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Jesus Calls Phillip and Nathanael

[PRINT HERE] John 1 (11-2-16) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

JOHN 1:43-51

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                                11-2-16                               Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

JESUS CALLS PHILIP AND NATHANAEL

John 1:43-51 (NLT) 
43  The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.”
44  Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown.
45  Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
46  “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.
47  As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.”
48  “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”
49  Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”
50  Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.”
51  Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”

 

1:43-44. Though the first disciples were from Galilee, Jesus had called them in Judea where they were with the John The Baptist. On His way north to Galilee, He called Philip to be His disciple. Philip’s hometown of Bethsaida was on the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee. Andrew and Peter were also born there.

1:45. Philip’s testimony to Nathanael stressed that Jesus is the Promised One of whom Moses (Deut. 18:18-19; cf. John 1:2125) and the prophets (Isa. 52:13-53:12Dan. 7:13Micah 5:2Zech. 9:9wrote. Philip surprisingly called Jesus… the son of Joseph.

1:46. Nathanael stumbled over the lowly upbringing of Jesus. Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?Nathanael knew of the poor reputation of Nazareth. Surely the Messiah would come from Jerusalem, How can the Logosbe a Man? Philip was wise enough not to argue, he gently invited his friend to meet Jesus: Come and see. He knew that Nathanael’s questions would then be resolved.

1:47. Jesus, having supernatural knowledge (cf. v. 42), called Nathanael… a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false (“deceitful”) unlike Jacob (cf. v. 51 with Gen. 28:12).

1:48. Nathanael was puzzled as to how Jesus knew about him. Jesus said He knew exactly what Nathanael was doing before Philip came up to him; he was under the fig tree. This expression often meant to have safety and leisure (cf. 1 Kings 4:25Micah 4:4Zech. 3:10). Perhaps here the fig tree was a place for meditation.

1:49. Jesus’ supernatural knowledge moved Nathanael to confess Him as the Son of God and the King of Israel. This does not mean that Nathanael at this early date fully understood the Trinity or the Incarnation

1:50-51. Jesus promised Nathanael a greater basis for belief, probably referring to the miracles in chapters 2-13. From 1:4851 it can be inferred that Nathanael was meditating on Jacob’s life, particularly on the incident recorded in Genesis 28:12. Jacob saw the angels going up and down a ladder. But Nathanael would see… the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty..

Jesus Clears the Temple

[PRINT HERE] John 1 (12-14-16) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

JOHN 2:13-22

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                                12-14-16                            Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

JESUS CLEARS THE TEMPLE

John 2:13-22 (NLT) 
13  It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem.
14  In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money.
15  Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables.
16  Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”
17  Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.”
18  But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”
19  “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20  “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?”
21  But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body.
22  After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said.

5. Jesus’ First Ministry In Jerusalem (2:13-3:21)

John recorded a cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry whereas the other three Gospels recorded a temple cleansing toward the end of His public ministry (Matt. 21:12-13Mark 11:15-16Luke 19:45-46). Probably there were two cleansings, for there are differences in the narrations. John was undoubtedly aware of the other Gospels, and he supplemented them. The first cleansing caught the people by surprise. The second cleansing, about three years later, was one of the immediate causes of His death (cf. Mark 11:15-18).

2:13-14. As was the custom for the Jewish people (Ex. 12:14-2043-49Deut. 16:1-8Jesus went up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.

The temple courts refer to a large courtyard, the Court of the Gentiles, surrounding the temple enclosure. The buying and selling of animals in the area was provided as a convenience for the pilgrims coming into Jerusalem. But abuses developed, and the pilgrim traffic became a major source of income for the city. With money to be made, worship easily became corrupted. The money changers were another convenience for the pilgrims. Temple dues had to be paid in the acceptable Tyrian coinage, and a high percentage was charged for changing coins.

2:15. Malachi predicted that One would come suddenly to the temple to purify the religion of the nation (Mal. 3:1-3). In moral indignation Jesus started a small stampede of the sheep and cattle, and overturned the tables.

2:18-19. The Jews—either the Jewish authorities or the merchants—demanded some proof for His right to challenge the existing order (“Jews demand miraculous signs,” 1 Cor. 1:22). But instead of giving in to their demand, Jesus gave a veiled saying. As with His parables in the Synoptics, one purpose of an enigmatic saying was to puzzle the hearers who opposed Him. He desired that His hearers ponder the saying in order to perceive its significance. Destroy this temple is in the form of a command, but the sense is ironic or conditional. At Jesus’ trial He was accused of saying He could destroy the temple and raise it again in three days (Matt. 26:60-61).

2:20-21. Herod’s temple took 46 years to build.  Jesus said He would rebuild the temple in three days. Jesus meant His body which, after his death, would be resurrected in three days.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.

Jesus Heals

John 4 (8-9-17) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

JOHN 4:43-54

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                                8-9-17                                Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

BEGINNING OF JESUS’ HEALING MINISTRY

John 4:43-54 (NLT) 
43  At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee.
44  He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown.
45  Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.
46  As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick.
47  When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.
48  Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”
49  The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”
50  Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.
51  While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well.
52  He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!”
53  Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus.
54  This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.

4:43-45. After His two-day ministry in Samaria, Jesus and His disciples continued north into Galilee. Now Jesus Himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country. Generally Galilee was more favorable to Him, but even there men tried to kill Him (Luke 4:18-30). They had been impressed by His clearing the temple at the Passover feast (2:13-22) and His miracles (2:23). But the people’s enthusiasm for the Healer (cf. Mark 5:2124b) did not always indicate they had faith in Him.

4:46-47. The certain royal official is not identified. He could have been a Gentile or a Jew, a centurion, or a minor official in Herod’s court. Possibly he was a Jew because Jesus included him among the people who desire signs and wonders (v. 48; cf. 1 Cor. 1:22). His son had been sick, and undoubtedly he had exhausted all the local means at his disposal.

4:48. Jesus’ address to him, though sharp, was necessary. A faith built only on miraculous signs is not a complete faith (cf. 2:23-25). Many (you people) hesitate to believe in Jesus apart from seeing miraculous signs and wonders. Faith in Jesus is absolutely necessary (cf. Matt. 16:1-4).

4:49. The official was in no position emotionally to argue his case theologically. All he could plead for was mercy, for his child was at the point of death.

4:50. Jesus’ calm reply to the official’s desperate request created a crisis. Jesus announced, you may go. Your son will live. If the official really believed that Jesus could make a difference in Capernaum, he must also believe Him now in Cana. So he took Jesus at His word and left.

4:51-53. On the way back the official must have pondered Jesus’ promise every step of his journey. His servants met him with good news. His boy was living. The official asked when his son recovered. The healing was no accident, for it occurred at the exact moment Jesus made His promise to him. It was at the seventh hour, which by Roman time was 7:00 in the evening. The man’s faith grew, and he brought all his household to faith. The lesson of this incident is that Jesus’ power is able to save from death even at a great distance. His Word has power to work; people are simply to believe His Word.

4:54. Both signs in Galilee (changing the water into wine [2:1-11] and healing the official’s son) demonstrate that Jesus is the Promised One. Yet both signs had a certain hidden aspect to them. Only the disciples and some servants saw His miracle at the wedding, and this healing was not in public view.

JESUS TURNS WATER INTO WINE

[PRINT HERE] John 1 (11-30-16) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

JOHN 2:1-11

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                                11-30-16                            Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

JESUS TURNS WATER INTO WINE

John 2:1-11 (KJV) 
 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
  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.

Jesus’ First Sign (2:1-11)

Jesus’ first miracle in the Gospel of John was a private one, known only to His disciples, some servants, and probably Jesus’ mother. This turning water into wine was the first of 35 recorded miracles Jesus performed.

2:1. On the third day probably means three days after the calling of Philip and Nathanael. It would take a couple of days to reach Cana in Galilee from Bethany near Jericho of Judea (1:28). Jesus’ mother was there, but John did not give her name (cf. 2:126:4219:25-27).

2:2-3. When the supply of wine was used up, Mary turned to Jesus in hope that He could solve the problem. Did Mary expect a miracle? Mary had not yet seen any miracles done by her Son.

2:4-5. The word woman was a polite, kind expression (cf. 19:26). Why do you involve Me? Was a common expression in Greek that referred to a difference in realms or relations. Mary had to learn a painful lesson namely, that Jesus was committed to God the Father’s will and the time for His manifestation was in the Father’s hand. My time has not yet come, or similar words occur five times in John. Even though she did not fully understand, she trusted Him.

2:6-8. The water in the six… water jars (of 20 to 30 gallons each) was used for Jewish purification rites before and after. The master of the banquet, would not know he was drinking from the purification jars.

2:9-10. As the master of the banquet tasted the… wine, he found it to be the best. The best wine was served first and the lesser quality later, he affirmed that this wine, served last, was the best. The significance of this miracle is that Christianity (Grace) is an advance over Judaism (Law). God has kept the best gift—His Son—until now.

2:11. The significance of the miracle was explained by John as a manifestation of Christ’s glory. In contrast with the ministry of Moses who turned water into blood as a sign of God’s judgment (Ex. 7:14-24.  The first miracle—a transformation—pointed to the kind of transforming ministry Jesus would have (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). The disciples put their faith in Him.  At this point they did not understand His death and resurrection (John 20:8-9) but they did know His power.