Part 25
Since John was concerned with the meaning and significance of events, he recorded some of Jesus' conversations with people at length (e.g. with Nicodemus in John 3:1-15 and with the Samaritan woman in John 4:1-26). In a similar way he used the account of the Last Supper, which the other writers recorded only briefly, to provide four chapters of teaching on important Christian doctrines. Again the teaching came direct from the lips of Jesus (John 13:1-16:33).
At the centre of all the doctrinal discussions was the fact that Jesus was God in human form. The Jews had always considered Jesus' claim to divinity as a reason to get rid of him (John 7:28-30; 10:33,39) and in the end they had their wish (John 11:25,53; cf. Mark 14:61-64).
Jerusalem was the centre of this opposition to Jesus and consequently was the place where many of his debates with the Jews occurred. Because of John's usage of these debates for his teaching material, much of John's Gospel is set in Jerusalem (John 2:13; 5:1; 7:14,25; 8:20; 10:22-23; 11:1). This is in sharp contrast to the other Gospels, which are concerned more with Galilee and make little mention of Jerusalem, apart from the few days leading up to Jesus' crucifixion.
Jesus and the Kingdom
KINGDOM OF GOD
A major theme of the Bible is the kingdom of God. It runs through the Old Testament, but is more fully developed in the Gospels. Jesus showed that through him the kingdom found its fullest meaning.
Rule of God
In its broadest sense, the kingdom of God is the rule of God. It is not a territory over which God reigns but the rule that he exercises. It is not defined by physical boundaries, time or nationality, but by the sovereign rule and authority of God (Exod 15:18; Ps 103:19; 145:10-13).
Jesus spoke of God's kingdom in this sense. Those who seek God's kingdom seek his rule in their lives (Matt 6:33), and those who receive God's kingdom receive his rule in their lives (Mark 10:15). When they enter the kingdom, they enter the realm where they accept God's rule (Matt 21:31), and they pray that others also will accept it (Matt 6:10).
The world is under the power of Satan and in a state of rebellion against God (2 Cor 4:4; 1 John 5:19). Therefore, when Jesus brought the kingdom into the world, he demonstrated God's rule in the defeat of Satan. As Jesus announced the good news of the kingdom, he gave evidence of his power by healing those whom Satan had afflicted by disease and evil spirits (Matt 4:23-24). As he delivered people from Satan's bondage he gave evidence that God's kingdom (his authority, power and rule) had come among humankind (Matt 12:28; Mark 1:27; Luke 10:9,17-18).
Note: The Bible uses the expressions 'kingdom of God' and 'kingdom of heaven' interchangeably. They are different names for the same thing (Matt 19:23-24). Jews had a traditional fear of misusing the name of God, and therefore they often used words such as 'heaven' instead (Dan 4:25-26; Luke 15:18; John 3:27). Matthew, who wrote his Gospel for Jews, usually (but not always) speaks of the kingdom of heaven, whereas the other writers call it the kingdom of God (Matt 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16).
Present and future
Jesus' teaching on God's kingdom was in contrast to the popular Jewish belief of the time. The Jews believed that the kingdom was a future national and political kingdom centred on Israel. Jesus pointed out that God's kingdom was already among them. It was present in him (Luke 10:9; 17:20-21). Those who submitted to Christ's rule entered Christ's kingdom, and thereby received forgiveness of sins and eternal life (Matt 21:31; Mark 10:14-15; John 3:3). The same is true of people of any era. Those who believe in Christ enter his kingdom and receive its blessings (Rom 14:17; Col 1:13).
Yet Jesus spoke also of the kingdom as something belonging to the future (Mark 14:25). It would be established only after his death and resurrection (Luke 22:15-16,28-30; 24:26; cf. Rev 5:6-12; 11:15). Moreover, Jesus said that those who were already believers would enter his kingdom at his return (Matt 7:21-23; 13:41-43; 25:31-34; cf. 1 Cor 15:50; 2 Pet 1:11).
Therefore, although the kingdom of God is already present, it also awaits the future. Since the kingdom is the rule of God, believers enter it when they believe, but they will experience its full blessings only when Christ returns to banish evil and reign in righteousness (1 Cor 15:24-26). In being both present and future, the kingdom has the same characteristics as salvation and eternal life. To 'enter the kingdom of God' is to 'have eternal life' or to 'be saved'. The Bible uses the expressions interchangeably (Matt 19:16,23-25).
Just as believers experience the kingdom of God now and will do so more fully in the future, so they have eternal life now but will experience it more fully in the future (John 5:24,29). Likewise they have salvation now, but they will have it in its fulness at the return of Christ (Eph 2:8; Heb 9:28). Eternal life is the life of the kingdom of God, the life of the age to come. But because the kingdom of God has come among humankind now, believers have eternal life now (Matt 25:34,46; Luke 23:42-43; John 3:3,5,36; 5:24).
JESUS THE MESSIAH
The title 'Messiah' is a Hebrew word that means 'the anointed one'. In Old Testament times, the people of Israel appointed kings and priests (and sometimes prophets) to their official positions by the
ceremony of anointing. A special anointing oil was poured over the head of the person as a sign that he now had the right, and the responsibility, to perform the duties required by his position (Exod 28:41; 1 Kings 1:39; 19:16).
By far the most common usage of 'anointed' in a title was in relation to the Israelite king. He was known as 'the Lord's anointed' (1 Sam 24:10; Ps 18:50; 20:6). That person whom Israelites looked for as their great deliverer-king was popularly called the Messiah. The New Testament (Greek) equivalent of this word is 'Christ'. Jesus and his disciples spoke the local language of Palestine, and therefore the word they would have used was 'Messiah'; but the Gospels were written in Greek, and therefore the word appears in the Bible as 'Christ' (Matt 22:42; John 1:41; 7:41-42).
Old Testament expectations
In the days of Israel's beginnings, God indicated that the leadership of the nation would belong to the tribe of Judah. From this tribe would come a leader who would rule all nations in a reign of peace and prosperity (Gen 49:9-12). In developing this plan, God promised King David (who was from the tribe of Judah) an everlasting dynasty (2 Sam 7:16). From that time on, Israelites looked expectantly for the ideal king, a descendant of David who would destroy all enemies and reign in a worldwide kingdom of righteousness and peace. They called this coming saviour-king the Messiah (Ps 89:3-4; Isa 11:1-10; 32:1; Jer 23:5; Ezek 34:23-24; Micah 5:2; cf. Luke 1:32-33; Rev 5:5).
Because God promised to treat David's son and successor as his own son, Israelites regarded every king in the royal line of David as, in a sense, God's son. He was the one through whom God exercised his rule. Above all, the Messiah was God's son (2 Sam 7:14; Ps 2:6-7; cf. Mark 10:47; 12:35; 14:61). Israelites saw victories over their enemies as foreshadowings of the victory of the Messiah, and praised their kings in language that vividly expressed the ideals they looked for in the messianic kingdom (e.g. Psalms 2; 45; 72; 110).
Besides being a king, the promised Messiah had priestly characteristics as well. He would not be a priest in the Levitical system, but he would exercise the joint rule of king-priest after the manner of Melchizedek (Ps 110:1-7; cf. Matt 22:41-45; Heb 5:6). He would also have prophetic characteristics, in that he would be God's messenger to announce God's will to his people (Deut 18:15; cf. Luke 24:19; John 6:14; 7:40; Acts 3:22-23).
Jesus and the Jews
By the time of Jesus, Jewish expectation of the Messiah had little to do with the Messiah's spiritual ministry. Most Jews were not concerned with being delivered from the power of sin or submitting to the righteous rule of God. They were more concerned with being delivered from the power of Rome and establishing an independent Israelite kingdom of prosperity and peace. For this reason Jesus did not immediately announce his messiahship openly. He did not want to attract the wrong sort of following. When people followed him because they expected political and material benefits, he resisted them (John 6:15,26; cf. Matt 4:8-10).
When others, for better reasons, recognized Jesus as the Messiah, he told them not to broadcast the fact (Matt 9:27-30; 16:13-20). The title by which Jesus usually referred to himself was not 'Messiah', but 'Son of man' (Matt 17:22; 20:18,28; for further discussion see below).
Towards the end of his ministry, when Jesus knew that his work was nearing completion and his crucifixion was approaching, he allowed people to speak openly of him as the Messiah (Matt 21:14-16; 22:41-45). He entered Jerusalem as Israel's Messiah-king (Matt 21:1-11) and declared his messiahship before the Sanhedrin, adding that as Son of God he was on equality with God, and as Son of man he had gained an eternal kingdom (Mark 14:60-62; Luke 22:70-71). To Pilate he indicated that he was a king, though neither his kingship nor his kingdom were of the kind that most people expected or wanted (Matt 27:11; John 18:33-37; cf. Acts 17:7).
The Messiah's suffering and victory
Many believers of Jesus' time still thought of the Messiah in relation to a visible worldwide kingdom centred on Israel, and they were puzzled when Jesus did not set up such a kingdom (Matt 11:2-3; Luke 19:11; 24:21; Acts 1:6). Jesus pointed out that God's kingdom had come through him; the messianic age had begun. He was the Messiah, and his ministry was proof of this (Isa. 35:5-6; 61:1; Matt 4:23; 11:4-5; 12:28; Luke 4:18; 17:20-21; 18:35-43).
What the disciples could not understand was that the Messiah had to die. They knew that the Old Testament spoke of God's suffering servant (Isa. 49:7; 50:6; 52:13-53:12) just as they knew that it spoke of the Messiah, but they did not connect the two. Jesus showed that he was both the suffering servant and the victorious Messiah. The Messiah had to die before he could enter his glory (Matt 16:13-23; 20:25-28; Luke 24:25-27; Acts 4:27).
If the disciples of Jesus understood little of his statements about his coming death, they understood even less of his statements about his resurrection (Mark 8:29-32; 9:31-32). But after he died and rose to new life, everything became clear. They saw the resurrection as God's great and final confirmation that Jesus was the Messiah. His death was the way to victory for him and deliverance for his people (Acts 2:31-32,36; 10:38-43; Col 1:13-14,20).
The early Christians so identified the victorious Messiah with the risen Jesus that the Greek word for Messiah (Christ) became a personal name for Jesus. Over the years the two names were often joined as Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus, and the name Christ was often used without any direct reference to messiahship (Phil 1:15-16,18,21). In general the Gospels and the early part of Acts use 'Christ' mainly as a title (meaning 'the Messiah'), and other parts of the New Testament use it mainly as a name (John 1:20; 10:24; 1 Peter 4:14; 5:10,14).
SON OF MAN
Of all the names, pictures and titles of Jesus in the Gospels, 'Son of man' is the one that Jesus used most and others used least. It hardly occurs outside the Gospels, and inside the Gospels is used almost solely by Jesus. In ordinary speech it could be just a poetic word for 'person' (Num 23:19; Ezek 2:1-3), but people realized that Jesus used it with special significance. It was an unusual way for a person to refer to himself, but Jesus wanted people to think about who he was and what his mission involved (John 12:34).
A heavenly figure
The title 'Son of man' comes from a vision recorded in Daniel, where a person 'like a son of man' came into the heavenly presence of God and received from him a universal and everlasting kingdom (Dan 7:13-14). The 'Son of man' was connected with the coming of the kingdom of God. Jesus made it clear that, through him, the kingdom of God had come into the world (Matt 4:23-24; 12:28; see 'Kingdom of God' above). That kingdom will find its fullest expression when the Son of man returns at the end of the age to remove all evil and establish righteousness eternally (Dan 7:13-14; Matt 13:41-43; 24:30-31; Mark 8:38).
An additional feature of the vision in Daniel is the connection between the Son of man and the people of God. Though the Son of man receives the kingdom, he shares it with his people (Dan 7:14,27). Jesus, the heavenly Son of man, therefore promised his followers that they would share with him in the kingdom's final triumph (Matt 19:28; 25:31-34).
An earthly figure
Since 'son of man' could be used in everyday speech to refer to an ordinary human being (Ps 8:4; Ezek 2:8), the expression had an added significance when used of Jesus. Although it pointed to his deity (for he was the heavenly Son of God; John 3:13; 6:62), it pointed also to his humanity (for he was a man, a member of the human race; Matt 8:20). The Son of man was a unique person who, being divine and human, brought the authority of God into the world of humankind (Mark 2:10,28; John 5:27).
In relation to the kingdom of God, the heavenly Son of man was in fact an earthly figure, who was born in the royal line of David and had claim to the messianic throne. Because of the Jews' misguided nationalistic ambitions, Jesus rarely spoke of himself specifically as the Messiah. By using 'Son of man' instead, he was claiming to be the Messiah without using the word 'Messiah'. He knew people found the name 'Son of man' puzzling, but he wanted them to consider the evidence of his life and ministry and discover for themselves his true identity (Matt 16:13-16; John 9:35-36; 12:34).
When the Jewish leaders finally understood what Jesus meant by calling himself the Son of man, they accused him of blasphemy and had him killed. They saw that he claimed to be not only a messianic figure in the line of David, but also a heavenly figure on equality with God (Mark 14:61-64).
Jesus' death did not take him by surprise, as he knew that the heavenly Son of man had to become the suffering servant. He had to suffer and die before he could receive his kingdom (Mark 8:31; 9:12; 10:45; John 3:13-14; 8:28). Also, he had to rise from the dead (Mark 9:31). God therefore raised him up and gave him glory, a glory that will be fully revealed when the Son of man returns in the triumph of his kingdom (Mark 8:38; 13:26; 14:62).
SON OF GOD
When the Bible speaks of Jesus as God's Son, the meaning is unique. Elsewhere in the Bible Israel is called God's son (Exod 4:22), the Davidic king is called God's son (2 Sam 7:14) and in particular the Messiah is called God's son (Ps 2:7; Luke 1:32-33). But Jesus was more than God's Son in any of these senses. He was God's Son in the sense that he was God. He did not become God's Son through being the Messiah; rather, he became the Messiah because he already was God's pre-existent Son (Matt 22:42-45; John 1:34,49; 20:31).
Eternally the Son
God is a trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, all of whom are equally and eternally God. Jesus' sonship does not mean that he was created by the Father or is inferior to the Father. He has the same Godhead and character as the Father (Matt 11:27; John 1:1,14,18; 8:19; 10:30,38; 14:9), the same powers, authority and responsibilities as the Father (John 3:35; 5:21-22,43; 13:3) and the same thought and purpose as the Father (John 5:17-20,30; 8:16,28-29; 14:10,24).
The relation between Jesus (the Son of God) and his Father is unique, and should not be confused with the relation between believers (sons of God) and their heavenly Father. Jesus' sonship is eternal. The Father and the Son have always existed in a relation in which both are equally and unchangeably God. Believers, by contrast, become sons of God only through faith in Jesus Christ. God makes them his sons, but he never made Jesus his Son. Jesus always has been the Son (John 1:18; 5:37; 8:18-19; 17:1-5; cf. Gal 4:5-7).
When Jesus talked with believers about God the Father, he was therefore careful to make a distinction between 'my Father' and 'your Father' (Matt 5:16; Luke 2:49; 12:30; John 5:17-18; 20:17). Nevertheless, through Christ believers come into such a close personal relation with the Father that they can address him as 'Abba', as Jesus did (Mark 14:36; Rom 8:15).
The Son's mission
Although the Son existed with his Father from all eternity, he willingly became a human being in order to fulfil his Father's purposes for the salvation of human beings and the conquest of evil (Rom 8:3; Gal 4:4-5; Heb 2:14-15). When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the Son added humanity to the deity that he always had. His entrance into human life came about through God's supernatural work in the body of Mary, so that the baby born was both fully human and uniquely divine (Luke 1:30-31,35; 2:42,49). Jesus grew up in a relation with his Father that was shared by no other (Luke 2:49; John 5:19; 8:28-29), and this relation was confirmed at certain events during his public ministry (Matt 3:17; 17:5; John 12:27-30).
Jesus' followers usually spoke of Jesus' sonship in relation to his divine person and total unity with the Father (Matt 16:16; John 20:31; 1 John 2:23; 4:15), but Jesus himself usually spoke of it in relation to his earthly ministry and total submission to the Father (Mark 13:32; John 4:34; 5:19; 7:16; 8:28,42). The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world, and the Son's obedience to this mission meant that he had to suffer and die (John 3:14-16; 12:27; 1 John 4:9-10,14). The Son finished the work, being obedient even to death (John 17:4; Phil 2:8), and the Father declared his complete satisfaction with his Son through the victory of the resurrection (Rom 1:4; Phil 2:9-11).
However, the Son's mission involved more than the salvation of believers. The Father had entrusted him with the task of overcoming all rebellion and restoring all things to a state of perfect submission to the sovereign God (John 5:20-29; Eph 1:10; 1 John 3:8). That mission extends to the whole universe, and will reach its climax when the last enemy, death, is banished for ever (Heb 2:14; 1 Cor 15:25,26). The Son conquered sin at the cross, and the power of that conquest will eventually remove the last traces of sin. The Son will restore all things to the Father, and the triumph of God will be complete. God will be everything to everyone (1 Cor 15:24,28).
JESUS AS LORD
Many people addressed Jesus as Lord (Matt 20:33; Mark 7:28; Luke 7:6), but when his disciples used the title of him, or when he used the title of himself, 'Lord' had much more meaning (Luke 19:34; 24:34; John 11:27; 13:6,13-14; 20:28; 21:7). The early church developed the more meaningful usage of the word till it became one of the most distinctive expressions of the Christian community.
Hebrew and Greek backgrounds
The Greek word that is translated 'Lord' in the New Testament is kurios, the word used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament for the Hebrew word yahweh (i.e. Jehovah) (cf. Ps 32:2 with Rom 4:8; cf. Isa 40:13 with Rom 11:34). Yahweh, the name of God, was a mysterious name that Jews of later times considered so sacred that they refused to speak it. Linguistically, the name was connected with the expression 'I am' and referred to the eternal, unchangeable, self-sufficient and ever-present God (Exod 3:13-16).
Jesus identified himself with Yahweh by calling himself 'I am' (John 8:58; see also John 4:26; 6:35; 8:12; 10:7,11; 11:25; 14:6; 18:5; Mark 14:62). The New Testament writers also identified Jesus with the God of the Old Testament, and repeatedly quoted Old Testament references to Yahweh as applying to Jesus (cf. Ps 16:8 with Acts 2:24-25; cf. Isa 40:3 with Mark 1:1-3; cf. Jer 9:23-24 with 1 Cor 1:30-31; cf. Isa 8:13 with 1 Peter 3:15; cf. Ps 110:1 with Matt 22:41-45).
Both the words of Jesus and the quotations of the New Testament writers reflect the Hebrew background of the New Testament. According to that background, to call Jesus 'Lord' was to call him God. But most of the early Christians did not come from a Hebrew background. They were Gentiles, not Jews, and they had no history of the usage of the name Yahweh to influence their thinking. Yet to them also, to call Jesus 'Lord' (kurios) was to call him God. Their understanding of kurios came from its usage in the Greek-speaking Gentile world in which they lived.
In common speech, kurios may sometimes have meant no more than 'sir' or 'master' (Matt 21:30; Luke 12:36,45; John 12:21; Acts 25:26), but it was also used in relation to deity, such as when people referred to the Greek and Roman gods (1 Cor 8:5). The Greek-speaking Christians' use of this word for Jesus showed that they considered him to be God – not just one of many gods, but the one true God. This one was the creator and ruler of the universe, and the controller of life and death (Acts 1:24; 13:10-12; 17:24; Rom 14:9,11; 1 Tim 6:15-16; Rev 17:14).
Glorified and triumphant
Through the glorious resurrection and exaltation of Jesus Christ, God declared dramatically the absolute lordship of Christ (Acts 2:36; Rom 1:4; Phil 2:9-11). Believers in Christ are also Christ's servants and disciples. They gladly acknowledge him as Lord and willingly submit to him as to one who has complete authority over their lives. At the same time they love him as one who has saved them and given them new joy, peace and hope (John 20:28; Acts 10:36; Rom 10:9; 1 Cor 1:2-3; Eph 1:22-23; 2 Thess 3:16; Rev 22:20).
When God's chosen time comes, the lordship of Jesus Christ, at present unrecognized by the world, will be openly displayed (1 Cor 2:6-8; 15:24-26; cf. Heb 2:9; 9:28). He will return in power and glory, to enjoy the final fruits of the victory he won through his life, death and resurrection. In that great day there will be universal acknowledgment that he is indeed Lord (Phil 2:11; 1 Thess 4:15-17; 2 Thess 1:7; Rev 19:16).
Index to the Four Gospels
The early life of Jesus
1. Luke's introduction 1:1-4 2. Birth of John the Baptist foretold 1:5-25 3. An angel prepares Mary 1:26-38 4. Mary visits Elizabeth 1:39-56 5. Birth of John the Baptist 1:57-80 6. Genealogies of Jesus 1:1-17 3:23-38 7. Birth of Jesus 1:18-25 8. Shepherds visit the stable 2:1-20 9. Temple ceremonies in Jerusalem 2:21-24 10. Simeon and Anna 2:25-38 11. Herod and the Magi 2:1-18 12. Return to Nazareth 2:19-23 2:39-40 13. Jesus twelve years old 2:41-52
Jesus begins his ministry
14. The eternal Word 1:1-18 15. Preaching of John the Baptist 3:1-12 1:1-8 3:1-17 1:19-28 16. Baptism of Jesus 3:13-17 1:9-11 3:21-22 1:29-34 17. Temptation of Jesus 4:1-11 1:12-13 4:1-13 18. The first disciples 1:35-51 19. Marriage feast in Cana 2:1-12
Early work in Judea and Samaria
20. Cleansing the temple 2:13-25 21. Jesus and Nicodemus 3:1-21 22. John the Baptist's work complete 3:22-36 23. Jesus in Samaria 4:1-42
Early work in Galilee
24. Changing situations 4:12-17 1:14-15 3:18-20 4:43-45 4:14-15 25. Son of an official healed 4:46-54 26. The synagogue at Nazareth 4:16-30 27. Call of Peter, Andrew, James and John 4:18-22 1:16-20 5:1-11 28. Man with an evil spirit healed 1:21-28 4:31-37 29. Many sick people healed 4:23-25 1:29-39 4:38-44 8:14-17 30. Jesus cleanses a leper 8:1-4 1:40-45 5:12-16 31. Jesus heals a paralyzed man 9:1-8 2:1-12 5:17-26 32. Call of Matthew 9:9-13 2:13-17 5:27-32 33. Why Jesus' disciples did not fast 9:14-17 2:18-22 5:33-39 34. Picking corn on the Sabbath 12:1-8 2:23-28 6:1-5 35. Man with a withered hand 12:9-21 3:1-6 6:6-11 36. Jesus chooses the twelve apostles 9:35-10:4 3:7-19 6:12-19
The sermon on the mount
37. Citizens of the kingdom 5:1-12 6:20-26 38. Christ's people in the world 5:13-16 39. A right attitude to the law 5:17-20 40. Legal obedience is not enough 5:21-48 6:27-36 12:57-59 41. Giving, praying and fasting 6:1-18 11:1-4 42. Concern about material things 6:19-34 12:22-34
43. Judging others 7:1-6 6:37-42 44. Prayers of request 7:7-12 11:5-13 45. The two ways 7:13-29 6:43-49
In Jerusalem again
46. Healing at Bethesda and its outcome 5:1-29 47. Witnesses to Jesus 5:30-47
Back in Galilee
48. Centurion's servant; widow's son 8:5-13 7:1-17 49. Messengers from John the Baptist 11:1-19 7:18-35 50. The judgment and mercy of God 11:20-30 51. In the house of Simon the Pharisee 7:36-50 52. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit 12:22-45 3:22-30 11:14-36 53. Jesus and his family 12:46-50 3:20-21 8:19-21 3:31-35
Parables
54. The sower 13:1-23 4:1-29 8:1-18 55. Wheat and weeds; mustard seed; yeast 13:24-43 4:30-34 13:18-21 56. Hidden treasure; pearl; fishing net 13:44-52
Around the Lake of Galilee
57. Jesus calms the storm 8:23-27 4:35-41 8:22-25 58. Demon power overcome at Gadara 8:28-34 5:1-20 8:26-39 59. Jairus' daughter and a woman healed 9:18-26 5:21-43 8:40-56 60. Jesus heals the blind and the dumb 9:27-34 8:22-26 61. Jesus rejected at Nazareth 13:53-58 6:1-6 62. The twelve sent out 10:5-42 6:7-13 9:1-6 63. Concern about safety and security 12:4-21 64. Death of John the Baptist 14:1-12 6:14-29 9:7-9 65. Feeding the five thousand 14:13-21 6:30-44 9:10-17 6:1-14 66. Jesus walks on the sea 14:22-36 6:45-56 6:15-21 67. The bread of life 6:22-59 68. Words of eternal life 6:60-71 69. Teaching about cleansing 15:1-20 7:1-23
Further work in the north
70. In Tyre and Sidon 15:21-28 7:24-30 71. Ministry in the Decapolis 15:29-39 7:31-8:10 72. Beware of Pharisees and Sadducees 16:1-12 8:11-21 12:1-3 12:54-56 73. Peter's confession of the Messiah 16:13-23 8:27-33 9:18-22 74. Test of true discipleship 16:24-28 8:34-9:1 9:23-27 75. The transfiguration 17:1-13 9:2-13 9:28-36 76. Healing of an uncontrollable boy 17:14-21 9:14-29 9:37-43 77. Payment of the temple tax 17:24-27 78. Lessons in humility 17:22-23 9:30-50 9:44-50 18:1-14 79. Lessons in forgiveness 18:15-35
Through Samaria to Judea
80. Rejected in Samaria 9:51-56 81. The cost of being a disciple 8:18-22 9:57-62 82. The mission of the seventy 10:1-24 83. Who is my neighbour? 10:25-37 84. Jesus in the house of Mary and Martha 10:38-42
In Jerusalem for Jewish festivals
85. Family opposition 7:1-13 86. Jesus teaches in the temple 7:14-44 87. Argument in the Sanhedrin 7:45-53 88. Woman caught in adultery 8:1-11 89. The light of the world 8:12-20 90. Belief and unbelief 8:21-30 91. True freedom; true sonship 8:31-59 92. Dispute concerning a blind man 9:1-41 93. The good shepherd 10:1-21 94. At the Feast of Dedication 10:22-42
Around the Jordan Valley
95. Jesus accuses Pharisees and scribes 11:37-54 96. Be prepared at all times 12:35-53 97. Warning to the Jewish nation 13:1-9 98. A woman healed in the synagogue 13:10-17 99. The first shall be last 13:22-35 100. In the house of a Pharisee 14:1-24 101. More about discipleship 14:25-35 102. Lost sheep; lost coin; lost son 15:1-32 103. The shrewd manager 16:1-17 104. The rich man and Lazarus 16:19-31 105. Duty, faith and gratitude 17:1-19 106. Coming of the kingdom 17:20-37 107. Two parables about prayer 18:1-14 108. Questions about divorce 19:1-12 10:1-12 16:18 109. Jesus blesses the children 19:13-15 10:13-16 18:15-17 110. The rich young man 19:16-30 10:17-31 18:18-30 111. Workers in the vineyard 20:1-16 112. The request of James and John 20:17-28 10:32-45 18:31-34 113. Blind men near Jericho 20:29-34 10:46-52 18:35-43 114. Jesus and Zacchaeus 19:1-10 115. Parable of the pounds 19:11-27
Back to Judea
116. Resurrection of Lazarus 11:1-44 117. Jews plot to kill Jesus 11:45-57 118. Jesus returns to Bethany 12:1-11
Final teaching in Jerusalem
119. The triumphal entry 21:1-11 11:1-11 19:28-44 12:12-19 120. Jesus cleanses the temple 21:12-17 11:15-19 19:45-48 121. Jesus curses the fig tree 21:18-22 11:12-14 11:20-26 122. Authority of Jesus questioned 21:23-32 11:27-33 20:1-8 123. The wicked vineyard keepers 21:33-46 12:1-12 20:9-18 124. The royal wedding feast 22:1-14 125. A question about paying taxes 22:15-22 12:13-17 20:19-26 126. Marriage and the resurrection 22:23-33 12:18-27 20:27-40 127. The greatest commandment 22:34-40 12:28-34 128. Who is the Messiah? 22:41-46 12:35-37 20:41-44 129. More about scribes and Pharisees 23:1-39 12:38-40 20:45-47 130. The widow's offering 12:41-44 21:1-4 131. The coming crisis 24:1-31 13:1-27 21:5-28 132. A warning to be alert always 24:32-51 13:28-37 21:29-38 133. The ten girls 25:1-13
134. The three employees 25:14-30 135. Sheep and goats 25:31-46
Betrayal, trial and crucifixion
136. The seed must die 12:20-26 137. Final message to the Jews 12:27-50 138. The plot to capture Jesus 26:1-16 14:1-11 22:1-6 139. Jesus prepares the Passover 26:17-19 14:12-16 22:7-13 140. Washing the disciples' feet 13:1-20 141. A traitor among them 26:20-25 14:17-21 22:21-23 13:21-35 142. The Lord's Supper instituted 26:26-30 14:22-26 22:14-20 143. The way to the Father 14:1-14 144. Promise of the Holy Spirit 14:15-31 145. Union with Jesus 15:1-27 146. Work of the Holy Spirit 16:1-15 147. Difficulties ahead for the disciples 16:16-33 148. Jesus' prayer 17:1-26 149. Disciples' failure foretold 26:31-35 14:27-31 22:24-38 13:36-38 150. Jesus prays in Gethsemane 26:36-46 14:32-42 22:39-46 18:1 151. The arrest of Jesus 26:47-56 14:43-52 22:47-53 18:2-11 152. At the high priest's house 26:57-75 14:53-72 22:54-65 18:12-27 153. The Sanhedrin's judgment 27:1-2 15:1 22:66-71 154. Death of Judas 27:3-10 155. Before Pilate and Herod 27:11-14 15:2-5 23:1-12 18:28-38 156. Jesus before the people 27:15-31 15:6-20 23:13-25 18:39-40 19:1-16 157. Journey to Golgotha 27:32 15:21 23:26-31 19:17 158. The crucifixion 27:33-44 15:22-32 23:32-43 19:18-24 159. The death 27:45-56 15:33-41 23:44-49 19:25-37 160. The burial 27:57-66 15:42-47 23:50-56 19:38-42
Resurrection and ascension
161. Morning of the resurrection 28:1-15 16:1-11 24:1-12 20:1-18 162. On the road to Emmaus 16:12-13 24:13-35 163. Sunday night in Jerusalem 16:14 24:36-49 20:19-23 164. One week later 20:24-31 165. At the Sea of Tiberias 21:1-25 166. On a mountain in Galilee 28:16-20 16:15-18 167. The ascension 16:19-20 24:50-53
Four Gospels
THE EARLY LIFE OF JESUS
1. Luke's introduction (Luke 1:1-4)
Of the four Gospel writers, Luke is the only one who introduces his book by setting out briefly the circumstances of his writing. He wanted to prepare an account of the life and ministry of Jesus, but unlike others who prepared similar books, he was not an eye witness of the things about which he wrote. He therefore could prepare his book only after careful research (Luke 1:1-3). He wrote for a person of rank named Theophilus, to give him a reliable account of who Jesus was and what he had done (Luke 1:4). (Concerning Theophilus see also 'The Writing of the Gospels'.)
2. Birth of John the Baptist foretold (Luke 1:5-25)
Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was a priest. Because all male descendants of Aaron were priests, there were, even in Old Testament times, too many priests for the amount of work to be done. David therefore divided them into twenty-four divisions, and each division served for two weeks each year. Zechariah belonged to the division of Abijah (Luke 1:5; cf. 1 Chron 24:1-19). (All priests would be required for duty during the Feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, which together would account for the remaining four weeks of the year; cf. Exod 23:14-17.)
Each morning and each evening one priest was chosen by lot to go into the temple and burn incense while the people outside prayed. Priests valued this duty as something they would probably do only once in a lifetime; but for Zechariah the joy of the occasion was mixed with personal disappointment, as his own prayers had not been answered. He and his wife Elizabeth had prayed for many years that God would give them a child, but they were still childless (Luke 1:6-10).
While Zechariah was carrying out his priestly duties, God showed him that his prayers would now be answered. Elizabeth would have a child, to be named John, who would become a special messenger from God to his people. He would be equipped by God's Spirit for his ministry, and he would live under the restrictions of a person set apart for God (Luke 1:11-15; cf. Num 6:1-8). John's task was to call the people of Israel to repentance. If they responded to his preaching, they would be united in spirit with their ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and would be ready to welcome the Messiah (Luke 1:16-17; cf. Mal 4:5-6).
Although Zechariah had the faith to pray, he did not have the faith to believe the answer to his prayer. As a chastisement for his lack of faith, he became dumb for a period (Luke 1:18-22). God did not, however, withdraw his promise. When Zechariah's time of service at the temple was over, he returned to his home, and soon Elizabeth became pregnant (Luke 1:23-25).
3. An angel prepares Mary (Luke 1:26-38)
Six months after Gabriel appeared to Zechariah in the temple in Jerusalem, the same angel appeared to Mary in the town of Nazareth in Galilee. Mary was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph (Luke 1:26-28). She was startled and puzzled when the angel told her that, though still a virgin, she would give birth to a son, and this son would be the promised Messiah. He would be in a unique sense God's Son and his kingdom would be eternal (Luke 1:29-34). Mary's pregnancy would come about not through any sexual relations with Joseph, but through the direct creative power of the Spirit of God. The son born to her would be of Adam's race but free of any trace of Adam's sin. He would not be one whom God merely adopted as his son, but one who was actually God's Son. He would be the head of a new creation (Luke 1:35).
Mary knew that in the eyes of the public her pregnancy would spoil her honourable reputation, but she humbly submitted herself to the will of God. If she had any doubts about what God could do, Elizabeth's recent experience might have been an encouragement to her. The two women were close relatives (Luke 1:36-38).
4. Mary visits Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-56)
With the time drawing near when Elizabeth would give birth, Mary travelled south to visit her. The honour that Elizabeth gave to Mary at their meeting was symbolic of the honour that John would give to Jesus (Luke 1:39-45).
Mary's song of praise reflects her total submission and deep gratitude to God for what he was doing through her. The song (sometimes called the 'Magnificat', from the opening words in the Latin version) has many similarities to the song of Hannah, whose son Samuel was also a gift from God in unusual circumstances (cf. 1 Sam 2:1-10). Mary begins by recalling God's love in choosing her, an ordinary human being, to be the means of bringing his blessing to humankind (Luke 1:46-49). God did not use the rich, the mighty or the proud, but the poor and lowly who feared him (Luke 1:50-53). In showing grace to Mary and mercy to Israel, God was being faithful to the promises he gave to Israel's ancestors (Luke 1:54-56; cf. Gen 12:1-3).
5. Birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:57-80)
Elizabeth's son was born amid much rejoicing, and eight days later was circumcised in accordance with the law of Israel. Circumcision was a minor surgical operation carried out on all Israelite baby boys, and was the covenant sign that Israel was God's people. At this ceremony the child was usually given his name (Luke 1:57-60; cf. 2:21; Gen 17:9-14; Lev 12:3). When relatives tried to interfere in the naming of the child, Zechariah proved his obedience to God by insisting that the child be named John. In response God removed Zechariah's dumbness (Luke 1:61-66; cf. v. 13, 20).
Zechariah then broke forth in a hymn of praise to God. His first words of praise were not for his son, but for the Saviour whom his son would announce. This Saviour was the Davidic Messiah and the redeemer of his people. In accordance with the covenant God made with Abraham, the Messiah would deliver God's people from bondage so that they might serve him in reverence, holiness and righteousness (Luke 1:67-75).
As he turned his attention to his own son, Zechariah was reminded that John's task was to lead people from darkness to light through repentance of their sins. In this way he would correct the false ideas people had of the Messiah and prepare the way for them to welcome him. A new age would dawn (Luke 1:7679). But before John could prepare others to receive the Messiah, he himself had to be prepared (Luke 1:80).
6. Genealogies of Jesus (Matt 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38)
The genealogies recorded by Matthew and Luke show how the birth of Jesus fulfilled the promises made to Abraham (Gen 12:2-3; 22:18). Matthew, writing for the Jews, begins his genealogy with Abraham, father of the Jewish race (Matt 1:1-2a). Luke, writing for non-Jews, traces Jesus' genealogy back past Abraham to Adam, to emphasize Jesus' union with the whole human race (Luke 3:34b-38).
Between Abraham and David the two genealogies are the same (Matt 1:2b-6a; Luke 3:32-34a), but between David and Jesus they are different, as they follow two lines of descent that started with David and came together in Jesus (Matt 1:6b-16; Luke 3:23-31).
Matthew's genealogy shows that Jesus had legal right to the throne of David, for he was in the royal line of descent that came through Solomon and other kings of Judah down to Joseph. Jesus therefore fulfilled the promise that the Messiah would be one of David's royal descendants (2 Sam 7:12-16; Jer 23:5). But both writers point out that though Joseph was Jesus' legal father he was not his natural father (Matt 1:16; Luke 3:23).
The genealogies do not necessarily list every person in the line of descent. As is often the case, they may be selective and stylized, to make them fit a simple scheme. Matthew, for example, omits some names to produce an arrangement of three sets of fourteen (Matt 1:17).
Luke's genealogy gives further proof that Jesus was descended from David, by tracing his ancestry through the line of another of David's sons, Nathan. This may represent another line of descent from David to Joseph, or it may represent the line of descent from David to Mary (but Mary's name is not shown, since the genealogies record only the names of the males). If the latter is the case, Joseph was the 'son' of Heli only because of his marriage to Mary (i.e. Mary was the daughter of Heli, Joseph the son-in-
law). It is possible that Mary's mother was from the tribe of Levi and descended from Aaron (cf. Luke 1:5,36) and her father from the tribe of Judah and descended from David (cf. Luke 1:32,69).
7. Birth of Jesus (Matt 1:18-25)
Joseph and Mary were not yet married, when Joseph was shocked to learn that Mary was pregnant. Since Mary had been promised to him in marriage, Joseph had the right, according to Jewish custom, to report the matter to the authorities and have Mary dealt with for marital unfaithfulness. Joseph was a morally upright man but he was also compassionate. Instead of acting spitefully towards Mary, he tried to protect her from public shame by breaking the engagement secretly. God then intervened to show Joseph that Mary's pregnancy was miraculous, pure and of the Holy Spirit. The son to be born to her would be Israel's long-awaited Messiah, whose mission was not to save his people from foreign domination but to save them from sin (Matt 1:18-21).
Being a person of faith, Joseph believed God. He took Mary as his wife, though he had no sexual relations with her before the birth of Jesus (Matt 1:22-25).
8. Shepherds visit the stable (Luke 2:1-20)
Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth in the north of Palestine (see Luke 1:26-27), but the town to which they belonged according to their ancestry was Bethlehem, the birthplace of their forefather David. When the government issued an order that all people were to return to their ancestral town for a census (probably for taxation purposes), Joseph and Mary made the journey to Bethlehem. The town was so overcrowded with travellers returning for the census that they could find nowhere to stay except in a stable with animals. There Mary gave birth to Jesus (Luke 2:1-7).
The first people to be told the news that Israel's Messiah had been born were a group of shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem. God's gift of such a Saviour was evidence of his good pleasure towards humankind and his desire that people everywhere be brought into a relationship of peace with him (Luke 2:8-14). The shepherds hurried to visit the new-born child, then spread the news of their wonderful discovery (Luke 2:15-20).
9. Temple ceremonies in Jerusalem (Luke 2:21-24)
After Jesus was born, his parents were required to carry out three ceremonies according to the law of Moses. The first of these was circumcision (Luke 2:21; see note on Luke 1:59).
For the second ceremony Mary and Joseph made the ten kilometre journey to Jerusalem, where they went to the temple to present their firstborn to God. Ever since God saved Israel's firstborn at the time of the original Passover, the firstborn of all Israel's people and cattle belonged to him. At the age of one month the firstborn was taken to the temple, presented to God, then bought back by a payment of five shekels (see Exod 13:2; Num 18:15-16).
The third ceremony was the ritual purification of the mother after childbirth. In the case of a male child this took place forty days after the birth, when the mother presented a lamb for a burnt offering and a bird for a sin offering. If she was too poor to afford a lamb she could offer another bird instead (see Lev 12:1-8).
Jesus' parents carried out these two ceremonies on the same visit to Jerusalem. Their poverty is indicated by their choice of the sacrifice available for those too poor to afford the normal sacrifice (Luke 2:22-24).
10. Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:25-38)
In separate incidents, two people at the temple recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah. The first was a man named Simeon. Unlike most Jews, Simeon had the spiritual insight to understand the sort of person the Messiah would be. He acknowledged that Jesus was the promised Messiah, and that he would bring glory to Israel and salvation to the Gentiles (Luke 2:25-32).
Having praised God for the coming of Jesus, Simeon turned to address Mary. He saw that one day Jesus would create a division among the Jewish people. Many would reject him and so fall under God's punishment, but others would receive him and so rise to salvation. People's opposition to Jesus would show up the sinfulness of their hearts, and at the same time bring pain and sorrow to the heart of his mother (Luke 2:33-35).
The other faithful Jew who saw Jesus and his parents in the temple was an elderly woman named Anna. In some ways her life had been lonely, but she had never grown bitter. She sacrificed time and personal comforts so that she could devote herself to worship and prayer. Throughout her long life she never stopped believing that salvation would come through the promised Messiah. On seeing Jesus she knew that this was the one for whom she had waited (Luke 2:36-38).
11. Herod and the Magi (Matt 2:1-18)
It seems that after the ceremonies in Jerusalem, Joseph and Mary returned with Jesus to Bethlehem. Because most of the travellers had now gone, they were able to move into the house (see Matt 2:11). Meanwhile, in a country to the east, men known as Magi (people who study the stars) had worked out that a new king was born in Judea and they came to Jerusalem looking for him (Matt 2:1-2).
Herod the Great was ruler of Judea at the time, and he had no desire to see a rival Jewish king set up. From the Magi he learnt the time of the new king's birth, and from the Jewish scholars he learnt the place of his birth. He urged the Magi to locate the child then report back to him so that he could go and pay homage (Matt 2:3-8). The Magi found Jesus and worshipped him, but when they learnt that Herod planned to kill him, they returned home without first reporting to Herod (Matt 2:9-12). Mary and Joseph also learnt of Herod's planned treachery, and escaped with the child to the safety of Egypt (Matt 2:13-15).
When, after some time, the Magi did not return, Herod saw that the only way to be certain of destroying the new king was to kill all male children under two years of age in the Bethlehem area. He fixed the age of the doomed children according to details given him by the Magi, which suggests that Jesus by this time was between one and two years old (Matt 2:16-18). (For Herod and his family see earlier section, 'The New Testament World'.)
12. Return to Nazareth (Matt 2:19-23; Luke 2:39-40)
Upon hearing of Herod's death, Joseph and Mary returned with the infant Jesus to Palestine (Matt 2:19-21). Since the new king Archelaus was as unjust and cruel as his father Herod, they considered it unsafe to stay in Judea, so went north to their home town of Nazareth. As the years of Jesus' childhood passed, he developed in body, mind and spirit (Matt 2:22-23; Luke 2:39-40).
13. Jesus twelve years old (Luke 2:41-52)
Joseph and Mary, being sincere and faithful Jews, went to Jerusalem for the Passover each year. Jesus, who accompanied them on the occasion recorded here, was twelve years old at the time. At this age Jewish boys were being prepared for entrance into the adult affairs of the synagogue (Luke 2:41-42).
In the Jewish form of instruction, teacher and student often took turns at asking and answering questions, many of which were concerned with details of the law. The teachers in Jerusalem noted that Jesus was different from other students, both in the questions he asked and the answers he gave. His concern was not with trivial details of the traditional teaching, but with a real understanding of the mind and ways of God (Luke 2:43-47). He reminded his parents of his unique relationship with his heavenly Father and of the need for him to know and do his Father's will. They did not fully understand what he meant, but Mary kept thinking about it. Jesus, on his part, realized that he still had to be obedient to his earthly parents (Luke 2:48-52).
JESUS BEGINS HIS MINISTRY
14. The eternal Word (John 1:1-18)
To Israelites of Old Testament times, God's word was more than something merely written down or spoken out. It was something active, so that when God expressed his will, that will was carried out. God spoke, and it was done (Gen 1:3; Ps 33:9; Isa 55:10-11). By his active word, God created the universe (Gen 1:6,9,14; Ps 33:6). God's word had such life and power that people thought of it almost as if it were a person – God's living agent or messenger (Ps 107:20; 147:15,18).
In John's Gospel Jesus is called the Word (Greek: logos). Greek philosophers used logos in speaking of what they believed to be the principle of reason in the universe. John may have kept this in mind when he was writing, but he uses logos mainly in the Old Testament sense. The Word of God is the living and active agent of God, which existed before creation and was the means by which God created. It is not just like a person, but is a person – not 'it' but 'he'. He is not just with God; he is God. Though distinct from the Father, he is inseparably one with him (John 1:1-3). He is the source not only of physical life but also
of the full and spiritual life that God desires people to have. He brings the light of God into the world, and not even the darkness caused by sin can put it out (John 1:4-5).
John the Baptist announced the coming of Jesus as the light of the world. John called people to faith and repentance so that they would be prepared to receive Jesus, but John himself could not give them the light and life of God. Only Jesus could do that (John 1:6-9).
Jesus' coming into the world was like the coming of a person to his home town. But the people who lived in the 'town', especially his own people Israel, refused to receive him. Any, however, who did receive him, whether Israelites or others, became his true people. Such people are God's true children. They come into this privileged relationship not through birth into a particular family or nation, nor through the actions of others on their behalf, but only through their personal reception of Jesus Christ (John 1:10-13).
When a person writes or speaks, the words he uses are really part of himself. They may have been in his mind for years, but they remain unknown unless he writes or speaks them. As long as the eternal Word remained with God in the unseen heavenly world, it was to a large extent hidden and unknown, but when God became a human being in the person of Jesus, the Word could be seen and heard by all (John 1:14; see also v. 18).
Although John preceded Jesus, in both his birth and his ministry, Jesus preceded John in that he was the eternal Word. The one who had always existed as God now took upon himself human form and made God known to humankind. He showed people what God was like not by commanding them to keep the law given to Israel, but by supplying grace and truth in unlimited supply to meet all their needs (John 1:15-18).
15. Preaching of John the Baptist (Mt 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-17; John 1:19-28)
The preaching of John soon attracted opposition from the Jewish religious leaders. They sent representatives to question him and then report back on what he taught and who he claimed to be. John denied that he was promoting himself as some new leader in Israel. He did not consider himself to be either the prophet of Deuteronomy 18:15,18 or the 'Elijah' promised in Malachi 4:5. He was only a voice calling people to turn from their sin and be baptized, and so prepare themselves to receive the Messiah. He was like a messenger sent ahead of the king to tell people to clear the way for the royal arrival (Matt 3:1-6; Luke 3:1-6; John 1:19-23).
John commanded all people to repent, no matter who they were. Those who were descendants of Abraham were no more privileged in the eyes of God than the stones on the ground. All people, regardless of nationality, religion or social status, were to leave their selfish and sinful ways, and produce results in their daily lives that would prove their repentance to be genuine (Matt 3:7-10; Luke 3:7-14).
Although John baptized people to show they had repented and been forgiven their past sins, his baptism gave them no power to live a pure life. It was merely a preparation for one who was far greater than John. Jesus Christ would give the Holy Spirit, which, like fire, would burn up the useless chaff of the heart, leaving the pure wheat to feed and strengthen the life (Matt 3:11-12; Luke 3:15-17; John 1:24-28).
16. Baptism of Jesus (Matt 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:29-34)
In due course John publicly introduced Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, for whom he had prepared the way. John's introduction contained none of the popular Jewish ideas of a political or military leader who would bring in a golden age for Israel. Instead it suggested that the Messiah would die, like a lamb offered in sacrifice for the cleansing of sin (John 1:29-30). John then pointed out that he himself was not at first certain that Jesus was the Messiah, but when he saw the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus at his baptism, he was left in no doubt. John's explanation indicates that Jesus' baptism took place before his public introduction (John 1:31-34).
When Jesus approached John to be baptized, John hesitated, because he knew Jesus was superior to him in character, status and authority. But Jesus insisted. He wanted to begin his ministry with a public declaration of his devotion to God. Baptism was an act of obedience carried out by those who declared themselves on the side of God and his righteousness. Jesus was baptized to show that, like all the faithful, he was obedient to God and he intended to carry out all God's purposes. His baptism displayed his identification, or solidarity, not only with the faithful minority of Israel but also with the human race in
general. It was an identification that would lead to a far greater baptism at Golgotha, when as the representative of his fellow human beings he would bear the full penalty of sin (Matt 3:13-15).
Having shown his intentions openly, Jesus received openly the assurance that his Father was pleased with him. The Father's announcement, by combining a quote concerning the Davidic Messiah with one concerning the Servant of the Lord (see Ps 2:7; Isa 42:1), gave an indication that Jesus' way to kingly glory was to be that of the suffering servant. In appointing Jesus to his public ministry, the Father poured out upon him the Holy Spirit, through whose power he would carry out his messianic work (Matt 3:16-17; cf. Isa 11:1-2; 61:1; Acts 10:37-38).
17. Temptation of Jesus (Matt 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13)
Immediately after being appointed to his messianic ministry, Jesus was tempted by Satan to use his messianic powers in the wrong way. (For the identification of the devil with Satan see Revelation 20:2.) Satan's aim was to make Jesus act according to his own will instead of in obedience to his Father.
Jesus had gone many weeks without eating and was obviously very hungry. Satan therefore used Jesus' natural desire for food to suggest that he should use his supernatural powers to create food and eat it. Jesus knew that food was necessary for a person's physical needs, but he also knew that obedience to God was more important. God alone would decide when and how his fast would end (Matt 4:1-4).
Living in a world of unbelievers, Jesus could be very frustrated at their refusal to accept him. He was therefore tempted to perform some spectacular feat that would prove once and for all that he was the Son of God. For instance, he could jump from the top of the temple in front of the people, asking God to keep him from being hurt. But to call upon God to save him from an act of suicide would be sin. It would be putting God to the test by demanding that he act in a certain way merely to satisfy an individual's selfish desire (Matt 4:5-7).
Then came the temptation to gain worldwide rule through compromising with Satan and using his methods to gain power. As the Messiah, Jesus had been promised a worldwide kingdom, but the way to that kingdom was through laying down his life in sacrifice. God wants people to enter his kingdom because they have a willing desire to serve him, not because they are the helpless subjects of force or cunning (Matt 4:8-10).
In each case Jesus answered the temptations by quoting principles taken directly from the Scriptures. All the references were to the experiences of Israel in the wilderness (Deut 6:13,16; 8:3), suggesting again the identification that the Messiah felt with his people in their varied experiences.
These were not Satan's only temptations (Luke 4:13). Jesus continued to be tempted with suggestions to put his physical needs before his Father's will (see John 4:31-34), to prove his messiahship to unbelievers by performing miracles (see Matt 16:1-4) and to gain a kingdom through any way but the cross (see Matt 16:21-23; John 6:15).
18. The first disciples (John 1:35-51)
John the Baptist no doubt felt he had successfully completed part of his work when two of his disciples left him to follow Jesus. One of these was Andrew, the other probably John (who does not mention his own name in his Gospel). Andrew then brought his brother Simon to Jesus. Jesus saw some characteristic in Simon that caused him to give him the name 'Rock'. (The Aramaic word that Jesus used is transliterated as Cephas. The equivalent Greek word is transliterated as Peter.) These men believed Jesus to be the Messiah of whom John spoke, but they had little understanding of the nature of Jesus' messiahship (John 1:35-42).
The party travelled north to Galilee, where they were joined by two more, Philip and Nathanael. (It seems that Nathanael was also called Bartholemew.) Nathanael was surprised to hear that the Messiah came from such an insignificant town as Nazareth in Galilee (John 1:43-46). But when he discovered that Jesus knew all about him even though they had not met, he was convinced that Jesus was the messianic king and the Son of God. Jesus was like a ladder connecting earth to heaven, bringing God to the world and making it possible for the world to come to God (John 1:47-51).
19. Marriage feast in Cana (John 2:1-12)
At a marriage feast in Cana attended by Jesus and some relatives and friends, the host was embarrassed when he learnt that the supply of wine had run out. Mary told Jesus, apparently thinking he
could work a miracle to provide extra wine. In this way he could display his messianic power and so convince people who he was. Jesus reminded her that he could not perform miracles just to please relatives and friends. This was not a time for a public demonstration of his messiahship (John 2:1-5).
Nevertheless, Jesus helped the host out of the difficulty. He performed the miracle privately, but the host immediately noticed the superior quality of the wine he produced. By this miracle Jesus showed his disciples, for the first time, something of the glorious power of the Messiah (John 2:6-11). He then moved back to Capernaum on the shore of Lake Galilee (John 2:12).
EARLY WORK IN JUDEA AND SAMARIA
20. Cleansing the temple (John 2:13-25)
From Capernaum Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover (John 2:13). When he visited the temple he found that its outer court (the Court of the Gentiles) was crowded with Jewish merchants and money changers. The merchants were selling animals for sacrifice, and the money changers were exchanging foreign money for money acceptable to the temple authorities. The place looked more like a market than a place of prayer. Jesus was so angry at what he saw that he took bold action to cleanse the temple of all commercial activity (John 2:14-16).
The Jews objected to Jesus' interfering with the temple and challenged him to perform some miracle as evidence that he had authority from God to act in such a way. Jesus referred to the sign of his resurrection as his authority, but no one understood its meaning at the time. Jesus knew that because of his zeal for the purity of God's house the Jews would eventually kill him, but he would rise from the dead and bring in a new era of life for the world (John 2:17-22).
At that time few had a genuine belief in Jesus as Saviour. Many said they believed in him but their faith was not soundly based. They were impressed with Jesus' miracles, but had little idea of what was involved in being disciples of the Messiah. Jesus could not trust people to be loyal followers if their 'belief' in him was little more than enthusiasm for his spectacular deeds (John 2:23-25).
21. Jesus and Nicodemus (3:1-21)
Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish Council, or Sanhedrin, was impressed with Jesus' miracles, but faith based on miracles alone is not enough. There must be inner cleansing, a complete change of heart brought about by the creative power of the Spirit of God. Only then can a person enter the kingdom of God (John 3:1-5; cf. Ezek 36:25-27).
Jews prided themselves that they were born Jews, and thought this guaranteed their entrance into the kingdom of God. Jesus was not concerned with physical birth or an earthly kingdom. He was talking about the work of God's Spirit that gives repentant sinners new life and so enables them to enter God's kingdom. Like the wind, the work of the Spirit is mysterious. It cannot be seen, though its results certainly can (John 3:6-8). Those who have personally experienced God know this new life. Those who think only in terms of earthly things will never know it (John 3:9-12).
True, no person has ever gone up into heaven to learn all about God and his ways, but Jesus Christ has come down from heaven and shown people what God is like. He is God's gift to the world. His death on the cross is God's way of salvation, and if people under condemnation turn to him and believe, they will have eternal life (John 3:13-15).
God's purpose in sending his Son into the world was positive. He wanted people to believe in him and so have eternal life. But if people prefer the darkness of their own sin to the light of salvation through Jesus, they bring judgment upon themselves by their own choice (John 3:16-18). Now that Jesus has come into the world, the difference between light and darkness, good and evil, is clearly seen. People either come into the light of Jesus for cleansing or remain in the darkness of their sin. Once they have come into God's light, they see that every action of their new life is only the result of God's work within them (John 3:19-21).
22. John the Baptist's work complete (John 3:22-36)
While Jesus and his disciples were preaching and baptizing in Judea, John the Baptist was spending the closing days of his ministry preaching and baptizing further north, in the region of the Jordan Valley (John 3:22-24). Some of John's disciples were becoming jealous of Jesus' popularity, and John had to rebuke them. He reminded them that his work was only to prepare the way for Jesus. That work was now
finished. John was like the friend of a bridegroom who made the necessary preparations for a wedding, but withdrew once the bridegroom arrived (John 3:25-30).
John was just an ordinary person, born into the world like any other, but Jesus came from heaven, speaking God's words. Most people rejected this divine messenger, though some believed (John 3:31-33; cf. 1:11-12). God revealed himself to the world through Jesus, and Jesus carried out his mission perfectly through the power of God's Spirit working through him. Those who accepted Jesus' teaching showed they believed God, but those who refused it placed themselves under God's judgment (John 3:34-36).
23. Jesus in Samaria (John 4:1-42)
When the Pharisees saw the crowds following Jesus they took an increasing interest in him. No doubt they were becoming jealous and soon might become violent. Jesus therefore decided to leave Judea for Galilee (John 4:1-3).
As Jesus approached one of the villages of Samaria, he began a conversation with a Samaritan woman whom he met at a well (John 4:4-9). The woman had a similar problem to Nicodemus in that she interpreted Jesus' words literally instead of figuratively. She did not understand that when Jesus offered her living water, he was not speaking of ordinary water but of eternal life. If she accepted what he offered, her deepest needs would be satisfied for ever (John 4:10-15).
Realizing that the woman would have to see her personal sin before she could see her spiritual need, Jesus began to speak of her marital affairs. At first she tried to hide her sins, but Jesus' searching remarks soon made her realize that she was in the presence of one with divine knowledge (John 4:16-19). She therefore turned the conversation to religion by referring to the dispute between Jews and Samaritans about the location of the temple. (Concerning relations between Jews and Samaritans see earlier section, 'The New Testament World'.) Jesus told her that the important matters were not those of race or locality, but those that concerned a right attitude of spirit and a right relation with God (John 4:20-24).
The woman saw that the conversation was leading to things she knew nothing about. She therefore tried to finish it quickly by saying that she would wait for the Messiah to come and explain it all to her. Jesus replied that the Messiah was already talking to her (John 4:25-26). In wonder and excitement the woman hurried back to tell the villagers of her discovery and urge them to come and see this remarkable person (John 4:27-30).
Next it was the disciples who interpreted Jesus' words literally instead of figuratively. This time the subject was food. Jesus told them that his strength came from obedience to the will of God. That was his real food, and he intended to keep feeding on it till he finished the work he came to do (John 4:31-34).
After a farmer sows the seed, he may have to wait many months before he reaps the harvest. But in the case of the Samaritan woman, the seed sown in her heart was already bearing fruit, for the Samaritan villagers were already hurrying across the fields to learn about Jesus. Jesus had sown; the disciples would reap. It was a foretaste of the harvest they would reap from seed sown by messengers of God who had gone before them, from the prophets of Old Testament times to John the Baptist (John 4:35-38).
Though the woman had introduced the villagers to Jesus, they needed to exercise personal faith if they were to receive the eternal life he offered. Many responded in genuine faith, realizing that Jesus was a Saviour whose blessings were not limited to selected races or nations (John 4:39-42).
EARLY WORK IN GALILEE
24. Changing situations (Matt 4:12-17; Mark 1:14-15; Lk 3:18-20; 4:14-15; Jn 4:43-45)
Somewhere about this time John the Baptist was imprisoned. (Concerning his imprisonment see notes on Matt 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 9:7-9.) Jesus meanwhile continued north into Galilee, where the people's enthusiastic welcome was in sharp contrast to the suspicion of the people in Judea (Matt 4:1216; John 4:43-45). He pointed out, however, that the kingdom he announced was not for those seeking political or material benefits. It was only for those who humbly and wholeheartedly turned from their sins (Matt 4:17).
25. Son of an official healed (John 4:46-54)
Jesus was in the town of Cana when a government official arrived from Capernaum with an urgent request for Jesus to heal his son. Again Jesus was careful not to perform miracles to satisfy those who
thought of him as merely a wonder-worker. But when he saw the man's distress, he accepted what little faith the man had and announced that the son would live (John 4:46-50). The man accepted Jesus' word and set out for home. When he learnt of the time and circumstances of his son's healing, he came to complete faith, along with his household (John 4:51-54).
26. The synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30)
Soon after returning to Galilee, Jesus visited his home town of Nazareth. Being a genuine Godfearing Israelite, he went on the Sabbath to join with other Jews in worshipping God at the synagogue. In keeping with the synagogue custom of standing to read and sitting to preach, Jesus stood and read Isaiah 61:1-2, then sat down and explained how the passage applied to him. He was the Messiah who brought God's salvation to a world oppressed by sin (Luke 4:16-21).
The people were surprised that the one they previously knew only as the carpenter's son could preach so well. But before they would accept him as the Messiah, they wanted him to do miracles in Nazareth as he had done in other places. Jesus refused. He knew they did not believe in him but were interested only in seeing some spectacular performance (Luke 4:22-23).
Jesus quoted a proverb to show that God's messengers are often not appreciated by those among whom they live, but are welcomed by people elsewhere. He gave two illustrations from the Old Testament. Elijah was unpopular in Israel but was welcomed by a woman in Phoenicia. Elisha was rejected by Israelites, but was sought by a soldier from Syria. When Israelites rejected God's servants, God sent his blessings to people of other countries (Luke 4:24-27; cf. 1 Kings 17:9-16; 2 Kings 5:1-14). The lesson for the people of Jesus' home town was that if they did not want God's blessing, it would be sent to others, even to the despised Gentiles, and they would receive it.
The people of Nazareth understood what Jesus was saying and burst into anger. Their actions showed that Jesus had read the condition of their hearts correctly, for instead of believing they tried to murder him. But Jesus escaped unharmed (Luke 4:28-30).
27. Call of Peter, Andrew, James and John (Matt 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11)
From the hills of Nazareth the story moves to the fishing villages of Capernaum and Bethsaida on the northern shore of Lake Galilee. The fishermen brothers Peter and Andrew had already met Jesus and accepted him as the Messiah. So too, it seems, had another pair of fishermen brothers, James and John (see notes on John 1:35-42). Jesus now asked the four men to take the further step of leaving their occupations so that they could become his followers in the task of bringing people into the kingdom God (Mark 1:16-20).
Peter learnt more of what lay ahead when, after a day on which they had caught no fish, Jesus told him to let down the nets again. Peter obeyed, with the result that he caught so many fish the nets almost broke (Luke 5:1-7). The incident impressed upon Peter that Jesus was indeed Lord, and in humble submission he fell at the feet of Jesus and confessed his sinfulness (Luke 5:8-11).
Note: The Sea (or Lake) of Galilee, the Sea (or Lake) of Gennesaret, and the Sea (or Lake) of Tiberias were three names for the same place.
28. Man with an evil spirit healed (Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37)
While in Capernaum Jesus preached in the local synagogue. People noticed that his teaching was very much different from that of the Jewish religious teachers. Instead of arguing about small points of the law he taught the truth of God plainly. All who heard had no doubt that this was God's message taught with his authority (Mark 1:21-22).