Table of Contents
|
|
5. Christ's Early Ministry
Jesus' First Miracle
(John
2:1-11)
The third day, there was a
marriage in Cana of Galilee. Jesus' mother was there. Jesus also was invited, with his disciples, to the marriage. When the wine ran out, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no wine."
Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with you
and me? My hour has not yet come."
His mother said to the servants, "Whatever he says to you, do
it."
Now there were six water pots of stone set there after the
Jews' way of purifying, containing two or three metretes
(1 metretes is about 9 gallons)
apiece.
Jesus said to them, "Fill the water pots with water."
They filled them up to the brim.
He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the ruler
of the feast." So they took it.
When the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine,
and didn't know where it came from (but the servants who had
drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast called the
bridegroom, and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and
when the guests have drunk freely, then that which is worse. You
have kept the good wine until now!" This beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and
revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
|
Jesus Visits Capernaum
(John
2:12)
After this, he went down to
Capernaum, he, and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples;
and they stayed there a few days
|
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
(John
2:13-22)
The Passover of the Jews was at
hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
and the changers of money sitting.
He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple,
both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers'
money, and overthrew their tables. To those who sold the doves, he said, "Take these things out
of here! Don't make my Father's house a marketplace!" His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your
house will eat me up."
The Jews therefore answered him, "What sign do you show us,
seeing that you do these things?"
Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days
I will raise it up."
The Jews therefore said, "It took forty-six years to build
this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?" But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples
remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture,
and the word which Jesus had said.
|
Nicodemus Talks to Jesus
(John
2:23-3:21)
Now when he was in Jerusalem at
the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name,
observing his signs which he did. But Jesus didn't trust himself to them, because he knew
everyone, and because he didn't need for anyone to testify concerning
man; for he himself knew what was in man.
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler
of the Jews. The same came to him by night, and said to him, "Rabbi, we
know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do
these signs that you do, unless God is with him."
Jesus answered him, "Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is
born anew, he can't see the Kingdom of God."
Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old?
Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"
Jesus answered, "Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born
of water and spirit, he can't enter into the Kingdom of God! That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born
of the Spirit is spirit. Don't marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.' The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but
don't know where it comes from and where it is going. So is
everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered him, "How can these things be?"
Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and don't
understand these things? Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and
testify of that which we have seen, and you don't receive our
witness. If I told you earthly things and you don't believe, how will
you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of
heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so
must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have
eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only (begotten)
Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have
eternal life. For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the
world, but that the world should be saved through him. He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn't believe
has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name
of the only (begotten) Son of God. This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world,
and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their
works were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn't come
to the light, lest his works would be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works
may be revealed, that they have been done in God."
|
Ministry of Both Jesus and John
(John
3:22-36)
After these things, Jesus came
with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with
them, and baptized. John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was
much water there. They came, and were baptized. For John was not yet thrown into prison. There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John's
disciples with some Jews about purification.
They came to John, and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with
you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, the
same baptizes, and everyone is coming to him."
John answered, "A man can receive nothing, unless it has been
given him from heaven. You yourselves testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ,'
but, 'I have been sent before him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the
bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because
of the bridegroom's voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the
Earth belongs to the Earth, and speaks of the Earth. He who
comes from heaven is above all. What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one
receives his witness. He who has received his witness has set his seal to this,
that God is true. For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God
gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his
hand. One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who
disobeys the Son won't see life, but the wrath of God remains on
him."
|
Jesus Leaves Judea for Galilee
(Matt
4:12 Mark
1:14 Luke
3:19-20 4:14 John
4:1-3)
But Herod the tetrarch,
being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for
all the evil things which Herod had done, added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison.
Therefore when the Lord knew that
the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more
disciples than John (although Jesus himself didn't baptize, but his disciples), and when
Jesus heard that John was delivered up into
custody, that
Herod shut up John in prison. he left Judea, and departed toward Galilee,
preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God
|
Jesus Travels Through Samaria
(John
4:4-42)
He needed to pass through
Samaria. So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the
parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph. Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being tired from his
journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her,
"Give me a drink." For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, "How is it that
you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?"
(For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it
is who says to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him,
and he would have given you living water."
The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with,
and the well is deep. From where then have you that living
water? Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well,
and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his
livestock?"
Jesus answered her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will
thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will
never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will
become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."
The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I
don't get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw."
Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."
The woman answered, "I have no husband."
Jesus said to her, "You said well, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is
not your husband. This you have said truly."
The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a
prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that
in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship."
Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when
neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the
Father. You worship that which you don't know. We worship that which
we know; for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers
will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father
seeks such to be his worshippers. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in
spirit and truth."
The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah comes," (he who
is called Christ). "When he has come, he will declare to us all
things."
Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who speaks to you." At this, his disciples came. They marveled that he was
speaking with a woman; yet no one said, "What are you looking
for?" or, "Why do you speak with her?" So the woman left her water pot, and went away into the city,
and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this
be the Christ?"
They went out of the city, and were coming to him. In the meanwhile, the disciples urged him, saying, "Rabbi,
eat."
But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you don't know
about."
The disciples therefore said one to another, "Has anyone
brought him something to eat?"
Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who
sent me, and to accomplish his work. Don't you say, 'There are yet four months until the harvest?'
Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and look at the fields,
that they are white for harvest already. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit to eternal
life; that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice
together. For in this the saying is true, 'One sows, and another
reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you haven't labored. Others
have labored, and you have entered into their labor."
From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because
of the word of the woman, who testified, "He told me everything
that I did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay
with them. He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of your
speaking; for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is
indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." |
Previous Chapter l
Table
Contents l
Next Chapter
|
|