The Gospel of John E-Book

Dr. Brian J. Bailey

• Herausgeber: Zion Christian Publishers
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Dr. Bailey’s excellent and easy to read commentary on The Gospel of John gives insight into some of the most beautiful teachings of Christ to His disciples. You will discover the heart of God as you see Christ as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep, and Christ as the Bread of Life who came down from Heaven that we might have life abundantly. May your hearts be filled with the riches and fullness of God as you study this most beloved of Gospels.

Leseprobe

THE GOSPEL

OF

JOHN

VERSION 2.1

“The Gospel of John”

 © 1998 by Brian J. Bailey

Front Cover Design:

(New edition in 2006)

© 2006 Zion Fellowship, Inc.

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations in this book are taken from the

King James Version Bible unless otherwise stated.

Published as an e-book on September 2013

in the United States of America

E-book ISBN 1-59665-128-8

For more information, please contact:

Zion Christian Publishers

A Zion Fellowship ® Ministry

P.O. Box 70

Waverly, New York 14892

Phone: [phone]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Editorial team: Carla Borges, Sarah Heyer, Mary Humphreys, David Kropf, Justin Kropf, Caroline Tham, and Suzanne Ying.

We wish to extend our thanks to these dear ones for without their many hours of invaluable assistance, this book would not have been possible. We are truly grateful for their diligence, creativity, and excellence in the compilation of this book for the glory of God.

INTRODUCTION

The Gospel of John was written by John the beloved, the son of Zebedee and brother of James. He was the disciple who was closest to Jesus during His earthly ministry and the one who leaned upon His bosom at the Last Supper (Jn. 13:23). John is spoken of several times as the disciple whom Jesus loved (Jn. 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7,20).

The Gospel of John was called the “Spiritual Gospel” by the Early Church fathers. It was written last, to complete the revelation of Jesus Christ given by the other three writers of the Synoptic Gospels. It is the most widely printed and well-known book of the Bible in the world.

John’s Gospel was written in a very simple manner, with a Greek vocabulary of about 1,500 words. It is recommended as the first book to be read by all new believers because even a child can read and easily understand its message. However, this simplicity contains hidden treasures and depths that even the most profound theologian would acknowledge cannot be penetrated to their fullest extent in a lifetime.

The intricacies of this Gospel can be appreciated by knowing that it is filled with sets of sevens. The number seven, which speaks of completion and perfection, also dominates the Book of Revelation. Even the first chapter of John contains seven titles of the Lord Jesus.

In Ezekiel 1:5, we are introduced to the four living creatures that surround the throne of God. Their four faces are the faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. They portray the character of Christ. The lion reveals Christ as King. The ox reveals Him as the Priest, for an ox is a sacrifice offered by the priest. The face of man portrays the humanity of Christ and reveals Christ as the Son of Man. The eagle speaks of Christ as the Son of God, who soars into heavenly places. We will see how the four Gospels also reveal Christ in these four aspects.

Four Aspects of Christ Revealed Through the Four Gospels

Therefore, John’s Gospel contains truths that one will never exhaust no matter how many times one reads or studies it. In view of this, we present this book to you in trembling and humility. Knowing that although we have tried to expound on some of the truths contained in this most wonderful book, we do not pretend in any wise, shape, or form to claim this as an exhaustive study.

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

The purpose of John’s Gospel is enunciated in John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

The Gospel of John was written that we might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and in believing, have abundant life through His name (Jn. 10:10). John’s Gospel speaks of Christ as the Son of God more than of any other aspect of His character. John also refers to Christ as the Son of God more times than do any of the other Gospels.

John’s Gospel can be divided and studied in many ways. The Gospel is noteworthy in that Jesus describes Himself seven times by saying, “I Am,” followed by a specific declaration of a virtue attributable to Himself. When He says, “I Am,” it means that He is Deity. In John 18:5 we read, “Jesus saith unto them, I am he…” (“he” is not in the original Greek but was added by the King James translators). When He said this, the power of His name “I Am” caused the soldiers to fall to the ground. Then He said again in John 18:8, “I Am.” Christ was saying, “I Am that I Am.”

The significance of “I Am” in John’s Gospel is explained by the fact that when Moses met God at the burning bush and asked what His name was, the Lord replied, “I AM THAT I AM” (Ex. 3:14). So when Jesus said, “I Am,” He was actually saying, “I am God; I am Jehovah.” That is the significance of “I Am.”

Three Sets of Sevens in John’s Gospel

1.   Seven I Am’s of Christ

2.   Seven Pre-Resurrection Signs of Christ

3.   Seven Major Public Discourses of Christ

The Seven I Am’s of Christ

1.  The Bread of Life (6:35, 48)

2.  The Light of the World (8:12; 9:5)

3.  The Door (10:7, 9)

4.  The Good Shepherd (10:11, 14)

5.  The Resurrection and the Life (11:25)

6.  The Way, the Truth, and the Life (14:6)

7.  The True Vine (15:1)

The Seven Pre-Resurrection Signs of Christ

There are seven pre-resurrection signs in John, and one post-resurrection sign. They are not just miracles, but they are actually called “signs” in the Greek. We will see that each sign is to be followed by the revelation of a spiritual truth.

1.  Christ Turns the Water into Wine (2:1-11)

2.  Christ Heals the Nobleman’s Son (4:46-54)

3.  Christ Heals the Paralytic Man (5:1-9)

4.  Christ Feeds the Five Thousand (6:1-14)

5.  Christ Walks on Water (6:15-21)

6.  Christ Heals the Man Born Blind (9:1-41)

7.  Christ Raises Lazarus from the Dead (11:1-44)

Post-resurrection Sign:

8.  Christ’s Miraculous Draught of 153 Fish (21:11)

The Seven Major Public Discourses of Christ in John

1.  The New Birth (3:1-36)

2.  The Water of Life (4:1-42)

3.  The Divine Son (5:19-47)

4.  The Bread of Life (6:22-66)

5.  The Life-giving Spirit (7:1-52)

6.  The Light of the World (8:12-59)

7.  The Good Shepherd (10:1-42)

PART ONE

Prologue

1:1-18

CHAPTER ONE

The Word and God (1:1-2)

1:1-2 -“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” This is the revelation that John received, and it is so very important to understand. Christ was in the beginning with God. He is eternal. Christ is the Word of God! That is why the Holy Scriptures cannot be destroyed, because it is equivalent to destroying Him. Christ said in Matthew 5:18, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” This is the reason why there is such power in the Word. There is no other book like the Bible because the Bible is the Word of God, and the Word of God is God.

The Word and Creation (1:3-5)

1:3 -“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” We are introduced to the relationship between God and the Word. Speaking of the Word, John says that He was the Creator of the universe. The Father and the Son are the Creators of the universe (notice the plural in Genesis 1:26), which was brought into existence through the spoken Word.

The Apostle Paul had an extraordinary revelation of Christ as the Creator of the whole universe. In Colossians 1:16, Paul gives us an idea of the power of the Word, which is Christ Himself, by saying, “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” Proverbs 8:22-31 also develops the thought of Christ as the Co-Creator.

The Word is literally creative! Hebrews 11:3 says, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Genesis begins with the phrase “In the beginning,” as does John’s Gospel. Throughout the first chapter of Genesis we find the Lord speaking the world into being with phrases such as, “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place,” “Let there be light: and there was light,” “Let there be a firmament,” and “Let the earth bring forth grass.”

God created the heavens and the earth by simply speaking them into existence. By this we know that there is tremendous power in the Word of God. Likewise, when we preach the Word of God, we are preaching a creative Word that has the power to transform men and women, boys and girls.

That is why the Lord Himself could say in Mark 11:23, “…Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” The Word of God is very powerful, and as we declare it, things happen. With this truth in mind, we understand the words from Psalm 107:20, “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” We should pray that His words might be in our mouths (2 Sam. 23:2).

Therefore, it behoves us, as ministers, to be in constant communion with God, that we may be filled with His message. That is why Peter said that everyone who ministers should speak as “the oracles of God.” In other words, we should speak as though God Himself were speaking (1 Pet. 4:11). Jeremiah was told in Jeremiah 5:14, “Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.” As we are anointed by the Holy Spirit, His Word will flow from our lips.

1:4 -“In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” Jesus is the light and conscience of every man. In Him is our very source of life. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:6, “The letter killeth but the spirit giveth life.” It is not the dead letter of the Word that brings life, but the anointed, quickened Word. When the Word enters our being, we cannot see it with our natural eyes, but we can behold it with our spiritual eyes. When our eyes are anointed by God, we can see the light in those who have received the Word. There is a great difference between the saved and the unsaved.

A number of years ago, three weeks after I had assumed the pastorate of a certain church, the superintendent of the Sunday school program died. This lady had not lived as righteously as she appeared to be living. The night after she died, her spirit appeared unto me. I said to her, “You know that I can do nothing for you now.”

Pondering on this, I asked the Lord, “Why did she come to me after her death?” The Lord spoke to me, “Moths come to the light.” In other words, when she died she could see who had the light, and she was trying to come and partake of that light. Obviously, she had been rejected by Christ, and had been cast into eternal darkness. This is a sobering thought, isn’t it?

Even though people may have known the Lord at one time, if they turn their backs on Him and choose to live a life of sin, they can lose their eternal salvation if they are not restored to the Lord. We have to live the life after we are born again.

1:5 -“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” This is a very important truth for us. The thought of the light shining in darkness is intended to encourage us. Just think about a dark room for a minute. If you strike a match in that room, although the match may be very small indeed, the light of that match will dispel the darkness. The darkness cannot overwhelm the light. This is a truth that should encourage us. We have the Light of the world within us. The darkness cannot overwhelm us, but on the contrary, it must flee from us. When we are in darkness, let us remember this, and encourage ourselves in the Lord.

The Word and John the Baptist (1:6-8)

1:6 -“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.” John the Baptist was sent by God as the messenger of the Lord who came to prepare the way for the Messiah by preparing the hearts of the people for Christ. This was the fulfilment of Malachi 3:1, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.”

God quickened the bodies of Zecharias and Elizabeth (John’s parents) so that they could have a son in their old age. Although Elizabeth was barren, God performed a miracle that enabled her to give birth to John.

1:7-8 -“The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.” Jesus is the Light of the world (see Jn. 8:12, Isa. 9:1-2, Mt. 4:14 16). John’s ministry did not last very long, perhaps only 15 to 18 months. His calling was to bear witness of the Light, the Lord Jesus Christ.

John went through 30 years of preparation for one purpose—to prepare the way for Christ and to identify Him as the Messiah. According to Acts 13:25, as John fulfilled his course, he said, “…Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.”

The Word Made Flesh (1:9-14)

1:9 -“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” What lights us? It is our conscience. Christ gives a conscience to everyone who is born (Rom. 2:14-15). That is why no one has an excuse to do evil. Even people who do not know the Ten Commandments have a conscience. Therefore, when they do wrong, they know that they are committing sin. A number of years ago, my wife and I were at a convention in the highlands of Western Africa. Before it was my turn to speak at this convention, we were listening to an African preacher, who I believe was one of the converts of a former student of ours. As we were listening to him, we saw people coming out of the bush, and walking toward the place where the convention was being held to listen to him preach.

I remember something he would say (often in pidgin English): “Adultery, you know it wrong. Why you know it wrong? Because you do it in the dark. Amen?” Everybody said “Amen.” It was very clear-cut. It is very interesting to listen to certain African preachers. Sometimes their grammar is not very polished, but their theology is very good indeed. For the most part, everybody knows the difference between right and wrong because they have an inner witness—their conscience, that inner light.

1:10 -“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.” Christ was in the world. In other words, the Light of the world was in the world. Christ came as a man to minister to a world that was made by Him. As you study these verses and think about God Himself coming to earth as a man to save His own creation, you cannot but marvel at the humility of Christ and the Father. After all, it was the Father who gave His Son to become a man in order to save us.

Christ created and formed this earth. He made Adam and Eve, yet He humbled Himself to be in the world and be made subject to His creation including man, animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms. He was exposed to the cold, the heat, and the elements of nature. Yet, sadly, the world that He created did not recognise their Creator.

A professor at one of the colleges I attended had been a missionary to India, where he met Mahatma Gandhi. He and some other people talked with Gandhi for several hours. He related to us that Mahatma Gandhi could quote the Bible totally from memory.

They talked for a while until my professor finally asked Gandhi a very pointed question, the same question found in Matthew 16:13, “Whom do you say that Christ is?” My professor asked Mr. Gandhi point-blank, “Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?” Mahatma Gandhi replied, “I believe Jesus is a son of God, just as I am a son of God.” This was an extraordinary statement by Gandhi. In other words, he did not have the revelation that Jesus was the one and only begotten Son of God. We need to be very thankful to the Lord for the tremendous privilege of having our understanding enlightened to know that Jesus is the Son of God.

It takes a revelation of God for anyone to know that Christ is the divine Son of God. Even Christ’s disciples, when asked by the Master, “Whom do men say that I am?” responded, “Some say that thou art John the Baptist: Some Elias; and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.”

Then Christ asked, “But whom say ye that I am?” to which Peter replied, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Mt. 16:13-17).

Just think, out of all the billions of people there are upon the face of the earth today, He has sovereignly stretched forth His hand and given us a personal revelation of Jesus as the Son of God, just as He did with Peter. May we ever be thankful for His mercy and kindness toward us!

1:11 -“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” The ministry of Jesus was to reach out to Israel (Mt. 15:24). He came to His own (Israel), but His own did not receive Him. Instead, they rejected Him, even though they were God’s chosen nation and they knew Jehovah as their Saviour.

Isaiah 49:5 tells us of the ministry of Christ, “And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.” We see this when Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor and judge asked the Jews, “What shall I do with Jesus of Nazareth?” and they said, “Crucify him” (Mk. 15:12-13).

The Jews did not know what they were saying. They demanded that their Saviour and King be crucified. When Christ returns, He will say to the Jews (paraphrasing Deuteronomy 32:40), “Here am I; I live forever.” Their reply is found in Isaiah 25:9, “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Here we see the tremendous joy on the part of the defenders of Zion, who will see the city broken into during the last siege of Jerusalem; but Zion will not fall.

In Zechariah we read about the Lord’s appearance on the Mount of Olives, and the ensuing conversation between the defenders of Zion and Christ. Their joy will turn into consternation as they see His hands and ask, “What are these wounds in thine hands?” The Lord will answer them, “Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends” (Zech. 13:6).

At that time, God will pour out the spirit of grace and supplication upon the Jews, and they shall mourn as one mourns for his only son. They will mourn when their eyes are opened at the return of Christ, when they realise that the One they were looking for is the very One whom they had crucified.

How sad—Christ came unto His own, but they received Him not. That is so true of life, beloved. Many times it is our own people who reject us, while others embrace our ministry and us. Let us not become discouraged, but look unto the Lord for our comfort in such times.

1:12 - “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” Christ is the only begotten Son of God, but through believing in Him, we can become adopted sons of God and co-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17). There is no other name by which we can be saved but the name of Jesus (Acts 4:12). When we receive Christ, He gives us power to become the sons of God. In the phrase, “even to them that believe on His name,” we see that if we believe on the name of Jesus, we have everlasting life.

1:13 -“Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” There are four categories of birth in this verse.

1. Born of blood

2. Born of the will of the flesh

3. Born of the will of man

4. Born of God

Children can be born of blood through an accident. They can be born because the flesh takes over, or through the parents’ will, by which they determine to have a child. Married couples should always pray and ask God if it is His will for them to have children.

It is not God’s will for some people to have children because He knows that they will not have adequate conditions in their homes to raise them. Yet, for others it is God’s will that they do have children. That is why a couple should always pray first to see if God wants them to have children, how many, and when. We should seek the Lord’s counsel in all of these matters.

1:14 -“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Jesus is the incarnate Word of God. The Word was made flesh when Jesus came and took upon Himself the likeness of man.

God’s will is that His Word becomes flesh in us. In other words, He wants His Word to become a part of us, so that we have truth in the inward parts (Ps. 51:6). This is what it means to have the laws of God written in our hearts and in our minds (Jer. 31:33).

“The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” The Word is Christ—Emmanuel, which means, “God with us” (Mt. 1:23). He came to dwell with His people.

John said that he beheld the glory of Christ, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. Jesus is the express image of the Father (Heb. 1:3). When the disciples beheld Him, it was like beholding the Father, because Jesus is just like His Father. Jesus said to Philip in John 14:9, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father…”

Christ was “full of grace and truth” and He brought in a new era of grace and truth. In like manner, the Lord wants us to be full of grace and truth. Grace means “divine enablement,” and also “unmerited favour.” Paul said in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Through God’s infilling of grace, we are enabled to accomplish everything He calls us to do.

We, too, should be filled with truth. King David said in Psalm 51:6, “Thou desirest truth in the inward parts.” This means that the Word of God must take root in our hearts and bring forth fruit in our lives. We can see this time and again in John’s Gospel. We are not only to have a head knowledge of the truth or to simply speak of it, but we are to express the truth through our lives.

The Word Preferred Before All (1:15-18)

1:15 -“John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.” This is the key to God’s creation. Who was first? God the Father; therefore, He has the pre-eminence. God the Son came forth from the Father; so He is next in authority and position, and He is followed by the Holy Spirit. Psalm 8:5 says that God made man “a little lower than the angels,” because man was created after the angels. Thus, the angels are next in God’s hierarchy; followed by mankind.

Who was created after man? Woman. First Timothy 2:11 says, “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.” The reason for this is found in 1 Timothy 2:13, which says, “For Adam was first formed, then Eve.” Therefore, the woman is under the authority of the man. Man is the head of the woman by virtue of the fact that he was created before her (Eph. 5:23). Here, John the Baptist was saying that Christ was preferred before him because He was before him.

1:16 -“And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” In Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead (Col. 1:19). In order to help us understand this truth, a little illustration would be helpful. Consider a very large bottle of water and a clean, empty glass. If the glass was filled with water from the large bottle, its water then would have the same purity and thirst-quenching qualities as the water in the bottle. The only difference is that the bottle contains a considerably larger amount of water.

In much the same way, the water of life is poured into us when we receive Christ as our Saviour. It is exactly the same life that is in Him; the difference is that He is the source of that life-giving water. Also, the amount of the water of life we contain is directly related to our capacity. His desire is to fill us to overflowing. However, our capacity to contain the water of life is considerably limited compared to His great and abundant reservoir.

1:17 -“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” In verse 17 John repeats what he said in verse 14. The Law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Christ. The Law could not accomplish what God wanted, which was holiness, because the Law was written on external tables of stone. Therefore, Christ came with grace and truth. His grace enables us to fulfil the Law. The Law is not denigrated; it was fulfilled by Christ. His truth enables us to be set free from our bondages (Jn. 8:32), for whom the Son sets free is free indeed. In the New Testament era, the Law is written upon the fleshly tables of our hearts so that from the heart we can fulfil the righteousness of the Law. To do this we must walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh (Rom. 8:4).

1:18 -“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” The Father is eternal, and therefore Christ is eternal by virtue of the fact that He was in the bosom of the Father. Then at a certain point in time before the creation of the world, He came forth from the Father.

This is confirmed by Proverbs 8:22-24, where Christ (the personification of wisdom) says, “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.” Also, Christ said in John 16:27-28, “For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father.” Christ came out from the bosom of the Father. Everyone else was created, but Christ is the only begotten Son of God (Jn. 1:14,18; 3:16,18; 1 Jn. 4:9). “Begotten” means He came forth from the Father.

This concept of Christ being eternally existent in the Father can be illustrated through the example of Levi and Abraham. Hebrews 7:9-10 says, “And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father [Abraham], when Melchisedec met him.” In God’s eyes, Levi paid tithes in Abraham. Levi was not even alive at this time, but because Levi was in the loins of Abraham when Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedec, Levi is looked upon as having paid tithes as well. Thus Levi was in Abraham even before he was born several hundred years later.

God looks at it as though Levi had already been born and had paid tithes to Melchisedec because he was in Abraham and would come from Abraham. God is saying that Levi was pre-existent in Abraham. In a similar manner, Christ has always existed because He has been in the Father since the beginning of time, and at a certain point in time He came forth from the Father.

PART TWO

The Commencement of Jesus’ Ministry

1:19-51

The Witness of John - 1:19-34

1:19-21 -“And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.” The power of God was manifested in such a dramatic way in the life and ministry of John the Baptist that virtually no one denied that he was a prophet. Even though many of the Jewish leaders hated and envied him, they could not refute the anointing that was upon him. The religious leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to John the Baptist to inquire of him if he was the Christ or Elijah. He confessed and declared unto them, “I am not the Christ.”

In Israel, and particularly among those in Judea and Jerusalem, there was a sense of expectancy concerning the coming of Christ. The coming of the three magi (wise men) had certainly contributed to this, as well as the fact that they were led by a star to Bethlehem. When John denied that he was the Christ, they asked him if he was Elijah. They knew that Elijah had to come before Christ because of the teachings of the rabbis who quoted from Malachi 4:5-6. However, John again said, “I am not.”

1:22-23 -“Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet [Isaiah].” John was sent to prepare the hearts of the people to accept Christ. This is confirmed by the words of the angel in Luke 1:17, who said that John would go before the Lord to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

To answer the question of who he was, John quoted Isaiah 40:3, “I am the voice of one in the wilderness crying make straight the way of the Lord.” John’s calling was to be the forerunner of the King, for even an earthly king would never go anywhere unless someone went before him to prepare the way.

This is illustrated by Elijah and Ahab. Elijah told Ahab, “Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain” (1 Ki. 18:41). Ahab was a king; therefore, someone had to go before him. As there was such haste, Elijah ran before his horses, manifesting a mighty miracle of strength—for it is impossible for anyone to run 40 miles, outdistancing the king’s chariot drawn by the choicest horses in Israel.

1:24-27 -“And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”

Explaining John’s baptism, the Apostle Paul said in Acts 19:4, “John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” John declared the greatness of Jesus, saying that he was not worthy to loosen the Messiah’s sandal strap.

So often we do not appreciate the awe with which John reverenced Jesus. As I write this, I am seeing in a vision the meeting of the two cousins. They were both so holy, and yet John beheld Jesus with such wonder at His matchless purity. Both had spent their thirty years of life in preparation for this moment in time—John to declare Jesus; Jesus to be the unspotted Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

Words are inadequate to express such a scene, but it can be pictured as the meeting of two masters in any field of expertise, with the one who far excels the other being held in rapt admiration by the lesser. Such was the case between these two masters of holiness.

Jesus, later paying tribute to John, said in Matthew 11:11, “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

1:28 -“These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.” Bethabara is the place where the children of Israel crossed the Jordan River in the time of Joshua. Spiritually speaking, the crossing of the Jordan represents the burial of the old life and the rising again in newness of life to walk with the Lord. Water baptism typifies this experience, but to know the full reality of it, we must be crucified with Christ and die to our old nature (Gal. 2:20, Rom. 6:6).

1:29 -“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John introduces the earthly ministry of Christ. He was to be the Lamb of God who would die on the cross to take away the sins of the world, as prophesied in Isaiah 53:7. He was our Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7), who came to fulfil all the Levitical sacrifices and offerings. It is through His death that we are saved.

1:30-31 -“This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.” A king must be preceded by a messenger. That is why Elijah ran before Ahab and also why John came before Jesus. He was the forerunner of Jesus. The purpose of John’s ministry was to turn the hearts of the people to God so that they would receive Jesus, as many did (Lk. 1:16). For John, the presentation of Christ to the nation of Israel was the supreme moment of his life. This was his whole mission in life.

1:32-34 -“And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.” God had given John this special sign so that he would know of a certainty who the Son of God was.

The dove is a symbol of peace and also the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is like a dove in many ways. Doves are easily frightened and scared away. In the same way, if we do not welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives by our actions, and if our hearts are not soft toward Him, He will leave us. All those standing around saw the sign, but most of them did not understand it, because there were many doves near the Jordan River. Therefore, only John the Baptist realised its significance.

The First Four Disciples (1:35-51)

1:35-36 -“Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!” Jesus was in the area of the Jordan River for at least a day or two. John witnessed and testified again that Jesus was the Lamb of God. John had many disciples—devout and pious Jews who wanted to be associated with this prophet of God. Like the Jewish rabbis, John taught his disciples. Two of John’s disciples heard him declare when he looked upon Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Having been taught by John, and understanding that the purpose of his life was to identify Jesus as the Christ, they would have known the significance of this title.

1:37-39 -“And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.”

Aware that two of John’s disciples were following Him, the Lord Jesus turned and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” They said, “Rabbi, where dwellest thou?” “Come and see,” replied Christ. This took place at about the tenth hour of the day on the Jewish calendar, which is 4 p.m. Roman time. The Jewish day was from 6 p.m. to 6 p.m. of the next day.

This little phrase, “come and see,” is very interesting. It is repeated in verse 46 of this same chapter. Many years ago when I was in France, I was privileged to be a part of the French Pentecostal movement. The key phrase of this movement was taken from John 1:39, “Come and see.” The churches put over their entrances the French phrase “venez voir,” which is translated “come and see.” When you went into the churches, you witnessed the miraculous healings that would take place on a daily basis.

Psalm 66:5 says, “Come and see the works of God…” Oh, may God grant that we will be able to tell people, “Come and see what God is doing! Come and see His wonderful works!” We want to see the Spirit of God move in our churches so that when people come, they see the mighty works of God. May His healing waters flow in our midst!

1:40-41 -“One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.” Andrew, a disciple of John, left John to follow Christ. The first thing Andrew did after meeting Jesus was to find his brother Peter and bring him to Christ. There is a spiritual truth here. Whenever we meet the Lord in a new way, or even for the first time, we should seek to share those experiences with our family members first so that they can also know the Lord.

1:42 - “And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” When Simon Peter came to Jesus, the Lord told him that from then on he would be called Cephas, which means “a stone.”

When we come to Jesus, our character will be changed. The whole goal of a Christian is to be transformed (cf. Rom. 12:2). By nature, Peter was governed by his emotions and was very temperamental. One day he would experience great mountaintops, and the next day he would be down in the pit of despair.

The garden scene is surely typical of Peter’s character. First, in an attempt to show his zeal for the Lord, Peter cut off the ear of the servant of the High Priest, and yet later that same evening he denied Jesus when the servant girls challenged him. These tendencies are most unbecoming for a saint. Therefore, the Lord seeks to encourage us (Isa. 54:11-12) that we might become, as Peter, stable as a rock.

1:43-44 -“The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.” Jesus then went into Galilee and said to Philip when He found him, “Follow me.” Philip was from Bethsaida (a town in Galilee), as were Peter and Andrew. In fact, all the disciples, with the exception of Judas Iscariot, were from Galilee.

1:45 -“Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Philip went and found Nathanael, who is called Bartholomew in the other Gospels and in the book of Acts (Mt. 10:3, Mk. 3:18, Lk. 6:14, Acts 1:13). Philip told Nathanael that they had found—the Messiah—the One whom Moses and the prophets wrote and prophesied about.

1:46 -“And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.” God chose for His Son to be raised in the city that had the worst reputation in the whole nation of Israel. Nathanael said with disapproval, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

Nazareth was known to be a city of great mixture. The people who inhabited Nazareth were not pure Jews. They were Samaritans; in other words, people who had been transported to Samaria from heathen nations. Yet it was in this place that Jesus grew up and remained faithful to God. Beloved, I want to encourage you—God can keep your children in whatever atmosphere they are placed.

I am supportive of Christian schools, but if you are in a position where you cannot send your children to a Christian school, you should trust the Lord to preserve them. God kept His Son in the city that had the worst reputation in the whole of Israel. The grace of God is able to keep us from falling away from the Lord (Jude 1:24).

1:47 -“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” What a tremendous commendation of a man! Christ said that Nathanael was a true Israelite, which means an Israelite in heart. Paul said in Romans 9:6, “They are not all Israel, which are of Israel.” We want to be true Israelites in heart, which means to have a circumcised heart that is totally devoted to the Lord (Rom. 2:28-29).

Christ also said of Nathanael that there was no guile in him. This is a description of the Lord Himself, as seen in 1 Peter 2:22. The Lord chose Nathanael to be near Him and to be one of His 12 disciples because there was no guile in him. Those who will be nearest to the Lord in eternity on Mount Zion are those who do not have any guile or deceit in them. We read in Revelation 14:5, “And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

1:48-49 -“Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” Nathanael calls Jesus by two of His God-appointed names: “Son of God” and “King of Israel.” There are seven titles of Christ in John chapter 1.

1:50-51 -“Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” This was only the beginning of what Nathanael would see over the next three and a half years with the Lord. He would see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. This is very similar to the vision Jacob had of the ladder to heaven, with the angels of God ascending and descending on it (Gen. 28:12).

PART THREE

Signs and Public Discourses of Christ

2:1 - 12:50

CHAPTER TWO

First Sign - The Turning of the Water into Wine (2:1-11)

As we said at the onset, John’s Gospel can be divided into a series of sevens—the seven “I Am’s” of Christ, the seven pre-resurrection signs of Christ, and the seven major public discourses of Christ. In John chapter 2 we come to the first of the seven signs in John’s Gospel. A sign can be either a miracle or healing, but it is distinctly set apart in that its purpose is to reveal a spiritual truth. The all-important thing, of course, is that when we study and meditate on John’s Gospel we receive the truths that are hidden in these signs. We are now going to look at the first sign, which we have entitled, “The Miracle of Turning the Water into Wine.”

2:1 -“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there.” This sign took place on the third day. The third day speaks of the Lord’s resurrection, because He was resurrected after being three days in the heart of the earth. Therefore, there is a truth in this sign concerning Christ’s resurrection.

There is also contained in this miracle a truth concerning marriage. It relates to the marriage supper of the Lamb mentioned in the Book of Revelation, also written by John. In Revelation 19:7, we are told that the Bride of Christ has “made herself ready.” The Church is the Bride of Jesus Christ, and by the grace of God, we want to be ready for that marriage day.

2:2 -“And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.” Christ is putting His sanction on marriage by His appearance at this wedding. It would not be amiss to reflect at this time upon the fact that marriage was instituted by the Father and declared to be honourable by the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 13:4. Also, it is very clear from Scripture that divorce is contrary to the will of God (Mal. 2:16), and that remarriage while the former partner is still living is termed adultery (Rom. 7:3).

2:3-4 -“And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.” Wine was, of course, essential at any feast. So when they ran out of wine at the marriage feast, it was a major dilemma. Spiritually speaking, wine is a symbol of joy, and God wants us to be full of joy.

In the English translation of this verse, it appears that Christ was a little rough with His mother, Mary. However, the original Greek brings out that He was gentle and soft with her, using a term of courtesy that referred to a married lady. It could be translated, “Lady, what have I to do with thee?” It is clear here who is now in control.

“Mine hour is not yet come.” By this, Jesus was saying that the miracle He was about to perform, of turning the water into wine, was a sign of His death. Christ uses this little phrase several times in John’s Gospel (cf. Jn. 7:6,8). Christ was very conscious of the fact that He had to die at the specifically appointed time, and not before. It is interesting that in John 17:1, just before He was betrayed, He said, “Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.” Jesus knew when His hour had come to offer Himself upon the cross. Thus this miracle is linked with His resurrection.

2:5 -“His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” It is important to understand that at this point there has been a definite change in the relationship between Jesus and His mother, Mary. Jesus is now in command, and Mary recognises it. Thus in no way, shape, or form should prayers be made to Mary. This practice is totally contrary to Scripture.

As you look very carefully in Matthew 12:46-50, when Jesus was told that His mother and His brothers were looking for Him, He said, “Who is my mother, who are my brethren? … For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Mary had no power over Him as soon as He entered into His public ministry. If she had no power on earth, she certainly has no power in heaven. Therefore, it is abundantly clear from Scripture that prayers should not be made to Mary. Prayers should only be made to the Son of God (and the Godhead), for He is in command.