John 2
EverettJohn 2:1-20
The Testimony of Jesus’ Miracles - The third and largest section of John’s Gospel is given to the testimony of the works, or miracles, of Jesus (John 2:1 to John 11:54). In this section we find six miracles, or works, of Jesus that the author uses to reveal several important aspects about the deity of Jesus, with the seventh miracle being that of Christ’s resurrection (John 11:55 to John 20:29). (The section containing the seventh miracle will also contain the seven testimonies of Old Testament Scripture.) It appears that John the apostle selected seven particular miracles which occasioned Jesus that best testified of His deity.[119] Within each of the seven subsections of miracles, several common elements are found. Each will contain a miracle, followed by Jesus’ testimony of His deity occasioned by the miracle, the response of the people’s faith, and often His rejection by the Jews. The seven particular miracles recorded in John’s Gospel clearly tell the story of how Jesus revealed Himself to mankind as the Son of God. Thus, these seven particular miracles “manifest” His glory, or deity. We find in John 2:1-11 the record of the first of seven miracles in John’s Gospel.
This passage closes with the comment from the author that the purpose of recording these particular miracles was to “manifested forth his glory” (John 2:11), which is the underlying theme of the Gospel of John, to reveal the glory that Jesus Christ has with God the Father as the Son of God. These seven miracles serve as testimonies that reveal His glory as the Son of God, with each miracle revealing a difference aspect of Jesus’ glory with the Father as well as His divine nature. Note how John 2:11, which verse closes the first miracle, declares this section of John’s Gospel as the beginning of His miracles. [119] The proposition that the Gospel of John contains seven distinct miracles, or testimonies, that witness to the deity of Jesus Christ is not new. Those scholars who do propose seven miracles offer a variety of combinations as to which passages qualify as a distinct miracle or testimony. For example, G. Campbell Morgan names seven miracles that are popularly used as: (1) the water to wine [2:1-12], (2) restoration at Cana [4:43-54], (3) the man at the pool [5:1-9], (4) feeding the multitudes [6:1-15], (5) stilling the storm [6:16-21], (6) the blind man [9:1-7], and (7) Lazarus [11:1-44]. See G. Campbell Morgan, The Analyzed Bible: The Gospel According to John (New York: Fleming H.
Revell Company, 1909), insert page. I believe that John the apostle uses seven miracles to shape the literary structure of the Gospel of John in 2:1 to 20:29, with 20:30-31 serving as a summary of these miracles. Thus, I proposed that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the seventh miracle, while suggesting that the miracle of Jesus walking on the water does not fit within this literary structure of the Gospel of John.John 2:11, “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” John 2:11 also says that these miracles serve to reveal His glory, with each miracle revealing a difference aspect of Jesus’ glory with the Father as well as His divine nature and redemptive role for mankind. Thus, the miracles and declarations of Jesus found in this section all point to His coming Passion: death, burial and resurrection. It is important to understand that the revelations of Jesus’ glory reveal progressively more and more of His divinity. Each revelation could only be understood by those believers who had embraced the previous revelation of His glory.[120] Thus, many turned back from following Him during the course of His public ministry, so that it was only to His dedicated disciples that He revealed His crucifixion and coming resurrection. [120] The progressive revelation of the deity of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John is noted by scholars. For example, Alexander MacLaren says, “…the story of the gradual illumination of his spirit until it came to the full light of the perception of Christ as the Son of God, was far more to the Evangelist, and ought to be far more to us than giving the outward eye power to discern the outward light.” See Alexander MacLaren, The Gospel According to St. John chapters IX to XIV, in Expositions of Holy Scripture (New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son, 1908), 11-12.Structural Markers of Joh 2:1 to John 20:31 – John 2:1 to John 20:31 can be divided according to seven Jewish feasts. Within each of these seven feast sections is found a single miracle, a miracle that testifies of a particular aspect of Jesus’ deity.
We find six of these miracles ending with a statement that many believed in Him because of these miracles (John 2:11; John 4:53; John 5:15; John 6:14; John 9:38; John 11:45). The seventh miracle of the Resurrection also ends with a similar statement of people believing in Him (John 20:29).
In addition, the first six sections have distinct transitional statements regarding Jesus journeying to a Jewish feast and retreating after manifesting Himself as the Son of God (John 2:2; John 2:12; John 5:1; John 6:1; John 7:1-10; John 10:23). The seventh miracle of the Resurrection also begins and ends with a similar statement of Jesus arriving at the feast (John 11:55 to John 12:1). These sections begin with an introduction to a Jewish feast, and within these sections can be found subsections that can be divided by recurring narrative phrases such as “after these things.” The word “miracles” (σημειον) (G4592) will occur fourteen (14) times within this section of Joh 2:1 to John 11:54 out of the seventeen (17) times it is found within the entire Gospel, since the miracles of Jesus Christ are emphasized in this section. Each occurrence of the word “miracle” in this section is accompanied with a statement about the people believing in Jesus, particularly the Gentiles, or about the Jewish leaders rejecting Him because of such miracles. Thus, the purpose of each of these miracles was to show forth the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ so that the people would believe in Him, while contrasting those who rejected His testimony. The seventh and final miracle will be found during the seventh and final Passover feast in which Jesus Christ is resurrected from the dead by the power of the Father. The seventh miracle of the resurrection is the focus of the next section (John 11:55 to John 20:31), which also gives us seven testimonies of Jesus’ deity from the Old Testament Scripture. The Thematic Scheme of Joh 2:1 to John 20:31 – John 2:1 to John 20:31 records seven miracles which Jesus worked on seven festival occasions that provided an opportunity to declare Himself as the Son of God, with the seventh miracle of the resurrection taking place on the seventh feast of the Passover. It is interesting to note that each of these miracles will be performed at festive occasions, telling us that Jesus’ work of redemption for mankind is a cause for rejoicing and celebrating. This section of John’s Gospel follows a thematic scheme revealing Jesus’ role in man’s redemption, which are predestination, divine calling, justification, indoctrination, divine service and perseverance, and glorification. Predestination (John 2:1-11) - At the wedding feast Jesus declares that His time had not yet come, a reference to the fact that He has been predestined to shed His own blood on Calvary at God the Father’s preordained time, revealing God’s predestined plan of redemption for mankind as well. It is through Christ we have been predestined for redemption and salvation. Divine Calling (John 2:12 to John 4:54) - At the first Jewish Passover Jesus performs miracles and tells Nicodemus that He has been sent from Heaven, only to be rejected by the Jews and accepted by the Gentiles, revealing Jesus’ divine calling to come to earth for mankind to believe in Him.
It is through Christ being sent from Heaven that we have been called to believe in Him. Justification (John 5:1-47) - At the third feast of the Jews Jesus calls for men to believe in Him as the Son of God through the four-fold testimony of the Father, of John the Baptist, of the Old Testament Scriptures, and of His miracles.
These four testimonies justify Jesus Christ as the Son of God and reveal man’s need for justification through faith in Him. It is through Christ we have been given the testimonies by which man must believe unto salvation. Indoctrination (John 6:1-71) - At the time of the second Jewish Passover Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the five thousand, which provided Him the opportunity to declare Himself as the “Bread of Life,” which testimony reveals man’s need to partake of His redemptive work of indoctrination. Divine Service (John 7:1 to John 10:21) - At the Feast of Tabernacles Jesus reveals Himself as “the Light of the world” (John 8:12), the “Door of the sheepfold” (John 10:1), and the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:14), revealing man’s redemptive need to follow Jesus in divine. It is through Christ we walk in the light of God’s plan for our lives through His divine protection and provision so that we can persevere unto the end. Perseverance (John 10:22 to John 11:57) - At the Feast of Dedication Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead and declares Himself as the “Resurrection and the Life” for all mankind, revealing man’s eternal hope of glorification.
It is through Christ we, too, will partake of our resurrection and eternal glorification. Glorification (John 11:55 to John 20:29) - The final Passover in John 11:55 to John 20:29 provides the seventh miracle of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which reflects the theme of man’s glorification.
In addition, in this section John the apostle proves Jesus’ testimonies through the fulfillment of seven events surrounding the Passion predicted in the Old Testament Scriptures. The Miracles Testify to Similar Aspects of the Divinity of Jesus Christ – Each miracle that Jesus performed served as a type and figure of a similar aspect of Jesus’ divinity. For example, Jesus turned the water to wine when testifying of the new covenant He was predestined to institute through His blood (John 2:1-11). The healing of the nobleman’s sons testified of Jesus’ calling as the Saviour of the world (John 2:12 to John 4:54). Jesus healed the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda and testified that eternal life is in Him (John 5:1-47). During the Passover festival recorded in John 6:1-71, Jesus miraculously fed the five thousand and then told the people that He was the Bread of Life. At the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus Christ healed the blind man and then declared that He is the Light of the World (John 7:1 to John 10:21). During the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22 to John 11:57), Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead as a way to declare that He was the Resurrection and the Life. Outline – Here is a proposed outline:
- 1st Miracle & Testimony at the Wedding Feast — John 2:1-112. 2nd Miracle & Testimonies at the First Passover — John 2:12 to John 4:543. 3rd Miracle & Testimonies at the Feast of the Jews — John 5:1-474. 4th Miracle & Testimonies at the Second Passover — John 6:1-715. 5th Miracle & Testimonies at the Feast of Tabernacles — John 7:1 to John 10:216. 6th Miracle & Testimonies at the Feast of Dedication — John 10:22 to John 11:547. 7th Miracle & The Testimony of Scriptures — John 11:55 to John 20:298. Summary: The Author Testifies of All of His Miracles — John 20:30-31
John 2:12-4
The Second Miracle (Calling) (Jesus Testifies of His Calling by Being Sent from Heaven) – The second feast and its affiliated miracle of healing the nobleman’s son in John 2:12 to John 4:54 emphasizes Jesus’ divine calling as the Saviour of the world, as He testifies to the Jews (John 2:13 to John 3:21), and to non-Jews, the Samaritans (John 4:1-42), and a Gentile nobleman in Galilee (John 4:43-54), that He has been send by God as the Saviour, with John the Baptist giving his final testimony of God sending His Son to bring everlasting life to men (John 3:22-36).[138] [138] Andreas Kösterberger says, “The overall intent of 1:19-4:54 seems to be to present the initiation of Jesus’ self-disclosure and its reception among various types of groups and individuals.” See Andreas J. Kösterberger, John, in Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2004), 53.The events surrounding the first of three Passover recorded in John 2:12 to John 4:54 led to a number of testimonies that revealed the divine calling of Jesus Christ, who was sent by God; for Nicodemus begins his dialogue with Jesus saying, “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” (John 3:2) This section reveals how God the Father sent His Son from heaven to earth to redeem those would put their faith in Jesus. These testimonies reveal various aspects of Jesus’ divine calling from the Father to make atonement for the sins of the world: He testifies to the Jews in the Temple of His bodily death and resurrection (John 2:12-22); He testifies to Nicodemus of man’s need to believe that God sent His only begotten Son into the world (John 3:1-21); John the Baptist confirms Jesus’ testimony of man’s need to believe in the Son who has been sent by God (John 3:22-36); Jesus testifies to the Samaritan woman that He is the Messiah that is to come and to His disciples that He has come to do the Father’s will (John 4:1-42); He heals the nobleman’s son as a testimony of His call to redeem all of mankind (John 4:46-54). In other words, this section testifies that Jesus called all three major ethnic groups that lived in Palestine during His ministry. It is through Christ being sent from Heaven that we all have been called to believe in Him as the promised Messiah, both Jews and Gentiles. Outline - Here is a suggested outline:
- Jesus’ Testimony to the Jews of His Divine Calling — John 2:12 to John 3:212. John the Baptist’s Final Testimony of His Divine Calling — John 3:22-363. Jesus’ Testimony to the Gentiles of His Divine Calling — John 4:1-54
John 2:23-3
The Jews Respond to His Calling – John 2:23 to John 3:21 discusses the testimony of the Jewish reaction to Jesus’ miracles. John 2:23-25 gives us a statement by the author that many people began to believe in Jesus Christ because of His miracles; yet, Jesus Christ knew men’s hearts and was not yet willing to commit Himself to them. The story of Nicodemus follows as an example of this statement of the Jews’ unstable faith. For example, Nicodemus believed in Jesus Christ, but he was not willing to publicly acknowledge his belief before his Jewish peers out of fear (John 3:1-21). This passage in John 2:23 to John 3:21 is an illustration of Joh 1:10-12 in which Jesus came unto His own creation, and was rejected by it; yet, to those who did believe, He gave them the authority as sons of God. John 1:10-12, “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” Outline - Here is a proposed outline:
- Many Believe in His Miracles — John 2:23-252. The Example of Nicodemus’ Faith — John 3:1-21