John or not John

This is a note for BK, who left comments on the post "John, whom Jesus loved" because there's discussion about who the Beloved Disciple is..John or not John. The writer of the gospel is anonymous and early church tradition attributes it to John. If I'm reading correctly, it appears that an argument exists that the Beloved Disciple is actually Lazarus (from John 11). It's an interesting argument and there's more to it. As it is called the Gospel of John, I'll probably continue to call him John but I'm really trying to find out more about Jesus. Check out more online if you're curious.

So the disciples will believe

Click here to read John 2.

In John 2, it's easier to see how John has carefully chosen the accounts of Jesus that he includes and he also provides some extra insight so that we, the readers, will understand the man and his actions. In this chapter, John tells about Jesus changing the water to wine at the wedding in Cana and clearing the temple...2 very different stories, but in each, his followers come to know more about him.

So Jesus and his party go to a wedding and when the wine runs out, Mary tells Jesus about the problem. He tells the servants what to do and they do it and better wine than they'd had before is now in the waterpot...and no one knows about it except Mary, the servants and the disciples. And about this miracle John says:

This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

From this story we know that Jesus was working on God's timetable, waiting for His direction and command to make himself known. Clearly, fixing the problem wasn't that difficult. And he didn't do it because Mary asked him to (she didn't but she put her faith in his decision) or for his own glory (not a very public display of his power) but to strengthen the belief and knowledge of the men following him.

Then there's the story in the temple, a very public display of his righteous anger, his power, and his conviction. Jesus clearly felt anger at the commercialism in the temple, the place were believers should worship and bring others. From the private miracle at Cana to the public stance at Capernaum, Jesus was building his name. And first, he strengthened his disciples, who were learning him and even though they didn't believe yet, they knew his power, and then he proclaimed his authority:

17His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."18Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."
20The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" 21But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

23Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

And then, just as today, there were people who said they believed. It would be difficult in the face of clearly miraculous signs to not believe. Right? Maybe. But then, as today and certainly someday when we meet Jesus again, Jesus didn't need to hear what they said. He sees the heart.

So from these stories, what do we know about Jesus...
Social-he was out in the world, enjoying a festive occasion like a wedding
Committed-he could change the water to wine for his mother, but the calling from the Father was more important.
Power-making wine from water was simple
Anger-clearing the temple is about returning the focus to the worship of God
Authority-Jesus did not hestitate to run the men out of the temple and when he was challenged, he had an answer.

Jesus, the One

Click here to read John 1.
John's gospel was written in view of a single critical goal. And it wasn't to be a historical record of Jesus' days here or to prove that he fulfilled prophesy. Here's what John said about the "why" of this gospel:

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written 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

As simple and as important as showing that Jesus was the Son of God so that we may have life. The signs, the sermons, the actions recorded here are here only to show us who Jesus was and is from one who knew him better than anyone. So what do we know about Jesus from Chapter 1?


John 1:1-3; John 1:10-14 (New International Version)

The Word Became Flesh
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

So what do we know...
Jesus is the Word, and the Word is
Eternal-he was with God in the beginning, a part of God.
Creator-nothing is made except that he made it
Incarnate-the Word came to the world as a man
Personal-he came as a man to save his own people and then made it possible for anyone who believes to become a child of God
Singular-this Word, this man, is the One and Only. There is no other who comes from the Father.

This may be the hardest part of Jesus to understand. The historical Jesus is a little easier because the 33 years he was actually here in the form of a man are easier to imagine. We have words here, accounts from the people who lived with him, but the eternal aspect or the "God" part of Jesus is difficult to grasp. Even the idea of being the Son of God is easier to understand for me. For some reason, it seems OK for God to be a mystery but I want to be able to wrap my mind around this man called Jesus.

John didn't seem to have the same trouble. I wonder how long it took John to understand it all. It does not seem that the disciples automatically comprehended the true power of Jesus. It seems that would have been trembling puddles if they had.


Other important pieces of Chapter 1:
John the Baptist as witness. John the Baptist was preaching the coming Messiah and he baptised Jesus and recognized him as the one. John had a sign to confirm it: the dove that came down during the baptism.

And 2 of his disciples: Andrew and John (the Gospel writer) left him to follow Jesus.
How'd you like to be Andrew? The first of the disciples to follow and bring his brother...good ol' Simon Peter...to Jesus.

How many names do you see? Where do they come from? Prophecy, the religious understanding of the day, the unique being of Jesus, each one shows a piece of the character of Jesus.
Word, light, life, Rabbi, Teacher, Messiah, the Christ, Lamb of God, Son of God, King of Israel, Son of Man

John, whom Jesus loved

I decided that for December I'd take a look at the book of John. If you ask me why, I'd have to say something about it seeming like the thing to do at the time. The reasons aren't very black and white, but at this time of year, we talk a lot about the "reason for the season" and we sing songs about silent nights.

And that's all so important. But I think that to too many people, Jesus is either the baby in a manger (although they don't pray to baby Jesus like Ricky Bobby, I hope) or he's a sacrifice on a cross (and maybe he's still there for you, but he should be so much more). So I wanted to take a look at the gospel written by the disciple "whom Jesus loved."

John, one of the inner circle, wrote his gospel close to the end of his life, many years after Christ's death and resurrection, and after the other gospels were written. So why write it? He didn't write it for a person or even to reach a group of people. John wrote it to show the world who Christ was, so that every person could know him and believe.

To John, Jesus was a man but so much more. John didn't know the baby and met Jesus as he began his ministry, traveled and worked with Jesus, saw the signs of the Messaiah, saw his death and resurrected body and he believed. And he became a leader of the church. I've mentioned before that I really identify with Peter, mainly because he messed up. A lot. But now I'm curious about John. He may turn out to be one of the perfect people...and he probably should be to be that close to Jesus, but I'd still like to know more.

And to encourage my study, I ran across these quotes.

"Martin Luther said that if we whould lose all the books of the Bible except two--John and Romans--Christianity could be saved."

"An old story suggests that an agnostic was challenged by Henry Clay Trumbell to study the Gospel of John. After emerging from his skeptical analysis, the man told Trumbell, 'The one of whom this book tells is either the Savior of the world or He ought to be.'"

Now are you curious too? Who do you say he is?
Let's take a look at it with new eyes. I want to see the Jesus that John knew.

52 Blessings

So, as usual, I've gotten distracted and forgotten to post the way I should. It only gets worse around the holidays when my true funk kicks in (if the definition of "sickly" is low energy and given to depression, I'm entering my sickly phase. See you in March). Now I have a plan. Everything in my life runs on deadlines, so I'm going to make sure I have to post at least once a week. I got my Photojojo newsletter (for people who like photography) this week, and true to the Thanksgiving theme, it's about things you feel grateful for or there's another assignment called "52 Blessings." So basically, I need one blessing a week. Surely I can swing that, right? I'll start it the first week of December. The best part is that they don't have to be earth shattering...there's nothing better than just being happy and doing good. That comes from the verse below, found in Ecclesiastes, right after the "Time for Everything" list.

From Ecclesiastes 3
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.

When was the last time...

I was reading a Christian blog written by the pastor of NewSpring church, Perry Noble, and came across the question, "When was the last time you went to church expecting God to speak to you?"

I think expectation is part of my challenge. I go to church because I'm supposed to. Most of the time, that's why. I guess I expect to enjoy it, to check it off my list, and then get on with the demands of the week. I pray because I'm supposed to. Most of the time, that's why. I expect to check it off the list and then go back to the next problem. There are times when I desperately want to hear God speak, and because of the problems that I have with my expectations day to day, it's difficult to hear God speaking.

One of the things I want to take a look at is the difference in waiting and expecting. I think I wait instead of expect and I just know there's got to be a difference.

I just did a very quick search on waiting, and this verse from Micah seemed to fit...watching in hope...that's probably where I need to step it up a little.

Micah 7:7 (New International Version)

7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.

Inspired

It's been a few days since our last video post, so here's another. I really don't understand why people want to add cheesy graphics and weird "Jesus" pictures to perfectly nice videos, but this is the best I've found to go with this Steven Curtis Chapman song.

I'm posting it because yesterday, as I was driving in to work, this song played, and about the time "you whisper and my heart begins to soar", the tears started. It's such a question: Where is the hope of London? Where is the hope for Africa? Where is the hope for the beggar...or the rich man...or me? I think the timing has to do with my response because we were facing an election where the biggest word is "change" and people are desperate for something better. Politics isn't the answer, but hope is.

Whether it's the on streets of London, the children of Africa, every man and woman, boy and girl...every single person needs hope.

And the fact of the matter is that president-elect Obama is just one man. He has a powerful message, but he's just one man. And the truth is that God is in control. And if we want change, we're going to have to make it. And it has less to do with clean energy or fiscal policy or bipartisanship and more to do with living as we've been called to live. Democrat or Republican, the greatest commandment is the same: Love one another. And honestly, if we could just do that, we could change the world.

(Stepping down off the soap box now.)