Signs That Point the Way - 240401

SPEAKER A Hello, I'm Clive Nash. Welcome to let God speak. One of the most loved books in the Bible is the Gospel of John. Today we begin a new series looking at this New Testament book. John's gospel differs from the other three gospels. He was particularly close to Jesus Christ. He said that his purpose was to have us believe in Jesus as the messiah, the son of God. John wants all to believe in him and have life in his name. I'll introduce our panel members in just a moment. Well, on our panel today we have Harold Harker and Gayl Fong. Good to have you with us, Harold and Gayl. I'm looking forward to our discussion, but before we do that, let's take time to pray. Loving Father in heaven, we just want to thank you that we are introducing a new book today in our series of let God speak. And we pray that as we delve into it, that we might be given a foretaste of the blessings that are available for us the coming weeks. And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Well, let's jump right into the first of seven signs or miracles that Jesus performed which are recorded in John's gospel. And I'm going to read from the first three verses of chapter two of John. John, chapter two, verses one to three. On the third day, there was a wedding in cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now, both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding, and when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to him, that's to Jesus, they have no wine. So, Gayl, what happened next in the stories? SPEAKER B It's very interesting because it's almost though Jesus declared that providing for the wedding was actually, it was not his priority. And he's beginning his public ministry. He came to do his father's will. And right here he says in verse four of chapter two, he said, Jesus said to her woman, that's addressing his mother, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet come. So he is looking forward. He is going forward to the time when he would be the lamb of God. And here in the book of Ellen G. White, she writes in the desire of ages, page 147. This lesson is also for us. The claims of God are paramount to the ties of human relationship. No earthly attraction should turn our feet from the path which he bids us walk. And however, Jesus was about to do something amazing, but he was well aware of the situation he was in and just reading on. And it's interesting because his mother didn't lose faith, she continues and just says, to the servant, well, whatever he says, just do it. And so, reading on in verses six through to ten, now, there were set there six water pots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing 20 or 30 gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, draw some out now and take it to the master of the feast. And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and did not know where it came from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to them, every man at the beginning sets out the good wine. And when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior, you have kept the good wine until now. So Jesus actually performs a miracle, turning. SPEAKER A The water into wine, which, as I say, was gratifying for his mother. Having said that, this wine word that's used here in these texts, in this story, hailed. What does it mean? Is it alcoholic wine? Or what is it? SPEAKER C Well, the word that John used, and he wrote in Greek, it has two meanings. One is fermented wine and one is pure grape juice. And if you know how the standards of the food and drink of the Jews were, this would have been pure grape juice. The stories of Noah and lot and their drunkenness would have been fermented wine, the same word probably, we would use. But fermentation is always in the Bible, a symbol of sin. And for this reason, the yeast are free bread, and the pure grape juice are used at the Lord's supper. SPEAKER A Yeah, Gayl, I'm thinking about a prophecy of Moses where he said there would rise another prophet, and Moses was thinking of him, of Jesus as a second Moses, as it were. So how significant, when you compare the first and second Moses, how significant was this miracle of the water into wine? SPEAKER B Well, yes, there are a couple of points here. Moses turned the water of the river Nile, and that was a river worshipped by the Egyptians into blood. That was the first plague that came upon Egypt. And here, Jesus, in his first miracle, he's turning the water into grape juice, which is foreshadowing his comments at the communion service. This is my blood. I also think it's significant that he said to fill the water pots to the very brim, because nothing can be added to it. Nothing was to be taken away. This was representative. We can't add to what Jesus has done. SPEAKER A Completeness. SPEAKER B Completeness. His blood, his sacrifice, would be sufficient for the sins of the whole world. So Jesus is very significant, as I read in John Paulian's book on the Bible, amplifier on the book of John, Jesus is replacing the water of Judaism with the wine of his blood. SPEAKER A Yeah, nice thought there. Now, Harold, we have not started in our series here on chapter one, but we'll come back to that in a later episode. But he's already called Andrew and Simon Peter as his disciples. And then he called Philip and Nathaniel. How do you think they're witnessing this sign would have affected their call? SPEAKER C Well, let me read the next verse, verse eleven. This beginning of signs jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory and his disciples believed in him. So a sign or a miracle would affirm their belief in Jesus. Now, miracles would probably convince me too, but I've got to remember the devil can do miracles as well. And a miracle is an evidence, it's not just proof. And we've got to see who has done it. And Cs Lewis, that great christian writer, he defined a miracle as interference with nature by a supernatural power. Jesus was the power beyond nature and he worked within nature. And the disciples, they said he is of God because the evidence is here. SPEAKER A Yeah. And the more evidences you have, the more convincing it is, isn't it? Yeah. So now for the second miracle or sign. You know, I find these stories of compassionate saviour very encouraging. I'm going to read John 446. So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee. So he's back at the same place again and where he had made the water wine and there was a certain nobleman, or my margin says, or royal official, there's a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. So before we explore the severe illness of this nobleman's son, what comet do you have, Gayl, to connect these two miracles? SPEAKER B It's very interesting because Capernaum is 25 kilometres away from Cana. So we have to conclude that John is making a theological point here and connecting the second sign to the first. And certainly the royal official or nobleman, he went to a lot of trouble to reach Jesus. He put himself out to come and he must have heard of Jesus healing power. Maybe he heard he changed the water into wine. The word about Jesus was going out that he was a healer. And there in verse 44, Jesus had said that he was a prophet without honour in his own country. So now here is a nobleman who thinks that Jesus has to be present with his son in order to heal him. And that's quite a normal thought, one would think, not realising the power that is available in the name of Jesus. And Jesus had to come to heal his son, so he had to see it for himself. But we read here, we have another. SPEAKER A Saying in English, don't we? Seeing is believing. SPEAKER B Yeah, that's a good point. That's true. And just a comment here that Jesus makes. In John 2029, when he was speaking to Thomas, Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. So Jesus notes that faith is not necessarily connected to seeing a miracle, but faith can be fostered by a miracle. SPEAKER A Yeah. When we read on the story in verse 48, this is John 448, it reads that Jesus said to him, to this nobleman, unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe. So. Does this statement seem harsh, Harold? What do you think, Harold? SPEAKER C Yes, it does a little. But it seems to have tested the royal officer. Let me read the next verse. The nobleman said to him, sir, come down before my child dies. And this is desperation. Jesus said to him as he goes on, go your way, your son lives. So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and he went his way. He pled for his son. Now he believes in Jesus and he believed without actually seeing the healing. Capernaum was some distance away. But Jesus said, he's better. SPEAKER A Yeah. So when Jesus said, your son will live, he was actually using a form of the greek word. We don't really have the equivalent in English. It was a present tense, but it's. So the future is already assured in that present tense. So what was the happy conclusion to the story? Gayl? SPEAKER B Reading on in the Bible, in John chapter four and verse 51 to 53, the Bible says, and as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, your son lives. Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, yesterday, at the 7th hour, the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, your son lives. And he himself believed and his whole household. So this is amazing, that Jesus, he can do it even when you're not there, he's not there in person. And he experienced it and he experienced this faith, his faith growing. And according to the Andrew study Bible, the healing took place at the 7th hour or the previous day and he could have made it back to Capernaum that same day. But now he had faith that he did not have to hurry. And that's when Jesus says, your son lives. So he actually took God at his word and he would have had amazing peace in his heart. But then the word of Jesus was enough for him. His son was healed and his faith was growing. SPEAKER A I think if you go to Cana today, they don't really focus too much on this miracle, but they do on the first one, with people who are selling wine and so on in Cana. But this is a wonderful story of the healing of the nobleman's son, and healing at a distance, as you say. It reminded me actually of, I think, in the book of acts, you had occasions where that happened too, didn't they? They just took handkerchiefs back from the apostle to the sick person. They were healed. So distance is no problem to Jesus. John 454 summarises the story here by saying this again, is the second sign. The second sign Jesus did when he had come out of Judah into Galilee. So it seems to me that John had a plan in going first miracle, the second miracle. Would you agree with that heralding? SPEAKER C Yes, I think he linked them all together, these in he writes, John writes about seven signs. We would call them seven miracles today. But he gives the evidence that Jesus was divine. And we may not have seen all these miracles that jesus did, just like the nobleman didn't see it. But while we weren't there, we can believe, just like the nobleman. And if we believe, that's the answer, Jesus is divine. And he showed it here. SPEAKER A Let's go on to the next chapter, chapter five of John. And I'm going to read the first two verses. John five, one. After this, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now, there is in Jerusalem, by the sheep gate, a pool which is called, in Hebrew, Bethesda. There are some other variations on that word, but we'll stick with Bethesda. And this pool has five porches, John says here. So we come to the third, and this is the last of the miracles that we're going to talk about today, and what could happen here, according to tradition, at this pool, Gael, it's very interesting. SPEAKER B The people believe that as it goes on in verse four there, that an angel would stir the water of this pool in Jerusalem, and that the first person to enter the water would be healed. So, yes, a result of some supernatural power. So in John, chapter five, verse five, it tells us now, a certain man was there, who had an infirmity 38 years. So it's probably, I guess that would have been like a lifetime experience for him. Just about. And obviously, he was one of the most pitiful persons there in this condition. SPEAKER A Yeah. Let's look at verse six. It says when Jesus saw him lying there and knowing that he had already been in that condition a long time, he said to him, do you want to be made world? I find this an unusual question. Why was he there after all? SPEAKER C That's exactly why he was there. Let me read verse seven. The sick man answered him. Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, while I'm coming another steps down before me. Healing was the reason this guy was there 38 years. Can you imagine it? People came there to be healed. And I've been to Bethesda too. And I just remember Jesus had mercy on him. He saw him, this afflicted man. And actually Bethesda means the house of mercy, and Jesus showed mercy here, and Jesus is turning him from this pool to his faith in him. He is the Messiah. And this man wasn't alone. He had no. He was alone. He had no one to help him. And he just feels hopeless, helpless. Is there a lesson there for me? Yes. Can I at times feel alone and helpless when God is really close to me? We've got to recognise the God who can help us. He can help us in life seemingly hopeless situations. Jesus is always near and he has mercy on us. SPEAKER A In fact, I think in the Old Testament, Satasha says, before you called, you. SPEAKER C Know, I will answer. SPEAKER A It's a wonderful promise. Okay, so verse eight, I'll just read that verse. Jesus said to this crippled man, rise, take up your bed and walk. How did the man respond? SPEAKER B Well, that gives him so much hope. There's hope, and his faith is kindled in those words. So he didn't seem to question the command here, and it says in verse nine. And immediately the man was made. Well, took up his bed and walked. So that hope built faith and that faith built obedience to that command. So he just followed the command and he just acted upon the word. And in acting upon the word, healing came to him. So he was made well, and that's why he took up his bed and walked, even though it was on the Sabbath. He possibly forgot all about the Sabbath because he'd been lying there for 38 years. So to be healed was just simply amazing. So carrying his bed on the Sabbath, although it was considered a violation by the rabbis because of their extended laws about Sabbath observance, he really wasn't breaking the Sabbath. Jesus had come to show, to fulfil the law. And so every healing that Jesus did, every miracle he did was showing that he is all we need and he is the lord of the Sabbath. Just reading on in John 510 and eleven. And the Jews therefore said to him, who was this who was cured? Said to him, who was cured, it is the Sabbath. It's not lawful for you to carry your bed. And he answered them, he who made me well said to me, take up your bed and walk. SPEAKER A He who made me well. So did the man know who it was? Jesus, Harold, did he know it was Jesus? SPEAKER C No. Because the next verse even delineates that. And in verse 13, he says, but the one who was healed did not know who it was. For Jesus had withdrawn a multitude. Being there in that place, you know, this stranger comes up to him and says, do you want to get well? And he says, of course, take up your bed and walk. But he didn't know. It was in a very conspicuous place. It was a well known. There were people everywhere there. And there were visitors there. And at that time, he didn't know. But let me read on. Afterward, jesus found him in the temple. That's the man who was healed. And said to him, see, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you. The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who'd made him well. Now that was a dangerous thing. Here's someone who healed him on the Sabbath. But he tells everyone it was Jesus who did it to me. SPEAKER B Amen. SPEAKER A Yes. So was the healing of this man really a time for rejoicing, Gayl, rather than. And criticism? SPEAKER B I think so. Sure, the healed man was. He was very happy, as we've discussed. But definitely wasn't a time for rejoicing for the religious leaders. But their opposition had started a lot earlier. And that was during the time of John the Baptist. And just reading in the beginning of the Gospel of John. John, chapter one, verse 19 and 20, it says. Now this is the testimony of John. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you? He confessed. And he did not deny, but confessed, I am not the Christ. So the Jews, now the Jews, they persecuted Jesus for his so called Sabbath breaking. After he had healed this gentleman. And Jesus performed several healings on the Sabbath. To illustrate his principle that it's lawful to do good on the Sabbath. SPEAKER A Yeah. Jesus healed a blind man, as recorded in John, chapter nine. And were the jewish leaders glad that this man received his sight again? Harold Gael. SPEAKER B Well, in John, chapter nine and verse 16, the Bible reads. Therefore, some of the Pharisees said, this man is not from God because he doesn't keep the Sabbath. So they were only concerned about their interpretation of the law. And when the parents of the formerly blind man were questioned, they were cautious in their response. And we read in John 919 to 20, 1822, the Bible says. And they asked him, saying, is this your son who you say was born blind? How then does he now see? And his parents answered them and said, we know that he is our son and that he was born blind. But by what means he now sees, we do not know. Or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Here's of eight. Ask him. He will speak for himself. His parents said these things because they feared the Jews. For the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that he was Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. So we can only but marvel at the hardness of the hearts of the critics of Jesus. And in John, chapter five and verse 42, the Bible reads, there, do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you, Moses, in whom you trust. So this sums up their problem. There was a lack of love for God and a lack of love of God. And a lack of love for God. SPEAKER A Yes. Certainly made that clear in verse 42, isn't it? You do not have the love of God in you. So, Harold, did the Jews have any other issues with Jesus besides healing on the Sabbath? SPEAKER C Sure, they had the big issue. Verse 18 of chapter five says, therefore, the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was his father, making himself equal with God. You know, in John one, John shows that Jesus was divine. And here the Jews wouldn't recognise that it was the big issue. He said, he's God. SPEAKER A Mm. Yeah. And this claim to a divinity was really the big concern of him, wasn't it? SPEAKER C It sure was. If I. You want me to read on a little? Ok. Do we have a. And John 5:31. If I were a witness of myself, my witness is true. There is another who bears witness of me. And I know that witness, which he witnesses of me is true. You have sent to John and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from Mandev. But I say these things, that you may be saved. You know, he's got the greater witness. God has sent Jesus. He's the one. SPEAKER A Yeah. Okay. Well, my guests today were Harold Harker and Gayl Fong. Nice to have you with us. And I'm Clive Nash. You know, today we've looked at a few of the signs or miracles of Jesus Christ. Common elements in these accounts are faith and action. In commenting on the healing of the lame man at Bethesda. Ellen Wite says that Jesus had given the man no assurance of divine help, but he believed Christ's word and in acting upon it he received strength. I'm sure that you too will be blessed as you believe in Jesus and act upon that faith. SPEAKER C Amen. SPEAKER A Well, we're glad you joined us today. Let God speak. If you're blessed by this programme, why not tell your friends? Remember, all past programmes plus teachers notes are available on our website. 3abnaustralia.org dot au. Email us if you wish on [email protected] dot au. God bless. Till next time. SPEAKER B You have been listening to let God speak, a production of 3ABN Australia television. To catch up on past programmes, please visit 3abnaustralia.org.au. Call us in Australia on 02 4973 3456. Or email [email protected]. we'd love to hear from you.