Pictures From the Good News According to John

The world was a dark place. History records the poverty and brutality of the ancient world. The Bible has a dark gap of four hundred years after the last Prophet, Malachi. The Holy Spirit was nowhere to be found. The people were sitting in darkness.

Then Jesus came. “There was the true Light, who lightens every man, coming into the world.” “The people sitting in darkness saw a great Light.”

No sign of the Holy Spirit.

Then Jesus came. “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, full of grace and truth.” Grace and truth came into people’s lives. 

*****

The wedding celebration was a disaster. Just as the party got underway at the most important occasion of the lives of most poor people in that day, a party for which many saved up their pennies for years, the wine ran out. Wine in the Bible is a symbol of joy. Now there was no wine. The party was ruined. No joy.

Then Jesus came. He had the servants fill six stone waterpots of twenty or thirty gallons each, 120-150 gallons. Then he told the servants to draw out some of the water and take it to the head steward. When the steward tasted it, he called the bridegroom and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when they have had too much to drink, the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now.” There were plenty of wine and plenty of joy.

*****

It was night. More darkness. Spiritual darkness. A Pharisee named Nicodemus came to Jesus. He was a leader of the Jewish religion, yet he was spiritually ignorant. He came to Jesus with polite words: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one is able to do these signs which you do unless God be with him.” As usual, Jesus went to the heart of Nicodemus’s need: “Unless one has been born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God.” What did this have to do with what Nicodemus had said? He said nothing about the kingdom of God. And this is the only passage in John that even uses the word “kingdom” except for 18.36.

Nicodemus showed his spiritual ignorance by asking, “How can a man be born being old? Is he able to enter into the womb of his mother a second time and be born? No.”

Then Jesus came. “Unless one be born from water and Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born from the flesh is flesh and that which is born from the Spirit is spirit…. You must be born from above.”

The Jewish religion was all of this earth. It had an earthly temple with cherubim and special furnishings. It had priests with special clothing. It had trumpets. It had animal and other sacrifices. It had annual festivals that must be observed. It had a written law that must be adhered to. It had a city to which all must go to worship. It was of the earth, dusty. But there was no awareness of spiritual things. There was no awareness of the tabernacle in Heaven, of the heavenly things of which the earthly were copies.

The faith that Jesus brought is spiritual in nature. Yes, it affects the earthly, mightily, but it is inherently spiritual. It is of Heaven, not of earth. It is not of flesh. If one is to come into this heavenly kingdom, just as he was born physically into this physical world he must be born spiritually into the spiritual kingdom. Just as he was born below, he must be born from above. That is the answer to Nicodemus’s deepest need, and to the deepest need of all of us.

Yes, Jesus came. Did Nicodemus get the message? We do not know. His only other mentions are in Jn. 7.50 and 19.39. These verses give hints, but no final answers. Our hope is that we will meet Nicodemus in Heaven. Jesus came and gave the answer.

*****

There was a woman deep in sin. She had had five husbands in a culture in which being divorced was a disgrace, and was living with a man who was not her husband. She could have been stoned to death for her sins. With all of this sin, she was a part of a false, or at least distorted, religion. Was she observant, or just aware of the teachings? We don’t know. We do know that she was dying of spiritual thirst.

Then Jesus came. He asked this thirsty woman for a drink! We don’t know whether she ever gave him a drink or not – the passage doesn’t tell us. She wondered why he, a Jew, would speak to a Samaritan woman. Jews, the people of God, looked down on these sinful Samaritans, foreigners or mixed breeds. Instead of being a light to the nations as God intended, they prided themselves on being superior and despised these “dogs.” So why would Jesus even speak to her?

He turned the conversation around and told her that if she had asked him for a drink he would have given her living water. You may not know that when the Old Testament speaks of “running water,” the Hebrew says “living water.” They did not have running water in that day, not as we do, so when Jesus said he would have given her living water, she may have thought he meant that he would rig her up a device from a flowing stream that would bring water to her house! Probably not! She asked him how he would get this living water since the well was deep and he had no bucket and rope. He told her that the well water would leave one thirsting again, but whoever drank of the water that he would give would never thirst again. Naturally she wanted this water and asked for it so she would not be thirsty or have to come to the well to draw water.

Then Jesus got down to cases: “Go call your husband and come here.” Ah, here was the source of her thirst: her sin. She was not just physically thirsty, but spiritually thirsty, and she had no answer for that thirst. Five men had not quenched it. Would one more? Might as well find out before bothering to marry him.

You know the story. She found the living water. Jesus is the source, the giver of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is the living water. He is within, not in a well in the ground or even in a kitchen tap. His flow quenches that spiritual thirst.

*****

A royal official had a son who was sick with a fever. In those days a fever could strike terror into the hearts of parents. There was no medicine. Little could be done but hope. Death was a distinct possibility. Death, after which there was no hope, could be imminent.

Then Jesus came. The official heard that Jesus had come and went to him, pleading for him to come heal his son. Jesus tested him a bit, but the man said, in effect, “Hurry up. He may die!” Jesus said to him, “Go, your son is living.” And he was. Where Jesus comes there is life.

*****

Thirty-eight years. The poor, sick man had been lying beside that pool for thirty-eight years, hoping to be the first into the pool when the waters were stirred. But someone else had always beaten him in. Thirty-eight years.

Then Jesus came. He asked the man if he wanted to get well and was told that he had no one to put him into the water so that someone else always got there first. So Jesus said to him, “Get up. Take up your pallet and walk.” And he was made well and he did get up and walk! Where Jesus is there is health, perhaps not always physical health in this age, but spiritual health, and there is certainly the possibility of the healing of the sick.

*****

Five thousand hungry men out on a mountain to listen to Jesus teach and see his miracles and perhaps experience them themselves. How were they all to be fed? It wasn’t like today. They couldn’t all just run into town and hit the fast food joints and convenience stores, or even a nice restaurant. They were all or mostly poor anyway. There was no money to buy food.

Then Jesus came. He had a plan. He asked his disciple Philip, “Where may we buy loaves that these may eat?” Philip knew there was no money. Andrew spoke up and said, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these to so many?” Jesus had the men to recline on the grass and took the food, gave thanks for it, and gave it out to the crowd. All of them had all they wanted. If that were all that took place here, it would have been a nice story of Jesus helping some people at a needy moment.

But then Jesus came again. He had help for these people far beyond one meal, and it wasn’t continual meals. He knew that these men wanted to take him by force and make him king because he fed them. They were looking for someone to meet their material needs in a time when rulers oppressed and exploited their subjects for their own benefit. Here is a man who will feed us! So Jesus withdrew, but not to disappoint these men. He did so to give them something much greater.

When they found him they gathered around him again and asked him how he got there. Ignoring their question, he immediately said to them, “You are seeking me not because you saw signs, but because you ate from the loaves and were filled.” That is, the signs pointed to something beyond themselves of much more importance than the sign. The sign was a miraculous meal. It pointed to the spiritual food that gives eternal life. He said, “Don’t work for the food that perishes, but for the food remaining into eternal life.” They asked him, “What should we do that we may work the works of God?” His answer? It is quite a surprise: “This is the work of God, that you put trust in the one whom that one sent.” The work is to put trust in? But faith is not works. We are not saved by works, but by faith. Ah, but Jesus said that the work of God is to put trust in Jesus.

Then they asked him a remarkable question, astounding really: “Then what sign do you do that we may see and put trust in you?” What sign? How about feeding five thousand men with five loaves and two fish? He had already done the sign. Now he was explaining the spiritual truth the sign pointed to. He is the bread of life. The bread the five thousand ate perished with the eating. His life in them would never perish, nor would they if they put their trust in them.

This conversation went on and on until many of his disciples left him. The twelve stayed with him, and one of them was a devil.

So what took place when Jesus came the second time? We don’t know. Probably some besides the twelve stayed with him. Those who did found eternal life. Those who did not worked for the food that is perishing, and they perished with it. There is still bread aplenty for those who will put their trust in him.

*****

Jerusalem was packed with Jews from all over the known world who had come for the Festival of Tabernacles or Booths. The city was filled with activity and religion. This festival commemorated God’s keeping of his people during their wilderness wandering after the exodus, when they lived in tents or booths. The residents of Jerusalem would build, on the roofs of their houses, booths of tree branches and move into those booths for the duration of the festival, living as their ancestors had done in the wilderness. The thousands of visitors would build these structures just about everywhere.

There were seemingly innumerable sacrifices: on the first day of the seven-day festival, thirteen bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs, along with grain and oil, one male goat, plus the continual burnt offering (a lamb in the morning and a lamb in the evening), and a drink offering, usually of wine, were offered. This was repeated through the seventh day, with the exception that the number of bulls was reduced by one each day. Then on the eighth day, the day after the festival, one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs, plus grain and oil, drink offerings, and a male goat were offered. (Num. 29.12-39)

In addition, the people at large would make their own offerings, votive, free will and peace offerings. This necessitated a large business in sacrificial animals. It was impractical for all these visitors to bring animals from as much as hundreds of miles away, and the animals had to be without blemish. And there were the money changers who put foreign currency into local coins. We see examples of this in the cleansing of the temple grounds by Jesus.

This festival was a time of rejoicing and generosity. There were processions and temple services. There were sharing of meals with visitors and money offerings made to help the needy.

The Festival of Tabernacles had also become a harvest festival, for it occurred at the end of the harvest year, in our September or October. It was a time of giving thanks for the harvest and prayer for rain for the next crop.

One of the processions that took place was one to the pool of Siloam, where a priest drew out water in a golden pitcher, then proceeded back to the temple, where he went to the altar of sacrifice and poured the water into a tube that took it to the base of the altar. This was done every day for the seven days of the festival. After this the Hallel (Praise, Pss. 113-118) was sung. When Ps. 118.25, “I AM, save us; I AM, grant us prosperity,” was sung, the people waved their palm branches toward the altar. The next verse of this psalm reads, “Blessed be the one coming in the name of I AM.” This statement can refer only to the Jews’ hope of the coming Son of David, their Messiah. The Talmud, a collection of ancient Jewish writings, says in reference to this procession, “Why is the name called, The drawing out of water? Because of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, according to what is said: ‘With joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation’” (Is. 12.3). We see how the prayer for rain at the harvest festival led into a prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the golden age of Israel under the Messiah King. And Zech. 14.16-21 speaks of the keeping of the Festival of Tabernacles in this golden age, what we would call the Millennium.

With all of this information in mind, read Jn. 7.2-36 and see the utter pettiness and absence of spiritual life among these people of God who were supposedly observing a festival given to them by God.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Then Jesus came. On the last day, the great day, when the point came at which the water was to be poured out, Jesus suddenly called out, “If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink. The one putting faith in me, as the Scripture said, out of his inner being will flow rivers of living water.”

In the midst of all the activity, all the buying and selling, all the celebrating, all the religion, the Lord Jesus asked, “Is anyone thirsty?” Have celebrating and religion satisfied your thirst? Or do you thirst not for religion, but for the living God? If these things have not satisfied and there is still thirst, “come to me and drink.” How does one drink? By trusting in Jesus. Like the Samaritan woman, the one who puts trust in  Jesus will have a supply of the water of life within. The Lord Jesus said that he was there to give what the festival only promised. He would fulfill the prophecy of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The law was being observed by the keeping of the festival, for the law commanded it, but that very law kept people away from God, first because they could not keep it, and second, because the Jews had exalted the letter of the law above its purpose, bringing people to Jesus. It is a tutor unto Jesus. Jesus would not put a law that could not be kept between God and men, but would put God within men by the outpoured Holy Spirit.

Did the people get the message? Read Jn 7.40-53 and see what you think.

See Alfred Edersheim, The Temple, chapter 14, pgs. 268-282.

*****

Caught in the act. What defense is there when one is caught in the act? Jesus was on the temple grounds early to teach. The scribes and Pharisees brought in a woman caught in the act of adultery. The law was clear: she must be stoned to death. Their interest was not in the upholding of the law, but in finding a way to trap Jesus so they could accuse him. They asked him what he said. He gave no answer, but stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger. They kept asking.

He was already there, but then Jesus came. He sat up and said, “The one of you without sin, let him first throw a stone at her.” Then he stooped down and wrote on the ground again. At this word they went out one by one. When he sat up, he and the woman were the only ones there. He said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” He said to her, “Neither do I condemn you. Go. From now sin no more.” Jesus was the only one there who could have thrown a stone. He had no sin. He did not throw one. He forgave.

*****

It was dark again. Jesus said in 8.12, “I am the Light of the world.” Then read 8.13-59. It is one long argument between Jesus the Light and men in darkness. Then we come to more darkness. A man blind from birth. Born blind. He had never seen even a glimmer of light.

Then Jesus came. “’I am the Light of the world.’ Having said these things he spat on the ground and made clay from the spittle and spread the clay on his eyes.” Then he sent the man to the Pool of Siloam, which means “sent,” and told him to wash there. When he came back he was seeing. Sight to the blind! What more could one want?

Then Jesus came again. He could give much more. Sight in this world is a wonderful thing. As I type these words I look up and see the beauty of spring out the window. How pleasant after the drab winter. But how much more valuable is spiritual sight. So many of the people we have encountered in this little excursion through John were blinder than bats spiritually. Jesus told them that their sin remains.

But this man blind from birth? He received spiritual sight, too. He stood up for Jesus against the Pharisees, so much so that they put him out of the synagogue, equivalent to condemning him to hell. Jesus found him and asked if he had faith in the Son of Man. He asked, “And who is he, Lord, that I may have faith in him?” Jesus told him that he was talking to him, and the man said, “I have faith, Lord,” and he worshiped him. He saw!

*****

Lazarus was sick. His sisters sent word to Jesus. But Jesus did not come. Lazarus died. His sisters were in mourning. It was the age-old situation of the death of a loved one and the deep sorrow that always accompanies it. Heartbreak. Tears. Wondering why. They knew that if Jesus had come, he could have healed him. Why didn’t he come?

Then Jesus came. He had a higher purpose than just healing Lazarus. That was important, but Lazarus would die again, and so would Mary and Martha and everyone else there. Jesus had something to teach them that required the death of Lazarus. It was that he was in reality the resurrection and the life, eternal life. This man, this strange figure, could raise the dead. He raised only three people during his ministry, but there is coming a day when all who have died in him will come out of their graves alive, alive forever. Death and hades will be cast into the lake of fire, and that will be the end of death forever. No more waiting at a bedside for the inevitable. No more grief. No more tears. Eternal joy!

*****

But first – this man who had no sin and did only good, who healed the sick, raised the dead, healed broken hearts, forgave sins, taught truth, confronted evil, exposed hypocrisy, glorified God his Father, this man was nailed to a cross and put to death. All of his followers had hoped that he would be the consolation of Israel and had such high hopes for the restoration of Israel to freedom and prosperity, to being the head and not the tail. He was their hero and their hope. Now all their hopes were dashed. Despair.

Then Jesus came – alive from the tomb! Could it be? Yes, he is alive today, reigning in Heaven, saving the lost, building his church, preparing his people for their inheritance in his kingdom and to be his bride. Yes, he came.

And he is coming again.

Has he come to you?

Copyright © 2019 by Tom Adcox. All rights reserved. You may share this work with others, provided you do not alter it and do not sell it or use it for any commercial purpose. “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10.8). Also you must include this notice if you share it or any part of it.

Old Testament quotations are the author’s update of the American Standard Version unless otherwise noted. New Testament translations are the author’s unless otherwise noted.