John 2

John 2:1

In Jesus’ day, Jewish wedding celebrations lasted for one week, during which time relatives and friends would stay in the home of the bride and groomsort of a honeymoon/family reunion/bachelor party/wedding shower all rolled into one! During this seven-day celebration, the bride would be tucked away in a secluded part of the house and would not be seen by anyone but her groom. At the end of the week, she would emerge with great fanfare and celebration. This is fascinating as it relates to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. You see, when the Rapture takes place, wethe bride of Christwill be carried away into heaven for seven years. Just as the Jewish bride was in seclusion with her groom for seven days, we will be tucked away in intimacy with our Lord Jesus Christ, away from the Tribulation that will be unleashed upon the earth.

John 2:2

Jesus’ presence at this particular wedding signals His stamp of approval upon all aspects of the institution of marriagecivil, legal, and religious. A wedding ceremony itself has an effect that is not often understood. Couples find a commitment made to each other in a public ceremony harder to break when the going gets tough. Perhaps that is why statistics show that those who live together before marriage have a substantially higher divorce rate than those who don’t. I continue to be amazed at the large number of couples who say, “What does a piece of paper matter? Why can’t we just make a private commitment to God and to each other without all of the legal and religious procedures?” Here in John 2, at the very outset of His public ministry, Jesus honored and elevated the institution of marriage.

John 2:3

Some have suggested Mary’s concern over the shortage of wine indicates she may have been a hostess at this wedding. Since the role of hostess at a Jewish wedding was usually filled by an aunt of the groom, this marriage celebration could very well have been that of Mary’s nephew, John. Mary turned to her Son for help. However, based on Jesus’ following response, it is my personal conviction that Mary was interested in more than simply the provision of wine. Might she have been seeking a restoration of her reputation? You see, as a young woman of perhaps fourteen or fifteen years of age, Mary had become miraculously pregnant by the Spirit of God.

Yes, she was highly favored by God and blessed among women. But she also must have become the subject of speculation and slander, raised eyebrows and wagging tongues. Defending their own righteousness, the Pharisees smugly declared to Jesus, “We be not born of fornication” (Joh_8:41), their implication being that He had been. For thirty years, Mary had lived with the knowledge that her character had been unjustly maligned. Is it not possible that at this point, she looked to her Son not only for wine but for vindication, thinking that if people could only see who He really was, perhaps they would at last see the truth about her as well?

John 2:4

Gune is the Greek word translated “woman.” It is a term of respect but not of warmth. Thus, Jesus responds to Mary with a gentle rebuke. This sounds like a cold response on Jesus’ part to His longsuffering and gentle mother. Yet, as is seen in the remainder of the verse, it was as much for His mother’s good as for His Father’s glory. “Mine hour” is a term used in John’s Gospel seven times. To what hour is Jesus referring? In Joh_17:1, He prayed, “Father the hour is come; glorify thy Son that thy Son also may glorify thee.” “The hour” is the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. “The hour” is the time of the irrefutable declaration of who He was, of the undeniable proof of His deity. “The hour” is when His earthly ministry would be finished, His appointed mission completed, His Father fully glorified. “Woman…Mary…Mother…” said Jesus, “I better than anyone know you have been waiting patiently. I know better than anyone how you have been hurt. I understand better than anyone your situation. But it is not time to rectify everything…not quite yet.” What does this say to us? Oftentimes, I think we ask the Lord to do something that will get us off the hook or make us look a little better. We ask Him to do something that will smooth our road or lighten our load. Like Mary’s, our requests might sound very noble, very generous, very altruisticbut in reality, they’re self-centered. And in such instances, Jesus might whisper in our hearts, as He did to Mary, “What have I to do with thee? This is not the hour. This is not the time. This is not the place. The problem will be solved. Your reputation will be salvaged. The provision will be made. The healing will be enjoyed. But not yet. Mine hour is not yet come.” Daniel was in a place of prominence and tremendous authority in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. Then, when he was about sixty-five years old, Nabonidus came into power, and Daniel was removed from office. For twenty years, Daniel is not seen in the narrative given to us in the book that bears his name. But then the day dawned that Belshazzar called for him to interpret the mysterious writing on the wall (Dan_5:13). When Darius the Mede seized control of the kingdom shortly thereafter, Daniel was placed in a position of prominence once again. Thus, for twenty years, Daniel was neither used in ministry nor given a position of responsibility. Yet Daniel, being a man of integrity, did what we must do: He remained ready. Be like Daniel, gang. Don’t say, “I’ve been walking with the Lord for five years, and nothing’s happening, so I think I’ll just go to the movies, join the city softball league, or take up bird-watching.” Folks, it is your job and my job to be readyto walk with the Lord, to spend time in the presence of the Lord, and to learn about the Lord so that when Belshazzar says, “What does this mean?” like Daniel, we can say, “I can tell you because for twenty years I’ve been in touch with God. For twenty years, I’ve been in the place of prayer. For twenty years, I’ve been close to the Lord.” Are you in prayer? Are you studying the Word? Are you loving the Lord? Are you ready? In a certain moment, your hour will come. Your time will arrive. A significant task, a life-changing opportunity will arise, and then it will be too late to prepare. As Jesus descended the Mount of Transfiguration, He was met by a man who said, “Master, I brought my epileptic son to Your disciples but they couldn’t help him.” Jesus then cast out the demon within the boy. “Why couldn’t we do that?” asked His disciples. “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting,” answered Jesus (Mat_17:21). If it takes prayer and fasting to cast out a demon of that nature, how were we to know we would have that kind of encounter? the disciples must have wondered. But I believe Jesus was implying that, because they wouldn’t know when opportunities to minister would come their way, they should have been living a life of continual prayer and fasting. Why weren’t the disciples praying? I suggest it was because Jesus was on the mountain with Peter, James, and John. I suggest it was because the nine disciples down below were saying, “It’s always Peter, James, and John. They get to go up the mountain. They’re always in the inner circle. But what about us? We never get to do anything.” And because that was their mentality, they weren’t interceding. They weren’t praying. They weren’t ready. So, too, there are those today who say, “The Lord never uses me. The church never calls on me.” But when the opportunity arises before them, they are either unable to meet it or are completely unaware of it. Saint, your responsibility in ministry is to be ready and then to rest. Study the Scripture in the place of intimacy and prayer. Worship the Lord. Get to know Him all the more. Then just rest, saying, “Lord, when the hour comes in which You want to use me to do something for Your glory, I’m ready.” Radical transformation will occur in your walk with the Lord when you realize He’s the Master and you’re not. He’s the King, and you’re the subject. He’s the Boss, and you’re the servant. Your job is not to order Him or even to make suggestions to Him. Your place is to be ready for Him, and to rest in Him.

John 2:5

I find it theologically significant that in these, her last recorded words in Scripture, we see Mary directing the servants to her Son rather than acting as a mediator or liaison for Him. Those who believe they need to go through Mary to have their prayers heard or to gain influence in heaven have not studied carefully the relationship between Jesus and His mother. She didn’t carry a whole lot of weight with Him. Oh, He loved her and cared for her even when He was on the Cross. But He was neither influenced by her nor did He take orders from her. When it was told Him that His mother wanted to see Him, Jesus said, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers? They who hear and heed the Word of God are My mother and My brothers” (see Luk_8:21). Later, in Acts 1, we see Mary with the other disciples praying in the Upper Room. She’s not leading the meeting. She’s not in a place of honor or prominence. She’s just one of them. There is one Mediator between God and mannot Mary, but “the Man, Christ Jesus” (see 1Ti_2:5).

John 2:6

For you who seek to serve Jesus to a greater degree, there are three important characteristics of the servants to note in this story… The first is obedience. The servants didn’t argue with Jesus, or ask questions of Him. They simply did what He asked them to do. The second is exuberance. The servants filled huge twenty-gallon vessels to the brim, even though they had no idea what would happen next. There was nothing halfhearted about these guys! The third is patience. Jesus didn’t say, “Okay, servants, huddle up. Here’s the plan. See those big water pots over there? I want you guys to fill them with water. Then, as you begin to pour them out and serve them to the governor, a miracle will take place and the water will turn into wine.

John will write about it in the second chapter of his Gospel, and you guys will be famous!” No, Jesus told the servants what to do only one step at a time. First, they were to fill the water pots. After they had done that, He instructed them to draw the water out and take it to the governor. The miracle occurred only as they faithfully followed each step. Too often, I want to know what steps two through five are going to be before I follow step one. “Let me know where this is all going, Lord. Let me know where I will be next month, next year, and three years from now.

Lay it out clearly, Lord, and then I’ll go for it.” The Lord doesn’t work that way. He unfolds His plan for us the same way He did for the servants at the wedding: one step at a time. And the point where we stop obeying is the point where that stops happening.

John 2:9

So well known is this story, it can be recounted today by believer and non-believer alike. At the time, however, the only ones who knew what had transpired were the lowliest people in attendance at the wedding: the servants. No one else knew from whence the wine came. There were no “oohs” and “aahs” as the wine was poured. There were no glances of recognition toward the thirty-year-old Carpenter. There was not a sudden rush of people to Jesus’ side.

There were only some dropped jaws and wide eyes on the faces of some tired servants. This first public miracle of Jesus was similar to His first appearance on earth, for then only a few shepherds were aware of what had happened. There would be times later in His ministry when He would demonstrate His deity with bold and awesome authority. But on this particular day in Cana, He chose to reveal Himself only to some humble, obedient servants. Throughout history, there have been those who use this story as justification for drinking alcohol. “Jesus made wine. Jesus drank wine. So don’t talk to me about not drinking,” they insist. “If your argument is sincerely based upon the example of Jesus, you will never drink again,” I answer. “Look at Luk_22:18 where Jesus says He will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God shall come. Even if Jesus was drinking fermented winea viewpoint to which I don’t personally subscribesince He as your role model will not drink again until the kingdom comes, neither should you.” As a pastor, I’m tired of seeing the damage alcohol inflicts upon our children, our families, and our society as a whole. Everyone who has ever begun to drink has done so thinking they would be careful, that they would remain in control. But the fact that eighteen million Americans are known alcoholics proves otherwise. Solomon declares, “It is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes strong drink, lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that are of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more” (Pro_31:4-7). If you’re perishing, which literally means “damned,” or if you’re depressed to the point where you cannot bear life, you have Solomon’s permission to partake of alcohol. But if you want to be a leader, he warns you to stay away from it lest you short-circuit your thinking process. Solomon was right, for science has since proven that every ounce of alcohol consumed permanently destroys ten thousand dendrites, or filaments, in the nerve cells of the brain. While it is true that each of us has millions of dendrites, I think it is fair to say that none of us has any to spare. If you’re like me, you need all the dendrites you can get! Be wise, precious people, and consider very seriously the effects of alcohol upon your spiritual and physical well-being, your family stability, and the health of our society.

John 2:11

Compare this first public miracle of Jesus, the “grace-bringer,” with the first miracle of Moses, the lawgiver. Moses turned the water of the Nile into blood, which speaks of judgment. Jesus turned the water at the wedding into wine, which speaks of joy. So, too, if you approach the Word legalistically, it will become like the Nile. You’ll bloody yourself and everyone around you. But if you look for Jesus in the water of the Word, you will find the wine of joy producing such hilarity within you that people for miles around will be drawn to you. Our Lord’s first public miracle took place at a marriage ceremony. I believe that is because daily miracles are essential to our marriages. In the brief account of the miracle at Cana, a beautiful picture develops that illustrates how the Lord can take a marriage that seems washed-up or watered-down, and turn it into something sparkly, bubbly, and joyful. Marriage should not be simply workable, like water. It should be wonderful, like wine. As quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle, ninety-nine-year-old Abel Kibiak, America’s oldest living Olympian, winner of the silver medal in the fifteen hundred-meter race in 1912, said he is looking for a woman to “take up with.” “She doesn’t have to have teeth,” he said, “just a driver’s license.” I think too often we have an “Abel Kibiak” mentality concerning marriage. We settle for so little when the Lord wants to bless us with so much. You see, God has chosen marriage to be the singular illustration by which an unbelieving world might see that Jesus is alive. How does this happen? Look at the story, and you’ll find the procedure to be so simple. Stone vessels were filled to the brim with water, servants drew out the water, and the water became wine. Paul declares we are earthen vessels (2Co_4:7). Therefore, I am to allow the Word of God to fill me to the brim. Then I am to make the effort and take the time to draw from what has filled me in order to serve my wife, Tammy.

She, on the other hand, is to allow the Word of God to fill her to the brim in order that she might serve me. And as we do this, we find ourselves in Cana, where the water of the Word is transformed into the wine of joy. I’m not talking about discussing theological complexities or an exegesis of the Pentateuch. I’m talking about just sharing whatever it is that stimulates, convicts, or interests you on your journey through the Word.

John 2:12

Here is Mary still at her Son’s side. The rebuke earlier in the chapter did not deter her from following Him. Perhaps it brought them even closer. Do not despise the rebuke of the Lord, gang, for it is meant to draw you nearer to His side.

John 2:13

Passover was linked with another feast that took place seven days laterthe Feast of Unleavened Bread. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Jews had to make sure that absolutely no leaven was present in their homes. They searched every corner, every cupboard, and every cooking utensil to rid their homes of every trace of leaven, the symbol of sin. In the following account, we will see Jesus bring to life this Old Testament picture as He cleanses His own Father’s House from the evil and sin within it. In front of the temple were four courtyards separated by four doors leading from one to the other. The first courtyard, the court of the Gentiles, was accessible to everyone. Men and women, Jews and Gentiles could all enter the court of the Gentiles. Beyond the court of the Gentiles was the court of the Israelites. Gentiles were barred from this court upon penalty of death. The third courtyard was the court of men. Jewish males were the only ones allowed access to this court. Finally, adjoining the temple itself was the court of priests, where only priests were allowed admittance. In the court of Gentiles, oxen, sheep, and doves were sold. Why? Because the priests were filled with greed and covetousness. Coveting being simply wanting more of that which one already has enough, these Jewish pseudo-religious leaders wanted more money to increase their own coffers. Thus, the oxen, sheep, or doves brought by the people to sacrifice at the temple were, upon inspection by the priests, usually declared unfit for sacrifice due to some microscopic flaw or blemish. Worshipers were then instructed to purchase “preapproved” animals from the stalls in the courtyard. The prices for the “pure” animals were exorbitant, so the priests made a killing off the unsuspecting supplicants. The moneychangers employed a similar tactic. When foreigners came to the temple to pay their temple tax and to make offering, their money was declared unfit due to the image of Caesar or other foreign deity inscribed upon it. The moneychangers would then exchange foreign currency for shekels at a cost of up to ten times the normal exchange rate. Jesus entered this scene and saw immediately that His people were being robbed and ripped off. In the court of the Gentilesthe very place where the world should have been introduced to the True and Living Godthe priests were fleecing His flock instead of feeding them. Here, the story is quite a contrast to what had happened earlier in the chapter… At the wedding, Jesus sat at the table. Here, he’s throwing tables. In Cana, He worked quietly and privately. Here, He’s reacting conspicuously and publicly. At the wedding feast, the emphasis was on joy. Here, the end result is judgment. And yet I think there is a very interesting link between these two accounts. Both deal with tables. Both deal with Jesus desiring to bring joy. Our bodies being the temple of the Holy Spirit (1Co_6:19), there are things in our lives, in our temples, that are ripping us off just as surely as the priests and moneychangers ripped people off in Jesus’ day. Consequently, there is a direct connection between the joy produced at the wedding table and the judgment that took place at the temple table, for if I am a going to have joy, the Lord wants to drive out the sin that is ripping me off. Joy and judgment walk hand in hand, for without joy, judgment would be unbearable; but without judgment, sin would run rampant.

Yes, there is pleasure in sin for a season, but it is followed by destruction (Heb_11:25). Therefore, the Lord lovingly says to you and me, “I want to go through your life, overturn the tables, and drive out the cattle so you won’t be ripped off from what I want to do in and through you.” How does this happen practically? I believe it takes place at a third tablenot the table of the wedding feast or the table in the temple, but at the table of Communion. Communion produces rich and satisfying joy coupled with deep and purifying judgment, for it’s when you hold the elements of Communion in your hand as you’re on your knees before the Lord that you can hear His voice of compassion and correction in a uniquely powerful way. Turning Over Tables A Topical Study of Joh_2:13-15 I am constantly amazed by how the Lord works in the most predictably unpredictable places and through the most unusual and interesting people. One of the things I love about walking with Him is that I never know what the next step will bewhich is exactly how Jesus’ disciples must have felt in John 2. Up to this point, they probably thought they had Jesus pretty well figured out. After all, their introduction to Him was as the Lamb of GodHe was gentle. Their invitation from Him was, “Come and see"He was approachable. Their impression of Him was as the miraculous WinemakerHe was wonderful! But in verse Joh_2:13 of chapter 2, everything changed. The gentle, approachable Lamb of God becomes the Roaring Lion of Judah. With eyes flashing and scourge flying, muscles bulging and tables soaring, Jesus took on a seemingly new persona. Certainly the disciples must have thought, Who is this One we thought we knew so well?” In verse Joh_2:7, Jesus quietly met a need. In verse Joh_2:14, He conspicuously caused a scene. In verse Joh_2:2, Jesus sat at the marriage table. In verse Joh_2:15, He overturned temple tables. At Cana, Jesus created the wine of joy. In the temple, He initiated the work of judgment. But Jesus was not schizophrenic. There is a direct connection between the joy He produced at the wedding table and the judgment He pronounced at the moneychanger’s table. Joy and judgment are two sides of the same coin. They go hand in hand. And nowhere do they blend more perfectly and more powerfully than in the Person of Jesus Christ. Scripture records four occasions when Jesus exhibited righteous anger… In Mat_18:6, Jesus used strong language to describe the punishment of anyone who caused a child to stumble. In Mar_10:14, Jesus was “much displeased” when His disciples hindered little children from coming to Him. In Mar_3:5, Jesus looked with anger on the Pharisees who were eager to prosecute Him for healing on the Sabbath. And here in John 2, Jesus’ anger is seen in the cleansing of the temple. Please note that in all four of these situations, Jesus’ anger is directed toward those who put up barriers to prevent others from coming to Him. We often think the Lord is angry with our watching TV or with our imperfections and inconsistency. We think He’s angry with us for not reading the Word or for not praying. But in reality, what angers the heart of Jesus are those things that keep others from experiencing and enjoying the presence of Godtraditions that say, “You can’t be healed on the Sabbath,” or inspections that say, “Your sacrifice is unacceptable.” When individually or corporately we erect walls or barriers that discourage people from coming to the Lord, Jesus is angered. That is why, with scourge in hand, He overturned the tables of the moneychangers in the temple. And that is why He scourges us as well. You see, if there are barriers, barricades, people or problems in your life that prevent you or others from enjoying Him, He will scourge you (Heb_12:6). “Well, there are all kinds of barriers in my life, but I’m not being scourged,” you boast. Listenif you are building barriers and are not being dealt with, if you are sinning and not being scourged, according to Heb_12:8, you are not truly a son or daughter of God. Even though you’re at church every Sunday and Wednesday, if there is no table-turning in your life, if there is no removal of the barriers that so easily erect themselves between you and the Lord, you’re not part of the family. The author of Hebrews says to rejoice if you are being scourged because through it, the Lord is removing blockades that would keep you from the joy He wants to produce in your life. How does He scourge us? Often, it’s with a scourge made from “small cords” (verse Joh_2:15)… A number of years ago, I was making a shelf for Peter-John’s toy trucks. Due to my lack of carpentry skills, tools, and materials, what should have been a ten-minute project turned into a five-hour ordeal. At long last, after the single shelf was in place, I went into the kitchen to pour myself a well-deserved cup of herb tea. No sooner had I sat down, however, than I heard an excruciatingly loud crash. Running into Peter’s room, I found the shelf on the floor, surrounded by trucks and a huge piece of drywall. Sitting on top of the shelf was my then one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Jessie. “How could you do this, Jessie?” I said as tears began to roll down her chubby little cheeks. “I spent my whole day putting up this shelf, and now look at it!” Peter-John was standing in the doorway, hands on his hips. I looked at him, and he looked at me, shook his head, and said, “Daddy, Jesus is going to have to spank you!” Ouch! A small cord, scourging my heart! Folks, it might be a son or daughter, a sermon, a letter, or a traffic ticket. It might be a rebuke from a neighbor, sickness, or a setback. But if you’re smart, you’ll recognize even seemingly minor incidents as small cords in the hand of the Lord and say, “Oh, Lord, teach me. Change me. Remake me. I receive this right now as correction from You.” What gives Jesus the right to do this? Not the scourge in His hand, but the scourge upon His back. You see, in Joh_19:1, we read of Pilate scourging Jesusnot with a scourge made of small cords, but with a flagellum, commonly called a “cat of nine tails.” The flagellum consisted of a wooden handle about twelve inches in length from which extended thirty strips of leather. On the end of these leather thongs were round iron balls the size of fishing weights. Pieces of glass and iron were embedded between the iron balls and the handle of the flagellum. When Jesus was scourged, the large metal balls caused welts to rise. After about the sixth blow, the pieces of glass and metal tore into those large welts, reducing His back, shoulders, and legs to the consistency of hamburger. Most often, a man would die from such a scourging. Jesus, however, absorbed the full thirty-nine blows. Jesus took the beating in order to pay the price for my sin. “I did it,” He says, “because I want the best for you and because I’m in love with you. Now allow Me to take small cordsirritations, rebukes, hard timesand use them to overturn anything in your temple that is ripping you off, anything that is placing a barricade between you and Me.” And when I submit to His scourging, what happens? Joy returns. Worship flows. Intimacy is restored. Don’t despise His scourging, saint. Embrace it, and say, “Lord, as painful as this might be presently, I know You’re doing a work in me to bring joy eventually.” When we get to heaven, we will finally see that all of the work the Lord did in us was necessary for us to enjoy eternity. Therefore, let us decide today, dear brothers and sisters, that not only personally, but as a church corporately, we will not allow barriers or barricades of any kind to prevent people from coming into the presence of God. We must refuse to allow vain traditions, political persuasion, or cultural expectations to become barriers. We must guard against anything that would keep people from worshiping with us. We must keep the way clear for the Lion of Judah to come in regularly to drive out the moneychangers, overturn the tables, and keep this temple free.

John 2:16

This short phrase indicates that, even in His righteous anger, Jesus was totally in control. He was not running wildly through the temple courtyard, driving out oxen and throwing over tables in a blind rage. If that were the case, He would have knocked the cages of doves to the ground. No, knowing the doves would die if they fell to the ground locked in their cages, Jesus said, “Would you guys please take these out?” as He continued to crack the scourge and overturn tables. “Be angry and sin not,” said Paul (Eph_4:26). Jesus provides the perfect example of what this means. Although He acted with great strength and firmness, He was never out of control. A spoken word was given to those who sold doves. A show of force was given to the moneychangers. Jesus communicates differently to each of us. Sometimes He comes with His Word. Sometimes He comes with His might. But always He comes in righteousness. Here, Jesus referred to the temple as “my Father’s house.” At the end of His earthly ministry three years later, because they refused to acknowledge Him as their Messiah, He will tell the Jews the temple was their house (Mat_23:38).

John 2:17

John records three times when Jesus’ disciples remembered either something in Scripture or something Jesus said (Joh_2:17; Joh_2:22; Joh_12:16). Thus, uneducated though they might have been by the world’s standards, it was obvious they had the Word hidden in their hearts (Psa_119:11). As Psa_69:9 was brought to their remembrance, the disciples suddenly realized Jesus’ passion for the physical temple. So, too, Jesus is zealous and passionate about His spiritual templeus. We are His temple not only individually (1Co_6:19) but corporately (1Pe_2:5). And as His corporate temple, we as a church exist for three reasons… The first reason the church exists is for exaltationfor worshiping, exalting, and extolling the Lord. Why? Because all things were made by Him and for Him (Col_1:16)including the church. Therefore, the church exists for the Lord’s pleasure (Rev_4:11). The second reason the church exists is for edification. The church exists to edify the saintsto build them up, to bring them into maturity into the “measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (see Eph_4:12-13). How? By seeing Jesus through the study of the Scriptures. I am convinced that the greatest single need in the church of Jesus Christ today both nationally and internationally is the straightforward study of His Word. The third reason the church exists is for evangelization. The inevitable result of exaltation and edification will be evangelization. Why? Because healthy sheep just naturally reproduce. If sheep are properly fed and tended, the shepherd had better make room because baby lambs can’t be far behind. Act_6:7 declares that when the Word increased, the number of disciples multiplied. That is why the reason we meet together is not primarily for evangelism. Evangelism is the effect. Exaltation and edification are the cause. There was a man at Applegate Christian Fellowship who had been coming to the Fellowship for about a year. He was studying, digesting, meditating, and taking in the Scriptures. As a result, in the past eleven months, he led eight of his co-workers to Jesus Christ and all eight became a part of the body. Truly, evangelism is the result of edification. People often said, “You’re baptizing fifty or sixty new believers every week. How can this be?” The answer was simple: Healthy sheep reproduce. I recently talked to a lady at my son Peter-John’s baseball game who said, “When I first came to the Fellowship, I remember thinking that people were crazy to travel such a long distance. But as I began to worship with you, take in the Scriptures, and see what the Lord was doing, I found myself saying, ‘You know, it’s not such a long drive…”’ Folks, if you’re not into the church, if you’re down on the church, if you don’t have time for the church, you’re out of sync with the heart of the Lord because He’s zealous for and radically in love with His church.

John 2:18

Notice they didn’t say, “Why are You doing this?” Every single person there knew the temple needed cleansing because its practices were corrupt. Thus, no one asked Jesus why He did what He did. Rather, they asked who had given Him the authority to do it.

John 2:19

The Greek word translated “temple” is naos, which was also used in reference to the Holy of Holies. Perhaps Jesus physically pointed to Himself when He made this declaration. At the very least, He alluded to Himself when He made it. “Destroy this templeMe,” He said, “and in three days I will raise it up"which is precisely what happened at Calvary.

John 2:20

Herod had begun renovation of the temple in the year 20 B.C. The account before us took place in A.D. 26-28. Thus, the temple had been under construction for forty-six years at this point and would remain under construction until A.D. 64. As impressive as it was massive, Josephus records that eighteen thousand men were employed on the project over the course of its renovation. With this in mind, it is easy to see why the Jews thought the Galilean Carpenter crazy with His claim to rebuild the whole thing in only three days.

John 2:22

This is the third recorded instance in this chapter where the disciples “remembered” or “believed.” In verse Joh_2:11, the water changed to wine caused them to believe. In verse Joh_2:17, the cleansing of the temple caused them to remember. But here in verse Joh_2:22, the Resurrection caused them to both remember and believe.

John 2:23

There are those who seek miraculous proof that Jesus is real and that He loves them. They search for physical, material, or financial verification of His reality. But theirs is a flimsy, faulty faith built upon a sandbar foundation because, as we will see, Jesus is not committed to those who demand a sign. You see, the problem with signs is that they’re never enough. If you base your faith upon signs, you’ll always be upset by the one that didn’t happenthe prayer that wasn’t answered, the healing that didn’t come, the payment that didn’t arrive. That is why our faith must be built and based not upon what Jesus does, but upon who He is.

Who He is as revealed in the Word. That is why Paul says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom_10:17). It’s the Word pointing to the Person of Jesus Christ that produces genuine faith.

John 2:24

The word translated “commit” in verse Joh_2:24 is the same word translated “believe” in verse Joh_2:23. In other words, many believed in Jesus when they saw the miracles, but He did not believe in them because He knew their hearts. Stay tuned, folks. In John 3, we’ll be introduced to one who, unlike these people, sought Jesus for who He was rather than merely for what He could do.