believed and went. He did not insist on seeing the miracle. He did not complain that Jesus would not come with him. And amazingly, he simply left, John says, believing. I’m inclined to think that in that moment of seeing Jesus speak so sovereignly in spite of his accusations, something awakened in the man. He saw something more than a miracle-worker.

The man believed Jesus, and went on his way.  He even spent the night in Cana: rather than rushing home, we see that the man met his servants on the road the next day.  "Your son lives!" they exclaimed when they saw him.  The man's response contained more than just joy that his son was healed.  It reveals a true belief in Jesus.  "What time did he recover?" he wanted to know.  The servants were undoubtedly confused by this question.  They probably looked at each other and shrugged.  "About the seventh hour," they answered.  

The nobleman knew that this was the time that Jesus had spoken.  Jesus spoke healing.  He did not have to come down, or lay His hands on the boy.  If He could do that with a word, He could certainly speak the world into existence. From that moment on, the man was changed.  He believed, and his whole household followed.  Why? Because the man bore witness of the power of Jesus.  Jesus speaks, sickness disappears.  Jesus speaks, the wind and waves obey Him.  Jesus speaks, and God has come down to man to forgive us and cleanse us and give us new life.

I found a fellow blogger named David McLemore.  He writes "Jesus, the gospel, and things of the sort."  He writes on this passage:

Maybe you’re coming to Jesus for a better life in some way. Jesus wants you to think that through. We all want relief, but do we even know what relief is possible in him? Are we, as C.S. Lewis once said, playing with mud pies in a slum when Jesus offers us a holiday at sea? What if there is a greater miracle Jesus can do in us? Maybe we don’t have a sick son that needs healing, but we all have some need only Jesus can meet. And I hope you’re asking him to help. But how are you asking? Are you even asking? Or are you demanding? What limits are you putting on Jesus? This man wanted Jesus to come to his house, but Jesus had another way to heal. He wasn’t even aware of that category. Are you like that? Will you allow Jesus to deal with you on his own terms? Will you trust him to handle things his way?

We read in Hebrews 2;3-4, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?"  What will your response be to Him?

Breaking down all barriers to the gospel

 

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without the law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak.  I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.  --1 Corinthians 9:19-22

When my son was in high school he joined the track team, deciding to run cross country racing.  I went to several of his cross country meets and was amazed at the motivational T-shirts and sweatshirts I saw.  I think my favorite said, "Trample the weak, hurdle the dead."

Obviously, in any competitive environment like long-distance running, participants are coached to give it their all to cross the finish line first, even if it means leaving a struggling runner behind.  That's why it is always so heartwarming when I see a video online of a long-distance runner who will stop and go back to help a struggling runner finish the race.  You've probably seen them too--a runner collapses within sight of the finish line, either from injury or from sheer exhaustion.  The stronger runner usually passes the kaput competitor, then after a few strides stops, turns around, and helps the struggling trackster to his or her feet.  Together, they hobble across the finish line together.

Lots of familiar phrases come from the sport of running.  Phrases like "hit the ground running," or "it's a marathon, not a sprint."  I think my favorite is "stay in your lane."  We all have barriers in our life, either real or imagined, either physical barriers or those set up by legal constructs or even social barriers invented to divide people.

Jesus broke through those barriers.  His love was not hemmed in by geography, genealogy, or genetics.  We read about that in our passage today.

His Primary Purpose

He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.  But he needed to go through Samaria.  So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.  Now Jacob's well was there.  Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well.  It was about the sixth hour.  A woman of Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."  For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.  Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?"  For the Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.--John 4:3-9

Let's stop here a moment.  Why did John say that Jesus "needed to go through Samaria"?  It sounds like He had urgent business there.  I believe His urgent business was for Him to meet and speak with this unnamed woman at the well.  Now, if you have a Bible map, you will notice that the quickest way from Judea to Galilee was straight through Samaria.  However, because of their hatred for the Samaritans, most observant Jews would travel the long way around between Jerusalem and the Sea of Galilee.

Why did they hate the Samaritans?  Well, back in the Old Testament we see that Israel was divided into the Northern Kingdom (which kept the name Israel because it was bigger, consisting of 10 of the 12 tribes) and the Southern Kingdom (which was then called Judea).  The Northern Kingdom was carried off into exile before the Southern Kingdom, and the remnant that was left there intermarried with their Assyrian captors.  They kept on worshiping the true God, but they assimilated the gods of the Assyrians, in direct disobedience to God's command.  Later, when the Southern Kingdom of Judea was carried into exile by the Babylonians, they stayed true to their monotheistic roots, and never assimilated the false gods of Babylon.  The Samaritans were not allowed into the Temple at Jerusalem, so they built their own temple near Sychar where they were able to worship until some Jewish zealots burned their temple down in 146 BC.

So that was what was going on geographically and genetically.  Now we come to the gender issue.  Observant Jewish men would not speak to any woman in public, let alone touch her.  If a Jewish man touched a woman who was on her menstrual cycle, he was considered unclean under Jewish law.  Since they could not ask whether the woman was on her period, they stayed away from all women all the time.  Bible commentator William Barclay wrote this:

The strict Rabbis forbade a Rabbi to greet a woman in public. A Rabbi might not even speak to his own wife or daughter or sister in public. There were even Pharisees who were called ‘the bruised and bleeding Pharisees’ because they shut their eyes when they saw a woman on the street and so walked into walls and houses.

It is no wonder, then, that this woman was rather astounded that Jesus would approach her and engage her in conversation.  He even asked for some water, meaning there may have been some physical contact between them.  How many barriers were broken in this exchange?  Let's keep reading.

A Prophet Portrayed

Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.  Where then do You get that living water?  Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and livestock?"  Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, or come here to draw." --John 4:10-15

Now, this woman did not have the best reputation, which we will get into a bit later.  That's why she was there at noon (the sixth hour counted from sunrise, about 6 a.m.)  Most of the other women in the village would come draw water in the morning, when it was cooler, and before they prepared food and water for washing for their families.  The assumption is that this woman was gossiped about mercilessly by the other village women, and did not want to face them. This was yet another barrier that Jesus broke in speaking with her.

Much like His conversation with Nicodemus in chapter 3, Jesus started talking about physical things in a spiritual way.  And like Nicodemus, this Samaritan woman did not understand what Jesus was saying at first.  We know from our background of studying the other verses in John and in Revelation that Jesus likens Himself to the Water of Life.  In fact, Isaiah 12:3 says, "Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of Salvation."  I think Jesus was Himself the fulfillment of this prophecy.

People in that day would describe flowing streams and rivers as "living water."  The woman knew there was no river or stream nearby, so she thought that Jesus was referring to some mystical source of physical water.  If she could find another source, she would not need to come to the well in the middle of the day.  Indeed, she would not need to come to the well at all if there were another source of water.  Yet, when she said it out loud, it probably made no sense to her.  Maybe Jesus was not speaking about something physical; maybe He was talking about something spiritual.  Maybe this Man had something she needed at her most basic level.  In this way Jesus was starting to break down barriers in her mind.

Now Jesus gets personal.

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."  The woman answered and said, "I have no husband."  Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."  The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ).  "When He comes, He will tell us all things."  Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."  --John 4:16-26.

The woman probably did not want to have a conversation about her past sins.  Her sordid life was a topic of gossip in the town, and now this Man was bringing it up.  If Jesus had started His conversation with her by bringing up past sins, she would have likely not listened to Him.  But now, with the barriers in her mind being broken one by one, she was ready to hear it.

Jesus knew her heart; He knew her past.  Similarly, He knows us that intimately, as well.  As a result, the woman tries to change the subject again.  She wants to know why her people were prohibited from worshiping in the Temple in Jerusalem.  Since the Jews had burned down the Temple of Yahweh that they had built some two centuries prior, they were prohibited from worshiping God where they were.  I think the core of her question may have been, since You know so much about me, tell me this: am I prohibited from worshiping God because of my sin?

This woman answered one of her own questions.  Did you notice?  In verse 12 she asked Jesus, "Are you greater than our father Jacob?"  In verse 19, after being reminded of her sin, she says, "Sir, I perceive You are a prophet."  Given this measure of credibility that she gave to Jesus, she was ready to hear His answer about worship.  Last barrier coming down hard.  When we try to evangelize our neighbors, are we coming from a position of credibility?  If not, then they may not hear us, or they may not be ready to confront their sins.

Jesus's answer starts with worship in general, but moves to the personal.  One day people will not need to go to a Temple or shrine to worship.  One day we all be able to worship God in Spirit and in truth.  If you approach God in a spirit of worship and truth, then your past doesn't matter.  Your sins won't be a barrier to your coming to God.  Truth means confessing your sins, and repenting.  Truth means you recognize that God came down as Man, to become sin for us.  2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 

The Right Response

And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?"  The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?"  Then they went out of the city and came to Him.  In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."  But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know."  Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?"  Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.  Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'?  Behold, I say to  you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!  And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.  For  in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.'  I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors." And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did."  So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.  And many more believed because of His own word.  Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."--John 4:27-42

What was the disciples' response?  They stayed quiet, even though the sight of their Rabbi conversing with a Samaritan woman must have filled them with questions.  When we come up on someone sharing the Gospel, our response should not be to interrupt, but to pray that the seed sown would be fruitful, that this person would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

What was the woman's response? She left all that she had behind, and ran to tell others.  She became the messenger and missionary of the Messiah.  "Come and see!" she said.  "He's told me everything I ever did."  The Pulpit Commentary says, 

This exaggeration of the self-revelation was due to the deep conviction of her mind that the Prophet had read her whole life - its weakness and its follies, and it may have been its sins and crimes, not unknown, alas! to others as well. Chrysostom says, "She might have said, 'Come and see One that prophesieth;' but when the soul is aflame with holy fire it looks then to nothing earthly, neither to glory nor to shame, but belongs to one thing alone, the flame which occupieth it."

The disciples, concerned with temporal things, wanted to make sure that their Master had eaten.  Jesus was more concerned with spiritual things, replied that He was satisfied.  He then took an opportunity to teach the disciples about evangelism--sowing seeds of the Gospel, reaping where other had sown, and the sheer joy experienced by both laborers at the result.

The townspeople responded positively to His message.  "Now we believe," they said, for they had seen the Messiah with their own eyes.  "And many more believed because of His own word."  I am reminded of the prophet Jonah.  You'll recall that Jonah did not want to go preach in Ninevah; by contrast Jesus purposefully went to Samaria.  The Ninevites responded to Jonah's message, much to his consternation.  The Samaritans responded to Jesus, to His great joy.  In Matthew 12:39 Jesus said, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."  Now, this was in response to the Pharisees (who did not think that He was the Messiah) who demanded a sign of Him.  His response to them was to think of Jonah--as Jonah spent 3 days and nights in the belly of a whale, the Son of Man will spend 3 days and nights entombed in the earth.  I know that is what He was referring to.  But this episode also has shades of Jonah in it, don't you think?  The response of the people of Samaria was like the response of the people of Ninevah.  The message of Jonah was "repent, for God's wrath is coming."  The message of the woman at the well was, "This Man knows who I am--my faults, my past, my failings--and He loves me anyway."

What will your response be to the message of the Gospel?  Will you be like the Pharisees and reject Him?  Or will you be like the Samaritans (and the Ninevites) and accept Him fully and completely?  What barriers still need to be broken in your life?  He can break them down if you let Him.  If you have responded positively to His message, what barriers exist for you to share the Gospel?  Run--don't walk--to tell your friends and neighbors what Jesus has done for you.

He must increase, I must decrease

And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  --John 8:23

One of the criticisms of modern worship is that it has become less Christ centered and more "me" centered.  There are choruses that many churches sing, such as "Lord I come, I confess/Bowing here I find my rest/Without You I fall apart/You're the One that guides my heart."  Another example is "I am who You say I am."  Then there's "Reckless Love", which begins: "Before I spoke a word/You were singing over me/You have been so, so good to me/Before I took a breath/You breathed Your life in me/You have been so, so kind to me." In some of these churches, you begin to wonder who is the subject of these praise songs, Jesus or me?

Before we lament, "When did worship become all about me?" we have to remember the book of Jonah.  God told Jonah to go preach to his enemies, the people of Ninevah.  Jonah went the other way, because He did not like them.  When God sent a storm that threatened everyone on the ship, Jonah confessed and got thrown overboard.  Then, when Jonah was swallowed by the great fish, he sang a song of praise:

I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction/And He answered me/Out of the belly of Sheol I cried/and You heard my voice/The waters surrounded me, even to my soul/the deep closed around me/weeds were wrapped around my head/I went down to the moorings of the mountains/the earth with its bars closed behind me forever/yet You have brought up my life from the pit/O Lord my God/When my soul fainted within me/I remembered the Lord/and my prayer went up to You/into Your holy temple.  --Jonah 2:2, 5-7

You remember the rest of the story.  The big fish transported Jonah back to the coast of Israel and spat him out on dry land.  Jonah went to Ninevah, and preached against them.  After 3 days, he climbed up on a hill overlooking the city to see Ninevah burn.  But Ninevah did not burn; the people repented.  Jonah pouted.  God planted a gourd to give Jonah some shade, and he was happy again.  But when the shady plant died, Jonah was angry again.  God's final message to Jonah was basically, "Why are you being so selfish? You pitied the plant, which you did not make grow and had no power over; but you did not have that same compassion for the people of Ninevah--120,000 souls that would have perished if you'd had your way."

We see some of that same selfishness in our passage today.  If you have not read my previous posts, we are walking our way through the Gospel of John.  Today let's read John 3:22 - 4:3.

After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified--behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"  John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.  He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."  Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptized, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.

You generally don't see a lot of preachers preaching on this text.  Maybe because it is sandwiched between the stories of Nicodemus and the woman at the well, which are both so much more familiar.  Maybe because it contains some hard truths.  So let's go against the grain, and study what this passage has to tell us.

The Test

The Pulpit Commentary suggests that when Jesus took His disciples to Judea, to the country outside the city of Jerusalem (where He had worked so many miracles), He wanted to teach the disciples so that they could learn from Him.  This may have been an extended period of time, where the disciples could hear Jesus speak without the distractions, away from the masses of people in the city.  Whether it was a period of 40 days or longer, we don't know.

We do know that when the people of Jerusalem found out where Jesus went, they started gathering around Him to hear some of His teaching.  Since they were right there on the river, some of the people asked if they could be immersed in a form of Jewish purification, as a sign of repentance.  John was doing the same thing upriver from Jesus, near a town called Salim.  Over time, more people came to Jesus for baptism than came to John (although we see in chapter 4 that Jesus did not baptize anybody; His disciples did the baptizing.)  Even though John had been baptizing longer, he could see that Jesus was getting more attention.

John's disciples were seeing this as well.  They may have begun to feel emotional about this--were they following the wrong rabbi? Was John's ministry coming to an end?  And if so, what would they do?  On top of all of this, one or more devout Jews came in and started arguing with them about the purpose of baptism as a form of purification.

According to Biblehub.com, "The Jewish rites of purification are not merely ritualistic but are deeply symbolic of the holiness required by God. They serve as a constant reminder of the need for spiritual cleanliness and the separation from sin. These practices highlight the importance of obedience to God's commandments and the desire to live a life pleasing to Him."   Devout Jews were all familiar with the purification rites outlined in Leviticus 12-15.  God commanded that men be immersed in water after a bodily emission or discharge; women were commanded to wash with water after menstruation or childbirth.  There was also a specific process of purification for those who had been healed from leprosy--not only did they have to wash, but they also had to go before the priests, then wait a week and go see the priest again.  The ceremony also had a blood component; the priest was to sprinkle blood on the right ear, the right thumb, and right great toe of the leper, then wash off the blood with oil.

John the disciple does not go into detail about what the dispute was about, but it may have been an accusation that John the Baptist was not of the priestly tribe of Levi, that he was not qualified for the rites of cleansing as outlined in the Torah, and that the work he was doing was incomplete, in that he was only immersing people in water.  There was no priest on site to administer the sacrifice or to sprinkle the blood, so his whole ministry was unnecessary, unscriptural, and undermining God's law.  After arguing for their rabbi, John's disciples were quite discouraged.  "Jesus is stealing your ministry," they said.  "He is taking away the crowds that use to follow you.  Aren't you going to do something about that?"

The Testimony

John had to sit them down and explain his ministry to them.  He was not the Christ, only a forerunner of Christ.  Just like the best man at a wedding, John was not the most important guy at the party.  Jesus was.  "He must increase," John said.  "I must decrease."

John came from the world.  Jesus came down from heaven.  As heaven is greater than earth, so is Jesus greater than John the Baptist.

If you listen to John speak and disagree, there would be no fallout, no consequences.  If you listen to the testimony of Jesus, however, you had to know that Jesus's words were certified by God to be true.  If you reject the testimony of Jesus, then you would be rejecting God Himself.

The Geneva Study Bible says, "Satan inflames the disciples of John with a fond emulation of their master in order to hinder the course of the gospel: but John, being mindful of his office, not only puts a stop to their endeavors, but also takes occasion by that means to give testimony of Christ, that in him alone the Father has set forth everlasting life."

Paul wrote in Romans 12:3, "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith."  John the Baptist was not jealous of Jesus.  He was not selfish.  His job was to glorify Jesus, not to say "look at me!"  All glory was returned to God.  You'd never hear John singing "Reckless Love."

The Truth

Look again at verse 34.  "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God."  Was John the Baptist speaking about himself?  No, I don't think so.  Notice that the NKJV capitalizes "He", which means he is talking about Jesus.  Jesus is the one whom God has sent.  Jesus is the one who speaks the words of God. The rest of that verse invokes the Trinity; already having spoken about God the Father and Jesus the Son, it goes on to say, "for God does not give the Spirit by measure."

What does that mean exactly?  I think it means that in the Old Testament God spoke through the prophets, but they did not have the whole story.  The prophets spoke the words that God had given them, but their message was incomplete.  When Jesus came, He had the entire message of God.  He was the rest of the story.  If we hold to the Old Testament, if we hold to tradition, we are doomed because God has revealed the entire truth through His Son, Jesus Christ.  "The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand."

And what is that truth that God gave His Son? "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."  We do not hear so much about the wrath of God these days, especially in those churches that sing the shallow praise lyrics about "me, me, me."  Hardened hearts want to hear about grace, about God loving us even in our sin.  We don't always like the part about "sin no more," or "turn from your sins."  We don't like to think about the wrath of God, and as a result the world hears a half-truth from the church.  They hear "don't judge", but they do not hear "bear fruit in keeping with repentance."  They hear Jesus say, "I have not come into the world to condemn the world," but they ignore the very next verse that says, "but he who does not believe is condemned already."

I'm afraid we overemphasize John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life," while we underemphasize John 3:36 (in the same chapter), "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Let us swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God.  Let us humbly honor Him in our praise and worship, and not glorify ourselves.  It's not about me, or my finding God, or my redemption.  It's all about Him, how He took our sin and suffering upon Himself, about how He breathed new life into people dead in our trespasses and sins.  Hallelujah, what a Savior!

“Man of Sorrows!” what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior! 

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior! 

Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior! 

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Mind Blown

 

And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.  --John 12:32

British evangelist J John is always looking for ways to point people to Jesus, even in his everyday experiences.  He said that one day he was at a supermarket checkout, and the clerk on the cash register was wearing a cross on a chain around her neck.  J John asked her about it.  "Hey," he said, "I noticed you are wearing a cross around your neck.  Are you a Christian?"  

The girl's hand instinctively went to her neck, and she touched the cross.  "Yeah," she said, "I suppose.  I just think it's nice."

"The cross, you mean?" JJohn shot back.  "It's not nice at all.  It was an instrument of torture and death." The girl looked at him like he was an alien from another planet.  He went on.  "Look, if I had an earring in my ear right here, and you said what's that earring about, and I said Oh, it's a gas chamber.  You'd say Eww, why are you wearing a gas chamber in your ear?  And I'd say, well I want to remember how millions of Jewish people died in the second world war.  And then what if you said to me well what's the other earring?  And I said well, that's an electric chair.  You'd say no way, why would you wear an electric chair earring?  And I'd say I want to remember how certain criminals got executed in the United States.  So, what would you say to me if I were walking around with an electric chair on one ear, and a gas chamber on the other?"

She answered him, "Well, I'd think you'd totally lost it!"

He said, "Why is that? Is it because they are both symbols of execution?"

She said, "Well, yeah."

He said, "Well, then, what do you think you are wearing around your neck?" He continued, "You've got to remember something about the cross.  Jesus didn't wear it around His neck; He wore it on His back.  Big difference."

The whole exchange lasted just a couple of minutes, but it blew her mind.

In my last posting we started reading in John chapter 3 about a Jewish leader named Nicodemus who came to Jesus with questions.  Jesus answered Nicodemus's questions, and those answers blew his mind.  Let's read on:

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen that they have been done in God."  --John 3:9-21

Jesus turned Nicodemus's own words against him. In verse 2 Nicodemus had said, "Rabbi, we know You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  Jesus turned his statement back against him by saying, "We speak of what we know (heaven) and testify of what We have seen (God's glory), but you do not receive Our testimony."  Here Jesus is not just speaking in the "royal we" or "editorial we"; He is not being pretentious.  He is invoking the Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, because under Jewish law a man's testimony must be corroborated by two or three witnesses.  

Jesus explains how He was a reliable witness to what He had seen.  He said no one on earth had ascended into heaven and come back to tell of it.  But He knew what He was talking about, because He had descended from heaven.  Jesus was a witness of heavenly things.  Not only that, but He was showing us what it takes to get there.

Jesus used a Jewish historical reference to illustrate His point, one that Nicodemus would be familiar with.  In Numbers 21, God sent judgment to the people for a certain sin they had committed.  That judgment came in the form of a bunch of fiery serpents who bit the people, and many of them died.  As people were dying in their sin from the serpent's poison, they repented and asked Moses to pray to God on their behalf.  When Moses prayed, God told him to fashion a serpent out of bronze, to put it on a pole, and to tell the people to look up to it and be healed.  All who looked up to the bronze serpent lived; those who refused to look upon it died in their sin.

In the same way Satan has infiltrated humanity, slithering in like a serpent.  People are being poisoned by sin, and as a result are experiencing spiritual death.  They are hell-bound unless they look up to Jesus, who was lifted up on a cross as a sacrifice for our sin.  Those of us who look up to Him and believe are spared the consequences of sin; those who are hell-bound to refuse to look up to Him, who look away from the light He offers will die in their sins.  There is hope for those that believe.  For those who do not believe, there is no hope.

At this point in time, as Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, He had not yet been crucified.  So all of what He said here was prophecy.  The point that Jesus made, the application of His sermon if you will, was that God loved the sinful, hell-bent world so much that He gave His one and only Son, who would be lifted up on a cross one day.  Whoever believes in Him would not perish, that is they would not die in their sins, but would have everlasting life.  Jesus didn't come to condemn people, as they are already under the condemnation of sin--the serpent has already bitten them.  For those people who are resistant to the Gospel, who ask, "Why would a loving God send people to hell?" here is the answer: People are already headed to hell.  That's their default destination.  God does not want us to go there, which is why He sent His Son to die in our place.  If you feel condemned by God, then you need to repent and believe; if not, then you have pretty much sealed your fate--you remain in a state of self-condemnation.

"And this is the condemnation," Jesus said, "that the light has come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light."  Jesus is the light.  We can either look to the light and walk in the light as He is in the light, or we can continue in darkness.

Suppose you were in a movie theater.  The lights go down, and the image is projected on the screen.  You are really into the movie--the actors are believable, the plot is engaging, the music draws you in.  Suddenly, the movie stops and the house lights come up.  Worse yet, someone opens an outside exit door, and sunlight comes streaming in.  Everyone in the theater shuts their eyes to avoid the light, as it is painful to see.  Plus, someone starts shouting to the crowd from the exit, "There is a fire in the building!  Get out now!"

If you were in that theater, what would you do?  Would you listen to the one who came to save you from the blazing inferno?  Or would you stop your ears, and whine that the movie was just getting good and some crazy person had to come in and interrupt it?  Those are the two responses.  Some will get up and follow the light.  Those people will live.  Others will ignore the warning, and stay in their seats waiting for the movie to re-start.  Those people long for the darkness, but it leads to death. 

Jesus has entered this dark world, and has thrown open the door to let the light shine in.  His motivation is love, and He has done it at considerable cost to Himself.  Yet most people question His motivation, and accuse Him of bringing condemnation to them.  They prefer the darkness.  They remain condemned in and of themselves, and do not recognize Jesus as the savior that He is.

Commentator David Guzik says, "We may say there are Seven Wonders in John 3:16:"

God	The Almighty Authority
So loved the world	The Mightiest Motive
That He gave His only begotten Son	The Greatest Gift
That whoever	The Widest Welcome
Believes in Him	The Easiest Escape
Should not perish	The Divine Deliverance
But have everlasting life	The Priceless Possession

British Bible scholar F. F. Bruce said, “If there is one sentence more than another which sums up the message of the Fourth Gospel, it is this. The love of God is limitless; it embraces all mankind. No sacrifice was too great to bring its unmeasured intensity home to men and women: the best that God had to give, he gave — his only Son, his well-beloved.”  1 John 3:1 says, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!"

Doesn't that just blow your mind?

Reborn, Renewed, Regenerated--You Must Be Born Again

 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  --2 Corinthians 5:17

Why did Jesus speak in parables?  Throughout the New Testament, whenever people would question Jesus, He seemed to always couch His answers in arcane stories that were difficult for the masses to comprehend.  The reason for this was two-fold.  According to simplybible.com, Jesus spoke in parables to give His enemies no ground.  Most of the people who asked Him questions were trying to catch Him in something He said, so that they could use it against Him, either to discredit Him among the people, or later to bring a legal case against Him.  The Parable of the Ten Virgins, for example is a simple story about people’s behavior at a wedding (Matthew 25:1-13). Clearly, as the Bridegroom in the story, Jesus is representing Himself as God with the power to open and shut the doors of Heaven (Revelation 3:7). But nobody could prove he was saying that.

The second reason was to enlighten the true-hearted.  Jesus took advantage of occasions when multitudes flocked to hear him speak. Through the parables he could enlighten those whose hearts were sincere and receptive and who were hungering and thirsting for righteousness (Matthew 5:6).  To truly understand, a sincere follower would have to listen carefully, and put in some effort--either by prayer for discernment, or by listening to and meditating on what He said in light of other Scripture.  

Let's look at how the Pharisee (and most likely a member of the Sanhedrin) named Nicodemus responded to indirect answers from Jesus.

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the Feast, many believed in His Name when they saw the signs which He did.  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knows what was in man.  There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sounds of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  --John 2:23 - 3:8

When John said that Jesus "did not commit Himself to them," it means He didn't fully entrust Himself to them.  He didn't have full faith in humanity, because He knew what was in their hearts.  The Greek word here is πιστεύω, transliterated pisteuō meaning to put one's full faith and trust in.  Interestingly, we are asked to place our full faith and trust in Jesus, but not the other way around.  If we were to put our full faith and trust in people, then we could excuse their sinful proclivities as "something they are born with" and we would have no authority to ask them to change.  

Remember Jesus had just cleansed the Temple, throwing out the traders and the money-changers.  He then followed up by performing miracles and preaching God's truth to them.  Many followed Him after this, sensing that He may be the Messiah written about in the Scriptures.  Many doubted, and I'm sure that many followed out of curiosity.  The crowds grew, and the buzz was exciting, but Jesus did not commit Himself to them.

This becomes even more evident when Nicodemus approaches Jesus one night, after the Passover festivities were done.  He starts out respectfully, calling Him Rabbi.  "We know You come from God because of all the signs."  Jesus almost interrupts Nicodemus, cutting straight to the heart of his questions.  "Here's the truth," Jesus was saying.  "You want to see the Kingdom of God? You must be born again."

Jews had a pretty firm idea of what the Kingdom of God looked like, and they were certain that Jews would hold a prominent place in it, followed by Gentiles who converted to Judaism in this life.  In fact, many commentaries I read on this passage said that Jews already had some idea of rebirth.  They just didn't think they had to do it.  Proselytes would have to immerse themselves in water to symbolize the washing away of their sins (see prior blog post on the ministry of John the Baptist).  But for Jesus to say that it was necessary for devout Jews like Himself--this was truly mind-blowing.

David Guzik writes, "It was taught widely among the Jews at that time that since they descended from Abraham, they were automatically assured of heaven. In fact, some Rabbis taught that Abraham stood watch at the gate of hell, just to make sure that none of his descendants accidentally wandered in there."  This may be why we see confusion in Nicodemus's answer.  Jesus couldn't possibly mean that Nicodemus or other Jewish leaders would need a spiritual rebirth.  We see that his mind automatically went to physical birth.  "What, you mean to go back into the womb again, and go through the physical process of birth again? 

Barclay's Commentary points out that "all over the New Testament this idea of rebirth, re-creation occurs."

• 1 Peter speaks of being born anew by God’s great mercy (1 Peter 1:3).
• 1 Peter speaks of being born anew from an imperishable seed (1 Peter 1:22-23).
• James speaks of God bringing us forth by the word of truth (James 1:18).
• Titus speaks to us of the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5).
• Romans speaks of dying with Jesus and rising anew (Romans 6:1-11).
• 1 Corinthians speaks of new believers as new-born babes (1 Corinthians 3:1-2).
• 2 Corinthians speaks of us being a new creation in Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17).
• Galatians says that in Jesus we are a new creation (Galatians 6:15).
• Ephesians says the new man is created after God in righteousness (Ephesians 4:22-24).
• Hebrews says that at the beginning of our Christian life we are like children (Hebrews 5:12-14).

The New Testament concept of rebirth, however, was foreign to Nicodemus.  So Jesus tries to elaborate. "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven."  He goes on, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."  I think this is a reference to Nicodemus's question about re-entering his mother's womb; this would be a physical rebirth, which was not what Jesus was talking about at all.  Jesus was calling him to a spiritual rebirth.

A lot of people have different ideas about what Jesus meant when He said "born of water and the Spirit."  Some say this is a reference to baptism.  I don't think so.  Aside from my Baptist upbringing, which denies baptism as a requirement for salvation, there is also the fact that whenever Jesus speaks of baptism in Scripture, He is more direct.  Also, we know that Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus here, who is an Old Testament scholar; there is no real foundation for this in the Old Testament.  Think of the Judaizers in the book of Acts whom Paul refutes in his epistles.  They did not demand that the Gentiles submit to baptism, but rather that they should submit to circumcision.

Others think it refers to a physical birth, contrasting sharply with that which is born of the Spirit.  This, I think, is a bit pedantic.  If someone has not been born, then we would not be speaking of him needing to be re-born.  Jesus was not prone to existential ramblings.  Plus, Jesus had already made that contrast in the prior verse, when He said "that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."  There was no need, I don't think, to reiterate it.

Some have thought that "born of water" means to be born again by the Word of God. In other passages of Scripture, water represents the Word, as we are washed by the water of the word (Ephesians 5:26).  This may have some merit.  So also does the thought that "born of water" means to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit, the living water of John 7:38-39.

Some have thought that born of water means to receive the water of cleansing prophesied in Ezekiel 36:25-28 as part of the New Covenant. This is the approach has the most weight (though it is a tough call), because of its firm connections to Old Testament prophecy — which Jesus says Nicodemus should have know to understand these things. (David Guzik)

The point Jesus was making was that we have a desperate need to be born of the Spirit.  Jesus chides Nicodemus, saying "Do not marvel (or be surprised) when I tell you that you must be born again."  Jesus again goes into parable mode, comparing the Spirit of God to the wind.  You can't see the wind, where it is headed or where it came from.  So it is with the Spirit, and those who are born of the Spirit.  The work of the Spirit cannot be directly observed, but you can see its effects.  

There is more to this exchange, which we will discuss in more detail next time.  Let it suffice that Nicodemus is not fully convinced at this stage.  He still puts up roadblocks to the message.  He still quenches the Spirit.  I was at a men's Bible study this morning where the teacher was discussing (in passing) the work of an evangelist.  He said some respond to the Gospel by converting; that is, they fully trust and believe and put their faith in Christ.  Others, though not fully converted, may be "awakened" to spiritual things.  Their eyes are opened, and they realize their need for a Savior but have yet to act in faith to fulfill that need.  

I think Nicodemus falls into this latter category.  He was "awakened" to the message of Jesus, but not fully converted.  We see later in Scripture mentions of Nicodemus--that he gives a half-hearted defense of Jesus when the chief priests and rulers talked of arresting Him (see John 7:50-51).  He also was one who took Jesus off the cross and prepared His body for burial (John 19:39).  Perhaps Nicodemus finally gave his whole heart to Christ and was truly born again.  We may never know this side of Heaven.

Wrath and Grace

 

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.  --Romans 1:18

Sometimes the good is the enemy of perfection.  When we try to make something more convenient, especially in worship, the original meaning is lost.  Let me give you an example.  When God originally set up the system of animal sacrifice, He wanted people to bring from what they had.  Most of the ancient Israelites were shepherds, so it made sense for them to bring a sacrifice from their flocks.  They were to bring a perfect lamb, one without blemish, to the Temple to be sacrificed on their behalf.  For people too poor to have their own flock, they were allowed to sacrifice a pigeon.

As time went on, and Jewish life become more diversified, fewer and fewer of them were shepherds.  Some were bankers, or tradesmen who would have to buy a lamp for the sacrifice.  These people saw a need--tradesmen and skilled craftsmen needed to buy lambs, as well; so why not set up a booth and sell livestock to pilgrims who traveled to Jerusalem for the high holy days?  Meanwhile, the priests were accepting tithes at the Temple, but as more and more Jews were living in foreign lands and traveling to the Temple with money from the countries that they lived in, the priests decided it was better to have a currency exchange, so that the tithes could be paid in the Temple coinage.  Bankers were involved in that enterprise, as well, as they could set up exchange rates for the foreign currencies being brought from all over the known world.

More time passed, and this convenience got closer and closer to the Temple, so that by the time of Jesus, the money changes and livestock traders were doing business on the actual Temple grounds, in what was called The Court Of The Gentiles.  This court was originally designed for non-Jews to come and worship the True God, but when Jesus arrived at the Temple on the Passover, the place was anything but worshipful.  There were birdcages, and sheep pens, and tables where currency was exchanged.  The sights, sounds, and smells were not what was originally intended when God first set up the Tabernacle and the system of blood sacrifice.

Let's read about it here:

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And He found in the Temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.  When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the Temple, with the sheep and oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away!  Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"  Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."  So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  But He was speaking of the temple of HIs body.  Therefore when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.  --John 2:13-22

John's Gospel has just spoken of a very intimate, very private, very gracious event when Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding in Cana.  John contrasts that with a very public, very boisterous, very harsh rebuke of the priests and businessmen who had made themselves comfortable, who were using the Court Of The Gentiles in the Temple of God as a profit center.

Now John puts this event near the beginning of Jesus's ministry, where the other Gospels (called the Synoptic Gospels, because they "see with one eye") describe a similar event later, near the time of His crucifixion.  Whether these were two separate events or the same event simply re-ordered in John's narrative to make a point, we don't know.  If you listen to a very literal pastor, he may truly believe that there were two separate Temple cleanings, because he takes the Bible literally, and the chronology of each Gospel writer literally.  If your pastor is less literal and more liberal minded, he may believe that this is the same event, but emphasized early in the book of John (rather than described later as it was in Matthew, Mark, and Luke) to make a point.

Whatever your thinking on this issue, John does give a striking contrast between the Temple cleansing and the Wedding at Cana.  Bible commentator David Guzik writes: 

The glory of Jesus is found in His compassion, and this was a miracle full of compassion. The wine was not an absolute necessity; no one would die drinking water. All at risk was the embarrassment, reputation, and perhaps the bank account of the bridal couple. Yet, Jesus — and His Father — counted that enough to do this first public miracle and sign.

Yet the second public event described by John has Jesus exhibiting the wrath of God, not His love or compassion.  The glory of God can certainly be seen in His wrath.  Ezekiel 25:17 says, "I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon them.”  Any theology that emphasizes the love of God while downplaying the wrath of God is an incomplete Gospel, bordering on heresy.

We see in this passage that Jesus didn't just go berserk; He didn't have a moment where He lost His mind and lashed out recklessly.  There was forethought put into this, as He took the time to fashion a scourge or whip out of cords.  He did deliberately and with aforethought drive out the sheep and oxen.  He may have even used the scourge on the vendors and bankers there.  We do know He overturned the tables, and poured the money from the cash boxes, letting the different currencies fall on the ground and intermingle.  Jesus was no respecter of persons; when He saw a wrong being committed, He did whatever it took to make it right.

That's what makes his conversation with the priests so telling.  "By what authority do You do this?" they demanded.  "What sign can you give us?"  Jesus responded by pointing to Himself, and saying, "You want a sign?  I'll give you a sign.  Destroy this temple (meaning Himself) and in three days I will raise it up."  The Jews did not understand His reference, and scoffed at Him.  Herod's Temple had been under construction for 46 years to this point, and it would not be fully completed for another 18 years.  Who in their right mind would think that the entire campus could be destroyed and then restored in just three days?

The disciples' heads were spinning.  They remembered Psalm 69:9, which says about the Messiah, "Zeal for Your house has consumed me."  And after Jesus's resurrection they remembered this event and believed in Him all the more.  “Jesus’ technique of using a paradoxical statement to bewilder his enemies, which he subsequently explained for his disciples, frequently appears in John’s Gospel.” (Tenney)

To sum up, Jesus went to Jerusalem during the Feast of Passover, because many people were there to worship.   The activities of the tradesmen and money-changers was distracting from the worship of God; in fact, what had probably begun as an act of convenience for the faithful had turned into a chance to make a serious profit, which was not what the Temple or the system of blood sacrifice had intended at all.  When we go to worship, we should not be distracted.  We should not be concerned with business or profit or anything else other than glorifying God.  Sometimes glorifying God looks like loving people, and showing them mercy.  Sometimes glorifying God means confrontation and righteous condemnation (of practices, not people).  

We should not bow down to conveniences, like watching church services on television or online--you can't serve God from your couch.  We should not accommodate those who bring outside influences into the body of Christ.  Motivations matter.  How much better to be confronted by a pastor and a few godly church members, and to be given the chance to repent, rather than to meet an angry God at the final judgement?  Yes, God is merciful, but He is also vengeful.  We'd best not forget that.