Two Year Gospel Study Week 82

The Gospel of John Week 4
Scripture: John 2:1-22, Genesis 1:10 & 12, Isaiah 62:5, Isaiah 25:6-9

Today’s study starts with the story of a wedding at Cana in Galilee and the text opens with “On the third day.”  The first day is Sunday, the second day of the week is Monday and the third day is Tuesday.  The wedding is happening on a Tuesday. Why is the wedding on Tuesday? The answer is because of what we read in Genesis 1:10 and 12 where God declared everything as good, not once but twice on the third day of creation and the rabbis said the third day is an especially good day - what a great day for marriages! So orthodox Jewish people have set their wedding dates on Tuesdays going back to Biblical times.

Mary, Jesus’ mother is at this wedding, too. They are most likely into the 4th or more day of the wedding feast. (They typically lasted a week or longer). And they run out of refreshment and Mary lets Jesus know they have run out of wine. Mary then tells the servants to “do whatever He tells you.”  This is a word for us today - to do what Jesus tells us. We are to listen and obey.

Pastor considers the questions: “Isn’t this a rather frivolous miracle? Why would Jesus for His first miracle make 150 gallons of wine?”  Let’s take a look at this miracle in light of what the Old Testament Scriptures say and what the Jewish people believe: God speaks of Himself as being married to His people. God calls Himself the groom and He gives Himself for His bride (the children of Israel). We reading Isaiah 62:5 "For as a young man marries a young woman, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." And the Bible talks of wedding feast banquets when Messiah comes. Isaiah 25:6-9 begins with: 
“On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
    a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
    the best of meats and the finest of wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
    the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
    he will swallow up death forever.”

These are a sample of the verses Jewish people knew and now Jesus performs His first miracle at a wedding! This is not a frivolous miracle - this is Jesus saying: “I am the Bridegroom. I am the One who provides everything you need. I am the One who brings in the wedding feast!”  This miracle points to Jesus as the Messiah! It is a dramatic declaration of Jesus’ identity and purpose and going forth Jesus will continually refer to Himself as the Bridegroom and to His people as those who get to be invited to the wedding feast.

Pastor shares other great insight into:
    1.    Why it’s important that the jars where stone and not clay pottery
    2.    The use of the word “signs”
    3.    The 7 miracles shared in the Gospel of John and how they show Jesus’ identity and demonstrate He is the Messiah.
    4.    The recent archeological discoveries that go back to the 1st century.

Next in our text we read the story of the Temple cleansing where Jesus overturns money changing tables at the Temple.  John is the only gospel that has this story at the beginning of Jesus ministry, the other gospels have it at the end of His ministry. Pastor shares the perspective of there being 2 temple cleansing: 1 at the beginning and.another at the end of Jesus’ ministry.

Other interesting points
    ⁃    The temple was to be a house of prayer - not a market place
    ⁃    Money changing was being done where worship was supposed to be happening
    ⁃    Tyrian Stater - 1/2 shekel temple tax
    ⁃    Pastor shares a detailed description of the Temple in Jesus’ day and does a dating of events in conjunction with the building of the temple and Jesus’ ministry
    ⁃    Pastor suggests a book by Jack Finnegan, “Handbook of Biblical Chronology”

Our reading today ends with John 2:20-21 where we read that Jesus knows what is in our hearts. He can see into our very souls. We cannot con Jesus. He is the Living God come to earth and we cannot fool Him.  

Pastor ends today’s class with a look at the Feasts of the Lord celebrated by the Jewish people and how the festivals point us to understanding their connection to who Jesus is: The Fulfillment of each festival.

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    ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. 
    ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before.

Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!