IN JOHN 1:51, JESUS REPLACES THE HOLY OF HOLIES, AND THE FOUNDATION STONE. IN JOHN 11 HE REPLACES THE TRADITIONAL JEWISH EXPECTATION CONCERNING THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. BETWEEN THESE TWO EVENTS, JOHN REPORTS JESUS REPLACING THE INSTITUTIONS AND PRACTICES OF JUDAISM. WE LOOK AT THE PURIFICATION RITES, THAT JOHN REFERS TO JESUS MIRACULOUS DEEDS AS "SIGNS," AND SAYS THE FIRST OF THESE TOOK PLACE IN CANA IN GALILEE. JEWS WERE IN THE MINORITY IN "GALILEE OF THE GENTILES," AND CAME IN REPEATED CONTACT WITH GENTILES, AFTER WHICH THEY HAD TO MAKE THEMSELVES RITUALLY CLEAN AGAIN THROUGH A CEREMONIAL WASHING. (MARK 7:3,4.) THE OLD TESTAMENT SUGGESTED THAT, WHEN THE MESSIAH FINALLY CAME, THERE WOULD BE AN ABUNDANCE OF WINE, AMOS 9:13; JOEL 3:18. THE NON CANONICAL 2 BARUCH 29:5 SAID SOMETHING SIMILAR. "THE EARTH SHALL YIELD ITS FRUITS TEN THOUSANDFOLD, AND EACH VINE THERE SHALL BE A THOUSAND BRANCHES AND EACH BRANCH SHALL PRODUCE A THOUSAND CLUSTERS, AND EACH CLUSTER A THOUSAND GRAPES, AND EACH GRAPE PRODUCES A THOUSAND GALLONS OF WINE.
JESUS BRINGS INTO EXISTENCE AN ABUNDANCE OF WINE, DECLARING THAT THE MESSIANIC AGE HAS COME. WATER UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD HAVE BEEN USED TO PERFORM A HOST OF RITUAL WASHINGS IS TRANSFORMED INTO WINE WHICH MAKES THE HEART GLAD. WHERE JESUS IS PRESENT, ALL PREVIOUS RITUALS AND INSTITUTIONS ARE SUPERSEDED. TO BE IN JESUS PRESENCE IS AN EXPERIENCE OF COMPLETE, CONTINUING JOY. HE ALONE ESTABLISHES AND SUSTAINS HUMANITY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER. THE TEMPLE COMPLEX, JESUS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED THE HOLY OF HOLIES AND THE FOUNDATION STONE,
(1:51) HE NOW DECLARES THAT THE ENTIRE TEMPLE COMPLEX BE REPLACED BY HIS RESURRECTED "(BODY") WHICH WILL COME INTO EXISTENCE AS A RESULT OF HIS VICTORY OVER THE GRAVE. JOHN 2:13-17 REPORTS JESUS CLEANSING THE TEMPLE
(2:18-22) THE ENSUING CONVERSATION. HERE, AS FREQUENTLY ELSEWHERE, JOHN USES AN "EPISODE---DISCOURSE" STRUCTURE. THE MODE OF ENTRY (CH.3) NICODEMUS BELIEVES THAT THE PERSON BORN OF A JEWISH WOMB IS AUTOMATICALLY A CHILD OF GOD. JESUS INFORMS HIM THAT ADMISSION INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD IS BY A DIFFERENT BIRTH PROCESS ALTOGETHER---THE RADICAL ACTIVITY OF GOD WORKING THROUGH HIS SPIRIT IN THE WATERS OF BAPTISM. IN (CH.4) JOHN REPORTS JESUS CONVERSATION WITH A SAMARITAN WOMAN. AFTER ASKING HER TO DRAW HIM WATER TO DRINK, HE ASSURES HER HE HAS LIVING WATER TO GIVE-- A STATEMENT SHE FINDS PUZZLING. WHEN JESUS CONFRONTS HER ABOUT HER PAST AND PRESENT ILLICIT SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS, SHE CHANGES THE SUBJECT AND RAISES THE ISSUE OF LEGITIMATE WORSHIP LOCALITIES. THE SAMARITANS BELIEVED THAT THE TEMPLE ON MOUNT GERIZIM WAS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE PLACE FOR THE PURE WORSHIP OF GOD, WHILE THE JEWS RESERVED THAT HONOR FOR MOUNT ZION IN JERUSALEM. JESUS DECLARES THAT THAT THE "HOUR IS COMING, AND NOW IS" WHEN BOTH NOTIONS ARE INVALID. HE HIMSELF IS THE FOCAL POINT OF ALL TRUE WORSHIP. JOHN 5 REPORTS JESUS HEALING A CRIPPLED MAN AT THE POOL OF BETHZATHA AND SPILLS OVER INTO A DISCUSSION OF HIS AUTHORITY. THE EPISODE OUTLINED IN (4:46-54) CAN BE LINKED TO THAT REPORTED IN (5:1-16.) THEY TELL OF JESUS HEALING TWO PEOPLE, THE SON OF A NOBLEMAN, AND A SICK MAN AT THE POOL OF BETHZATHA. IN HEALING THE NOBLEMAN'S SON, JESUS GIVES NEW LIFE TO ONE AT THE BRINK OF DEATH IN HEALING THE MAN AT THE POOL OF BETHZATHA, HE GIVES NEW LIFE TO ONE WHO IS OTHERWISE HELPLESS. BOTH HEALINGS ILLUSTRATE THE LIFE-GIVING POWER OF JESUS WORD. THE SECOND HEALING TAKES PLACE ON THE SABBATH. IN ACTING AS HE DOES, JESUS DEMONSTRATES HIS AUTHORITY OVER THE SABBATH, AND REPLACES IT AS AN ORDINANCE WITH HIMSELF THE AUTHORITY OF GOD, FOR HE IS GOD. S GOD HE ONCE FED HIS PEOPLE WITH MEAT AND MANNA IN THE WILDERNESS, SO JESUS AT PASSOVER TIME FED THE PEOPLE WITH BREAD AND MEAT. THE PEOPLE ARE SO IMPRESSED THAT THEY ATTEMPT TO MAKE HIM KING OVER THEIR LAND, POSSIBLY TO HAVE HIM LEAD THEM IN A REVOLT AGAINST THE ROMANS.. LATER HIS DISCIPLES SEE HIM WALKING TOWARDS THEM ACROSS THE SEA OF GALILEE. JESUS POWER OVER THE FORCES OF NATURE.DUPLICATES THE POWER OF GOD DESCRIBED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT e.g.PSALM 89:9; 107:23-32. JESUS THEREFORE MUST BE GOD INCARNATE FORM. HE IS THE RULER OF THE UNIVERSE. JESUS ACTIONS DECLARE HIM TO BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. MOREOVER, HE IS JUDGE OF THOSE WHO ENCOUNTER HIS LIGHT THE PHARISEES PROBLEM IS THAT THEY CALL EVIL GOOD, AND GOOD EVIL. THEIR CONCERN IS RITUAL, NOT HUMAN NEED. THEY SLANDER AND CONDEMN JESUS AND THE ONES HE HEALS. JUDGMENT IS EXERCISED ON THE PHARISEES, NOT BY THE PHARISEE. THOSE WHO THINK THEY CAN SEE ARE DECLARED BLIND THOUGH JESUS OWN PEOPLE REJECT HIM, HE DRAWS A NEW COMMUNITY FROM AMONG THEM AND TAKES THEM INTO AN UPPER
ROOM, WHERE HE DEMONSTRATES THE NATURE OF HIS KINGSHIP AND THE FORM LIFE IN FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM IS TO TAKE.
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