#1463 John 2 Part 1 Vino Tinto

 

And on the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; 2 and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus *said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus *said to her, “Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother *said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing two or three measures each. 7 Jesus *said to them, “Fill the water jars with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He *said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it to him. 9 Now when the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter *called the bridegroom, 10 and *said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then the inferior wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this in Cana of Galilee as the beginning of His signs, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days. John 2: 1-12 LSB

John 2: 1-12

And on the third day there was a wedding - So, the Apostle John has started off with some huge claims as to Who Jesus is, He is the Word, the Word Become flesh, the Word was with God and the Word was God. John the Baptist has also testified to Jesus being the Messiah, the Lamb of God. He has shown His omniscience to the first of His disciples, and now He is at a wedding, and this is perfect, because the Apostle has also let us know, in clarifying Who Jesus is, that He, the Word is the Maker, everything that was made was made through Him and for Him, so He preexist all that is made. Marriage is an institute created by God, that holy union, covenant, where a man and a woman come together to become one. So the earth belongs to God and marriage belongs to God, besides your covenant with God, being born again, there is no more sacred covenant than this. It is the foundation of all societies, that blessed union that brings forth life and with that life the responsibility to teach and care for it. This is how humanity not only populates the planet, but this bond, the understanding of it or lack there of, leads to the success or downward decay of all civilizations. God has called Israel His wife and the church He has called the bride of Christ. We have a generally corrupted view of marriage as a result of our fallen natures, but it belongs to God and it is both precious and vital. This is the scene of Jesus' first physical miracle.

…27So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.” Genesis 1: 27-28

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.

20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found aa helper suitable for him.

21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.

22 The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

23 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones,

And flesh of my flesh;

She shall be called Woman,

Because she was taken out of Man.”

24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Genesis 2: 18-25

10A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies. 11The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value. 12She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life.… Proverbs 31: 10-12

1Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, 2influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. 3They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.… 1 Timothy 4: 1-3

…3Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them. 4 Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. 5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”… Hebrews 13: 3-5

V. 3 And when the wine ran out - This would be embarrassing for the bride and groom along with their parents. Wine was a staple then, some writers even say that water was seldom drank without wine in some areas because the climate was so warm. 

And the mother of Jesus was there - John never mentions Mary by name, even as he tends to leave himself anonymous (cf " the disciple whom He loved" = Jn 19:26,27). Neither is Joseph mentioned so many think he had passed on by now. While this is likely, it is notable that there is also no mention of Jesus' brothers and sisters although we know they are alive (Mt 12:46-47+). "It is probable that Mary was not an invited guest but rather an assistant at the wedding. This might explain how it was that she knew about the wine giving out." (Hendriksen)

Utley- Apparently Mary was helping with the arrangements for the wedding. This can be seen in (1) her ordering the servants (cf. v. 5) and (2) her concern over the refreshments (cf. v. 3). These probably were relatives or family friends.

…14He makes the grass grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, bringing forth food from the earth: 15wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil that makes his face to shine, and bread that sustains his heart. 16The trees of the LORD have their fill, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted,… Psalm 104:15

V. 4 Woman what do I have to do with you - It is the same for her as it is for those genetically related to Abraham, they still need Christ to die for them. There is no advantage in physical birth other than proximity to the message, but it can only be received spiritually, so one must be born again. 

And Jesus said to her, "Woman - This is not disrespect by Jesus but is akin to our modern word "Lady." (cf Jn 19:26 as Jesus spoke from the Cross) He does not call her “mother.” Jesus wanted to emphasize that there was a different relationship with her now. ESV Study note says it was "an expression of polite distance."

MacArthur explains that "that what they had in common in their relationship was no longer to be what it had been while He was growing up in Nazareth. His public ministry had begun, and earthly relationships would not determine His actions. Mary was to relate to Him no longer as her son, but as her Messiah, the Son of God, and her Savior (cf. Matt. 12:47–50; Mark 3:31–35; Luke 11:27–28)." (MNTC-Jn)

Morris adds the comment "That Jesus calls Mary 'Woman' and not 'Mother' probably indicates that there is a new relationship between them as he enters his public ministry."

NET Note - The term Woman is Jesus' normal, polite way of addressing women (Matt 15:28, Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:15). But it is unusual for a son to address his mother with this term. The custom in both Hebrew (or Aramaic) and Greek would be for a son to use a qualifying adjective or title. Is there significance in Jesus' use here? It probably indicates that a new relationship existed between Jesus and his mother once he had embarked on his public ministry. He was no longer or primarily only her son, but the "Son of Man." This is also suggested by the use of the same term in 19:26 in the scene at the cross, where the beloved disciple is "given" to Mary as her "new" son.

What does that have to do with us? - More literally it was a Hebraic idiom that read “What to me and to you?” and means in essence “What do we have in common?" ( (cf. Jdg. 11:12; 2 Sa 16:10; 19:22; 1 Ki 17:18; 2 Ki 3:13; 2 Chr. 35:21; Mt. 8:29; Mk 1:24; 5:7; Lk 4:34; 8:28;). This) Jesus' point is that Mary was no longer to think of Him as her son, for now He was consumed with the consummation of His commission and mission, to die for the sins of the world that He might be the Redeemer of all who believe in Him. It is interesting that the demons spoke similar words when confronted by Christ ("What business do we have with each other, in Mk 1:24+, Mk 5:7+)

COMMENT - It is notable that the expression what does that have to do with us is repeatedly spoken by the demons when Jesus approached. "Our Lord has nothing in common with Satan at all. Christ had nothing in common with Mary because He was the God-man and she was a sinner just like everyone else. Christ was saying, "What authority do you have over me?" There was only one voice that had authority for His ears and that was the voice of God the Father. Jesus could not consent to her authority. He could only consent to His Heavenly Father's authority." (Mattoon) - Precept Austin

My hour has not yet come - He will fulfill this present need of the wine, and by it He will most importantly provide evidence to John's claims that Jesus is God with a capital G. His hour though refers to His death, that is the goal, the cross, salvation for those who believe. 

…29but I know Him, because I am from Him and He sent Me.” 30So they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. 31Many in the crowd, however, believed in Him and said, “When the Christ comes, will He perform more signs than this man?”… John 7: 29-31

V. 5 His mother said to the servants Whatever he says to you, do it - She has a lot of faith in His ability, and as Macarthur and others point out she has watched Him all these years, has seen the wisdom that can be found in no other. She does not tell Jesus what to do, but rather the servants, so she seems to be there in some managerial capacity and or as a friend or relative with good managing skills, unless she was the one who decided on the quantity of wine. Realistically it could have been an issue with money and resources as well, but a wedding was a huge thing in these communities, a very common and exciting celebration. 

A T Robertson - Mary took comfort in the “not yet” (οὐπω [oupō]) and recognized the right of Jesus as Messiah to independence of her, but evidently expected him to carry out her suggestion ultimately as he did. This mother knew her Son.

D A Carson says that "in Jn 2:3 Mary approaches Jesus as his mother, and is reproached; in Jn 2:5, she responds as a believer, and her faith is honoured. She still does not know what he would do; but she has committed the matter to him, and trusts him. These two verses (Jn 2:4–5), as difficult as they are, help to shape this account of Jesus’ first miracle, and ensure that the focus is on Jesus’ glory (Jn 2:11), not Mary’s, and on the disciples’ faith (Jn 2:11), including Mary’s (Jn 2:5)." (Ibid) - Precept Austin

V. 6 Set there for the Jewish custom of purification - These would be large jars then or pots, holding about 30 gallons of water each.

V. 7 Fill the water jars with water - So they filled them to the brim. His mom pointed them to Him and they are obeying Him. This is a problem outside her scope, she can only pray to the Savior, point to the Savior, it's well within His ability.

V. 9 The head waiter tasted the water which had become wine - Jesus is the One by which all things are made, this is John's evidence that He is God, the Creator of the Water, the One Who spoke it into being, the Living Word. He has charge of things at an elemental level, every atom obeys Him, even like the servants who are filling the pots and taking a sample to the head waiter, so the water obeys Him. 

V. 10 You have kept the good wine until now - It's not just wine, not watered down wine, or wine flavored water, no, only water went into the jars, but Jesus has made it into the fermented juice of the vine, in an instant. Just as He spoke the universe and our world into existence, as He so stretched the heavens as to create light years of distance, all in that same day, in moments, so that we see that light which some think millions of years old, yet it was all stretched out in a day, those great beams that must also obey Him. Who can command such things? 

V. 11 And His disciples believed in Him - This increased their faith. 

30Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. John 20: 30-31

#1462 John 1 Part 8 We Found Him

 

35 On the next day, John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 And the two disciples heard him speak and followed Jesus. 38 And when Jesus turned and noticed them following, He *said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” 39 He *said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day. It was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first *found his own brother Simon and *said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. When Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

43 On the next day, He desired to go into Galilee, and He *found Philip. And Jesus *said to him, “Follow Me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip *found Nathanael and *said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip *said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and *said about him, “Behold, truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael *said to Him, “From where do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He *said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” John 1: 35-51 LSB

John 1: 35-51

V. 35 On the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples - This refers to John the Baptist, and one of the two disciples, Andrew, is named later in verse 40. Now these two are disciples of the Baptist, and some suggest the other of the two to be the apostle John, which I believe is fitting since he never names himself directly throughout his gospel. This is during the early part of Jesus ministry, and the disciples are more loosely connected to Him at this time, this is before the call to them to leave everything behind. They have heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and they will hear the teachings of Christ, but they are not yet Apostles. 

V. 36 Behold, the Lamb of God - The Jewish people were well acquainted with bringing lambs to Jerusalem for the Passover, this was God's Lamb. It was not a picture like that of an animal's life for the sins of humans, no, every other sacrificial lamb, dove or goat was pointing to the One God would provide. Many think John to be a prophet, he has acknowledged that he is the voice of one calling in the wilderness when interrogated by the Jewish leaders, and here he does not point to himself, but to Christ, acknowledging His position as the Lamb of God. True teachers always point to Christ. It is also interesting to note that these people, as familiar with the sacrifice as they are, as familiar with the teaching of the prophets, the same prophets, about a coming Kingdom, would bypass this first declaration, this most necessary sequence. They are enamored with the idea of Messiah, Kingship, of a recovered Davidic empire, but not the idea of the Suffering Servant, that first He must lay down His life in order that they might have life. He is their kinsman Redeemer.  

…21Speak up and present your case—yes, let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago? Who announced it from ancient times? Was it not I, the LORD? There is no other God but Me, a righteous God and Savior; there is none but Me. 22Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. 23By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.… Isaiah 45: 21-23

1“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ 2All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations, 3to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick,… Isaiah 65: 1-3

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.… Hebrews 12: 1-3

…19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake. 21Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him; and so your faith and hope are in God.… 1 Peter 1: 19-21

Followed Jesus - These two disciples of John the Baptist heard what John was saying and saw to Who he was pointing, and started following Jesus. 

Behold, the Lamb of God - As noted above behold is actually a command (aorist imperative) so John is addressing two of his very own disciples charging them not just to "look" at Jesus, but in essence (from the context) to follow Him. John's humility should not be missed! How tempting it would have been for John to desire to keep these two disciples under his charge, for he was man with a nature just like we have (fallen flesh is selfish and desires "self-glorification"). And yet he encouraged (in essence commanded) them to follow Jesus. John's "mantra" clearly was "He (present tense = continually) must (not optional!) (dei in present tense = continually) increase (present tense = "be increasing"), but I must (dei in present tense = continually not optional!) decrease (present tense = continually be decreasing)!" (John 3:30+). Beloved, enabled by the Spirit of Jesus, may we be imitators of John's humility (cf Heb 6:12+), remembering that "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble!" (James 4:6+). - Precept Austin

Macarthur points out a beautiful pattern here. These are two seekers, and they have found in John the Baptist a preacher, a proclaimer. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, God calls men to seek Him, provides men that declare Him through His word, pastors who point to Jesus upon Whom that faith, which is ignited in them by the Grace of God through the power of the Holy Spirit, can come to rest on the object of Christ. 

6Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 7Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.… Matthew 7: 6-8

…16“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.” 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely. 18I testify to everyone who hears the words of prophecy in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.… Revelation 22: 16-18

…13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”… Romans 10: 13-15

V. 40 Was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother - They were fishermen, brothers that knew other fishermen near them, they heard the Baptist and now they want to learn more about the One to Whom he pointed.

V. 41 He first found his own brother Simon - After meeting Jesus, Andrew wanted to find someone and tell them, and he went first to his brother, his fishing partner. Andrew was one of the first evangelists. Imagine, after 400 years without any prophets, you now have John the Baptist calling men to repent in order to make the way straight, that the King is coming. Then he points Him out and says, this is the Lamb of God. The Jews are under Roman rule, have been experiencing the times of the Gentiles since northern Israel was led off by Assyria and then Judah was taken by Babylon. These are the words that every believing Jew wanted to hear, "we have found the Messiah". How exciting that would be, but how difficult too, for we make scenarios in our minds, even when we acknowledge God's word to be just that, yet we will have an idea of how we want to see this go, how long it should take before the Kingdom is realized and what that looks like. Just like the Baptist, Jesus will come under scrutiny by those who want a king to deliver them from Rome, but are too self righteous to acknowledge their deeper need. 

Wiersbe points out that "Kings were especially called “God’s anointed” (1 Sam. 26:11; Ps. 89:20); so, when the Jews spoke about their Messiah, they were thinking of the king who would come to deliver them and establish the kingdom. There was some confusion among the Jewish teachers as to what the Messiah would do. Some saw Him as a suffering sacrifice (as in Isa. 53 - see Jewish Tradition of Two Messiahs), while others saw a splendid king (as in Isa. 9 and 11). Jesus had to explain even to His own followers that the cross had to come before the crown, that He must suffer before He could enter into His glory (Luke 24:13–35). Whether or not Jesus was indeed the Messiah was a crucial problem that challenged the Jews in that day (John 7:26, 40–44; 9:22; 10:24).(BEC)

Yes they found the Messiah, but the truth is the Messiah found them! Spurgeon writes "Do not get worrying yourselves, as some of you do, about God's eternal purpose, and about the secret working of the Holy Spirit, and about how this can be consistent with your following Christ when he bids you. They are perfectly consistent. Some persons have asked me at times to reconcile these two things; and I have said to them, "Very well, tell me the difficulties, and I will reconcile them . . .” There is no quarrel between them, and I have no time to waste on needless argument. Come you to Christ; and if you do, it will be because the Holy Spirit draws you. If you find the Saviour, it will be because the Saviour first found you. Perhaps, in heaven, you may see some difficulties, and get them explained; down here, you need not see them, and you need not ask to have them explained. Salvation is all of God's grace, from first to last; yet is it true that the grace of God leads men to do what Moses did, according to our subject this morning,—to make a choice and to choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. God grant that you may make an equally wise choice! - Precept Austin

V. 42 You shall be called Cephas - Simon gets a name change to Cephas, meaning rock, which is also translated Peter, and Jesus prophecies about Peter too. He is going to have a ministry as a leader in the church, whose preaching will be foundational to the birth of the church that Christ is building. Peter is one of the pillars. 

…17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”… Matthew 16: 17-19

22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God did through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death. 24 But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. 25 For David says of Him,

‘I saw the Lord continually before me;

Because He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken.

26 Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted;

Moreover my flesh also will live in hope;

27 Because You will not forsake my soul to Hades,

Nor give Your Holy One over to see corruption.

28 You have made known to me the ways of life;

You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.’

29 “Men, brothers, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to set one of the fruit of his body on his throne, 31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither forsaken to Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this which you both see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says:

‘The Lord said to my Lord

“Sit at My right hand

35

Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.”’

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”

About Three Thousand Souls Saved

37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men, brothers, what should we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40 And with many other words he solemnly bore witness and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this crooked generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42 And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. Acts 2: 22-42 Peter's sermon at Pentecost.

…4Have we no right to food and to drink? 5Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?… 1 Corinthians 9: 4-6

V. 46 Can any good thing come out of Nazareth - Phillip believes that this is the One Who Moses and the prophets spoke of in spite of His being from Nazareth and being the Son of an ordinary man, a carpenter. 

15The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him. 16This is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!”… Deuteronomy 18:15

…5For every trampling boot of battle and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.… Isaiah 9: 5-7

V. 47 An Israelite in whom there is no deceit - Jesus peels layers away here, and Nathaniel is probably a man of discernment, slow to take a compliment, but Jesus looks at the heart and sees a true seeker, a penitent. So Nathaniel ask, "from where do You know me", and Jesus tells him that he saw him before Philip found him, a sign of Christ's omniscience. In other words, "how do you know my heart?" Jesus answer, "I know everything." 

V. 49 Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel - Now they have a long way to go from here, and all this that seems evident to them now will be challenged, their faith will be tested, and they will be shaken. Judas is yet to come and he will not pass the test, discipleship to Christ will be in a way that he would never sign up for, and as he discovers this he will become more enraged, more let down, because he doesn't have a cross in his ideal for the Messiah, it does not precede the kingdom in his eschatology.  

V. 50 You will see greater things than these - You will see the heavens open and the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Son of Man is a reference Jesus uses for Himself and can be found in Daniel. The heavens open will be familiar for these Jewish men who have heard the readings from Moses, the law and the prophets. This describes Jesus' ministry, the miracles that will take place will utilize His elect angels. They will minister unto Him. Jacob, the patriarch, had this vision, to see how God would fulfill His promise to his grandfather Abraham. 

…13In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. 14And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Daniel 7: 13-14

10Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11And he reached [†]a certain place and spent the night there because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it [†]under his head and lay down in that place. 12Then he had a dream, and behold, a [†]ladder stood on the earth with its top touching heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13And behold, Yahweh stood [†]above it and said, “I am Yahweh, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your seed. 14And your seed will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will [†]spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go. And I will bring you back to this land; for I will not forsake you until I have done what I have [†]promised you.” 16Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17And he was afraid and said, “How fearsome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

18So Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone that he had put [†]under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on its top. 19And he called the name of that place [†]Bethel; however, [†]previously the name of the city had been Luz. 20Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey on which I am going, and will give me [†]food to eat and garments to wear, 21and I return to my father’s house in peace, then Yahweh will be my God. 22Now this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” Genesis 28: 10-22

#1461 John 1 Part 7 A Real Preacher Speaks No More No Less

19 And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he *said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Therefore, they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. 27 This One is He who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandal.” 28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 On the next day, he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who has been ahead of me, for He existed before me.’ 31 I did not know Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing with water.” 32 And John bore witness saying, “I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He abided on Him. 33 And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The One upon whom you see the Spirit descending and abiding on Him, this is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I myself have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” John 1: 19-34 LSB

John 1: 19-34

15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them. Luke 3: 15-18

And this is the witness of John - This is John the Baptist, the messenger who comes before Christ, who points to Christ, and John is a great preacher, teaching about sin and repentance. He calls even the religious, those who think much about their spiritual position, he calls them to reality, to awake from their sleepy delusions. No preacher has ever helped a man by pointing to himself, it is the gospel that has been given to us that is the power unto salvation, the story of Christ, not your personality or ability as an orator. 

…6Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.… Matthew 3: 6-8

V. 20 I am not the Christ - He was not the Messiah, but he knew about Jesus, Who he will baptize as a part of Christ's fulfilling the human side of all righteousness. The people see that He is a prophet, and he has a large following, but he wants to be clear as to who he is based upon what has been conveyed to him. He is a son of a priest, a cousin of Jesus, and they come to him because Israel has long been hoping for a Messiah based upon the teachings of Scripture. 

…9They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water. 10 On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His place of rest will be glorious. 11On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.… Isaiah 11: 9-11

V. 21 Are you Elijah - Elijah was an OT prophet who stood against the apostasy of the northern kingdom of Israel in his day. He stood against King Ahab, Queen Jezebel and her prophets of Baal. God performed great signs through Elijah, including sealing up the heavens so that it did not rain for over 3 years, and sending fire down from heaven in answer to Elijah's prayers, a fire that consumes water, wood and rocks. The prophet killed 400 of Jezebel's prophets down by the river, and mocked Baal as being too busy or asleep to answer them. Elijah, like Enoch, did not see death either, but was taken up in a fiery chariot. Why would they ask if he was this prophet from long ago?

…5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD. 6And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.” Malachi 4: 5-6

…10The disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 Jesus replied, “Elijah does indeed come, and he will restore all things. 12But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him whatever they wished. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.”… Matthew 17: 10-12

Are you The Prophet - This is another office of Jesus, and a prophecy from Moses. John answers no on both accounts. It is interesting, because Jesus recognizes his role, but just like the rejection of the Messiah is prophesied in Isaiah, the messenger is also rejected. 

MacArthur - John’s reply to the delegation may also suggest that he did not understand himself to be Elijah even in the sense that Jesus affirmed he was. Leon Morris notes,

No man is what he is in his own eyes. He really is only as he is known to God. At a later time Jesus equated John with the Elijah of Malachi’s prophecy, but that does not carry with it the implication that John himself was aware of the true position.… Jesus confers on John his true significance. No man is what he himself thinks he is. He is only what Jesus knows him to be. (The Gospel According to John, The New International Commentary on the New Testament [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979], 135–36) (Ibid)

Matthew records Jesus' commentary on Elijah's appearance at the transfiguration

And He (JESUS) answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things (Mal 4:5); 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished (THEY KILLED JOHN THE BAPTIST). So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist. (BUT THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS WAS PREDICTING HIS OWN DEATH) (Mt 17:11-13, cf Mk 9:12-13+) Even calling Jesus "Lord," is not sufficient to save, if you continue to live your life as if you yourself were the "lord" of your life, for this will still result in Jesus' personal condemnation (Mt 7:21-23+). - Precept Austin

15The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him. 16This is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!”… Deuteronomy 18: 15-16

V. 23 - I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness - This much he did know about himself, and strange how many so called, self proclaimed and self styled "prophets" go about pounding and puffing out their chest today. 

…3A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. 4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain. 5And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all humanity together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”… Isaiah 40: 3-5

"I am A VOICE OF ONE - John was A voice, not THE Voice. John was a pointer to the Prince of Peace. "The point of the quotation is that it gives no prominence to the preacher whatever. He is not an important person, like a prophet or the Messiah. He is no more than a voice (contrast the reference to Jesus as “the Word”). He is a voice, moreover, with but one thing to say. John’s ethical teaching is not large in amount, nor striking in content." (Morris)See more detailed comments on Mark 1:2

John was a Voice for the Word, but he was not the Word! But oh what a word he speaks as he cries out Isaiah's passage! As explained below, this is in a very real sense an urgent call to his hearers to prepare their hearts for the Messiah. John's ministry reminds me of the breed of dog known as a pointer (see picture) whose job is to point steadfastly toward the game birds which the hunter seeks. John was like a human "pointer" (as should be all ministers) for his "job description" was to point people to Jesus and NOT to himself (ourselves)! The hero of the church is Jesus, not a pastor, a music minister, a gifted teacher, etc. - Precept Austin

V. 25 Why then are you baptizing -  The Pharisees above all did not see themselves as unclean, so they would never want this baptism, they relied on being genetic sons of Abraham and outward rituals that made them feel and appear holy, as unto men, but not God. If you think about it, even here, this is a case of believers baptism, the New Covenant, and they did not believe. The baptism they were use to was of those leaving their gentile beliefs and coming into Judaism, but here, John is calling Jews to repent, to be baptized as a confession of sin and a need of repentance. 

Leon Morris comments "Baptism was not a new practice in Judaism. It was the regular rite in the admission of converts from other religions. When such a conversion took place, the males of the family were circumcised and all, of both sexes, were baptized. This was seen as the ceremonial removal of all the pollutions contracted in the Gentile world. The novelty in John’s case and the sting in his practice was that he applied to Jews the ceremony that was held to be appropriate in the case of Gentiles coming newly into the faith.34 All Jews were prepared to accept the view that Gentiles were defiled and needed cleansing. But to put Jews in the same class was horrifying. The Jews were God’s people already. It is true that on the basis of certain Old Testament passages some people expected that there would be baptizing when the messianic age dawned (Ezek. 36:25+; Zech. 13:1+). But John had denied being the Messiah. It was all very perplexing and the Pharisees wanted to know more about it." (NICNT-John)

Baptizing (present tense)(907)(baptizo from bapto = cover wholly with a fluid; stain or dip as with dye; used of the smith tempering the red-hot steel, used of dyeing the hair; of a ship that "dipped" = sank) has a literal and a figurative meaning in the NT. The literal meaning is to submerge, to dip or immerse as in water. A study of the 77 NT uses of baptizo in the Gospels and Acts shows that most are associated with literal water baptism (exceptions are references to Jesus' baptism of others with the Holy Spirit [see note] = Mt 3:11+, Mk 1:8+, Lk 3:16+, Jn 1:33+). The Greeks used baptizo to describe the dyeing of a garment, in which the whole material was plunged in and taken out from the element used. Baptizo was used of the act of sinking ships. Baptizo also meant to bathe of a boat which had been wrecked by being submerged and then stranded on the shore. All uses of BAPTIZO in Gospels - Matt. 3:6; Matt. 3:11; Matt. 3:13; Matt. 3:14; Matt. 3:16; Matt. 28:19; Mk. 1:4; Mk. 1:5; Mk. 1:8; Mk. 1:9; Mk. 6:14; Mk. 6:24; Mk. 10:38; Mk. 10:39; Mk. 16:16; Lk. 3:7; Lk. 3:12; Lk. 3:16; Lk. 3:21; Lk. 7:29; Lk. 7:30; Lk. 11:38; Lk. 12:50; Jn. 1:25; Jn. 1:26; Jn. 1:28; Jn. 1:31; Jn. 1:33; Jn. 3:22; Jn. 3:23; Jn. 3:26; Jn. 4:1; Jn. 4:2; Jn. 10:40; _ Precept Austin

…3“Into what, then, were you baptized?” Paul asked. “The baptism of John,” they replied. 4 Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.… Acts 19: 3-5

V. 27 Of Whom I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal - John takes a lowly position in contrasting himself to the One he announces. He is even hesitant to baptize Jesus. It is a beautiful thing that this was the job of slaves to clean the feet of traveling guests, and John sees it as too high of an honor. Peter will later face this same dilemma, and the more you know about Who Jesus is, the less you find of good in yourself. 

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4 *got up from supper, and *laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He tied it around Himself.

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

5 Then He *poured water into the washbasin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel which He had tied around Himself. 6 So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not realize now, but you will understand afterwards.” 8 Peter *said to Him, “You will never wash my feet—ever!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 Jesus *said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. John 13: 3-17

V. 29 Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world - He acknowledges Jesus' role as a Savior, and not the type they hope for, one to save them from their labors, hunger, and Roman occupation, but from sin. This is consistent with his preaching and baptism, in line with repentance. God required a Lamb without spot, and this was a simple picture for everyone here, whether rural or city slicker, the Jews came to Jerusalem for the Passover, which saw many a sacrificed lamb. 

…36Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is not of this realm.” 37“Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.” 38“What is truth?” Pilate asked. And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against Him.… John 18: 36-38

…4If the household is too small for a whole lamb, they are to share with the nearest neighbor based on the number of people, and apportion the lamb accordingly. 5Your lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats. 6You must keep it until the fourteenth day of the month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight.… Exodus 12: 4-6

…18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot. 20He was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake.… 1 Peter 1: 18-20

V. 31 I did not know Him - Look how this plays out. John responded to Jesus when he was in his mother's womb, but he grew up in the wilderness, and even more was revealed to him at Jesus baptism.

The One upon Whom you see the Spirit descending - This is the One to point out, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the only Way to be right with God. He then, like Peter and Thomas, believes and knows this to be the Son of God. 

21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” 23Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His ministry. He was regarded as the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,… Luke 3: 21-23