The Church of Jesus Christ is richly blessed to have four divine perspectives on the life and mission of Jesus. Having these perspectives is like viewing a beautiful diamond from various angles or viewing a mountain vista from different places. A multiplicity of views gives us a clearer view. Each of the four gospels has its own special qualities, but the Gospel of John gives us a very different view and a particularly beautiful view.
Read Previous Posts of The Gospel of John – Part One – Part Two
In the Gospel of John, we find a prologue (1:1-18), two main sections: (1) The Book of Signs (1:19-12:50), (2) The Book of Glory (13:1-20:31), and an epilogue (21:1-25). This article will be the first of two in which we explore the Book of Signs. The Book of Signs has four parts. Here, we will look at the first two parts, and in the next article, we will cover the third and fourth parts.
The Book of Signs (1:19-12:50)
- Early Ministry: John & Jesus (1:19-51)
- Jesus’ First Two Signs (2:1-4:54)
- Opposition From the Jewish Leaders (5:1-10:42)
- Death & Life of the King (11:1-12:50)
Early Ministry: John & Jesus (1:19-51)
As with the other gospels, John begins his story of the ministry of Jesus with the ministry of John the Baptist. Here in the Gospel of John, we see more of John the Baptist pointing his disciples to Jesus than we do in the other gospels. He came to prepare the way for the Messiah through preaching and baptism. Jesus’ earliest disciples were disciples of John the Baptist. His movement was to funnel into Jesus’ ministry. In the later part of chapter one, the focus shifts from John to Jesus. Jesus is the center of gravity for the plan of God, and John knows it. In this first part of the story of Jesus (1:19-51), we find three episodes.
1. The Ministry and Identity of John the Baptist (1:19-28)
In John 1:19-28 we see John giving testimony as to his identity to the priests and Levities that the religious leaders sent to question him. John knew the reality of his own identity. He knew who he was and who he was not. John was not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet. He was a voice crying in the wilderness (Isaiah 40:3). He was a baptizer as God had commanded him, calling Israel to repent in preparation for the Messiah. And John was a humble servant unworthy to untie the sandals of Jesus.
2. John Points his Disciples to Jesus (1:29-34)
Then, in 1:29-34, John, the forerunner of the Messiah, points his disciples to Jesus as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. This imagery has a powerful connection to the Jewish Passover and the sacrificial system. The lamb was an innocent substitute for the sinner. It takes away the sin of the worshipper, giving him a right relationship with God. In this episode, we see the prophetic ministry of John transitioning to the Spirit-filled ministry of Jesus. John baptized with water, but Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit.
3. Jesus Calls First Disciples (1:35-51)
Finally, in 1:35-51, we find the center of gravity of the work of God shifting from John to Jesus. The disciples of John begin to follow Jesus. This early ministry of Jesus becomes a ministry of witness and discovery. John, then Jesus, then Jesus’ disciples witness to who Jesus is, and others discover it for themselves and follow Jesus. Jesus’ early disciples discover Jesus from the witness of another and then witness to others, The key theme in this episode is finding and following. People find Jesus and follow him. They then find someone close to them and tell them about Jesus so they can find and follow him.
Jesus’ First Two Signs (2:1-4:54)
We find in the Gospel of John seven miraculous signs. John refers to them as signs rather than miracles. These miracles have a purpose. They are signs pointing to the identity of Jesus. John’s purpose for writing his Gospel is to show that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He does this so that people might believe in him and have life in his name (20:30-31). In this second part of Jesus’ story, as told by John, we notice six episodes unfolding.
1. The First Sign at Cana: Water into Wine (2:1-12)
The first two signs are performed in Cana of Galilee. These two signs bracket this part of the larger section called the Book of Signs. The first sign in Cana is a miraculous sign where Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding (2:1-12). He does this sign for the purpose of revealing to his disciples who he is (2:11). In the second sign at Cana, Jesus heals an official’s son, once again engendering faith in those who witnessed the miracle (4:46-54). Jesus is showing people who he is. The emphasis on the miraculous signs is “showing,” while the emphasis in teaching is “telling.” Both are signs, and in this way, Jesus is revealing who he is so that people may believe in him.
Jesus attends a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee, a small village not far from Nazareth. The wedding feast is a symbol found in the OT and in the teaching of Jesus for the kingdom of God. When the water runs out at the feast, Jesus takes six stone water jars and turns the water into wine. The water jars were for ceremonial cleansing. The miracle is a picture of Jesus as the one who cleanses people from their sins. This first sign of Jesus brought forth faith in his disciples.
2. Jesus Cleanses the Temple: Zeal for Your House will Consume Me (2:13-25)
The theme of cleansing carries over into the second episode. Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, the central feast of the Jews. At the feast, Jesus noticed that the temple had become a center of corrupt commerce. With righteous indignation, Jesus turns over the tables and drives out the animals and traders. Jesus cleanses the temple of the evil the religious leaders had defiled the holy sanctuary of the Lord. The temple represented the place of atonement and the presence of God. In this way, Jesus is the true temple.
3. Jesus & Nicodemus: You Must Be Born Again (3:1-21)
Between the first two signs in Cana, Jesus meets and talks to two very different people. The first is a rich Jewish leader, a Pharisee named Nicodemus. Jesus challenged Nicodemus with the need to be born again. No one can see the kingdom of God without the new birth. The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus reveals the spiritual blindness of Nicodemus. Nicodemus needs to be born again or regenerated. More than likely, the first fifteen verses end the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus. We find in 3:16-21 the inspired commentary of John the writer of the book.
In this dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, we see the famous verse, John 3:16. It is the gospel expressed in one verse. In this verse, we observe that there are three ideas separated by the word that. “For God so loved the world.” The word so can better be translated “in this way.” God loved the world in this way. With the first use of the word “that,” we see how God loved the world. “He gave his only begotten Son.” God’s love is seen in God’s gift of his Son to the world. The gift and the love that gives is best seen in the cross of Christ. Then we see the second “that,” which reveals the purpose of the gift of God’s Son. “Whosoever believers in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
4. Jesus & John Baptizing: He Must Increase, But I Must Decrease (3:22-36)
Between the two people Jesus meets, we find Jesus and his disciples baptizing near John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Answering a question by one of his disciples, John praises Jesus and shifts attention away from himself to Jesus. John knew it was his purpose to exalt Jesus and humble himself. His mission was to prepare the way for Jesus Messiah and to point people to him. John is successful when he decreases, and Jesus increases.
5. Jesus and a Samaritan Woman: Living Water (4:1-45)
The second person Jesus meets at this time is a Samaritan woman at the well of the patriarch Jacob, located near the town of Sychar. Jesus, being thirsty from his journey, engages the woman in conversation and challenges her to faith by revealing to her who she is and who he is. The conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman progresses through four stages: (1) Casual conversation (4:7-9). (2) Spiritual Conversation (4:10-15). (3) Personal Conversation (4:16-18). (4) Gospel Conversation (4:19-26).
As the disciples return from getting food in the town, the woman leaves to go back to the town to tell all the people about her encounter with the Messiah. Jesus then has a conversation with his disciples about spiritual food (4:31-33) and spiritual harvest (4:34-38). As Jesus was having the conversation with his disciples, many people from the Samaritan village were streaming out of the village to Jesus. He stayed there for two days, and many people believed in him. Harvest work is the hard labor of sowing and reaping. The purpose of harvest work is to rescue people from destructive lives now and condemnation forever. God longs and loves to see a bountiful harvest.
6. The Second Sign at Cana: Jesus Heals an Official’s Son (4:46-54)
From Samaria, Jesus travels into Galilee to the city of Cana, where he turned the water into wine. Here, he performs his second sign. Here, Jesus meets a desperate man whose son is near death. The man begged Jesus to come heal his son. Jesus told the man to go home because his son was healed. The man believed him and returned home. When he arrived home and learned that his son was healed the very hour Jesus said he was healed, the man and his whole household all believed. The royal official would have a large family and many servants in his household.
Conclusion
In the early ministry of Jesus, we’ve seen Jesus call disciples and preach the gospel. We’ve seen the first two signs that point to who Jesus is, the Christ, the Son of God. We’ve seen Jesus engage people in various ways with the truth of who he is and the truth of their need for his saving grace. The plan of God moves on, and the world is being changed.