March 4th - John Chapter 4

Chapter four begins with Jesus having a conversation with a Samaritan woman, in which the woman finds surprising that Jesus, a Jewish man would speak to her. This is a classic example of man's prejudice and hatred toward his fellow man.

Historical background:

In 930 B.C. king Solomon divided the nation of Israel into two nations - Northern Kingdom, also referred to as Israel after 930 B.C., and the Southern Kingdom, also referred to as Judah.

In 722 B.C. the Northern Kingdom fell to the Assyrians, and many Jews were deported to Assyria, and foreigners were brought in to settle the land and help keep the peace. The intermarriage between those foreigners and the remaining Jews resulted in a mixed race, impure in the opinion of Jews who lived in the southern kingdom. Thus, the pure Jews hated this mixed race, called Samaritans , because they felt that their fellow Jews who had intermarried had betrayed their people and nation. Therefore, the Jews would have nothing to do with Samaritans, so this woman finds it odd that Jesus, a Jewish man, would speak to her.

Living water:

Throughout the Old Testament God is referred to as the "Living water" or "Fountain of life". When Jesus refers to himself as "living water" he was claiming to be the Messiah.

Worship:

The woman brings up the fact that Jews say you must worship in Jerusalem and her people say you must worhsip in Samaritan. Jesus tells her the location of worship is not nearly as important as the attitude of worship.

Interesting note:

In this section Jesus reveals himself to two people outside the Jewish people. One is a Samaritan woman and the other is a Roman Official. Both believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus encounter with the woman and the healing of the Official's son were more than favors, Jesus was giving a sign for all people that he was the promised Messiah.

The Official's Faith:

Notice how the official's faith grew. First, he believed enough to walk 20 miles and ask Jesus to help his son. Second, he believed Jesus' assurance that his son would live, and he acted on it. Third, he and his whole family believed in Jesus.

Faith is a gift that grows as we use it.

March 3rd - John chapter three

John 3:16 is the most quoted and known verse in the bible. It is part of a dialog Jesus is having with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. Nicodemus comes to Jesus in secret and ask about eternal life. It is believed that Nicodemus later became a follower of Christ.

The significances of Jesus' words to Nicodemus cannot be overstated. Often people desire to come to God in their own way, and Jesus makes it clear there is only one way to eternal life with God and that is God's way.

Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be spiritually born again. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the forbidden tree they died spiritually; meaning they were cut off from God. Therefore, it would stand to reason the only way back to God would be spiritual rebirth. This spiritual rebirth comes through repenting and turning from sin unto Christ.

In today's reading we have recorded Jesus first miracle, changing the water into wine. In our culture we seem to focus too much on the "wine" part and miss the meaning and purpose of this first recorded miracles.

Background

Jesus is one of many guest that has been invited to a wedding. Jewish weddings in the first century were a big event that required months of preparation. It was the host responsibility to provide food and drink for this celebrative ocassion for all his/her guests. Wedding celebrations could last sometimes up to seven days. The host would have to estimate how many guest would be in attendance, how much food and drink they would consume based upon how many days the celebration would last.

In some cases, a host would have to stored up 200 - 300 gallons of wine. This would take months to collect. Here would be the process - the host would have his servants go to his own vineyard pick the grapes, press the grapes to make what we would know as grape juice. If he didn't own his own vineyard he would have his servants go purchase the grapes. He would begin this process usually twelve months in advance. It may take him up to the week of the wedding to collect enough grape juice for his invited guests.

They didn't have perservatives or refrigeration as we do today. So the grape juice collected would in time begin to ferment, the longer it set, the stronger it would ferment. As grape juice naturally ferments it becomes bitter tasting. Fermented grape juice or wine was called vinegar in the first century. He didn't want to start this process any sooner than he had too, because he wanted to serve his guest the best tasting wine. It was vinegar they offered Jesus when he was dying on the cross, fermented grape juice to easy his pain.

At a wedding celebration the host would offer his guest the fresh or newest wine which would not have begun fermentation; and which would taste the best. This way they would only get into the bitter tasting wine (fermented) at the end of the celebration.

Notice what the guest said to the host concerning the water Jesus turned into wine, "You have saved the best until now." It has been argued whether or not the water Jesus turned into wine was fermented, while we were not there and don't know for certain, I conclude based upon the words of the guest it at least tasted like non-fermented wine. My personal conviction is the water turned into wine was not fermented, it was what we call grape juice.

Meaning or purpose of this miracle

With such focus on the wine and whether or not it was fermented we miss the real meaning and purpose of this miracle.

First of all, it was a great insult for a host to run out of wine or food. To run out of food or wine meant someone didn't properly prepare. In most cases, the host would have servants to take care of this detail, which was the case at this wedding.

The servants messed up, they ran out of wine. This was going to cause great embarrassment for the host and the servants would be punished harshly. This was a relationship miracle. Jesus done this miracle to show his love and compassion toward people who have messed up.

Secondly, this was a miracle of nature. Jesus in performing this miracle was demonstrating his power and authority even over nature - he could turn water into wine.

Thirdly, this miracle is a message to you and I that God's best for our lives is "now", not yesterday and not tomorrow.

The Gospel of John

The Gospel of John was written by the disciple John, brother of James, son of Zebedee. John's intended audience was everyone, whereas Matthew wrote for a Jewish audience, Mark for Romans, and Luke for Greeks.

John's focus is to present Jesus as the Son of God. He presents the most powerful case in the Bible for the deity of Christ. This truth is underscored by John in four ways.

First, John emphasizes the preexistence of Christ in chapter one.

Second, John sets forth seven signs (miracles) of Christ's deity ( chapters 1-12):

1. Jesus changes the water into wine

2. Jesus heals the Offical's son

3. Jesus heals a man at a pool

4. Jesus feeds the five thousand

5. Jesus walks on water

6. Jesus heals a man born blind

7. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead

Third, Jesus made the seven "I am" statement which are references to the Messiah:

1. I am the resurrection

2. I am the bread of life

3. I am the light of the world

4. I am the door

5. I am the good shepherd

6. I am the way, the truth

7. I am the true vine

Fourth, John mentions five witnesses to Jesus indentity as God, the Messiah:

1. John the Baptist

2. God the Father

3. Jesus himself

4. The Bible (Scripture)

5. The work of Jesus

Structural Plan of John's Gospel:

* Incarnation of the Son of God - 1:1 - 18

* Presentation of the Son of God - 1:19 - 4:54

* Opposition to the Son of God - 5:1 - 12:50

* Preparation by the Son of God - 13:1 - 17:26

* Vindication of the Son of God - 18:1 - 21:25

Key Verse in the Gospel of John:

"These (signs) are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God." (20:31)

Key words in the Gospel of John:

Truth, believe, faith, love, light, & word

The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the synoptic gospels. Synoptic means taking a common or similar view. There is a great deal of overlap in these three Gospels; but each tells the story from a particular point of view and for a particular audience.

The Jewish Gospel

The name Matthew means 'gift of God'. Matthew was one of the disciples who traveled with Jesus. Before his call to follow Jesus, Matthew was a tax collector. His tax booth was located at Capernaum on the main north-south highway from Damascus to Egypt. Matthew's duty was to collect 'toll' or 'transport' taxes from locals carrying their goods to market as well as from long-distance caravans. Matthew's training as a tax collector would serve him well as one of the writers of Scripture. First, by training he would have been a meticulous record keeper. Secondly, he traveled with Jesus and was an eye-witness to Jesus ministry.

The Jewish People

Matthew writes his Gospel mainly to a Jewish audience. The Jewish people were interested in the Old Testament predictions concerning the Messiah. In Matthew's writings Jesus declared that twenty-one prophecies had been fulfilled. Matthew himself pointed out another twenty-one predictions fulfilled in the events of the life of Christ.

Second, Jews held the Law of Moses in great respect. They were concerned about the attitude of Jesus toward the Law. Matthew's Gospel contains many positive statements that Jesus made regarding the Law of Moses.

Third, every religious Jew knew that the Messiah had to come from the line of David. Matthew takes pains to trace the legal ancestry of Jesus (through Joseph his legal father) back to David.

Fourth, Jews were expecting God to establish a glorious kingdom on earth. Matthew mentioned the kingdom fifty-six times, more than any of the other three Gospels.

Eternal Purpose

The immediate purpose of the Gospel of Matthew is to provide a topical account of the life of Christ for the Jewish Christian community. The ultimate purpose of the book is to demonstrate that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah promised throughout the Old Testament.

Special Features

From the earliest days the Gospel of Matthew has been the most widely read and in some respects the most influential of the four Gospels.

Matthew contains the most complete record of what Jesus taught. Sixty percent of the Gospel of Matthew contain the spoken words of Jesus.

More than any of the other Gospels, Matthew quotes the Old Testament - at least fifty-seven times.

Matthew records ten parables not recorded in the other Gospels.

Matthew records three miracles not recorded elsewhere: the two blind men (9:27-31); the dumb demoniac (9:32-33); the coin in the fish's mouth (17:24-27).

Outline of Matthew's Gospel

* Preparation for the King (1:1-4:11)

* Principles of the King (4:12-7:29)

* Power of the King (8:1-10:42)

* Program of the King (11:1-13:52)

* Purpose of the King (13:53-18:35)

* Problems of the King (19:1-25:46)

* Passion of the King (26:1-28:20)

Luke 19: Jesus clears the temple

Part of the festival of Passover includes sacrificing animals to God. There were strict laws that explained what to sacrifice and how perfect the animal must be. Now, imagine you are coming from Capernaum which is up near the Sea of Galilee...are you going to bring an animal with you or are you going to wait and buy one in Jerusalem?

If you bring one with you, it's important to make sure it's perfect, no blemishes, so it will be accepted by the priests for the sacrifice. If it's not perfect you will have to buy one in Jerusalem and it will cost more. I've heard stories that some of the priests were corrupt at the temple. Poor Joseph from Capernaum would bring what he believes to be a perfect lamb for his sacrifice only to have the priest tell him it's not perfect. The priest would then allow him to trade in his lamb with some cash and get a new lamb that has been deemed acceptable. After Joseph leaves with his new lamb, the next guy brings his lamb in and the priests tell him the same thing they told Joseph. Then the priests turn around and sell this guy Joseph's lamb, saying it's acceptable for sacrifice, and the cycle goes on and on with the priests scamming people out of lambs and money.

All of that to say, Jesus wasn't happy with this practice (and some other wicked practices) so he drove these men out of the temple courts.

Luke 19: Entering Jerusalem on a donkey

Here is a picture taken from the Mount of Olives. This road leads down the Mount of Olives through the Kidron Valley and up to the Temple Mount. The golden Dome of the Rock stands in the place where the temple would have been in Jesus' time. This isn't necessarily the road Jesus road into town on...but it gives you an idea of his view as He came into town on a donkey with the streets lined with people shouting "Hosanna!" and "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" and "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

Luke 19: Zacchaeus was a wee little man...

Today we read one of my favorite stories from childhood! I can see my Sunday School teacher telling the story with the flannelgraph board as I read. A few things stick out to me as I read this passage.

1) Zacchaeus had a deep desire to see Jesus. He was a short man and couldn't see Jesus because of the crowd so he ran ahead and climbed a tree so he could have the opportunity to see Jesus. How often do I "climb a tree" or do something crazy just so I can catch a glimpse of Jesus. Too many times I only experience Jesus when it's easy and convenient for me.

2) There was something in Jesus that brought out the best in people. Here we have a tax collector that the people hated (probably because he was a crooked tax collector) yet this "sinner" wanted to be around Jesus. I need the same attitude Jesus had toward these people on the fringe of society and those that the world called sinners. He must have in some way loved them and embraced them and at the same time pointed out their wrong doings. How did He balance these two things? Many times I find myself being judgemental and condemning. I need to be more like Christ as I relate to "the lost".

3) Here Jesus says, "the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." I need to be more about the mission of Jesus in this way!

Coming Soon!