Jesus is the bread of life. It’s a very popular phrase from the Bible that we read about here in John 6, but the depth of that statement cannot be lost on us reading this passage in 2020.
First and foremost, the chapter kicks off with Jesus feeding the 5,000. We know from studying this passage that the actual number could have been as high as 15,000-20,000 after you count the women and children who were present that day.
Read MoreImagine the scene.
A pool near the Sheep Gate, one of the busier gates into Jerusalem, where sacrificial animals are brought to the market to be bought and sold. It’s a bustling place—noisy and boisterous, with the din of people and animals going into and out of the city. And around the pool lie perhaps dozens of people with all sorts of physical handicaps—some blind, some lame, some unable to move at all without help. All hoping to be the first into the water when it ripples, believing that God will heal them if they are first.
Read MoreSince Jesus is the Word (John 1:1,ESV), what He says naturally exudes authority. The official in this story is imploring Jesus to come and heal his son. Jesus first responds with a comment about the general lack of belief among His fellow Israelites, unless it is accompanied by visible signs and wonders. However, the man is not deterred and redoubles his demand by saying, “Sir, come down before my child dies” (John 4:49, ESV).
Read MoreThe wedding business today is huge! But if we think we’ve cornered the market on weddings today, we’re wrong. In John 2, the Jews knew how to throw a wedding! This chapter is full of significance.
Jewish weddings during the time of Christ were gala occasions even among villages like Cana in Galilee. They were week-long festivals with the entire village invited. Hospitality was abundant and wine was essential. The Rabbis used to say, “Without wine, there is no joy.” To run out of wine at a Jewish wedding was a terrible embarrassment and humiliation. In today’s lingo, it would be a catering disaster!
An easy way to understand John 2 is to think of the wedding phrase of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.
Read MoreThe next time you watch a live performance of a well-known musician, take note of the consistent reaction of the crowd as they hear the first few notes of a classic song. They will instantly roar with celebration. This should be the response of every believer’s soul when John repeats the first three words of Genesis to introduce His testimony of Jesus: “In the beginning...” (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1).
Through the initial five verses of Chapter 1, John moves us deeper, both into the reality of creation, and into our hope in Christ.
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