Jesus and the Temple

4TH and 1
Part 6: Jesus at the Temple

12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days. 13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

1. While the Synoptic Gospels record a temple-action by Jesus near the end of his earthly ministry (Matt 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, Luke 19:45-46), the event is found near the beginning here. While it is possible that Jesus performed this temple-action twice, most scholars believe that the author of the 4th Gospel has re-arranged the material.
2. Some have struggled with this passage in that it portrays Jesus as angry and/or violent. One should not overestimate the amount of violence involved in this story, but it is impossible to avoid the fact that Jesus was acting with zeal.
3. The most popular interpretation of this passage is that Jesus was angry that the religious space had been turned into commercial space.
4. At a somewhat deeper level, Jesus’ anger may have been toward the fact that Israel was failing in its mission to bring the nations into a relationship with the true God.

18 Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

1. The Jewish authorities were less interested in whether Jesus’ action was justified (right) and more interested in whether He had the proper authority to do it (legality).
2. Jesus refused to provide miracles on demand, choosing instead to prove His authority in such a way that required careful consideration and patience from His hearers.
3. The Second Temple beautification project had begun under Herod the Great 46 years prior to this event. It was not completed until AD63 (just 7 years before it was destroyed).
4. In a sense, by clearing the temple, Jesus was depicting the soon coming end of the Temple Era and sacrificial system. He was the True Temple and Passover Lamb.

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

1. Jesus knew that many people were only in pursuit of the signs (what Jesus could offer) and not what the signs pointed to (who Jesus was).

John 2:1-11 (Water to Wine)

4TH and 1
Part 5: Water to Wine

1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

1. 1st century Jewish weddings often involved the whole village and the whole week. In that culture, to run out of wine was a dreadful embarrassment.
2. The wine was not mere grape juice, but it was diluted with water (a bit less strong than American beer).
3. This story marks a transition in the relationship between Jesus & Mary. Jesus had submitted to his parents (Luke 2:51), but now it was time for Mary to submit to Jesus.
4. This story prepares/focuses the reader on the yet future (from the perspective of chapter 2) time/hour that Jesus here refers to.

6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”;

1. Six, most commonly in Scripture, represents imperfection and incompletion.
2. The story symbolizes that the Jewish religion was imperfect (the water jars were sitting empty) and incomplete (only 6 water Jars).


so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

1. That the water jars were filled to the brim anticipates the miracle. The abundance of wine was an indicator that ultimate joy and salvation had arrived.
2. The story reveals that Jesus is the source of that anticipated abundance. He is what Israel had been waiting for.

11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

1. The 4th Gospel is routinely divided into two main sections: The Book of Signs (1:19-12:50) Book of Glory (13:1-20:31). The Book of Signs contains 7 ‘Sign’ Miracles.

1. Water to Wine (2:1-11)
2. The Sick Son (4:43-54)
3. Healing at the Pool (5:1-15)
4. Feeding the 5,000 (6:1-15)
5. Walking on Water (6:16-24)
6. The Man Born Blind (9:1-12)
7. Raising of Lazarus (11:38-44)


Next Week: Jesus at the Temple (John 2:12-25)

John 1:35-51 (The First Followers)

4TH and 1
Part 4: The First Followers

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

1. This is the account of when certain individuals began to follow Jesus (literally). It comes prior to the account in the synoptic gospels when Jesus calls them to full-time discipleship (Matt 4:18-22, Mark 1:16-20, Luke 5:1-11).
2. On a surface level reading this passage appears quite mundane, but there are probably double meanings intended in many of the phrases.

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

1. Andrew, who is a bit more prominent in the 4th Gospel, illustrates the evangelistic nature of faith in this text.
2. For Jesus to change Simon’s name to Cephas/Peter not only demonstrates his authority, but also speaks to his thorough knowledge of a person’s character & potential
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

1. Philip, like Andrew, is more prominent in the 4th Gospel than in the Synoptics. He, too, is evangelistic.
2. Nathanael is usually equated with the disciple Bartholomew.
3. Nathanael’s response may demonstrate a prejudice against the town of Nazareth and/or skepticism due to the lack of prophecies connecting the Messiah to such a place.

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

1. Once again, Jesus showed that he possessed intimate knowledge of his seemingly new acquaintance.
2. Jesus’ statement in v. 51 refers back to the story in Genesis 28:10-22. Thus, he is either saying he is the bridge between heaven & earth, or the head of the newly constituted Israel. In either case, he is Jacob’s dream come true.

Next Week: Water to Wine (John 2:1-11)

John 1:19-34 (John the Baptist)

4TH and 1
Part 3: John the Baptist’s Ministry

19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

1. The Jewish leadership wanted to investigate John the Baptist because his message & activities were attracting large crowds. Indeed, his ministry is even mentioned by Josephus.
2. The people of the 1st century were waiting for various prophecies to be fulfilled. John denied that he was either the Christ, Elijah (Malachi 4:5), or The Prophet (Deut. 18:15).
3. Despite John the Baptist’s denial that he was Elijah, Jesus affirmed that John was the fulfillment of the Elijah prophecy (Matthew 11:14, Luke 1:17).
4. John did affirm, however, that he was the fulfillment of another prophecy from Isaiah 40:3.

24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

1. If he wasn’t fulfilling one of these significant prophetic roles, then what business (some Pharisees wondered) did he have baptizing people (especially Jewish people!)?
2. John viewed his ministry as humble preparation for another.

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

1. The “Lamb of God” is an Old Testament image, probably a combination of Isaiah 53:4-12 and Exodus 12:1-11.
2. John says Jesus takes away sin
3. John says Jesus takes away the sin of the world
4. John says Jesus existed before he did
5. John says the purpose of his ministry was to reveal Jesus

32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”

1. John had been told in advance that a sign (the Spirit coming down as a dove and remaining on Jesus) would accompany the arrival of the Lord.
2. John testified that Jesus was the Son of God.


Next Week: The First Followers (John 1:35-51)

John 1:1-18 (Prologue)

4TH and 1
Part 2: Prologue

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

1. The passage has clear allusions to Genesis 1
2. Usage of ‘The Word’ comes from the Old Testament*
3. Psalm 33:6, Isaiah 55:11
*’The Word’ was also used in ancient pagan philosophy
4. The Word is both distinct from and equated with God

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.*

1. The Word was responsible for all creation. This is the consistent teaching of the New Testament. 1 Cor. 8:6, Colossians 1:16-17, Heb. 1:2
2. Knowledge of God is available through the Word.
3. Darkness (ignorance and evil) cannot defeat* light. They are not equal opposites.
*Understood is better translated as ‘overcome’

6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

1. The focus changes, here, to how darkness was ultimately defeated in Jesus Christ. The story of Christ’s victory begins with the witness of John the Baptist.
9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

1. Through the incarnation of the Word, the true/ultimate means to knowing God came to the world.
2. Amazingly, the very world that the Word created did not (in general) recognize Him as their Creator. What’s more, not even God’s covenant people received Him.
3. Some, however, received/believed-in His identity/authority and were born-again as children of God, a birth not of the flesh (sexual relations), but of God (Spiritual relations).

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” 16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.

1. The author is part of a community of witnesses to the shocking incarnation of God. This would have been shocking to both Jews and Gentiles for different reasons.
2. The incarnation is, of course, superior to all previous revelation. Seeing Jesus amounts to having seen God.