OUR FATHER WHOSE TEMPLE IS A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR THE NATIONS

The book of John chapter  2 verses 13 - 22 records when Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover and while he was there, found that the temple had been converted into a trading floor for sacrificial animals and currency changers.

As people poured into Jerusalem for the Passover feast, merchants took advantage of the high demand for animals and for the temple currency and they set up booths inside the temple in order to sell their wares at seasonally inflated rates.

This missappropriation of the temple stirred Jesus to anger and He scattered the vendors who had setup their retail opertations in a spiritual space by driving the animals out and by overturning the tables on which currency was being traded.

This activity attracted an investigation by the temple managers who asked what spiritual credentials Jesus had that permitted Him to enforce the spiritual function of the temple.

The passage reads this way;

13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”

18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”

19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”

21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

As Jesus replied to the temple managers, the sign of Jesusˋ spiritul authority to clear the temple was that He would die and in three days, He would rise again. 

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO INVITES US TO A WEDDING 

The book of John chapter 2 starts with a wedding at the Galilean town of Cana to which Jesusˋ mother was invited and the Lord Jesus and His disciples were also invited.

As the reception proceeded, the alcoholic beverages ran out and the host family was about to be embarrased. Mary, Jesusˋ mother, wanted to help out the flailing family and so she came to Jesus and informed His that the wine had run out and the family needed some help to keep face in the community.

Jesus replied to His mother that the alcohol supplies of a wedding were not His responsibility and certainly not maintaining the social standing of a family in the little town of Cana.

Mary responded as though she had not heard what Jesus had said and she rallied the wedding attendants to carry out whatever Jesus told them to do.

He commanded the servants to fill six water jars which held about 20 - 30 gallons of water each.

When they had filled the jars with water, Jesus told them to take a sample to the master of ceremonies who tasted it and was surprised by the quality of the wine.

Usually, as the master of ceremonies told the bridegroom, the best wine is served at the beginning of the festivities while everyone was sober. As the night wore on and people became increasingly inebriated, the hosts would bring out the cheaper dreck that drunk people donˋt mind or don't notice. 

On this occasion, the master of ceremonies was surprised by the fact that the hosts had brought out the top brand of wine towards the end of the wedding feast.

1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

The events wedding at Cana marked the beginning of Jesusˋ public supernatural ministry and His disciples took note of Jesusˋ power to do the miraculous.

The kingdom of God will be experienced in a similar way by those who subscribe to it.

At the beginning, we will engage with heaven faintly but at the culmination of all things, we will see and understand clearly.

As the Apostle Paul says in I Corinthians chapter 13 verse 12;

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

The good wine will come at the end.

Amen

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 OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS SON COMPANIONS to WALK WITH

The book of John chapter 1 verses 43 - 51 reads this way;

43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”

48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Amen

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OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS SON COMPANIONS TO WALK WITH

The book of John chapter 1 verses 35 - 42 records the calling of the first disciples to Jesusˋ ministry.

The day after John had baptised Jesus, Jesus was in the area and again John declared the Jesus was the Lamb of God and two of Johnˋs disciples heard him and they left Johnˋs ministry and followed Jesus. One of these disciples was Andrew.

35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”

39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).

Andrew, having heard John the baptist say that Jesus was the Lamb of God immediately followed Jesus and went to where He was staying and hung out with Him until about 4 in the afternoon. He then went to find his own brother whose name was Simon and Andrew told him that they had found the Messiah and brought him to where Jesus was.

Jesus, upon seeing Simon, changed his name to Peter which means ˋa stoneˋ.

Thus the group of disciples began to grow until it reached 12 core members.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO REVEALED HIS SON TO THE WORLD THROUGH JOHN THE BAPTIST

John chapter 1 verses 29 - 34 says this;

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who [k]is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ 31 I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”

32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

amen.

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 OUR FATHER WHO SENT A VOICE AHEAD TO PREPARE A WAY FOR OUR GOD

John chapter 1 verses 19 - 29 captures the confrontation between the religious leaders and John the Baptist.

John the Baptistˋs emergence confounded the religious class at the time because he was proclaiming spiritual rite of repentance through baptism and so they sent priests and Levites to him to find out who he was and get an explanaton for what he was doing.

They asked John the Baptist if he was the Messiah and he denied that. They then asked him if he was Elijah who had pre-figured baptism in the scriptures and John denied that as well. They asked him if he was 'the prophet' to which John said ˋNoˋ.

The prophet is this case is a reference from Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse - 18, which says, "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers".

The identity of this prophet is Jesus who was called a prophet by the woman at the well in the book of John chapter 4 verse 19;

The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.

Our passage for today reads this way;

20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?”

And he answered, “No.”

22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Those who had aproached John the Baptist to question him exhausted the options that they had considered and so they asked him to tell them who he was and he told them that he was the one sent to prepare the way for the prophet (spoken of by Moses) and the Messiah (spoken of by the prophet  Isaiah and the other prophets). This role is captured in Isaiah chapter 40 verse which says;

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE SON WAS THE EXACT REPRESENTATION OF HIMSELF

The book of John chapter 1 verses 16 - 18 says this;

16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

This passage is easier to understand in the Amplified version;

16 For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift]. 17 For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God [His essence, His divine nature] at any time; the [One and] only begotten God [that is, the unique Son] who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him [and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father].

The Apostle John wrote of the experience that they had with the One of whom John the Baptist bore witness.

John describes being innundated with grace being poured upon grace out of the abundance of the Messiah Jesus Christ who, being in intimate connection with the  Father, was able to reveal the nature of God the Father to those listened to Him.

Whereas Moses brought the instrument of law by which favor was earned by obedience to it, the Messiah Jesus brought the instrument of grace and truth which made available the unearned and undeserved favor to us all.

Amen.

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