John’s Good News
An EasyEnglish Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on John’s *Gospel
Les Painter
A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.
The author wrote this *gospel (good news) in Ephesus about 60 years after the death of Jesus. Nowhere does it say that John the *disciple wrote the *gospel. However, the early *church believed that he did. The early Christian writers in about AD 200 agreed that John was the author.
John was the youngest son of Zebedee and Salome. Zebedee owned a boat on the Sea of Galilee.
John is one of the 12 *disciples. Jesus called John, and James, who was John’s brother, to become his *disciples (Mark 1:20). Together with Peter and James, John was a close friend of Jesus. Sometimes Jesus chose just these three to be near to him.
John does not mention his own name in this *gospel, but he writes four times of ‘the *disciple whom Jesus loved’ (13:23-25; 19:25-27; 20:2; 21:20). Twice John says that he saw what happened at a particular time (19:35; 21:24). The other three *gospel writers mention John many times.
John’s *gospel is telling the good news of our *salvation from *sin by Jesus Christ. This *gospel is different from the other three. It does not tell us so many of the events of Jesus’ life. For example, it does not tell of his birth. John wants to tell us more than the story of Jesus’ life; he tries to explain the meaning behind the things that Jesus said and did. He tells us who Jesus Christ is rather than what he does. John wrote about the great mystery - that Jesus is God as well as a man.
John wrote his *gospel for believers in the early *churches. These *churches were in the countries of Greece and Asia. He wanted to help them to develop in their Christian lives. He wanted to show them why they should look at Jesus. They would discover what God the Father is like. Jesus is the one who shows the *glory and greatness of God to the world. God shows his *glory through his Son. He is a man born of a woman. He lives among people (Matthew 1:16).
John tells us why he wrote the *gospel - ‘that all may believe’ (20:30-31). John speaks about ‘signs’. They are things that really happened. They show that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is the ‘*Messiah’. He is a person whom the *Jews were expecting to come from God. This person would save *Israel, God’s people. He would save them from their enemies. (Jesus did provide a way to save *Israel, but not as the *Jews expected.)
The *salvation that Jesus obtained for us at the *cross means that we can have God’s life now, while we are alive. Moreover, we can have it for all time in *heaven after we die.
Jesus Christ is the Word who has always been (1:1-5)
John the *Baptist (1:6-8)
The light coming to the world (1:9-13)
The Word has become a human person (1:14-18)
John explains who he is (1:19-28)
John talks about the *Lamb of God (1:29-34)
Jesus chooses his first *disciples (1:35-51)
Water changed into wine - the first sign (2:1-11)
Jesus clears the *Temple (2:12-25)
The new birth (3:1-21)
Jesus and John the *Baptist (3:22-4:3)
Jesus in Samaria (4:4-42)
A second sign in Galilee (4:43-54)
The third sign – Jesus heals a sick man (5:1-18)
Jesus teaches about the Father and the Son (5:19-47)
The fourth sign – Jesus feeds the crowds (6:1-15)
The fifth sign - Jesus walks on the water (6:16-24)
Discussions about the bread of life (6:25-59)
What the *disciples think about Jesus’ teaching (6:60-71)
Jesus moves from Galilee to Jerusalem (7:1-9)
The teaching of Jesus at the *Feast (7:10-52)
Jesus helps a woman caught in *adultery (7:53-8:11)
Jesus as the light of the world (8:12-59)
The sixth sign - Jesus heals a man born blind (9:1-41)
Jesus as the *shepherd (10:1-18)
The result of this teaching (10:19-21)
Discussion at the *Feast of Lights (10:22-42)
Jesus the winner over death (11:1-44)
The results of the *miracle (11:45-57)
The love and care of Mary (12:1-8)
Reactions to Jesus being in Bethany (12:9-11)
The entry into Jerusalem (12:12-19)
The Greeks look for Jesus (12:20-26)
Jesus leaves and hides himself (12:27-36)
People still do not believe (12:37-50)
Jesus washes the *disciples’ feet (13:1-38)
Promises and orders to the *disciples (14:1-31)
The example of the *vine (15:1-17)
Further teaching for the *disciples (15:18-16:33)
The *prayer of Jesus (17:1-26)
The *betrayal (18:1-11)
The *trial (18:12-19:16)
The *crucifixion (19:17-37)
The *burial (19:38-42)
The *resurrection (20:1-29)
The end (20:30-21:25)
The first 18 verses of John’s *Gospel tell us about the Word. To the *gentile Greeks the Word was the power that made everything to exist and grow. It was the reason and mind behind everything that is. The Word was the power that made the world. However, they did not believe that the Word was a person. Neither did they believe that the Word existed before the world, the sun, moon and the stars. The Greeks did not believe that the Word was *eternal.
There is a difference between the Greeks’ and the *Jews’ thoughts. John understands that the Word became a person. That person was there before there was a world or anything. The *Jews believed that God made everything through the power of his words. They spoke about the Word of Wisdom (Proverbs 8:22). The *Jews also knew how important the Word was when God spoke it. ‘“God said, ‘Let there be light; and there was light’” (Genesis 1:3). See also Isaiah 55:11. The book of Revelation describes Jesus as ‘the Word of God’ (Revelation 19:13).
In these first 18 verses, John says that God’s Word became a person, the man called Jesus. The *gospels of Matthew and Luke tell the story of Jesus’ birth. John tries to explain why God sent his Son to earth. He is trying to tell us about a very special person, Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God and the perfect man.
The Greeks had another thought. It was about the world in which we live and the things that we can see. To them this was not the real world. Their world was another world, one you cannot see. That world was a perfect and beautiful place. They saw the world we live in merely as a copy of their real (that you cannot see) world. So John tells us that a real person came into the real world. Jesus is the ‘real’ light (1:9). Jesus is the ‘real’ bread (6:32). Jesus is the ‘real’ *vine (15:1). To Jesus belongs the ‘real’ *judgement (8:16). Jesus is a real person in the Greeks’ world of shadows.
That is what John means when he talks of Jesus’ *miracles as signs. They show what is real in the Greeks’ world of shadows. The real is in God himself. Jesus is the Word who shows the real and true God. The *miracles (signs) that Jesus did healed people. But John does not think so much about what they did. He sees them as ‘for the *glory of God’ (2:11; 11:4 and 9:3). To John these *miracles are like a window. They show Jesus to us. He alone is real and true. Jesus is God come to earth as a person.
The first words of Genesis are, ‘In the beginning God *created the heavens and the earth’. ‘Genesis’ means beginning. These first words of the *gospel are the same. The Word of God (Jesus) was with God before the *creation of the world. He was there from the beginning with God. Jesus is the power of God: he made the world and keeps it going (3).
Jesus is also God. God is one God, but he shows himself to us in different ways. The Bible speaks of him as God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the *Holy *Spirit. In himself, Jesus is the same as God. He shares in everything God does. So when we see Jesus, we see God the Father. God is always Jesus-like. God has never changed. God has never been different from what he has always been. He is the same God in the *Old Testament as in the *New Testament. Jesus’ words and actions show us what God thinks about us. They show us too how much he loves us.
Together with and through the Word (Jesus), God *created all things (Hebrews 11:3). God did not make anything without the help of Jesus Christ. Before God *created the world, there was nothing there. God did not take something and make it into the world. God is not part of the world. He was there before the world was. He is therefore separate from the world. We cannot find God in parts of his world. For example, we cannot find him in animals or trees.
Everything that God *created received its life from the Word (Acts 17:28). When God *created the world he said, “Let there be light”(Genesis 1:3). The Word of God gave the physical light. He also wants to give *spiritual light (being able to understand) to everyone (4). This light shows everyone who God is.
God *created the world. He saw that it was ‘very good’ (Genesis 1:4). However, when *sin entered the world, darkness entered too. Because of *sin, the world is no longer ‘very good’. It is in darkness. The light made the darkness disappear.
Darkness describes those do not want to follow God’s ways. Darkness is life without Jesus Christ. He is the light that shines in the darkness (5). He defeated the darkness at the *cross. The light of Jesus Christ keeps shining in the darkness. But the darkness has never understood or won the battle against the light. Jesus defeated the darkness at the *cross.
God has always sent people (called *prophets) to tell the good news about himself. As far as we know, there had been no *prophets for four hundred years. At this time in history, God sent a *prophet named John the *Baptist. He came to point out to the *Jews that Jesus was their *Messiah. John was a great man (see Acts 19:3-4). He became very famous. People thought that he might even be the *Messiah. John, the *gospel writer, emphasises that John the *Baptist is not the *Messiah. John is not the light. He came only to show people the light.
John now speaks of the one who is more important than John the *Baptist. The true light (the Word) is Jesus who is coming into the world (9). There has always been light in the world. People have always been able to see God through the things that he has *created. There is also a voice inside speaking to us of right and wrong (*Romans 1:18-21). The ‘world’ means more than the *Jewish people of the world. It means the people who do not believe. (The writer is thinking most but not entirely of *Jews here).
John now writes about Jesus’ life. Jesus came to the world that he had made. But most *Jews did not believe that he was their *Messiah (10-11). However, some people (*Jews and *gentiles) believed his words. Then they became God’s children.
The name of a person was very important. It showed what he or she was like. The name Jesus means ‘God is the *saviour’ (Matthew 1:21). Believing in Jesus’ name means accepting the *salvation that he obtained for everyone at the *cross. When people believe in his name, it means they believe in the character of God. They believe that God is good. He is kind and loves the people of the world. When they see Jesus, they see God and believe in him. Then God gives them the right to become his own children. All who believe in him are in God’s family.
God’s children do not come from a human birth. We cannot make ourselves children of God. Only God can make us his children. Jesus took our *sins on the *cross. He gives us his *Holy *Spirit when we agree that he died for us. All who believe in him are his children. God is their Father (12-13).
John tells us in these verses that the Word becomes the man, Jesus. He becomes a person and the *disciples see him with their own eyes. Would you like to see what this great God is like? Then look at the Jesus who was on this earth. He shows us how God would live if he were a man. God came from *heaven to this earth and became like us. He ate, drank and slept like us. He had the same feelings that we have.
John uses the idea of a tent to describe how Jesus lived on earth. Jesus came for a short period. He did not have a permanent home. In the *Old Testament, God’s people lived in the desert. God’s home was a tent. See Exodus 36:18-38, and chapter 40 for details of the *tabernacle (tent). This was where God would meet the *Israelites.
In the desert, the *glory of the *Lord appeared in a cloud (Exodus 16:10). The *glory of the *Lord came upon Mount Sinai. This was before God gave the Ten *Commandments (Exodus 24:16). When Moses had prepared the *tabernacle, the *glory of the *Lord filled it (Exodus 40:34). Solomon built the *Temple. The priests could not go into it. Because then, the *glory of the *Lord filled the house of the *Lord (1 Kings 8:11). When Isaiah saw the *Lord in the *Temple, he heard the *angels singing. They sang, “The whole earth is full of his *glory” (Isaiah 6:3).
John tells us how he and other *disciples saw the *glory of Jesus, God’s Son. They saw his *glory in the *miracles that he did (John 2:11). They saw his *glory in the *Transfiguration on the mountain (Matthew 17:2). Always when the *disciples were with him, they saw his *glory. They knew and felt that he was present with them all the time. It was wonderful.
Moreover, Jesus is full of *grace and truth. *Grace is God’s special *blessing. We do not have to earn it. It does not depend on how good we are. God gives it to us freely and without price. *Grace also helps us to understand God. It shows us that he is strong and powerful. He could easily destroy us if he wished. But *grace shows that he is gentle and kind. He wants good things for us. Jesus came to show us God’s *grace and God’s truth.
John the *Baptist makes clear that Jesus is greater than he is. The reason is that ‘he was before me’ (15). Verse 1 tells the same truth. With a loud voice, John shouts this message. John is older than Jesus. But Jesus existed before John was born.
Verse 16 shows that God has given his *grace to all Christians. God gives his *grace in full, but it does not come all at once. God gives all of his *grace time and time again. He gives us one *blessing after another. It is one *grace and then another *grace. After one *grace, another comes to take its place. ‘Fullness’ (being full) is the total of everything that God is. All that is in God and of God is ours (see 1 Corinthians 3:21-23).
Verse 17 says that God gave the law to the *Jews through Moses. Now he shows himself in a new way, through Jesus. We see here two ways in which God deals with us. One is through obeying laws. The other is through receiving *grace. *Grace does not replace law. We must all still obey the law. *Grace helps us to obey the law.
Verse 18 tells us that the only person who has seen God the Father is Jesus, his Son. God did not allow even Moses to see him. The only way we can know God is through Jesus Christ, the Word. It is a better way to know God than Moses knew. Jesus is God’s only Son who is close to the Father. He is the one who shows God to us.
In the first 18 verses, John has been trying to tell us how great God is. In doing this, he can only use human words to describe God. We must always recognise that we do not have the knowledge to understand God. We have to ask him to help us to understand John’s message.
John now begins the story of the life of Jesus during a period of six days. God through Jesus (the Word) *created the world in six days (Genesis 1). John has already mentioned this. Perhaps John sees Jesus’ life on earth as a six-day period. He worked to *create the world in six days. Now Jesus, the Word who became man works for six days.
The *Jews of Jerusalem send priests and *Levites to ask John the *Baptist who he is (19). The words ‘the *Jews’ appear many times in this *gospel. Here it means mostly the *Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. Zacharias, the father of John the *Baptist was a priest. The job of priest passed from father to son. No other person could be a priest. So this could be a reason for this visit. John, the son of a priest, is behaving in an unusual way. They want to know why. Many people are coming to hear him speak. So the leaders may think he is a *false *prophet.
The *Jews expected the *Messiah (the Christ) to come from God to the earth. ‘*Messiah’ is a *Jewish word. The Greek word means ‘Christ’. The meaning of the word ‘*Messiah’ is ‘the one God chose above all other people’. He is the one to whom God gives his *Spirit in a special way. The *Messiah is a king who comes to rule.
The *Jews had many different ideas of what the *Messiah would do. Some thought that he would bring peace to the earth. He would make right everything that was wrong. Other people expected him to lead the armies of the *Jews. They would defeat the armies of the world. Some *Jews said that they were the *Messiah. They caused a lot of trouble.
Some of the *Jews who listened to John thought that he was Elijah. They believed that Elijah would return to the earth. This would be before the *Messiah came. He would prepare the world to receive the *Messiah (Malachi 4:5). So they thought that Elijah had returned to earth. The *Jews also expected a *prophet like Moses whom they should listen to (Deuteronomy 18:15-20). The *Jews were serious about *false *prophets. They would kill them if the things that they spoke of did not happen (Deuteronomy 18:20). We can understand therefore how the *Jews thought. They wanted to make sure that John was a true *prophet. John says that he is not the *Messiah. Nor is he Elijah or the *prophet (21).
John’s answer to their question is that he is nothing. He is just a voice. He uses the words of Isaiah: "I am only someone shouting in the desert; make the road ready for the *Lord!” (23). The roads in those days were rough. When a king came to visit, they made the roads as smooth and straight as possible. Then he could travel in comfort.
The Pharisees wonder why John *baptises people (25). What right has he to do this? If he were the *Messiah, or Elijah or the *prophet, he might have *baptised people. Isaiah had written that the *Messiah would pour water upon many nations (Isaiah 52:15). Ezekiel said that the *Messiah would pour clean water upon the people. That would *cleanse them (Ezekiel 36:25).
The *Jews did use water as a sign. It showed that a person was a true *Jew. This was in agreement with the laws of their religion. They thought that *Jews were already clean. There was no need for anyone to wash them. They did not need *baptism. The *Jewish leaders believed that only *gentiles needed *baptism. They needed it if they wanted to accept the *Jewish *faith. John does not agree with that. He is suggesting that even the *Jews need someone to wash them.
John *baptises people when they show *repentance for their *sins (Matthew 3:11). His answer is, “I use water to *baptise people. But here with you is someone whom you do not know. Although I came first, I am not good enough to undo his shoes”. That was the job of a slave. In John’s own opinion, he is not good enough even to be the slave of the one who is to come (26-27). John is saying to the *Jews, “The king is coming and it is not only the *gentiles who need to be clean; you too need to be clean.” John is like a finger pointing to Christ.
John *baptises people at Bethany. This is a village on the east side of the Jordan river (28). This is not the Bethany on the hill called the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem. He *baptises to make people clean. But that *baptism does not give people the power to stay clean.
We now come to the next day in Jesus’ story. The *baptism of Jesus had taken place. God allowed the *devil to test him in the desert. John sees Jesus coming towards him. John and Jesus are relatives. But John does not understand until now that Jesus is the *Messiah. John calls Jesus ‘The *Lamb of God who takes away the *sin of the world!’ (29).
God provided a *lamb for *sacrifice in place of Isaac (Genesis 22:8). God now provides Jesus the *Lamb as a *sacrifice in the place of other people. There is also a reference to a *lamb in the *Jewish *Passover. It came after the *Jews left Egypt. They killed a *lamb and used its blood. It was to save the *Jews from the *Angel of Death. The *angel saw the blood of the *lamb on the door. He would then pass by. He would not kill anyone in the house (Exodus 12:11-13. During the time of the *Old Testament God forgave the *sins of the people. It was through the *sacrifice of animals.
The *New Testament is all about how God sent Jesus to the world. He sent him to be the *sacrifice for everyone’s *sin (Hebrews 10:10). Isaiah chapter 53 is a *prophecy. It tells how Jesus suffered and died for us. Jesus was the *lamb that people killed. He took upon himself the punishment for the *sins of all people. He took away the *sins of the world. This includes every kind of *sin by every kind of person. No *sin is too great.
John was the one who *baptised Jesus. Then the *Spirit of God came down like a *dove upon Jesus. John emphasised that the *Spirit remained on Jesus. In *Old Testament times, the *Holy *Spirit came to people at certain times and for special tasks. But he did not remain with them.
The time would come when God would give his *Holy *Spirit. He (the *Holy *Spirit) would rest and remain on those who believe in his Son, Jesus Christ. That would be after Jesus had done the work that he came on earth to do. That work was to die upon the *cross. He would take our *sin upon himself and became our *Saviour.
God told John the *Baptist to look for the person who received the *Spirit. He would *baptise other people with the *Holy *Spirit. The Greek word for ‘*baptise’ means to put something or someone under the water. This is similar to the way you put clothes under water to wash them.
John says that Jesus will *baptise people with the *Holy *Spirit. First, we need to *repent. Then Jesus will *forgive our *sins and bring us into God’s family. It will be like a flood of water over our lives. He will cover us all over. The *Holy *Spirit lights up a person’s life. Then that person begins to know God’s *will for his life. God *cleanses him and takes away his *sin. The *Holy *Spirit makes a person strong. The *Holy *Spirit gives the power to do right and to fight against *evil. Christ’s *baptism with the *Holy *Spirit is also a *baptism of fire (Matthew 3:11). The *Holy *Spirit burns *evil things and makes a person clean.
The next day John the *Baptist shows Jesus to two of his *disciples. Again, John calls him the *Lamb of God. When the *disciples hear this, they leave John and follow Jesus. We see that John puts Jesus first. He is not jealous when the two *disciples leave him. One of the *disciples is Andrew. The other may be John, the writer of this *gospel.
Jesus turns round and sees the two *disciples following him. He asks what they want. Why are they following him? They do not answer his question straight away. ‘Rabbi’ means ‘Teacher’. The two *disciples want to know more about Jesus. That is probably why they refer to him as Rabbi. Jesus’ answer is “Come and see!” Jesus is asking the *disciples to come with him. They can then talk with him. They can find out more about him. So they go to see where he lives. It is about four o’clock. They spend the rest of the day with him.
We come now to the next day. Andrew is one of the first two *disciples to meet Jesus. He is then eager to find his brother, Simon. He tells him that they have found the *Messiah (the Christ). After this, we hear of Simon Peter many times. We hear of Andrew only a few times. Andrew always takes second place to Peter. But one of the good things he does is to bring other people to Jesus. He brought to Jesus the boy who had five loaves and two small fish (John 6:8-9). He brought to Jesus the Greeks who were asking about him (John 12:21-22). He did not keep quiet about Jesus.
Jesus looks at Simon and gives him another name, Cephas. This is *Jewish for rock. In Greek, the word for rock is ‘Peter’. In the *Old Testament, a new name often had meaning. It meant that the person knew God in a different way. Abram became Abraham (Genesis 17:5). Jacob became *Israel (Genesis 32:28). This is the idea. When you come to know God, you become a new person. It is good for you then to have a new name.
When Jesus looked at Peter, he saw the kind of man Peter was then. But he could also see the ‘rock’ that he would become. Peter was a rock. He would be part of the firm ground underneath the *church (Matthew 16:18). Jesus looks at all of us in this way. He sees us as we are and he sees us as we will be.
The next day Jesus goes north to the country of Galilee. Perhaps they are in the town of Cana. There he finds Philip. He asks Philip to follow him. Philip then goes to find Nathanael. He tells him that they have found the *Messiah. Nathanael is surprised that Jesus comes from Nazareth. It was not an important place. The *Jews expected the *Messiah to be born in Bethlehem (Matthew 5:4-6). Philip calls Jesus the son of Joseph. This is not denying that Jesus is God’s Son. At this time, that is probably the only way he knows Jesus.
Jesus knows all about Nathanael. He knows he is an honest person. Jesus sees him as the kind of man David spoke about in *Psalm 32:2. He sees someone in whom there is nothing *false. Nathanael is astonished that Jesus knows him. It is possible that Nathanael has been looking for the *Messiah to come. He may have been praying about this. Jesus knows this although he has not spoken to Nathanael. Then Nathanael understands. He then declares that Jesus is the Son of God, and the king of *Israel.
Nathanael can now understand. Nathanael believes because Jesus knows all about him. In the *Old Testament is the story of Jacob’s dream. Jacob saw a ladder of gold resting on the earth. It reached into *heaven. The *angels of God were going up and down on it (Genesis 28:12). Jesus refers to this dream. Nathanael believes because of what Jesus knows about him. The truth, says Jesus, is that you will know more about me than that. Jesus tells Nathanael that he will see the *angels giving *glory to the Son of God (see Daniel 7:13-14).
Jesus himself is the meeting place between *heaven and earth. He is the Word who has become a Man. He is the way to *heaven.
In all four *gospels, there are many *miracles. In the first three, the *miracles are about Jesus’ power. They are acts of power emphasising the rule of Jesus. They also emphasise the defeat of the rule of *Satan. John always describes Jesus’ *miracles as ‘signs’. John wants to emphasise the meaning of the *miracle rather than how wonderful it is. Each shows a truth that God wants people to know. So these signs point us to Jesus’ character and who he is. They ask us to give an answer to the question that they asked Jesus, ‘Who are you?’ (8:25).
In this the first sign, Jesus changes water into wine. Both this *miracle and the next (4:54) happened in Cana of Galilee. This was about three days’ journey from where John *baptised people. John writes about the things that happened in the first week of Jesus’ work.
A *Jewish wedding happened late in the evening after a big meal. The bride and bridegroom were special people, like kings and queens. They stayed at home for the first week of their marriage and met with all their friends. They had fun and parties. At a *Jewish meal, it was important that there should be plenty of wine. The *Jewish teachers said that without wine there was no joy. If there were no wine, it would spoil the wedding. The bride and bridegroom would be sad. We see in this story that Jesus does everything he can to make them happy.
Jesus is present at this wedding. Mary, his mother, tells him that there is no wine left. She is anxious about what will happen now. She expects him to do something about the problem (5). It seems that Jesus does not see why he should. His reply is that his time (or hour) has not yet come.
Jesus’ words to his mother seem a little hard. He is looking beyond that moment in time. He is thinking about the purpose of his coming to the earth (7:30; 8:20; 12:23,27; 13:1; 17:1). Jesus knows that something special will happen later in his life. The way that we see time and the way that God sees it are different.
Jesus makes clear that no one can tell him what to do. He does only what his Father asks him to do (5:30; 8:29).
Sometimes Jesus does not perform a *miracle until a person has special *faith (John 4:49-50; Matthew 8:13; 9:22,29-30; Mark 2:5;). Mary now has *faith to ask the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them.
The large jars each held about 20 gallons of water. The *Jews used the water for *religious reasons. When people entered a house, they had to wash their feet. Then they had to wash their hands before and during a meal. They had to do this. Otherwise, the *Jewish teachers would say that they were not clean enough.
Jesus asks the servants to fill the jars with water. They fill all the jars right to the top. Then Jesus tells the servants to take the water to the person responsible for the organisation of the wedding meal (*steward). Some time after they had filled the jars, the water became wine. The *steward did not know that first it was water. He is surprised because the wine is the best he has tasted that evening.
There was a lot of wine in the six jars. It could have been 120 gallons. This would be far more than they needed at this meal. This shows us the greatness of God’s *grace. He has more to give us than we could ever need. This story shows us that Jesus changes ordinary things into much better things. It is at an ordinary *Jewish wedding. But there Jesus shows his *glory and his *disciples believe in him.
After this, Jesus goes to Capernaum with his family and *disciples. Jesus lived at Capernaum when he was in Galilee (Matthew 4:13). Capernaum was a town on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was about 20 *miles (32 kilometres) from Cana. This time Jesus stays only a few days.
Jesus goes to Jerusalem just before the *Jewish *festival called *Passover (13). This holiday happened each year. It was usually in the middle of April. At this time, the *Jews remembered that their *ancestors had been slaves in Egypt. See Exodus chapters 12-13 for the story of how God rescued them.
The law in Jesus’ time was that every adult *Jew should be at the *Passover. If they lived less than 15 *miles (24 kilometres) from Jerusalem, they had to go to the *Temple for this. *Jews from other countries would try to go to the *Passover in Jerusalem. They would go at least once in their lives. Many people were in Jerusalem that year. It is possible that there were two million.
Every adult *Jew had to pay the *Temple tax. The money paid for the cost of the *Temple services. The tax was a half *shekel, about two days’ pay for a working man. For daily payments, they used coins from different countries, *Rome, Greece, Tyre, Sidon and Palestine itself. But in the *Temple, the people had to use only *Jewish coins. The rulers did not allow foreign coins. People who were not *holy had touched the coins. That was the reason for this rule. So only *holy coins could be used to pay a gift to God.
The people who changed the foreign money for *Jewish money worked in the *Temple. There was nothing wrong with this job. They could ask for a payment for this service. What was wrong was that they charged each person much more than the correct amount. They seemed to think that their religion permitted this.
In order to *worship God, the *Jews had to provide animals for *sacrifice in the *Temple. It was a gift to God. So the animal had to be perfect. So someone had to examine these animals very carefully. They had to make sure that they were perfect. Most people brought their own animal or bird for *sacrifice. The people who examined the animals often said that these were not perfect. Then the owners would have to buy another animal or bird.
There were business people in the *Temple. They sold animals and birds. These were expensive. So the people had to pay much more for the animals. The *Temple had become a place for thieves. Moreover, they seemed to think that their religion permitted this.
Jesus is very angry. He makes a whip from pieces of *rope. He chases all the people and the animals from the *Temple. He pushes the money tables and the coins on to the floor (15).
The four *gospels give different reasons for Jesus’ anger (Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46 and John 2:16). We see at least four reasons why Jesus is angry.
Jesus sees that the business people are robbing poor people of their money. And they think that their religion permits this. The *Temple has become a market place. We *worship a *holy God. We should therefore come before him with honour and fear. God’s *Temple (or house) should be a place of *prayer. For Jesus, the honour and *glory of his Father is of great importance.
The noise of buying and selling is not helpful to the true *worship of God. Jesus has a great desire for the honour and *glory of his Father. It is like a fire that burns inside him. It is important for us too that we have this great desire for God. God made everyone in his own image and for his own *glory (Genesis 1:26-27). God made us to *worship and respect him. There are so many who do not know him. They do not know what God requires of them. They have *false ideas of who God is. The writer of *Psalm 119 knew about this. He said, “Rivers of tears flow from my eyes, for people do not obey your law” (*Psalm 119:136).
The honour of God’s name among the nations should be of first importance to us. We too should be sad about people who do not honour God. We see here an angry Jesus fighting against *evil. But he did not fight with the *weapons of war. He fought by showing a way of love and *forgiveness. He is not afraid to enter the war against *evil and, in the end, men killed him.
There is another reason for Jesus’ anger. It is that the people’s *worship does not please God. The worshippers have wrong attitudes (See Isaiah 1:1-17). They think that if they give *sacrifices to God they can continue *sinning. The *prophets had been telling the *Jewish people this for a long time. God wants a right heart attitude. He wants true *repentance for *sin. He does not want just the life of animals (see *Psalm 51:16-17).
Mark in his *gospel adds another reason for Jesus’ anger. “My house shall be called the house of *prayer for all the nations”. There were separate parts (courts) to the *Temple. The first court was for the *gentiles. The next court was as far as the women could go. The next court was for the *Jewish men. The inner court was for the priests only, the *Holy of Holies (the especially *holy place). The *gentiles could enter only one part. But that was full of animals and people who bought and sold things. The *gentiles could not pray and *worship with all that noise?
What do the *disciples think about it? They remember the words of *Psalm 69:9 (17). It says, “His love for God’s *Temple burned in him like a fire.” The *disciples see that this *psalm is about the coming *Messiah. So the *disciples begin to believe that Jesus is the *Messiah. The *prophet Malachi had also spoken about this event. He said there would be a time when a man would come straight into the *Temple. He would be like a fire that makes silver genuine. No one would be able to stand before him. He would make people clean so that they would bring right gifts to him (Malachi 3:1-3).
What do the *Jews think about Jesus’ actions? They do not like what Jesus has done. What right has he to act in this way? People expected the *Messiah to do wonderful *miracles when he came. So they ask him to prove that he is the *Messiah by giving them a sign (doing a *miracle).
Jesus says that if they destroy this *Temple he will build it again. It will take only three days. The *Jews think that Jesus is talking about the *Temple (building). The *Jews do not believe him. The *Temple has already taken 46 years to build. It is still not complete. The *Jews used Jesus’ words against him at his *trial (Matthew 26:61; Mark 14:58; 15:29). See also Acts 6:14.
What does Jesus mean by ‘destroying this *Temple and rebuilding it in three days?’ John tells us that Jesus is talking about his own body. It is possible that Jesus actually points to himself as he speaks these words. The *disciples realised what Jesus meant. This was after the rulers *crucified him. He was in the *tomb for three days. Then God raised him from the dead. Also the *disciples may have remembered *Psalm 16:10 (Acts 2:31; 13:35).
Many of the *Jews believed in Jesus at this time in Jerusalem because of the *miracles (23). Why does he not tell the people then that he is the *Messiah? Jesus understands people. He knows what they are like. They believe when they see the *miracles. They will follow him while he does *miracles for them. The *Jews are looking for a *Messiah who will send the *Romans out of *Israel. But later they will turn away from him. This will be when they realise that he has come to die for their *sins. Jesus does not put his trust in them yet (24-25).
Jesus does not want people to believe only when they see *miracles. We bring *evil into God’s *Temple (see Mark 7:20). We do not *worship him as we should; he cannot therefore trust us. He wants believers who will understand his message. They will be true *disciples. The *miracles are signs of how much God loves his people.
Jesus now meets Nicodemus. He is one of the leaders of the *Jews. He would have been a rich man. When Jesus died Nicodemus brought 75 *pounds (35 kilograms) of *spices to put on Jesus’ body (John 19:39).
Nicodemus was a *Pharisee. The Pharisees obeyed the Law with very great care. The name *Pharisee means ‘the separated one’. They did not live ordinary lives. They spent a lot of time in obeying every detail of the Law. The Law was the first five books of the *Old Testament. The *Jews believed in those five books. They believed that in them were all the instructions for living a good life. But the Pharisees had made many rules that were not in the five books. They did this to make sure that people could understand the Law and obey it. This system of rules was often difficult to obey in every detail. There was an example in the section about people not working on the *Sabbath (Saturday). It had 24 chapters.
Nicodemus was also a member of the *Sanhedrin. This was a group of 70 *Jewish leaders. It was the highest Court. It ruled every *Jew in the world. The leaders were especially looking for anyone who might be a *false *prophet.
Nicodemus belonged to the *Jewish nation. They were the ones whom God had chosen. Nicodemus was one of the leaders. Because of that, he felt sure of his place in God’s future *kingdom. Therefore, Jesus’ words, ‘You must be born again’ would surprise him.
Nicodemus would have known that Jesus had been a *carpenter in Nazareth. It was unusual for a leader of the *Jews to talk to a workman about *religious matters. Also, he came at night. Perhaps he wished to hide the fact that he came to see Jesus. Perhaps he came at night because there were too many people near to Jesus during the day. At night Nicodemus could see Jesus on his own and have a quiet talk with him.
Nicodemus understood that God had sent Jesus to teach people. He knew that Jesus could not work *miracles alone. He needed God’s help. But Jesus knew that the *miracles were not as important as the new birth (being born again).
Verse 3 starts with the *Hebrew words ‘amen amen’. These words mean, ‘what I say is truth’ or ‘believe me when I say….’ or just ‘yes’. The truth is that unless a person is born again he cannot even see the *kingdom of God.
The Greek word ‘again’ has different possible meanings in English. It can mean again, that is for the second time. Like natural birth, it is an important event. It can also mean from above and therefore from God. The truth is in each of these meanings. To be born again is something so different from what went before that it is like a new birth.
The new birth is not only to do with the body. The new birth is in one’s *spirit (the inner part of a person’s mind and heart, which can listen to God). Something happens inside a person that is like being born all over again. It is something you cannot do for yourself. It comes only by the *grace and power of God.
Nicodemus does not seem to understand what Jesus is saying. He asks, “How can a grown man be born a second time?” (4). He knows that there is something missing in his life. That is why he wants to talk to Jesus. But Nicodemus does not understand what Jesus means. He thinks that Jesus is talking about being born again as a baby.
There are two kinds of birth. The first is the one we all have at the beginning of our lives. The second is when we are ‘born again’. This is when we accept what Jesus has done for us on the *cross. He has taken our *sin and he has put the *Holy *Spirit in us. The *Holy *Spirit helps us to want to do what God wants us to do (Philippians 2:14-15).
There is much in the *New Testament about being born again, or having a ‘new birth’ (for example, *Romans 6:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3,22,23).
Jesus says that unless you are born again you cannot see God’s *kingdom. What does he mean by this ‘*kingdom’? The *Jews had a way of saying things twice. The second time explained further what the writer had said the first time (for example, *Psalms 46:7, 51:3 and 23:2). We find the same thing in the *Lord’s *prayer, ‘Your *kingdom come: may we do your *will here on earth as you do it in *heaven’.
What God wants to happen always happens in *heaven. So what is the *kingdom of *heaven (or the *kingdom of God) on earth? It is anywhere on earth where the things that God wants always happen. It is anywhere where God rules. It is God’s rule in our lives. We agree to follow the *will of God in our lives with the help of the *Holy *Spirit in us. That is why we cannot understand about the *kingdom until we are born again
As we have seen, there are two kinds of birth. The first is the one that we all have at the beginning of our lives. It is through our parents that we have this life. ‘Flesh’ in the Bible is what people can do for themselves. The *Spirit gives power to do what the flesh (our own strength) cannot do.
We have said that Nicodemus was a *Jew. He was in fear of God and obeyed the *Jewish law. He was a *Pharisee and leader of the *Jews. Everything seemed right for him to believe that God accepted him. So why does Jesus tell him he needs to be born again? Nicodemus seems to understand this new birth as a second natural birth. That is clearly stupid.
Jesus gives two explanations to make clear the meaning of ‘born again’. One is from the *Old Testament and the other is from our knowledge of the weather. Both help us to understand what Jesus is saying.
First, Jesus speaks of a natural event that explains a *spiritual event (10). Nicodemus is the teacher of *Israel. He is a leader in understanding the Bible. He may even be the first leader. So Jesus expects Nicodemus to understand. Jesus expects him to know what the *Old Testament teaches.
One clear *Old Testament reference to a birth with water and the *Spirit is Ezekiel 36:25-27. This refers to the time when the *Messiah will come. Then there will be a new experience of being clean (morally good) in people’s lives. There it says, ‘I will pour clean water on you and you will be clean’. Ezekiel also says that God will put his *Spirit in us and then we will obey his laws.
Jesus has now come into the world. The *prophet spoke of this new day of cleaning by water and the *Spirit’s power. So Jesus is saying that this day has come. It is here now because the King, the *Messiah, Jesus himself is now present.
Second, both the *Hebrew word and the Greek word for ‘*spirit’ also mean ‘wind’. Jesus uses ‘wind’ to explain his words because it is a mystery (8). Today we know more about the weather than in the time of Jesus. Jesus reminds Nicodemus that you can hear and feel the wind. But you cannot understand where it comes from or where it is going. The wind blows the leaves from the trees. You can see what it does. But you may not understand how it does it.
It is the same with the *Holy *Spirit. You may not understand him, or know how he works. But you can see the effect of the *Holy *Spirit in people’s lives.
In verse 2, Nicodemus had said what he and the *religious leaders believed. This was that Jesus had come from God (2). But still Nicodemus does not realise that Jesus is talking about the *spirit inside a person.
Jesus is the one who came from *heaven. He speaks to them (the *Jews) about this. We (Jesus and his *disciples) are certain what we are talking about. We know this because we have seen it ourselves (11). But none of you (most of the *Jews) will believe what we say. I help you to understand by talking to you about things on earth. But still you do not understand. So you are not likely to believe when I talk to you about things in *heaven (12). You do not understand when I help you with an example from nature. So you will not be able to understand the things of *heaven and about life and the *Spirit?
What does Nicodemus’ talk with Jesus tell us? It tells us that entry into God’s *kingdom does not depend on what nation we belong to. It does not depend on *religious rules. It does not depend on being good or knowing the Bible. It depends on our receiving a new life from God through *faith in Jesus, who is from God.
Jesus calls himself the ‘Son of Man’. This is a reference to Daniel 7:13 where Daniel had a dream. This dream was about ‘a son of man’. There is also one called the ‘Ancient (old) of Days’. This is God. He gave a ‘son of man’ authority over everything. Jesus did not often call himself the Son of God. Instead, he used the words ‘Son of Man’. The *Jews knew that this was a reference to the *Messiah. He was the one they expected to come to the earth.
Jesus is God; he and the Father are one (10:30). Yet, he came as a man living with men and women. He spoke with human lips and did things with human hands. Jesus came down from *heaven, his real home. He came to live the truth about God. Then after he had been with people for a while, he died for them. Then he returned to *heaven. Jesus knows the thoughts of God. Therefore, what he says to people about God is true.
In verse 14, Jesus talks about how he will die. People will lift him up. The *Jews at that time knew that Jesus meant death by *crucifixion. Jesus mentions an event that happened when the *Israelites were in the desert (Numbers 21:4-9). They did not like the food, which God gave them (*manna). They also wanted to go back to Egypt. This was a great *sin against God. God then sent poisonous snakes among them. Many of the *Israelites died, so the other people asked Moses to pray to God for them. The people said that they were sorry. They asked God to *forgive them.
God told Moses to make a metal snake. He put it on a pole in the middle of the camp. Since the Garden of Eden, people have associated the snake with *sin. God healed those who looked at the snake. The snake did not heal the people. They believed in God who had told Moses to make the snake and lift it up.
Moses lifted up the snake. People looked at it as Moses told them. They believed that God would heal them and they would live. In the same way men lifted up Jesus on the *cross for all to see. He hung on a *cross like a criminal (Matthew 27:38). But there was never any crime in his life.
In the *Old Testament, they killed an animal as a *sacrifice for God to *forgive *sin. The animal was perfect in every way. So Jesus had to be perfect in order to take the *sin of the world on himself. God chose that Jesus should die in this way. This was to show his love for *sinners. God gave his Son to pay the price for our *sins. So John says, ‘Even so must the Son of man be lifted up’. God *forgives those people who look to Jesus and his death on the *cross. At the same time, God puts his new life in them.
This story of the snake in the desert is a description of Jesus’ death for us on the *cross. Later in his *Gospel, John tells us that Jesus is the bread of life and God’s gift to us. (6:31-35). The *Israelites hated the bread and did not thank God for it. In the same way, it is possible to hate God’s gift of Jesus and his death for us. Paul warns about this in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 10:9). Moses put the snake on a pole. This is like the *cross on which they lifted Jesus. Paul in Corinthians says that God ‘made Jesus who knew no *sin to be *sin for us’ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
John has another description for the ‘*kingdom of God’ or ‘the *kingdom of *heaven’. It is ‘*eternal (or *everlasting) life’ or ‘life’. But it is more than life that lasts for ever. The Greek word means ‘life of the age’ (to come). It is the life of God. ‘*Salvation’ is another word for this. To enter into *eternal life is to have the life of God. To have this life we need to believe in Jesus. We believe that God is our Father. We believe that Jesus is the Son of God. As Jesus tells us the truth about God and life, we must obey him.
John 3:16 is one of the most famous verses in the Bible. It tells us of God’s heart of love. We see his love for us in the value of his gift, his only Son. He loves each person as if he or she is the only person in the world to love.
Probably, John wrote verses 16 to 21 to explain more of what Jesus is telling Nicodemus. God ‘gave’ his Son because he loves the people he has made. Perhaps John is thinking of the story of Abraham and his son Isaac (Genesis 22; see also *Romans 8:32). Abraham loved his son very much. But God asked Abraham to give his son as a *sacrifice. God saw that Abraham intended to obey him. God then gave him a sheep to *sacrifice instead. That is how God loves.
But God did not send his Son to blame people for their *sins. He sent Jesus to save them. But some refuse to have *faith in Jesus. This means that they will not be part of God’s *kingdom.
Jesus, the light of the world, has come into the world. All people live in darkness until they hear and receive Jesus. Those people whose actions are *evil do not want to come to the light. When Adam and Eve *sinned, they wanted to hide from God (Genesis 3:8). People who do wrong want to hide. People love darkness rather than light because they do *evil things. Such people hate the light and will not come to the light. It will light up the bad things that they do. People will see the *evil that they do. But those who love God’s truth are not afraid when the light shines on them.
So some will not have *faith in Jesus. They will not see, or understand, or wonder at God’s love. They will see no beauty in Jesus. God does not blame them, but by not having *faith in him they blame themselves.
Good people do not try to hide the things that they do. Those who live by the truth (do the truth) are not afraid to come to the light. They are not afraid of what people will see in their lives. They come to the light only through God’s love. All will see this.
After coming to the light, believers live a new life. They receive the power of the *Holy *Spirit to help them ‘to do the truth’. God’s purpose is not to blame people. He has no pleasure in their death. Death is the result and effect of *sin. But the gift of God is life in Christ Jesus our *Lord (*Romans 6:23).
Jesus now moves from Jerusalem into the area near to it. This is the district of Judea. There he has time to be with his *disciples. Also, he *baptises some people (but see 4:2). John the *Baptist was also *baptising many people. This was in the same area (23). There was plenty of water there. John the *Baptist was not yet in prison (24).
A man has an argument with John’s *disciples. He is probably one of the *Jewish leaders or teachers. The argument is about the *Jewish religion. The *Jews had many rules about washing themselves. They wanted to make sure that they were clean enough to *worship. Probably the argument was about the difference between *baptism and the washing they did each day.
When John *baptised a person, the first thing that John asked that person to do was to *repent. The Greek word for ‘*repent’ means ‘change of mind’. It means having a different view of God from what you had before. It means agreeing with God about your *sin and being sorry for it. It means turning away from your *sin and going in the opposite direction. It is turning away from your old way of life. Then you go in a new way. This way is towards God and *righteousness (right living). *Repentance is necessary for *salvation. Both John’s and Jesus’ *baptisms were therefore different from the *Jewish *religious washing.
John’s *disciples wonder why people are going to Jesus to *baptise them rather than to John. They do not like to see people leaving John and turning to Jesus. They do not like to see John taking the second place. But John does not agree with his *disciples. John repeats what he has said earlier - that he is not the Christ (the *Messiah).
John says that no one can do anything unless God allows it. God gives each person a job to do that is just for that person. John’s job is to declare that Jesus is coming. Jesus said a similar thing to Pilate (19:11). Jesus can do only what God allows him to do. Each of us has things to do that God allows us to do. These things are for us to do; no one else can do them. We should not worry about what God allows other people to do.
The *apostle John says it is like marriage. Jesus is the bridegroom. John the *Baptist is the friend of the bridegroom. The *Old Testament speaks about the marriage of God and *Israel. *Israel is the bride and God is the bridegroom. The joining of God and *Israel was like a wedding. In the *New Testament, the *Church is the bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22-32). Jesus has come from God. He is the Son of God. *Israel is his bride and he is *Israel’s bridegroom. John sees himself not as the bridegroom but as the bridegroom’s friend.
In the *Jewish wedding, the friend of the bridegroom arranged the wedding. He would also wait outside the bride’s bedroom. This was to make sure that only the bridegroom could enter. When he had let the bridegroom in, the friend had finished his job. In the same way, Jesus is the bridegroom and John is his friend. John is happy to take the second place to Jesus.
John the *apostle now gives some reasons why Jesus is the important one. Jesus comes from *heaven and is above all other people (31). John and all other people come from the earth. They come from human parents. They are therefore different. If we want to know about *heaven, we can learn only from the one who comes from *heaven. Because Jesus alone knows God, He alone can tell us about God.
Jesus speaks about what he has seen and heard, but no one believes him (32). Those who believe Jesus’ words know that he speaks the truth (33).
God sent his Son to speak his message. In the *Old Testament God gave his *prophets as much of his *Spirit as they needed. God would also have given John the *Baptist only a quantity of his *Spirit. God gave Jesus his *Holy *Spirit without limit (34). God gives his *Spirit to us as well to help us understand his truth.
The Father loves the Son and has complete trust in him. God has given everything he has to the Son (35). From his loving heart, God is bringing *salvation to the world through his Son.
The chapter ends with a call for people to choose the life that God offers (36). God asked the *Israelites to make this choice (Deuteronomy 30:15-20). Everyone who has *faith in the Son has *eternal life.
But no one who keeps turning away from God will share in that life. God is *holy. That means he is different and separate from us. God is right in everything he is and everything he does. He is completely good. It would be against his nature not to be angry against wrong. We too are angry when we see people behave badly towards other people. How much more will God be angry when he sees the results of all the wrong things in the world? He will burn up and destroy anything that is not good and right. ‘Because our God is a fire that burns and destroys’ (Hebrews 12:29). Because God is like this, it is impossible for anyone to stand near to God. His *holiness would destroy that person.
Jesus, through his death for us on the *cross, took our place against God’s *wrath (anger). Only by accepting what Jesus has done for us can we escape from God’s anger. We then ‘see life’. If God is still angry with us, we do not have true life.
The first three verses of chapter 4 tell of what the Pharisees thought of the *baptisms of John and Jesus. The Pharisees were interested that Jesus was *baptising more people than John (3:26). They saw this as a danger to their employment as leaders. John was like the *Old Testament *prophets. But Jesus did things differently. The Pharisees may have been worried that Jesus would bring *false teaching to his new *disciples.
John makes it clear that Jesus’ *disciples were *baptising the people. These were probably Peter and Andrew, Philip and Nathanael (see 1:35-50). Jesus decides to leave Judea and go to Galilee.
The Assyrians (people from Assyria) went to war against the northern country (of Samaria). This was about 720 years before the birth of Christ. Assyria was a country north east of *Israel. The Assyrians won the war. They then brought people from their own and other countries into Samaria (2 Kings 17:24). The few *Jews who remained in Samaria then married these foreigners.
The Assyrians took most of the *Jews to Assyria (2 Kings 17:6). This larger number of people became part of that country. They are the lost ten *tribes of *Israel. The people who remained in Samaria had married foreigners. They were therefore now not true *Jews. They were a mixture of *Jew and foreigner. By the *Jewish law, this was a great *sin.
The capital of the southern part of *Israel was Jerusalem. Later, the Assyrians took the people to Babylon. But they, unlike the *Samaritans (people from Samaria), would not marry foreigners. They did not want to lose their right to be *Jews. This would have happened if they had mixed with foreigners. Later Ezra and Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem. They came to build again the *Temple that foreigners had broken. The *Samaritans wanted to help them. But the *Jews did not want their help. They turned them away. They said that *Samaritans were no longer *Jews. They had no right to build the *holy *Temple of God.
Therefore, for a long time the *Jews and *Samaritans had been enemies. Later still, there was a *Jew named Manasseh. He married the daughter of the *Samaritan Sanballat (Nehemiah 13:28). He built another *Temple on Mount Gerizim in Samaria. In 129 BC (years before Jesus was born), John Hyrcanus, a *Jewish army leader, attacked Samaria and destroyed the *Temple on Mount Gerizim.
It is now 400 years later, in Jesus’ time. The *Jews and *Samaritans still hated one another. The *Jews called Jesus a *Samaritan (8:48). This was to show that they did not like him. But Jesus talked about a *Samaritan in one of his most famous stories (Luke 10:25-37). In that story, thieves robbed a man. The thieves left the man with blood all over his body. The *Samaritan helped him. The *Samaritan was the ‘good neighbour’. This was after the ‘good’ *Jews had walked past him.
*Israel is only 120 *miles (190 kilometres) long from north to south. In that 120 *miles, there are three parts of the country. In the north is Galilee. In the south is Judea. In between is Samaria. Therefore, the quickest way from Judea to Galilee was through Samaria. The journey took three days. The other way was to avoid Samaria. This meant crossing to the east side of the river Jordan. You would then travel north. You would then *cross the Jordan again into Galilee. This way took twice as long.
Jesus and his *disciples took the short route through Samaria. On the way, they came to the *Samaritan town of Sychar. In the town, many years before, Jacob had dug a *well. Jacob, while he was dying, had given this ground to Joseph (Genesis 48:22). When Joseph died in Egypt, his family took his body back to *Israel. They buried him in Shechem near to Jacob’s *well (Joshua 24:32).
It is noon and it is hot. Jesus is tired and *thirsty after the journey. He stops at this *well. It was more than 100 *feet (30 metres) deep, so you needed something to bring out the fresh running water. Here again we see that Jesus is the Word who became a man (1:14). He became *thirsty and tired as we do. The *disciples go to buy some food in Sychar.
As Jesus sits by the *well, a *Samaritan woman comes along. It was unusual for a woman to visit the *well alone. And few people would go to the *well during the heat of the day. Jesus asks her to give him a drink. This surprises her. The first reason for her surprise is that she is a *Samaritan and he is a *Jew. *Samaritans and *Jews did not like one another and would not share things. They would not have shared the same water pot. Why then does he ask her for a drink?
There was another reason for her surprise. A good *Jewish teacher would never speak to a woman in public. Sometimes he did not speak even to his wife, daughter or sister if he met them outside. So we see Jesus here at the *well, tired and *thirsty. This woman was not a good woman either (18). She would not have had many friends. But Jesus is a friend to this woman. Here we see God’s love for the world in Jesus. He is our friend. That is what he came to this earth to be – a friend of *sinners.
The woman asks Jesus why he wants her to give him a drink. Jesus does not answer her question. Instead, he speaks about who he is. Also, he says that he can give her ‘living water’.
The Books of the Law were the first five books of the *Old Testament. The *Jews thought of them as ‘living water’. By ‘running water’ they meant water like that from a river. In Isaiah, God said that he would pour water on the dry land. Isaiah speaks of this picture of water. He connects it with God’s promise to pour out his *Spirit upon the *Israelites (Isaiah 44:3). Jesus too gives the words ‘living water’ a *spiritual meaning. His living water means a desire to know God (Revelation 7:17; 21:6).
The woman thinks that Jesus is still talking about ‘running water’. She does not really believe that Jesus can find water from anywhere else.
Also, the woman could not imagine that there could be anyone greater than Jacob. He was her famous *ancestor. He dug the *well and gave the water to his family and the animals. The *Jews also thought in the same way (8:53). The water from Jacob’s *well could take away a person’s *thirst. The living water that Jesus gave was a different kind of water.
Anyone who drinks the water from the *well will be *thirsty again. Anyone who drinks the water Jesus gives will never *thirst. That water will be like a river of water inside a person. It will be alive. It will give new life. It will never stop giving new life. It will be like a river that never stops flowing. The *Spirit gives life (6:63).
The woman still does not understand that Jesus is a special person. So Jesus proves to her that he is not an ordinary man. He tells her about her past life. First, he asks her to call her husband. The woman tells Jesus that she does not have a husband. Jesus knows she has been married five times. Moreover, she is now living with a man who is not her husband. Jesus knows her need. He can see that she is not a happy woman. Her way of life gives her no pleasure. Jesus knows all about her life (see 2:25). As Jesus speaks about her personal life, the woman begins to understand. She can now see that Jesus is a special person. She calls him a *prophet (19).
For a long time the *Jews had been looking for a *prophet. He would prepare for *Messiah who would come (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; John 1:21). The *Samaritans believed in the first five books of the *Old Testament only. Deuteronomy is the fifth book. So the *Samaritans too would have been looking for a *prophet.
The woman changes the subject of the conversation. Perhaps she does not like talking about her life. She asks where people should *worship God. Should it be on Mount Gerizim or in Jerusalem?
Mount Gerizim was a special place for the *Samaritans. Both Abraham and Jacob had built *altars in that area (Genesis 12:7; 33:20). Also, God *blessed the *Israelites from the mountain. That was in Joshua’s time (Joshua 8:33). But the *Samaritans believed only in the first five books of the *Old Testament. Therefore, they did not believe that God approved the *Temple in Jerusalem (see 1 Chronicles 21:18; 22:1).
John Hyrcanus had destroyed the Gerizim *Temple. But the *Samaritans continued to *worship on the mountain. The woman sees that Jesus is a *prophet. The argument is about the place for true *worship. So she thinks that Jesus might be able to settle the argument. That is why she starts a conversation about the two places of *worship, Jerusalem and Mount Gerizim (10).
Again, Jesus does not answer her question. The time will come when the place of *worship will not be important. The *Jews were the people who knew God. Therefore, they knew more about the *worship of God than the *Samaritans. This was because they used the whole of the *Old Testament rather than the first five books. It would be through a *Jewish *Messiah that the knowledge of *salvation would come. So Jesus says that only the *Jews understand God. Only they know how to *worship him. God will use the *Jews to save the world. *Salvation is from the *Jews (22).
God is now leading people to *worship him in truth. The *Holy *Spirit will lead *worship. The *prophet Malachi said that this would happen. God’s name will be great among the *gentiles. And in every place people will offer true *worship to the *Lord (Malachi 1:11).
*Jewish *worship needs the *sacrifice of animals. This was a type of the perfect *sacrifice of Jesus on the *cross. Jesus says that a time will come when people will not need a special place to *worship. This will be when Jesus dies on the *cross.
Jesus says that we will *worship the Father in *spirit and in truth. We *worship ‘in *spirit’ in our inner person. We ask the *Holy *Spirit to guide our thoughts and our words. We thank and *praise God our Father for our *salvation and for all the things that he does for us.
We have confidence when we *worship ‘in truth’. We know that the words that God has spoken are true. Our lives must also show God’s truth. We are not perfect, but we must not have hidden *sin in our lives (Isaiah 59:2).
In verse 23, Jesus says that the time for true *worship has now come. This is because Jesus is now here. Although his *disciples have not yet been born again, they can *worship him with honest hearts. We do not *worship a distant God. We *worship a God who is a person. True *worship is between God and people who know him as a Father and a friend. True *worship is between God who is *Spirit and man’s *spirit (his inner person). The *Jews ‘know’ whom they *worship. Now the Son makes the Father known (1:18). True *worship comes in and through Jesus Christ. He is the truth. The *Holy *Spirit gives us the truth (Jesus).
This is what it means to *worship in *spirit and in truth. It does not matter whether those who *worship are *Samaritans or *Jews or anyone else. Those who *worship in truth can belong to any country. True *worship can be in any place.
Unlike the *Jews, the *Samaritans were not looking for a *Messiah. But the woman speaks now of a *Messiah. Perhaps this is because she is talking to a *Jew. She says that the *Messiah will come. He is the one whom they call Christ. He will explain everything.
Then Jesus tells her that he is the *Messiah, the Christ. He is the one whom God has chosen. Jesus now tells the people clearly that he is the *Messiah. This is the only time before his *trial that he tells his *disciples this. The *gospels do not mention that he tells anyone else.
This meeting of Jesus with the *Samaritan woman is like the meeting of Jesus with Nicodemus. However, these two people are very different. Nicodemus is a man. He is an important person. He is a very clever teacher. The woman is poor. She has not had a good education. She has probably had a divorce from her five husbands. The *Jews thought that three divorces were too many. And she is now living with a man who is not her husband. But we see that Jesus is a friend both to the woman and to Nicodemus. He finds a way to tell each of them the good news of *salvation. He also gives a *spiritual meaning to ordinary things (wind and water).
The *disciples now return with food. They cannot believe that Jesus has been talking with a woman in the street. She is a bad woman too. But they do not like to ask him what he wanted. Neither do they ask why he is talking with the woman (27). They are beginning to understand that they should accept what Jesus does. His actions seem strange to them, but they do not question him.
Then the woman leaves her water pot and runs into the town. She wants to tell people of her talk with Jesus as soon as possible. This man has told her all the things that she had done. She wants people to return soon to see him. Could he be the *Messiah (29)? They all come out of the town to see Jesus (30).
The *disciples have brought food and ask Jesus to eat some. But they do not understand Jesus’ reply. They think that someone has given him food. He explains what he means in verse 34. He does what God his Father tells him to do. That is as satisfying as eating food (6:27; Matthew 4:4).
He has food that they do not know about. It is not the food that you eat when you are hungry. Jesus is telling them that God has work for him to do. God his Father has sent him to this earth. To finish God’s work is more important than eating. His food is not to do what he wants to do. He must do what the Father has sent him to do.
Jesus again uses an event in the natural world to explain a *spiritual truth. The natural harvest is four months away. He asks the *disciples to look. But they are not to look at the harvest of wheat. They are to look at the people now coming to see Jesus. This *Samaritan field is ripe for the harvest. The sowing of the seed was Jesus’ conversation with the woman. The harvest will be the time when she and the other *Samaritans find *salvation. There will not be four months between the two. Sowing and harvest will quickly follow one another. The fields are even now white and ready for harvest.
This harvest is about new, *everlasting life (36). Some plant the seeds and some harvest the crops. The *prophet spoke about a wonderful harvest to come. There will be plenty. There will not be time to bring in the harvest before the time of ploughing (Amos 9:13). Jesus is now sending his *disciples to harvest the crops. Other people had planted the seeds. These were the *prophets. They included John the *Baptist. They had done all the hard work. The *disciples could now bring in the harvest. Both *sowers and *reapers will be happy and have a party together.
Some *Samaritans believe in Jesus. They believe because of what Jesus said to the woman. They ask him to stay with them, and he stays for two days. When they hear his teaching, many more *Samaritans become believers. Now they believe because of what they hear him say. They no longer believe because of the woman’s talk. They have heard him for themselves. They are now certain that he is the *Saviour. He is the *Saviour, not only of the *Jews, but also of the world (41-42). The *Samaritans were a people who were of low rank in the eyes of the *Jews. Jesus, a *Jew, brings hope to them. He loves them and saves them too. He is in truth the *Saviour of the world.
The *Old Testament often calls God the God of *Salvation or the *Saviour. Jesus is not only a teacher and *prophet. He is not just an example for us to follow. He is the *Saviour. He rescues people from *sin and from lives without hope.
After the two days, Jesus leaves Samaria and goes to Galilee. The people there welcome him. They have been to the *Passover in Jerusalem. They have seen Jesus do many *miracles (2.23). But this is what Jesus says. People will not believe unless they see signs and *miracles (48). It seems that is why they welcome him. But the *Samaritans welcome him for who he is.
Most of the events that John writes about happen in Jerusalem. But the ones that happen in Galilee are important ones. The first two signs happened in Galilee. So did the story of the loaves (chapter 6).
Jesus himself said that people respect *prophets everywhere except in their own country (44). In the other three *gospels, the ‘own country’ is Nazareth. Here John understands it as the place where *Jews live rather than in Samaria. That would be Jerusalem.
The second important sign that Jesus does is in Galilee. It is in Cana, the same place where Jesus made the water into wine. There Jesus meets a leader who worked for King Antipas He comes from Capernaum about 20 *miles (32 kilometres) away. He would have been an important person. His son is sick. The leader asks Jesus to heal his son so that he will not die. Jesus says that Galileans (people from Galilee) will not believe unless they see signs and *miracles. We remember that the *Jews asked Jesus for a *miracle. It was when they met him in Jerusalem (2:18). But the man will not give up. Jesus’ words do not stop him. He wants immediate action. When the man cries, “*Lord, please come before my son dies!” Jesus can see that he is sincere and real (49).
Jesus says, “Your son will live. Go home to him”. The man then believes and starts to go back home. On the way, his servants meet him. They tell him that his son is better. The leader asks the servants when his son started to get better. They tell him that it was yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon. Then the boy’s father remembers what Jesus had told him. It was at that time that his son would live. So the man and everyone in his family believe in Jesus.
This was the second of Jesus’ signs after he had come from Judea into Galilee. It again shows the *glory and greatness of Jesus. In the first sign, Jesus did a *miracle with water and wine. These are just things. In this second sign, Jesus heals a sick boy. He is a person. He saves a sick person from death. The result of both signs is that people come to *faith in Jesus.
This event has something to say about people and their need of *miracles. They need *miracles before they will believe. Jesus said this about the Galileans (people from Galilee). Unless they saw *miracles, they would not believe. Some might say to God "Show me a *miracle, and then I will believe.” But this is like telling God what to do. That is why Jesus said that people need *miracles before they believe. It is not the best way to *faith. It is not true *faith. It does not respect God. The most important thing about *miracles is not that they do something good for us. There is no doubt that this is true. The important thing is that the *miracles respect God and show his *glory. They should make clear to us that God is real (2:11).
However, sometimes people do believe when they see a *miracle. They might not have believed without the *miracle.
For this leader from Capernaum, there was a journey of *faith. He first looked for a *miracle or sign (48). He then believed that the word of Jesus was true and acted upon it (50). In the end, he believed (53).
*Faith is a living thing that grows. Not only did Jesus heal the boy. He brought the whole family to *faith (53). There is a reason why God does not always heal straight away. We may first have to go through pain and disappointment. This is what the writer of the *psalms says. “It was good for me to have trouble and pain so that I might learn your laws (*Psalm 119:71.” There is the same thought in Hebrews 12:11.
Some time later Jesus goes to Jerusalem for another *feast like *Passover. He goes to a pool of water called Bethesda (the house of *mercy). This was near the Sheep Gate in the north-east corner of Jerusalem. Round the pool were five doors with covers over them. The pool is still there today.
Sometimes the water would move. Maybe this came from a *spring under the water. Many sick people waited by the pool. The waters could heal any person entering the pool. However, this would be only for the first person that entered the pool. It would happen when the waters moved. Jesus sees one man who has been waiting by the water for 38 years. Jesus asks him if he wants to get well. This might seem a silly question. But sometimes people do not really want God to heal them. The man probably asked for money. Nobody would give him money if there was nothing wrong with him.
The man thinks that there is some strange power in the water. This is what makes it move. People thought that *healing would only be for the first person in the water. So as there is no one to lift the man into the water, no one can heal him. This man has lost all hope of *healing. He does not even answer Jesus’ question. Jesus tells the man to stand up, lift his bed and begin to walk. The man obeys. His *healing is immediate. Usually Jesus looked for *faith from the sick person. But this time the man does not even know who Jesus is. He can walk again. It is a *miracle.
This day is the *Sabbath (Saturday). The *Jewish leaders see the man carrying his mat. The *Jewish law was that a person must not work on the *Sabbath. They considered that carrying a mat was carrying furniture. Therefore, it was work. So the man has not obeyed the law. But he does not think that it is his fault. The man who made him well told him to carry his mat.
The *Jews want to know who this man is. But the man does not know who has healed him. The leaders do not care that Jesus has healed the man. For them, the important thing is that Jesus has not obeyed the rules. By this time, Jesus has gone into the crowd. Jesus does not want to attract attention and *praise to himself.
Later, Jesus meets the man in the *Temple. Jesus tells him that he is now well. But he also tells him to stop *sinning. Otherwise, something worse could happen to him. Maybe he would have a more serious illness. Maybe something worse would happen to him when he died. Because then, he would meet Jesus the Judge (5:27).
Did Jesus’ words mean that the cause of the man’s illness was some *sin in the past? Sometimes the *Jews thought that this might be so. But Jesus has made the man well. He shows that God does not use the disease as a punishment for *sin. If that had been so, Jesus would have acted against God. Jesus’ action here shows that disease is something *evil and he has power over it.
The *Jewish laws about not working on the *Sabbath began when God gave Moses the Ten *Commandments (Exodus 20:8). God told the people to keep the *Sabbath day ‘*holy’ and not to do any work on that day. The *Jews then made 39 rules to stop people working on the *Sabbath. One of them was that you must not carry furniture on the *Sabbath.
Yes, God did rest when he made the world. But he did not rest from his work of love and *mercy for the people in the world. That work never stops. He never rests from his work of keeping everything going in the world. Jesus the Son and God the Father work together all the time. Jesus did only the work that God told him to do. Any work that Jesus did would therefore be the Father’s work. It did not matter on what day he did it.
The man goes to the *Jews. He tells them that Jesus has healed him. This does not seem to be the action of a friend. He knows that the *Jews hate Jesus. He knows that they oppose Jesus. The reason is that Jesus heals people on the *Sabbath. The man does not even thank Jesus. Perhaps the man wants to excuse himself for not obeying the *Sabbath law.
The *Jewish rulers are doing everything they can to make life difficult for Jesus. They do this because he is not obeying their laws. John does not tell us how they make things difficult for Jesus. Perhaps they stop him going into the *Temple, or tell people not to listen to him. Perhaps they spread lies about him. But Jesus uses this situation to tell of God the Father’s work. His Father works all the time, even on the *Sabbath. Jesus does the same.
Now the *Jews have two reasons for wanting to kill Jesus. First, he has not obeyed the *Sabbath law. Second, he calls God his Father. He is therefore saying that he is equal with God. The *Jews believe that there is only one God. He is above all other gods. So it is the worst of all *sins for Jesus to claim that he is equal with God.
The *Jews say that Jesus makes himself equal with God. Jesus answers them in verses 19-23. Jesus does not say that he is another God. Therefore, he is not saying that he is equal with God. The Father and the Son are side by side and work together.
Again, as in 5:24, Jesus says ‘I tell you the truth’. This means that what he says now is very important. If God is the Father of Jesus, it is right for Jesus to call himself God’s Son. The Father and the Son are the same in every way. The Son does all that the Father does. Human relationships between fathers and sons are never perfect. The relationship between God the Father and God the Son is perfect. Jesus can do nothing by himself (19). He always obeys the Father.
The Father loves the Son and shows the Son his plans. The Son can and must obey the Father’s plan and do the Father’s work. The Father’s love for the Son is perfect. The Son obeying the Father is perfect. Jesus has healed the man by the pool. Through Jesus, God will show even greater things. These things will surprise them (20).
We see God’s love in the things that Jesus does. In Jesus, we see God. If we want to know how God feels towards us, we look at Jesus. If we want to know how God loves us, we look at Jesus.
The *Jews believe that God can raise the dead, but that no one else must do this. Jesus says that the Father can raise the dead to life. Therefore, he too has this authority (21) (see 11:43-4, and Luke 7:14-15). God has *created everyone. He has therefore the right to *judge everyone. God has given this authority to Jesus (29-30). You do not respect Jesus the Son. Then neither do you respect God the Father (22-23). It is important to understand this.
Jesus has power to heal the man at the pool. There will be a time when Jesus will raise all people from their graves. He will then be using the same power. However, Jesus, by this same power, gives new life to us now. The hour is coming, and is here now when the dead people will hear the voice of the Son of God. Those who hear will live (25). Apart from Jesus, a person’s *spirit is dead. God will give a person’s *spirit life (Ephesians 2:4-7). The Son has the same power to give life as the Father has.
There is no difference between verse 22 and 3:17. The writer says that *judgement is not the main reason why Jesus came to the earth (3:17). However, God has given the Son the power to *judge. We have life if we love and obey Jesus. If we see him as an enemy, we *judge ourselves.
Jesus warns the man. If he does not stop *sinning, ‘something worse’ would happen to him. That could be that the Son of Man would *judge him. So what Jesus says here is very important (5:24). The Son will raise the dead and the Son will *judge each one.
Again, Jesus is about to say something that is important. He wants to make this clear. The *Hebrew and Greek words for ‘*spirit’ mean man’s *spirit as well as God’s *Spirit. When God made Adam, God breathed his life into him (Genesis 2:7). After Adam and Eve *sinned, the *spirit inside them turned against God. They became *spiritually dead. Before a person accepts Jesus as his *Saviour, his *spirit is dead. A person with a dead *spirit does not feel sorry about his *sin. He stops feeling sad about all the trouble in the world.
There are two things that a person needs to do. The first is to hear the message of Jesus. The next is to have *faith in the Father, the one who sent Jesus. That person will immediately have *eternal life. He will no more come under *judgement. His dead *spirit is now alive.
There will be a time when all will hear the message. Jesus says that the time is now here. Those who believe will move from the world of those who will die. They will move into the world of those who will live (24). If people listen to his words and believe him, they will receive *eternal life. Jesus emphasises this. They were once ‘dead’ but they will live. Many hear his words. However, many do not believe him.
Life comes only from God (physical as well as *eternal life). Jesus says that he too has this same life to give to other people. As the Father has life in himself, so the Son has life in himself (26).
Jesus repeats that he has authority to *judge people. The reason is that he is the ‘the Son of Man’ (27). To the *Jewish leaders who knew their history, the name ‘Son of Man’ would have a special meaning. So the things that Jesus says about himself do not please them at all. Jesus’ words clearly point to himself as the coming *Messiah. (See Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 25:31, 34, 41, 46.) Jesus has healed the man at the pool. This is another sign that Jesus is the *Messiah (Isaiah 35:5).
In times of war and terrible suffering, the *prophet Daniel spoke of a time when all would be well in the world. This would be when the *Messiah came. All the wicked nations would disappear. God would give power to one like a son of man (Daniel 7:1-7). These nations had been like wild animals. Into the world would come one who is gentle and kind. He would be human and not an animal. One day, there would be people of love and peace. There would be gentle people. They would rule the world.
In the book of Daniel, it tells of the open books of *judgement in the court of *heaven (Daniel 7:9-10). The Son of Man is on the seat of *judgement. The one who ruled would be the one of God’s choice. He would be the *Messiah, the Son of Man. It would have been difficult for the *Jews not to see that Jesus is claiming to be the *Messiah.
Even Jesus *healing the man at the pool is a sign that he is the *Messiah. The *Jews would understand this. For in God’s new world, anyone who could not walk would jump like a wild animal (Isaiah 35:6). Blind and deaf people and other sick people would all come into a new country. There Jesus would be king (Jeremiah 31: 8-9). All these truths are in the *Old Testament.
God *created everyone. It is therefore his right to *judge them. He is the Judge of all and he must always be fair in his *judgements (Genesis 18: 25). God has given the power of *judgement to the Son (27). The Father tells him how to *judge and the Son obeys him. The Son’s *judgement also will be fair. At the final *judgement, everyone will rise out of their graves. (29).
Those people who have put their *faith in Jesus will not go to hell. But God will still *judge them (or reward them). This will be for the things they did when they were on earth (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). God will also *judge those people who did not hear about Jesus. He will *judge them by their life when they were alive (Matthew 25:31-46). Jesus does only what the Father tells him. Again, Jesus emphasises this. His *judgements will always be fair (30).
In the *Jewish law, there was a rule about a person who had done some crime. The rule was that one witness to the crime was not enough (Deuteronomy 19:15). There had to be two or three witnesses. Of course, Jesus had done nothing wrong. But the *Jews did not believe that he was God. So Jesus tells them of the witnesses who show that he is God.
Jesus, one person, says that something is true. Would there be any reason for people to accept the truth of what he says? That would be no way to prove that what he says is truth. But Jesus does not speak on his own as one person. If he did it would be like saying that the Father and the Son were different persons. But the Father and the Son are one. Therefore, the *will of the Father is the same as the *will of the Son. Therefore, there is no need for the Son to tell people that what he says is true.
Jesus is saying that he does not need human witnesses. However, he mentions ‘another’ person who is a witness. His witness about him ‘is true’. That witness is John the *Baptist (1:15-19). So Jesus reminds the *Jews of John’s message (33-34).
Jesus tells the *Jews to remember John’s message of *repentance. However, he was not the light. He pointed to the true light, Jesus. For a time, the *Jews had been happy with John’s message. They stopped being happy when the message became too hard for them. Jesus tells people these truths so that they will believe in him. Then God will save them.
Jesus said that John was ‘a lamp’ (35). Perhaps Jesus said this after they put John in prison (Mark 6:17), or after they killed him (Mark 6:27). John’s witness was true. But the works of Jesus are a more important witness. Only the power of God could do these works of teaching and *healing (36).
But the *Jews have not listened to Jesus although he is doing the Father’s *will. The Father himself is a witness that Jesus is his Son (37). In Matthew 3:17, Matthew says that God spoke from *heaven at the *baptism of Jesus. These *Jews have not heard God’s voice, nor have they seen his face. Although Jesus is speaking God’s word, they do not hear him. They do not see God when they see Jesus (37). God’s word (the *Old Testament) is not in them. They have not understood it. They do not believe the one whom God sent (38).
The *Jewish leaders read the *Old Testament with great care so that they would always obey the laws (39). They fought hard to defend these laws (16). But there are many places in the *Old Testament that tell us about the *Messiah. The main purpose of the *Old Testament was to tell of him. However, many of the *Jews did not accept and receive God. They did not recognise God’s *Spirit in Jesus (Luke 24:25-27). They refused to come to Jesus so that they might have life (40). The truth, Jesus says, is that they are not alive but dead. Jesus knows what the *Jewish leaders are thinking and feeling in their hearts. They are against his teaching because they do not have God’s love inside them (42).
Jesus does not accept what men say; neither does he accept their *praise (41). Jesus came in his Father’s name and with his Father’s authority. The *Jews would not believe him. There were those who spoke about their own thoughts and experience. People would believe them. Such people liked other people to *praise them. However, they did not look to God to accept them (43). They thought more of human *praise than the *praise of God. (44).
These *Jews loved the Law (the first five books of the *Old Testament). It was through Moses that God gave the law. But the law cannot save *sinners. It can only show people that they are *sinners. It tells them that if they obey the rules they will live good and happy lives. The law prepares the way for the *Messiah. Although the leaders were always reading their Bible, they did not notice this. That is because they were not looking for Jesus in the Bible. They were looking for the wrong things. To know the *Scriptures (Written Words) is important. But the Bible itself does not give life if we do not look for Jesus Christ in it. We meet him in the Bible.
The *Jews knew that Moses prayed for the *Israelites when they were in the desert (Exodus 32:30-32). They believed that he still prayed for them in *heaven (see also Exodus 33:7-11; 34:34-35). Moses was a famous person.
Jesus would *judge these people after death. But the witness against them would be Moses. He pointed to Jesus (46). Jesus was the *prophet that Moses spoke about (Deuteronomy 18:15). They did not believe what Moses wrote. So they would not believe what Jesus said (47). The *Jews were probably surprised at Jesus’ words. Moses had given them the law. It showed them how to please God. But they obeyed the law without having God’s love in their hearts. Therefore, they could not understand that Moses’ laws came true in Jesus.
Today, we have the *New Testament as well as the *Old Testament. It tells us about Jesus. So it is even more important that we read the Bible. Then we will find Jesus in it.
In the *Old Testament times, only God could kill and bring back to life (Deuteronomy 32:39). It is the same with *judgement. That belongs only to God (Deuteronomy 1:17). So Jesus is very brave in speaking as he does. The *Jews hate him for it. They want to kill him.
Jesus now *crosses the four *miles (6 kilometres) to the east side of the Sea of Galilee. They also knew it as the Sea of Tiberius. This was because there was a new town called Tiberius on the western shore (1). A large crowd goes with Jesus. Some of the crowd would have sailed across the Sea (also Lake, see verse 25). Most of them would have walked round to the other side. It is about nine *miles (14 kilometres) round the lake. These people had seen the *miracles (signs) that Jesus did on the sick people (2). Mark’s *gospel tells why Jesus crossed the lake. He wanted his *disciples to have a rest (Mark 6:31). He probably also wanted to talk to them about the things that he had been doing and saying. The mountain that they climbed is probably the Golan Heights in the north east of *Israel (3)
John mentions that the *Passover *Feast is near. During *Passover, the *Jews made bread without *yeast in it (Exodus 12:17-20). So there would be less ordinary bread in the shops at this time.
Jesus will speak later about bread from *heaven. There is therefore a connection with the *Passover meal. This *miracle of feeding of the crowds is the only one that is in all four *gospels.
The people in the crowd were hungry. The *disciples wondered how to feed them. In the other three *gospels, Jesus *preached to the crowd at this time. He also healed the sick people (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17). In this *gospel, however, John says only that Jesus saw the crowd. He asks Philip where they might buy bread for these people to eat (5). He asks this just to test him. Philip lived in Bethsaida, a town close to this (1:44), so he would know where to buy bread. Philip thinks of how much money they will need to buy bread
But Jesus already knows what he is going to do. John wants his readers to have no doubt about that. Jesus always knows what he is doing in our lives. That is a great comfort. It is to test the *disciples that Jesus asks the question (6).
But what would they have to do to feed all these people? We too would have asked the same question had we been there. It would take eight months’ wages to buy only a little bread to feed all these people (7). This is a big problem too for Andrew, Peter’s brother. But he has just a little more hope than Philip does. He sees that there is some food there, but it is only five loaves and two small fish (8-9). The loaves were the kind of bread that poor people ate. Why does Andrew mention this food? Perhaps he remembers the wedding when Jesus turned water into wine. But none of the *disciples knows what Jesus is going to do.
There is grass on the ground. Jesus tells his *disciples to get everyone to sit down. The crowd is very large. John estimates that five thousand men were there (10). With women and children, the crowd could have been ten thousand.
Jesus takes the bread in his hands and thanks God for it. Later he speaks the same words in the *Lord’s Supper. He gives the bread and the fish to all the people. They have plenty to eat (11). The *Jewish tradition was that no one should waste food. Therefore, Jesus does not want to waste anything. He asks his *disciples to collect the food that the people have not eaten. They fill 12 baskets (12-13). These baskets were small ones that people usually carried with them.
There is so much trouble in the world today. We, like the *disciples, can say that there is too much for us to do. Jesus will always give us enough to help people.
The people see this *miracle as a sign. They begin to talk about Jesus. In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses said that God would give the people another *prophet. The people wonder if Jesus is that *prophet (14). He could even be the Christ, God’s chosen one. God had, through Moses, provided food and water for the people in the desert (Exodus 15: 22-25; 16:13-18). The *Jews in the time of Jesus expected that the ‘*prophet’ would do the same.
Jesus knows that people want to make him king (15). But they want a king who will force the *Romans to leave *Israel. Jesus has not come to be that kind of king (18:36).
As this was the time of *Passover, the *Jews would think of their country with pride. They would be especially conscious that they are under *Roman rule. That is why they would want Jesus to be their king. Then he would fight against the *Romans. He will be a king who will give them free food every day. That is what they think.
They look for a king who will do what they want him to do. They do not want a king whom they must please and obey. The main reason Jesus came was not to provide for the needs of our bodies. He came to provide for our inner need of *forgiveness. Without that, we cannot enjoy the best kind of life. The *kingdom of Jesus begins in our hearts when we *repent of our *sins. Jesus does not want the people to force him to be their kind of king.
Jesus wants to get away from the crowd, so he climbs the mountain to be alone.
The *disciples do not begin to *cross the lake until evening (16). Perhaps they are waiting for Jesus to come with them. Mark, in his *gospel, says that Jesus tells his *disciples to *cross the lake straight away (Mark 6:45). So they get into a boat and start to *cross to Capernaum. It is dark and Jesus has not yet joined them (17). A strong wind is blowing, making the water rough (18).
When they have gone three or four *miles, (6 kilometres) they see Jesus walking on the water. He comes closer to the boat and they are afraid (19). They think that he is a *ghost (Mark 6:49). But he says, “It is I; do not be afraid.” When they know that it is Jesus, they are not afraid any more. Then they take him into the boat. Immediately they reach the shore. It is just where they want to be. John’s words here show that this is another *miracle.
The Greek words for ‘It is I’ are ‘I am’. Jesus uses the words to tell the *disciples who he is. Then they will not be afraid. In the *Old Testament, ‘I am’ is the name of God. So the words ‘I am’ could have special meaning to them.
It is now *Passover time. At this time of year, the *Jews remembered how God had rescued them from Egypt. There he divided the waters of the Red Sea (Exodus 12-14). *Psalm 77 speaks of this. ‘The waters saw you, God; the waters saw you and shook with fear. Your path led through the sea, your way through the powerful waters’ (*Psalm 77: 16, 19). Also, ‘He made the storm to be quiet like a whisper. The waves of the sea became quiet’ (*Psalm 107:29-30). God the Father was *Lord of the Red Sea. Jesus too is *Lord of the waves and the seas.
The next day, the crowd is still on the opposite shore of the lake. They realise that only one boat has been there. Jesus has not got into it with his *disciples, but they have left the shore. Some boats from Tiberius land near the place where the people had eaten the bread. The crowd sees that Jesus is not there. So they get into the boats and go to Capernaum to look for Jesus (22-24).
The people find Jesus on the west side of the lake. They cannot understand how and when he arrived. They ask him (25). They do not understand his message or why he has come into the world. They do not understand that they need to be born again. They still want to make him a king who will give them food each day.
Jesus does not answer their question. Instead, he tells them that they have not understood the real meaning of the signs. They do not see God in the signs. There is a message in the signs, but all they can see is food for their stomachs (26). Jesus tells them not to work for that kind of food because it does not last. Work for food that will always be with you. Work for food for your *spirit. Work for food that will give you life. The Son of Man will give you that kind of food. Moreover, he has the right to give you that food because the Father has given him the authority.
God the Father has put his *seal on Jesus (27). In those days, a *seal was very important. Each person had his own *seal. His ring had a special mark on it. He would press his ring into something soft like mud. He would then put this *seal on a letter. It would be a sign that the letter came from that person. It was a sign that the letter was genuine. The *seal means that the Father has given the Son of Man the power to give *eternal life.
Jesus again uses his name ‘the Son of Man’. He is the Son of God, but he is here on the earth, a man among men. He shares his life with ordinary people. Jesus tells the people that he is not a king who will give them food every day. The people ask what work they should do for God (28). His answer is that they should have *faith in Jesus himself. He is the one whom God the Father has sent
But still the people want a sign. They are still thinking of food for their stomachs. Jesus has fed them from just five loaves and two fish. There could be no better sign than that. They speak of the *manna that God gave to the *Israelites in the desert (31). That also was a *miracle. The *manna came from *heaven. There was plenty of it (*Psalm 78:24). They thought that Jesus could not give them a bigger *miracle than that.
In this *gospel, Jesus says many times who he is. He does this in the words ‘I am’. ‘I am’ is the name that God gave to himself. He said, ‘I am who I am’ (Exodus 3:14). Here Jesus gives his first ‘I am’ statement, "I am the bread that gives life". Jesus explains this in verses 35-51. Bread is necessary food that all people must eat in order to live. But the people need to understand that Jesus does not speak of physical food. He speaks of *spiritual food. Physical food is necessary for those people who want to live. *Spiritual food too is necessary for those who want real life.
Jesus makes it clear that God, not Moses, gave them the *manna in the desert. It was bread from *heaven. But it was food for the body. Now, God the Father gives them true bread from *heaven. That bread is Jesus himself who came down from *heaven. He is here now to give life to the world (32-33). The *manna in the desert fed the bodies of a few people. This bread, Jesus, is here to give *eternal life to the whole world. But still the people are thinking only of physical food (34). They want Jesus to keep on giving them food every day without end.
What is this *eternal life that Jesus speaks about? It does not mean just staying alive. Life is to know God. It is to put our trust in Jesus. It is to obey him too. It is being with him all the time. It is talking to him in *prayer. It is listening to him.
We can only know God the Father through Jesus. Life has no meaning when we do not have this *spiritual bread. We each have a need inside of us that we cannot satisfy with physical things. God will satisfy everyone who comes to Jesus. No one who has *faith in him will ever want to drink again (35). The *Jews had seen Jesus, but still they did not have *faith in him. He has told them that he comes from the Father. He does only what the Father wants. But still they do not believe (36).
In the end, it is the Father’s responsibility. Those whom the Father gives will come to Jesus. God wants to enter every person’s life. But there is still the need for a person to decide for himself. Jesus will never send such people away. He will keep them safe not only in this life but for ever (37).
The Father and the Son always agree. Jesus did not come from *heaven to do what he wanted. He came to do what the Father wanted him to do. Everything the Father gives, the Son will receive. He will lose no one of all the people the Father has given to him. God the Father will raise all these to *eternal life. That will be in the last day, at the end of the age, (38-40).
The *Jews start to complain about the things Jesus says about himself. How can they be true? He is just an ordinary person. He is Joseph’s son. They all know his father and mother. He says that he has come down from *heaven. Moreover, he says that he is the bread from *heaven (41). They do not think that this is possible. He cannot expect people to believe him (41-42).
Jesus does not argue with them, but tells them to stop complaining. The Father has sent Jesus. No one can come to him unless the Father draws that person to Jesus. The Father first gives people the desire to come to Jesus. But for those who do come, he will raise them to life on the final day (the end of the age) (43-44).
The *prophet Isaiah wrote, ‘God will teach all of them’ (Isaiah 54:13). Then everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him will come to Jesus (45). God the Father teaches people, but they still have to obey him. They still have to come to Jesus. Jesus is the only person who has seen the Father. Jesus is the one who has come from *heaven. So what God the Father says comes only through Jesus. This is the truth. Only those who have *faith in him have *eternal life (46-47).
Jesus again tells the *Jews that he is the bread that gives life (48). Their fathers (*ancestors) ate *manna in the desert. Later they died. That kind of bread ended in death. Now the bread from *heaven (Jesus) is here. No one who trusts in him will ever die. Jesus tells them again that he is the bread from *heaven. His body is the life-giving bread that he gives to the world (49-50). It is the human life of Jesus. Eating that bread means allowing Jesus into your life. You have *eternal life (life for ever). He will give his human body to save the world from *sin (51).
The *Jews cannot understand this so they complain to each other. How can he give us his body to eat (52)? Jesus is saying that they should eat his body. That is what they think he means. They should also drink his blood. Clearly, that would be an awful thing to do. His words have a *spiritual meaning, but the *Jews cannot understand it. So Jesus explains again what he means (verses 53 to 58).
Clearly, Jesus is pointing to the *cross. He is ‘the *Lamb of God’ (1:29). He is the one God will lift up, like the snake in the desert (3:14). There is only one way to understand this. It is through the death of Jesus on the *cross. There he gave his body. There he poured out his blood. To receive him is like eating his body and drinking his blood. One needs to receive this by *faith. You can understand this only by *faith. But the people do not have that *faith.
The food and drink that we eat become part of our human bodies. The eating and drinking of the body and blood of Jesus is like that. It is about being one with Jesus. He becomes part of our *spiritual nature. We become one with him and he becomes one with us. He lives in the believer. The believer then depends on him for his *spiritual food.
Jesus is teaching in a *Jewish place of *worship (*synagogue) in Capernaum when he says these things.
Jesus is teaching about ‘eating his body’ and coming down from *heaven. They understand this. But they do not like it. He does not please some people. They find it difficult to receive his teaching. He is not the *Messiah who will feed them. He will not fight against the *Romans to free their land. They know that his teaching is true. But that means they will have to do something. They will have to obey him and follow him. It is not difficult to understand with our minds what Jesus teaches. But it is difficult to obey the things he teaches. It would mean making changes in the way we live.
But Jesus knows what the *disciples are thinking. So he asks them why they are complaining. How would they feel if they saw the Son of Man rise to *heaven (62)? For that is where he came from. That event could happen only after his suffering and death. Men will kill him and he will return to *heaven. They cannot receive him now. It will be even more difficult for them to receive him then.
Jesus asks the *disciples to stop thinking in a natural way. Only the *Holy *Spirit can give *spiritual life. That is a gift of God. You cannot get this life by the use of your *will. You cannot have this life by being strong and trying hard for it. The words of Jesus come from the *Spirit who gives life.
Jesus knows that some will not receive him. Neither will they receive the life that the *Holy *Spirit offers them. Jesus always knew this. He also knew that one of his *disciples would become his enemy. He would deliver Jesus to the rulers (64). Again, Jesus says that God the Father is the one who acts. He repeats what he has told them before. A person cannot come to God unless the Father first gives him the desire to come (65). Only the *Holy *Spirit can give this new life.
The result of Jesus’ words is that many *disciples do not want to stay with him. They leave him. Jesus asks the other *disciples if they also want to leave him. Simon Peter replies for them all. Who else can they follow? They know that only Jesus has the words of *eternal life. They now have *faith in him and know that he is God’s *Messiah. He is the one that God the Father chose to speak the words of *eternal life. They want to know more and to stay with him (66-71). Their *faith is growing. We note that the *devils too see that Jesus is the *Holy One of God (Mark 1:24).
Jesus answers Peter’s question. He tells the *disciples that he has chosen them. These 12 men are to be his *disciples. They have not chosen him. But although he has chosen them, they will not all stay close to him (70). One of them he describes as a *devil. He will later *betray Jesus to men. These men will put him to death (13: 2, 27).
How could Jesus choose someone who would later *betray him? This is a mystery. It is difficult to understand.
God the Father has brought us to himself. Only God can keep us close to himself. Only his *mercy will keep us safe. We will therefore not lose the life that he has given us.
There is, however, a cost to being a true believer. It means going the way of the *cross. Jesus said later, ‘Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it stays there on its own...’(12:24). We may often be alone when other people turn away from Jesus. We may be a part of only a small number of believers. Some people may hate us. We may have to stay with him when we do not understand the things that happen in our lives. But we shall never be completely alone. There will always be other people who stay with him. They know of no one else on whom they can depend. The *Holy *Spirit is always with us. We can be sure of our *eternal life.
Chapters 7 to 10 are about the final year of Jesus’ work. His work starts from the second *Passover when he fed the crowd. His work ends at the third *Passover. That was a year later when they killed him. In this last year, there are two other *feasts, the *Feast of *Tabernacles (7:2) and the *Feast of Lights (10:22).
Jesus now goes to the villages in Galilee. It is the time of the *Feast of *Tabernacles (Tents). Jesus does not want to go to Jerusalem. He knew from the beginning that people would kill him (1). It is not that Jesus is afraid to die. We know that he will die later in Jerusalem. But the time is not right for him to go there now.
The *Feast of *Tabernacles was at the end of September and the beginning of October. It was the *Feast of Harvest. God had given the *Jews food when they were in the desert (Exodus chapter 16). Then they had travelled from place to place. Then God had showed himself to them in the tent of meeting. The purpose of this *Feast was to remember these events. So they lived each year for eight days in tents made of leaves and branches.
The *Feast lasted for eight days. There was a law about people attending the *Feast. Every male adult *Jew who lived less than 15 *miles (24 kilometres) from Jerusalem had to attend. But good *Jews from a greater distance would want to be there. The brothers of Jesus want him to go to Jerusalem for the *Feast. But Jesus does not agree with them. He will go only when he thinks it right to go.
Why do his brothers want Jesus to go to Jerusalem? Jesus had done *miracles in Galilee. He changed water into wine. He healed the *Roman’s son. He fed the five thousand. In Jerusalem, he had healed the sick man by the pool. But the *Jews did not regard this as a *miracle. To them, it was against the *Sabbath law. His brothers think that it would be a good idea for Jesus to do a few *miracles in Jerusalem. They think that then perhaps the people will notice him and follow him.
Jerusalem was the most important place. So why should Jesus stay in Galilee? It seems to the *disciples that Jerusalem is the right place for Jesus to be. But the greatness and *glory of Jesus comes not in wonderful *miracles. He will show his *glory a year later in his death on the *cross. This is not the time for him to show his *glory.
Jesus does not do the things that people think he should do. Neither does he do things when people think that he ought to do them. Even his own brothers do not really believe that he is the *Messiah (5). So Jesus tells them that his time has not yet come. This is not the right time for him to do what he plans to do. This explains why Jesus seems to say he will not go to Jerusalem but then later he goes. He will not go when the *disciples think he should. He will go only at the time he chooses. He chooses his time with care. He sees that a better time would be in the middle of the *Feast. So that is when he goes.
Jesus tells his brothers that any time is right for them. They can go to Jerusalem. But no one will notice them there. It would not matter whether they were there or not. They think the same as other people in the world. Their way is the way of the world. They belong to the world, so the world will not hate them. The world does not hate its own people. People do *evil things. But the brothers being in Jerusalem will not trouble them. That they are there will make no difference. People will still not want to change their ways.
It is different with Jesus. When people do *evil, he will trouble them. He will tell them to give up their *evil ways. They will not like that. So Jesus must choose his time. Then when he does go to Jerusalem, people will notice him. Something will happen. So he stays in Galilee (9). When Jesus did go to Jerusalem, he did not follow his brothers’ advice and do *miracles.
The *Jewish leaders were the Pharisees and the chief priests. They hated Jesus and hated each other. The Pharisees hated Jesus because he spoke against their silly rules. They loved their system of rules more than they loved God. If Jesus is right then they are wrong. Most of the priests were *Sadducees. The *Sadducees did not agree with the rules of the Pharisees. They were friends of the *Roman rulers. They were comfortable and they were rich. They did not want a *Messiah who would change things and upset their comfortable lives.
Jesus does not tell anyone he is going to the *Feast. When he goes he goes in secret (10). The *Jews notice that Jesus is not there. They look for him and want to know where he is (11). The people whisper about him and wonder what kind of man he is. Some people say that he is a good man. Other people say that he is telling lies to everyone (12). But the people are afraid of their leaders. So they only whisper these things (13). They do not want the leaders to hear them.
But Jesus is not afraid of the *Jews. At the right time, he goes to the *Temple. It is about half way through the *Feast. He starts to teach (14). This surprises the leaders. They cannot understand why Jesus knows so much. No one has taught him these things. He has never been to a college for teachers (15). Jesus tells them that his teaching is not his own, neither has he taught himself. His teaching is from God (16). He is one with the Father and shares the Father’s knowledge.
The test for the *Jews is whether they want to obey God. If they do, they will know whether the teaching of Jesus is from God. He is not speaking his own thoughts. Only those who want to obey God will understand whether the teaching is from God. Only they will know if it is true (17). Jesus does not want to bring honour to himself. If he did, he would speak his own words. He wants to bring honour to his Father, the one who sent him. Therefore he speaks the truth and does not lie. He is a man of truth. There is nothing *false about him (18).
He asks them to look to Moses who gave them the law. The *Jews kept the law with great care. They spent a lot of time reading it and writing about it. Yet, Jesus says that not one of them obeys it. They did in fact keep the law in every detail. But they did not understand the reason God gave the law. If they did understand, they would not be trying to kill Jesus (19). It was against the law of Moses to kill (Exodus 20:13). That was one of the most important laws. It was a law that would never change.
The crowd says that no one is trying to kill Jesus. He must have a *demon if he thinks that.