Bible, NT-16, Gospel-7, John-1: Part 1

LESSON 16

THE GOSPEL 7

JOHN 1

PART 1

By Rev. G. E. Newmyer 

INTRODUCTION LESSON 16

Some of us have looked at John’s account as some obscure document, or it may seem out of place in comparison to Matthew, Mark and Luke; however, we have A Gospel, not four separate views of the Gospel, nor do we have four separate gospels. John speaks to the Full Corn In The Ear, the one who is seeking to maintain the concept of “shall be saved”. John’s account was written by John the Apostle, who was referred to as, “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (Jn 13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, 21:20 & 21:24). When he wrote this he was the last of the original apostles, his account clears up many issues.

John’s account is the first one to bring in the concept of “Born Again”, explaining the Born Again experience, it’s the place where one changes from a child known of God into a child of God. Our approach in this study is to firm up our foundation by securing more knowledge in order to believe.

The traditional view on the date of John’s account is around 85 to 90 AD; therefore it was written after the temple was destroyed, yet history shows it was written just prior to the Book of Revelation. John’s account is often termed the Faith Account; however, the word Faith never appears in the entire account, but the word Believe in one form or another appears more times in John than in all of Paul’s writings including the Book of Hebrews. John’s account is not really a  faith document, it’s so we might Believe.

This same John wrote the Book of  Revelation, by most accounts also wrote I, II & III John; although his hand scrolled the words, we know the Holy Ghost guided him. Without any further comment we will begin our venture into John’s stirring exciting account.

LESSON 16

THE GOSPEL 7

JOHN’S ACCOUNT – PART 1

Unlike Luke, John will follow a chronological order based on the various Jewish feast days giving us a timeline, from which, we can discover many interesting elements. We will see the middle of the ministry was when the 5,000 were fed, but we will also discover what happened during the forty day fast. John begins a Beginning, it divides the creation in Genesis for the Night, from the creation in the Day for those of us who are children of the Day. The prophecy went forth, “Let us make man in our Image”, completed on Pentecost, based on what Jesus did.

John’s account is plainly written, the translators had to add very few words to complete the work. Really none of the additions were to promote a doctrine, only to make the sentences complete. John is not a theological document, it’s a love story about God and those God has called. Jeremy Taylor said, “The best theology is a divine life, rather than a divine knowledge”. Robert Green Ingersoll said, “Let us put theology out of religion. Theology has always sent the worst to heaven, yet the best to hell”. Henry Ward Beecher said, “Theology is a science of mind applied to God”. All these men added to the quote of others, like George Bernard Shaw who said, “We have not lost faith, but we have transferred it from God”. Charles Templeton who said, “Christianity does not remove you from the world and its problems, it makes you fit to live in it, triumphantly and usefully”. John is going to give us more than enough evidence to Believe, thus in our Belief we will discover some things about Jesus allowing one to fall in love with the Lord of glory. It may appear from some wording in the other accounts Jesus was being strict, but here in John we will find Jesus was gentle, kind and considerate, adding to the character of Christ.

God adds precept upon precept, line upon line; John has about 848 verses in 21 chapters. John is neither the smallest, nor the largest; Mark has about 678 verses, Matthew about 1,071, and Luke about 1,151, giving us a total of about 3,748 verses, a great majority of them pointing to the week of the Cross in one form or another. When Jesus told us to pick up our Cross, it referred to the week. When He talked about being Born Again, it referred to the week. The References to the week of the Cross show us why the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. However, since the creative works for the Night are complete, there must also be a beginning for the creation of the Day.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (1:1).

Genesis 1:2 saw the earth was without form, void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. John 1:1 and following show the earth is with form, it’s not void, but darkness is still on the face of the deep. John didn’t go back to Adam, as did Matthew, rather he takes us further back than Adam, to a place before all creation, a time when Sin was indefinable. Before God began creation, there was a purpose, Who is the Word (Logos), the Report in heaven is the Father, Word and Holy Ghost, as One (I Jn 5:7). Here the same John shows the Word was before creation, thus, all creation is for Him and by Him.

This verse in no stretch of the imagination can read, “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god”. Unger’s or any number of Greek grammar documents show us to translate “God” as “god”, is twisting the Scripture into a fable. Ignatius (30-107AD) was a disciple of John, he quoted this verse as it’s written in his Epistle to the Tarsians, Jerome quoted as written in the Latin.

The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made (1:2-3).

The Same Word was in the Beginning with God, thus the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world, the prophecy “let us make man in our image” was proclaimed for a time when the Spirit would be given, thus God is Spirit, thus that Born of the Spirit is Spirit.

In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men (1:4).

The Life was not before, it came in Jesus, the Life is Light and God is Light. These verses set the stage for our belief, the Word was with God, the Word was God, the Word humbled Himself then took on the form of man, went to the Cross and was Resurrected on the third day, now lives in every Born Again believer via the Spirit of Truth.

And the Light shined in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not (1:5).

This doesn’t say, “and the Light shined in the Light”, thus we find the people were in darkness, the darkness was still upon the face of the deep. This gives us three elements, the darkness of the world, the area under the spirit of disobedience, with the nature of the spirit of the world, also known as the “he that is in the world”. However, Jesus opened the Day for those of Salvation who are of the Greater Light. Then the Night for the Lesser Light, but the Night pertains to Judgment.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John (1:6).

The John noted in this verse is John the Baptist, not John the Apostle. John the Baptist had an earthly father and an earthly mother, he pointed to the Light, he was not the Light nor was he the one who brought it. John was important, but Jesus was much more so. John was sent by God to introduce the Light to man as well as man to the Light.

John was a prophet, but more than a prophet. John did something no other human had done, or would do, he baptized the Lord of Glory, he washed God’s Sacrifice, then Presented the Sacrifice. John saw the acceptance of his work in the form of a Dove descending from heaven, as the Father’s approval. Something to consider.

The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through Him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light (1:7-8).

Here we find why John was filled with the Holy Ghost, to be a witness of the Light. It doesn’t mean John had the Spirit, rather it shows the Holy Ghost filled him for a purpose,  yet the power and ability did not exceed the purpose. John did not raise the dead or heal the sick, but he did baptize and preach as a witness of the Light.

That was the true Light, which Lights every man that comes into the world. 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 (1:9-11).

This doesn’t say each and every person on earth “has the Light”, rather it shows He lights everyman, or the Light shines on everyone, as the Light exposes things in darkness. This verse extends the purpose from the Son of man to the Son of God. Jesus as the Son of man came for the children of Israel presenting the Mercy of the Father, here we find the word “world”, which shows the purpose was known by Jesus, thus the Cross did not just so happen, or appear as a surprise along the path, it was in the Plan. The method of the Cross was devised by man, but used by God.

This also relates to Isaiah, He is despised and rejected of men (Isa 53:3). No man has seen God at any time, but God sent His word so man could know God, yet the Word could not be known by man. Natural man was incapable of knowing Jesus, since to know Him would take spiritual discernment, thus they rejected Him. This leads us right back to spiritual matters are foolishness to the natural mind. In order to Know Jesus one must be Born Again, one could have a theological viewpoint, or even a personal opinion, even say they love the Lord, but it doesn’t mean they Know Him. The Greek word for Knew is Ginosko meaning among other things to Understand. John does encourage us as he says:

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 (1:12).

The word Receive means to take into ones being, thus to presume this means to “accept the thinking of” misses the point. We just found natural man can’t Know Jesus, but it doesn’t stop them from Receiving Him. The Greek word for Received is Lambano, a word Paul will use, meaning To lay hold, or take by the hand, or take with the hand, it has several prefixes, it can mean taken from a higher to lower, or lower to higher, or simply to receive without full awareness of what we are receiving. Paul put it this way, “I want to Lambano what has Lambano me”, which explains this verse. Jesus picked us, the Light did shine on us, we knew it. We may not have completely understood all about Jesus, we certainly didn’t know Him, but we know Love, we know Light, we know Truth as it drew us to Jesus. Then we gained the Power to be sons of God by the Spirit, from there we entered a relationship where we knew Jesus, as we are known by Him; for the first time in our lives we know who we are.

The word Become is the same Greek word translated as Made; thereby showing the New Man is the New creature, as our souls are being Formed into a spiritual nature, which is a process (Jn 1:10 & 1:14).

Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (1:13).

This confirms it, the New Birth is the issue, mainly it’s based in Belief. We believed the Scriptures, we asked for the Seed, then believed we receive, then enters faith until the purpose is reached; however, when we ask we believe we received. From there our faith reaches to the point where we are Born Again, along the path we Water the Seed with acts of Mercy. When the Seed comes forth, the same Mercy will acquire Life by the Spirit from our inner most parts as we speak words of Living Mercy.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth (1:14).

The Word was Made flesh, He wasn’t Created flesh, rather He took on flesh. None of us were in jars in heaven, then became flesh: none of us had a say so in being born of the flesh, but Jesus submitted and took on flesh, so we can be saved from the flesh.

This verse connects to the prior, showing the power to be a son of God is to be Born of God, which is a Birth not made with hands. Jesus held Grace and Truth within, yet operated as the Son of man. The purpose is the point, Jesus didn’t become the Son of God by the baptism; “in the beginning was the Word”. For some reason there are those who want to elevate themselves above God, they presume if they were water baptized they are sons of God, or they have the Spirit by their water baptism. John is clearing the issue, by bringing clarity, in order to be a son of God, we must be Born Again which gives us the Greater He in us (I Jn 4:1-6). Many areas in Acts show two baptisms, one in water and one with the Holy Ghost, thus the one with the Holy Ghost brought the Seed.

John bare witness of Him, and cried, saying, This was He of whom I spoke, He that comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me (1:15).

John the Baptist testified the time was at hand, John came with the message of Elijah, thus Elijah must come first, yet Jesus, as the Word, was before Elijah, as well as before the foundation of the world. John’s testimony was based on what God told him, then the confirmation of the prophetic word coming to pass; John knew what he knew.

And of His fullness have all we received and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (1:16-17).

This goes right back to being Born Again, Grace and Truth were in Jesus, when we receive the Spirit of Truth it means we received Grace. The only way to obtain Grace is from the One Who is Grace, we also find the Law of Moses never promised anyone Grace. Noah found grace in the sight of God, but the premise was God looking forward to Jesus,  the One who would make it possible for us to have God’s Grace.

No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him (1:18).

No one, Adam, Abraham, David or Elijah came from the Bosom of the Father, thus Jesus is The only Begotten of the Father, all the others were reproductions or formed of the earth. The word Begotten (Greek Monogenes) means into existence without being created, or “the unique Son Who being in the bosom of the Father, He, Himself brought God out”, thus God spoke His Word from the very depths of His heart, thus His Word took on the Form of man, for the sake of man, yet this form would suffer and feel pain as any man, while doing battle to free mankind of the sin nature, yet He never fell into temptation. Jesus operated as the Son of man based on Mercy, but He was nonetheless Grace and Truth.

The word Seen comes from the Greek Horao meaning to Perceive, Understand, or Discern, as well as see Clearly. It’s not merely seeing Jesus with the naked eye, but having the ability to Understand Him. Natural intellect is not going to understand God, it takes a spiritual mindset by the New Birth. There is a vast difference between understanding God, and God understanding us.

Two main verbs are contained in this text, one is En, the imperfect of Eimi in the phrase “To Be”, John used it in speaking of the eternal existent Jesus. The second verb is Egeneto, the aorist tense of Ginomai meaning Something not prior, which explains the word Begotten. In the text we see the wording, “and the Word became flesh…” (1:14) showing the Word became something it was not prior; therefore, the Word of God was not flesh and blood before taking on the form of a man in the womb of Mary, yet He was before the foundation of the World. The flesh was provided by Mary, the nature is still the Word of God made flesh for us.

In John’s Gospel account where we read, “No man has seen God…”, we find the Greek reads, “God no one has seen….”, as God, (Greek, Theon) is without the definite article, this gives us God in total, infinite and eternal. The use of the Greek Exegesato or Exegeted tells us Jesus was always in the bosom of the Father; at the timing of God His Word was brought forth to visibility to take on the Form of man for man, yet Jesus didn’t give up any position, rather Jesus having excellent Power was able to operate in the proper position for the proper time. We get the English word Exegesis from the Greek Exegeted, which means to make clear, or to bring an unfolding. Jesus became the Unfolding of God to man, as the hope of man to see the Father’s nature. Peter tells us the Holy Ghost interprets (Unfolds) the Word for us, as the wording “to make clear” is also known to us as Clarity (I Pet 1:19-21).

John’s account uses the first eighteen verses to lay out the foundation, providing us the evidence to stop making Jesus merely a man, or a prophet. He encourages us to look at the Son of man, to see the Son of God, to discern God the Son.

And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Are you Elijah? and he said, I am not. Are you that Prophet? and he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who are you? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What say you of yourself?  (1:19-22).

A record is something already established, or a statement containing information about events already considered complete. The word Record in a legal sense means a written transcript of proceedings having occurred. We often hear how the judge will have the Court Record read back, thus showing something completed then recorded in it’s exactness (I Jn 5:7-8). The Witness is something still in process, thus the Witness is bringing the Report to pass.

Jesus said Elijah all ready came, the disciples knew He spoke of John, yet John says he is not Elijah the man. Both are correct, they were looking for the man, when they should have been looking for the message.

He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptize you then, if you be not that Christ, nor Elijah, neither that Prophet (1:23-25).

This verse shows it’s the Voice, or Statement, not the man. The Voice of the Prophet came, but even if the Voice came, the people had to receive the prophet in the name of the prophet, to gain the prophet’s reward.

John didn’t say he was the only voice, rather he was the voice of one; thereby showing the position is open to others as well. We are Elijah, If we receive it, by receiving the It, we will be sent by Him who sends all the messengers of God to proclaim “Behold, the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world”.

John was the Voice, not the Word, the Greek word for Voice is Phone. From this Greek word we get the English word Telephone meaning John was the sound, not the source of the sound. The telephone doesn’t talk, it transfers the message from one person to another, thus John was not the source of the message, merely the “telephone” the Holy Ghost used.

There is another interesting facet here, John’s baptism did not have the authority to grant anyone entrance into the Body of Christ, the kingdom, or to receive the Holy Ghost, rather his baptism was based on the people should believe. John was filled with the Holy Ghost for the specifics of his ministry, which was baptizing in water, but more important, to present the Lamb of God to the Father. Mary was filled with the Holy Ghost for a purpose, but she didn’t go about healing people, neither did John.

The Holy Ghost will not grant us power beyond the Authority granted. The disciples were not filled with the Holy Ghost before Pentecost, yet under the Authority of Jesus, as the Son of man, they did go out and heal the sick, raise the dead and preach regarding the kingdom of heaven by the Mercy of God. On the same note, they had no understanding of the Cross and Resurrection, or spiritual matters.

John answered them saying, I baptize with water: but there stands one among you, whom you know not; He it is, Who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing (1:26-28).

John’s baptism was the preparing article relating to the Mercy of God in the ministry of the Son of man, to announce to the people how Jesus would be the one to baptize with the Holy Ghost and Fire. We know John’s baptism was for the people under his name (authority, but sent by God), saying the people should believe and repent, but didn’t Jesus already believe? What would Jesus have to repent for? Nothing, but wait the Sacrifice had to be washed by the priest who was filled with the Holy Ghost.

John’s ministry was short, so short it was done when Jesus came out of the wilderness, John’s baptism ceased to be a factor at the Cross. Once John was cast into prison we don’t read where anyone was baptized in water until Pentecost when it became the water baptism by the Authority (Name) of Jesus. John’s ministry was vital, yet it was very short. Success is found in completing the task God has set before us. After the Cross there were those who knew nothing by John’s baptism, Apollos for one until he was enlightened in the Way of God. Paul ran into Gentiles baptized in the name of John, thus the phrase, “In the Name of Jesus only”, refers to the Authority granted the Body to baptize people.

The next day John sees Jesus coming unto him, and says, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world! (1:29).

It’s interesting John didn’t say, “who takes away…”, rather he looked at the sacrifice covering the time period from the fall unto the last day, which was “before” John, yet Jesus is preferred by every sinner who desired to be free of the sin nature. The Lamb of God is fully able to stand for all mankind, Jew or Gentile, from Adam to the last person standing.

The phrase “the next day” is our first clue John the scribe is going to clear up some questions, showing us the many things Jesus did during the forty day fast. This is not only the next day after John talks to the religious leaders, but the next day after the baptism of Jesus. In the Greek the wording “the next day” means “the next day”, thus this is “the next day”. The false conclusion of John not speaking of the Wilderness is derived from John not using the word “wilderness”, but he does lay out one day, then the next, then the next, as well as many other clues showing we are looking at what Jesus did during those forty days.

It’s important we view the other accounts; Matthew says, “then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness” (Matt 4:1); Mark says, “and immediately the Spirit, drove Him into the wilderness” (Mark 1:12); Luke says Jesus was led by the Spirit as Jesus was filled with the Holy Ghost (Luke 4:1). Jesus had the Spirit on Him, with the Holy Ghost in Him, so how many are there? The Spirit correlates to the Dove, which displays the Peace of God as it relates to Grace, showing the purpose of the ministry. The Holy Ghost opens the ministry for the Son of man, this in no way means Jesus wasn’t the Son of God, rather it relates to the ministry of the Son of man. Later in Acts the Holy Ghost will say, “separate unto Me”, thus the Holy Ghost acts on behalf of Jesus does appoint of the Offices (Acts 13:1-3). In Jesus we find the preview of the premise, the Holy Ghost is the ability for the ministry dealing with the masses, the Spirit is the acceptance of the Sacrifice, as a Seal. Same God, different positions, just as Jesus is the Son of man, as well as, the Son of God (Rom 1:3-4). This view of the Spirit and Holy Ghost is our preview of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost brought the Gift which is the Spirit. It in no way means Jesus was Born Again, it means Jesus is the cause for us to be Born Again.

This begins our timeline, there are other clues to this as well. John 3:24 shows John was not yet cast into prison, but Mark shows John was in prison when the wilderness experience ended (Mark 1:14). It doesn’t take long to see we are seeing the events of the forty day fast, we will also see the term Miracles isn’t restricted to healings, but includes acts of God beyond the confines and limits of natural man. The Holy Ghost gives us abilities, thus cleaning out the Temple would be a Miracle in the eyes of any Jew, especially if they are a priest. The Jewish religious leaders presumed if anyone cleaned the Temple without their permission, God would send fire or angels down to destroy them, yet Jesus not only did it, He returned to continue to teach.

The Wilderness is both an area and a condition. John the Baptist came from the wilderness of Judea (Matt 3:1), Jesus would go into the wilderness after the baptism. Since John baptized in the wilderness, we find the wilderness also had water, not one of us would submit to Sand Baptism; therefore, assuming the Wilderness was a void place is in error. Matthew points out John the Baptist was challenged by the religious leaders, as Jesus was baptized on the same day (Matt 3:7-13). In John’s account we find the challenge from the religious leaders, then the phrase the next day. In Matthew’s account Jesus speaks about John the Baptist saying, “what went you into the wilderness to see?” (Matt 11:7). We find the wilderness could not have been a dry hot place, since he had to have water in order to baptize. We also find the same statement recorded in Luke, thus we can be up to our necks in water, yet in the wilderness (Luke 7:24).

The word translated as wilderness is the Greek Eremos which could be a desert, but it also means Lonesome, or Separated apart from something. There is another Greek word (Chora) for Empty expanse, or a Territory, this word would show a hot dry place, but neither John, or the other writers used Chora, which tells us to look beyond the territory to the purpose.

John the Baptist was the door between places, he was neither Old Testament or New; the law and prophets were until John, but the New Testament would not be opened until the Blood of Jesus is shed in the Sacrifice. Jesus said among those born of a woman (natural order of conception and birth) there is none greater than John, yet the least in the Kingdom is greater than John (Matt 11:11). The instant we received the Spirit, we became greater than John, whom Jesus said was greater than David, Moses, Adam, Abraham, Elijah or Solomon. Being Born Again is a great and wonderful gift, a very wonderful gift indeed.

All the other accounts give us the “temptation” in the wilderness, John is going to give us the events.

This is He of whom I said, After me comes a man which is preferred before me: for He was before me. And I knew Him not: but that He should be made manifest to Israel therefore am I come baptizing with water (1:30-31).

This verse defines the words “After me”, or “Preferred before me”. In verse 1:15 John said, “for He was before me”, in verse 1:27 he said, “Preferred before me”; they all mean something different. The word Preferred is the Greek Ginomai meaning To become, or to Be formed, thus showing the Preference was the Word, not John.

The word Before is the Greek Protos meaning First as in First place, thus John shows Jesus, as the Word, was long before John appeared on the scene, yet Jesus is preferred over John.        This also shows the baptism Jesus would do is preferred, but not the only one, thus we have the Doctrine of Baptisms (Heb 6:1-2), yet they are all in the One Baptism.

 And John bare record saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and It abode upon Him (1:32).

This record is on the earth, but wasn’t John a Witness? Yes, but a witness to what he was told, and what he did, thus he saw the Spirit like a Dove, yet what he “said” produced a Record for us to believe. The Spirit didn’t enter Jesus, as the Spirit enters us, rather it Abode Upon Him, Jesus would later say, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, thus the Spirit like a Dove shows the Purpose of the ministry. Jesus as the Son of man knew the purpose was not to end His ministry as the Son of man, but to continue to the Resurrection where the Spirit of Holiness would declare Him the Son of God, then to the Father, to present the greatest Sacrifice of all time.

And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizes with the Holy Ghost (1:33).

Jesus didn’t send John to baptize, rather He who sent him said to Him, “Upon Whom you shall see….”; since the statement doesn’t read, “when you see Me”, we know it wasn’t Jesus who sent him, but the Father. The Trinity was at work, the Father sent, the Word submitted, the Holy Ghost approved, as John the Baptist witnessed it.

And I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God (1:34).

Wait, how can John the Baptist make a statement like that? The Holy Ghost based on John’s position. As we will see in a few more verses, someone else will make the same statement, but Jesus corrects them in a gentle way. Later Martha will also use the title, but we will see how Jesus responses to her statement.

John didn’t see one miracle to make his decision, rather he was told to look for something, when he saw it, he believed, as he believed so did he speak. The Pharisees on the other hand saw many signs, yet failed to believe, thus John was greater among men, simply because he believed in Jesus before Jesus did one miracle.

Again the next day after, John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as He walked he said, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus (1:35-37).

This is still the next day after the baptism, not the next day after the next day. We are told two disciples left John the Baptist to join Jesus, but we’re only given the name of one; however, Peter in Acts will fill in the gap, showing the other disciple was Judas (Acts 1:15-18). One of Peter’s requirements for the replacement of the man Judas, was how the replacement had to be from the baptism of John, but John’s baptism ceased when Jesus came out of the wilderness (Mark 1:14). We are unable to find the calling of Judas, but John fills it in for us. The word From in the phase “from the baptism of John” is the Greek Apo meaning out from, it doesn’t mean to be baptized of John, it means to come out of the ministry of John. We know water baptism ended when John was cast into prison until Jesus gave us authority in His Name (Matt 28:19). Before the Cross the twelve were appointed to do many things, but baptism in the Name of Jesus was not one of them (Matt 10:9). The seventy were also told to go out and do many things, but baptism in the Name of Jesus was not one of them (Luke 10:9). From the time John is cast into prison there isn’t one verse showing anyone was water baptized: until the Holy Ghost came on the day of Pentecost. The effectiveness of John’s baptism ceased at the Cross, then the baptism in the Name of Jesus began on Pentecost (Acts 19:2-6).

When Jesus comes out of the wilderness things changed, when we come out of our wilderness things will change greatly for us as well. The point being, when we see the requirement Peter placed on the replacement for Judas, we can see there are only two who came From the baptism of John into the ministry of Jesus, one is named Andrew, the other is not named, it doesn’t take a scholar to figure out the unnamed one is Judas.

At this time Jesus is beginning the forty day fast, as we will see the evidence of the other Gospel accounts support this period in John’s account, as John’s account supports the others.

Mark also says Jesus was in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan, as He was with the wild beasts. Another term for the wording “wild beasts” is Venomous, as in Viper. Jesus often called the religious minded Vipers, thus John will show us the “wild beasts” were in the Temple selling the dove. Mark doesn’t limit the experience to just the forty days, but shows the Vipers continued with their words of poison after the fast (Mark 1:13). The use of the word Immediately means Jesus was taken by the Spirit in the same hour into the Wilderness, thus John uses the terms “the next day”, “the third day”, they mean what they say, thus John shows what Jesus did for several days after the Baptism, in so doing he clears up the question of what Jesus did during the wilderness time period. The wilderness was preparation, Jesus cleaned out the temple, we allow the Spirit to clean our temple, Jesus taught on being Born Again, we place our minds on being Born Again, Jesus taught on the Living Water, we place our minds on being the producers of Living Water.

Mark and Matthew move from the wilderness experience to Galilee where both Nazareth and Capernaum are located, but both John and Luke stop at Nazareth before continuing the events in Capernaum. Luke shows the baptism, the temptation of the devil, then Jesus coming in the power of the Spirit to preach in Nazareth, then Jesus being rejected by the religious rulers (Luke 4:14-22). After this Luke shows Jesus going to Capernaum, where Mark and Matthew pick up various events. John on the other hand goes with Jesus through the forty day fast, proving it by the timeline, then gives us clues to the connections to the other accounts. Luke reports Jesus said, “No prophet is accepted in his own country” (Luke 4:24), John tells us after Jesus leaves Samaria, He would testify, “a prophet has no honor in his own country” (Jn 4:44). John also points out how Jesus was in His fast while in Samaria (Jn 4:31), as John the Baptist was not yet cast into prison (Jn 3:24). John gives us more, as he shows John the Baptist was still conducting water baptism at the same time as the disciples of Jesus were doing water baptism in John’s name, or saying the people should believe, this alone has to show us these events are prior to John being cast into prison. It would not fit for John to be in prison more than once, we don’t see any verse indicating John was in prison “again”, or a “second time”, it was one time.

John takes the events from the baptism to the time Jesus goes to Capernaum, then John skips a great deal of time, continuing with a feast day (Jn 4:54 & 5:1). Connecting them, we find Jesus left Samaria then went back to Nazareth where He proclaimed, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me”, thus, explaining why He told Mary, “Woman, My time is not yet”, rather than “Woman it is not yet My Hour”. If we understand Jesus did not make His proclamation in the temple until He came out of the forty day fast we can understand there is one wilderness preparing us for the work of God before we can proclaim, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me…”, or “it’s my time”.

Then Jesus turned and saw them following, and said unto them, What seek you? They said unto Him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master), where do You dwell? He said unto them, come and see. They came and saw where He dwelled, and abode with Him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother (1:38-40).

First came the calling, yet the two called disciples give us a parallel, Andrew a true servant, then Judas a servant and a devil. Then comes the question, “where do you dwell?”, it can only be answered by “Come and See”. Andrew would bring Simon (Peter),  yet Judas as the second disciple from John’s ministry didn’t bring anyone to Jesus. Judas did things, but in his heart, he was always seeking self-gain, wondering “what do I get out of this?”. Judas had the windows of heaven open for him, but he also had the same attitude as those God addresses in Malachi, they wanted to know what was in it for them, Judas wondered the same. Paul says there are some who love God, but they love pleasure more (II Tim 3:4). It’s not just loving God, but loving God with all our heart, soul and strength.

The tenth hour is 4:00 PM, Jesus must have taught these two men enough to stir them to return, we find Jesus dwelled in a place, but He was still in the wilderness.

He first finds his own brother Simon, and said unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, He said, You are Simon the son of Jona: you shall be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, a stone (1:41-42).

They assume they found the Messiah, later they will find it was Jesus who picked them. Jesus doesn’t tell Cephas, “you are Rock”, rather it was “shall be called”, pointing to a time yet to come. When would it be? After the wilderness experience. The Rock is being formed when the disciples begin to follow Jesus, but the Church is yet future tense. Jesus is the Christ in two positions, the Son of man and the Son of God. These disciples know Him as the Son of man, they haven’t a clue what the Cross and Resurrection entail (Mark 9:32 & Rom 1:3-4). When it comes time to speak of Jesus as the Christ of Grace, He will command the disciples to remain silent. Why? They are natural, spiritual things to a natural person are foolishness. They lack a position to witness, or speak on Jesus as the Christ of Grace (Acts 1:6-8). They could preach on the kingdom of heaven and mercy, freely they received, but Grace is a different issue.

Matthew shows Jesus didn’t call Peter until after John was cast into prison (Matt 4:12 & 4:18). Also, Jesus is walking along the shore when He calls Peter (Matt 4:18), rather than Peter coming to Jesus as we see here in John. The same timing, location and events are seen in Matthew, then recorded in Mark (Mark 1:14-16). In both Matthew and Mark we see James and John Zebedee being called the same day as Peter, yet in John we don’t see the calling of the Zebedee’s, supporting the conclusion of John filling in gaps, as he gives us vital information to establish our belief. For Peter this is the “introduction” not the calling, Peter will leave returning to being a fisherman, then he will be called. At this time none of these disciples are ordained to do anything, they are helpers, not doers.

The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and finds Philip, and says to him, Follow Me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter (1:43-44).

It started with two disciples, Simon was called, but returned, now Philip is being called. None of the other accounts tell us when Philip was called, thus John again gives us information filling in gaps. The Philip here is not the same Philip as Philip the Evangelist in Acts. The Philip in Acts was one of the seven picked by the Apostles, he would later be the only man called an Evangelist (Acts 6:5, & 21:8). This Philip was from Bethsaida, the same city (or town) as Andrew and Peter, it’s also the same place where we find James and John as partners with Peter (Luke 5:10). It’s interesting how none of the disciples came from Jerusalem, but they would all end up there as Witnesses.

The events from John 1:29 to 1:43 are one day, from John 1:43 until 2:1 would be the second day after the baptism of Jesus, thus John 2:1 begins the third day. Each of the three days give us the calling, receiving the calling, then the process to be chosen. The forty day fast would go until the end of chapter four, then John skips time, to the feast of the Jews.

Philip finds Nathanael and says unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the Law, and the Prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph (1:45).

Andrew went out to obtain Peter and Philip, then Philip goes and finds Nathanael, we know Judas didn’t get anyone. Nathanael is also known as Bartholomew, or better as Nathanael Son Of Tolmai.

Nathanael was under a fig tree, the fig tree is a metaphor for the religious order of Israel. Perhaps he was praying, seeking an answer for some religious question, yet his wondering does show us he was considering if there was any hope in the religious order he was viewing in his day, or if God really cared about anyone.

And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip said unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said unto him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! (1:46-47).

Nathanael was from the area of Cana in Galilee (Jn 21:2), it would be in Cana  where Jesus performs the first miracle. Nathanael’s question tells us what was on his heart: Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? He just received his answer; later Peter will say of Jesus, “neither was guile found in His mouth” (I Pet 2:22). The Greek word for Guile is Dolos meaning Deceit, it relates to one with a hidden agenda, as well as someone who says one thing, but their intent is another. Nathanael wondered, God answered.

Nathaniel said unto Him, Where know You me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw thee (1:48).

Before Philip came to Nathanael, Jesus knew Nathanael was under “the” fig tree. Knowing the metaphor “fig tree” relates to the religious order of Israel, with the word “under” as the Greek Hupo meaning under, by, with or of, it would seem Nathanael was frustrated with the religious order of Israel. Here Jesus points out there is one without guile, no hidden agenda, or mind games. Jesus is showing Nathanael how God knows the desire of the man’s heart. How do we know? By the response of Nathanael. Paul said Prophecy will manifest the secrets of the heart, it’s what we see here (I Cor 14:24-25). A natural thinking person would say, “Jesus read his mind”, a spiritually minded person would know it was Prophecy as outlined by Paul.

Nathanael answered and said unto Him, Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel (1:49).

Nathanael hears the answer to his prayer, but says, “Son of God”? How can this be? We will see.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto you, I saw you under the fig tree, you believe? You shall see greater things than these. And He said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man (1:50-51).  

Jesus answered with “Son of man”, this is an area showing the delicate manner in which Jesus will rebuke us. Nathanael lacked knowledge, thus he was ignorant of the positions of Jesus, thus, rather than Jesus saying, “Get you behind Me Satan”, He made the correction in a gentle manner. There are times when the Lord will tell us things, but unless we are spiritually aware we may miss the point.

Mark says the angels ministered to Jesus in the wilderness, here John confirms Mark’s account showing the “angels” were the first disciples (Mark 1:13). John shows “the disciples” of Jesus, but we find it doesn’t mean “twelve”, rather it shows Jesus began with a few building to the twelve; like any ministry or local body, God adds.

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: and both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus said unto Him, They have no wine (2:1-3).

In the Greek the phrase, “the third day”, means “the third day”, this would be the Third Day after the baptism. It was a wedding day, yet before we can enter the marriage, we find there are vessels in need of preparation.

Since this is the “third day” we find another sign of the Resurrection, thus Jesus will use this experience to point to what will soon be. All this correlates to being Born Again, the third day points to the Resurrection as the declaration regarding the Spirit of Holiness (Rom 1:3-4), indicating it takes the Resurrection Power to bring the New Birth.

Jesus said unto her, Woman, what have I to do with you? My hour is not yet come 2:4).

It wasn’t time for the New Wine, Jesus wasn’t Resurrected yet, but nonetheless, it was still time for a lesson. This is a teaching, thus the people didn’t become the New Wine, neither did Jesus baptize them. Jesus will teach many things during the Wilderness, but teaching and becoming are different.

This would be several days prior to Jesus making His proclamation in the synagogue (Luke 4:18-19), yet it’s also recorded as the First Miracle, thus showing the work began just after the baptism, this is also a type and shadow showing our work begins right after our Baptism with the Holy Ghost. However, what is the work? Jesus will take the Vessels, fill them with Mercy (water), before they become filled with wine. This connects to Matthew with the teachings on Mercy, thus showing Mercy is required.

His mother says unto the servants, Whatsoever He says unto you do it (2:5).

The phrase, “Whatsoever He says unto you do it”, is still an effective command, showing she didn’t manipulate the issue, rather she submitted, declaring whatever Jesus says, thus if Jesus said “I do nothing”, it’s the way it was. Because she did submit, Jesus moved. Whatever the Master says, do, without question, arguing, complaining, doubting or murmuring. It’s a sad note, but these servants were more obedient than some of us.

And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece (2:6).

Man was formed and created on the Sixth Day, thus the number Six reflects to man. The vessels were washed, or “purified” in the manner of the Jews, but why the Jews? Of course it would be the Jews, these were Jews, so would someone prepare them in the manner of the Gentiles to fool everyone? Hardly, there is a process here, one showing the “manner”, going further than water baptism. No one poured water over the pots, it was the inside of the pots drawing the concern. The washing was progressive, first the pot was washed in clear water, then the inside was scrubbed, then filled with clear water, then poured out. The pot would then be empty, yet Jesus said Fill it again with water. The Mercy of God is wonderful, one second we can feel as if all the Mercy is gone; then we seek, we receive, as our Pot is filled again. The Water into Wine is a symbol of the process, Mercy leads to Grace, we need both, since both bring “living water”.

Jesus said unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them to the brim. And He said unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bear it (2:7-8).

First the Vessels were washed, now they are being filled with Water; therefore, this is a filling, our water baptism is a Token to receive the Mercy of the Father, but the water is over us, not in us. It does little good to be water baptized (water over us), yet refuse the purpose (Mercy in us). The Seed of God is the Word, thus the washing of the Water By the Word brings Living Water. It’s not saying the Water and Word are the same, rather the Word in us uses the Water (Mercy) to clean us with, the allegory is seen here. Mercy is great, but unless it leads us to the New Wine we will not find our Joy in the Lord. Without Grace we will love the Lord with our souls, but when we are challenged, mercy goes out the window, as bitter water comes to the surface. Grace (Word) coupled with Mercy adds Life to the Water, thereby producing words of Mercy and Grace in those times of affliction and persecution.

When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not where it came: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom and said unto him, Every man at the beginning does set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but you have kept the good wine until now (2:9-10).

The governor didn’t say, “Wow, look everyone is drunk, this is some kind of wine”, rather it was the taste, not the ability for them to become drunk. The governor of the feast had no idea the vessels were filled with water, all he tasted was the Good Wine, or the result. Jesus was using the opportunity to give us the teaching regarding the purpose of our Wildernesses. While in the wilderness Jesus taught over and over again about being Born Again, here at the wedding, then to Nicodemus, then to the woman at the well.

The Greek word used for Governor in verses 2:8 and 2:9, is from the same Greek word translated as Ruler in verse 9, thus the symbol, or metaphoric content shows the bridegroom is called Ruler, but the father of the bridegroom is called Governor.

Before the forty day fast ended, Jesus was already looking to the result, He saw the result, but was teaching His disciples a step at a time, just as He does us. Of course Judas was standing there, would he obtain from the lesson?

The beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him (2:11).

When we see the wording, “His disciples” we confuse the term to mean all His disciples, but the context shows this was the third day after the baptism, thus, He did have some of the disciples with Him. Among those was Judas, who accordingly believed on Him, but it doesn’t mean Judas continued with his belief. However, Judas had to have more than a casual interest in Jesus, after all he left the ministry of John to join the ministry of Jesus.

After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother, and His brothers, and His disciples: and they continued there not many days (2:12).

This is not to be confused with Jesus going to Capernaum after the forty day fast; this is evident by looking at the wording in this verse as compared to the events in the other accounts regarding Jesus at Capernaum. Here Jesus was “not there many days”; yet in Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent several days in Capernaum. Also in Matthew we find John the Baptist was already cast into prison (Matt 4:12-13), but here John the Baptist is still baptizing. We found how Jesus had other half-brothers and sisters, all supported by the Fragments of Papias (70-155 AD).

This is still the wilderness, showing our wilderness is inward, we can be around disciples, or family, yet still in the wilderness.

And the Jews Passover was at hand, and Jesus went to Jerusalem (2:13).

John records three Passover feasts, the first is here, the next is found in John 6:4, with the third in John 13:1. All three give us a timeline, but we could end adding a year by not placing them in their correct order. All the suggestions regarding the length of the earthly ministry are based on these three Passovers, but if we presume since there are three Passovers, then the ministry must have been three years long we have counted wrong. However, if we follow the “day after” conclusion we find this Passover was during the forty day fast, or just after the wedding, yet before the meeting with the woman at the well, thus before John was cast into prison. It narrows the timeline down considerably; it would be one year from the first Passover recorded here, to the one in John 6:4, then another year (making it two) from the Passover in John 6:4 to the Passover where Jesus went to the Cross. It makes the earthly ministry just over two years, not three.

Narrowing it down further we know the Scripture tells us, “The Jews Passover was at hand”, showing the day of the Passover was after the wedding, which was at Cana, then they went to Capernaum, now they are in Jerusalem, but yet to venture to find the woman at the well, when the wilderness being about over. When Jesus was a youth of twelve years He went to Jerusalem during the Passover (Luke 2:42), thus we find as an adult He is still going to Jerusalem for Passover. So, was it a Tradition? No, it was a yearly trip based in the Law.

This account has several Feast days mentioned, including the Feast of Dedication (Lights or Hanukkah), which is not found in the Law. Purim would be about one month prior to Passover, yet we don’t see it mentioned, but neither do we see the Day of Atonement mentioned either, yet we find Hanukkah.

The Cross on the last Passover incorporated many feasts, when Jesus said, “Father forgive them”, it completed Atonement by Pardon, thus incorporating the Day of Atonement into Passover for us.

And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting (2:14).

It’s a shame, the first thing Jesus sees in the Temple are those making gain from the people of God. Jesus calls us sheep, but woe to the ones who fleeces the sheep while using the Name of the Lord. John saw the Spirit descending like a “dove”, here we find them selling the “dove”, which denotes those who desire to make gain from the Spirit. Can it be done? Yes, but an evil choice. The temple was a good gift, but the religious leaders made it evil, they were more a Sycamore tree, than a Fig tree. The temple was a building, it had no soul, or mind of its own, what man did with it determined the result.

And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And He said unto them that sold doves, Take these things away; make not My Father’s house a house of merchandise (2:15-16).

Oops, not real happy is He say we, to thee. Jesus not only ran them out, He took a whip to them. The only time Jesus ever struck anyone is found here in the Temple cleaning, the tithe was considered a sacrifice as well. We don’t know if He said anything to anyone else, but the verse shows those who sold the dove were the center of attention for the rebuke, making this prophetic in nature. The Father’s acceptance of the Son’s Sacrifice was the presentation of the Spirit in the form of a Dove. Selling things of the Spirit is a very serious mistake for anyone to commit.

In Mark 11:15 He would clean the temple again, only then He didn’t take a whip to anyone. The second time was not as forceful as the first time, a warning in and of itself; Jesus begins to back off with the degree of chastening: thus showing they slipped into a mindset of refusing to listen. For the religious leaders there was a third time when Peter and John went to the gate Beautiful, after the religious rulers rejected the warning, the temple was destroyed in 70 AD.

This act was during the forty day fast associating it to several things, the baptism, the wedding, the woman at the well, as well as, the teaching to Nicodemus about being Born Again. This cleaning was in Jerusalem; Nicodemus was a member of the religious order connected to the Temple (Jn 7:45-53). The Miracle was the Authority Jesus used in the cleaning, not only did He run them out, He took a whip to them, something the Romans didn’t attempt. Although Nicodemus will consider this a “miracle”, Jesus doesn’t. Jesus considered it a warning. Paul used a Jewish idiom when he told the Corinthians, “do you not know if you destroy the temple of God, God will destroy you?”. It’s the same thought showing why Nicodemus felt this cleaning was a miracle, only in Paul’s case he was speaking of the Body of Christ. Paul couldn’t be speaking of our flesh, we imputed it dead, yet the Corinthians were members of the Body of Christ, carnal members, but nonetheless members.

And His disciples remembered that it was written, the zeal of your house has eaten Me up (2:17).

There were times when the disciples remembered teachings after the Resurrection, yet there were times when Scripture came to them as the event was happening. They saw  Jesus go through the temple, then discerned what the religious rulers were doing was wrong, we have a greater promise, the Word in us discerning before we find ourselves selling the Dove. The disciples related this to Psalm 69:9, which reads, “For the zeal of your house has eaten Me up; the reproaches of them who reproached you are fallen upon Me”. What does it mean? The Jews ministry became more important than the people. It wasn’t the “zeal for the Lord”, it was the “zeal for the house”, meaning the house was more important than the people. A clear warning, the five fold offices are not for the pleasure of the leadership, they are designed to edify the Body. When the ministry becomes more important than the sheep, we’re in trouble.

Then answered the Jews and said unto Him, What sign show You unto us, seeing that You do these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up (2:18-19).

A little late, the biggest sign was their empty dove cages. They rejected the real sign, yet they were demanding a sign at their request and pleasure. The sign they rejected was  the exposure of their greed, iniquity and self-deception. There are signs many, most of which won’t fit our theology or thinking, but they are nonetheless signs. The religious leaders wanted The Sign, but they confused one Season for the other, missing both.

Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and will You rear it up in three days? But He spoke of the temple of His body (2:20-21).

When Ezekiel prophesied about the temple he said, “behold the glory of the Lord filled the house, and I heard Him speaking to me out of the house” (Ezek 43:5-6). Jesus would later enter by the east gate: Ezekiel also said, “this gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut” (Ezek 44:2). In 70 AD the temple was destroyed, the  entry to the gate was closed with great rocks, no one rode through the gate after Jesus, thus the prophecy regarding Jehovah as the Glory in the temple was completed by Jesus, as it’s being completed in our heart by the Spirit, bringing about “Greater is He in me”.

When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said (2:22).

An example of how the disciples remembered something after the Resurrection, but the cleaning was so obvious only the self-deceived would miss it. Wonder how many times Jesus has attempted to clean a ministry, but the leadership considered it an attack of the devil? Faith begins with a Belief of God Is; the religious rulers in demanding a sign, rejected the authority of Jesus, it’s best to determine the source, before we attack.

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man (2:23-25).

This makes more sense when we know Jesus did two things, only one of them here in Jerusalem. The cleaning of the temple was perceived as a miracle by the Jews, it would be plural considering the various elements He drove out, or rebuked. We know this to be the case since John numbers the first two miracles, with the second one as yet to come, yet neither of them associated with cleaning the temple, thus to a Jew it was a miracle, but not to Jesus. However, the cleaning did get the attention of one man, a teacher in the temple, a man who would later attempt to defend Jesus in a meeting of the religious leaders. The same man would be one of two men who would take Jesus down from the Cross, then put Jesus in the grave. The man was Nicodemus, whom Jesus will talk to about the New Birth.

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that You do, except God be with Him (3:1-2).

Nicodemus was one of those who felt Jesus must be from God, since Jesus didn’t fall down dead after cleaning the temple, it’s why Nicodemus felt the temple cleaning was a Miracle. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, he held natural intellect regarding the Scriptures, yet being a Pharisee he believed in angels and the resurrection; however, his concept was the “resurrection unto life” indicating a person could only receive the Spirit of God after death; in part he was right, no one can receive the Spirit (New Man) until they are dead, thus showing the importance of the Cross.

Nicodemus was in Jerusalem, thus even Jerusalem was part of the wilderness experience. The word Ruler (Greek Archon), is different from the word used for the ruler of the feast at the wedding in Cana. Nicodemus was considered First Rank, a member of the ruling body, a theologian of his time. Nicodemus will hear his position is no guaranty of getting into heaven, even his training is no guaranty of being accepted by God. The name Nicodemus is made up from two words, first is Nikos meaning Victory, then Deemos meaning People, joined they mean “Victory for the people”; whereas the title Nicolaitanes (Rev 2:6 & 2:15), means Victory over the laity. Take these back to the temple cleaning and we find the Nicolaitanes were selling the Dove, but Nicodemus was more concerned for the people being fleeced, it gained him audience before Jesus.

The title Rabbi comes from the Hebrew Rab meaning Abundant Honor, referring to a master, but he wasn’t attempting to impress Jesus, he was making a statement based on his true feelings.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, Verily I say unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (3:3).

This explains a “kingdom”, as well as why we prayed “thy kingdom come, thy will be done”. A kingdom is where the Will of the king takes place, thus in order to walk in the Will of God on this earth one must be Born Again. Any of us can regulate our kingdom, what we allow in, what we keep out, we may feel comfortable, or at ease with our kingdom rule, but it better match the Kingdom rule of the King of kings.

There are some who read this as, “You are Born Again”, but that’s not what Jesus is saying, rather He is telling this man he Must be Born Again. Not one of us would presume by saying to someone, “You need Jesus”, they had Jesus, just because we made the statement! So why assume Nicodemus was Born Again simply because Jesus was teaching him the importance of being Born Again. Especially when we see the Spirit was not given until Jesus was Glorified (Jn 7:39).

The word See means to perceive, or understand, referring to the spiritual matters of God; indicating natural minded people consider the spiritual things of God foolishness. In all this we must also keep in mind Born Again is an earthly matter, thus the Cross and Witness are on the earth, the Record in heaven. We are not going to impute the old man dead in heaven, the act is for here on earth where the work of the Cross was conducted. No one can leave this earth without the Spirit, thus we receive the Spirit now, meaning the same Spirit who raised Jesus, will raise us.

From the words of Nicodemus we can see he had no idea what Born Again entailed, surely if he was, he would. The purpose for receiving the Mercy of God is to place us in a position to make a decision to enter Grace free of the mastery of darkness. Those who enter this, yet refuse to be Born Again will fall into religious conceit, or use natural thinking regarding the things of God, ending in carnal intellectualism, rather than being spiritual.

This command is going right to the heart of Nicodemus’ theology; the Truth is still a hammer to the Stronghold. Jesus didn’t say, “a man’s spirit must be born again”; rather He is speaking about the soul itself. This is clear when we find that born of the flesh is flesh, then that born of the Spirit is Spirit, meaning our souls are formed into Spirit as we mind the Spirit. Our souls were connected to the flesh, they associated everything to the flesh, the process is changing our souls to spiritual by the Spirit.

Nicodemus understood Jesus was talking about the person being Born a second time, but wondered “how can it be?”. The problem for Nicodemus was Jesus talking about one becoming Born Again while they yet had the flesh, it was not a common teaching on the resurrection.

Nicodemus said unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? (3:4).

Nicodemus knew it was a birth process involving the person, not some old spirit of man being regenerated, nor did he consider the concept of reincarnation. On the same note, it’s obvious the man had no idea of what the Process entailed.

Nicodemus also knew the Law worked from the outside in, but Jesus is talking about a New Family Order, a Birth working from the inside out, but how can this be? Does man obtain a second chance? Can a man reenter with the knowledge of his failures? Can he have another chance at Life?

Jesus answered, Verily, verily I say unto you, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (3:5-6).

Now it’s “enter”, rather than “see”; the word Enter means to Get in. But this is not to get into heaven, but into the Kingdom of God, which we know has to do with becoming the Church, or Bride of Christ, or what is established upon the Rock. This is not entry into the kingdom of heaven, the premise is we must have the Kingdom of God within, before we can enter the Kingdom of God (Luke 17:21).

The Water could mean ones natural birth into the world, which would be correct  to a point, but we also know the Witness contains Water and Blood, we have an understanding of the Ingress Aires, thus we find Mercy and Grace are related. We must be Born of Water meaning entry into the Body of Christ by our token of Water baptism, but after entry we must be baptized with the Holy Ghost to receive the Spirit, then we must submit to the Spirit in order for our souls to become Spiritual, rather than flesh centered. This is still within the Doctrine of Baptisms, it also shows why the TR uses the Greek Par (place) for One Baptism, indicating there is only one place where Baptism is effective, the Body of Christ.

The issue here is simple, if we are born of the flesh, then our souls associated to the flesh. If we are Born Again we have the Spirit, thus our souls are now becoming Spiritual in nature. The birth is the issue, not conception or the root (fetus) stage. No one celebrates their conception day, but they do their birthday.

Marvel not that I say unto you, You must be born again. The wind blows where it listens and you hear the sound thereof, but can’t tell where it comes, and where it goes, so is every one that is born of the Spirit (3:7-8).

The term, “Marvel Not” means don’t attempt to reason spiritual matters from a natural viewpoint, thus Jesus is telling Nicodemus to accept the premise, don’t reason it. This very issue is why some fail to receive, they use their natural reasoning in an attempt to figure out “how is God going to do it? Will I get a devil?”. Natural reasoning will stop spiritual progress in its tracks. Jesus said if we ask to receive the Spirit, it’s what we get, no devil, this area God has protected just for us.

This really clears the issue, Jesus didn’t say, “marvel not that I tell you, you are Born Again”, nor “now is the time for you to be Born Again”, rather Jesus says, “You must be”, showing Nicodemus must enter, which is a future tense issue; a promise of the time yet to come on Pentecost. The phrase Born Again is the Greek Gennao meaning in a Jewish sense being drawn over, or formed, thus it shows the soul is never going to be spiritual without having the Spirit. The wind comes from a general direction, but where it originates is any man’s guess, where it will end no man knows. The wind is real, thus Jesus shows this Born Again experience is real. The word Wind in the Greek is Pneuma, translated as Spirit or Ghost, everywhere else except here in John 3:7-8. The difference between Spirit and Ghost is the usage, gender and position.

The word Blow is the Greek Pneo meaning Breath. The word for breath in the Ingress Aires is not Pneo, but a verb, yet when the Holy Ghost comes on Pentecost we find the noun Pneo. The New Birth is  a product of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, later it’s defined by Peter as the time when we receive the Gift, as the Promised Spirit (Acts 11:15-16 with Acts 10:45-46).

The word Listens is the Greek Ethelo meaning To will; from this word comes the Greek Phoneo, which we found translated as Voice, as in a Voice in the wilderness. The Holy Ghost comes as the rushing mighty wind where He will, whether Jew or Gentile, we can only hear the Voice of God by the Wind, yet we don’t know from where it came, or where it’s going. Later Peter will hear, “you will stretch forth your arms and another will take you” (Jn 21:18), relating to the New Birth which was to come.

The word Born in the last part of verse 8, is the perfect passive participle, which means something having been completed in the past which has existing results, this is the clue, showing Jesus is telling Nicodemus this process is yet to come, but when it does it will be a One Time event for the person, just as being born of the flesh is a one time event, yet we can be filled with the Holy Ghost more than once. When we separate the Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit into the proper order we will have a clearer understanding of being Born Again. The Holy Ghost is part of the Record, He brings the Seed, the Seed is the Holy Spirit, thus we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, not the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost will fill us when we address the masses, or when we are selected to an Office of the Doma (Acts 13:1-3). The Holy Spirit is centered on saving our souls and manifesting in those one on one situations. There is also the Spirit of God, or the fullness of the Report, as Father, Word and Holy Ghost, thus Paul shows the spirit of man knows the things of man, but hasn’t a clue to the things of God, yet the Spirit of God knows the deep things of God and man (I Cor 2:11).

Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be? (3:9).

Good question, with man it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible. Nicodemus had a knowledge of the last resurrection, but this? Jesus is telling him to die, yet live, so he can be Born Again, yet Jesus will connect this to the Cross, showing Nicodemus to remember the Scriptures, how God imputed righteousness to Abraham’s belief, allowing the man Abraham to enter Covenant, so it might be by faith. The same is true here, we ask based on what Jesus did for us, we then believe we receive, as the growth process takes effect.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Are you a master of Israel, and know not these things? Verily, verily I say unto you, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and you receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you believe not, how shall you believe, if I tell you of heavenly things (3:10-12).

What? Know them? How? Where does it say in the Law or Prophets we must be Born Again? This also shows Nicodemus was not Born Again at this time, this is a teaching, not a performance. So, what Scripture? How about, “let us make man in Our image”? Yes, it was an earthly happening.

And no man has ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven (3:13).

From earthly matters, to heaven; the connection is still Born Again. Jesus as the Word of God came down from heaven before the Spirit descended upon Him, here we find neither Elijah nor Enoch could enter God’s heaven, rather they went to Paradise.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up (3:14).

This relates to the prior teaching, showing the ability won’t be in hand until the Cross and Resurrection. Nicodemus asked “how?”, Jesus is telling him when. Nicodemus knew the flesh had to die before the Spirit could enter, here Jesus is telling him how the process will work. This also points directly to the Son of man, not the Son of God being lifted up on the Cross.

Here is the answer Nicodemus wanted, it was showing him the Scriptures did speak of “these things”. By the Cross the serpent will be defeated, or made ineffective (Heb 2:14), but we also find the entrance into the Kingdom will not be available until the Cross takes effect.

That whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (3:15).

The key word in John’s account is Believe; however, the word Believe holds more than a mental thought regarding an event or events. This is still connected to the teaching, showing a process. Awareness of the purpose, to be Born Again, the Son of man lifted to separate man from the serpents, then Believe. Nicodemus is being taught, but teaching alone is not enough to establish Belief. The Act will have to take place, then Nicodemus will understand, enabling him to believe in something, so it can be by faith.

The word “believes” as it’s used here means a constant belief, it ties right back to Mark 16:16, thus showing Water is the entrance into the Body, but entrance into the Kingdom of God takes the New Birth.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved (3:16-17).

The Purpose, it was not because of man’s greatness, the temple, or the religious order established by God, it was a Love, based in a Joy. The interesting words used here are: “Loved”, “whosoever”, and “might be”; all opening areas. The word Loved is not Agape, but Agapao, which is a verb, meaning a love based on a Joy. Agape is a noun pointing more to the nature of the person. The word “whosoever” pertains to Jew and Gentile, pointing to the overall purpose. The wording “might be saved”, is very interesting, it’s not the same as “shall be saved” (obviously). The premise is Jesus did not come to condemn the world, the world is the world, but the World “through” Jesus might be saved; however, what does this relate to? The Cross, the lifting of the Son of man, yet it entails belief by man in the effort. The word Gave is also interesting, it’s the Greek Didomi meaning To bestow a gift, so is the Son the gift? Or what the Son brought? God so loved the world He Gave His only begotten Son, thus the Son holds the Gift of Truth and Grace: when we receive the Seed of God we gain the Word, which is the Spirit of Truth, defined as Grace.

One can reject Mark 16:16-18, but then they have to face all the other verses saying the same thing. This is perhaps the most quoted verse in the Bible, yet few understand how important the word “loved” is. Man also has Agapao, as we will see, it came in the measure of faith, but since it’s based on a Joy, it can be a love for good, or a love for evil. The perversion of Agapao is Eros love, something completely flesh based. There is Phileo love or a brotherly type of love, then Storge love, or family love. Agape being a noun shows God is Agape, but He has Phileo and Agapao. If we are Born Again we have Agape, but it doesn’t mean we are Agape. Much different.

He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (3:18).

What does this mean? To “believe not” doesn’t necessarily mean total disbelief, it can refer to parts as well. One can believe in the Cross, but not in being Born Again, thus a continual belief means we accept All Jesus has for us. Here Jesus used the title “Son of God”, but He has the Authority, thus He is speaking of the Cross and Resurrection combined (Rom 1:3-4), showing us this is a teaching, not a performance.

This connects to Mark 16:16 with the word Condemned meaning Damned, thus this goes further than a simple belief to begin the process, rather it entails a continual belief after the fact. It’s the same concept we find in the phrase, We are of them who Believe unto the saving of the soul (Heb 10:38-39). It’s the Now confidence, based on past experiences or knowledge connecting to our faith. Belief is a Vitamin, it must be taken day by day in order to be effective.

And this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil (3:19).

This verse doesn’t say “the Greater Light”, nor does it say “a light”, rather it points out The One Light has come into the world, thus showing Jesus is The Light. Prior to His coming there was no Light, just darkness. This alone shows the Prophetic acts in Genesis, as well as, telling us making man in “Our image” was prophetic, since the Light came then the ability. The Greater Light of the Day, or the Lesser Light of the Night could not come into existence until The Light came. This also shows the “condemnation” is, it’s not a lack of deeds, rather they loved darkness rather than the Light. The word “loved” here is the Greek Agapao, a love based in some joy; yet the joy here is based in evil. However, it was all mankind had, until the Cross of Jesus established the Door.

For every one that does evil hates the Light, neither comes to the Light, lest his deeds should be reproved (3:20).

Here we find darkness is evil, yet the light is good; those who Agapao the darkness, hate the light, thus those who love the light, hate the darkness. Wow, how then can we who were in darkness get to the Cross? The Holy Ghost using the measure of faith, reaching past the darkness to our desire to know God; pressing to the hope of entering the Light to be void of the darkness. This merely shows we were a people without hope, until Jesus. The Breath of God transferred the measure of  faith before the Fall, thus it seeks the Light.

But he that does truth comes to the Light, that his deeds may be manifest, that they are wrought in God (3:21).

Jesus is Truth meaning all He speaks is Truth, indicating the Spirit of Truth makes us members of the Greater Light, thus by the Spirit we are deemed children of the Day, we are no longer children of darkness, as we are free from becoming children of the Night. The Process is clear, Light, Truth, Grace, all came with Jesus. All this is still related to being changed from a soul centered on the flesh, or one Engrafted into the Word (Spirit of Truth).

The Cross begins the transition, we impute the flesh with the old nature dead, then we accept the Mercy of God (Water), the Grace (Blood), as we receive with meekness the Engrafted Word (Spirit), which is able to save our souls (James 1:21 & I Jn 5:7-8), then we can have the Living Water.

After these things, came Jesus and His disciples into the land of Judea; and there He tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison (3:22-24).

Recalling, this is still during the forty day fast, as well as prior to John being cast into prison, we see the context fits the chronological order. These verses alone have to be an obvious clue to the time element. When Jesus came out of the wilderness, John was already in prison, yet here John is baptizing, as were the disciples of Jesus. If the ministry of Jesus was so important why didn’t He ask John to join Him? Why didn’t John “leave all behind” and join Jesus? Position, John was sent to prepare the Way, not take it over. John understood his calling and remained in it, something we all need to take notice of. However, if the disciples of Jesus are baptizing, what Name are they using? It can’t be the Name of Jesus, it was not granted for baptism until after the Cross. It had to be in accordance with the Baptism of John, because we know when Jesus sent the disciples out before the Cross, He didn’t tell them to baptize in His Name (Matt 10:5-14).

We are given two locations; John was near Salim located midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea along the Jordan, or about 45 to 50 miles north of Jerusalem; however, Jesus was south of Jerusalem in the area of Judea. Not only do we find John near Salim, but it’s some 50 miles north of Jerusalem, surely this shows John was not in prison at this time.

These events play a major role when John’s disciples confront Jesus after John is cast into prison, and after the disciples of Jesus are sent out to heal the sick. They also show John was cast into prison one time only. No where do we find “John was cast into prison again”, thus John’s Account  speaks more on the wilderness than any other scribe.

We also have to note how at this time the disciples of Jesus were baptizing in water, but they were not out preaching or healing the sick, it was still John’s hour, thus John knew he had to decrease, so Jesus could increase.

Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came to John, and said unto him, Rabbi, He that was with you beyond Jordan, to Whom you bear witness, behold, the same baptizes, and all men come to Him (3:25-26).

Here we find John had already baptized Jesus, thus this is after the baptism, but before John is cast into prison. We keep going over this to take down the Stronghold of Jesus was by Himself in some sand infested mountain. This also removes any concept of John being in prison more than once, here he is baptizing. To the disciples of John it would appear as if Jesus is attempting to start a ministry like John’s, yet the Time and Timing was not yet for Jesus to proclaim, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me”.

John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven (3:27).

John’s authority to baptize in water came from heaven, yet it would appear our authority came from Jesus on earth, but if we look at Matthew with the rest of the Commission we find Jesus has a Name above all Names, thus His authority covers both heaven and earth, but the place where all baptisms take place is on earth, thus the authority was granted on earth, but it opened heaven. Even the Baptism with the Holy Ghost takes place on earth (Acts 11:15-17).

Later during the last Passover Jesus will ask the religious leaders where John obtained his authority, here we see John knew where he obtained his authority, the evidence proved it (Mark 11:29-30).

You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him (3:28).

They called him Rabbi, now he is making sure they understand his role, as he teaches them who he is, more important who he is not. Far too often people are impressed by people, they think the person’s power is the reason for the anointing, rather than the anointing being the reason for the power.

John the Baptist reiterates how his disciples heard him testify how he himself was not the Christ, but was sent by God to begin the baptism unto repentance, and preach the baptism unto remission. John never did one miracle, yet he had a purpose and goal,  without his efforts Jesus would not have been baptized (washed sacrifice). It’s also interesting how the first conflict between two ministries was centered on water baptism.

This is a great hope if we receive it, the servant is not above the master; John didn’t raise the dead, lay hands on the sick, or cast out devils, neither did his disciples; however, Jesus did, as did His disciples; however, John was filled with the Holy Ghost, the disciples of Jesus were not: showing the power of Mercy in the Name of Jesus

He that has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, which stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled (3:29).

John gives us various groups, the Bridegroom is of course Jesus, but John also gives us the friend of the bridegroom. When John heard the Voice of the Lord, his joy was fulfilled, which means he knew his job was complete as well.

He must increase, but I must decrease (3:30).

John sees the truth, the decreasing isn’t because of John’s pride, it’s because of the people. There was already confusion, the people were wondering, Who is greater? The purpose of John’s baptism was for the people to believe, yet his own disciples are now questioning Jesus.

He that comes from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaks of the earth: He that comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies, and no man receives His testimony. He that has received His testimony has set to His seal that God is true (3:31-33).

The term “seal” means a mark, or a form of identification proving ownership. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, John makes the division, John was of the earth, Jesus of heaven, thus John knew the sign of the Dove was the beginning of something New. John heard, saw and testified of what he heard and saw, yet even his own disciples had trouble receiving his testimony.

For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto Him (3:34).

This is the first verse using the English “Words”, which we know is the Greek Rhema, yet it’s connected to the Spirit (Jn 6:63). Until this time it was Logos, now the Logos is connected to the Rhema; therefore, we find a progression, one must have the Logos in them, in order to operate by the Rhema. The word Measure always denotes a limit, thus our natural gift of faith is by Measure, we don’t have unlimited faith.

The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand (3:35).

The Father Agapes the Son, yet prior Jesus said the Father Agapao the world. Ahh, the Father will Agape us, because we have the Agape of Jesus through the New Birth.

He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abides on him (3:36).

This is the same thing Jesus told Nicodemus, in the mouth of two or more witnesses a fact is affirmed. This is not believing in Life, nor the Cross, nor the Power, nor the Anointing, nor in the Bible, this is believing on the Son. John just said the Father loves the Son, here he tells us to put our belief in the Son, as Jesus said, “have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). What gives? Faith is a now confidence based on a future hope, belief is a now confidence based on some past experience, information or knowledge. We must Believe the Cross has the power to accept our imputed death, we must have faith to reach to the same Spirit who raised Jesus will raise us, yet our faith must be firmed by our belief. Without a Covenant there is no Hope, thus the belief of Abraham gained the imputed righteousness, allowing the Covenant so it could be by faith.

John didn’t say the wrath of God will abide, he said it does. How can it be? This is the Day of Salvation, let us rejoice and be glad in, the Cross is the Doorway between the wrath of God and His Grace. We are in the Process as Children of the Day, thus Paul said the wrath of God is upon the children of disobedience (Eph 5:6).

When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus Himself baptized not, but His disciples) (4:1-2).

This verse not only shows Jesus didn’t baptize anyone in water, it also shows He didn’t baptize anyone with the Holy Ghost during the earthly ministry, thus no one was Born Again at this time, since the Spirit was not yet given (Jn 7:38-39).

The disciples of Jesus were baptizing in water before the cross, they also healed the sick, cast out devils and preached the kingdom at hand, before the Cross. It’s also evident, they didn’t understand the Resurrection until after the fact, as they didn’t receive Grace until Pentecost; what did they preach? They obtained Mercy, the purpose for the earthly ministry was to present the Will of the Father, the Water indicating the Father’s Mercy, thus on the Cross Jesus said, “Father forgive them”, the first presentation of the Cross is the Mercy of the Father, then the Blood of the Word, then the gift by the Holy Ghost as the Seal of the Holy Spirit of Promise.

He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. And He must needs go through Samaria (4:3-4).

Jesus didn’t stay to fight the controversy, He left continuing the ministry in another location. He knew there was a need in Samaria, the need was teaching a woman about the Living Water. This is still during the forty days, they won’t end until Jesus leaves Samaria. The wording, “must needs go” is the Greek word Dei meaning something is necessary, right and proper. Jesus knew who would betray Him before it happened, but He also knew someone was in need.

Then came He to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph (4:5).

Sychar is also known as Shechem, which has a root word meaning The placing of weight on ones shoulders, as the government is on His shoulder (Isa 9:6). This is a lesson in proper government order. No one is going to be a lawful leader in the Body unless they are Born Again. How can we tell others to make Jesus Lord, if no one can call Him Lord but by the Holy Ghost (I Cor 12:3)?

The term Samaritans was originally referred to the inhabitants of Samaria, but today it’s a general term restricted to a sectarian Jewish community living in the area. In the Jewish tradition the Samaritans were said to be colonists introduced after the Assyrian conquest of the region who adopted a distorted form of Judaism. The Samaritans were descendants of the two sons of Menasseh and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph, who were given the land where the city of Sychar (Shechem) (Joshua 20:7-8). Sychar is also near Mount Ebal, just inland from the Jordan river.

The conflict between the “Jews” and the “Samaritans” was based on the claim of the Samaritans; the Samaritans, like the Jews, held to the Pentateuch, both honored Moses, but they also said Moses was the “only” prophet, discounting the other prophets in the Old Testament. The Jews refused to let them participate in the building of the second temple in Jerusalem, so they built their own temple on Mount Gerizim, which was destroyed. Of course the Jews claim God destroyed it to prove the only place to “worship God” was in the Temple in Jerusalem. However, in 70 AD they claim the Romans, not God destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. This gives us the background for some of the comments by the woman at the well, as well as, showing why Jesus responded to her the way He did.

When Jesus speaks to the woman at the well the subject matter will be acceptance of something New, something to erase the past, as it brings the person to a place of true worship regardless of where they are. Jesus will bring a Proceeding Word, rather than a locale or building being the “place” of worship, it will be in the person.

Jesus was traveling back to Galilee, but went out of His way then up a hill at a particular time of day for a very important purpose. Upon this Hill or Mountain He saw a woman, whom most wouldn’t talk to, even the disciples were shocked, a man like Jesus talking to a woman like this. If Jesus went all this way to see this one woman, what makes us think He won’t reach out to us in our time of need? Would God send someone out of their way, just for one person? Yes, there are times when God will send us many miles, just for one person. On the other hand, we know God will send someone many miles just for us as well.

Most would deny this woman entrance into a church, much less allow her to preach, but Jesus would use this outcast to start a Revival. We tend to look at those who started Revivals as Great People of God, but they were unknown before the Revival. We also tend to look upon the Evangelist who brought thousands to the Lord as doing something great, as they did, but much Greater is the one who brought the Evangelist to the Lord. John was not greater than Jesus, but the Baptist opened the Way for Jesus, yet Jesus said John was the greatest among those born of women (natural process of conception and birth), but the least in the kingdom is greater than John.  Are you the least? You’re still greater than John, yet John was greater than David, or Abraham, or Elijah.

Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well; and it was about the sixth hour (4:6).

This is not Israel’s well, but Jacob’s, thus it is more reflective to the man, rather than the nation. The sixth hour is noon, during this time of day only one class of woman would be at the well. The more respectful women in the town would come to the well in the cool of the morning, or in the cool of the evening, but the heat of the mid-day was set aside for the outcasts. Jesus was fully aware of the type of woman who would come to the well then, yet He not only traveled to see her, but waited for her.

There came a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus said unto her, Give Me to drink (4:7).

A similar situation can be found in the Old Testament, but it was the servant who came looking for the bride (Gen 24:10-19). Here this woman of low social importance came to the well, Jesus not only talked to her, but opened the conversation by making a request. What has it come to? This man of God talking to the low class, what will people think? Oh my, the Body is in big trouble, or perhaps Jesus, as our example, is showing us where the “harvest” is located.

(For His disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat) then said the woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it that You, being a Jew, asks drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans (4:8-9).

Jesus did not consider the Samaritans outcasts, but the Jews did; this one woman was an outcast of the outcasts. The woman doesn’t bring up why she is at the well at the noon hour, rather she enters self-justification, by blaming the Jews for not having anything to do with the Samaritans. She stopped just short of saying, “and no one has anything to do with me either”. This is all very interesting, some of us need to take note, Jesus not only wanted this woman to know about the Living Water about to be introduced to all the world, but He had a job for her, a calling, thus her background didn’t mean a thing, her repentance did.

Jesus answered and said unto her, if you knew the gift of God, and Who it is that says unto you, Give Me drink: you would have asked of Him and He would have given you living water (4:10).

The word Gift is the Greek Dorea, John is the only Gospel writer to use this Greek word; it comes from the Greek Doron meaning a present which can be put to use for the benefit of the giver as well as the receiver. The Gift of the Holy Ghost is Grace (Charis), as Grace entails being Born Again. This is different, yet it has a connection, this gift is not Salvation, rather Salvation is the completed effort of Grace, thus by Grace through faith you are saved. Water being a metaphor for Mercy shows us Jesus is talking about Mercy being empowered by the New Nature. Later when Jesus teaches on the Living Water we will find it’s connected with the Spirit (Jn 7:37-39). Like Nicodemus Jesus is teaching on what’s to come, He is not giving her the “living water”, neither is she “saved”. It would appear as if Jesus would have given her the living water, but the key is the wording, “Who it is that says unto you”, none of them, including the disciples, understood the Christ of the Cross and Resurrection. If we understand Jesus went to the Cross for us, was Resurrected on the third day, we can Ask for the Living Water as we believe we receive.

The woman said unto Him, Sir You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from where then have You that living water? (4:11).

This proves the point, she didn’t have a clue to Who Jesus is, or how to get the Living Water. This is not “Water” alone, this is Water with the attached “Living”. The Greek word of Living is Zao meaning to have true Life, or be worthy of the Name providing it. The word changes the context, this is Water from a Life within.

It becomes interesting to see the woman’s reaction to Jesus’ comments; now it’s “Sir”, but when she is offended her tone will change.

Are You greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? (4:12).

The woman is presented with the same concepts the Pharisees will hear later; her first reactions are to attack, then justify herself. The Pharisees will say, “we are the children of Abraham”; the woman says, “our father Jacob”. She is still looking at Jacob, rather than the promise. Jesus could give up, perhaps assuming this woman is so hard headed no one could break through, but He continues looking to the breakthrough.

Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life (4:13-14).

This doesn’t refer to water baptism, rather this Living Water will flow from within, not over the person. There is a difference between Living Water, and Running Water, some mix the two, missing the importance of Living Water. The Living Water from within comes from a source, or is produced from a source, which source is the New Man. The New Man isn’t water, he gives Mercy power. The same is true with the “washing of the water by the Word”, it’s the Word as the New Man using Mercy (Water), but when it comes forth then it’s Rhema, words of Grace and Mercy empowered.

The woman said unto Him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come here to draw (4:15).

She reaches out by asking, but did Jesus give it? No, why not, He just said if she asked, she would receive? If she doesn’t fit the qualifications, will He reject her? No. She will see Jesus is the Christ, but she still lacks knowledge regarding the Christ of the Cross. The woman began with “Sir”, went to “Are You greater”, now she returns to “Sir”; as her respect is growing it becomes a sign of repentance.

Jesus said unto her, Go, call your husband, and come here (4:16).

Now comes the time of repentance, a Word of Knowledge to set this woman free of her bondage. She knew the man she was living with wasn’t her husband, but she had other problems as well. Her mind caused her to seek many men, never finding the one, but her problem wasn’t the men, it was her. Acceptance by the Lord will destroy the lust to be accepted by others. Some of us will be what others want us to be, we put one mask over another until we really don’t know who we are. The Holy Spirit will remove all those masks, getting us to a place to know who we are, to know who we can be in Christ.

The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, You have said well, I have no husband. For you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband: in that said you truly (4:17-18).

Here she sees there is a freedom, it’s in the open, Jesus didn’t condemn her, rather the more she talks, the more she is being healed. Her questions all centered on acceptance, the worship, the well, her situation, but Jesus isn’t shocked, she finds He knew all the time, yet He remained there talking to her. At this point in time Nathanael  would be one of the disciples traveling with Jesus, he would now see there can be a Good Thing come out of Nazareth (Jn 1:46).

The woman says unto Him, Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet (4:19).

She now returns to calling Jesus “Sir”, but she also sees Jesus has more than natural knowledge. Jesus didn’t judge her, rather He set her free. Although the man she was living with was not her husband, Jesus still offered her hope. This is an example of the Manifestation of the Spirit, those one on one situations, as Jesus gave her a word of knowledge, then a word of wisdom, thus Jesus isn’t condoning her position, He is healing her to set her free of falling into the same trap over and over again.

Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and You say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship (4:20).

The “You” here is in reference to the Jews, not Jesus personally. One group says this place, others a different place, but none said How.

Jesus said unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour comes, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father (4:21).

This Hour begins at the Cross, yet it’s not the Hour of Temptation, thus the Hour of Jesus is the Time of Grace; whereas the Hour of Temptation is on the world, not the Body or the Church. At the wedding Jesus said, It was not His Hour, thus His Hour begins at the Cross, then secured for us by the Resurrection, allowing us to have the Spirit.

You worship you know not what: We know what we worship; for salvation is of the Jews (4:22).

She was concerned about Where, Jesus tells her to be concerned about the Who. In the Dialogue with Trypho, Justin Martyr (110-165 AD) showed the various names of Jesus used in the Old Testament, some of which included Star, Wisdom, Jehovah, East, Israel, Rod, Flower, Cornerstone, Son of God, Son of man, then he said “Christ and God to be worshipped by David” (Dialogue Chap. CXXVI). Salvation was first presented to the Jews, the greatest evidence of Jesus being the Christ is found in the Truth of Him being a Jew, yet worshipped by Gentiles. No nation of Gentiles ever worshipped a Jew, nor the God of the Jews, but we as Christians do.

But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him (4:23).

The term “now is” has to be coupled to “hour comes” pointing His Cross. The Living Water is produced by the Spirit of Truth in us, thus this still connects back to Nicodemus with the teaching of being Born Again, since she was unable to obtain the Living Water at this time, we can see how no one was Born Again until Jesus was Glorified (Jn 3:7 & 14:17).

God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth (4:24).

This is a harder saying than Jesus gave Nicodemus, yet she received it with gladness. God is Spirit; therefore, in order to worship Him one must be Spirit, thus our souls must be Spiritual by the Spirit of Truth, the meaning of “that Born of the Spirit is Spirit”.

The woman said unto Him, I know that Messiah comes, which is called Christ; when He is come, He will tell us all things (4:25).

This is another area confirming she lacked knowledge, she says Christ would “tell” her things, not do things. Yet, she is being truthful by showing her limited knowledge, but her belief is still set in when He comes, yet here He is.

The one ministry from which all ministries come is the ministry of reconciliation, knowing God through Christ is reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them: yet He has committed unto us the Word of Reconciliation (II Cor 5:19). It’s what Jesus is doing here, He is not ignoring her sins, He is showing her mercy unto restoration.

Jesus says unto her, I that speak unto you Am He (4:26).

The woman’s prior question about Jesus being greater than Jacob, has just been answered. The disciples would not be sent out for some time, yet this woman will preach to her home town, as she draws others to Jesus; therefore, she becomes the first preacher sent from Jesus, since He didn’t stop, or rebuke her. John was sent by the Father to be a witness of the Light as he was filled with the Holy Ghost, this woman is filled with Joy. We also find she is able to receive the information of Jesus as the Christ, showing Christ was on the earth; however, it was obvious the position is still the Son of man, thus there is a Christ position for the Son of man, a Christ position for the Son of God.

And upon this came His disciples, and marveled that He talked with the woman; yet no man said, What do you seek?, or Why are You talking with her? (4:27).

The disciples were still putting people into classes, not only did they wonder about the woman talking to Jesus, but why would Jesus talk to this woman?

Since the disciples went to the city to buy food, it shows us the forty day fast is coming to an end, especially when we add the following verses.

The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and said to the men, Come, see a man which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?  They went out of the city and came unto Him (4:28-30).

When this woman heard Jesus speak, she got so excited she forgot why she came to the well, leaving her waterpot behind; however, she now had someone to talk about, someone far better than Jacob.

In the mean while His disciples prayed Him, saying Master eat. But He said unto them, I have meat to eat that you know not of (4:31-32).

This evidence not only shows us this timing would be the last days of the fast, but now the disciples didn’t know or understand the Meat of the Gospel. The word Prayed means Begged, thus showing their concern. They went to get food, now the time is nearing forty days as they haven’t seen Jesus eat, thus they begged Him to eat something, but He pointed to the purpose, telling them to partake of the Harvest. The disciples knew Jesus hadn’t eaten, so they said:

Therefore said the disciples one to another, Has any man brought Him ought to eat? (4:33).

They just knew Jesus wouldn’t take food from the Samaritan woman, yet He wasn’t seeking food, thus someone must have given Him food, but these men are His disciples, those who care for Him; who would dare attempt to takeover their stewardship? Mark called them angels, which means a messenger. The disciples at this time would be Andrew, Judas, Philip, and Nathaniel, but they still didn’t understand what was going on.

Jesus said unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work. Say you not, There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest?  Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest (4:34-35).

The Harvest comes from the field, the fish from the Sea, but here Jesus says Fields (plural). This woman was an outcast among outcasts, yet she was within those Jesus was sent to, meaning she was a field who had tares removed by the Christ. Jesus didn’t judge her position, He healed her. When Jesus sends us to the Harvest, He is sending us to those within, when He sends us to Fish, we cast the Net to bring in the Gentiles.

The fields were not ready for the Harvest, but White, meaning just at the moment before the Harvest takes place. The Harvest was more important to Jesus, than food for His flesh, if we have His mind we too will seek the Harvest. Although the disciples will preach to the Harvest, they won’t bring in the Harvest until Pentecost.

The farmer doesn’t plant the seed then go away until the harvest, rather he cares for the crop until the harvest, then cares for the harvest until it’s delivered. The disciples were right in their efforts in caring for Jesus, but they should have combined the effort by putting their eyes on the Harvest. The Harvest always refers to the Seed which was planted, not the place where the Seed Will be planted.

And he that reaps, receives wages, and gathers fruit unto life eternal: that both he that sows and that reaps may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One sows, and another reaps (4:36-37).

Paul quoted this to the Corinthians, but he also showed it’s God who brings the increase (I Cor 3:6-7). Even a farmer knows the increase of the crop is out of his hands, yet he will toil to bring it in. Whether we sow or reap, we join with those who have sown and reaped.

I sent you to reap that whereon you bestowed no labor: other men labored, and you are entered into their labors (4:38).

The “others” would be the prophets of Old, John the Baptist was among the harvest as he preached Jesus as the Lamb of God slain for the sins of mankind.

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto Him, they besought Him that He would tarry with them: and He abode there two days. And many more believed because of His own word; and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of your sayings; for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world (4:39-42).

This is the power of the anointing, we think the preacher convinced us, but here we find the woman gave them information, although the people wondered, it wasn’t until they “heard” Jesus then they believed. The anointing speaks through us, it’s the anointing, not our great natural intellect winning souls. Once they saw and heard Jesus, no human would impress them again.

Now after two days He departed there, and went into Galilee (4:43).

Here the forty day fast ends, as Jesus returns to Galilee where Luke picks up the events with the entry into the temple (Luke 4:18-19). When the Logos (Jesus the Word) spoke the Rhema the time to present the kingdom of heaven was at hand.

For Jesus Himself testified, that a prophet has no honor in his own country (4:44).

Luke also shows after Jesus made His proclamation in the temple, He was rejected. Luke then shows Jesus saying, “No prophet is accepted in his own country” (Luke 4:24). By this time John was cast into prison, as Jesus was increasing, but Jesus also left Nazareth heading to Capernaum. The connection to Luke gives us the time element, as another example of how John explains the forty day fast period. John’s baptism ceases at this point, it served a good purpose, but ended. From the time John was cast into prison the act of baptism in his name ceased, really water baptism ceased until Jesus grants permission in His name.

Then when He was come into Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast. So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where He made water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum (4:45-46).

The phrase, “He was come into Galilee, the Galileans received Him”, gives us the location and time, but the Feast element goes back to the temple cleaning, it has nothing to do with healings or other signs. To these people the greatest miracle anyone could do was a temple cleaning. The religious order had their own little army, they were also associated with Herod, they could have someone beaten for what Jesus did, yet not one of the religious leaders even attempted to harm Jesus at this time. The people were amazed, this Man must be great!

This nobleman is not the same as the Centurion in Capernaum (Matt 8:5-13 & Luke 7:1-10). In John’s account this nobleman is on business, thus this nobleman was in Cana, his son was in Capernaum. Jesus would go to Capernaum after this, but in both Matthew and Luke we find Jesus in Capernaum, as well as the Centurion with the servant. John shows this miracle came before Jesus began the ministry in Capernaum; therefore, it will be the Second Miracle. There is a healing in both circumstances, there are people involved, the city of Capernaum is named, but it’s where the similarity ends, the differences are where Jesus is, where the nobleman is, where the need is, thus separating this event from the one noted in Matthew.

Mark shows Jesus entering Galilee, then entering the area of Capernaum (Mark 1:14-21), but Mark doesn’t say the healings all began in Capernaum. Since Mark shows Jesus in Galilee, we find the connection, thus showing Jesus is now on His way to Capernaum. Luke also shows Jesus entering Nazareth of Galilee (Luke 4:14), later going to Capernaum (Luke 4:31), but Luke adds how Jesus made His proclamation in the temple in Nazareth (Luke 4:18-19). John shows this was done, before this miracle was done (Jn 4:44 with Luke 4:24).

When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto Him and besought Him that He would come down, and heal his son, for he was at the point of death (4:47).

Here is another point separating this incident from the Centurion in Capernaum; the nobleman asked Jesus to come down to Capernaum. If one looked at a map of the area, it would appear Capernaum was up, not down, but it’s a matter of position, the nobleman begs Jesus to heal his son, but instead of Jesus going to the son’s sickness, Jesus raises the son without having to see, touch, or travel to him. Does Jesus have to come to us in order to heal us? No, He speaks the Word. Imputing? Yes. We ask, we believe we receive, it’s not a mind game, or going about saying, “I’m not sick”, rather it’s putting our faith in Jesus knowing by His stripes we were healed. This has nothing to do with “never being sick”, since the verse doesn’t say, “by His stripes you will never get sick”, rather it points to a healing. Also the healing comes in various ways, at different times, thus it’s not whether we are healed, but whether we believe Jesus is able.

All directions spin from Jerusalem, regardless of whether it’s north, south, east or west, it’s never down to Jerusalem, it’s up to Jerusalem. This concept is used by the Jews, but without knowing it they are really pointing to New Jerusalem, not Jerusalem of the earth, thus we go Up to New Jerusalem.

Then said Jesus unto him, Except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. The nobleman said unto Him, Sir come down or my child die. Jesus said unto him, go your way, your son lives. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way (4:48-50).

This man wanted to see Jesus touch his son, yet Jesus will heal the man’s son based on the man’s belief. Jesus spoke, the man believed, the man proved it by going about his business, he didn’t investigate, or reject the word spoken. This is not a faith issue, it’s based on what Jesus said, thus the man believed.

And as he was going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying Your son lives (4:51).

Capernaum would be approximately 20 to 25 miles away from Cana, thus the man could have traveled to Capernaum within a day, yet he continued on his business. As he was “going down” not “up” his servants found him, thus the man was headed away from Capernaum. He didn’t go about wondering if the Word would come to pass, he went about his business, taking his time, knowing it did come to pass, thus his actions and his words matched, thus it was a time to “just believe”.

This verse gives us a time period greater than “the same day”. Going back we can see why Jesus said, “unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe”. On the surface it seems like a cold statement, considering the circumstances, but in truth it was to stir the man’s belief to receive without seeing. This also connects to the teachings to the woman at the well, and Nicodemus, we ask for the Spirit, then believe we receive as the Root grows, a time to just believe.

Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was the same hour, in which Jesus said unto him, Your son lives: and himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when He was come out of Judea into Galilee (4:52-54).

The man heard the news the day after Jesus told him. The seventh hour would be about 1:00 PM, thus the man had plenty of time to travel to Capernaum to verify the Word of the Lord, but he held his belief. The phrase, “Began to amend” comes from the Greek Komposteron meaning a Gradual return to health, or as we know it Convalescent. John shows not all healings are instantaneous, nor is the evidence of the healing always instantaneous, but it’s nonetheless there, thus there are times when we impute, then stand in our belief, even if we don’t see “signs”.

It would be after this point in time when Jesus would travel to Capernaum, where Matthew, Mark and Luke all pick up the various events. It would be when Peter, John, and James are called. We also find Jesus sent the disciples who were with Him in the wilderness back to their homes, thus Matthew shows Andrew went back fishing when Jesus calls James, John and Peter (Matt 4:18). Luke verifies this; when Jesus entered the Synagogue to proclaim “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me”, the disciples were not with Him.

After this there was a feast of the Jews: and Jesus went to Jerusalem (5:1).

John skips a period of time to connect to another Feast, by so doing he shows the Feasts of the Jews were not for the Jews, but signs of the coming Messiah. Jacob took two wives on the same day, yet its unlawful to take two sisters at once; why would God allow it? From Jacob’s experience the Jews assumed they could obtain many wives, but they missed the point, Jacob wasn’t under the Law. Justin Martyr in his Dialogue With Trypho showed the sisters were symbols of the Jews and the Body. Leah being substituted for the promise after the Seven Years were complete, then Rachel the promise coming at the same time, but the Labor for her was after. Justin points out how Leah having Weak Eyes represented the weak eyes (blue) of the Jews when Jesus came.

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue, Bethesda, having five porches (5:2).

The name Bethesda means Court of Mercy; the five porches hold three important points, first they connect to Mercy, the water here is water, not living water: the five steps point to the fivefold offices (Eph 4:8); although the offices are Grace related, they are Mercy centered as well.

In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water (5:3).

There were times when Jesus healed them all, times when He didn’t, this is one of times when He didn’t heal all, keeping us from making formulas. Here at the pool there was a great multitude of impotent folk, yet only this one man was healed. Does it mean Jesus didn’t like the others? Does it mean they didn’t have faith? Not at all, it doesn’t mean they were not healed later, rather it shows we can’t put our eyes on the multitude, we must focus on Jesus as He deals with us as individuals.

The term Impotent comes from the Greek Astheneo meaning sick in body, relating to I Peter 2:24, where we read by His stripes we were healed, yet His stripes came before the Cross. There remains a great deal of impotent folk waiting for someone from the five fold ministry to stir the Water (Mercy).

The Messenger from God could be a winged Angel or someone who is received as a Messenger from God, it really doesn’t matter, the evidence of this man seeing others go before him to be healed is more than enough to show it did happen. The man placed his belief in two things, the angel and his ability to be first, but his ability was lacking, even if the angel came, he still lacked what it took to get to the water. This reflects to all of us, we can talk about Jesus, we can preach for hours, but we must have the New Man to have the ability to apply Truth to our words.

For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, He said unto him, Will you be made whole? (5:4-6).

The word Angel means Messenger, the point is how heaven touched the “water” not the people, then the people had to touch the water. The Living Water is internal, we don’t have to run here or there, we need to be Born Again to have Life applied to our Mercy. The Greek word for Healed here is Hugies meaning well in body, it also shows the angel who troubled the waters was only able to heal the physical body; whereas, Jesus heals us body and soul through the Spirit.

This man was bound with his infirmity for thirty-eight years, yet he waited by the pool day after day. This man at the pool needed someone, but who will answer? Who will hear him? Was his time in hand after all these years? Why didn’t God heal this man prior? This man’s time just connected to God’s Timing, his time was in hand. There are times when we must wait, yet even so, we wait on the Lord, in His timing He will tell us what to say, what to do, or where to go.

The impotent man answered Him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steps down before me (5:7).

This verse alone tells us something had to be going on at this pool. This man wouldn’t spend two days at the pool if he didn’t see someone healed, but only the first in the water could be healed. The symbol was there, the first to get into water, yet Jesus is dealing with this man who missed his chance many times. The man was trusting in the water, Jesus is giving him a different route, one wherein he can win regardless of how many reach the pool before him.

Jesus said unto him, rise, take up your bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath (5:8-9).

The man’s faith and belief immediately moved from the pool to Jesus. The man had faith and belief or he wouldn’t be at the pool, but his belief needed direction. He could have said, “yeah, right, bring the pool here and I will”, but he heard words of hope enforcing his belief, which added resolve to his faith. An example of hearing the Word producing the faith to be healed. In this case, the healing came Immediately, the Water of the pool served its purpose, it soon stopped. The symbol moved from the Pool with still Water, to Jesus with the Living Water.

According to the Law of Moses and Tradition, this man in his unhealed state could carry his bed, but now he is healed it would be a violation of the Law for him to carry the burden, yet the Pharisees could care less about the real burden the man carried for thirty-eight years. The Pharisees were always upset when Jesus healed on the Sabbath, this man carried his bed showing why the religious rulers were upset. When the man was sick, he could carry his bed, but now he is healed, yet if he started the day with the bed, the Law allowed him to finish the day with the bed, but if healed he wasn’t allowed to carry the bed, what to do? what to do? Jesus has a tendency to disrupt traditions and fables.

The Jews therefore, said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for you to carry your bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up your bed and walk (5:10-11).

Pharisees are always more concerned with rules and regulations than they are people. The man answered “He made me whole…”, thus the man heard and obeyed. The Pharisees never said, “Praise the Lord, you’re healed”, rather they focused on their rules and regulations. Was it a violation for the man to carry the bed? No, accordingly he brought the bed, he must take it back, anything he was allowed to carry in the beginning of the sabbath was still allowed to be carried at the end of the sabbath. The difference is clear, before Jesus healed the man, he had a right under the Law to carry his bed, but now he’s healed he can’t carry his bed, but according to the manner in which the lawyers interpreted the Law the man had the obligation to take his bed back. This caused the Pharisees much confusion, on one hand the man was suppose to carry his bed, on the other he wasn’t, thus they missed the healing attempting to figure out what to do with the bed.

Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto you, Take up your bed, and walk? And he that was healed knew not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed Himself away, a multitude being in that place (5:12-13).

The Pharisees didn’t say, Who cured you? rather they said, “Who said take up your bed?”. They were looking for the violation, yet the man was healed. The man would go to the one place he knew was proper and right, he entered the temple to thank God. Jesus found him in the temple giving praise to God, regardless of the Pharisees. This man continued to believe after the healing, it was just as important as believing into the healing. For this man it was physical in nature, for many of us it’s our souls being healed, yet we tend to forget to praise the Lord during, or after the fact.

Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, you are made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto you (5:14).

This man becomes a symbol of Mercy, not Grace, he couldn’t be free of the sin nature until Pentecost. What sin? Any sin? It’s a no hope situation, yet to the Jew the man was in his condition because he harmed someone, or was unable to receive forgiveness from another person, thus the curse was upon him. Jesus as the Son of man stood in the place of mankind forgiving the man. James shows sickness is often the result of conflicts between members of the Body, thus we confess our faults one to another, as we pray for one another so we may be healed (James 5:16).

The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the sabbath day (5:15-16).

Jesus didn’t tell the man to report to the Pharisees, so was it a sin to tell them? No, rather the man testified of his healing by answering questions, rather than saying Jesus told him to carry his bed. This man kept saying, “the One who healed me”, the Pharisees kept saying, “what about the bed?”. The Pharisees heard about the healing twice, yet they were more concerned with the supposed violation. The problem to the Pharisees was not the healing, it was the healing on a sabbath, they kept reflecting on the supposed fault rather than the Precious.

But Jesus answered them, My Father worked hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God (5:17-18).

This has to tell us about the division of Creation, the Father worked evening to morning, the Night works are finished, no man will work during the Night, but the Day creation was opening. It was Morning, our Bright and Morning Star was talking about the New Creation for the Day, the time when all things would be New and Saved.

They really had it wrong didn’t they? They couldn’t see the Truth, Jesus was not a man making Himself God, He was the Word of God who made Himself a man. What do we think they felt when Jesus told them to pray, ”Our Father who are in heaven”? To the Jew the Law stood between them and God, no one could say God was their Father, they could say Moses was, or Abraham was, but not God.

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for what things so ever He does, these also does the Son likewise (5:19).

Jesus told us we can do nothing of ourselves, but the context here doesn’t mean Jesus was without Power, rather it shows His purpose is to complete the Will of the Father through Mercy, adding to the prophecy, “let us make man in Our image”. Here Jesus doesn’t say which position, the Son of man, or the Son of God, but we find in either case He was carrying out the Will of the Father, they should have seen it.

For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that Himself does, and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel (5:20).

It’s what John said, another example of two witnesses. However, there does appear a problem, doesn’t the Book of Hebrews tell us the Father is making the enemies of Jesus His footstool? Sounds like judgment to me, but wait again, those are Night works, they are done, no man can stop them, but we can avoid them.

The word Marvel shows Jesus would do many things, yet they would not believe.

For as the Father raised up the dead, and quickened them: even so the Son quickens whom He will (5:21).

The word Quicken is the Greek Zoopoieo meaning To give life, it’s the same word used in the phrase “quickening Spirit”, so when did the Father do this? Adam was a living soul, yet the verse doesn’t say, “made them quickening spirits”, rather it points to a Living Soul, showing we become Living Souls by God’s Mercy; we become Quickening Spirits by Grace as we are Born Again.

For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son, honors not the Father which has sent Him (5:22-23).

This is even clearer, the Father judges no man, but isn’t the Judgment real? “Oh yeah, I see, Jesus will do the judging”. Man judges himself, Jesus merely separates the sheep from the goats; therefore, Judgment is merely a separation, not a condemnation. Jesus just finished saying the Time was at hand for mankind to leave the darkness, but if they love the darkness, they have condemned their own self.

John uses two different Greek words for Honor, the first  means a Valuable Price Paid for something demanding honor be given to it, the next means Honor given by praise, worship, or bestowing Glory upon. The first usage is found in verses 4:44 and 5:23, the second is found in verse 5:41; all are connect to the premise. The Father paid the Price in the Son, the Son paid the price at the Cross, if we fail to give proper honor by continuing the Course we are liars, or covenant breakers. John also put it this way, “whosoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father: [but] he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (I Jn 2:23). Mercy and Grace working together to bring the Living Waters.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears My word, and believes on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death to life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live (5:24-25).

The “now is” in this case it shows the Mercy of God, to Pardon sin, was upon them. The kingdom of heaven was open, the Kingdom of God was near. Two elements; we must understand and operate in Mercy, or we won’t be able to hold Grace.

Jesus uses the title “Son of God”, but uses it in a future tense position, this doesn’t relate to the Judgment, since He stands as the Son of man at the Judgment. The dead includes all of us who were under the law of sin and death, as the walking dead. The Voice of the Son of God points to Grace, when Jesus took captivity captive. The freedom of the second death came on Pentecost, they heard the Voice shall “live”. This fits with, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the Faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal 2:20). The Greek word for live in the phrase, “hear shall live” is Zao connecting this back to the woman at the well. The Greek word for Life in the phrases, “everlasting life”, or “death to life” is Zoe meaning A genuine life, often connected with Life Everlasting, or a Life without end. Zao is Life, Zoe is Life more abundantly.

For as the Father has life in Himself; so has He given to the Son to have life in Himself (5:26).

This is Zoe, but where is the Life? In the Father and Son, not in man. In order to gain Life we need the Seed of God. We can’t give what we don’t have, Jesus has Life; we gain the Seed of God spearing us from the second death. This doesn’t mean physical death, it’s still appointed unto all men once to die then comes the judgment, this is a freedom of the second death.

And has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man (5:27).

Here is Judgment showing the title “Son of man”; therefore, we are seeing a division, one separating the Son of God from the Son of man, explaining why we see Jesus talking about the Son of God. Paul said Jesus was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, which would be Son of man, but the Spirit of Holiness Declared (not made) Jesus as the Son of God by the Resurrection (Rom 1:3-4). The division is between Mercy (Water), and Grace (Life for the Water). The Zao is the living soul condition, but the Zoe is being Born Again making us free of the second death as a son of God.

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice (5:28)

This connects to the prior verse, the Son of man, not the Son of God. Those who are in graves would include those who Sleep in Jesus, those in the Sea (Gentiles), as those in death and hell (Rev 20:12-15), it doesn’t include the Dead in Christ (Rev 20:6).

The Hour is coming, pointing to the Judgment, the Hour now is for those who Hear His voice to receive Life, enabling them to have it more abundantly.

And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (5:29).

This is not the First Resurrection which is based on having Life, this verse relates to the last Resurrection. This is the Judgment, it’s divided into two segments, but we must notice the flesh formed of the earth is not at issue regardless of the resurrection. The Resurrection of the Just is the First Resurrection, we as sons of God are partakers of the Resurrection of Jesus, which Resurrection is not complete until all those who have the same Spirit are raised with Him at the Rapture. The resurrection noted here is on the last day, the term “without end”, or “eternity”, or “everlasting” all refer to a element void of time. Flesh subject to the first death is a factor involving time, eternity is a Now, void of time. Those who are resurrected unto Life are received by New Jerusalem (Rev 21:1-6). All those who are resurrected unto damnation will have resurrected bodies, which means they can never cease to exist, but they will melt and come back, time after time, after time (II Pet 3:10 & 3:12).

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear I Judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which has sent Me (5:30).

This doesn’t mean the Father is saying, “get that one, not that one”, rather this connects to “by your words you are either justified or condemned”. True Judgment is a matter of division predicated by the people being judged. The same is true between a vessel of honor and one of dishonor, it’s the same lump of clay, the “water” in the clay determines if it will be a vessel of Mercy, or one of dishonor (Rom 9:21-23).

If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another that bears witness of Me; and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth (5:31-33).

We can’t bear witness of our self, we can’t go about saying what great and wonderful people of God we are, it would be false witness. Jesus didn’t confess Himself, He confessed the Father, thus John was sent being full of the Holy Ghost to testify of Jesus.

But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that you might be saved (5:34).

What was John? A camel? It was John’s voice, but the Holy Ghost who did the speaking; John in the position made the declarations as he was moved.

 He was a burning and shining light: and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light (5:35).

Jesus shows John the Baptist was a burning and shining light, but didn’t we read where John was not the Light? What gives? Different words, John was a “reflection” of light based on what he did and said, but what he did and said was based on his position which was based on the Holy Ghost.

But I have a greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father has given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father sent Me (5:36).

The Works of the Father, must entail the Will of the Father, the Works for the Son of man are based in Mercy. The Works are the witness, the same is true with us. Are our works based in our studies, void of Mercy? Or are our works backed up by Mercy?

No man can do these things, lest they be sent by God, the works testify how Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is speaking of the Acts, we believe the Acts, but judge the Ways. There are some who seek to find fault in the Ways, yet ignore the Acts. It’s not our stand at all, we know the Acts happen, Thank God for the Acts, but we also know the Ways must be there as well, we must be Equal.

And the Father Himself, which has sent Me, has bore witness of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape. And you have not His word abiding in you: for whom He has sent, Him you believe not (5:37-38).

This doesn’t say God doesn’t know us, rather it shows we don’t know God. If man has not seen God, who did they see? The word means to perceive or know, but then when we add “shape” we really draw a wonder. The same word used for Shape was used in conjunction with the Spirit coming “As a dove”, it means the Fashion, but the root word means To Know or Perceive. Hearing the voice of God goes much further than hearing sounds, it means to hear, receive and obey. Just hearing then saying, “I know”, isn’t completing the call; yet, hearing, then acknowledging, “yes Lord, I will do it” does.

From this verse it would almost seem as if Jesus is declaring He is not the Son, but it’s not the case at all, rather it shows simply hearing the sound of a voice doesn’t mean we perceived it. Just because God is talking, doesn’t mean we’re listening.

The words Shape and Seen are better understood from the Greek, the word Shape as the Greek Eidos meaning the understanding of God, or being able to discern the voice of God from God’s perspective; the word Seen is the Greek Horao meaning to perceive; therefore, it’s not the study of God from man’s viewpoint, but the Knowledge enabling one to understand what God is saying. The Pharisees were looking right in the face of Jesus, yet they didn’t understand what He was talking about. The only thing they got right was Jesus calling Himself God’s Son, yet they misinterpreted it, then attempted to kill Him. Jesus will now tell us what a Testimony consists of:

Search the Scriptures: for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. And you will not come to Me, that you might have life (5:39-40).

Here we find the difference between the Word and the Scriptures; just because we read about something, doesn’t mean we know it, or have it. They didn’t have the Word in them, but Jesus told them to search the Scriptures, He didn’t tell them to read the Word. The Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Ghost, they speak of God, but the Scriptures cannot impart Life, it was the error of the Pharisees. They presumed since they read about it, they had it.

If we have the Word in us as the Seed of God, if so, we have the Love of God. Does it mean we don’t believe the Bible because we have the Word? Of course not, Jesus said Read the Scriptures, but He never said “put your faith in the Scriptures”, rather His call is to put our faith in God. The Scriptures are vital, but we never elevate anything of God higher than God has.

I receive not honor from men. But I know you, that you have not the love of God in you (5:41-42).

Jesus equates the Word to Love, showing they neither had the Word, or the Love of God. It’s obvious by their ways, thus in order to have the Love of God, one must have the Word in them. What then was the testimony of the religious rulers? The self; their ways (words) betrayed them.

It’s strange to see how Jesus doesn’t receive Honor from men, what are we? The word Honor means Praise and Worship, why then would we praise Him if He won’t receive it? Oh, wait this means worship by the spirit of man, rather than the Spirit of Truth. For this reason God seeks those who can worship in Spirit and Truth, bringing to pass that Born of the Spirit is Spirit, which can only be accomplished by being Born Again.

I am come in My Father’s name, and you receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive (5:43).

The word Name means By authority; Jesus came by the Authority of the Father, we by the Authority of Jesus. The Authority of the Father is based in Mercy; the Will of the Father is for us to give Mercy based on receiving it. After the Resurrection Jesus will say all Authority in heaven and earth was given to Him making the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are the one Name (Authority) of Jesus. When we view the phrase, “Father, Son and Holy Ghost”, we must see the Son is included, thus the purpose shows the Authority is based in the Body of Christ. An angel watches over Israel, until the time appointed (Rev 12:14).

How can you believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that comes from God only? (5:44).

Ego, pride, boasting in each other, pumping each other up for prideful reasons. It’s self-praise, hardly the type of Praise Jesus looks for, even taking pride in how we praise the Lord is still based in the spirit of man seeking self-honor and glory. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, then He shall raise you up. Here it’s men raising men, one ego inflating another.

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuses you, even Moses, in whom you trust. For had you believed Moses, you would have believed Me, for he wrote of Me. But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe My words (5:45-47).

The Body of Moses is the Law of Moses, also known as the “books” the Jews will be judged by. These Pharisees, like anyone who is bent on self-righteousness, felt by doing the deeds of the Law they were honored by God, wrong, the Law of Moses is a principality of Judgment, it was designed to Judge, not Save.

Jesus would leave the Pharisees with the Truth, allowing them to ponder their ways. This was another home work assignment, whether they obey or not is still up to them.

After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His miracles which He did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. And the Passover, a feast of the Jews was near (6:1-4).

The Pharisees were diseased with natural theological premises meaning little of nothing in the realm of Mercy, without the fruit of repentance they would remain with their ways. The signs were still speaking for Jesus, thus  miracles always out weigh the words of self-based theology.

John also gives us another separation of time, the events in Chapter Five were one day, or a feast day (Jn 5:1); here we find the second Passover is near. Chapter Six would also be after John the Baptist was beheaded (Matt 14:10-13 & Luke 9:9).

The feeding of the 5,000 is recorded in all the accounts (Matt 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44 & Luke 9:10-17), it was believed and taught by the early church, it also becomes a marker to keep all the accounts Synoptic. The reference clearly gives us a timeline, or indicator to correlating to the other accounts, thus this feeding would be approximately half way through the earthly ministry, or a little over one year after the baptism. Knowing the feeding was near a Passover feast also helps us understand the teachings of Jesus.

When Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company come unto Him, He said unto Philip, Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this He said to prove him: for He Himself knew what He would do (6:5-6).

The word Prove means To disciple, or To train, or Tempt, it’s the same word James uses for Temptation, thus to assume only the devil tempts us is in error. The devil tempts us unto evil, but here we find a temptation unto good would be termed a testing. The testing is presented by Jesus, but Philip’s reaction to the test turns it into a temptation on his part.  The second Philip looks to money as the source, he took the test, then made it a temptation unto evil. The test was good, the reaction of Philip was not. Philip is faced with a test, there was a need, but where would he turn to fill it? Jesus? The people? Or the Bag?

Philip answered Him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little (6:7).

Philip looked at the limits of the natural to make his determination; however, Philip didn’t say, “It’s not enough for me, much less these people”; rather he looked at the need of the people, then to the supplies determining the supply wasn’t enough for the people. Philip looked everywhere, but where the real source was, Jesus was standing right there; all it would take was for Philip to say, “what would You have me do Lord?”.

One of His disciples Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said unto Him, there is a lad here, which has five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many (6:8-9).

Five and two sounds like the golden candlestick in the Book of Revelation, but more important is the number Seven as it relates to completeness and rest. Their Rest was in Jesus, it’s close to the Passover they should have known God is fully able to bring food, even out of the sand in the wilderness.

And Jesus said, make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were sat down; likewise of the fishes as much as they would (6:10-11).

They received the Bread, before they could receive the Fish, a preview of a moment yet to come when Jesus tells them the Rock is in place, the Church is yet to come.

When they were filled, He said unto His disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten (6:12-13).

They had leftovers, not only was the need cared for, but they had enough to carry them through the next day.

Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world (6:14). 

After the miracle they admitted the truth, but not before; however, since it was now a past experience, it was also a belief builder. This timeline also helps show John the Baptist was already beheaded by Herod (Mark 6:14 & 6:30).

Moses spoke of the Prophet in Deuteronomy 18:15, which reads: “The Lord your God will raise up unto you a Prophet from the midst of you, of your brethren, like unto me; unto Him you shall hearken”. A Prophet gives direction, but a Prophet like Moses gives a Law. Moses couldn’t bring the Law of the Spirit, since he was not spiritual, rather he was earthly, made from the earth, for the earth, but Jesus is from heaven, He brought the Law of the Spirit for those who desire to reach heaven.

Here the disciples didn’t have enough to feed the people, there wasn’t enough money to buy food for the people, yet Jesus didn’t say, “You guys are something else, you should have been prepared, I have just about had it with you”, nor did He say, “Well this is just great, what about all these people? I sent you to them, now you let them down”. No, Jesus took care of the situation, He used what they did had. The bread and fish didn’t become fifty million fish, rather they became sufficient.

When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again unto a mountain Himself alone (6:15).

No man can make Jesus King, no man can remove Him from being King, rather they either receive Him as King, or reject Him as King. The same principle is equated to the five-fold offices of the Doma gift, the Holy Ghost appoints, man doesn’t. The leaders appoint Bishops, Deacons and Elders, but not the Administrations of Jesus.

And when even was now come, His disciples went down unto the sea. And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark and Jesus was not come to them. And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near unto the ship: and they were afraid. But He said unto them, It is I; be not afraid. Then they willingly received Him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land where they went (6:16-21).

This is after Peter walked on the water, thus Jesus never told the disciples they should walk on the water, but He did tell them to go to the other side. We could presume “Oh wasn’t Peter obedient, he is so powerful walking on the water”, no, Jesus merely answered a question in the manner Peter demanded. We looked at this prior finding obedience would have been getting to the other side.

These teachings relate to being Born Again, as they relate to the importance of having Both the Body (Bread) and Blood (Grace, or Spirit), yet the Spirit is nonetheless future tense at this point in time.

The day following, when the people, which stood on the other side of the sea, saw that there was none other boat there, save that one where into His disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples were gone away alone; (However, there came other boats from Tiberias near unto the place where they did eat bread, after the Lord had given thanks:) When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither His disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus (6:22-24).

Matthew shows many gathered in the land of Gennesaret, a place just above Magdala, where Mary Magdalene came from, or just south of Capernaum. Matthew also shows how those who were sick and diseased were made whole by Jesus; however, by the use of the word Many, we find not All were healed (Matt 14:35-36). Both Matthew and Mark show Jesus in the area of Gennesaret, since it’s the Area, it refers to the Plain of Gennesaret, which would include the city of Capernaum, thus they went from one side to the other to continue the effort, it didn’t stop simply because they received the Increase.

Matthew and Mark don’t give us the “day following” as we see here, thus John adds some very important events, showing the difference between the man at the pool who believed after the blessing came, and some of the followers who refused to believe even after the blessing was in their belly.

John wants us to know why the people followed Jesus, as well as the purpose for offense, and what happens when we allow the flesh to govern our minds.

And when they had found Him on the other side of the sea, they said unto Him, Rabbi, when did You come here? Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, You seek Me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves, and were filled (6:25-26).

What business is this of theirs? They wanted to make Him king, now they want to govern and control their king. There are some who want Jesus to be their Lord, but they want to govern how Jesus operates as well. The natural mind of man loves to make his own gods, then tell them what to do, making man the god of his gods. This is the precise reason Jesus left them, and the precise reason He will stand back from us when we think belief and faith are a means we can use to manipulate the Lord.

Here we will find a great lesson, these people were blessed, they received, yet all they are interested in is their “flesh”, but Jesus will give them a teaching not only dividing flesh thinking, but showing a path to the Cross.

Labor not for the meat which perishes, but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him has God the Father sealed (6:27).

This is the position of the Son of man, it points directly to the Cross and the benefits of the Cross. This also divides the “seek ye the Kingdom” from “seek ye the things”. What is more important? The Things? Or Jesus?

The word Sealed is the Greek Sphragizo meaning Strengthened by a private mark of authority, or the one who has the authenticity to speak for another. This is really an important word, in one way or another all people are sealed. There is the Seal of the Holy Spirit for us, but there is the seal of the prince of the power of the air as well. A Seal shows which authority a person is allowed to use, or is using. A “mark” is a sign of ownership, if we are Marked by God, He owns us, if we accept the “mark of the beast” then we have accepted the worldly lusts run by the spirit of the world.

Jesus told these people it wasn’t the miracles, but the Things causing them to follow Him. If it’s the case we will find the result in this lesson.

Then said they unto Him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God? (6:28).

Many of us ask this question, but do we want the Truth? Or do we want Jesus to condone our thinking? Here they asked the question, but they didn’t want the answer.

Jesus answered, and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on Him Whom He has sent (6:29).

Belief is a work in and of itself, here it’s obvious we are to believe On Jesus, but we also believe the words Jesus gives us. They asked the question, now they have an answer, but will they “believe”?

They said therefore unto Him, What sign show You then, that we may see, and believe You? What do You work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat (6:30-31).

No, it’s right back to the, “sign showing contest”, they just had a five course meal based on a fish fin with a crumb of bread. It would be a sign in most cases, but here the call is for Belief. This is a very interesting area, they had a foundation from which to believe, just the day prior, they followed Jesus because of the miracle of the food, but when it came time to believe, they wanted another miracle, thus they wanted to be entertained, or have Jesus provide for them, without their responsibility of belief.

Jesus is beginning to teach on the Body, showing neither the Body or Jesus are the Manna. The command for the Manna came from heaven, but the Manna itself grew from the ground, yet it was specific in purpose and time. The fathers ate the manna, yet they also died in the wilderness. The Manna didn’t provide Life, it was substance. The fish and bread were substance as well, but Jesus is Life.

When the children entered the wilderness it didn’t take long for them to begin to Murmur (Ex 16:1-2). Their unbelief produced self-based conclusions regarding how God must provide what they wanted, thus they murmured and complained when God didn’t perform for them. The manna didn’t come because of the children’s faith or belief, it came because of God’s Mercy (Ex 16:4). What do we have here? The same thing, yet they looked for the provision, rather than hearing the Provider. They sought the things, but mocked the King of the Kingdom.

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He which comes down from heaven, and gives life unto the world (6:32-33).

Moses didn’t give the Manna, but the “true” Bread from heaven is Jesus, yet we are the Body of Christ. This is a present tense statement (gives you the true bread), the work was to believe on Jesus to enter His Body. Life is found in the Body, more abundantly is found in Grace. Entering the Body isn’t the end of the race, it’s the beginning.

They failed to discern the Scripture, they should have looked at Jesus recalling Psalm 78 which reads, “And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels’ food: He sent them meat to be full” (Ps 78:24-25). What Meat? The Quail? The Manna? Or the Word? Ahh, the Meat of God is the Word; in the beginning the Word was God, then the Word took on flesh. Psalm 78 is prophetic, it points to two different things, the Manna and the Corn from heaven.

Where is the Manna now? It served its purpose and passed, but here Jesus tells these people they have something better, the Bread of Life. Paul says we are the Bread, thus the Bread of Life is the Body of Christ. Which would we rather be? The Manna for a season? Or the Bread of Life?

Then said they unto Him, Lord evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to Me shall never hunger; and he that believes on Me shall never thirst (6:34-35).

This is the first teaching on Communion, the Bread and Drink point to “hunger” and “thirst”, it will be the dividing point for many of these people, as well as the disciples. Jesus clearly shows He is the Corn from Heaven, the Bread of Life the Father sent.

But I say unto you, That you also have seen Me, and believe not (6:36).

They saw the signs, they took of the Bread and Fish, yet they failed to continue to believe. They had a foundation, they had Jesus before them, yet they were involved in their own mind games, missing the blessing of belief. Their unbelief was separating them from Jesus, yet He isn’t leaving them, nor forsaking them, but many of them will forsake Him as they walk with Him no more.

All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me; and him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out.  For I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the Father’s will which has sent Me. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which sees the Son, and believes on Him, may have everlasting Life: and I will raise him up at the last day (6:37-40).

This is permissive it doesn’t say “shall have”, rather it says “may have” everlasting life. It’s also directed to Life, not Life More Abundantly. This verse is Hope to those who sleep in Jesus, for one reason or another, not their fault, they have been robbed of the opportunity to receive the Spirit, yet they show mercy because they love the Lord. They are not “Dead in Christ”, but they will sleep in Jesus, then be raised on the Last Day.

If Jude says the Wicked separate themselves, how does it fit here? Easy, Jesus doesn’t cast anyone out, but it doesn’t mean they can’t rebel and leave, nor does it mean they can’t retain the spirit of man. Nothing can separate us from the Love of the Lord in Christ, the key is to be in Christ. The premise is to See and Believe, not merely See; the word See means to Perceive or Consider, which means more than an intellectual view. These people had an experience, yet they demand a sign.

The Jews then murmured at Him, because He said I am the bread which came down from heaven (6:41).

When they introduced the Manna into the conversation the Truth came, they were caught  murmuring. They were faced with Two concepts, first Jesus said “I AM”, then He is the Bread from heaven, not One of the Breads or the Other Bread, rather He is the prophesied Bread, all the other breads were merely signs. Isn’t it interesting how the children in the wilderness murmured, yet here these people are doing the same. Man may progress in the world, but the nature of fallen man remains the same.
And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He said, I Come down from heaven? (6:42).

They missed it by a mile, this is not Jesus the son of Joseph, this is Jesus the Son of man sent by God to save man. Could any other person make the fish and bread increase? Could they speak with such authority? They were allowing their natural reasoning to guide them right into unbelief.

Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to Me, except the Father which has sent Me, draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day (6:43-44).

All this is still talking about the “last day”, or the resurrection unto life, or damnation, it does not refer to the First Resurrection. Jesus is giving them the Basics, the Foundation to life, the Mercy of the Father. This is still the Father drawing them to the Cross on the words of Jesus, dividing this from Grace (Spirit, Born Again).

The word Murmur means To complain within, or to be discontent, or to Complain in low tones; from the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak, sooner or later.  We can set our minds on how God should operate, when He doesn’t meet our expectation, we complain, or become disappointed. Whatever the Abundance of our heart holds will be evidenced in those confessions during those times of pressure, not during the times when we can think of our words before they spill out of our mouths. When we are under pressure or offended, our confession will show the abundance, merely controlling our words is not the evidence. The Tree produces the fruit, the fruit is merely the evidence of the Tree.

Paul’s warning to the carnal church included, “neither murmur you, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer” (I Cor 10:10). How did the “destroyer” get into the wilderness? What destroyer? Could it be the destroyer is Unbelief? Could it be the works of the devil are more dangerous than the devil? Yes, we as sons of God are manifested to destroy the works of the devil (I Jn 3:8).

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By Rev. G. E. Newmyer – Les16rev11/© 2003