Skip to content The Significance of Marriage and Miracles: John 2-3 Aug 7 · 15 min ...more
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The First Miracle and the Abundant Life 0:09 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining me this morning as we now look at John chapters 2 and 3, verse 17 of chapter 3. For god did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that0:21 the world through him might be saved. So Jesus did not have to condemn the world when he came. Why? Well, we're gonna look at that this morning. In chapter 2, we find the first recorded0:33 miracle or as John calls them signs. There were 7 that we remember, we talked about this. We'll see 7 in the book of John. His public ministry, that is Jesus' public ministry begins in earnest0:45 about 4 months after this, event that's recorded here in chapter 2. It begins in the, at the Passover as he drives out what I will call the chamber of commerce from the temple.0:57 Then in chapter 3, we really see the heart of the gospel Nicodemus's encounter with Jesus. Alright. Begin in verse 2, chapter 2. Now both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of1:09 wine, the mother said, the mother of Jesus said to him, they have no wine. Jesus said to her, woman, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet come. Now just a little note there. You know, that1:20 sounds a little harsh. You read that, and you go, woah. He's calling his mother woman. That was actually a term of respect, so he's not being disrespectful to his mother. His mother said to the servants, whatever he says1:31 to you, do it. Now there were set there 6 water pots of stone according to the manner of purification of the Jews containing 20 or 30 gallons apiece. That's a lot. Jesus said to them, fill the1:42 water pots with water, and they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, draw some out now and take it to the master of the feast, and they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was that1:52 was made wine and did not know where it came from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew, The master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and2:03 when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior, you have kept the good wine until now. This beginning of signs, Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory,2:15 and his his disciples believed in him. So this was the first sign or miracle that Jesus did, at least publicly. Now the miracles began after2:27 his baptism, the which was the, I I believe that it was it was really the outward sign of the Holy Spirit that descended upon him. And I remember right after after the baptism, the Holy Spirit coming down on2:39 him like a dove, he went into the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights for testing or for proving. And and so from that point, we begin to see the ministry of Jesus starts and the2:50 miracles with it. Now this miracle, this was not a random miracle. It's not like he's ramping up to bigger miracles. It's significant that this was the first miracle. Remember, in the3:02 wilderness when he was being tested or proven, by the temptations of Satan, Jesus refused to turn the stones into bread to satisfy his hunger. But3:14 here, he turns water into wine, which was nice to have, but certainly not a necessity for survival. Jesus's actions were not about his personal needs or wants. That's important.3:26 Our ministry is not about us. Even as as we minister or help others, it shouldn't be about us. Even though we're the beneficiaries of serving. It it is about bringing glory and honor3:38 to God, and and Jesus was about bringing glory to the father. He came to this earth for the glory of the father and to meet the needs of man. Man. Now the introduction of Jesus's miracles at the3:50 wedding also speaks, I think, to the joy and the celebration of the kingdom. Jesus came that we might have life and might have it more abundantly. I do not believe. I do not believe, and hear me on this.4:02 I do not believe that it is God's plan for you or for me just to survive, just to you know, I I don't think Jesus died on the cross to give us an abundant life so we can just drag ourselves across4:14 the finish line of life into eternity? I think he came, and he died, and those who believe in him, as he said, I came that they might have life and have it abundantly. It's4:26 so that we can live not just in the in the life that's to come in eternity, but live the in this life victorious over sin and death. Now that does not mean that we won't have challenges4:38 and difficulties, but it does mean that we can overcome them because we have the power of the Holy Spirit when we walk in alignment with God. And then I believe this speaks to the significance of marriage asCleansing the Temple and Knowing the Hearts of Men 4:49 well, which is often used to illustrate. Marriage is used to illustrate the relationship between Christ and the church. God, I think here in the first recorded miracle5:01 of Jesus that's recorded here in the book of John, God honored marriage, between a man and a woman. Alright. Verse 13. Now when this is when about 4 months later. Now the Passover5:13 of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And he found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves and the money changers doing business. When he had made a a whip of cords, he drove them out of5:24 the temple with the sheep and the oxen and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And he said to those who sold doves, take these things away. Do not make my father's house a house of merchandise. Then5:36 his disciples remembered that it was written zeal for your house has eaten me up. Now this was apparently the first cleansing of the temple. The the the second came 3 years later when5:48 we so we must assume that this was the official beginning of the public ministry as he had previously stated before the miracles at the wedding that his time had not yet come. From6:00 the start, he challenged the rulers in the system that kept people in bondage. So there was almost you could almost look at these as a as a bookend because we we'll see well, we we actually6:11 already saw it when we looked in the gospel the other gospels, that final week when he cleansed the temple before his crucifixion. The the the miracles caused many to6:23 believe, but look at what is said next. Jesus did not commit himself to them because he knew all men. Right? Let let's look at that verse 23. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast,6:35 many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself to them because he knew all men. What does that mean? Well, verse 25, and had6:47 no need that anyone should testify of man, for he knew what was in man. So he knew their hearts. Alright? They believed in him, but6:59 they didn't grasp his real purpose. As we'll as we'll see here in in chapter 3 with Nicodemus and in chapter 4 with the Samaritan woman, they they they did not see. They couldn't see beyond7:11 the natural, beyond the material. Jesus knew the hearts of these folks who believed, but were focused on the temporal messiah king, the deliverer of the nation of Israel7:23 that would reestablish the sovereignty of the nation. Jesus's purpose was much bigger, and he also knew, I believe, that the hearts of men were fickle. I mean, as as we've looked at before, you know, 1 less than7:35 a week apart, we have this Palm Sunday when the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in that last week when everything, Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord. And less than a7:47 week later, they were screaming, crucify him. So the the the lord knows the hearts of man. Verse 1 of chapter 3, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, aBorn Again: The Heart of the Gospel 7:59 ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no 1 can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.8:11 Jesus answered and said to him, most assuredly, I say to you, unless 1 is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born when he is old?8:23 Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, most assuredly, I say to you, unless 1 is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of god. That which is born of8:34 the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I say to you, you must be born again. Now this is a challenge to natural man. Without the holy spirit, we8:46 cannot see this spiritual reality. Nicodemus could not wrap his mind around this idea of being born again about the spiritual dimensions that Jesus opened mankind up to.8:58 Just as we will see with Samaritan woman, she could not comprehend living water, these spiritual concepts. Verse 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so the son of9:10 man must be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Remember, the serpent was when when, there was the, the the they needed healing in the wilderness,9:22 and a a plague had broken out. And the lord told, Moses to lift up on a staff a bronze serpent, and they would look to it, and they would look and believe and be9:33 healed. Jesus is saying, I'm going to be lifted up. And he would. He would be lifted up on the cross, and those who had believed in him would be saved. For god so loved the world, the very familiar verse here, verse 16.9:44 For god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Life. Here is our key verse, verse 17. For god did not send his son into the world to9:56 condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of10:08 the only begotten son of God. See, Jesus did not come to condemn us. He didn't have to because we're already condemned. We're already under the judgment and the penalty of death. So10:20 he didn't have to do that. He didn't come to judge mankind. He came to save mankind. Now he's going to execute. When he comes back in his second coming, he will be a judge at that point.10:32 And the the sentence that's already been issued will be carried out. So if you wanna avoid that condemnation, we need you need to turn to Jesus. Man needs a savior. Jesus came to10:44 bring us a spiritual lifeline without which our situation is hopeless. We can't do it on our own. There's no way out. There's no way out. That's why god sent his son. ButJohn the Baptist: He Must Increase, I Must Decrease 10:56 believe it or not, there are those who reject this lifeline. Look at verse 19. And this is the condemnation. This is the manifestation of this condemnation that the light has come into the world, and men love darkness11:07 rather than light because their deeds were evil. Right? The fact that men are so locked in the darkness that they reject this hope, it's evidence of the condemnation.11:19 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds might be clearly seen, that they have11:31 been done in God. Now this, next portion is is very revealing about John the Baptist. Look at verse 26. And they came to John and said to him, rabbi, this is John the Baptist, rabbi, he who was11:43 be he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, he is baptizing and all are coming to him. John answered and said, a man can receive11:55 nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. So they're saying, alright, John. You were out here. Now this other guy that you were with on the other side of the Jordan, people are now coming to him. They're12:05 following him. This is a profound statement of truth that is discovered only in humble submission to god. We don't, you know, we don't pull ourselves up by our own12:16 bootstraps like many would like to claim. It is the lord that gives us the ability, and all the good gifts come from the father light. So John is saying, look. A man can receive nothing unless it's been given to him from12:28 heaven. My ministry comes from god. And and and so if it's moving over here to Jesus, well, then that's the way it's supposed to be. Look what he says in verse 30. He must increase, and I must decrease. He who12:40 comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. Again, how revealing this is12:52 of John the Baptist. He was ready to shut down his ministry because his mission was fulfilled, and he rejoiced in the reality that Jesus was on the ascent and John the13:04 Baptist on the descent. He must increase, but I must decrease. Verse 36, he who believes in the son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the son13:15 shall not see life, but the wrath of god abides on him. That's the condemnation that's there, and it will be fulfilled when Jesus returns his second time as13:27 the judge of all the earth. Father, we thank you for your word this morning and the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, the lifeline that he came that we might have life and have it more abundantly if we'll just13:39 believe. He came to save us from the penalty of sin and death, which we are under. And I pray that if there are any this morning that are watching this video, maybe they just happenedA Call to Believe and Stand on the Word 13:50 happened upon it. Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit would open their eyes to the reality that they need a savior, and that savior is Jesus Christ, and that they might believe in their heart that you14:02 raised him from the dead and confess with the mouth that he is their lord and savior. And so we thank you, and we continue to seek the holy spirit's guidance on this journey. And, we,14:14 praise your name. For it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Alright. Thanks for being with me this morning. Until next time, keep standing on the word.14:24 Today's study comes from the Stand on the Word Bible Reading Plan available for free at frc dot org slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day,14:36 you can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 The First Miracle and the Abundant Life4:38 Cleansing the Temple and Knowing the Hearts of Men7:52 Born Again: The Heart of the Gospel10:52 John the Baptist: He Must Increase, I Must Decrease13:39 A Call to Believe and Stand on the Word
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