Life of Christ, section 5: First Miracle

8/22/2019 Life of Christ, section 5: First Miracle

1/21

TheMinistry

of Jesus

First miracleNicodemus

At the well


2/21

It is unclear where the locationfor some of the events of John

1:19-4:42 take placeWe know 2:1 starts in Cana(Galilee) - and 4:1 is in Samaria -chapters 1,3 have no location

given - the cleansing of thetemple is obviously in Jerusalembut this might not be in thecorrect chronological order.

ohn seems to have a subsectionhere and it is probably best tosimply accept it as such without

too much chronological analysis


3/21

The miracle at Cana

The 1st miracle - Jesus is at awedding where the wine runsout - such an event would havebeen embarrassing and shamefulfor the host

- drinking wine with meals wascommon, and often healthierthan water

- wine was seen as a gift fromGod Jdg 9:13, Ps 104:15 andalthough less intoxicating thantodays version could still cause

drunkenness


4/21

- Mary was invited too andasked Jesus to help

- verse 4 could be taken as arefusal to help or simply astatement that Jesus full selfrevelation is in the future

- Jesus was not beingdisrespectful here saying ineffect what do you want from

me?- he is submitted to Godstiming - and still performs themiracle (out of peoples sight)


5/21

- it is said that the stone water jarsfor ritual washing are set hereagainst the wedding banquet whichsymbolised the messianic age

- Jesus is the wine of the new agetranscending the old rituals

- see also Mark 2:22, new wine innew wineskins

- we see the best wine is saved for

last

- John notes this as a sign,something which will recur as the

gospel is followed


6/21

Cleansing the Temple?


7/21



8/21



9/21

ohn (2:13ff) places this much earlier than the othergospel writers

However it is suggested it could have happened this early

Blomberg suggests it is a clearingnot cleansing

- buying and selling of animals was necessary for sacrifice

- John sees the temple as representing the old rituals and

sacrificial ways which are about to be replaced,v19- Ps 69:9 indicates zeal for God - and possiblepersecution for such


10/21

Jesus and Nicodemus

- Nicodemus is a Pharisee- he has seen the signs andthinks these prove Jesus is sentfrom heaven

- Nicodemus does not lookgood as Jesus demonstrates hislack of understanding

- v3 born again can also betranslated born from above

- v5 then adds born of water andthe Spirit - but what does

that mean?


11/21

Jesus and Nicodemus





that mean?

*a ref. to Christian baptism*a ref to Johns baptism as a signof repentance*as a ref to spiritual and physical

birth*as a ref to spiritual cleansing asseen in Ezek 36:25-27 whichwould be seen in Messianic times

- this is seen as a sovereign actof God - as seen in theunpredictable activity of thewind

pneuma = wind or S/spirit


12/21

Jesus and Nicodemus





that mean?

*a ref. to Christian baptism*a ref to Johns baptism as a signof repentance*as a ref to spiritual and physical

birth*as a ref to spiritual cleansing asseen in Ezek 36:25-27 whichwould be seen in Messianic times

- this is seen as a sovereign actof God - as seen in theunpredictable activity of thewind

pneuma = wind or S/spirit

v16 is well known - the remaining verses less soFor God so loved the world that he gave his one and onlySon, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but haveeternal life.17For God did not send his Son into the world tocondemn the world, but to save the world through him.18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoeverdoes not believe stands condemned already because theyhave not believed in the name of Gods one and only Son.19This is the verdict: light has come into the world, butpeople loved darkness instead of light because their deeds

were evil.20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and willnot come into the light for fear that their deeds will be

exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into thelight, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done

has been done in the sight of God.


13/21

Jesus and the woman atthe well


14/21



15/21



16/21

- Jesus again talks to someoneoutside his group, but thisconversation is very different to the

one with Nicodemus- powerful, male, Jew, pious, well off:powerless, female, Samaritan, poor,outcast due to marital history

- she (is unnamed) respondspositively and brings others to Jesus

- 3 social / cultural barriers

*gender

*religious / ethnic background

*should not associate with people

who are sexually immoral


17/21

- in seeing the boundaries brokendown the story indicates who notnecessarily howto evangelise

- Jesus changes the subject tospiritual matters (flowing water)which the woman wants and thenesus starts to address her marriage,

calling her to repent- the well is that of Jacob and somesuggest a comparison being drawnbetween the two systems (old and

new)- Jesus deals with the issue of whereto worship (which was an ongoingdebate) by changing the locale to

make it personal in spirit and truth


18/21

- Jesus declares himself theMessiah (25-26)

- why was he so clear? Somesay it was becauseSamaritans expected Messiahto be less nationalistic /military and more converteror redeemer, so words wereless likely to bemisinterpreted

- the conversation concludeswith a debrief for thedisciples fields ripe forharvest, belief of the local

people

Ebal and GerizimDt 11:22ff, 27:1ff, Josh

8:30-35Just over 1 mile

between the mounts


19/21

The section in Johns gospelends with Jesus back inCana and the second sign -healing of an officials son -this is part of anothersection of Galilean ministrybut is placed here by Johnas a bookend of John 2-4

which Blomberg entitlesThe newness of Jesusministry.


20/21


21/21

The sun

has gone tobed and so

must I...but Ishall be

back

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Life of Christ, section 5: First Miracle