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Bible notes Stephen Thompson

John 2: 12-25: ‘Get these out of here.’

John 2: 12-25: ‘Get these out of here.’

“12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days. When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, ‘Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!’ 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ 18 The Jews then responded to him, ‘What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?’19 Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’20 They replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’ 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.”NIV

There was quite a lucrative business going on in the Temple precincts. If you wanted to buy an animal for sacrifice it would cost you ‘an arm and a leg’. (Let’s face it, people travelling great distances to worship at the temple might not be able to bring one with them. They needed the opportunity to purchase a beast on site. But they got ripped off). Also, only Temple currency could be used there, and the exchange rate was exorbitant. 

Jesus came to the Temple in the spirit of Malachi 3:1ff. He acted like the Temple was HIS. It was. He assumed the right to act in this way. This was not lost on the Jews. Only God had the ‘authority’ (18) to clean up the Temple. Jesus was (and is) God, and His resurrection demonstrates the fact (19). The Jews in this story totally misunderstood what He was saying (20). At His trial, these words were aggressively thrown back at Him. But Jesus did not say that He was going to destroy the Temple. He did know, however, that they were going to ‘destroy’ His body (which He refers to as ‘this temple’). Yet they would find Him to be indestructible.

What does Jesus ‘find’ today in His temple?

My body is His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19);

The local church is His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17).

What does He find there that needs to change? He has the right to challenge and to change it.

He is Lord.

What needs to go?

‘Get these out of here.’

‘When he comes to dwell within us, he finds our hearts desecrated by unholy things which he quickly casts out. He sits as a refiner of silver; his fan is in his hand, and he thoroughly purges his floor.’ F.B. Meyer: Devotional Commentary,’ p.459.

Prayer: Lord show me what needs to go from my life. Help me to throw it out, in your strength.

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John 2:1-11: The difference Jesus makes.

John 2:1-11: The difference Jesus makes.

“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’4 ‘Woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My hour has not yet come.’5 His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from eighty to a hundred and twenty litres.7 Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim.8 Then he told them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.’They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realise where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, ‘Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.’11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.” NIV

A former drunkard said, ‘I have no problem believing Jesus turned water into wine, for He turned beer into furniture in my house!’

You have the potential for miracles when Jesus is invited into a marriage (1,2) – and every marriage will need them. There can come a time in a marriage when ‘the wine runs out’. But Jesus can turn the ‘water’ of ordinary, everyday married life into the ‘wine’ of something rather special, when He is at the centre. We ‘involve’ Him (4) because we recognise we need Him so much.

The essential thing is: ‘Do whatever he tells you’ (5). Not everyone reading these notes will be married, but for those who are I have a question: Is your marriage centred in the Lordship of Christ? Is it built on the rock of Scripture? Is the desire to obey your Lord at the heart of everything? Do you pray together? Do you read God’s Word together? (Okay, I know Jesus can be Lord of your marriage even where you don’t have joint quiet times, as well as individual ones; but I highly recommend the practice of sharing the deepest and most meaningful things in life in this way. It is a wonderfully bonding/unifying practice.) But the bigger question is, ‘Do you obey Jesus, both in your life together and personally?’ If you ask Him to – if you involve Him – Jesus can and will reveal His glory right in the middle of your marriage, and grow your faith (11b).

Jesus blesses abundantly (6-10). A huge amount of wine was supplied and it was of the finest quality. (What happened ran contrary to the custom of the times. A wedding feast could last for days. Normally, the best wine was given first. Then later on, when the guests were ‘past their sell-by date’, they brought out the inferior stuff. But here it was acknowledged that the best was kept until the end.)

Well, whether you are single or married, the message is: ‘Do whatever he tells you’.

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John 1:43-51: Lost and found.

John 1:43-51: Lost and found.

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’46 ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked.‘Come and see,’ said Philip.47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, ‘Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.’48 ‘How do you know me?’ Nathanael asked.Jesus answered, ‘I saw you while you were still under the fig-tree before Philip called you.’49 Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.’50 Jesus said, ‘You believe[a] because I told you I saw you under the fig-tree. You will see greater things than that.’ 51 He then added, ‘Very truly I tell you, you will see “heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on”the Son of Man.’ NIV

As I read today’s passage I thought about a U2 song: ‘I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.’ That wasn’t the case though with Simon and Andrew and Philip.

‘Finding Philip…We have found…’ (43, 45). Considered from one angle, it is true that we find Christ. That is our testimony. But the deeper – indeed deepest – truth is that He finds us. And the cross is central to this being found (verses 50, 51 seem to allude to ‘Jacob’s ladder’ – Jesus is the ‘Ladder’ between heaven and earth, God and man). 

Somebody observed, ‘The process of one lighted torch lighting another goes on.’ Here is a further example of personal evangelism. The gospel invitation simply says, ‘Come and see’ ‘ Come and check this out for yourself.’ ‘Come with me to church.’ ‘Come with me to a course.’ ‘I know you have your prejudices, but try to put them to one side and honestly examine the claims of Christ. Come and see.’ I read some years ago that the majority of people who attend church for the first time do so because of a friend’s invitation. Most do not just walk through the door. I also heard about some research that suggested that a significant number of people would attend a church service if just asked. So why am I so timid?                                                                                                                                                     And here are some random further thoughts on today’s passage:

God works in unlikely places (46). He is ‘the God of surprises’.

There was no false modesty in Nathanael (47, 48). This bears out the truth of (2:25) that Jesus knew what was in a man.

A decision to leave one place for another can be difficult (43). There is no hint in the text that it was for Jesus, but sometimes it can be for us. But we should nonetheless prepare ourselves for fruitful service in a new setting. Who knows? There may be ‘Philip’s’ to meet and serve.

Prayer: Lord, as I go through this week place place people in my pathway to ‘invite’ and please give me the courage to ask them to ‘Come and see’.

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John 1: 35-42: Bowled over!

John 1: 35-42

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning round, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’They said, ‘Rabbi’ (which means ‘Teacher’), ‘where are you staying?’39 ‘Come,’ he replied, ‘and you will see.’So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which, when translated, is Peter).NIV

‘The next day John was there again…’ (35).

For a preacher, there is something important about consistency – that you keep turning up, faithfully doing the job you’ve been given (35), and preaching the same Biblical Gospel (36). As with a bowler on a cricket team, who consistently keeps to a good line and length, there is likely to be a breakthrough at some point. Just keep on ‘putting the ball in the right place’. It will happen. It may not necessarily involve big numbers, but it’s the reality of the conversions that matters – and the further waves made by them.

Here, then, is the power of preaching: John ‘picked up a couple of wickets’ (37). As a result of John’s ‘sermon’ these two began to personally relate to Jesus (38, 39). It was all that John wanted. A sermon does not need to be long to be effective, but it does need to have sound content. There is no greater theme than Christ crucified.

Someone said about Andrew’s action (41, 42), ‘It was as great a service for the church as anyone ever did.’ Here you see some of the potential ‘knock-on’ effects of a sermon.

Preaching is ultimately about pointing to Jesus and getting people to Him. He then does the work of transformation on them (42). The changing of Peter’s name indicated Jesus’ authority over him. Under the Lordship of Jesus, the ‘reed’ would become the ‘rock’.

Don’t ever under-estimate the importance of consistency/dependability in a preacher – the being ‘there again’. He may not be the greatest preacher in the world. Or, he may be having an off day. He may be low in the spirits. Things may not appear to be going too well in the church. Perhaps he’s feeling below par. But he’s there. Others may be bunking off church. Some may forsake the assembling with other Christians on a regular basis. But he’s there – at his post. He’s there with the eternal gospel in his heart and on his lips. And although he may keenly feel his weakness and lack confidence; though he may be feeling depressed and thinking of many others who can ‘do it better’, God’s Word is ‘mighty, releasing captives’. That Word does the work.

Preacher, you have the greatest job in the world. Don’t lose heart. Stay on duty.

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John 1:29-34: ‘I came…that he might be revealed…’ (31).

John 1:29-34: ‘I came…that he might be revealed…’

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.’32 Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.” 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.’ NIV

The first thing I want to underline is that Jesus moves towards us before we move in His direction (29). He takes the initiative. He is the ‘Prime Mover’ in our salvation. No-one will become a witness for Christ, or a preacher of the gospel without this starting point of a God-initiated meeting with the Lord. There is great power in preaching where we not only ‘testify’ to the truth, but can also say ‘I have seen and I testify…’ (34). As a preacher, always seek to ‘see’ that which you ‘testify’ to; to experience what you preach about. Obviously, it is important to preach salvation as a saved person; as a genuine believer in Jesus, ‘the Son of God’.

John the Baptist stands before us as a ‘model’ preacher. He was Christ-centred and Cross-centred. He said:

‘Look’ – look at Jesus; look to Jesus, to take away your sin. There was none of the platform strutting, ego parading ‘look at me’ mentality on display; nothing of the peacock preacher. John knew that Jesus is the answer and he was not. His ministry was all about Jesus (31b). He was humble. He freely confessed his ignorance apart from divine revelation: ‘I would not have known him, except…’ (33).

I heard Alec Passmore speak on verse 29 and 2 Corinthians 3:18. His theme was ‘a saving look’ and a ‘sanctifying gaze’. It takes a moment to look to Jesus and be forgiven; but it then takes a lifetime of gazing on Him, in adoration, to be made like Him. 2 Corinthians 3:18 speaks about our being ‘transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory’ as we ‘behold’ or ‘contemplate’ ‘the Lord’s glory’. (The word used can also mean ‘reflect’)

John preached the SACRIFICIAL death of Jesus – Jesus as ‘the lamb’ – the fulfilment of the Old Testament sacrificial system (29).

John preached the SUPREMACY of Jesus (30). In terms of time, John was born first; but in terms of eternity, Jesus existed before John. He superseded His cousin – He was pre-existent. John knew his place, bent low at the feet of Jesus and at the foot of His cross.

John preached the SPIRIT- anointed/SPIRIT- imparting Jesus. We need this double emphasis on the Cross and the Holy Spirit in our preaching today. Proclaim Jesus as Saviour and Sanctifier. He both forgives sin and frees from its power. He changes us; makes us different. ‘He breaks the power of cancelled sin…’ Let us seek the ‘something more’ of the Holy Spirit and preach that ‘something more’.

There can be such a temptation to make Christian ministry about us. It is NEVER about us. The preacher’s work is to lift up Christ alone. God the Holy Spirit will greatly bless a ministry where the focus is on Christ crucified.

As Jesus said, ‘He will glorify me…’

Prayer: Lord, please give me a heart like John’s – a grand obsession with Jesus.

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John 1:19-28: Public Confession.

John 1:19-28: Public Confession

“19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leader  in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Messiah.’21 They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’He said, ‘I am not.’‘Are you the Prophet?’He answered, ‘No.’22 Finally they said, ‘Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Make straight the way for the Lord.”’ 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, ‘Why then do you baptise if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?’26 ‘I baptise with water,’ John replied, ‘but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.” NIV

‘He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely…’ (20).  These words dig into me because at times I have failed to confess. I have missed opportunities to identify myself with Jesus.

Help me Lord to confess you with my life. I can’t always be speaking about you verbally, but if I obey you I dare to believe that others will see you in me. If I walk in your steps, my life will silently speak volumes. Let me carry your fragrance Lord Jesus; may I ‘smell’ of you. I don’t want to put a ‘lid’ on my testimony; I don’t want to position my candle under a bucket.

Help me to confess with my lips. Forgive me for any sense of cowardice or embarrassment. Fill me with boldness. Enable me to give a reason for my hope in you, when I’m asked. I want to SAY that I am a Christian, and tell what that means, in appropriate ways and at the right time.

And help me please, dear Lord Jesus, to never fail to confess that you are the greatest, and it’s all about you.

This is my prayer today.

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The Gospel of John 1:15-18: Lift Jesus higher.

John 1:15-18, Lift Jesus Higher

“15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, ‘This is the one I spoke about when I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”’) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” NIV

Jesus is the greatest (15). A certain well-known former boxer, who recently died, famously declared that he was ‘the greatest’, but no doubt his tongue was firmly in his cheek. Jesus is greater than the greatest of men and women. I guess we have no problems accepting that Jesus ‘surpasses’ us. We shouldn’t have.  He obviously does! We are mortal; He is eternal. We are men; He is God. But what about when we are surpassed by other human beings? When we are eclipsed in popularity and ability.? That supplies a real test of character. Can we be like John and determine to decrease so that another may increase? Richard Foster tells how his ministry colleague and elders sacrificially released him to write ‘Celebration of Discipline.’ They took on more work for a time to free him to serve the wider church. He is well-known in the Christian world because of this book. They are not. But they showed a humble, John the Baptist like spirit in order to make his work possible. They played a vital role.

Jesus is the Fountain Head (16, 17). Innumerable blessings flow from Him into our lives. ‘We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift.’ The Message. 

We have every spiritual blessing in Christ. All these gifts are expressions of grace, i.e. Undeserved favour:

‘…there is a grace in our lives because of his grace’ (J.B. Phillips).

‘We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us – blessing upon blessing heaped upon us! For Moses gave us only the Law with its rigid demands and merciless justice, while Jesus Christ brought us loving forgiveness as well’ (Living Bible).

Jesus is the revealer (18): ‘It is true that no one has ever seen God at any time. Yet the divine and only Son, who lives in the closest intimacy with the Father, has made him known’ (J.B. Phillips). Someone translated this: ‘…has exegeted Him.’ Jesus shows us what the invisible God is like. As Michael Green wrote, He is ‘the window into God.’

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The Gospel of John 1:1-5

John 1:1-5, Theology singing

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” NIV

This is one of the best known parts of the Bible. It is so important; so significant.

It is theology.

It is (it seems to me) poetry.

It is theology set to music; theology singing.

Think what BIG things it says about Jesus:

He is God;

Yet He is distinct from God;

He is the creator of all things;

The ‘light’ in every person – the light of conscience – the light of spiritual understanding – is actually the ‘life’ of Jesus alive in them – whether they recognise Him or not. His life animates everyone and everything.

And how about this for a barnstorming statement of truth? ‘The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out’ (5, The Message).

Still today, in many ways, the darkness huffs and puffs at the light and tries to extinguish it. The fact is it will never succeed. Sometimes it will appear to, but in reality our ‘Good Friday’s’ will always be eclipsed by His ‘Easter Sundays’.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the beauty of truth; for its poetic, melodic, rhapsodic quality. It makes my heart sing. I love you Lord Jesus Christ, and I worship you.

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Daily Bible thoughts 1515: Friday 6th October 2017: Mark 9: 14-18: The problem of the powerless church.

Mark 9: 14-18: The problem of the powerless church.

“14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.  16 ‘What are you arguing with them about?’ he asked.  17 A man in the crowd answered, ‘Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.’” NIV UK

‘’…but they could not’’ (18).

The man had brought his son to Jesus, presumably when He was still up the mountain. So he got the disciples instead. The main ‘GP’ was out, so he was seen by some ‘juniors’. That shouldn’t have made any difference. Jesus had previously given them authority to cast out demons (Mark 3:14,15; 6:7), ‘’but they could not.’’

 So here is a discrepancy between what Jesus would do, could do, and did do, and what the disciples couldn’t. It’s a tension I often feel. I regularly think about our church prayer list and feel, ‘If Jesus were physically here, He would probably heal most of these people, if not all.’ But He’s ‘up the mountain’ as it were. He’s seated at God’s right hand in heaven. We are down in the valley of need, and we regularly seem powerless. There is an incongruity about this when you consider what we’ve been given; when you meditate on all that we are and have in Christ

But things don’t have to stay like this. Things can change. In the remaining thoughts on this passage we will receive some pointers.

PRAYER: Lord, have mercy on us. Please forgive us for all the times we display impotence, when we should be moving in your manifest power.

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