Gospel of John - Lesson 3

With the Gospel of John we need to wear trifocals. One lens is for the Jews and one lens is for the Greeks and their world view and one lens is for the deeper story behind the events being told. John was always presenting a profound spiritual reality behind the story or more accurately, he picked the events that would enable him to explain the essence, character and purpose of Jesus.

John can be divided into 3 parts. The wedding at Cana, the cleansing of the temple and the new temple.

The wedding at Cana shows that Jesus was a part of a community and participated in the happenings of the village. Cana was a small village in Galilee. The occasion of a wedding was a major event. They were often a week long. There was a feast late at night and then the ceremony and then the couple walked through the village greeting everyone. They went to their new home and kept open house for week wearing robes and crowns and being king and queen for that time. In the dire poverty of the day, this event would be the highlight of a lifetime. Hospitality was a sacred duty in the East and this might also be said of the Greeks. Both cultures held hospitality as a core value. It was on this occasion that a humble village couple ran out of wine. Anyone reading this story would gasp at the impending doom and humiliation of this family.

Enter Mary. It seems that Mary held a place of honor at this wedding as she was in a position to give orders. An early set of documents called the Monarchian Prefaces said that Mary had a sister Salome and that this was her son’s wedding. Tradition held that the bridegroom was John himself. John was a cousin of Jesus and how amazing to have been the one being rescued. No wonder John wants to include this story. Joseph isn’t mentioned here and had probably died by this time being much older than Mary. So Mary is here as Aunt, and responsible person and knows how to handle this crisis. Here Mary shows clearly her complete faith in her son’s abilities and tells the servants to obey him. We come to a translation problem with “dear woman why do you involve me?” The NIV uses the word dear to help get the meaning across. It wasn’t meant to be a negative image, but one of endearment. “My time has not yet come.” Jesus says this in several places meaning that his status as Messiah and God’s Son was not yet to be revealed to the people. Mary knew that Jesus would respond to this family crisis and doesn’t miss a beat, but tells the servants to do as he says.

John writing for the Greeks now has to fill us in on some background information about the water jars. The Jews would know all about the various kinds of ceremonial washing that required the jars to be in place by the door. Although John is giving cultural background for the Greeks, he takes this opportunity to go deeper into the reality being experienced. There are 6 jars. The number seven is one of perfection, completion. The jars represent the law and the number 6, one less than perfection, underlines the inadequacy of the law to make one clean before God.

Now this first miracle is well placed to get the attention of the Greeks. They had a story involving empty jars that got mysteriously filled with wine. Dionysos was the Greek god of wine. At a special festival for him, 3 empty jars were set out and then safeguarded to prevent trickery. The next day they were filled with wine. So the Greeks, with this story in their background would be alert and ready for the punch line.

Jesus tells the servants to fill the jars with water to the brim. They are overflowing and splashing. This means first of all that nothing could be added to the contents to influence the flavor and to John it would also mean the overflowing abundance of the Holy Spirit and the wonderful grace of Jesus-leaving the law far behind. Then Jesus gives the instruction to take a dipper full to the head waiter. He takes a drink and marvels at the excellent quality, especially brought out at this point in the celebration week. It is a miracle of grace. Jesus begins His ministry at a village girl’s wedding. His glory is a blessing to all there.

Now we look at the anger of Jesus. John mentions 3 passovers with Jesus. The other gospels only mention one. It is more accurate that Jesus was involved and present for the 3 passovers and for more time in Jerusalem than the others account for. It can be said that the first three Gospels are about the ministry in Galilee and that John emphasizes the time in Jerusalem. Now John places the cleansing of the temple at the beginning of his ministry while the others place it happening during Holy week. Here the other Gospels are correct. John is not just interested in facts but in the truth behind the facts. He puts this monumental event out of chronological order because he wants to impress all that this is the Messiah. This show stopping visit to the temple could only be done by the Messiah himself. Malachi 3:1-4, was a prophecy about the Messiah and his zeal for the temple of the Lord. Jews knew that scripture. Jesus’ action of cleansing the temple, was a bold and brash announcement that he was indeed the Messiah. No wonder the priests were in such a flutter.

Here we can draw on our study from last year when the tabernacle was being set up. The meticulous instructions that were given, the care that was taken, the expert artisans that were employed, the costly materials used, all of this was to bring the presence of God into Israel’s midst. All the mystery, holiness and reverence of the tabernacle had now been emptied of meaning. The beauty and power of God was turned into a dishonest, filthy, human business opportunity in the control of a favored few. Not only were they thieves, they actively prevented serious worshippers access to the Living God of Israel. Jesus, being God, knew the lies and robbery that was going on, but far worse their attitude that God if he did exist was far away. The very person and presence of God was now entering the temple that had been set up to be the presence of God in Jerusalem. Jesus could not bear to see the Father so badly misrepresented and honest seekers of God so abused.

Every male adult with in 20 miles was required to go to Passover. Every devout Jew hoped to get to Jerusalem at least once in their life for Passover. The city had pilgrims from all over the world attending and the population was said to swell to two and a half million. Every Jew over 19 had to pay a temple tax for the running of the temple. The tax was 2 days wage and had to be paid in Galilean shekels or temple shekels. The foreign currency had to be exchanged and the charges were exorbitant. The animals for sacrifice had to be without blemish and therefore inspected by an official, another area where outrageous prices were charged. All this business took place in the court of the Gentiles. The was a progression of holiness in how the temple was laid out. First came the court of the Gentiles, then the court of the women, the court of the Israelites and finally the court of the priests. Now a gentile who desired to worship God was restricted to the court of the Gentiles. They were to worship amidst animals being slaughtered and crowds haggling over money exchanges. William Barclay says, “the conduct of the temple court shut out the seeking gentile from the fringe of the Presence of God.” The temple had become a mockery. How frightening to have God Himself come to visit the temple. Jesus acted as only a holy and righteous God can act.

The priests had their lives turned upside down. They challenged Jesus by asking what authority he claimed to do such things-as if they were the authorities that represented God! Here John goes for the whole point of Jesus being on earth. The temple will be replaced by Jesus Himself and the old system will be destroyed. The law will fail and be replaced by new life in Jesus by grace and truth. The priests focused on the actual stone building. John says no the perfect temple that is going to be revealed is the resurrected Jesus.