Jesus Changes Water to Wine
1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.
8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."
They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."
11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
Jesus Clears the Temple
12After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.
13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
17His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."
18Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."
20The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" 21But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
23Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.
I remember a comedian talking about the power that Jesus had when he performed his first miracle. The comedian stated that Jesus could have really showed off by saying, "It's water, now it's wine. Now it's water, now wine." Basically if Jesus wanted to have fun with the people he could have changed it back and forth. I sometimes wonder if using Jesus in your comedy routine would be a bad thing.
Anyway Mary knew Jesus was about to do wonderful things and it seems that she hints to Jesus that he should do something about the wine running out. Jesus' reply seems a little odd on the surface, "Woman, why do you involve me?" "My time has not yet come." Although Jesus saves the day by keeping the wine flowing. Good wine at that!
I wonder how the story about Jesus clearing the temple applies to us today. I guess if someone is using church as a place to solely cultivate business that would be similar. Now if being genuinely involved ends up leading to business partnerships then that should be okay. I am positive that church relationships are abused for capital gains though.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Here Comes Jesus, John 1
The Word Became Flesh
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " 16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
John the Baptist Denies Being the Christ
19Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ.
21They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No."
22Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' "
24Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
26"I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. 27He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."
28This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Jesus the Lamb of God
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."
32Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
Jesus' First Disciples
35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39"Come," he replied, "and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
40Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."
44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
46"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.
47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."
48"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."
49Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
50Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." 51He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
The Word Became Flesh
John seems to be talking in circles here when he talks about the Word. It is a bit confusing and hard to follow. He is basically saying that Jesus is the WORD and that Jesus has always existed. Jesus also came to live among humans and everything exists because of Jesus.
John the Baptist
I posted a few days ago about John the Baptist. Here he denies being Jesus and even quotes the scriptures in saying he is paving the way for Jesus. In a few verses later John introduces Jesus, the Messiah.
Lamb of God
I remember being in a Catholic high school and during mass they would say, "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." In introducing Jesus as the Lamb of God, he is basically saying instead of sacrificing lambs to God as they have done for centuries, Jesus would be the ultimate sacrifice doing away with the need to sacrifice animals.
The Callings
The rest of the chapter deals with Jesus calling disciples. These men were from many backgrounds, but many seemed to know from the scriptures that someone like Jesus would come someday so these guys were smart enough to go along. I love how Nathanael asks, "can anything good come from Nazareth?" Then Jesus gets his attention by telling him that he saw him under the fig tree before Philipp called him. That got Nathanael's attention. Jesus goes on to basically tell him, "You aint seen nothing yet......"
I guess the biggest thing from this passage is to understand that Jesus has always been since the beginning of time. Everything was made through Jesus!
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " 16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
John the Baptist Denies Being the Christ
19Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ.
21They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No."
22Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' "
24Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
26"I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. 27He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."
28This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Jesus the Lamb of God
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."
32Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
Jesus' First Disciples
35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39"Come," he replied, "and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
40Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."
44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
46"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.
47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."
48"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."
49Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
50Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." 51He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
The Word Became Flesh
John seems to be talking in circles here when he talks about the Word. It is a bit confusing and hard to follow. He is basically saying that Jesus is the WORD and that Jesus has always existed. Jesus also came to live among humans and everything exists because of Jesus.
John the Baptist
I posted a few days ago about John the Baptist. Here he denies being Jesus and even quotes the scriptures in saying he is paving the way for Jesus. In a few verses later John introduces Jesus, the Messiah.
Lamb of God
I remember being in a Catholic high school and during mass they would say, "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." In introducing Jesus as the Lamb of God, he is basically saying instead of sacrificing lambs to God as they have done for centuries, Jesus would be the ultimate sacrifice doing away with the need to sacrifice animals.
The Callings
The rest of the chapter deals with Jesus calling disciples. These men were from many backgrounds, but many seemed to know from the scriptures that someone like Jesus would come someday so these guys were smart enough to go along. I love how Nathanael asks, "can anything good come from Nazareth?" Then Jesus gets his attention by telling him that he saw him under the fig tree before Philipp called him. That got Nathanael's attention. Jesus goes on to basically tell him, "You aint seen nothing yet......"
I guess the biggest thing from this passage is to understand that Jesus has always been since the beginning of time. Everything was made through Jesus!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Proverbs 1
Proverbs 1
Prologue: Purpose and Theme
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;
3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young-
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-
6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
Warning Against Enticement
8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
9 They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
11 If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul;
12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"-
15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!
19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.
Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom
20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,
25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.
29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD,
30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
A group of men from our men's retreat was challenged to read a proverb a day. This is my first post from Proverbs and I honestly can say that nothing really jumped out at me. I'll vist Proverbs 2 tomorrow and see if I am spoken to or get anything from it.
Prologue: Purpose and Theme
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;
3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young-
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-
6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
Warning Against Enticement
8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
9 They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
11 If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul;
12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"-
15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!
19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.
Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom
20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,
25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.
29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD,
30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
A group of men from our men's retreat was challenged to read a proverb a day. This is my first post from Proverbs and I honestly can say that nothing really jumped out at me. I'll vist Proverbs 2 tomorrow and see if I am spoken to or get anything from it.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Trusting Christ, Mathew 8,9
The Man With Leprosy Mathew 8:1-3
1 When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
Jesus was teaching and preaching from his Sermon on the Mount series and large crowds could have meant as many as 5,000 people. This man with leprosy put it all on the line to approach Jesus. In this time just about any skin disease was associated as leprosy, but this guy probably had the real deal. Uncurable and like HIV of today it could take as many as 10 years to take its toll and a person with leprosy would die a slow, painful death often losing body parts along the way. The FIRST thing this guy did was acknowledge Christ for who he was, LORD, and then he knelt down to worship him. This leper could have been stoned to death for this mere act. He then says, "If you are willing...." because he KNOWS Christ can heal him, he then says, "...you can make me clean." I think this guy would have been fine either way. He would accepted whatever action Christ would have taken.
Then Jesus reaches out to the "untouchable." The unclean person who was required by law to yell, "UNCLEAN" as he approached people. Jesus touches this man and says he is willing and heals the man. IMMEDIATELY the man was healed. In verse 4 Jesus tells the man to tell nobody, but to go to the priest and offer the gift of Moses. Basically this man went before the priests to show that he had been cured of leprosy and he could then be CLEAN and enter the temple. Back then the priest would probably watch for a few weeks to make sure he was clean. Kind of like someone being in remission from cancer today, it was a wait and see effort.
In our class today we basically talked about this man's attitude and approach. He didn't say HEAL me in a selfish way. He basically said to Jesus, if it is your will, heal me! I think we fail to take into account God's grand plan when we pray for things. We selfishly pray for healings without humbly approaching God and seeking his will.
I do think Jesus still perform miracles today!
We also looked at Matthew 8:23-28 where a storm comes upon the disciples in a boat and they panic while Jesus sleeps. We also looked at Matthew 9:1-8 where Jesus is approached by men carrying a paralytic. In this case Jesus looks at the faith of the friends and then first forgives this man, and then heals him in front of the scribes, or men of the law, basically committing the act of blasphemy since only God can forgive.
I love this passage too because the man was forgiven AND healed because of someone elses faith. If you are faithful to God he is able to work in the lives of others!
1 When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
Jesus was teaching and preaching from his Sermon on the Mount series and large crowds could have meant as many as 5,000 people. This man with leprosy put it all on the line to approach Jesus. In this time just about any skin disease was associated as leprosy, but this guy probably had the real deal. Uncurable and like HIV of today it could take as many as 10 years to take its toll and a person with leprosy would die a slow, painful death often losing body parts along the way. The FIRST thing this guy did was acknowledge Christ for who he was, LORD, and then he knelt down to worship him. This leper could have been stoned to death for this mere act. He then says, "If you are willing...." because he KNOWS Christ can heal him, he then says, "...you can make me clean." I think this guy would have been fine either way. He would accepted whatever action Christ would have taken.
Then Jesus reaches out to the "untouchable." The unclean person who was required by law to yell, "UNCLEAN" as he approached people. Jesus touches this man and says he is willing and heals the man. IMMEDIATELY the man was healed. In verse 4 Jesus tells the man to tell nobody, but to go to the priest and offer the gift of Moses. Basically this man went before the priests to show that he had been cured of leprosy and he could then be CLEAN and enter the temple. Back then the priest would probably watch for a few weeks to make sure he was clean. Kind of like someone being in remission from cancer today, it was a wait and see effort.
In our class today we basically talked about this man's attitude and approach. He didn't say HEAL me in a selfish way. He basically said to Jesus, if it is your will, heal me! I think we fail to take into account God's grand plan when we pray for things. We selfishly pray for healings without humbly approaching God and seeking his will.
I do think Jesus still perform miracles today!
We also looked at Matthew 8:23-28 where a storm comes upon the disciples in a boat and they panic while Jesus sleeps. We also looked at Matthew 9:1-8 where Jesus is approached by men carrying a paralytic. In this case Jesus looks at the faith of the friends and then first forgives this man, and then heals him in front of the scribes, or men of the law, basically committing the act of blasphemy since only God can forgive.
I love this passage too because the man was forgiven AND healed because of someone elses faith. If you are faithful to God he is able to work in the lives of others!
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