I have a confession to make: When I was a teenager, I thought it'd be cool to figure out the chronological order of Jesus' life. To be honest with you, I thought I'd gain some insight into who Jesus was and is. (That's the heart of this time of epiphany--realizing who Jesus is.)
But as I got into college (I was an English major), I started to notice that the structure of a novel was sometimes just as important as the story. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels, because they are so similar. If you've read all four Gospels, you know John's Gospel is different.
John's Gospel begins with an amazing poem about how Jesus is the Word of God, how he was with God at the beginning, and how he is God. Then, we have a description of the first days of Jesus' ministry, including a conversation between John the Baptist and the Pharisees.
John 1:19-28 in the Common English Bible (CEB) reads:
This is John's testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, "Who are you?" John confessed (he didn't deny but confessed), "I'm not the Christ." They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" John said, "I'm not." "Are you the prophet?" John answered, "No." They asked, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" John replied, "I am a voice crying out in the wilderness, Make the Lord's path straight, just as the prophet Isaiah said." Those sent by the Pharisees asked, "Why do you baptize if you aren't the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" John answered, "I baptize with water. Someone greater stands among you, whom you don't recognize. He comes after me, but I'm not worthy to untie his sandal straps." This encounter took place across the Jordan in Bethany where John was baptizing.
The next day (verses 29-34) contains John the Baptist's testimony about Jesus. This witness causes two of the Baptist's disciples to follow Jesus.
John 1:29-34 reads:
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one about whom I said, 'He who comes after me is really greater than me because he existed before me.' Even I didn't recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be made known to Israel." John testified, "I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it rested on him. Even I didn't recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'The one on whom you see the Spirit coming down and resting is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and testified that this one is God's Son."
The day after (verses 35-42), Jesus calls his first disciples--Andrew and John. Andrew goes and finds his brother and leads him to Jesus.
John 1:35-42 reads:
The next day John was standing again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus walking along he said, "Look! The Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard what he said, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he asked, "What are you looking for?" They said, "Rabbi (which is translated Teacher), where are you staying?" He replied, "Come and see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. One of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We gave found the Messiah" (which is translated Christ). he led him to Jesus.
The following day (verses 43-50), Jesus finds Philip. Philip then finds Nathaniel and offers this great invitation: "Come and see."
John 1:43-50 reads:
The next day Jesus wanted to go into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, "Follow me." Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law and the Prophets: Jesus, Joseph's son, from Nazareth." Nathanael responded, "Can anything from Nazareth be good?" Philip said, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, "Here is a genuine Israelite in whom there is no deceit." Nathanael asked him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are God's Son. You are the king of Israel." Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these! I assure you that you will see heaven open and God's angels going up to heaven and down to earth on the Son of Man*.
Did you notice something in those verses? John the Baptist's witness causes two of his disciples to leave and follow Jesus. Then, they witness to their friend. This begins a process of an ever-increasing circle of testimony, faith, and even more witness.
The call to faith and our response to faith is life-giving. So, let's ask an important question for the life of our church: Do we extend invitations to others? Do we invite others to "Come and see" what God is doing?
Much to my wife's chagrin, this ain't the 1950's. People aren't going to just show up to church because it's the right thing to do. People want to know that church matters. They need for us to not only tell but to show them that faith is important--that Jesus is working in our lives. These verses show us that to be a follower of Jesus is to point others to him.
If you'd like to watch a short video on the structure of the first part of John's Gospel, here's a link. The video is by The Bible Project. I love everything they have produced so far.
And if you like the translation that I read from Sunday, which is the same one that's in the adult Sunday school books, here is a link to a great study Bible.
Blessings,
AK
*Note: The CEB translates "Son of Man" as "the Human One." While I agree that Jesus came to create a new humanity by showing us how to live and how to relate to one another, and while I believe that Jesus was fully human, as well as fully divine, that phrase "the Human One" sounds like it misses the mark.
But as I got into college (I was an English major), I started to notice that the structure of a novel was sometimes just as important as the story. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels, because they are so similar. If you've read all four Gospels, you know John's Gospel is different.
John's Gospel begins with an amazing poem about how Jesus is the Word of God, how he was with God at the beginning, and how he is God. Then, we have a description of the first days of Jesus' ministry, including a conversation between John the Baptist and the Pharisees.
John 1:19-28 in the Common English Bible (CEB) reads:
This is John's testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, "Who are you?" John confessed (he didn't deny but confessed), "I'm not the Christ." They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" John said, "I'm not." "Are you the prophet?" John answered, "No." They asked, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" John replied, "I am a voice crying out in the wilderness, Make the Lord's path straight, just as the prophet Isaiah said." Those sent by the Pharisees asked, "Why do you baptize if you aren't the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" John answered, "I baptize with water. Someone greater stands among you, whom you don't recognize. He comes after me, but I'm not worthy to untie his sandal straps." This encounter took place across the Jordan in Bethany where John was baptizing.
The next day (verses 29-34) contains John the Baptist's testimony about Jesus. This witness causes two of the Baptist's disciples to follow Jesus.
John 1:29-34 reads:
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one about whom I said, 'He who comes after me is really greater than me because he existed before me.' Even I didn't recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be made known to Israel." John testified, "I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it rested on him. Even I didn't recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'The one on whom you see the Spirit coming down and resting is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and testified that this one is God's Son."
The day after (verses 35-42), Jesus calls his first disciples--Andrew and John. Andrew goes and finds his brother and leads him to Jesus.
John 1:35-42 reads:
The next day John was standing again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus walking along he said, "Look! The Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard what he said, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he asked, "What are you looking for?" They said, "Rabbi (which is translated Teacher), where are you staying?" He replied, "Come and see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. One of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We gave found the Messiah" (which is translated Christ). he led him to Jesus.
The following day (verses 43-50), Jesus finds Philip. Philip then finds Nathaniel and offers this great invitation: "Come and see."
John 1:43-50 reads:
The next day Jesus wanted to go into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, "Follow me." Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law and the Prophets: Jesus, Joseph's son, from Nazareth." Nathanael responded, "Can anything from Nazareth be good?" Philip said, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, "Here is a genuine Israelite in whom there is no deceit." Nathanael asked him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are God's Son. You are the king of Israel." Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these! I assure you that you will see heaven open and God's angels going up to heaven and down to earth on the Son of Man*.
Did you notice something in those verses? John the Baptist's witness causes two of his disciples to leave and follow Jesus. Then, they witness to their friend. This begins a process of an ever-increasing circle of testimony, faith, and even more witness.
The call to faith and our response to faith is life-giving. So, let's ask an important question for the life of our church: Do we extend invitations to others? Do we invite others to "Come and see" what God is doing?
Much to my wife's chagrin, this ain't the 1950's. People aren't going to just show up to church because it's the right thing to do. People want to know that church matters. They need for us to not only tell but to show them that faith is important--that Jesus is working in our lives. These verses show us that to be a follower of Jesus is to point others to him.
If you'd like to watch a short video on the structure of the first part of John's Gospel, here's a link. The video is by The Bible Project. I love everything they have produced so far.
And if you like the translation that I read from Sunday, which is the same one that's in the adult Sunday school books, here is a link to a great study Bible.
Blessings,
AK
*Note: The CEB translates "Son of Man" as "the Human One." While I agree that Jesus came to create a new humanity by showing us how to live and how to relate to one another, and while I believe that Jesus was fully human, as well as fully divine, that phrase "the Human One" sounds like it misses the mark.
Comments
Post a Comment