The Gospel of John - Outline Part 10 - Finishing Strong

TITLE

John 4:43-54 – Finishing Strong

EXPLANATION

Continuing on His journey, Jesus reached Galilee.  He received a warm welcome in Cana, where He had performed the previous miracle of turning water into wine.  And, He was given another opportunity to demonstrate His power.  An official came to Jesus and asked Him to heal the man’s son, who was sick to the point of death.  Somewhat bluntly, Jesus chided the man for his requirement of seeing miracles before evidencing genuine belief.  Undeterred, the man pressed Jesus for healing, a request He finally consented to.  He told the official to go on home, and his son would live.

Sure enough, the man’s servants met him on the way home.  They confirmed that the child had been healed at the exact time when Jesus said he would live.  Because of this demonstration of miraculous power, the text says the man believed, and all his household.

APPLICATION

The official from Cana seems to begin in a bad light in this passage.  We are given a glimpse into his motivation by Jesus’s rebuke of his materialistic request for healing.  Yet, Jesus compassionately heals the man’s son anyhow.  And it is at this point that something interesting happens in the text.  John records for us in verse 53 that the man and his household believed.  This is curious, because we were already told, back in verse 50, that the man believed.  There seems to be a special significance in this second expression of belief.  This is corroborated by the additional detail that John gives of the man’s household believing along with him.  I think this second round of belief was genuine saving faith.  The man came to Jesus looking for a quick miraculous fix.  But he left and received eternal life because God quickened his heart to believe in Jesus as the Son of God.  There is no grammatical evidence to support this hypothesis, because the exact same Greek word is used in both verses.  However, I think the context demands a different interpretive conclusion between verse 50 and 53.

Why is this relevant?  I think it has huge significance.  Quite often, in evangelism, exhortation, confrontation, or instruction we do not immediately receive the results we would like to see.  People reject the gospel, they dismiss our words of rebuke, they are offended that we have brought up a sensitive topic, or they go to sleep during a lesson or sermon.  Yet, this example from John 4 tells us not to give up on people.  It instructs the instructors to never lose faith, to always be ready and willing to observe the power of God at work in a human heart, even when that power is not displayed on the time table we think it should have been displayed on.

The Gospel of John - Outline Part 9 - The Focus of the Christ

TITLE

John 4:27-42 – The Focus of the Christ

EXPLANATION

Immediately following the events of the previous section, we now find the disciples returning with food.  Although the men were astonished that Jesus was speaking with a woman, because culturally women were of low importance, they had already learned by this point not to engage in too much questioning of Jesus’s methods and decisions.  So, they kept quiet about that issue and instead urged Him to eat.  At this point I have to speculate that it must have been somewhat maddening to be a disciple of Jesus.  He was constantly turning mundane situations of life into object lessons and sermons that were often cryptic in nature.

That is just what happened here.  Instead of responding normally to the disciples’ recommendation of eating, Jesus launched into an illustration that captured the essence of His dedication to accomplishing the Father’s will.  Jesus said He already had food to eat that the disciples did not know about.  He was not speaking of physical food, but rather spiritual.  Jesus was making the point that just as bread or meat was essential to physical life, so the successful pursuit of God’s will was essential to Jesus’s spirit.  This is fascinating because it is very much a counterpart to what He had already taught the Samaritan woman.  In her case He used water as an illustration.  Here it is food.

Not content to leave it at that, Jesus went on to chide the disciples for their human tendency to hold some of their effort back.  He criticized them, with yet another illustration, this time of a harvest of crops, for putting off till tomorrow the work that can be done for God today.  Jesus taught that the spiritual harvest of souls to be added to the kingdom of God is ready now, immediately, not tomorrow or four months from now.

Jesus and His disciples stayed in Sychar, the Samaritan town, for several more days.  While they were there, Jesus applied His point about the harvest being ready by showing the disciples how there were many who lived in Sychar who were ready for salvation.

APPLICATION

Urgency.  Immediacy.  These are not comfortable words for an apathetic Christian culture that is fixated upon creature comforts and felt needs.  Our corporate worship services are typically designed as entertainment vehicles.  Even for solid Bible believing churches, who are not interested in appealing to cultural tastes or trends, the model is usually that of a few performing for the many.  In such an environment, it is sometimes difficult to get people to move out of their pew or chair and get into ministry.  Jesus’s teaching here in Sychar is completely opposed to that idea.  Jesus, by the model of His very life, shows us a pattern of behavior that is completely, zealously, focused on the accomplishment of the will of God.  Jesus expects us to follow His lead now, just as He did His disciples then.

The Gospel of John - Outline Part 8 - The Master Teacher

TITLE

John 4:1-26 – The Master Teacher

EXPLANATION

Chapter 4 opens with an account of Jesus’s travels through Samaria on His way from Judea to Galilee.  His reason for taking this journey is in itself worthy of consideration.  Jesus knew that the Pharisees were becoming uncomfortable with His popularity.  He knew very well that His ministry threatened their power and authority.  1^st century Judaism was predicated upon tradition and legalism.  Jesus spared no expense in exposing such practices as the false doctrine they were.  So, He knew that it was only a matter of time before things between the Jewish religious establishment and Himself came to an explosive political head.  And, here is the point.  Christ knew that it was not yet time for that confrontation.  He knew that His hour to be “lifted up” on the cross was still in the future.  And, the Lord Jesus was so committed to the will of His Father, that He was quite prepared to jettison any plans He may have had in favor of the accomplishment of His Father’s will.  And so, we find Him traveling to Samaria.

Upon reaching Sychar, Jesus decided to take a break and rest.  Undoubtedly, His human nature experienced weariness just as we do.  So, while His disciples went into the town to purchase food, Jesus rested at Jacob’s well.  And it was here that He had another profound conversation, this time with a Samaritan woman.  Again, just as with Nicodemus, Jesus saw right through to the heart of His conversation partner.  He knew very well what the woman’s real need was; salvation.  So, Jesus went right to the crux of the matter and broached the issue of eternal life.  However, the manner in which He did it was pure teaching genius.  Seemingly on the spur of the moment, Jesus took the elements that were present in the environment, namely water and a well, and He used them as a masterwork of metaphorical illustration.

This gives us the famous biblical image of living water.  That is, just as normal water gives life to a physical body, so the living water that Jesus revealed here gives life to the spirit of a person.  The Samaritan woman was just as confused as Nicodemus was over new birth.  So, she attempted to sidestep the issue.  But, Jesus was having none of that.  He saw through her attempts at misdirection and He pressed her until she had no choice but to acknowledge His authority and truthfulness.

APPLICATION

This passage stands as perhaps one of the greatest lessons ever taught.  It is loaded with doctrinal truth, that could easily be focused on as points of application.  Yet, it is also a brilliant model of how to teach biblical truth to others.  Thus, because all Christians are called, in some sense, to be teachers of the Bible, Jesus’s example serves as a blueprint of how to do it and do it well.

The Gospel of John - Outline Part 7 - The Supremacy of the Messiah

TITLE

John 3:22-36 – The Supremacy of the Messiah

EXPLANATION

Once again, the focus shifts, if only for a moment, back to John the Baptist.  He was still engaged in his own ministry, while Jesus was continuing with His.  Both of them were baptizing people, although apparently Jesus Himself did not perform the baptisms (c.f. 4:2).  From a human perspective, the situation seemed ripe for a rivalry.  Not surprisingly, some of John’s disciples decided to bring the issue to John’s attention.  They informed him that Jesus was receiving more people than John was.  Although it remains unspoken in the text, the implication of a question hung in the air; namely, “What are you going to do about it John?”

Continuing the pattern we have already seen with John, his response is absolutely priceless.  Summing up his response is easy.  The Baptizer said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  There is no hint of animosity or jealousy in John’s words.  And, he went on to elaborate on the doctrine of the Son of God.  He identified Jesus as the One who had come from heaven.  This made His testimony greater than someone merely from earth, as John was.  Further, John said that the Son gives the Spirit without measure, and the Father loves the Son and has given all things to Him.  Thus, we see in John’s words the doctrine of the Trinity.  All three members of the Godhead are represented: Father, Son, and Spirit.  This is a marvelous doctrine from the man, John, who is about to fade out of the picture entirely.

APPLICATION

Although a profound point of application could be made regarding the majesty of John’s trinitarian doctrine in this passage, I think there is a more pertinent point to a Christian’s every day life.  This point is found in verse 29.  We have already seen, back in chapter 1, the great humility of John.  That humble mindset is on display again here in chapter 3.  However, it is accompanied by a critical element that was not obvious previously.  That is, John was joyful in his humility.  He gives the illustration of a best man at a wedding.  The best man is not the center of male attention.  Rather, the bridegroom is.  It is the bridegroom who is receiving his bride.  The celebration is about him and the beginning of his new family.  Yet, a devoted friend of the bridegroom does not feel envy or anger at his friend’s happiness.  No, a good friend is glad.  The joy of his friend gives him joy.  There is no thought of himself.  All his mental energy is poured into celebrating the happiness of the bridegroom.

John uses that metaphor to describe himself in relation to Jesus.  It is not just that John is humble.  He is delighted to be humble.  In fact, his humility completes his joy.  We, who are so naturally opposed to humility, would do well to consider John’s example.

The Gospel of John - Outline Part 6 - Born of the Spirit

TITLE

John 3:1-21 – Born of the Spirit

EXPLANATION

This is one of the classic passages on salvation in all of Scripture.  It is the nocturnal conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Pharisee member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious ruling council.  Nicodemus, clearly intrigued by Jesus, came to Him by night and began to converse with Him.  Jesus, however, in a delightful dispensing of formality and banter, cut right to the heart of the issue by telling Nicodemus that he must be born again to see the kingdom of God.  Nicodemus was understandably confused by this.  He took Jesus literally and could not comprehend how a man could enter into his mother’s womb and be born again.

Jesus was of course speaking metaphorically.  He explained this to Nicodemus, along with a slice of rebuke for his failure to understand.  Jesus revealed that it was a spiritual birth He was referring to.  He said that this is not something that can be seen.  It is an inward witness of the heart in which a human being comes to believe in the Son of Man.  The effect of this belief is eternal life.  The effect of an opposing unbelief is the continuation of the judgment of God that man is already under.  In fact, Jesus said, God’s judgment is observable in the fact that many people reject the light of Jesus that has come into the world.  They instead prefer the darkness of their own wickedness.

APPLICATION

This portion of Scripture both calls us and instructs us.  It calls us in the sense that belief in Christ is the essence, if not the totality, of the gospel message.  Anyone who reads the text of chapter three is immediately placed into a responsive role wherein they must determine a course of action; either that of belief or that of unbelief in Christ.  This text calls out and forces its readers to consider their eternal future.

Yet, it also instructs us in the following way.  Just as physical birth is an event that the one being born has no part in, so the spiritual birth that Jesus speaks of is an event whose origin is not dependent on the one being born.  Yet, paradoxically, Jesus clearly expects a volitional act of belief on the part of the one being born again.  It is in this tension, this theological paradox, that all of the great doctrines of Scripture stand.  And although we may struggle to fully understand how such things can be, as Nicodemus did, we are obligated to affirm them because Scripture affirms them.

At the end of the day, every Christian must come to the place where they acknowledge that they cannot understand the mind of God short of the instruction of the Holy Spirit.  And they must submit themselves to His instruction and rest in His timing.  This applies not only to the doctrine of salvation, but to every single aspect of a life lived in the footsteps of Christ.

The Gospel of John - Outline Part 5 - The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts

TITLE

John 2:12-25 – The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts

EXPLANATION

John continues to unveil the character of Jesus.  He recounts an incident where the Lord went to Jerusalem to observe the Passover.  While there, Jesus entered the temple and was appalled at the commercialization on display.  The structure that should have been devoted solely to worshiping God was being used as a marketplace for money-changers and salesmen.  Because of Christ’s zeal for the glory of His Father, He could not tolerate this state of affairs or let it stand.  So, He drove the businessmen from the temple by whipping them, overturning their tables, and ordering them to leave.

Quite revealing is the response of the Jews.  By implication, these were the Jewish religious authorities.  They were the ones who should have known the Law regarding temple worship.  They should have been the first to stop the profane practices that were going on, or failing that, they should have led the applause for Jesus who was attempting to conform the temple to the Law.  However, instead of supporting Christ’s clearly righteous actions, they questioned Him and asked for a sign to prove His authority. 

Not interested in dancing to the tune of the Jews, Jesus responded with one of His typical cryptic replies.  He told them, speaking of His body, that even if they destroyed it, after three days it would be raised up again.  This left the Jews scratching their heads, because they did not understand Jesus’s allusion.  Continuing this theme of Jesus recognizing sinful man for what he is, and not allowing Himself to be compromised by them, John finishes the chapter by giving a summary statement of how Jesus interacted with men.  He did not entrust Himself to the people, although many believed in His miracles, because He knew the people’s belief was shallow.

APPLICATION

This chapter begs to be preached.  In a modern day Christian culture of apathy and carnality, the display of Jesus purging the temple of wicked elements is a refreshing blast of holy fervor that is sorely lacking in the church today.  Or, in line with man’s tendency to go to extremes, where fervor does exist, it is often out of control and violent, either in word or deed or both.

Thus, the application of this section calls for zeal.  It calls for fervor.  It calls for a no holds barred lifestyle that is unabashedly and uncompromisingly and unashamedly fixated upon Christ.  Yet, such laudable zeal must be balanced by kindness, grace, and mercy, lest we fall into error.

The Gospel of John - Outline Part 4 - Misappropriation and Submission

TITLE

John 2:1-11 – Misappropriation and Submission

EXPLANATION

Now John shows us the first of the miracles of Jesus that he records.  Jesus and His mother Mary attended a wedding at Cana.  The wine ran out at an inopportune moment during the celebrations.  In verse 3 Mary went to Jesus and asked Him to fix the situation.  This is really quite ridiculous.  Mary was treating her divine Son as if He was a common parlor magician, ready and able to perform tricks on command.  This is the same man-centered mindset she and Joseph both demonstrated in Luke 2:41-51 when Jesus was “lost” in Jerusalem.  It never occurred to her then that Jesus would be in the house of His Father.  And it apparently did not occur to her now that her Son was here for more than just miracles.

Nevertheless, in spite of the inappropriate nature of the request, Jesus demonstrated incredible submission to His human mother’s authority.  He did inform her that she was out of line in verse 4.  Yet, in the end He condescended to do what she wanted.  He transforms common water into the best tasting wine imaginable.  It was so good that the wedding guests were shocked.

In verse 11, almost as an afterthought, John mentions that this miracle was a manifestation of Jesus’s glory.  This is actually an incredibly important point to understand as one attempts to study the life of Christ.  His miracles, for all their wonderful power, for all of their tenderness and care on a human level, were never about the miracles themselves.  The supernatural displays of power that Jesus performed were always a means to an end.  That end was the unveiling of His divine glory and the authentication of His ministry. 

APPLICATION

I see two points of application in this text.  First, we must be careful not to misappropriate the things of God for our own mortal, short-sighted, purposes.  Mary had her mind on the people at the wedding rather than the Lord.  This was a mistake, and she was gently rebuked for it by her Son.  In the same way, we can very easily be guilty of focusing on the human element as we do acts of outreach, evangelism, hospitality, service, etc.  It is not that those human components are irrelevent.  There is intrinsic worth and goodness in performing acts of kindness for other people.  Yet, these actions must always be subservient to the greater purpose of the revelation of the glory of God.  Jesus masterfully took Mary’s human failure and turned it into a perfect opportunity to accomplish exactly that.

Second, to my fallen mind it is incredible that Jesus submitted to Mary here, in spite of her pathetic desire to “make use” of His power.  I think the human tendency, when confronted with an inappropriate request like this, is to focus on the unsuitability of the request rather than the opportunity to be kind and gentle, or in this case, submit to the authority of another.  Jesus’s interaction with His mother in these verses gives us a splendid example of willing submission.

The Gospel of John - Outline Part 3 - The Real Stairway to Heaven

TITLE

John 1:35-51 – The Real Stairway to Heaven

EXPLANATION

Next John describes for us the calling of four of Jesus’s personal disciples.  These were Andrew, Simon, Philip, and Nathanael.  However, the calling of Andrew and Simon are given perfunctory treatment, merely providing the surface details.  By contrast, Philip’s and especially Nathanael’s recruitment are focused on by John.  This account is not a mere historical record.  Rather, John has a point he is trying to make.  He is continuing to drive the idea home that Jesus, being God Himself, is the only means of access to God.  John accomplishes this task here by using the calling of these men as an illustration of his larger purpose.

The first thing we should notice is that these men were students of the Scriptures.  In verses 36 and 37 we are told that it was in response to John’s address of Jesus as the Lamb of God that Andrew and another disciple followed the Lord.  As stated in the previous section, this title had great Abrahamic and Mosaic connotations for a Jew who was well versed in the Hebrew Bible.  Then, in verse 45 Philip referenced the man about whom “Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote.”  This would have been meaningless to anyone not steeped in the Scriptures and is probably a reference to Deuteronomy 18:15.  Later, in verse 49, Nathanael responded to Jesus by calling Him the “Son of God and the King of Israel.”  This was verbiage straight out of Psalm 2 as well as other passages. 

Furthermore, Jesus based His whole mode of interaction with Nathanael on the Scriptures; specifically, the account of Jacob at Bethel.  In verse 47 He calls Nathanael “an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit.”  At first glance, this may seem to be an odd and random greeting.  

However, in verse 51 Jesus deliberately mentions Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28.  Suddenly light is shone upon the way He greeted Nathanael.  Jacob was of course a man of exceeding deceitfulness in his younger days.  And it was he who had the dream of the stairway reaching from the earth to heaven.  So, I think Jesus was intentionally drawing upon Nathanael’s knowledge of the Scriptures, in this case specifically his awareness of Jacob’s character and his dream.  In fact, it could be that when Nathanael was under the fig tree, mentioned in verse 48, that he was reading the scroll of Genesis which contained the account of Jacob.

APPLICATION

As mentioned, Jesus draws upon Old Testament imagery here.  He uses the dream of Jacob to make a point.  That is, He Himself is the ultimate fulfillment of Jacob’s dream.  Just as the stairway served as a conduit between God and man in the dream vision, now we find that the stairway is replaced by Jesus Himself.  It is Him the angels will ascend and descend upon.  In this way the Lord used the pre-existing human effort that the four disciples had spent in studying the Scriptures.  He took those building blocks and crafted them into a response of saving faith.  This is the same way God works today.  He is the sole author of faith.  Yet, He is often pleased to use the circumstances of our lives, which were ordained by Him, to bring us to the point at which we are ready to surrender in faith and trust to the Lordship of Christ.  It behooves us, as Christians, to remember this, even after salvation.  Because, we are still called to a life of faithfulness and integrity.  And, God is still often pleased to use that human effort to produce supernatural results which would be impossible for us to accomplish on our own.

The Gospel of John - Outline Part 2 - The Humility of John the Baptist

TITLE

John 1:19-34 – The Humility of John the Baptist

EXPLANATION

The Apostle John now shifts from a description and identification of Jesus as the Word, the Light, and the Son of God, to the character of John the Baptist.  We are given a glimpse of John’s ministry and we see his character through his actions.  What is striking about this passage is how doggedly John refuses the limelight.  He was peppered with questions about who he was, what he was doing, and why he was doing it.  John repeatedly avoided the questions with simple negative responses.  Rather than giving a straight answer, he seemed to dodge and avoid the inquiries of the Jews.  Then, when he finally did provide a solid answer, it was clothed in mysterious and vague references to the Old Testament prophets.  He quoted Isaiah 40:3 in verse 23 and identified himself as the straightener of the way of the Lord.  I imagine this must have frustrated his questioners.  Not content with John’s answer, they continued to press him for information.  So, he revealed that he was merely the forerunner of One who was coming, who would be greater than himself. 

Then, when John at last saw Jesus, in verse 29, and it was revealed to him who this man was, he proclaimed Him as the Christ immediately.  John took no chances on anyone missing the point.  He called Jesus the Lamb of God and One who takes away the sin of the world.  The words John chose were pregnant with theological implication for the Jews.  John imaged both Abraham and the Exodus in the picture of the sacrificial lamb whose purpose was to provide protection and serve as a surrogate for one who was facing death.  He even took it further and deeper than that by saying that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit.  For a man who had spent his ministry baptizing by immersion into water, the picture he painted of how Jesus would immerse people into the very Spirit of God Himself was striking.

APPLICATION

I think the reason John danced around the questions he was asked, answered cryptically from the Old Testament, and then turned the attention of everyone toward Jesus as soon as he got a chance, was because he was blessed with exceeding humility.  John recognized that he was as nothing beside the glory of Jesus.  John understood that the point of his ministry was never about him.  It was always about God and His plan of redemption, fully realized in Christ.  Therefore, John was completely content to direct attention away from himself and onto Jesus.

I think there is a charge implicit in John’s testimony for all those who are in Christ.  We are called to be selfless.  We have been given an example of ultimate humility, not just in John, but in Jesus Himself.  And we are told to emulate this example.  Pride is a pattern of sinful behavior that must daily be put to death, at least for me.  A passage such as this one ought to be read every day of life followed by penitent pleading with God to make the humility of John and Jesus a reality in us.

The Gospel of John - Outline Part 1 - The Word Made Flesh

TITLE

John 1:1-18 – The Word Made Flesh

EXPLANATION

Immediately John cuts right to the heart of his purpose in writing this gospel.  That is, he wants to demonstrate to his readers that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God.  He is God in human flesh.  He is the Second Person of the Trinity.  And only through faith in Him will man be saved.

These elements are woven throughout John’s introduction.  We are introduced to someone who is called “the Word.”  We are told that this Word was not only with God in the beginning, but in fact was God.  This Word is identified as both the Creator of the world as well as the One through Whom life, which lights the darkness of men’s hearts, comes.

After setting the table with the characteristics of the Word, John proceeds to lay out the courses of the meal.  He shines a light onto John, the cousin of the man Jesus and also the forerunner who was tasked with preparing a path for Him.  We see that John’s purpose was to introduce the aforementioned Word to the world, so that the world might see the Word’s light.  Furthermore, we are told that if anyone believes in the Word’s name, such a one will become a child of God.

John goes on to reveal that the Word became human flesh and lived in the world.  As such, the Word’s glory became visible to man.  After having set the table and laid out the food, John finally unveils the identity of the dish we are about to dine on; namely, the man Jesus, who is the Christ.  He is, John tells us, the tangible manifestation of God.

APPLICATION

The point of John’s introduction is to mark out Jesus as the Word of God.  He wants us to clearly see the deity of Jesus.  The Apostle wants us to walk away from this passage marveling at the fullness of Godhood that is contained within the person of Jesus.  John hopes that his readers will gaze upon Jesus in utter astonishment, reveling in the incalculable worth of being given a window into God’s character through a depth of intimacy and transparency that had never been equaled to that point.  John longs for his audience to bow in worship of the Son of God.  This is an act that is quite easy to take for granted and neglect, especially for those who have been Christians for a while.  I suggest we take our cues from John and bask in the light and warmth of Jesus Christ as an act of exaltation, submission, and exultation.