Hanging on every word

 

God is most beautifully praised when His people hear His word, love His word, and obey His word.  --Albert Mohler

When we listen to someone speak, we may find ourselves captivated by their words. We hang onto every syllable, eagerly awaiting what they will say next. This phenomenon is known as “hanging on every word.” It is a common expression used to describe the act of listening intently and with great interest.

The idiom “hang on every word” can be applied in various contexts, from personal conversations to public speeches. When we hang on every word, we are fully engaged in the conversation or presentation, absorbing all information conveyed. The speaker’s words hold our attention and keep us invested in what they have to say.

When I began studying the text in John 2:1-12, I found it to be so rich, so layered, so textured, that I literally hung on every word.  I hope that when you have finished this study with me, you, too, will have a greater understanding of this passage, and a greater appreciation of John's writing.

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Jesus also was invited to the wedding with His disciples.  When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."  And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with Me?  My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you."  Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.  Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water."  And they filled them up to the brim.  And He said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast."  So they took it.  When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now."  This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory.  And His disciples believed in Him.  After this He went down to Capernaum, with His mother and His brothers and His disciples, and they stayed there a few days.  --John 2:1-12

John begins this narrative with the phrase, "On the third day."  This may refer back to John's previous narrative; beginning in verse 19 when John first gave testimony of who he was to the Jews, saying "I am not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet.  I am the voice of one crying the in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord'."  John continued in verse 29, the next day, when he confessed of Jesus, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"  Again in verse 38, the next day when John's disciples left him to follow Jesus.  This is when the focus stopped being about John the Baptist and shifted to Jesus only.

Throughout Scripture, significant things happen on the third day.  In Exodus 19 Moses told the people to cleanse themselves because God would manifest Himself on the mountain.  "On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.  Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God." (Exodus 19:16-17).  Remember Jonah was swallowed by the great fish, and on the third day he was spit out on dry land.  Jesus would later "show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." (Matthew 16:21)

So here we are, three days into John's narrative, and we find that Jesus is invited to a wedding, along with His mother and His disciples.  "This is the first of many stories suggesting that Jesus was always welcome among those having a good time. Jesus didn’t spoil the good time, and in the Jewish culture of that day a wedding was the best party of all." (David Guzik)  “Jesus comes to a marriage, and gives his blessing there, that we may know that our family life is under his care.” (Spurgeon)  “He was at this juncture fresh from the most disturbing personal conflict, His work awaited Him, a work full of intense strife, hazard, and pain; yet in a mind occupied with these things the marriage joy of a country couple finds a fit place.” (Dods)

The joyous occasion was put in jeopardy when a problem arose: they ran out of wine.  "This was a major social mistake, and could shame the couple for a long time. A wedding was supposed to be the best party of all, and for a host to fail in providing adequate hospitality (partially in the form of food and drink) was a great dishonor." (Guzik)  “To fail in providing adequately for the guests would involve social disgrace. In the closely knit communities of Jesus’ day such an error would never be forgotten, and would haunt the newly married couple all their lives.” (Tenney)  Additionally, rabbis of that day considered wine a symbol of joy. Therefore “to run out of wine would almost have been the equivalent of admitting that neither the guests nor the bride and groom were happy.” (Boice)

Somehow Mary is made aware of this situation.  Although Scripture doesn't say, her presence at the wedding along with her knowledge of a major faux pas may indicate that the newlyweds were part of her extended family, perhaps cousins.  She may have been called aside by a panicky bridesmaid or mother of the bride.  "What ever shall we do?"  Mary knew enough to take the problem to Jesus.  We, too, should always remember to take our problems to Jesus.

When Mary returns to the table, she whispers into Jesus' ear, "They have no wine."  His response may seem cold or distant.  "Woman, what is that to me? My time is not yet come."  While Jesus was not trying to be rude to Mary, we know that this is not the only time in Scripture where Jesus distances Himself from his mom.  We see in Luke 2:41-52 when Jesus was just 12 years old He slipped away from His parents and went to the Temple, where He was asking questions of the Rabbis there.  When His parents caught up with Him (on the third day, by the way), His response was telling.  "Didn't you know I'd be about my Father's business?"  He was not concerned there with the wishes of either Joseph or Mary, but only the will of the Father.

We see this social distancing again in Matthew 12:47-50.  Jesus is teaching, going from one city to another, when He was told that His mother and brothers were outside asking for Him.  Jesus responded, "Who are my mother and brothers?" Then, pointing to His disciples, He said, "These are my mother and my brothers."  Many scholars think that in this passage, His mother and brothers were there to take Him back home with them, so that He would stop making a scene and causing so much trouble.  Jesus clearly marks a break with them, indicating that it is much more important that He follow the will of His Father than that of His family.

Catholic tradition ignores this separation, teaching that prayers and supplications sent through Mary will somehow be heard and answered, because Mary always has the ear of Jesus, and that He cannot possibly refuse any request that His mother might bring to Him.  Scripture clearly teaches otherwise--here it plainly shows that Jesus did not perform a miracle because Mary asked Him to.  Instead, He reminded her that He was on God's timetable and was subject to God's will, not hers.

Some commentators believe that Jesus rebuked Mary, but then prayed to God about what to do.  David Guzik writes, "Jesus must have prayed and then known what to do, because He later said in this Gospel:  

• Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. (John 5:19)
• I can of Myself do nothing… I do not seek My own will, but the will of the Father who sent Me. (John 5:30)
• I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. (John 8:28)
• For I always do those things that please Him. (John 8:29)"

Having been put in her place, Mary defers to Jesus.  She tells the servants, "Do whatever He tells you to do."  That's pretty good advice, and something that the servants took to heart.  When Jesus told them to fill the large containers with water, they filled them to the brim.  There was no question that they were full, in obedience to what Jesus had told them to do.  When we ask Jesus what to do and He tells us, we should not do it halfway or almost.  "In all that you do in word or deed, do it all in the Name of the Lord Jesus." (Colossians 3:17) This is a pattern for our faith and obedience. “When you are bidden to believe in him, believe in him up to the brim. When you are told to love him, love him up to the brim. When you are commanded to serve him, serve him up to the brim.” (Spurgeon)

When the water pots had been filled, Jesus told the servants to draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.  We might think of this kind of like a wedding planner, but with more authority.  “The architriklinos, (master of the feast) then, when he had tasted the water which had now become wine, and did not know whence it had been procured, and was therefore impartially judging it merely as wine among wines.” (Dods)
"Jesus insisted that the miracle be put to the test, and right away. He didn’t command that the water made wine first be served to the guests, but to the master of the feast. Test it, by the proper authority, and do it right away." (Guzik)   “In order for wine to be produced, we have the growth and ripening of the grape; the crushing of it in proper vessels; the fermentation; -- but here all these are in a moment brought about by their results, by the same Power which made the laws of nature, and created and unfolded the capacities of man.” (Alford)

“It is manifest that one miracle proves the power to work every miracle. If Christ can turn water into wine by his will, he can do anything and everything. If Jesus has once exercised a power beyond nature, we may readily believe that he can do it again: there is no limit to his power.” (Spurgeon)  "The large quantity of wine — much more than a wedding party could consume — was deliberate. Selling the excess wine was a likely source of income for the newlyweds. Also, It would furnish proof, after the marriage was over, that the transformation had been actual. The wedding guests had not dreamt it. There was the wine.” (Dods) “No small gifts fall from so great a hand.” (Trapp)  Ephesians 3:20 says He is "able to do far more abundantly that all that we can ask or think, according to the power at work within us."

John concludes this story by saying that this was the first of His signs.  This is one of seven miracles that the Gospel of John will detail for us.  John even tells us that the purpose of the miracle was to manifest His glory.  That is what Jesus preached--the glory of God above all.  This is our message to the world, as well.  Everything we do should be for His glory.  If we are blessed, it is for His glory.  If we endure trials, it is for His glory as well.  1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "In whatever you do, do all for the glory of God."

John tells us that after this, the disciples believed in Him.  This miracle solidified their faith, and validated their commitment to forsake all to follow Him.  After this, I'm sure they hung on His every word.  We should, too.

Come and see

 

For I know their works and their thoughts.  It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory  --Isaiah 66:18 (NKJV)

Businessman and bestselling author Orrin Woodward said, "Success is the exponential effect of little things done consistently over time."  Woodward was speaking in the context of business and finance, but the concept is evident in the growth and success of any local church that follows the Great Commission of Matthew 24:19-20.  It's not just converts making other converts, but disciples making other disciples.

You may be saying to yourself, I am a Christian, and I want to share my faith, but I just don't know how.  In today's Scripture we can see how, beginning with the testimony of John the Baptist, five other disciples were called and committed themselves to becoming disciples and in turn making disciples of all nations.  Through the testimony of these half-dozen men, the whole world was changed.

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.  Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to Him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are You staying?"  He said to them, "Come and you will see."  So they came and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.  One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ).  He brought him to Jesus.  Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John.  You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter).  The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee.  He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  Nathaniel said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward Him and said of him, "Behold, and Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"  Nathaniel said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathaniel answered Him, Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Truly, truly I say to you, you will see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Let's look at this a little more closely, and see the scenario from the point of view of each of the disciples.

John the Baptist

John testified that Jesus was the Lamb of God.  It was not the first time he had identified Jesus in this way (see verse 29).  But this time it was in the presence of two of his disciples, Andrew and another disciple (probably John--the Gospel writer never identifies himself in this book, other than calling himself "the disciple whom Jesus loved.)  It is as though John the Baptist was looking directly at the two men, tilting his head toward Jesus, like, "Hey, fellas, there He is--go follow Him!"

In calling Jesus the Lamb of God, Bible commentator David Guzik points out all that this title would mean to a devout Jew:

• He is the lamb slain before the foundation of the world.
• He is the animal slain in the Garden of Eden to cover the nakedness of the first sinners.
• He is the lamb God would Himself provide for Abraham as a substitute for Isaac.
• He is the Passover lamb for Israel.
• He is the lamb for the guilt offering in the Levitical sacrifices.
• He is Isaiah’s lamb to the slaughter, ready to be shorn
• Each of these lambs fulfilled their role in their death; this was an announcement that Jesus would die, and as a sacrifice for the sin of the world.

Andrew

The first disciple mentioned by name in John's Gospel was Andrew.  When he and the other disciple left John the Baptist and started following Jesus, Jesus turned to them and asked a pointed question: "What are you seeking?"  In other words, what is your expectation here?  Do you follow out of idle curiosity, or is this something you are willing to commit to for life? I think Jesus asks the same of us.

The disciples ask Jesus where He is staying, so they can follow Him there and spend time with Him.  Not to spiritualize the text too much, but Jesus met them where they were, then took them to another place.  He does the same for us.

The first thing Andrew wanted to do after spending time with Jesus was to go and find his brother Simon.  When we are truly following Jesus, we will want others to follow, as well.  Interestingly, every time that Andrew is mentioned in the book of John, he is bringing someone to Jesus.  In this passage, he brought his brother. In chapter 6, Andrew brought to Jesus the boy who had brought a lunch of five loaves and two small fish, which Jesus used to feed 5000 hungry men.  In chapter 12, some Greeks wanted to see Jesus.  They first went to Philip, and Philip brought them to Andrew, and Andrew brought them to Jesus.  I wish that I were known as one who, like Andrew, was always bringing people to Jesus.

Peter

Andrew brought Peter to see Jesus.  Peter might have been a stocky fellow, since Jesus looked at him and said, "I think I'll call you Cephas."  Now Cephas is an Aramaic name meaning "Stone."  We are more familiar with the Greek name, "Petros" meaning a rock or a stone.  In a more colloquial sense, Jesus was telling Simon, son of John, that his new nickname would be "Rocky."

Later on we see in Matthew 16 where Jesus makes a play on words using this same nickname.  Giving Simon encouragement about his faithfulness, Jesus tells him, "You are Peter (Petros, or "Rocky") and upon this Rock (petras, or "cornerstone") I will build my church."  I don't think Jesus meant that the Church of Jesus Christ would be built on the man Simon Peter; I think Jesus may have pointed to Himself when He said, "Upon this Rock I will build My church."

What would Jesus give me as a nickname?  I once told my wife that I would like to be known as Barnabas like Joseph the friend of Paul, whose nickname means "Son of Encouragement."  What nickname would you like to be called?

Philip

Jesus specifically sought out Philip. Philip was from the same hometown as Andrew and Peter, a village called Bethsaida (which means "House of Fish.")  In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, when Jesus called Peter and Andrew, He said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Philip's first act after being called by Jesus was to find his friend Nathaniel.  Nathaniel questioned his friend about the Messiah's origin--the Scriptures never say that the Messiah would come from Nazareth.  In fact, Nazareth was not thought of in a positive way.  Spurgeon said, "There is always some city or village or another whose inhabitants seem to be the butt of every joke and the object of scorn. The people of such places are thought to be low, uncultured, not-very-smart. That is the kind of place Nazareth was."

To this objection, Philip's only reply was, "Come and see."  We may not always know the right words to say to unbelievers' objections.  Our job is not to counter every argument.  Our job is simply to invite people to "come and see."

Nathaniel

This is the most interesting encounter of all.  Nathaniel (who was known in other Gospels as Bartholomew--another disciple with two names!) was invited to meet Jesus by his friend Philip.  Jesus tells Nathaniel that He has had His eye on him.  Jesus calls him "A true Israelite, who shows no deceit."  Nathaniel wants to know how Jesus could come to that conclusion.  Jesus replied that He had seen Nathaniel "under the fig tree."

Bible commentator David Guzik writes, "It is possible Nathanael liked to pray and meditate upon God and His Word under the shade of an actual fig tree. Yet, under the fig tree was a phrase Rabbis used to describe meditation on the Scriptures. We can suppose that Nathanael spent time in prayer and in meditating on the Scriptures, and Jesus told him 'I saw you' there."

It is also possible that the portion of Scripture that Nathaniel had been meditating upon was the story of Jacob when he was fleeing his brother Esau, and had the dream.  The reason we speculate this is the comparison that Jesus made.  The dream Jacob had in Genesis 28 is sometimes referred to as "Jacob's Ladder."  Jacob dreamed that there was a ladder from heaven to earth, with God at the top and angels going up and down the ladder.  Jesus told Nathaniel, "Truly I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."  Jesus Himself is the ladder, the access between heaven and earth, our only way to get to God.

A song that gets some airplay on our local Christian radio station comes from this passage.  It goes like this:

Come and see, come and see
Come and see a Man from Heaven
Come and see, hear Him speak
He has seen the face of God

Come and see, come and see
This Jesus of Nazareth
Come and see the One that we
Have heard of all our lives

A voice crying in the wilderness
A voice from the sky loud and clear
A still, small voice deep inside
And a voice still ringing in my ear

Saying, "Follow Me, Follow Me
And I will show you My Father
Follow Me and you will see
The heavens opened wide"

Come and see, come and see
Come and see this Man from Heaven
Oh, could it be, oh, could it be
We will see the face of God?
Oh, could it be, oh, could it be
We will see the face of God

Who are you?

He must increase, but I must decrease.  --John 3:30

Who are you?  How would you identify yourself?  How would others identify you?

We come across these questions in the next passage of Scripture that I want to talk about today.  If you have read my last two entries in this forum, you will recall that I have started an expository study of the Gospel of John.  We started with John's identification of Jesus.  He is the Word of God, present in the beginning with God, the very Creator of our world and everything in it.  Next we see that John the Evangelist introduces John the Baptist.  He was a man sent from God, who had come to bear witness of the Light of God, the very Word who was in the world and had made the world but who was hidden from the eyes of men.  True to his mission, John bore witness of Jesus, and cried out, "This was He of whom I said, "He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me." (John 1:14).

Let's now read the testimony of John the Baptist:

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews send priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No."  So they said to him, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us.  What do you say about yourself?"  He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said." (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.)  They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands One you do not know, even He who comes before me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.  These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.  The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He was before me.'  I myself did not know Him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel."  And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.  I myself did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." --John 1:19-34

So here is the situation at the time.  A man, John, was preaching near the Jordan River.  He was apparently a fiery speaker, as he was gathering a rather large following.  Not only did he have disciples (Andrew and John may have been disciples of John before they began following Jesus), but he also had many people coming to hear him preach.  Apparently he spoke with such conviction that he convinced the people to perform a ritual cleansing that involved immersing themselves in the river.  We will get into the Jewish origins of baptism a little later.  For now, let's just say that his preaching and baptizing caught the attention of Jewish leaders in the Sanhedrin.

The Jewish leaders, particularly the Pharisees, wanted to know more about this itinerant preacher who was influencing so many Jewish people.  They sent a committee to interview John the Baptist, probably to make sure that his message was kosher--that is, in line with Jewish teaching and Jewish Scripture.  When these men addressed John, they asked him three questions:

1. Are you the Christ (that is, the Messiah)?
2. Are you Elijah?
3. Are you the Prophet? 

John was very up-front about who he was.  When the men asked him who he was, his first admission was that he was definitely not the Messiah.  He anticipated their question, and answered it forthrightly.  Jews had been looking for the Messiah for centuries.  There had been several people pop up over time claiming to be the Messiah, but all had been proved false.

Following that admission, the Jews wanted to know if he was Elijah.  They knew that the Old Testament prophet had been translated into heaven, that he had not tasted death.  It was their belief that Elijah would return one day to herald the coming of the Messiah.  Malachi 4:5 says, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes." Even today Jewish households will set a place at the Passover Seder for Elijah.  Some may even leave the door open, or send the youngest family member outside to look for him.  In Jewish tradition, Elijah symbolizes hope and redemption, representing the promise of future salvation.  John's answer is interesting.  He denied being the physical embodiment of Elijah, even though later on Jesus did identify John's ministry with that of Elijah (see Matthew 11:13-14, Mark 9:11-13).  In fact, when the angel appeared to Zechariah to foretell the birth of John the Baptist, one of the prophecies that were fulfilled in John was this: "And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared." (Luke 1:17).

If John was not the Messiah and not Elijah, the only other possibility in the minds of the Jewish leaders was that John might be the Prophet spoken of in Deuteronomy 18:15-19.  Moses said,

The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among you, from your brothers--it is to Him you shall listen--just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, "Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die."  And the Lord said to me, "they are right in what they have spoken.  I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brothers.  And I will put my words in his mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him."

I believe that this was a Messianic prophecy, but the Jews might have been open to the possibility that it could be a different person.  So they asked John the Baptist whether he was the Prophet that Moses had spoken about.  Again, John's answer was no.

When all the other possibilities were exhausted, they asked him, "Well, who are you then?"  John's answer did not point to himself, but to Jesus.  John quoted to them Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, saying, "I'm the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord'."  The Enduring Word Commentary says, "The religious leaders wanted to know who John was, and he wasn’t really interested in answering that question. He wanted to talk about his mission: to prepare the way for the Messiah."  He was not at all interested in promoting himself, but rather in fulfilling his destiny to point others to Jesus.

Isn't that what we are called to do as well?

The Jewish leaders then shifted their line of questioning.  They wanted to know by what authority John was baptizing people.  Again, from the Enduring Word Commentary:

The Pharisees wondered about John’s authority if he was not actually one of the prophesied ones they had in mind. Yet John’s work of baptizing perfectly suited his calling, as he explained.
“His baptism was apparently distinctive in that he administered it personally; it was not self-administered as proselyte baptism was.” (F.F. Bruce, Scottish evangelical scholar).  I baptize with water: John’s baptism demonstrated the humble willingness to repent, be cleansed, and prepare for the coming Messiah. Yet John’s baptism gave nothing to help someone keep clean. The work of Jesus and His baptism of the Holy Spirit represents more than John’s baptism.
Jewish people in John’s day practiced baptism. It was an outgrowth of ceremonial washings, but only for Gentiles who wanted to become Jews. In submitting to John’s baptism, a Jew had to identify with Gentile converts. This was a genuine sign of repentance.  “It is not unlikely that John’s baptism followed the pattern of proselyte baptism, which required a renunciation of all evil, complete immersion in water, and then re-clothing as a member of the holy communion of law-keepers.” (Merrill Tenney, professor of New Testament and Greek at Wheaton College, 1944).  “The novelty in John’s case and the sting behind the practice was that he applied to Jews the ceremony which was held to be appropriate in the case of Gentiles coming newly into the faith…to put Jews in the same class was horrifying.” (Leon Morris, Australian New Testament scholar).

You will recall the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 9:1-15, when the prophet Elisha instructed this Gentile General to dip seven times in the Jordan to be cleansed from his leprosy.  The Hebrew word for "dip" used in this narrative is also translated "plunge"--that is, to immerse oneself.  This may be the origin of the concept of baptismal regeneration, that is, the idea that baptism is a means to wash away our sins.  If that is so, then why was Jesus baptized?

Perhaps it is enlightening to read from One For Israel--Bible Teachings From a Messianic Perspective.  (See https://www.oneforisrael.org/bible-based-teaching-from-israel/was-baptism-originally-jewish/)

The Hebrew noun for a ritual bath (mikveh) can help us understand a bit more about the Jewish notion of immersion. Often the Hebrew language reveals keys in the Hebrew thought behind the words. The word mikveh shares the same root as the word for hope (tikvah), for line (kav) and alignment, and the concept of hoping or waiting on God (kiviti l’Adonai).
Here is what Strong’s Lexicon has to say about the word:

מִקְוֶה miqveh, mik-veh’;
something waited for, i.e. confidence (objective or subjective);
also a collection, i.e. (of water) a pond, or (of men and horses) a caravan or drove:—
abiding, gathering together, hope, linen yarn, plenty (of water), pool.

and the same root word:

קָוָה qâvâh, kaw-vaw’;
to bind together (perhaps by twisting), i.e. collect; (figuratively) to expect:—gather (together), look, patiently, tarry, wait (for, on, upon).

The ideas of binding together, or twisting together, of yarn, gives us a good mental picture of what it means to align ourselves with God, and wait for him. We gather ourselves and bind ourselves to his word and to him, we line ourselves up with him, and wait for him in confidence and hope. When you read that the Psalmist says he waits upon the Lord, this is usually the word he is using. The linked concepts of mikvah (collected pool of water) and tikvah (hope, confidence) are played out beautifully in Jeremiah 17:5-6, where the prophet poetically expresses the ideas through the metaphor of trees either rooted and flourishing beside water when we trust in God, or drying up for the lack of water when we put our trust in man. A few verses later, Jeremiah summarizes, "Lord, you are the hope (mikveh) of Israel; all who forsake you will be ashamed (or dried out).  Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water."

This is a word play – the text actually says “The Lord is the MIKVEH of Israel, and all who forsake him will be ashamed or dried out!” So it makes more sense now that Jeremiah continues, to say that when we turn away from this mikveh of water and hope, we will be ashamed, which can also be translated “dried out”. Through this word play, Jeremiah deliberately points us back to the analogy of the man who trusts in God being like a tree beside plenty of water, and the one who leaves God ending up in dry, dusty shame.  A “Mikveh” of living water represents the bounty and resources of the new life that we can enjoy in God. Those who put their hope in God, choosing to align their lives with him, will never be dried out, but will always have fresh life in him.  Next time you see someone being immersed in water to signify their new life in Yeshua, the hope of Israel, the mikveh of Israel, call to mind all that he said about being the water of life, the well of living water that springs up to eternal life… because that’s exactly who He is!

 John's Gospel is different from the synoptic Gospels, in that John's narrative here speaks of Jesus's baptism in the past tense.  In all likelihood, John's narrative in verses 29-34 happened after Jesus was baptized, and after He had been tempted in the wilderness for 40 days.  John bore witness of what He had seen: that Jesus submitted to the Jewish rite of ritual cleansing in the living water of the flowing river (emphasizing that He Himself is the Living Water).  John bore witness that the Spirit of God descended on Jesus when He had come up out of the water.  John bore witness that Jesus is the Lamb of God, who (by His sacrifice) takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).  Finally, John bore witness that that Jesus is the Son of God (John 1:34).

When we are baptized today, we have a different understanding of its meaning and symbolism.  We are not baptized in order to gain salvation, but rather as an act of obedience.  It symbolizes our identification with Christ--with His death, burial, and resurrection.  It is a physical representation of our spiritual renewal.  We are showing the world how we are washed in His blood, plunged into His mercy, immersed in His grace.

We call him John the Baptist; perhaps a better name for him might be John the Witness Bearer.  Who do people say you are? They may say you are Mary the Secretary, but you ought to live your life as Mary the Witness of the Living Water.  You may be known by the world as James the brick layer, but you ought to be known rather as James the Witness of the Resurrection.

Grace upon grace

If anything has been lost from our culture, it is the idea that human beings are privately, personally, individually, ultimately, inexorably accountable to God for their lives.  --RC Sproul

When I was growing up, I had poor self esteem.  That, I think, is a good thing.  

Let me explain.

I was a reasonably confident person.  I could read and follow directions.  I could learn new skills, like public speaking.  I enjoyed sports and outdoor activities, but I liked studying and learning even more. I could get along in almost any social situation.

My father was a strict disciplinarian.  His rough approach to raising me was like sandpaper, smoothing out the jagged edges that might get me caught later in life.  I remember one particular day, my parents were out running errands and had left me by myself.  I was at a friend's house, worrying about some infraction that I had committed that my dad didn't know about yet.  I forget what it was that I had done.  Maybe I wrecked my bike when Dad had warned me to take care of it.  Anyway, I was consumed with my sin.  I remember pacing back and forth on the friend's front porch, repeating the phrase, "My dad's gonna kill me."

When the moment of truth arrived, and my parents got home, I confessed to my father what I had done.  His reaction surprised me.  Instead of biting my head off, he said, "Hmm.  Well, don't do it again."

I was so relieved at the grace shown to me at that time.  I knew that I deserved punishment, because I was warned not to do the thing I had just done.  I expected discipline, because I had experienced discipline for prior transgressions of this same kind before.  However, when I was granted this reprieve, I was sure that I knew how a convicted criminal felt when he was granted clemency.

Today we hear a lot of preachers who emphasize a hyper-grace in the life and love of Jesus.  Even secular, un-churched people seem to know that Jesus ate with prostitutes and sinners.  They conclude that He would accept LGBTQ people today, because "God is love."  They have really high self-esteem, but what appears to me to be low self confidence, in that they try to justify their sins by somehow thinking that Jesus would approve of their actions.  What they forget about Jesus's ministry is that when He finished His encounter with tax collectors and prostitutes, those people were changed; they no longer cheated, they repented of their transgressions.  They took to heart His words to them, "Go, and sin no more."

I think about this when I read the last part of the introduction to the Gospel of John.  Over the last two blog posts we have seen how John introduced Jesus as the very Word of God, and what that means.  We have also been introduced to John the Baptist, and got a glimpse of his calling and ministry.  Today we will bring those two figures together as we read John 1:14-18.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  (John bore witness about Him, and cried out, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.'")  For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known.

John explains rather succinctly that a holy God, whom he calls the Word, descended (or condescended) to become like us and live with us.  He left His world (heaven) to live with us in our world (earth).  In his Study Guide for John 1, David Guzik writes:

The Greeks generally thought of God too low. To them John wrote: the Word became flesh. To ancient people, gods such as Zeus and Hermes were simply super-men; they were not equal to the order and reason of the Logos. John told the Greek thinkers, “The Logos you know made and ordered the universe actually became flesh.”  The Jews generally thought of God too high. To them John wrote: the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Ancient Jews had a hard time accepting that the great God revealed in the Old Testament could take on human form. John told the Jewish thinkers, “The Word of God became flesh.”  God has come close to you in Jesus Christ. You don’t have to struggle to find Him; He came to you. Some think they go from place to place to try and find God, and continue their search. More commonly they stay at a place until God draws close to them — then they quickly move on.

Jesus was God in the flesh.  He came to us, because we could not, in our own strength or by our own will, get to Him.  Galatians 4:4 says, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent for His Son, born of woman, born under the law."  Philippians 2:7,8 says, "But emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."  

This was the purpose of His coming--that He might be the sacrifice for our sins.  Colossians 1:22 says, "He has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him."  1 Timothy 3:16 says, "Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by the angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory."  Hebrews 2:14 says, "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil."

God gives us His grace.  He gave us life and truth.  The truth is that we cannot possibly earn His favor, because of our sinful nature.  He gives us more grace, in that He became a man and lived a sinless life among us, so that He Himself could become the sacrifice that we need order that we might be reconciled with God.  One commentator puts it this way: "In His Person all that Grace and Truth which had been floating so long in shadowy forms, and darting into the souls of the poor and needy its broken beams, took everlasting possession of human flesh and filled it full. By this Incarnation of Grace and Truth, the teaching of thousands of years was at once transcended and beggared, and the family of God sprang into Manhood."

God has revealed Himself in the flesh in Jesus Christ.  In Him we have confidence, not in ourselves.  We need His grace.  At the beginning I said that having low self-esteem was perhaps a good thing.  Romans 12:3 says, "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

The world tells us that we need high self esteem in order to survive.  This worldview cheapens grace, in that it says if I am lovable, adorable, and capable, then I can do all things through myself.  God's truth says we can do nothing of ourselves, and whenever we have tried, we have made a mess of it.  When we realize the truth of God, then we can appreciate God's grace, which was compounded with the incarnation of Christ Jesus.  

He was prophesied in Isaiah 7:14, "Behold, a virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (which means, 'God with us.')"  John tells us that Jesus was the Word made flesh, who dwelt among us to bring God to us and to bring us to God.  That, my friend, is grace compounded: grace upon grace upon grace.

To the Manner Born

 

Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me.  And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight.  --Malachi 3:1 (NKJV)

The phrase “to the manner born” is an idiomatic expression that has its roots in the works of William Shakespeare, one of the most influential playwrights and poets in the English language. This phrase is often used to describe someone who is naturally suited to a particular lifestyle or role, suggesting that they possess an innate ability or inclination that aligns perfectly with their environment or circumstances.  Over the centuries, “to the manner born” has been adopted into everyday language, often used to describe individuals who seem to excel in their roles or professions without apparent effort. For example, a person who is a natural leader may be described as being “to the manner born” for their ability to inspire and guide others. Similarly, an artist who effortlessly creates beautiful works may also be referred to in this way, highlighting their innate, God given talent.

I thought of this phrase when I read our passage for today, found in John 1:6-13.  Let's read it together.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came as a witness, to bear witness about the Light, that all might believe through him.  He was not the Light, but came to bear witness about the Light.  The true Light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.  But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

We are introduced first to a man called John the Baptizer.  We may know him better by the name John the Baptist.  He was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, who was herself a cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Like Jesus, John's birth was announced by an angel (see Luke 1:11).  Like Jesus, John was sent by God, as we read in John 1:6.  Like Jesus, John spoke truth to power.  Unlike Jesus, however, John was not the Light of the World.  That Name belongs to Jesus only.

John was sent by God to be a witness.  His identity could very well be "John the Witness" as easily as "John the Baptist."  He was sent by God to be a witness, "so that all might believe through him."  There is, I am sure, some debate among theologians and Bible scholars as to specifically whom the "him" refers to in verse 7.  We know from other scriptures that Jesus' message was that all who believed in Him might be saved.  However, in this instance I believe it was the Gospel writer's intent to assign the job to John to be a witness to all, so that all might believe through John's witness that Jesus was the Messiah.  

One of the things I like about the New King James Version of the Bible is that they do not follow the Associated Press Stylebook or the Chicago Manual of Style or even the New York Times Manual of Style and Usage.  None of these style guides allow capitalization when referring to God.  The NKJV Bible, however, does capitalize all references to God.  Whenever you see the capital H "Him" in the NKJV, you know it is speaking of Jesus or God.  In John 1:7, however, there is a lower case "h" in the phrase "that all might believe through him."  That is, through John the Baptist.  

That's a big job, being the one person whose message was for all to believe in Jesus.  You may be the only person in your family who believes in Jesus.  You may be the only believer in your place of business.  You may even be the only person in your city or entire country who believes in Jesus.  What should your primary focus be?  Your only job is to to a witness to the Light, so that all might believe through you.  Think about that.

Think about this, too:  The Greek word for "witness" is μαρτυρία or martyria, where we get the English word "martyr."  John's task was to be a witness to the world, to speak truth to power, and it ultimately got him killed.  Are you willing to go that far?  Are you willing to put it all on the line for Jesus?

George MacDonald, a Scottish, poet, and Christian minister, once said, "I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of.  For to have been thought about--born in God's thoughts--and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest, most precious thing in all thinking."

The second person spoken of in our passage is Jesus.  As beautifully as the Gospel writer presented this passage, we are again met with that pesky pronoun "he."  In verse 10, the antecedent of the word "he" was John.  This is usually the way to interpret context, and I'm sure all the style manuals would agree.  However, John the Gospel writer follows the word "He" with "was the true Light."  We already know from this passage that John the Baptist was not that Light, so this "He" must refer to Jesus.

He, Jesus, came into the world that He had created, to the people of the nation of Israel, whom God had specifically chosen among all the nations on Earth.  Did these people accept Him as Lord?  No, they did not.  "He came into His own, but His own people did not receive Him." But, the Gospel writer says, whoever does receive Him into their lives as Lord and Savior, those people will be given the right to be called Sons of God.

To what manner was Jesus born?  How about John the Baptizer/Witness/Martyr?  Neither of them very well received by the religious leaders of the day.  Jesus commented on this in Luke 7:33-34 when He said, "For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at Him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'"  Yet throughout the New Testament we see Jesus speaking to people of various socio-economic backgrounds, education levels, and religious traditions.  He spoke kind words to women, which was almost unheard of in that day and time.

The Apostle Paul modeled his ministry after that of Jesus.  In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 he said,

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.  To the Jews I became a Jew, in order to win Jews.  To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.  To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.  To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak.  I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.  I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

It takes a special person to be able to engage with rich and poor, male and female, religious and non-religious.  Paul did it.  John did it.  Jesus did it most of all.  In the same way, you and I are called to reach out world with the gospel.  We are called to bear witness to the Light, so that all we come in contact with will believe through our testimony.  God may call some of us to speak truth to power.  He may even call some of us to die for the sake of the Gospel.  If God calls us, then He will equip us.   

Jesus: the Word, His Works, Our Worship

It is in the process of being worshiped that God communicates His presence to men.  --CS Lewis

 Whenever a new Christian, one who has never studied the Bible, asks where he should start in his personal devotions and daily Scripture reading, the most pastors would overwhelmingly tell them to begin with reading the Gospel of John.  If you start in Genesis with the Creation narrative (which is fine), you could get caught up in the history of the world through the fall of Adam, followed by the worldwide pervasiveness of sin, then the rise of Noah through whom God would continue the human race after the worldwide flood.  You would then be introduced to Abraham, the father of many nations but particularly of the nation of Israel, God's chosen people.  This would lead invariably to Moses, the Law giver and friend of God.  All of this history and epistemology is well and good, but it might be overwhelming to a new Christian, especially one who immediately wants to know more about Christ (and who may get bogged down by the time he gets to Leviticus and Deuteronomy).

In John's Gospel, we can see the story of Creation boiled down to its essence: "In the beginning, God."  We see man's sin and separation from God, putting us in a hopeless state until the work of Christ was complete in the Word of God, the Man Jesus Christ.  We can also see that Christ came not only to fulfill the Law, but to replace it with a law of love.  John 13:34-35 says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.  By this will all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

In our brief study today we will see that John's Gospel also starts with creation, but also that God shone His light through the Word, who is Jesus. And we will see the work of God through the Word of God, who became flesh and dwelt among us for a purpose, to give life meaning.  John MacArthur said, "The purpose of John is to convince the sinner of the true person of Christ."  This leads us to our final point, that we must worship Christ as God.

The Word

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  --John 1:1-2

John uses a concept that was recognizable to his Hebrew readers as well as his Greek readers.  In his study guide to John's Gospel, David Guzik writes:

Jewish rabbis often referred to God (especially in His more personal aspects) in terms of His word. They spoke of God Himself as “the word of God.” For example, ancient Hebrew editions of the Old Testament change Exodus 19:17 (Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God) to “Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet the word of God.” In the mind of the ancient Jews, the phrase “the word of God” could be used to refer to God Himself.

So we see that John's choice of words can appeal to the Hebrew reader, who equates the concept of "the Word" with the concept of God.  In this same way, with the word-choice that John makes, he appeals to his Greek audience as well. In the Greek way of thinking, 

The Greek philosophers saw the logos as the power that puts sense into the world, making the world orderly instead of chaotic. The logos was the power that set the world in perfect order and kept it going in perfect order. They saw the logos as the “Ultimate Reason” that controlled all things. (David Guzik).

Commentator Matthew Henry says that the term Word is two-fold: it speaks both of intelligence and utterance, of ratio (where we get the English word "rational", speaking of knowledge) and of oratio (where we get the English term "oration", or the spoken word).  In this sense, we can see how John describes the first two persons of the Godhead.  God the Father is all knowing, rational, intelligent; but He did not keep this knowledge, this Wisdom to Himself.  God the Son is the Word, the idea of divinity brought out in the open for us to hear and understand.

When Moses asked who God was, God's response was, "I AM."  Here in the first verse of John's Gospel, we see that Jesus identified as God, as He is described in the past tense form, "HE WAS"--He was with God, He was God, and He was in the beginning with God.  There is no greater indicator of the deity of Christ.  In fact, we see this personification of Jesus as Word or Wisdom all the way back in the Old Testament.  Proverbs 3:19 says, "The Lord by Wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens."  I believe that this Wisdom expressed in Proverbs 3 is the same Word expressed in John 1.

The Work

"All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." --John 1:3-5

Jesus was at work through the creation of the world.  Psalm 33:6 says, "By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth."  This means that God exists outside of space, time, and matter, since He existed before Creation.  If Christ was with God and is God, then He too is eternal.  1 Corinthians 8:6 says, "Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom we are all things and through whom we exist."  So we see that Christ's work was manifest in creating us, and is made perfect in living through us.

Hebrews 1:1-2 says, "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world."  So we see that Christ's work was not limited to the creation of all things, but also through our "re-creation" by His calling us to repentance and sonship, so that we too are heirs of Christ, who is the heir of God.  Guzik writes, "The Word is the source of all life — not only biological life, but the very principle of life. The ancient Greek word translated life is zoe, which means 'the life principle,' not bios, which is mere biological life."

Matthew Henry's commentary says this:

The eternal Word, as God, shines in the darkness of natural conscience.  Though men by the fall are become darkness, yet that which may be known of God is manifested in them; see Romans 1:19-20.  The light of nature is this light shining in darkness.  Something of the power of the divine Word, both as creating and as commanding, all mankind have an innate sense of; were it not for this, earth would be a hell, a place of utter darkness.  Blessed be God, it is not so yet.

So we see that the work of Christ was evident in creation, is evident in salvation, and will be evident in the coming judgment.

The Worship

This, then, is our reasonable response.  We are to worship Christ as God.  We are to love Him with all of our hearts, souls, minds and strengths.  We are to acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior.  Romans 12:1 says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." (NIV)

It is also our solemn duty to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.  Matthew 28:18-20 says, 

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I want to go back to our original text in John 1:1-5 and read it from the Phillips paraphrase.  I think it sheds new light on the Word, the Work, and the Worship of Jesus.

At the beginning God expressed himself. That personal expression, that Word, was with God, and was God, and He existed with God from the beginning. All creation took place through Him, and none took place without Him. In Him appeared life and this life was the light of mankind. The light still shines in the darkness and the darkness has never put it out.

We may not be able to fully comprehend Christ as the fullness of the Godhead bodily (see Colossians 2:9), but we have been given enough light to see that He is worthy of our praise.  DT Niles wrote that "evangelism is one beggar showing another beggar where to find bread."  From our study today, we see that it can also be described as one blind person who has been divinely able to perceive divine light in the darkness, showing another blind person the source of that Light.  We may not be able to fully comprehend it, but neither can we extinguish it from our hearts and our lives.

 

A movie idea (based on the Gospel of John)

 

Real miracles bother people, like strange sudden pains unknown in medical literature.  It's true: they rebut every rule all we good citizens take comfort in.  Lazarus obeying orders and climbing out of the grave--now there's a miracle, and you can bet it upset a lot of folks who were standing around at the time.  When a person dies, the earth is generally unwilling to cough him back up.  A miracle contradicts the will of the earth.  --Lief Enger, American author of Peace Like A River

SCENE 1 (reference John 12:9-11)

Fade in.  A man, Lazarus, seated in front of his home in ancient Bethany, is addressing a group of Jewish people who are asking him questions about his experience of being raised from the dead.

MAN 1:  What was it like being brought back to life?  I mean, you had been dead for four days!

WOMAN 1:  Were your sisters Martha and Mary happy to see you when you hopped out of the tomb in your graveclothes?

LAZARUS: It was indescribable. Like going from darkness to light.  When my eyes adjusted to the sunshine, I saw my sisters there, but I only wanted to see Jesus.  He was the one who called to me.  Jesus gets the glory.  I didn't do anything, really.  I just followed His voice.

SOLDIER 1: Break it up.  This is an illegal gathering.

SOLDIER 2: Lazarus, you are under arrest.  I am taking you into custody on order of the High Priest.

LAZARUS: Is it really unlawful to speak of Jesus now?  What are you gonna do, kill me?  I've been dead before--it really doesn't scare me.

SCENE 2, three months earlier (reference John 7:16-52)

FIRST OFFICER: Do you have the arrest warrant?  We'll go house to house if necessary, all throughout Jerusalem.

SECOND OFFICER: It's the Feast of Booths.  Everyone will be outside in a temporary shelters, commemorating the time that Moses led our people through the desert.

FIRST OFFICER: Oh, so it won't be quite as difficult to find Jesus if he's out in the open.  How in the world can a Rabbi like him make statements like that publicly?  Claiming to be like God.  Blasphemy!

SECOND OFFICER: Let's start at the Temple.  There's a big crowd there right now.  Maybe somebody knows where he is staying.

As they approach the Temple, Jesus is there teaching.

JESUS: My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.  If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.  The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.  Has not Moses given you the law?  Yet none of you keeps the law.  Why do you seek to kill me?

MAN IN CROWD: You must be mad!  Who is seeking to kill you?

First Officer and Second Officer look at each other.

JESUS: I did one work, and you all marvel at it.  (A man needed to be healed; it was the Sabbath. What was I to do?)  Look, Moses gave you circumcision, and you circumcise a male baby on the Sabbath.  If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well?  Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgement.

FIRST OFFICER: Can this man be the Messiah?

SECOND OFFICER: When the Messiah does appear, will he do more signs that this man has done?

JESUS: If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

First Officer and Second Officer go back to the place of the Pharisees

CHIEF PRIEST: Why haven't you brought him?

FIRST OFFICER: No one ever spoke like this man.

PHARISEE:  Have you also been deceived?  Have any of the priests or Pharisees believed in him. Anyone who does not know the law is accursed.

NICODEMUS: Wait.  Just hold on.  Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?

PHARISEE: Are you from Galilee too?  (Pointing to a scroll)  Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.

SCENE 3 (reference John 9:1-41)

LAZARUS (Voice Over) Things really came to a head one Sabbath day when Jesus found a man who had been born blind.  Jesus stopped and said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  He spat on the ground, picked up the wet clay, and put it on the man's eyes.  Jesus told the man to go to the fountain, the Pool of Siloam, and wash off the mud from his eyes.  When the man obeyed Jesus, when he went and washed, he came back seeing.  

MAN 1: Hey, isn't that the man who used to sit and beg?  I thought he was blind and couldn't get around.

MAN 2: It sure looks like him, but it can't be.  Maybe it's someone who looks like him.

BLIND MAN: It really is me.  Jesus did this.

PHARISEE: Come with me.  Tell us again how you received your sight.

BLIND MAN: You see, Jesus...

PHARISEE: We don't believe you! 

BLIND MAN: He is truly a prophet sent from G...

PHARISEE: This man cannot be from God.  He doesn't keep the Sabbath.

NICODEMUS: How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?

PHARISEE: I know this man's parents.  Let's ask them.  Hey you, is this your son, the one you said was born blind?  How does he now see?

FATHER: We know he is our son.  We know he was born blind.  Apart from that, we don't know.  Ask him, he is of age. 

PHARISEE: All right.  Give it to us straight.  Glorify God by telling us the truth, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.

BLIND MAN: Whether he is a sinner I do not know.  One thing I do know: though I was blind, now I see!  Look, I've told you this a thousand times, and you don't ever listen.  Do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciple too?

LAZARUS (Voice over): Jesus fulfilled the Prophet Isaiah's words, "You will open the eyes of the blind and set free those who sit in dark prisons."  Many believed in him after he healed the blind man.  Many more believed after I was raised from the dead.  That's why they arrested me, and are making plans to kill me.  Yet it is they who are blind.  They can't see how one man could be the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, but not keep their Sabbath tradition.  They can't see how the man Jesus could claim to be the Son of God.  That's what they'll arrest him for, but their true motivation is spoken in secret, so that the people cannot hear: I just heard the priests and religious rulers say to one another, "If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation (reference John 11:48).  The chief priest, Caiaphas, agreed, saying, "It's better for you that one man should die for the people, rather than the whole nation should perish."  I don't know, I think those words speak more than Caiaphas realizes.  I think they prophesy that Jesus will die not as a martyr, as I may, but that his death will be sacrificial, that in his death we might enjoy everlasting life.

THE END