Study of JOHN 5:1-9

John 5:1-9 Sermon from Alan Carr

JESUS: THE GREAT PHYSICIAN

Intro: John's Gospel is different from the others in that his primary goal is not to give men a historical treatment of the life of Jesus. John's purpose is to exalt the person of Jesus so that men believe on Him and be saved, John 20:30-31. In order to elevate Jesus to the proper level, John presents Jesus in a new way in every chapter of his book. We are looking at these portraits of Jesus in John's gallery as we journey through John together. In these verses, Jesus is presented to us as The Great Physician.

"The kingdom of heaven is like a physician who became wealthy, having discovered a cure for a fatal disease. After some time, when he knew he would not be living much longer, he decided to give his wealth to some people in real need.

"One day he went out on the street and found a man lying of the sidewalk, hungry, hopeless, and almost naked. The doctor took pity on him and extended to him a bank card. He said to him, 'Take this card. It gives you access to a bank account with $100,000,000. You must make withdrawals every day for all your needs and to help others as much as you can.'

"The outcast looked at the card. He looked at the physician. He looked at the card again. He couldn't believe anything the good man said. 'Could it be,' he thought, 'that this stranger has gone out of his mind?' Angrily, he grabbed the card threw it away, spat on his would-be benefactor, and returned to his sidewalk bed.

"The doctor continued his search. He found a poor woman in an equally sad situation. He made the same offer to her, and she accepted the card happily but did not go to the bank immediately. As the day dragged on, she got distracted by her problems and lost the card--the very card that could have solved her problems. And she made no attempt to find the doctor.

"Not long after that, the physician found another man in desperate need and offered him the same deal. The man took the card thankfully and was careful to keep it with him at all times. Wherever he went, he proudly showed his bank card and spoke enthusiastically about the immense amount of money he had in his account. 'I'm rich,' he would say, 'and have need of nothing.' But he was still dressed in rags, still terribly sick, still dirty, disheveled, and hungry, and still dependent on handouts. Whenever he said he was rich, nobody would believe him because he lived just as he did before accepting the bank card.

"Another woman caught the famous physician's eye. She was in the greatest need of all: deathly sick, thin, and weak. The rich man made the same offer to her: 'Take this card. It represents all that you need and more. You must make withdrawals every day for all your needs and for the needs of those around you.' She took the card in her trembling hands and saw her very own name on it. She thanked the rich man and went straightaway to the bank. She walked up to the teller, presented the card, and dared to ask for $100. She could not yet fully understand the vast riches at her disposal. The teller was a friend of the wealthy doctor and was aware of his offers. She could see the woman's true distress and kindly responded, 'Is that all you need? You'll earn more in interest in the time it takes me to count it out than what you asked for!' The woman, in total disbelief, then asked for what she thought was a staggering sum--$5,000.

"The woman rented a small apartment, bought food and new clothes, took a badly needed bath, and went to the rich physician for healing of her sickness as well as advice on how to prevent its recurrence. The woman began to live as much like a rich person as she knew how and sought to imitate the only wealthy person with whom she was acquainted--the physician. Following the instructions given her, the woman went to the bank every day to make withdrawals and shared her wealth with others in need."

This little parable illustrates for us the truth of what Jesus desires to do for everyone of us this morning. He longs to take us from where are and bring us to where we need to be. As we go through this passage this morning, we are going to have the opportunity to see the Great Physician in action. Let's observe Him as He delivers this man from the bondage of his affliction and as we do, please know that He can do the same for you if you will allow Him the opportunity. This morning, let's look together at Jesus: The Great Physician.

I. V. 1-5 A SICK MAN

A. V. 5 His Wretched Condition

1. He Is A Disabled Man - According to the Scriptures, this man had lived with this infirmity for 38 years. He had been sick longer than Jesus had been on the earth! The Bible says that this man had an "infirmity." This word means that he had some weakness or frailness that prevented him from walking about as other men.

(Ill. What a picture of the sinner who is lost and separated from God by his sins - Isa. 59:2; Rom. 3:23. Regardless of what he tries, the sinner is still lost and unable to walk in the ways of the Lord. The sinner may be able to put on a good show and have all the appearances of being right with God, but the fact remains that God knows the heart of the sinner and He knows that the sinner is still dead until he tastes of the life that can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ - Eph. 2:1-3.)

(Ill. Many lost people feel that their lives are going along well and they need nothing. Sadly, the lost sinner is in more trouble than he could ever believe. To live your life without God is one thing. After all, you never really miss something you never have. But, to die without God is a terrible thing! For there is only one destination for the lost sinner, and that is Hell - Psa. 9:17; 2 Thes. 1:8-9.)

2. He Is A Desperate Man - The very fact that he is here at this pool in his condition is proof positive that this man is desperate for healing. Imagine him dragging his broken body toward that pool.

(Ill. Sadly, there are too few sinners who are desperate about their spiritual condition. Many live their lives as if they will go on indefinitely. In truth, life is nothing more than a brief pause between 2 very long eternities. This life is simply a time of preparation. One day, it will end and then it will be too late to do anything about your lost condition. Please don't be guilty of presuming on tomorrow. Time may just run out on you - James 4:14; Pro. 27:1.)

(Ill. I am convinced that there are very few people who genuinely desire to go to Hell when they die. Most, if not all, humans want the assurance that they will be in Heaven when their time down here ends. There is only one way to accomplish this; you must come to Jesus Christ and receive Him as your Savior. Acts 4:12; John 14:6)

3. V. 7 He Is A Disappointed Man - He tells Jesus that every time he is about to get into the water, someone else beats him there and goes away with the healing instead. Year after year, he has seen his hopes and dream shattered as another person beats him into the healing waters.

(Ill. Again, we can see the sinner in this scenario. A man can try many things to bring peace and salvation to the soul. He can try works, religion, goodness, giving, praying, etc, but none of these things will ever be able to save the soul of man. It takes the blood of Jesus to accomplish this. Whatever you may decide to try, outside of Jesus, you will be sadly disappointed. Men may receive you as being righteous and worthy, but it takes the shed blood of Jesus to make the sinner truly worthy of Heaven, 1 Pet. 1:18-19!)

B. V. 3 His Wretched Companions - This man was surrounded by others who were in the same shape as himself. They offered him no comfort and they offered him no help. They were as desperate as he was to be released from their own prisons. Even if these people had been able to help this man get into the pool when the time came, I am sure that it would have been every man for himself! They wouldn't have helped him, because they needed the healing for themselves!

(Ill. Again, this is a sad, but true, picture of the lost sinner. These sad people picture the sinner in all of his helplessness, his brokenness, his blindness and his uselessness before the Lord, Eph. 2:12. He is surrounded by others who are in the same boat. Others who are just as lost as he is and others who can no more help him than he can help them. But, as they say, misery loves company! Often, sinners will surround themselves with others who are as bad, or often who are worse than, they themselves are. This is a vain attempt to justify their condition.)

I. The Sick Man

II. V. 6a A SYMPATHETIC MESSIAH

(Ill. Jesus is pictured here as the compassionate Savior. He is shown doing three great works that prove this true.)

A. He Is Shown Choosing The Sinner - According to the Bible's own witness, there was a "great multitude" there that day. Jesus could have gone to any person in that place, yet for His own reasons, He went to this man. This is nothing but pure grace!

(Ill. What a picture of Jesus and His work in salvation. He passes by and knocks on our heart's door, John 6:44. He reaches out to us in love and calls us unto Himself, Jer. 31:3; Matt. 11:28. When the sinner responds in faith, Rom. 10:9-10, Jesus comes in and works the work of salvation in our hearts and lives, Rom. 10:13. This is a work of grace and grace alone! After all, we have done nothing to deserve His love. We have done nothing to earn our salvation. We have done nothing to even make God notice us. Yet, He chooses to love us just because He is God! I praise the Lord for the day when He chose me! He could have passed by and left me bound for Hell, but He didn't! Thank God He stopped where I was, helpless and broken by sin and He reached out to me! All I had to do was say "Yes!".)

(Ill. Now, don't miss understand me! I am not saying that God has some handpicked to go to Heaven and others handpicked to go to Hell. All I am saying is that the sinner is dead in his sins until Jesus comes along and awakens the heart. Then and only then can the sinner be saved! All are called, but far fewer are chosen!)

B. He Is Shown Caring For The Sinner - Jesus knew everything there was to know about this man! He knew that he was crippled, that he was unable to walk, that he was unable to stand and carry his own bed. Jesus knew that this man was totally dependent upon others for everything he had in life. Yet, Jesus reached out to him anyway! What a picture of His grace! (Ill. Bethesda = "House of Grace.")

(Ill. Jesus knows all about the condition of the sinner. He knows that we love our sins, that we cannot control our passions, that we desire the things of the world that gratify this old flesh, yet He loves us still! Jesus refuses to look at man as he is and chooses rather to see man as he can become through the power of grace. Jesus looks beyond our faults and our failures and cares for us in spite of our sins. Isn't it an awesome thought that Jesus knows every lowdown thing we have ever done, yet He loves us? That He knows all our evil thoughts yet He loves us? That He knows we will fail over and over again as the years go by, yet He loves us? I say glory to God! What a testimony of the amazing grace of Almighty God! I am so glad that God loves Old Sinners - Mark 2:17.)

C. He Is Shown Coming To The Sinner - In what may be the greatest move of all, Jesus literally comes to where this poor man is lying and reaches out to him in genuine grace and love.

(Ill. It is one thing for Jesus to love us and to do so in spite of our wickedness. However, it isn't until He actually comes to us that we have the opportunity for salvation. There are 3 ways in which Jesus comes to the sinner.

1. He Came As A Sacrifice - The first time Jesus came, He came to die! He went to Calvary and gave His life a ransom for sinner. When He died on that cross, He took your sins upon Himself and paid the price for your redemption. Jesus suffered every agony of Calvary in your place. He became your sin and suffered the awesome wrath of God so that you wouldn't have to, 2 Cor. 5:21.

2. He Comes As A Savior - Today, when Jesus comes to the sinner, he comes as Savior. He comes as One offering eternal life to all who will receive Him into their hearts and lives. Jesus is here this morning in this capacity. He desires more than anything for you to be saved and for you to miss Hell. He knows all there is to know about you and your life, yet He still calls you to come unto Himself. If you will respond in faith, He will not deny you salvation, John 6:37.

3. He Comes As Sovereign - One day, if the sinner doesn't respond to the Gospel message and come to Jesus, he will find himself facing Jesus as judge. The same Jesus who has the power to save you today, will one day have the power to sentence you to the lake of fire, Rev. 20:11-15. If Jesus is not received as Savior, He will be face as Judge - John 5:22. (Please do not presume upon the grace and goodness of God. If anything, take the opportunity God gives and run to Him for salvation.)

I. A Sick Man

II. A Sympathetic Messiah

III. V. 6b-9 A STRIKING MIRACLE

A. There Is An Offer - Jesus asks the man if he would like to be healed. The man responds by appealing to the flesh and tells Jesus that he has no one to help him into the pool.

(Ill. This man is guilty of the same thing that so many others are guilty of, he is confusing the physical with the spiritual. Jesus came to offer him physical healing from a spiritual source, but this man still has his eye on the what he can accomplish.)

(Ill. Even today, Jesus comes to the lost sinner and makes an offer of salvation. The common responses are, I am not good enough, I can't hold out, I have been too wicked, It won't work for me, etc. The problem is that sinners are looking for a physical solution to a spiritual problem. The sinner needs to be saved! That is something that no man can do for himself! It takes the power of God, the conviction of the Spirit and the blood of Jesus to accomplish this for the sinner. If Jesus is calling you to come to Him, then do not tarry, but obey and come to the Lord for salvation.)

B. There Is An Order - Jesus tells the man to get up and walk. Jesus just told this man to do something that he hasn't been able to do in 38 years, if ever. To me, this is a pretty incredible command! However, all that was required on the part of this man is simple, child like faith and obedience to the call of Jesus.

(Ill. When the call comes to the sinner lost in his sins, the only necessary response is faith! Jesus comes to men who have lived their entire lives in the grip of sin. He passes by and says, "Get out of the gutter and follow me!" Men refuse because it sounds too simple. It is! Jesus doesn't require perfection; He just requires faith in Him! I suppose that is why it is so easy for little children to be saved. They are used to depending on others for what they need. Mama and daddy take care of everything, so it is easy for them to trust Jesus and be saved! However, adults are different. We are conditioned to make our own way in the world. We are taught to stand on our own too feet. I believe that we need a dose of childishness in our lives - Mark. 10:15.)

C. There Is An Outpouring - When this man responded to Jesus' command by faith, he was immediately healed and he was able to get up an walk. This miracle required no in put from the crippled man, all he had to do was get up and walk at the command of Christ.

(Ill. Salvation works the exact same way. Jesus comes to the sinner and calls him to salvation. All that is required of the sinner is humble obedience to the call of Jesus. When this obedience comes, the sinner is immediately and instantly made right with God, transformed into God's child, delivered from wrath and made an heir of all that Heaven has to offer. All of this simply because the sinner turns to the Savior in pure, humble faith.)

(Ill. Jesus Christ has the power to take any life that is broken and ruined by sin and make it over again. He is all-powerful, all-saving and awesome! He will lift you out of the affliction of your sins if you will only come to Him when He calls you.)

Conc: Jesus demonstrates His power as the Great Physician by healing this man's body. However, there is no indication that this man ever became a believer in Jesus, v. 10-15. What a sad thing to come face to face with Jesus, experience His power and know His touch, yet go on in sin without Him an perish, lost, into Hell forever. What a sad thing! You see, the important thing to remember about Jesus as The Great Physician is not that He can heal the body, but that He can heal the soul! If he heals the body, that is wonderful ,but eventually, the body will still perish. However, what Jesus does for the soul is eternal. Are you saved today? Maybe you would have to confess that the Lord has been dealing with you and you know you need to come to Jesus. Why put it off any longer? While He is passing by, take the time to come to Him this morning. He will save you from sin and deliver you from Hell. And that, after all, is what you really want and need.

Study of JOHN 4:1-30

John 4:1-30

A TRUSTING MOMENT Sermon from Alan Carr

Intro: Did you know that people will pretty much believe anything? For instance, the percentage of Americans who believe: That Elvis Presley is still alive: 10; In reincarnation: 30; In ghosts: 39; That aliens have visited earth in the past 100 years: 53; That the U.S. government is currently involved in cover-ups and conspiracies: 74. (Well, there may be something to that one!) People will believe anything, but they will stop short of believing the most important thing. People will accept all kinds of theories and beliefs, but they won’t accept what the Bible says about Jesus Christ. The fact is, people are jaded!

Our text today presents to us a woman who is jaded as well. She has been around and around, riding the merry-go-round of life and she worn out from it. But, one day, Jesus Christ showed up outside her little town. She meets Him and He opens her eyes to the fact that there is a new life. A life that is free from the burdens and problems of the life she is now living. Jesus takes this jaded, hardened woman and He leads her to a place of trust.

I want to look at this passage today. I feel that I am speaking to people who have grown world-weary. You are sick of walking the treadmill of life day in and day out. You are tired of the way things are and you want a change. This passage is all about how that can be a reality in your life. Let’s take a few minutes this morning to look in on this Trusting Moment. It may be that Jesus wants to bring someone in this congregation to a place of trust today.



I. A MISERABLE SAMARITAN

A. v. 6 The Misery Of Her Isolation – This woman came to Jacob’s Well to draw water. But, she did not come when all the other women came. The women came to draw their water early in the morning, before the sun rose high into the sky. They came while it was still cool. History tells us that it was about a mile from town to the well where they came for water. Drawing and carrying water for the day was hot, sweaty work. While they were there, they caught up on the local gossip and enjoyed a few minutes by themselves, away from the pressures of living in a male dominated society.

Why did this one woman not come with the others? I think the answer can be found in verses 17-18 and verse 28. Verse 17 tells us that she is a woman of much experience. Perhaps she had been with men who belonged to some of the other women. Perhaps she was often the topic of their gossip as they drew water from the well. When she meets Jesus and wants to tell the people of the city that the Messiah has come, she does not go to the other women of the town, but she runs to the men, v. 28. It would seem that this woman was an outcast socially.

In the course of her conversation with Jesus, He tells her that she is even isolated from God, v. 20-22. Even the little worship she managed to work into her sinful life was of no use for her spiritually. She was an outcast spiritually as well.



(Note: She is a picture of every person who is not in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? The Bible says that our sinful condition separates us from God, Isa. 59:2. What a miserable condition to be in! To lack the ability to pray, to worship and to fellowship with God is a horrible way to live. Yet, many are in that condition this morning. They pray, but God doesn’t hear, Psa. 66:18. They go to church to worship, but they cannot worship in Spirit and truth because they are lost in sin. All their religious activity is merely an exercise in the flesh. It does not reach Heaven and it does not touch the Lord. They are lost and are isolated from God, His blessings and His salvation!)



B. v. 7-26 The Misery Of Her Ignorance – In these verses, this poor woman tries to argue religion with Jesus. At first, she sees Him as just another Jew, and she wants Him to know that she has some ideas about religion too. She talks about their religious differences, v. 9. She uses sarcasm and ridicule, v. 11-12, 15. She tries to bring up a religious dispute in verses 19-20, in an attempt to escape the penetrating statements of Jesus in verses16-18. Through all of this, Jesus shows her just how little she knows about God, about worship and about herself.

Notice the little word “if” in verse 10. Regardless of what she thought she knew, Jesus points out to her that there is one thing she does not know. She does not know Who Jesus is and that is the main thing! Jesus tells her that “if” she only knew, she could ask Jesus for “living water” and she would be forever satisfied! Left to herself, this woman might have died thinking that she was alright spiritually. Thank God that Jesus reached into her darkness and dispelled her ignorance about Himself and about the way of salvation!



(Note: Someone has said, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.” I say, “What you don’t know can send you to Hell!” Far too many people are living in ignorance when it comes to how to get to God. Many are like this woman in our text. They know just enough about the church and about Christianity to be a danger to themselves. There are many things about the Bible and about theology that you may never learn. Not knowing them will not keep you out of Heaven, nor will not knowing them send you to Hell. But, if you miss the main thing, you will never see Heaven and you will go to Hell. What is the main thing? Here it is: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”, Acts 16:31! That is the main thing. Don’t miss it!)



(Note: Many will die and go to Hell from the pews of Baptist churches because they missed Jesus! They learned how to go to church and to Sunday School. They learned how to tithe. They learned what kind of Bible to buy. They learned how to turn over a new leaf and how to live a clean live. They learned many things, but they never learned the truth that salvation comes only through faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. They never learned that salvation is by grace, through faith, Eph. 2:8-9.)



C. v. 11-26 The Misery Of Her Inconsistencies – Here she is, a woman with a checkered past, living a wicked life, v. 16-18, yet she feels that she is qualified to argue religion with the Lord Jesus Christ. She demonstrates a clear picture of hypocrisy in action!



(Note: People attempt to do this kind of thing all the time! Everybody thinks they are qualified to argue with God. They say, “Well, I think this or that”, or “I believe this way or that way”, or “I know what the Bible says, but…” What foolishness! Who do you think you are? Did you know that it does not matter what you think? Did you know that God really doesn’t care how you feel? Did it ever cross your mind that God’s Word is not up for debate?

Here is the bottom line: God said it and it is settled forever, Psa. 119:89. He has already told us that the only way to Heaven was through Jesus, John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Acts 16:31. He has already told us that works will not get anyone in, Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5. He has made His plan of salvation crystal clear. If you want to be right and go to Heaven when you die, then you will do it God’s way. If you want to remain lost and spend eternity in Hell, then you go ahead and do it your way. That may sound narrow to you and it is intended to! God did not leave this thing open to debate, but He clearly, concisely and concretely stated how things are and it is settled! Argue if you will, but it will do no good! Besides, who are we to argue with Him, Rom. 9:20.)



II. A MATCHLESS SAVIOR

A. v. 4 He Is Matchless In His Grace – The Bible tells us that “He must needs go through Samaria”. Most Jews went miles out of their way to go around Samaria to avoid coming into contact with them. The Jews hated the Samaritans! They were considered to be an inferior race because they were descended from Jews who had intermarried with Gentiles that had been placed in the land by the Assyrians.

Thank God that Jesus does not operate like other men! He did not care about their heritage. He did not care about the hated of others. He did not care about the racial lines drawn by ignorant men. He operates in the realm of grace! Jesus went to that place and sat on that well because He wanted to save this poor woman! Even His disciples were shocked by what Jesus had done, v. 27. If Jesus had acted like any other Jew, He would have passed this woman and her town by. But, He extended grace to them and brought salvation to Sychar!



(Note: Think about it! If you and I got what we deserved, we would have never gotten a second look from God. But, I praise God for a Sunday morning when Jesus said, “I must needs go through Morganton!” He does not look at people on the basis of our wretched, sinful condition. He looks at us through eyes of love and grace! He is not blind to our sin, because it separates us from Him, but His grace bridges the gap between us and brings Him near to offer salvation to you and to me.

God’s justice demands that you and I die for our sins, Rom. 6:23. But, when justice cried out to be satisfied, mercy answered and God sent Jesus to die in our place on the cross, Rom. 5:6-8. Now, in grace, He offers salvation to all who will come and be saved, Rev. 22:17. Listen, salvation is all of grace! It is not about what you can give or what you can do. It is about what Jesus did when He died for you. It is about you throwing in the towel and realizing that you can unable to save yourself. It is about you trusting Him and His grace alone to save your soul.)



(Ill. A Missionary was trying to translate the New Testament in a local dialect in Africa. When he came to John 3:16, he became stuck on the word “believeth”. There was no equivalent in the native tongue. After several weeks of waiting, praying and working, he still could not think of a way to accurately translate that word in a way the people of the village could understand.

Then one day as he sat on the porch of his house pondering this word, a local boy came running down the dirt path to the missionary’s house. The boy came up onto the porch and flopped down into a chair and said breathlessly, “It is good to cast my entire weight upon this chair!” Instantly, the missionary knew that he had this translation. For, that is what faith in Jesus is all about! It is about our casting the entirety of our lives upon Him and trusting His grace to support us.)



(Note: Friends, getting to Heaven will never depend upon you! It depends entirely upon His grace!)



B. v. 7-26 He Is Matchless In His Graciousness – Jesus works with this woman patiently. He took her where He found her and gently led her to where she needed to be. He brought her to the place where she was ready to hear about Him and about Who He was. Then, when He revealed Himself to her, v. 26, she was at a place where she was ready to believe on Him.



(Note: That is how the Lord always works with people. He takes us where He finds us and gently leads us along to the place of faith in Him. He is always the perfect gentleman! He stands at the door of man’s heart and He knocks, (Ill. “Knocks” is in the present tense, active voice. “He just keeps on knocking!”). He patiently waits until that door is opened and He can come in, Rev. 3:20. Ill. Most us who are saved can look back over our lives and she the patient hand of God guiding us to the point of faith! Praise His Name!)



(Note: This is another reason why we should not be discouraged when we are praying for lost loved ones. God may be working in their lives, leading them along, and you just can’t see what He is doing. Be patient and keep praying. If the Lord has placed a burden on your heart for them, that in itself is evidence that He means to save them in His time!)



C. v. 10-14 He Is Matchless In His Gift – Jesus promised this woman that He could give her a drink of “living water”. He promised her that this water would satisfy her in the depths of her soul. I would imagine that this probably appealed to her. She had tried all types of physical relationships to satisfy the deep longings of her soul and they had all left her empty and thirsty. Sex had not satisfied her. Marriage had failed five times to satisfy her. Living in the depths of sin on the fringes of society had failed to bring her happiness. Here, Jesus offers her an opportunity to find everything she has been looking for, by merely receiving His offer.



(Note: The words “drinketh” in verses 13 and 14 are worth noting today. In verse 13, the word “drinketh” is in the “present tense, active voice”. What Jesus is saying in verse 13 is this, “Even if you keep on drinking the water from this well, you will get thirsty again.” However, the word “drinketh” in verse 14 is in the “aorist tense, active voice”. In verse 14, Jesus is saying, “But whosoever takes just one drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst…”

In other words, Jesus is promising that just one trip to Him will satisfy the soul forever. Friend, you may have tried it all, and if you have I think I can safely say that it has left you feeling empty and unfulfilled. But, if you will come to Jesus, receive Him into your heart and life, He will save you and forever satisfy the deepest cravings of your heart! Would you rather keep drinking from a well that can never satisfy, or would you rather take one drink from a fountain that never fails to give perfect and absolute satisfaction?)



(Note: What is Jesus offering? He is offering satisfaction and salvation for your soul. He is offering you the opportunity to have all your sins forgiven. He is offering you the opportunity to be right with God. He is offering you the opportunity to miss Hell and go to Heaven when you die. What is the catch? There is no catch! All He requires from you is everything! He wants you to come before Him, confessing yourself a sinner and calling on Him by faith. He wants you to take His death on the cross as the payment for your sins. He wants you to believe what the Bible says about Him and He wants you to accept it all on the basis of faith, Romans 10:9. If you will do that, He will save you and He will satisfy your soul. The attractions of the world will lose their grip on you. He wants to save you and He wants to satisfy you! That is why He is a Matchless Savior!)



III. A MARVELOUS SALVATION

A. v. 28 There Is A Change In Her Activity – When she hears that Jesus is the Messiah, v. 26. She has all the information she needs. She forgets about her mission to get some water from the well, v. 7. Now, she wants to tell others about the well of living water she has experienced! That “artesian well” Jesus spoke of in verse14 is starting to flow and she cannot keep it in. She is different and she wants others to experience it too!



(Note: This is what Jesus does in every life He redeems. He changes old sinners into something brand new, 2 Cor. 5:17. The old activities and attractions of sin and the world lose their appeal to the newborn saint of God. They know they are saved, they know they are different and they want others to hear about how Jesus can change them too! When Jesus comes in, He will change everything! You will walk differently, you will talk differently and you will think differently. You will have a brand new life and nothing will be as it was! You will be a new person from top to bottom, and from the inside out.)



B. v. 28-29 There Is A Change In Her Approach – Notice that she runs to tell the men about Jesus. Why the men? They all knew her, many probably knew her intimately! The other women hated her, but the men loved her. So, she runs to the very people who had shared her life of sin. Imagine how their curiosity is piqued when she comes running in their direction. However, this time things are different! Now, she isn’t talking about a rendezvous; she is talking about redemption. She hasn’t come to arrange an affair with a guy; she has come to tell about amazing grace. He hasn’t come looking for a date; she has come to talk about a Deliverer! Yes, she is different, and the ones who knew her best see the change first!



(Note: Again, when salvation is real, there will be a change in your life. Old friends will see the difference and familiar activities will become something you used to before you met Jesus. Everything changes when you meet Him!)



(Ill. When Jack Eckerd, the owner and founder of the Eckerd Drug store chain was saved, the first thing he did was to walk into one of his drugstores and walked down through the book shelves and he saw Playboy and Penthouse. And he'd seen it there many times before, but it never bothered him before. Now he saw them with new eyes. He'd become a Christian.

He went back to his office. He called in his president. He said, "Take Playboy and Penthouse out of my stores. The president said, "You can't mean that, Mr. Eckerd. We make three million dollars a year on those books." He said, "Take 'em out of my stores." And in 1,700 stores across America, by one man's decision, those magazines and smut were removed from the shelves because a man had given his life to Christ. Later, Chuch Colson, who lead Mr. Eckerd to faith in Jesus called Jack Eckerd up. He said, "I want to use that story. Did you do that because of your commitment to Christ?" He said, "Why else would I give away three million dollars? The Lord wouldn't let me off the hook."

Through the influence of Jack Eckerd, other drug chains did the same and so did the 7-11 chain of convenience store. And in a period of twelve months, 11,000 retail outlets in America removed Playboy and Penthouse, not because somebody passed a law, but because God wouldn't let one of his men off the hook. That's what brings change.

--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 46-48.)



C. v. 29 There Is A Change In Her Acknowledgement – Notice how this woman moved from not knowing Jesus to proclaiming Him as the Messiah. In verse 9, He is a “Jew”. In verse 11, she calls Him “Sir”. In verse 19, she sees Him as a “Prophet”. By verse 29, she has reached the place where she calls Him “Christ”. She sees Him as the need of her soul. How did she make the progression from antagonism to acceptance? She was led along gently, by the Lord. He brought her from knowing nothing about Him to seeing Him as her only hope in just a few minutes. It was a work of grace!



(Note: Friend, if you expect to ever be saved, you must come to the place where you understand that Jesus is your only hope, Acts 4:12. If you will follow the light the Lord gives you, He will lead you to that place!)



Conc: Are you saved today? Have you come to the place in your life where you are trusting Jesus and Him alone for the salvation of your eternal soul? If not, then you need to do that right now. If you will come to Him, He will save you.

Study of JOHN 3:16-17

JOHN 3:16-17


CAN GOD REALLY SAVE YOUR SOUL?

Intro: In this passage detailing the conversation between the Lord Jesus and Nicodemus, the Lord says, very plainly, that He came into the world to provide salvation for all men. The matter of salvation is of vital importance to every person under the sound of my voice, and throughout the entire world, for that matter. You see, what you do about your salvation will determine where you spend your eternity.

Before we move deeper into this message, I want to offer up a definition. Too often, we Christians forget that we are like a little subculture. What I mean is that we have our own dialect and sometimes the things we say are simply confusing to those who don't know our lingo. One word that I want to define today is the word Jesus used in verse 17. Jesus tells us that He did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be "saved." It is that word saved that I want to consider for a moment.

We throw that word around in our sermons and in our testimonies, but those who are not saved may not understand what we mean when we use the word saved. So, to clear up any confusion, I want to tell you what that word means. The word "saved" comes from the Greek word "sozw", (pronounced - sode' zo). This word literally means, "to save, to keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction.

a) to save one (from injury or peril)

1) to save a suffering one (from perishing), that is, one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health

2) to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue

b) to save in the technical, Biblical sense; negatively:

1) to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment

2) to save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance.

If this word has that meaning, then why do we use it in regard to the soul? Because, man in his natural state, is a sinner, Rom. 3:23. When we come into this world, we arrive here already under a death sentence, Rom. 6:23. Unless a person is "saved" then they will die in their sins and they will spend eternity in Hell, forever separated from the presence and power of Almighty God. Now, no right thinking person wants that to happen to them! Therefore, we must know how we can be saved. That is something I will explain as this message unfolds.

Now, we know what it means to be saved, and I think we all want that for ourselves, we are about to find out how to be saved. All that remains is this one question, "Can God Really Saved Your Soul?" That is, if you do what the Bible says and receive His plan of salvation, can God really save you and keep you out of Hell? That is the question I would like to answer this morning. Can God Really Save Your Soul? I say, "Yes He can!" Allow me to give you three reasons why.

I. GOD'S PROMISE TO SAVE

A. It Is An Old Promise - In the beginning, when God made man in His image and man decided to sin against the Lord, God made a promise to Eve in the Garden of Eden, Gen. 3:15. God's promise to provide a means of salvation is even older than that. Rev. 13:8 tells us that Jesus is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Peter takes it even farther, 1 Peter 1:20 says, "who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world." These verses tell us that even before there was a sinner to save, before there was even a sin to cleanse, the Lord had already formulated a plan to redeem sinners. His is a plan older than man, older sin, older than Satan and older than Hell. God's promise to save is an old promise that shall never fail!

(Ill. Even in the Old Testament, there are glorious glimpses of the promise of God to save the sinner, Isa. 45:22; Isa. 43:11. God has always been and will always be a saving God. His promise to save is as old as God Himself, yet it is as new as the day when you call on Him in believing faith.

B. It Is An Ongoing Promise - While God's promise is older than the world and even older than mankind, it still has all the power of the Almighty behind it. The promise is a valid today as it has ever been. Note: John 5:24; John 3:16; Acts 16:31. This promise has never and will never lose its great power. God is a saving God and nothing will ever change that truth!

C. It Is An Open Promise - God's promise of salvation is not limited to a selected few, but it is a promise that is offered to all men. There are several passages that bear out this truth. Rev. 22:17; John 6:37; Rom. 10:13. John 6:47, just to name a few. It is clear from these verses that anyone who senses the need for salvation can be saved by the grace of God, John 7:37. The only requirement for participating in God's plan of salvation is that it is for sinners only! If you are good you cannot be saved. If you are righteous, you cannot be saved. Jesus came for the lost and for them alone - Mark. 2:17.

(Ill. The fact is, we are all sinners, Rom. 3:23; Gal. 3:22. Therefore, we all qualify under the terms of salvation. The problem is, not everyone is willing to admit his or her guilt. Yet, the Bible tells us that we are in sad shape apart from God, Isa. 53:6. In fact, it tells us that the best we can produce out of our own self-effort is a pile of putrid, filthy rags in the sight of Almighty God, Isa. 64:6. In simple terms, we need what God has to offer us in His plan of salvation.)

I. God's Promise To Save

II. GOD'S POWER TO SAVE

(Now that we know that the Lord has promised to ave those who receive His plan of salvation, we need to know that He can do what He says He will do. Just how does God go about bringing men unto Himself? And, when a sinner does go to God for salvation, how does he or she know that God can do what He has promised? Perhaps spending a few minutes looking at God's Power To Save will clear up any areas of confusion.)

A. He Has The Power To Call The Sinner - No one can be saved when they feel like it! The Bible says that the sinner apart from God is dead, Eph. 2:1. That is, they possess no spiritual life and are unable to approach God on their own, Rom. 3:11. The only way the sinner can be saved is for him to be called by God - John 6:44; John 6:65. Salvation is a process that always originates with God in Heaven! It never begins with man! (Ill. Don't worry, I believe that God gives every man an opportunity - John 1:9)

(Ill. Never presume upon God! When He calls is the time for you to come to Him - 2 Cor. 6:2. God is never obligated to call again. Therefore don't bank on time - Pro. 27:1; James 4:14. By the way, don't run from the repeated calls of God - Pro. 29:1.)

B. He Has The Power To Convert The Sinner - When a sinner places his or her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, God does a work of grace so powerful in their life that it cannot be explained in human terms. Things of such a profound spiritual nature take place that it boggles the mind. Just a few to help you understand what I am saying are:

1. All Sin Is Immediately And Completely Forgiven - Psa. 103:12; Isa. 38:17; Isa. 43:25; Jer. 50:20; Micah 7:19; 1 John 1:7.

2. The Sinner Becomes A Child Of God - 1 John 3:1-2

3. The Sinner Is Delivered From Sin

a.) The Power Of Sin - Rom. 6:14

b.) The Penalty Of Sin - Rom. 5:9; Rom. 8:1; John 5:24 (saved!)

c.) The Presence Of Sin - Rev. 21:27

4. The Sinner Becomes A Joint Heir With Christ - Rom. 8:17

5. The Sinner Inherits A Heavenly Home - John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 2:9; Rev. 21:4.

6. The Sinner Becomes A Saint - (Ill. 1 Cor. 1:2 - Even the carnal Corinthians were called "saints.") When Jesus saves you, He changes you forever - 2 Cor. 5:17.

(Ill. Some He has changed by His power: Saul - Acts 9; Nicodemus - John 3, 7, 19; Bartimaeus - Mark 10; Zacchaeus - Luke 10, The Dying Thief - Luke 23; etc.)

(Ill. It may not prove anything to you, but I know what He has done for me, and that is all the proof I need.)

(Ill. There are many more references and blessings that could be named, but these are sufficient to prove that when God saves the sinner, He has the power to change them forever.)

C. He Has The Power To Conserve The Saint - When God calls and the lost person responds to that call and they receive Jesus into their life, is it possible for that person to ever be lost again? Does the saved person ever have to worry about somehow becoming "unsaved"? There are many denominations and others who would say yes. However, the Bible says otherwise. You see, not only does God have the power to call and convert sinners. He also has the power to keep them saved forever! There are several verses that prove this truth - 1 Pet. 1:5; John 3:16-17; John 10:28; John 6:37; John 6:47; Rom. 8:38-39; Heb 6:1-4. Even the word "saved" loses all power and meaning if the "saved" one is still in danger of being lost. If I can lose my salvation before I get to Heaven, then I cannot be saved until I get there first. If that be true, then there is no genuine salvation on this side of eternity! I thank God that when salvation is given, it cannot and will not be taken back again! 1 Thes. 5:23; 2 Tim. 1:12.

(Ill. Thank God, there is power in the Lamb to save the sinner!)

I. God's Promise To Save

II. God's Power To Save

III. GOD'S PROVISION TO SAVE

A. He Provided A Precious Substitute - When man sinned in the garden, man fell under the curse of God. For a man to be redeemed, a man had to die. However, not just any man would do. The One who died would have to be a perfect man. One without sin and without any wickedness. God, knowing our need and our inability to do anything about it ourselves, provided a perfect substitute. He gave us none other than His own darling Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, the gift of God in Christ proves God's love for you and me - John 3:16; Rom. 5:6-8.

(Ill. You may not understand it this morning, but when Jesus dies on the cross, He was literally taking your place. He was dying for you - Isa. 53:6; Matt. 20:28; John 1:29; 1 Tim. 2:6; Heb. 2:9; 1 John 2:1-2.)

(Ill. When Jesus was on the cross, God transferred your sins to Jesus and He dies to pay your price on that cross - 2 Cor. 5:21.)

B. He Provided A Perfect Sacrifice - When Jesus was on that cross, His death and sacrifice were sufficient to provide for the saving needs of the entire world. He gave Himself, once for all, that we might be able to be free from the grip of Sin and that we might be able to experience God's perfect salvation, which is available on through the Lord Jesus Christ!

(Ill. Note: His was a perfect sacrifice. It will never have to be redone! - Heb. 9:24-28; Heb. 10:10-14, and it was a once for all sacrifice! Many in our day want to do away with the blood of Jesus. May I remind you that without His precious blood, there is no salvation possible for any man? Heb. 9:22; 1 Pet. 1:19-20; Rev. 1:5. Far too many think that a little religion is enough. Religion cannot save; neither can any ritual or practice. Nothing saves but faith in the shed blood of the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ - Eph. 2:8-9.)

C. He Provided A Plan Of Salvation - Now, we come to the crucial question. If God promised to save man, if He has the power to save him and if He has provided the means to save him, how does one go about being saved? The answer is found in the verses we read this morning - John 3:16-17. The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms exactly what a person must do to be saved from their sins. The answer is to believe on Him! This is explained to us in great detail in Rom. 10:9-10. These verses tell us that to be saved, we must acknowledge the claims of Christ and that we must transfer our faith from works, religions, self-effort, self-righteousness, whatever it may that we are trusting in and trust Jesus and Him alone for our soul's salvation. Salvation is simple - Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:13, but man wants to complicate it. The best thing we can do is to simply take God at His Word and accept salvation as what it is: The gift of God, Rom. 6:23.

Conc: Maybe there is someone here this morning and you have been plagued with doubts about salvation. Maybe there are those who know that they are not saved. But, today, the Holy Spirit has spoken to your heart and you are ready to come to the Lord. God is calling and you know what you need. You may be asking. "Can God really save my soul?" I invite you to find out for yourselves that God can! You know your heart and al I ask you to do today is to listen to the call of the Spirit of God in your soul. If you need something from the Lord this morning, I challenge you to come get it right now. Will you mind the Lord today?

Study of JOHN 3:1-15

Read: John 3:1-15


In this passage, one of the best known in the New Testament, Jesus has a personal encounter with a man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was one of the most powerful and influential men in all of Israel during this time period. Nicodemus is a wealthy, powerful, religious man. Yet, he is a man with an itch that neither he, nor his money, nor his power can scratch. During the course of their conversation, Jesus refers to Nicodemus as “a master of Israel”. This title means “teacher”. This tells us that Nicodemus was an educated man, but despite his learning, there were some things this man did not know. But, one night, this rich, powerful, educated man found himself alone in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. What Nicodemus learned that night would prove to be the greatest lessons of his life!

I want to eavesdrop on this conversation between the Lord Jesus and Nicodemus today. I want us to hear for ourselves the great truths Jesus shared with this man. You see, Nicodemus came to Jesus for some answers about religion, what he received were some answers about redemption. He came to Jesus with questions about Jesus. He went away with more knowledge about Jesus and about himself than he could have ever imagined. He came to Jesus that night to ask some questions about life. He left with information about the new birth. Let’s listen in as the teacher gets taught. I want to preach this morning on this thought: A Teaching Moment. As Jesus teaches Nicodemus the truth about salvation, He shares a few insights about the new birth that we need to hear.



I. v. 1-7 THE MUST OF THE NEW BIRTH

(Ill. The New Birth! It has become part of the common language of America. 70% of Americans claim to be born again. President Jimmy Carter claimed, during his presidential campaign, that he had been born again. Since Carter, every American president has said that he has had a religious experience, which they have all referred to as being “born again”. And, I hope they have been! But, this is not a new phrase! 1 Pet. 1:23 speaks of the new birth. James mentions it, James 1:18 as does John in the epistle of First John, 1 John 3:9; 4:7; 5:1; 5:4; 5:18. Well, what does it mean to be “born again”? The little phrase literally means “to be born from above.”

It carries the idea of getting a fresh start, a new life from Heaven. We call this experience “being saved” or being “born again”. In Titus 3:5, Titus uses the term “regeneration”. It means the same exact thing! It means that when you are regenerated, you get a new life! You get a new start!

So many people have this thing confused! They are seeking reformation. That is, they are trying to “turn over a new leaf” or “get a new lease on life”. What the world needs is not reformation, but regeneration! Every person under the sound of my voice needs regeneration and not reformation! You see, reformation is just whitewashing, but regeneration will wash you white! Reformation will put new cloths on a man, but regeneration will put a new man in his cloths! What the world needs, what you need, and what I need is regeneration! You see, if you have been born only once, then friend you are going to die twice! But, if you have been born twice, you will never die, because death has been swallowed up in life, John 11:25-26; 1 Cor. 15:54; 2 Cor. 5:4.

With all that in mind, let me share with you the Must Of The New Birth. Let me show you why it is necessary, if you want to get to Heaven!

A. The Nature Of Humanity Makes It A Must – Old Nicodemus has received a lot of criticism for approaching Jesus at night. Some people have suggested that he came at night because he was ashamed and was trying to hide what he was doing. I don’t think that was the case at all! I think he came at night because he was a busy man and he knew that Jesus was also a busy man. I think he came at night because he wanted some uninterrupted time with Jesus!

Now, you will notice that when this man came to Jesus, he came humbly and was very complimentary to Jesus. He came with some serious questions, but I dare say that he did not expect the answer he received. Jesus told him, “You must be born again!”, v. 3, 7. Surely, Nicodemus must have thought this was a mistake. After all, if you looked at this man and at all that he had going for him, you would never expect him to need to be born again! Not Nicodemus! Maybe that wino needs to be saved and born again. Maybe that wayward woman needs the new birth. Well, that wasted life down in the gutter needs to be born again, but someone like Nicodemus, well surely that doesn’t apply to him. If you looked at this man you would have thought that he had everything going for him. He had all the plusses and none of the minuses from a human perspective. Look at all this man had going for him!

1. Nicodemus Was A Rich Man – Tradition tells us that Nicodemus was one of the three riches men in Jerusalem. He had more money than he knew what to do with! What we have does not change what we are! You can have plenty of money, but it does not change the fact that you are still a sinner in need of a Savior! Your money can buy you many things here in this world, but it can buy you nothing in Heaven!

2. Nicodemus Was A Respectable Man – When he walked down the streets, people knew who he was and they pointed him out to their children. He was held in great esteem by all who knew him and saw him. He was, after all, a rule in Israel! Still, what we achieve does not change what we are! It is good to be respected and to have a good name among men, but that will not provide you a place in Heaven

3. Nicodemus Was A Religious Man – He was a Pharisee! He kept the Law. He was morally pure to a degree that you and I cannot imagine! Even Jesus recognized the religious efforts of these men, Matt. 5:20. He paid his tithes, did everything the Law said to do; he kept the written Law and the traditions of the elders. He never touched a woman; he probably avoided looking at them when possible. He would not come into contact with a sinner. He was a holy man! Still, what we do does not change who we are! In spite of the outward attempts at righteousness, Nicodemus was a religious man in need of a Redeemer! It is good to live clean and holy, but that will not save your soul! Your religious activities will not do the job either!)



(Note: Here is where many well meaning people are confused. They think that of they can be good enough or do enough, it will guarantee them access into Heaven. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Salvation only comes through the new birth! Why? Because, no matter what you have, what you do or who you are, you are still a sinner, Rom. 3:10-23; Rom. 5:12. Nothing you have, do or are changed what you are: a sinner in need of a Savior! That is why the new birth is not an option. It is not a take it leave it proposition. It is a divine must! If you want to miss hell and go to Heaven, then you must be born again! The nature of human nature demands it!)

B. The Nature Of Heaven Makes It A Must – In verse 3, Jesus says that without the new birth, you cannot “enter the kingdom of God.” Notice what kind of place Heaven is. It is the “kingdom of God.” Do you understand what He is saying? It has been said that Heaven “Is a prepared place for a prepared people.” Did you know that this is true? One of the most precious benefits of the new birth is the fact that we receive a new nature when we are saved, 2 Peter 1:4. When you get saved, you receive God’s nature; a nature from Heaven! The new birth prepares you for life in a new kingdom! The only way for you to get into Heaven is for you to first get Heaven into you!

Besides, if you went to heaven with a lost, fallen nature, you would be miserable! Heaven would become Hell for you! You would never enjoy that land unless you had a new nature! All the worship, the praise, the glories of Heaven would be offensive to you if you went there lost! It would be against your nature to enjoy anything in that land. That is why we need a new birth; it prepares us to enter in and to enjoy that new land! It gives us a new nature and it gives us a new life!



(Note: This business of the new birth got me to thinking! You will never see a bird swimming laps in a pool. Why? It’s against its nature! You will never see a cow dancing in a Broadway show. Why? It’s against its nature! You will never see a pig flying from tree limb to tree limb. Why? It’s against its nature! My friends, you will never a see a lost sinner in Heaven! Why? Because it’s against their nature! If you are going there, then you need a new nature. The only way to get that new nature is through the new birth. Why? Your first birth provided you with a physical, fleshly nature. You need a new birth, a birth from Heaven to provide you with a new, spiritual nature, v. 6. That is why Jesus says, “You must be born again!” It is not an option! Don’t settle for a maybe so, hope so or think so kind of salvation. Get born again and you will know so! The new birth is a must!)



II. v. 4-8 THE MYSTERY OF THE NEW BIRTH

(Ill. When Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to be born again, it messed with his mind! Nicodemus could not grasp how that could be. He imagined himself going back into his mother’s womb to be born a second time. I am sure his mother would have vetoed that idea! He wanted to know how this could happen, so he asked Jesus about the “How?” of the new birth. Nicodemus knows that he is in the presence of a mystery and he wants the answers.

There is no doubt that the new birth is a mysterious thing. None of us truly understands everything there is to know about it. It is still a mystery, even to those of us who have experienced it! However, don’t let the fact that it is a mystery cause you to avoid it altogether! You don’t let the mystery of electricity to cause you to sit in the dark do you? You don’t let the mystery of how a brown cow can eat green grass and give yellow butter and white milk stop you from enjoying butter, milk and ice cream do you? There are many things that we do not understand in life, but we still believe in them. So, do not allow the mystery of the new birth to keep from being saved! Notice how Jesus addresses this mystery for Nicodemus.

A. v. 4-7 He Compares It To A Birth – Physical birth is a mystery! Even doctors who special in that field know that human birth is a marvelous mystery that no one can fully explain! When Jesus says “except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God”, He is talking about physical birth and spiritual birth. He is telling us that for a man to get to heaven he must have two birthdays. There must be a day when he was born into the kingdom of men and a day when he is born into the kingdom of God! There are a few ways that physical birth can be used to illustrate spiritual birth.

1. Physical birth provides life – A babies have life because they are born! Likewise, spiritual birth provides a person with spiritual life, 1 John 5:12.

2. Physical birth only happens once – Physically speaking, you can only be born one time! (Ill. All the mothers said: Amen!) Spiritually, the same thing is true! Your spiritual birth is a one time for all time experience. It cannot be undone and it cannot be repeated!

3. Physical birth takes place because of the suffering on another – A mother enters the very jaws of death to bring life into this world. Jesus entered the cruel jaws of death so that you might be born again. The new birth rests squarely upon the pain and suffering of another!

4. Physical birth gives the infant a brand new start – No baby is born with a past! They have no past, only a future! So it is with the new birth. When you get saved, you get a brand new start. Your past is wiped away and a new, clean future lies in front of you!

The new birth is like a physical birth!

B. v. 8 He Compares It To A Breeze – Jesus tells Nicodemus that just as the wind can be felt, it can be measured and the effects of it can be seen; where it came from and where it went to remains a mystery. The new birth is the same way. You cannot see God do His work in a heart in this altar. But, you can see the effects of the wind of the Spirit in a life! When you see a drunkard leave his bottle, you know God has been working! When you hear clean language come from a mouth that used to be a sewer, you know God has been at work. When you see a vile woman become a clean woman, you know God has passed by. When you see a wicked, hateful man turn into a sweet, loving, holy saint, you know the wind of the Spirit has been blowing in his soul. It is a mystery because we do not see it happen. But, there is no denying the effects of the power of God when He works in the human heart.



(Note: Jesus is saying, “Nick, I can save you and when I do, you will never be the same!” That is what God does for all those who come to Him by faith. He changes them and alters their lives for ever, 2 Cor. 5:17!)



(Note: By the way, the wind of the Spirit was blowing in the soul of Nicodemus. But, he could not control that wind. It might be gone in an instant, never to return. The time for Nicodemus to heed God’s call was when the wind was moving in his heart. Friend, if the wind of the Spirit is blowing in your soul, the time to be saved is now! He will not always deal with you, Gen. 6:3. The best thing you can do is come to Him when He is near and calling, Isa. 55:6; 2 Cor. 6:2. The only time you can come is when He is calling you, John 6:44.)



III. v. 9-15 THE MEANS OF THE NEW BIRTH

(Ill. When Nicodemus hears these things, he wants to know how this is possible. Jesus takes these next few verses to explain to him and to us how the new birth can become a reality!)

A. v. 13-14 The Role Of The Savior – Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Savior’s part in the new birth was to leave Heaven above, to come into this world to die for sin! Friend that is what Jesus did for you! He left Heaven, took upon Himself a human body, lived without sin and died a horrible, awful death upon the cross, Phil. 2:5-8; Mark 10:45; Isa. 53:1-12. Jesus reminded Nicodemus of the time Israel sinned and God sent serpents in among them to bite them. As they did, many people in Israel died, Num 21:4-9. When that tragic event took place, God commanded Moses to make a brass snake and put it on a pole. Jesus said that He was like that snake! He came to this world to be put upon a cross. He came to die a sacrifice for sin, 1 Cor. 5:21. He came to die that we, through His death, might live! And, friend, when Jesus died on that cross, He paid your sin debt in full, Heb. 9:12; 10:10-14! There is nothing more owing on your account if you will receive Him by faith! He did His part when He died and rose again from the dead. That is the role of the Savior!

B. v. 15 The Role Of The Sinner – What must the lost, hell bound sinner do to be saved? The answer is right here in verse 15. It is a one word answer: believe! Just like these people in ancient Israel who had been bitten by those fiery serpents. All they had to do was look and live! (Ill. How that scenario might have played out then.) If you need to be saved, there is nothing left for you to do, but to believe in Jesus and receive His finished work at Calvary as the payment for your sins, Romans 10:9! For you there is nothing to do, He did it all. So, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved!” Have you done that? Are you saved and sure? You can be!



(Ill. The Greek historian Herodotus said that the ancient Egyptians believed in the new birth. They believed that when a person died they became whatever animal happened to have been born at the same time, and then they went from that animal to another animal life and then to another animal's life until they had gone through all of the animals of the animal kingdom, and then the Egyptians believed that you could be born again, that's what they called it, born again as a human being, and they believed the process would take 3,000 years. Really, they believed in reincarnation and they believed in a lie!

Well, friend, I've got good news for you today. You can be born again, and I don't mean become some animal, and I don't mean become another human being; I mean you can be born into the family of God and become God's child. And the best news is, you don't have to wait 3,000 years, you don't have to wait 3,000 days, you don't have to wait another second, you can be born again right now.)



Conc: What was it that drew Nicodemus to Jesus that night? I think it was the events of John 2:13-25. There, Jesus drove the moneychangers out of the Temple and proclaimed the fact of His Own death and resurrection. The Bible tells us that many of the people believed in Him because of His miracles, v. 23. However, Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew that their faith was superficial. It was based on the miracles and not genuine love for Him. No doubt Nicodemus saw what Jesus did at the Temple. No doubt Nicodemus heard what Jesus said when confronted at the Temple. What he saw and what he heard created a hunger within his soul to know more about Jesus. So, he came and he heard the Gospel. Did Nicodemus ever get saved? I think he did! Why? Nicodemus stood up for Jesus before the Sanhedrin, John 7:45-53. And, Nicodemus helped Joseph of Arimathaea bury the body of Jesus after the crucifixion, John 19:38-42. Nicodemus put his wallet and his wellbeing on the line for Jesus. That is the kind of thing a saved man does: he bears fruit!

As we close today, I want to draw your attention back to John 2:24-25 for just a moment. Before Nicodemus ever came to Jesus, Jesus knew what was in the heart of Nicodemus! Jesus knew what he needed when he came that night. Jesus cut through all the religious nonsense and all the foolishness and Jesus told Nicodemus exactly what he needed to hear! He told him how to be saved.

Did you notice that verse 24 says, “…he knew all men”? And, verse 25 says, “…He knew what was in man”. Friend, Jesus knows you too! He knows whether you are saved or not! He knows whether or not you have been born again. He knows all there is about you and He knows He loves you. He also knows that if you will come to Him, He will save you by His grace. He knows that if you will come to Him like you are, you can leave this building like you ought to be! If you are not saved today, let me invite you to come to Jesus for salvation right now.

Study of JOHN 2;14

John 2:14


This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory.’

The keynote of this Gospel was struck in the earlier verses of the first chapter in the great words, ‘The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, full of grace and truth.’ To these words there is an evident reference in this language. The Evangelist regards Christ’s first miracle as the first ray of that forth-flashing glory of the Incarnate Word. To this Evangelist all miracles are especially important as being signs, which is the word he generally employs to designate them. They are not mere portents, but significant revelations as well as wonders. It is not, I think, accidental that there are just seven miracles of our Lord’s, before His crucifixion, recorded by John, and one of the Risen Lord.
These signs are all set forth by the Evangelist as manifestations of various aspects of that one white light, of uncreated glory which rays from Christ. They are, if I may so say, the sevenfold colours into which the one beam is analysed. Each of them might be looked at in turn as presenting some fresh thought of what the ‘glory . . . full of grace and truth’ is.
I begin with the first of the series. What, then, is the ‘glory of the only Begotten Son’ which flashes forth upon us from the miracle? My object is simply to try to answer that question for you.
I. First, then, we see here the revelation of His creative power.
It is very noteworthy that the miraculous fact is veiled entirely in the narrative. Not a word is said of the method of operation, it is not even said that the miracle was wrought; we are only told what preceded it, and what followed it. Itself is shrouded in deep silence. The servants fill the water-pots.—‘Draw out now,’ and they draw, ‘and bear it to the governor of the feast.’ Where the miraculous act comes in we do not know; what was its nature we cannot tell. How far it extended is left obscure. Was all the large quantity of water in these six great vessels of stone transformed into wine, or was the change effected in the moment when the portion that was wanted was drawn from them and on that portion only? We cannot answer the question. Probably, I think, the latter; but at all events a veil is dropped over the fact.
Only this, we see that in this miracle, even more conspicuously than in any other of our Lord’s, there are no means at all employed. Sometimes He used material vehicles, anointing a man’s eyes with clay, or moistening the ear with the spittle; sometimes sending a man to bathe in the Pool of Siloam; sometimes laying His hand on the sick; sometimes healing from a distance by the mere utterance of His word. But here there is not even a word; no means of any kind employed, but the silent forth-putting of His will, which, without token, without visible audible indication of any sort, passes with sovereign power into the midst of material things and there works according to His own purpose. Is not this the signature of divinity, that without means the mere forth-putting of the will is all that is wanted to mould matter as plastic to His command? It is not even, ‘He spake and it was done,’ but silently He willed, and ‘the conscious water knew its Lord, and blushed.’ This is the glory of the Incarnate Word.
Now that was no interruption of the order of things established in the Creation. There was no suspension of natural laws here. What happened was only this, that the power which generally works through mediating links came into immediate connection with the effect. What does it matter whether your engine transmits its powers through half a dozen cranks, or two or three less? What does it matter whether the chain be longer or shorter? Some parenthetical links are dropped here, that is all that is unusual. For in all ordinary natural operations, as we call them, the profound prologue of this Gospel teaches us to believe that Christ, the Eternal Word, works according to His will. He was the Agent of creation. He is the Agent of that preservation which is only a continual creation. In Him is life, and all living things live because of the continual presence and operation upon them of His divine power. And again I say, what is phenomenal and unusual in this miracle is but the suppression of two or three of the connecting links between the continual cause of all creatural existences, and its effect. So let us learn that whether through a long chain of so-called causes, or whether close up against the effect, without the intervention of these parenthetical and transmitting media, the divine power works. The power is one, and the reason for the effect is one, that Christ ever works in the world, and is that Eternal Word, ‘without whom was not anything made that was made.’ ‘This beginning of miracles did Christ . . . and manifested His glory.’
II. Then, again, we see here, I think, the revelation of one great purpose of our Lord’s coming, to hallow all common, and especially all family, life.
What a strange contrast there is between the simple gladness of the rustic village wedding and the tremendous scene of the Temptation in the wilderness, which preceded it only by a few days! What a strange contrast there is between the sublime heights of the first chapter and the homely incident which opens the ministry! What a contrast between the rigid asceticism of the Forerunner, ‘who came neither eating nor drinking,’ and the Son of Man, who enters thus freely and cheerfully into the common joys and relationships of human nature! How unlike the scene at the marriage-feast must have been to the anticipations of the half-dozen disciples that had gathered round Him, all a-tingling with expectation as to what would be the first manifestation of His Messianic power! The last thing they would have dreamed of would have been to find Him in the humble home in Cana of Galilee. Some people say ‘this miracle is unworthy of Him, for it was wrought upon such a trivial occasion.’ And was it a trivial occasion that prompted Him thus to commence His career, not by some high and strained and remote exhibition of more than human saintliness or power, but by entering like a Brother into the midst of common, homespun, earthly joys, and showing how His presence ennobled and sanctified these? Surely the world has gained from Him, among the many gifts that He has given to it, few that have been the fountain of more sacred sweetness and blessedness than is opened in that fact that the first manifestation of His glory had for its result the hallowing of the marriage tie.
And is it not in accordance with the whole meaning and spirit of His works that ‘forasmuch as the brethren were partakers of’ anything, ‘He Himself likewise should take part of the same,’ and sanctify every incident of life by His sharing of it? So He protests against that faithless and wicked division of life into sacred and secular, which has wrought such harm both in the sacred and in the secular regions. So He protests against the notion that religion has to do with another world rather than with this. So He protests against the narrowing conception of His work which would remove from its influence anything that interests humanity. So He says, as it were, at the very beginning of His career, ‘I am a Man, and nothing that is human do I reckon foreign to Myself.’
Brethren! let us learn the lesson that all life is the region of His Kingdom; that the sphere of His rule is everything which a man can do or feel or think. Let us learn that where His footsteps have trod is hallowed ground. If a prince shares for a few moments in the festivities of his gathered people on some great occasion, how ennobled the feast seems! If he joins in their sports or in their occupations for a while as an act of condescension, how they return to them with renewed vigour! And so we. We have had our King in the midst of all our family life, in the midst of all our common duties; therefore are they consecrated. Let us learn that all things done with the consciousness of His presence are sacred. He has hallowed every corner of human life by His presence; and the consecration, like some pungent and perennial perfume, lingers for us yet in the else scentless air of daily life, if we follow His footsteps.
Sanctity is not singularity. There is no need to withdraw from any region of human activity and human interest in order to develop the whitest saintliness, the most Christlike purity. The saint is to be in the world, but not of it; like the Master, who went straight from the wilderness and its temptations to the homely gladness of the rustic marriage.
III. Still further, we have here a symbol of Christ’s glory as the ennobler and heightener of all earthly joys.
That may be taken with perhaps a permissible play of fancy as one meaning, at any rate, of the transformation of water into wine; the less savoury and fragrant and powerful liquid into the more so. Wine, in the Old Testament especially, is the symbol of gladness, and though it received a deeper and a sacreder meaning in the New Testament as being the emblem of His blood shed for us, it is the Old Testament point of view that prevails here. And therefore, I say, we may read in the incident the symbol of His transforming power. He comes, the Man of Sorrows, with the gift of joy in His hand. It is not an unworthy object—not unworthy, I mean, of a divine sacrifice—to make men glad. It is worth His while to come from Heaven to agonise and to die, in order that He may sprinkle some drops of incorruptible and everlasting joy over the weary and sorrowful hearts of earth. We do not always give its true importance to gladness in the economy of our lives, because we are so accustomed to draw our joys from ignoble sources that in most of our joys there is something not altogether creditable or lofty. But Christ came to bring gladness, and to transform its earthly sources into heavenly fountains; and so to change all the less sweet, satisfying, and potent draughts which we take from earth’s cisterns into the wine of the Kingdom; the new wine, strong and invigorating, ‘making glad the heart of man.’
Our commonest blessings, our commonest joys, if only they be not foul and filthy, are capable of this transformation. Link them with Christ; be glad in Him. Bring Him into your mirth, and it will change its character. Like a taper plunged into a jar of oxygen, it will blaze up more brightly. Earth, at its best and highest, without Him is like some fair landscape lying in the shadow; and when He comes to it, it is like the same scene when the sun blazes out upon it, flashes from every bend of the rippling river, brings beauty into many a shady corner, opens all the flowering petals and sets all the birds singing in the sky. The whole scene changes when a beam of light from Him falls upon earthly joys. He will transform them and ennoble them and make them perpetual. Do not meddle with mirth over which you cannot make the sign of the Cross and ask Him to bless it; and do not keep Him out of your gladness, or it will leave bitterness on your lips, howsoever sweet it tastes at first.
Ay! and not only can this Master transform the water at the marriage feast into the wine of gladness, but the cups that we all carry, into which our tears have dropped—upon these too He can lay His hand and change them into cups of blessing and of salvation.
‘Blessed are they . . . who, passing through the valley of weeping, gather their tears into a well; the rain also covereth it with blessings.’ So the old Psalm put the thought that sorrow may be turned into a solemn joy, and may lie at the foundation of our most flowery fruitfulness. And the same lesson we may learn from this symbol. The Christ who transforms the water of earthly gladness into the wine of heavenly blessedness, can do the same thing for the bitter waters of sorrow, and can make them the occasions of solemn joy. When the leaves drop we see through the bare branches. Shivering and cold they may look, but we see the stars beyond, and that is better. ‘This beginning of miracles’ will Jesus repeat in every sad heart that trusts itself to Him.
IV. And last of all, we have here a token of His glory as supplying the deficiencies of earthly sources.
‘His mother saith unto Him, “They have no wine.”’ The world’s banquet runs out, Christ supplies an infinite gift. These great water-pots that stood there, if the whole contents of them were changed, as is possible, contained far more than sufficient for the modest wants of the little company. The water that flowed from each of them, in obedience to the touch of the servant’s hand, if the change were effected then, as is possible, would flow on so long as any thirsted or any asked. And Christ gives to each of us, if we choose, a fountain that will spring unto life eternal. And when the world’s platters are empty, and the world’s cups are all drained dry, He will feed and satisfy the immortal hunger and the blessed thirst of every spirit that longs for Him.
The rude speech of the governor of the feast may lend itself to another aspect of this same thought. He said, in jesting surprise, ‘Thou hast kept the good wine until now,’ whereas the world gives its best first, and when the palate is dulled and the appetite diminished, then ‘that which is worse.’ How true that is; how tragically true in some of our lives! In the individual the early days of hope and vigour, when all things were fresh and wondrous, when everything was apparelled in the glory of a dream, contrast miserably with the bitter experiences of life that most of us have made. Habit comes, and takes the edge off everything. We drag remembrance, like a lengthening chain, through all our life; and with remembrance come remorse and regret. ‘The vision splendid’ no more attends men, as they plod on their way through the weariness of middle life, or pass down into the deepening shadows of advancing and solitary old age. The best comes first, for the men who have no good but this world’s. And some of you have got nothing in your cups but dregs that you scarcely care to drink.
But Jesus Christ keeps the best till the last. His gifts become sweeter every day. No time can cloy them. Advancing years make them more precious and more necessary. The end is better in this course than the beginning. And when life is over, and we pass into the heavens, the word will come to our lips, with surprise and with thankfulness, as we find how much better it all is than we had ever dreamed it should be: ‘Thou hast kept the good wine until now.’
Oh, my brother! do not touch that cup that is offered to you by the harlot world, spiced and fragrant and foaming; ‘at the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.’ But take the pure joys which the Christ, loved, trusted, obeyed, summoned to your feast and welcomed in your heart, will bring to you; and these shall grow and greaten until the perfection of the Heavens.

Study of JOHN 2:1-11

John 2:1-11

JESUS THE JOY-BRINGER

‘And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2. And both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage. 3. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto Him, They have no wine. 4. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. 5. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it. 6. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8. And He saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10. And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse; but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him.’

The exact dating of this first miracle indicates an eye-witness. As Nazareth was some thirty miles distant from the place where John was baptizing, and Cana about four miles from Nazareth, the ‘third day’ is probably reckoned from the day of the calling of Philip. Jesus and His disciples seem to have been invited to the marriage feast later than the other guests, as Mary was already there. She appears to have been closely connected with the family celebrating the feast, as appears from her knowledge of the deficiency in the wine, and her direction to the servants.
The first point, which John makes all but as emphatic as the miracle itself, is the new relation between Mary and Jesus, the lesson she had to learn, and her sweet triumphant trust. Now that she sees her Son surrounded by His disciples, the secret hope which she had nourished silently for so long bursts into flame, and she turns to Him with beautiful faith in His power to help, even in the small present need. What an example her first word to Him sets us all! Like the two sad sisters at Bethany, she is sure that to tell Him of trouble is enough, for that His own heart will impel Him to share, and perchance to relieve it. Let us tell Jesus our wants and leave Him to deal with them as He knows how.
Of course, His addressing her as ‘Woman’ has not the meaning which it would have with us, for the term is one of respect and courtesy, but there is a plain intimation of a new distance in it, which is strengthened by the question, ‘What is there in common between us?’ What in common between a mother and her son! Yes, but she has to learn that the assumption of the position of Messiah in which her mother’s pride so rejoiced, carried necessarily a consequence, the first of the swords which were to pierce that mother’s heart of hers. That her Son should no more call her ‘mother,’ but ‘woman,’ told her that the old days of being subject to her were past for ever, and that the old relation was merged in the new one of Messiah and disciple—a bitter thought, which many a parent has to taste the bitterness of still, when wider outlooks and new sense of a vocation come to their children. Few mothers are able to accept the inevitable as Mary did, Jesus’ ‘hour’ is not to be prescribed to Him, but His own consciousness of the fit time must determine His action. What gave Him the signal that the hour was struck is not told us, nor how soon after that moment it came. But the saying gently but decisively declares His freedom, His infallible accuracy, and certain intervention at the right time. We may think that He delays, but He always helps, ‘and that right early.’
Mary’s sweet humility and strong trust come out wonderfully in her direction to the servants, which is the exact opposite of what might have been expected after the cold douche administered to her eagerness to prompt Jesus. Her faith had laid hold of the little spark of promise in that ‘not yet,’ and had fanned it into a flame. ‘Then He will intervene, and I can leave Him to settle when.’ How firm, though ignorant, must have been the faith which did not falter even at the bitter lesson and the apparent repulse, and how it puts to shame our feebler confidence in our better known Lord, if ever He delays our requests! Mary left all to Jesus; His commands were to be implicitly obeyed. Do we submit to Him in that absolute fashion both as to the time and the manner of His responses to our petitions?
The next point is the actual miracle. It is told with remarkable vividness and equally remarkable reserve. We do not even learn in what precisely it consisted. Was all the water in the vessels turned into wine? Did the change affect only what was drawn out? No answer is possible to these questions. Jesus spoke no word of power, nor put forth His hand. His will silently effected the change on matter. So He manifested forth His glory as Creator and Sustainer, as wielding the divine prerogative of affecting material things by His bare volition.
The reality of the miracle is certified by the jovial remark of the ‘ruler of the feast.’ As Bengel says: ‘The ignorance of the ruler proves the goodness of the wine; the knowledge of the servants, the reality of the miracle.’ His palate, at any rate, was not so dulled as to be unable to tell a good ‘brand’ when he tasted it, nor is there any reason to suppose that Jesus was supplying more wine to a company that had already had more than enough.
The ruler’s words are not meant to apply to the guests at that feast, but are quite general. But this Evangelist is fond of quoting words which have deeper meanings than the speakers dreamed, and with his mystically contemplative eye he sees hints and symbols of the spiritual in very common things. So we are not forcing higher meanings into the ruler’s jest, but catching one intention of John’s quotation of it, when we see in it an unconscious utterance of the great truth that Jesus keeps His best wine till the last. How many poor deluded souls are ever finding that the world does the very opposite, luring men on to be its slaves and victims by brilliant promises and shortlived delights, which sooner or later lose their deceitful lustre and become stale, and often positively bitter! ‘The end of that mirth is heaviness.’ The dreariest thing in all the world is a godless old age, and one of the most beautiful things in all the world is the calm sunset which so often glorifies a godly life that has been full of effort for Jesus, and of sorrows patiently borne as being sent by Him.
‘Full often clad in radiant vest
Deceitfully goes forth the morn,’
but Christ more than keeps His morning’s promises, and Christian experience is steadily progressive, if Christians cling close to Him, and Heaven will supply the transcendent confirmation of the blessed truth that was spoken unawares by the ‘ruler’ at that humble feast.
What effect the miracle produced on others is not told; probably the guests shared the ruler’s ignorance, but its effect on the disciples is that they ‘believed on Him.’ They had ‘believed’ already, or they would not have been disciples (John i. 50), but their faith was deepened as well as called forth afresh. Our faith ought to be continuously and increasingly responsive to His continuous manifestations of Himself which we can all find in our own experience.
Jesus ‘manifested His glory’ in this first sign. What were the rays of that mild radiance? Surely the chief of them, in addition to the revelation of His sovereignty over matter, to which we have already referred, is that therein He hallowed the sweet sacred joys of marriage and family life, that therein He revealed Himself as looking with sympathetic eye on the ties that bind us together, and on the gladness of our common humanity, that therein He reveals Himself as able and glad to sanctify and elevate our joys and infuse into them a strange new fragrance and power. The ‘water’ of our ordinary lives is changed into ‘wine.’ Jesus became ‘acquainted with grief’ in order that He might impart to every believing and willing soul His own joy, and that by its remaining in us, our joy might be full.

Study of JOHN 1:19-51

THE PRELUDE TO JESUS' PUBLIC MINISTRY 1:19-51
The rest of the first chapter continues the introductory spirit of the prologue. It records two events in John the Baptist's ministry and the choice of some men as Jesus' followers.
71Tenney, "The Symphonic . . .," p. 119. See also idem, "Topics from the Gospel of John," Bibliotheca Sacra 132:526 (April-June 1975):145-60, for a discussion of the seven signs in John's Gospel.
72Morris, p. 114.

2012 Edition Dr. Constable's Notes on John 27 1. John the Baptist's veiled testimony to Jesus 1:19-28
The writer recorded John the Baptist's witness to Jesus' identity as preparation for his narration of Jesus' public ministry. He was the first of the Apostle John's witnesses to the Incarnation.
Previously the writer had mentioned that God had sent John the Baptist to bear witness concerning the light (vv. 6-8). He also mentioned what John had said about Jesus, namely, that Jesus had a higher rank than he did (v. 15). Now the evangelist explained John the Baptist's witness in more detail.
1:19 This verse explains the context in which John the Baptist explained his own identity in relation to Jesus. As the Synoptics reveal, John's ministry was so influential that the Jewish religious authorities investigated him (Matt. 3:5-6). The Sanhedrin probably sent the delegation of priests and Levites. The priests were descendants of Aaron who took the leadership in matters of theological and practical orthodoxy, including ritual purity. The Levites descended from Levi, one of Aaron's ancestors, and assisted the priests in their ministry, mainly in the areas of temple music and security.73
"The Jews" is a term that John used 71 times, in contrast to the other evangelists who used it rarely. Usually in John it refers to Jewish people who were hostile to Jesus, though occasionally it occurs in a neutral sense (e.g., 2:6) or in a good sense (e.g., 4:22). Most often, however, it refers to the Jews of Judea, especially those in and around Jerusalem, who constituted the organized and established religious world apart from faith in Jesus. Consequently it usually carries overtones of hostility to Jesus.74
1:20 The writer stressed that John vigorously repudiated any suggestion that he might be the Messiah. "Christ" (Gr. Christos) is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew "Messiah" or "Anointed One." John's ministry consisted of pointing the Messiah out to others so they would follow Him. Therefore it would have been counterproductive to allow anyone to confuse him with the Messiah.
1:21 The leaders asked John if he was Elijah because messianic expectation was high then due to Daniel's prediction that dated the appearance of Messiah then (Dan. 9:25). Malachi had predicted that Elijah would return to herald the day of the Lord that Messiah would inaugurate (Mal. 4:5-6).
"Popularly it was believed that Elijah would anoint the Messiah, and thereby reveal his identity to him and to Israel (see Justin, Apology 35.1)."75
73Carson, p. 142. 74Morris, p. 115. 75Beasley-Murray, p. 24.
28
Dr. Constable's Notes on John 2012 Edition
1:22-23
1:24
1:25
When John the Baptist denied being Elijah, he was denying being Elijah himself. His dress, diet, lifestyle, and ministry, however, were very similar to Elijah's.
The prophet whom the leaders had in mind when they asked their third question was the prophet that Moses had predicted would come (Deut. 18:15-18). Merrill pointed out that of the 42 New Testament citations of Deuteronomy 18:15-19, 24 of them appear in John's Gospel.76 This prophet would bring new revelation from God and might lead the Israelites in a new Exodus and overcome their oppressors. The Jews incorrectly failed to identify this prophet with Messiah (cf. 7:40-41). In contrast, the earliest Christian preachers contended that "the prophet" was identical with the Messiah (cf. Acts 3:22). John the Baptist claimed that he was not that long-expected prophet any more than he was the Messiah or Elijah.
In response to the leaders' question, John the Baptist claimed to be a prophet who was preparing the way for the Lord's coming. He quoted Isaiah 40:3, which is part of a messianic prophecy (cf. Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4). In that prophecy Isaiah predicted the manifestation of God's glory when Messiah appeared (Isa. 40:5; cf. John 1:14). Significantly John did not claim to be the Word but only a voice.
The NASB translators understood this verse to be parenthetical describing the authorities who had sent the delegation that had been questioning John. The NIV translators interpreted it as identifying some of John's questioners. Probably the NIV is correct here. It would be unusual for the writer to interrupt the narrative flow with this relatively insignificant detail, but for him to identify some of John's examiners as Pharisees makes sense. The Pharisees were the strict interpreters of the Jewish laws, and John seemed close to violating these.77
Their question implied that it was inappropriate for John to baptize. The Jews practiced baptism for ritual cleansing, but in all cases the baptismal candidates baptized themselves.78 There was no precedent for John baptizing other people, and the Jews did not regard themselves as needing to repent. This was something Gentiles needed to do when they converted to Judaism. Evidently when Gentiles converted to Judaism, the males of the family underwent circumcision and all members of the family, both sexes, were baptized.79 Moreover since John was not one of the prophesied eschatological figures, he appeared to them to lack authority to do what he did.
76Eugene H. Merrill, "Deuteronomy, New Testament Faith, and the Christian Life," in Integrity of Heart, Skillfulness of Hands, p. 27.
77See Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 1:308-35, for an extended discussion of the differences between the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes.
78Carson, p. 145. 79Morris, p. 123.
2012 Edition 1:26-27
Dr. Constable's Notes on John 29
John replied by implying that his authority to baptize as he did came from an authoritative figure who was present but yet unknown. John did not identify Him then. This would have exposed Jesus to the scrutiny of Israel's leadership prematurely. John only realized that Jesus was the Messiah after he said these words (cf. v. 31). John simply referred to this One and implied that he baptized in water under divine authority. He stressed the great authority of Jesus by saying he was unworthy to do even menial service for Him. Thus John bore witness to Jesus even before he identified Him as the Messiah.
"To get the full impact of this we must bear in mind that disciples did do many services for their teachers. Teachers in ancient Palestine were not paid (it would be a terrible thing to ask for money for teaching Scripture!). But in partial compensation disciples were in the habit of performing small services for their rabbis instead. But they had to draw the line somewhere, and menial tasks like loosing the sandal thong came under this heading. There is a rabbinic saying (in its present form dating from c. A.D. 250, but probably much older): 'Every service which a slave performs for his master shall a disciple do for his teacher except the loosing of his sandal-thong.' John selects the very task that the rabbinic saying stresses as too menial for any disciple, and declares himself unworthy to perform it."80
1:28
The site of Jesus' ministry was primarily west of the Jordan "Beyond the Jordan" then evidently refers to the east side of that river. The Bethany in view then would be a town different from the site of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus' home (11:1), which was on the west side just east of Jerusalem. Perhaps John mentioned Bethany by name because its site was known when he wrote. It is unknown now. It may be significant that John recorded Jesus' public ministry beginning at one Bethany and almost ending at the other (12:1-11). "Bethany" means "house of depression or misery."81
John the Baptist fulfilled his mission of bearing witness to the Word first by publicly declaring his submission to Jesus' authority. The veiled identity of Jesus as the Word continues from the prologue into this pericope.
2. John the Baptist's open identification of Jesus 1:29-34
John the Baptist continued his witness to Jesus' identity by identifying Him publicly as the Lamb of God. This witness is a crucial part of the writer's purpose to promote faith in Jesus.
80Ibid., p. 124.
81A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, s.v. "bethania," p. 100.
River.

30
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Dr. Constable's Notes on John 2012 Edition
The very next day John saw Jesus approaching him—they had been together before (vv. 26, 32-33)—and publicly identified Jesus as the Messiah. "Behold" or "Look" (Gr. ide) is a favorite expression of John's. Of its 29 New Testament occurrences, John used it 15 times. Probably his questioners had returned to Jerusalem by this time. The title "Lamb of God" presented Jesus as the Lamb that God would provide as a substitute sacrifice for people's sins (Isa. 53:7; cf. Gen. 4:4; 8:20; 22:8, 13-14; Exod. 12:3-17; Isa. 53:12; 1 Pet. 1:19).
"It [the title "Lamb"] combines in one descriptive term the concepts of innocence, voluntary sacrifice, substitutionary atonement, effective obedience, and redemptive power like that of the Passover lamb (Exod. 12: 21-27)."82
"The question in the Old Testament is, 'Where is the lamb?' (Gen. 22:7) In the four Gospels, the emphasis is 'Behold the Lamb of God!' Here He is! After you have trusted Him, you sing with the heavenly choir, "Worthy is the Lamb!' (Rev. 5:12)"83
John spoke of 'sin,' not sins (cf. 1 John 1:9), by which he meant the totality of the world's sin rather than a number of individual acts.84 John seems to have had the common understanding of Messiah that his contemporaries did. This was that He would be a political liberator for Israel (cf. Matt. 11:2-3; Luke 7:19). However, he understood, as most of his contemporaries did not, that the scope of Jesus' ministry would be spiritual and universal. He would take away the sin of the world, not just the Jews.85
Probably some of those to whom John addressed these words were present and witnessed his conversation with the priests and Levites the previous day. John now identified Jesus as the person he had hinted at the day before.
John had not known that Jesus was the Messiah before God revealed that to him, even though they were relatives (cf. Luke 1:36). John learned who Jesus really was when he baptized Jesus (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). The Apostle John did not record Jesus' baptism, which happened before the events he recorded here. John the Baptist further explained that he carried on his baptizing ministry with Messiah's public identification as a goal (cf. Mark 1:4). The symbolic descent of the Holy
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82Tenney, "John," p. 37.
83Wiersbe, 1:287.
84Morris, p. 130.
85See Christopher W. Skinner, "Another Look at 'the Lamb of God'," Bibliotheca Sacra 161:641 (January- March 2004):89-104, for a review of nine views of the referent behind the "Lamb."
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Dr. Constable's Notes on John 31
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Spirit as a dove that remained on Jesus identified Jesus to John the Baptist as Messiah who was to baptize with the Holy Spirit (cf. Isa. 11:2; Ezek. 36:25-26; Mark 1:10).
"Two times in John the Baptist's account he made mention of the Spirit 'remaining' on Jesus (1:32-33). This is extremely important as a description of the Spirit's relationship to Jesus because permanence is implied."86
In the Synoptics the writers mentioned only Jesus seeing the descent of the Spirit as a dove. John is the only evangelist who recorded that John the Baptist also saw it. The purpose of the baptism of Jesus in this Gospel then is to identify Jesus as Messiah to John the Baptist so he could bear witness to Jesus' identity. Every other disciple was dependent on a human witness for divine illumination about Jesus' true identity in John's Gospel. Baptism with water was essentially negative symbolizing cleansing from something, but baptism with the Spirit was positive indicating the imparting of new life from God.
John fulfilled this purpose by witnessing that Jesus was the Son of God (cf. 2 Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7). This is a title that unambiguously claims deity. The title "Messiah" did not imply deity to many who heard it in Jesus' day. They thought only of a political deliverer. Even the Twelve struggled with this. However, John the Baptist testified that Jesus was God, though doubts arose in his mind later. Son of God does not mean any less than deity. It means full deity (v. 18). This verse is the climax of John the Baptist's testimony concerning Jesus.
The event that identified Jesus as the Son of God for John the Baptist was the fulfillment of God's promise to him that he would see the Spirit's descent and continuation on Him. This was the basis of John the Baptist's witness concerning Jesus.
3. The response to John the Baptist's witness 1:35-42
The writer now turned his attention from John the Baptist's witness to Jesus to record the reactions of some men to John's witness. Two of John the Baptist's disciples left him to follow Jesus when they heard John's testimony about Jesus. One of them recruited his brother to join them. Jesus did not call these men to follow Him as His disciples now. That came later (cf. Matt. 4:18-22; 9:9; Mark 1:16-20; 2:13-14; Luke 5:1-11, 27-28). The Apostle John recorded a preliminary contact that these men had with Jesus.
1:35-36 Was the writer describing what happened on the same day as what he recorded in verses 29-34 or the following day? Probably the "next day" in verse 35 is the next day after the "next day" in verse 29.87 It happened after John had again identified Jesus as the Lamb of God (v. 29).
86Harris, p. 197.
87See my discussion of 2:1 below.

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1:37 Two of John the Baptist's disciples started following Jesus because of John's witness. This was perfectly proper since John's ministry was to point others to Jesus. They were not abandoning the Baptist for a more popular teacher. They were simply doing what John urged his hearers to do. They began following Jesus physically to learn from Him. They also took the first steps toward genuine discipleship. This was no tentative inquiry but a giving of themselves to Him as disciples.88
1:38 Jesus asked these two men why they were walking behind Him. Did they want something from Him?
"It appears that the Evangelist is writing on two levels. The question makes sense as straightforward narrative: Jesus asks the two men who are following him to articulate what is on their minds. But the Evangelist wants his readers to reflect on a deeper question: the Logos-Messiah confronts those who make any show of beginning to follow him and demands that they articulate what they really want in life."89
This two-level or dual intention becomes obvious in many places as John's Gospel unfolds. It is similar to Jesus' purpose in telling parables.
Jesus' question gave the men the opportunity to express their desire to become His disciples. However, they may not have been quite ready to make that commitment. They replied by asking where He was staying. This polite response may have implied that they simply wanted to have a preliminary interview with Him.90 Or they may have been expressing a desire to become his disciples.91 The fact that John interpreted the word "rabbi" for his readers is clear evidence that he wrote primarily for Gentiles.
"Staying" translates one of the writer's characteristic words (i.e., Gr. meno, "to abide"). Here it means to reside, but often it has theological connotations of continuing on, especially in an intimate relationship. These men may have already been wondering if that type of relationship with Jesus might be possible for them. This word occurs 112 times in the New Testament, and John used it 66 of those times, 40 times in his Gospel.92
88Morris, p. 137.
89Carson, pp. 154-55.
90Ibid., p. 155; and Tenney, "John," p. 40.
91Morris, p. 137; and David A. Montgomery, "Directives in the New Testament: A Case Study of John 1:38," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 50:2 (June 2007):275-88.
92William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, s.v. "meno," pp. 504-5.

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Dr. Constable's Notes on John 33
Jesus responded by inviting them to accompany Him, not just to see where He was staying but to visit Him. They first had to come with Him and then they would see. This statement was also highly significant spiritually. Only by coming to Jesus could they really comprehend what they were seeking spiritually. The same thing holds true today. The two men accepted Jesus' invitation and stayed with Him for the rest of that day.
Jesus apparently issued his invitation near 4:00 p.m. John was more precise in his time references than the Synoptic evangelists (cf. 4:6, 52; 19:14).93 The Jews reckoned their days from sunset to sunset, and they divided both night and day into 12-hour periods.
The writer now identified one of the two men. Andrew was important for two reasons. He became one of the Twelve, and he provided an excellent example of testifying for Jesus by bringing his brother to Him (v. 41). John introduced Andrew as Simon Peter's brother because when he wrote his Gospel Peter was the better known of the two. We do not know who the unnamed man was. Some students of John's Gospel have suggested that it may have been the writer himself. This is an interesting possibility, but there is nothing in the text that enables us to prove or to disprove it. He could have been anyone.
Andrew sought to bring his own brother to Jesus and was successful in doing so. Obviously both of them wanted to discover the Messiah whom the Old Testament prophets had predicted and whom Daniel's timetable encouraged them to believe would appear soon (Dan. 9:25). We should not conclude, however, that because Andrew believed that Jesus was the Messiah he also believed that He was God. He may have believed this, but all the evidence in the Gospels points to the disciples learning of Jesus' deity after they had been with Him for some time (cf. Matt. 16:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20). Probably Andrew thought of Jesus as a great prophet who was the messianic deliverer of Israel.
The title "Messiah" means "anointed one." The anointed one in Israel was originally any anointed priest or king who led the people. As time passed God gave prophecies of a coming Davidic king who would liberate the Israelites and establish God's rule over the whole earth (e.g., 2 Sam. 7; Ps. 2; 110). Thus the idea of a coming anointed one crystallized into the title "Messiah."
Jesus anticipated what Peter would become in the history of the church by God's grace. He may have had previous contact with him and known Peter's reputation since both men lived only a few miles apart in Galilee. Simon was a common Jewish name, probably derived from Simeon. Jesus
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93See A Dictionary of the Bible, s.v. "Numbers, Hours, Years, and Dates," by W. M. Ramsay, extra volume: 478.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on John 2012 Edition
gave him a nickname that expressed his character, which was not uncommon. It is interesting that Simon Peter originally had the same rash and impulsive character as his ancestor Simeon, the second son of Jacob. Cephas is Aramaic, the common language of Palestine, and means "Rock." Peter is the Greek translation of Cephas. As the record of Peter unfolds in the Gospels, he appears as anything but a rock; he was impulsive, volatile, and unreliable. Yet Jesus named Peter in view of what he would become by the power of God, not what he then was.
"In bringing his brother Simon Peter to Christ, no man did the church a greater service than Andrew."94
Every time we meet Andrew in this Gospel he is bringing someone to Jesus (cf. 6:8; 12:22). Thus he serves as an excellent example of what a disciple of Jesus should do.
4. The witness of Philip and Andrew 1:43-51
The disciples of John were not the only men who began following Jesus. Andrew continued to bring other friends to Jesus. This incident preceded Jesus' formal appointment of the Twelve, but it shows Him preparing those who would become His disciples.
1:43-44 The next day appears to be the day after John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Lamb of God and two of his disciples, one of whom was Andrew, started following Jesus. John was evidently baptizing in Perea and Judea around the Jordan River (cf. Matt. 3:1, 5-6; Mark 1:5).95 Now someone— his identity is absent in the Greek text—purposed to head north into Galilee. Probably this person was Andrew rather than Jesus. There are two reasons for this conclusion. Everyone else in this chapter who came to Jesus came on the invitation of someone other than Jesus. Moreover John seems to have been stressing the importance of witnessing for Jesus.
Andrew found Philip (a Greek name meaning "lover of horses") somewhere along the way or, most likely, in Galilee. Philip was from Bethsaida Julius in the region of Galilee (12:21). Having come to Jesus on Andrew's invitation, Philip accepted Jesus' invitation to follow Him. Andrew and Peter had also lived in Bethsaida evidently before they moved to Capernaum (Mark 1:21, 29). These men were all undoubtedly acquaintances, if not friends, before they became Jesus' followers.
1:45 Philip then brought his friend Nathanael (meaning "God has given" or "given of God," modern Theodore) to Jesus. Some commentators identify Nathanael with Bartholomew (cf. Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14).
94Blum, p. 275.
95See the map "Palestine in the Time of Jesus" at the end of these notes.

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Dr. Constable's Notes on John 35
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However there is no convincing reason to equate these two men. The witness continued to spread through the most normal lines of communication, namely, friend to friend, as it still does.
The prophecies to which Philip referred may have included Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Isaiah 53; Daniel 7:13; Micah 5:2; and Zechariah 9:9. These and others spoke of the Messiah. This suggests that the early disciples understood messiahship in the light of the Old Testament background rather than only in a political sense.96 Philip described Jesus as Joseph's son, which is how people knew Him before they learned that He was the Son of God (v. 49).
"In one sense it is legitimate to view Jesus' disciples in the gospel of John (with the exception of Judas Iscariot) as believers in Him from near the beginning of His public ministry. In another sense, however, it is also clear that the disciples' faith in Jesus grew and developed as they observed the progress of His public ministry. The course of this development may be traced in the gospel of John."97
Nazareth had an insignificant reputation, at least for Nathanael, who came from Cana, a neighboring town (21:2). Nathanael doubted that the Messiah could come from such a lowly place as that. He did not yet understand Jesus' condescension. Philip wisely did not argue with him. He just invited him to "come and see" Jesus (cf. v. 39). John doubtless intended that the repetition of this invitation would encourage his readers to witness similarly. People just need to consider Jesus. Many who do will conclude that He is the Son of God (cf. v. 12).
"Honest inquiry is a sovereign cure for prejudice."98
Jesus declared that Nathanael was an Israelite in whom there was no deceit. Nathanael was the opposite of the original Israel, namely, Jacob, who was very deceitful (Gen. 27:35-36; 28:12; cf. John 1:51). Therefore Jesus virtually said that Nathanael was an Israelite in whom there was no Jacob. Jesus evidently knew about Nathanael before Philip brought him to Him, as He knew the other men whom He later formally called to be His disciples.
Nathanael acted surprised that Jesus knew who he was. Evidently they had not met previously. Jesus explained that He had seen Nathanael under a fig tree where he had been before Philip had called him to come and see Jesus. Some commentators have interpreted Jesus' reference to this fig tree
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96Harris, p. 188. 97Ibid., p. 215. 98Bruce, p. 60.

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figuratively as an allusion to Nathanael's house. Ancient Near Easterners sometimes referred to peaceful habitation figuratively as resting under one's vine and fig tree (1 Kings 4:25; Isa. 36:16; Zech. 3:10). However there seems to be no good reason to prefer a figurative rather than a literal meaning here.
Jesus' simple statement elicited the most dramatic reaction from Nathanael. He concluded that the only way Jesus could have seen him when he was under the fig tree was if Jesus had supernatural knowledge. Evidently Nathanael knew that he was completely alone and that no one could see him when he was under the fig tree.
Nathanael's reaction appears extreme at first since even prophets had knowledge of things other people knew nothing about. Why did Nathanael think Jesus was the Son of God and not just a prophet? The answer seems to be that even the title "Son of God" did not mean deity to all the Jews in Jesus' day. It meant that the person in view bore certain characteristics of God (cf. Deut. 3:18; 1 Sam. 26:16; Ps. 89:22; Prov. 31:2; Matt. 5:9; John 17:12). Nathanael appears to have regarded Jesus as the Messiah who had supernatural knowledge (cf. v. 45; 2 Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:6-7; Isa. 11:1-2). However, Nathanael spoke better than he knew. Jesus was the Son of God in a fuller sense than he presently understood. Another view is that Nathanael was identifying Jesus as God.99
"In recording this estimate John is adding to the evidence accumulated throughout this chapter that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. Nathanael expresses this truth differently from the others, but the essential meaning is the same . . . Nor should we overlook the fact that Nathanael has just been called an 'Israelite." In calling Jesus 'King of Israel' he is acknowledging Jesus to be his own King: he is submitting to him."100
Jesus replied that Nathanael had not seen anything yet. This demonstration of supernatural knowledge was small compared to what Nathanael would see if he continued to follow Jesus as his rabbi (v. 49). This straightforward Jew had believed that Jesus was the Messiah because of very little evidence. Jesus would give him a more solid basis for his faith in the future (cf. 20:29). John did the same for his readers by recording several of these "greater things" in the chapters that follow.
Jesus then made a very important statement that He identified as such with the phrase "Truly, truly, I say to you" or "I tell you the truth" (Gr. amen amen lego humin). This phrase occurs 25 times in John's Gospel, and it always introduces an especially important affirmation.
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99E.g., Beasley-Murray, p. 27. 100Morris, p. 147.