Month: December 2020

2On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. ² Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” ⁴ And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” ⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” ⁶ Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁷ Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. ⁹ When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” ¹¹ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

¹² After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days.

¹³ The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. ¹⁵ Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” ¹⁸ The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” ¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
²⁰ The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” ²¹ But he was speaking of the temple of his body.
²² After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

²³ When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. ²⁴ But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people ²⁵ and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.  NRSV

Get into the word

1. What is going on as this chapter opens? What role does Jesus have at the beginning of this story? Who else is involved?

2. What is Mary’s response to the problem with the wine? How does Jesus respond to her statement? Does this deter Mary? What happens next?

3. Why do you suppose John includes this incident in the Gospel? What does it tell us about Jesus? 

4. What is the next incident the John reports? What is happening in the temple? What does Jesus do in response to the situation? 

5. Why do you think Jesus reacted so strongly? What do the disciples do when they see Jesus’ actions?

6. Why do you think the Jews wanted a miraculous sign? Do you believe they really wanted Jesus to confirm who he was? What is Jesus’ answer?

7. What did the Jews do with Jesus response to their demand? How do the disciples react to this interchange? Did they “get it?”

Get Personal

What do Jesus’ actions in these two incidents tell you about his attitude toward daily life? Toward religion? How has God helped you see the path for your life? For your relationship with him?

2:3. Gave out — a Jewish wedding lasted seven days, so the host needed a good supply of wine to cover that period of time. Running out of wine (or food) was considered a major social error.
Jesus’ mother — the men and women guests usually stayed in separate quarters, with the women’s area closer to the work and storage spaces, so Mary would hear about the problem before the men.
2:4. What concern is that — the Greek is actually “what have I to do with you?” which is a fairly abrupt statement of distance or non-involvement.
My hour — this is the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, which will end at the cross. 
2:5. Do whatever he tells you — like many other people in the Bible, Mary basically ignores Jesus’ statement and expects that he will do something about the situation (think about Jacob, Moses, Ruth, the woman Elisha stays with [2 Kings4:14-28], or the Gentile woman with the sick child who confronts Jesus [Mark 7:24-30]).
2:7. Fill the jars with water — this is Jesus’ first public miracle and it shows the pattern for all the other miracles: first, Jesus works with what is at hand, he doesn’t create something out of thin air; second, he involves other people in the event; third, he demonstrates his authority over the natural world by changing the nature of the liquid in the jars; and he responds to a human need, just as God responds to our needs in this world.
2:11. Revealed his glory — miracles in the Old Testament showed God’s power and authority, his glory. Jesus has the same purpose.

2:12. Capernaum — Jesus used this city as his ministry base in Galilee, even though he did not have many followers there [check Matt 11:23 and Luke 10:15]. 
2:13. Passover — the annual celebration lasted a week – Passover the first day and the Feast of Unleavened Bread the other six days – and all Jewish males were expected to go to Jerusalem for the event [the requirement is at Deut 16:16].
2:14. Temple — the center of Jewish worship, the building Jesus knew was built in 515 BCE when the Jews returned from exile, and remodeled by Herod the Great (in fact the work was still going on during Jesus’ lifetime).
Merchants . . . dealers — Mosaic law required Jews to offer sacrifices from their own livestock when they went to the Temple, but by Jesus’ time most people bought a sacrificial animal after they arrived, and many needed to exchange their personal money for Jewish currency (at exorbitant exchange rates).
NOTE: The Synoptic Gospels place Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple during his final visit to Jerusalem (also during Passover) shortly before he was killed [compare Matt 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-46].
2:17. It was written — Psalm 69:9.
2:18. Miraculous sign — throughout their history the Jews demanded signs of God’s presence or power. Clearly they do not realize that Jesus is the sign God is giving them.
2:19. This temple — John clues in the reader in v. 21: Jesus means his own body. 

1²⁹ The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ³¹ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” ³² And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. ³³ I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

³⁵ The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” ³⁹ He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. ⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed).
⁴² He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” ⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” ⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸ Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
⁴⁹ Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” ⁵⁰ Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” ⁵¹ And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”  NRSV

Get into the Word

1. Why does John call Jesus the “Lamb of God?” What aspects of salvation does it represent? What is significant about the dove [see Notes]?

2. What is most significant about the incident John describes in vv. 35-39? Why do you think the two disciples left John and followed Jesus?

3. What do you suppose Simon thought about Jesus when they first met? About having his name changed? How would you have felt?

4. How did Philip conclude that Jesus was “the one Moses wrote about in the Law?” How did Nathanael react to Philip’s claim? How might you have reacted?

5. What did Jesus say or do to cause Nathanael to call him “Son of God” and “King of Israel?” How does Jesus deal with Nathanael’s testimony?

6. What does Jesus reveal to the disciples? What image does he use? Why do you think he did this at this time?

Get Personal

How did you first “meet” Jesus? What were the circumstances? Who introduced you? What did the person say about Jesus? How did you respond to the introduction?

1:29. Lamb of God — John was echoing Isaiah’s description of the Messiah as a “suffering servant” who is sacrificed – Like the Passover lamb and temple lambs of John’s day – for sinners: like a lamb that is led to the slaughter. And as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth, [Isaiah 53:7 and 12].
1:32. Spirit — John (the author) introduces the Trinity early in his Gospel. Jews of the time believed God’s Spirit had become inactive after the last Old Testament prophets died.
Dove — an ironic symbol for the Messiah: only doves and pigeons were acceptable sacrificial birds under Mosaic Law and, as the least expensive animals, were usually used by poor people; Jesus is the sacrifice we absolutely need and cannot afford. 
1:33. Descend and remain — Isaiah said of the Messiah: The Spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, [11:2, also check 61:1].
1:35. Disciples — John evidently had a group of followers himself, but sent them to Jesus as the greater teacher – a truly humble act.
1:38. Where are you staying — this type of indirectness is typical of the social conventions of John’s time (the disciples really want to go home with Jesus).
1:40. Andrew — according to John, Andrew became a disciple ahead of his brother, Simon. He also brings people to Jesus two other times [6:4-9 and 12:20-22]. This is still the model: get to know Jesus yourself, then introduce others to him, (check Phillip’s approach in verse 43).
1:42. Cephas — means “rock” in Aramaic; the Greek word is “Peter.” Jesus continues the Old 

Testament tradition of giving people new and meaningful names. Peter applies the same image to believers in his first letter: Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ., [2:4-5].
1:43. Philip— another of the early disciples, Philip responded to Jesus’ direct invitation and then brought Nathanael into the group, as Andrew brought Peter.
Bethsaida — yes, Mark does say Capernaum was Andrew and Peter’s hometown. Both were on the shore of Galilee fairly close to each other.
1:45. Nathanael — also known as Bartholomew in the Synoptic Gospels.
Nazareth — was a small town, not mentioned in any Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah. Nathanael’s skepticism is not surprising, (notice that Phillip does not argue about it, just invites Nathanael to “come and see” for yourself).
1:47. Israelite — Jesus was probably making a wordplay: Jacob (or Israel) was a liar, hardly a “man of complete integrity.”
1:48. Under the fig tree — Jesus gives Nathanael a peek at his supernatural ability, which Nathanael acknowledges in the next verse.
1:51. Heaven opened — Ezekiel used the same phrase [1:1]. Jesus is promising a major revelation to the disciples.
Angels ascending and descending — this image is from Jacob’s dream [Genesis 28:12] of a ladder between heaven and earth. Jesus is describing himself as the new – and true – link between God and humans.

1 the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴ in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.
¹² But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
²⁰ He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” ²¹ And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” ²² Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³ He said,

“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” 
as the prophet Isaiah said.

Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵ They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” ²⁶ John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, ²⁷ the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” ²⁸ This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.  NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What images does John use for Jesus in this passage? What mental pictures do you get from these images? Why do you think John chose these images for his opening?

2. What major concepts or understandings about Jesus is John trying to convey here? What distinctions does John make between Jesus and  all other humans? 

3. What does Jesus do? How do people react to this? What happens as a result? Who does this change?

4. Who does John introduce in this narrative? What is his message? Who does he say he is? What is his relation to Jesus?

5. What seems to be the main concern of the priests when they approach John? What do you think of John’s answer to their questions? Do you think he wanted to help them understand?

6. Why would the Jews be concerned about John’s baptizing? Why does John say he baptizes only with water?

Get Personal

How does God help you understand that Jesus is fully God and fully human? How does this understanding affect your life?

1:1. Beginning — Even though this phrase parallels Genesis 1:1, John makes it clear he is talking about things before the creation narrative.
Word — see the Note on page 2.
1:3. Came into being — John draws a clear distinction between the Word and all other creatures. In fact the Word created all things. Early in the church’s history, questions about Jesus’ divinity were creeping into Christian writings. Some could not understand how Jesus could be fully God and fully human at the same time, but John forcefully declares  that Jesus was God and shared all attributes, including the power to create “all things” with God the Father.
1:4-5. Light — Matthew refers to Isaiah to describe Jesus as light: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned. From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near, [4:16-17].
Peter and Paul also use “light” to refer to Christ and Christians: God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, [1 Pet 2:9]; and, [light] has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ, [2 Cor 4:6].
1:10. World — the Greek word, “cosmos,” means primarily “order, arrangement.” The Bible uses it to refer to both the earth and humans, the “non-heaven” part of creation. Later in John Jesus says, You belong to the world here below but I come from above, [John 8:23]. 
1:12. Children — Paul expands on the idea that we can become “children of God” in Galatians: When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, in order to  redeem those under law, so that

we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a child; and if a child, then also an heir, [4:4-7].
1:14. Glory . . . grace and truth — John is testifying of his own experience of God through his relation-ship with the human Jesus. This is his attempt to reconcile in language the fact that Jesus was fully divine and fully human. This is a personal, not an intellectual, statement about Jesus. 
1:15. Before — the Greek word refers only to place or position — “in front,” it does not mean first in time or occurrence. 
1:19. John the Baptist — was the final prophet, or “speaker of God’s word,” before Jesus – the full and complete “Word” – arrived. He stressed that people had to repent and prepare for Jesus’ arrival and he influenced many Jews. Evidently his influence continued after his death, because Paul discovered some of John’s disciples in Ephesus thirty years later, [Acts 19:1-7]. 
1:20. Messiah — literally “anointed one” – people thought the Messiah would come soon to perform signs [John 7:31] and to deliver His people, after which He would live and rule forever [John 12:34]. 
1:23. John is referring to Isaiah: A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. . . . Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people will see it together,” [40:3, 5].
1:24. Baptize — the Jews did have a tradition of ritual cleansing before entering the temple or performing any priestly sacrificial duties; however, they did not associate such practices with spiritual renewal, regeneration or rebirth as Christians do.