Review: The Big Picture (John 1-6)

(Note: This week we are going to review the first six chapters of John. It will also be a good time to catch up if you've fallen behind. The easiest way to do that is by clicking the Lesson Index tab at the top of the page. With that said, we will also cover some new ground in an effort to give more context to our study thus far.)

Progressive Revelation
In our on-going effort to understand the grand narrative of Scripture, it is important to remember that the original manuscripts of the Bible did not contain the chapter and verse divisions that we have in our modern translations. They were added by translators to aid our study of Scripture. And they are very useful to that end. But if we're not careful, one unintentional side effect is that we may come to see the Bible as a series of disconnected verses that have little to do with each other, kind of like an assortment of fortune cookies. It can be all too easy to lose context. As a result, even Christians who have a solid grounding in doctrine may have lost the overarching narrative of Scripture along the way. One thing I hope to accomplish here is to highlight the narrative of John's Gospel, as well as give it some context within the "big picture" of Scripture.

It is also important to bear in mind that the Bible is a progressive revelation. That is to say, what was once a partial revelation, became more clear as God continued to speak through His prophets over time. In one sense, the progressive revelation of Scripture was very much like a seed that was planted in the ground and grew over time, according to God's predetermined will.

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— (Romans 16:25-26)

The Seed of the Woman
For example, we find the first mention of a Savior in Genesis 3:15. But it is somewhat cryptic, and offers just a glimmer of what is to come:

And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.” -- Genesis 3:15 (NKJV)

As we continue reading through Scripture, we come to passages like Genesis 22, where another curious thing happens. God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, his "only son" (Gen 22:2, John 3:16). But just as Abraham raises his hand to slaughter Isaac, God stops him, and provides the sacrifice himself.

In Exodus we read about the first Passover, and the sacrificial lamb. We also learn that the blood of the lamb is a covering from God's wrath.

As we continue to journey through Scripture, the revelation of the Messiah becomes increasingly vivid as we read more prophetic announcements about the Son of David, Emmanuel, and the Suffering Servant. Then, at long last, a virgin conceived, and Christ was born in a manger. The One Israel was waiting for had been revealed. When John the Baptist finally saw Christ, he proclaimed, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).

In the final book of the Bible, Christ is revealed in His full glory as the Alpha and Omega, the Lamb Who was slain, and the conquering King who sits upon God's throne. So here we see a progression of revelation over a period of several thousand years. We move from a cryptic mention of a Savior, to the full revelation of Christ. The "Seed of the woman" in Genesis, is revealed as "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" in Revelation.

While we have the benefit of hindsight and a closed canon of Scripture, to the ancient Jew, they were looking forward into the unfolding mystery of Christ as God spoke through His prophets at various times and in various ways (Hebrews 1:1-2).

Prologue
With that in mind, let's take a look at the opening of John's Gospel. It opens in eternity past with, "In the beginning". Notice how the opening verses of John and the opening verses of Genesis parallel each other. But also notice how John's Gospel gives us more insight about God, and more insight about the beginning.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.   -- Genesis 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. -- John 1:1-4

In the first chapter of John, we discover the full revelation of the Word, the Second Person of the Trinity, who was with God, and who was God. We learn that the Word became flesh and dwelt (or "tabernacled") among us (John 1:14). The Tabernacle, built during the time of Moses, dwelt in the midst of Israel as a visible sign of God's presence among His people. Now, the true Tabernacle, Emmanuel (God with us), had come in the person of Christ. He was the true light that dwelled among men. In other words, Jesus the Creator, had just walked into His creation. The opening prologue of John not only gives context to the rest of John's Gospel, but it illuminates the whole of Scripture as well.

The Confrontations
In chapter two we come to the first miracle Jesus performed by turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana. Shortly after that peaceful and idyllic scene, the confrontations begin -- the age old clash between the light and darkness. Jesus, the light of the world, confronts the darkness of man.

The first confrontation takes place in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. Jerusalem was the "Big City"; a place of high architecture, high society, and refined culture. Just like big cities today, this is where you would find the elites -- the rich, the educated, the leaders and politicians. Jerusalem was their town. Into this setting walked Jesus, an "uneducated" carpenter from a small town named Nazareth. If Jerusalem was a big city full of big people, Nazareth occupied the other end of the spectrum; a place of low esteem populated by people of low regard. Nathanael famously quipped, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46).

Jesus started His confrontations by making a whip to drive the money changers from the temple and denouncing the leaders as corrupt. On the surface, the scene was one of pure chaos as Jesus tossed-over money tables and put merchants on the run along with their livestock. This long needed public rebuke caught the attention of everyone, including a Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus. No doubt intrigued by these events, Nicodemus, himself an elite, sought a private audience with the Carpenter from Nazareth. During their private meeting, Jesus said things that amazed and perplexed Nicodemus.

Jesus would continue to seek specific individuals to speak with privately. He sought out the woman at the well, confronted her sin, and offered her living water. He went looking for a paralytic at the pool of Bethesda and healed him on the Sabbath day, causing yet another confrontation with the religious leaders.

Not only did Jesus minister to people through a series of personal encounters, but He ministered to large crowds as well. He would declare His divinity, miraculously feed thousands of people, and reveal Himself to be the true bread from heaven. At this point, the confrontations also begin to grow in intensity. The hostilities that were simmering beneath the surface begin to boil over.

Truly Man and Truly God
We also saw the humanity of Jesus on full display when He became tired and weary at the well in Samaria. This is an amazing paradox; that the Creator of the universe would live as a man and be tempted at all points, yet without sin, to become the perfect High Priest and Savior.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. -- Hebrews 4:15-16

John's Gospel reveals how the powerful imagery of the Old Testament points us to Christ. So far we have seen that Jesus is:

• God and Creator (John 1:1-3, 14)
• The true Lamb of God (John 1:29)
• Jacobs ladder (Gen 28:12, John 1:51)
• The true temple (John 2:19-21)
• Salvation in the wilderness (Num 21:7-9, John 3:14)
• The Light of Truth (Psalm 119:105, Prov 6:23, John 1:4-9, 3:19)
• Living Water (Jeremiah 2:12-13, John 4:10)
• The true Bread from Heaven (John 6:33-35)

So, can any thing good come from Nazareth? John's Gospel answers Nathanael's question with a resounding YES! Not only can good come from Nazareth, the greatest good came from Nazareth, Christ the Lord. Even though we have just scratched the surface with this brief survey of John, we've seen enough glorious truth about the person and work of Christ to fill the heart with a lifetime of awe and wonder, if we but have the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to believe.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! -- Romans 11:33

Once Upon A Time...

Every great story has a beginning, middle, and end. Even a great piece of music has a beginning, a middle (where it builds to a crescendo), and an end, when it comes to a resolution.

We see that pattern written on life itself. Life begins at conception, the pregnancy builds for nine months, rising to the crescendo of childbirth; then it finally comes to a resolution with the mother holding a newborn baby in her arms.

The beat of history will also rise to a crescendo. As history progresses, the drums will beat faster and harder, the horns will blow longer and louder, until finally, history's trumpets will rise to a crescendo with the return of Christ. Then, history will finally come to a resolution with a new heaven and a new earth.

Because God is the author of life, it should not surprise us that the Bible is also a grand story with a beginning, middle, and end. History is not an endless road leading to nowhere; history has a destination and a purpose, and it is centered around the person and work of Christ. Once we understand that, we will better understand the grand narrative of Scripture, as well as the meaning of our own lives.

By Way of Introduction...

As we read our first chapter this week, It will be useful to consider the back story leading up to the events that we will be studying in John's Gospel. You might call it the "prequel".

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The Golden Age

Israel was once a great nation with mighty kings like David and Solomon. David was a great warrior who secured peace for Israel. And his heir to the throne was Solomon, a man of great wisdom who secured prosperity for the nation. These were the golden days of Israel when they were a powerful, prosperous, and independent nation. The Jews lived in the land that God had promised them -- a land flowing with milk and honey. Furthermore, God had given Israel strong and wise kings to govern them. But this time of prosperity would not last.

Eventually, sin and immorality would become rampant in the land. From the king to the commoner, Israel would turn its back on God. After the death of Solomon (roughly 931 BC), Israel fell into a civil war that split the nation in two. Increasingly the land became polluted with idolatry, violence, gross sexual immorality, and even child sacrifice. An unrepentant Israel was being judged by God, and things would go from bad to worse.

Having become two nations, Israel and Judah, they continued to rebel against God until they were finally destroyed by the surrounding nations. Those who survived the devastating wars were sent into exile, and the once glorious kingdom of Israel was no more. Judged by God, the Jews became a displaced people without a homeland. Even the temple, where God once manifested His presence to Israel in a special way, was burned to the grown.

Eventually, by God's providential hand, the Jews returned to Judah and rebuilt the temple, but they would remain a diminished nation. They were just a shadow of their former glory and lived under the thumb of more powerful nations.

Against this backdrop of devastation, there was hope. The Jewish Scriptures prophesied about a future King who would come to save and restore His people one day. He would be mightier than David and wiser than Solomon and, unlike previous kings, this promised Messiah would be the perfect Prophet, Priest, and King. He would be unlike anything the world had ever known. But there was a problem, Israel did not truly understand their deepest need, nor did they understand their greatest problem. (This is still true today, not just for Israel, but for all of mankind.)

One night, more than 900 years after the death of Solomon, a star suddenly appeared in the sky over Bethlehem, and those who were watching and praying knew that the promised King had finally come. And that brings us to the opening chapter of John and the Word made flesh.

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"Anyone who is honestly trying to be a Christian will soon find his intelligence being sharpened: one of the reasons why it needs no special education to be a Christian is that Christianity is an education itself. That is why an uneducated believer like Bunyan was able to write a book [Pilgrim's Progress] that has astonished the whole world."

-- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity