Notes from Life Transforming College International Course No. 202: The Life of Christ

1. The
Ministry
of Jesus
First miracle
Nicodemus
At the well

2. It is unclear where the location
for some of the events of John
1:19-4:42 take place
We know 2:1 starts in Cana
(Galilee) - and 4:1 is in Samaria -
chapters 1,3 have no location
given - the cleansing of the
temple is obviously in Jerusalem
but this might not be in the
correct chronological order.
John seems to have a subsection
here and it is probably best to
simply accept it as such without
too much chronological analysis

3. The miracle at Cana
The 1st miracle - Jesus is at a
wedding where the wine runs
out - such an event would have
been embarrassing and shameful
for the host
- drinking wine with meals was
common, and often healthier
than water
- wine was seen as a gift from
God Jdg 9:13, Ps 104:15 and
although less intoxicating than
todays version could still cause
drunkenness

4. - Mary was invited too and
asked Jesus to help
- verse 4 could be taken as a
refusal to help or simply a
statement that Jesus’ full self
revelation is in the future
- Jesus was not being
disrespectful here saying in
effect “what do you want from
me?”
- he is submitted to God’s
timing - and still performs the
miracle (out of peoples sight)

5. - it is said that the stone water jars
for ritual washing are set here
against the wedding banquet which
symbolised the messianic age
- Jesus is the wine of the new age
transcending the old rituals
- see also Mark 2:22, new wine in
new wineskins
- we see the best wine is saved for
last
- John notes this as a “sign,”
something which will recur as the
gospel is followed

6. Cleansing the Temple?

7. Cleansing the Temple?

8. Cleansing the Temple?

9. John (2:13ff) places this much earlier than the other
gospel writers
However it is suggested it could have happened this early
Blomberg suggests it is a clearing not cleansing
- buying and selling of animals was necessary for sacrifice
- John sees the temple as representing the old rituals and
sacrificial ways which are about to be replaced,v19
- Ps 69:9 indicates zeal for God - and possible
persecution for such

10. Jesus and Nicodemus
- Nicodemus is a Pharisee
- he has seen the signs and
thinks these prove Jesus is sent
from heaven
- Nicodemus does not look
good as Jesus demonstrates his
lack of understanding
- v3 born again can also be
translated “born from above”
- v5 then adds born of water and
the Spirit - but what does
that mean?

11. Jesus and Nicodemus
- Nicodemus is a Pharisee
- he has seen the signs and
thinks these prove Jesus is sent
from heaven
- Nicodemus does not look
good as Jesus demonstrates his
lack of understanding
- v3 born again can also be
translated “born from above”
- v5 then adds born of water and
the Spirit - but what does
that mean?
*a ref. to Christian baptism
*a ref to John’s baptism as a sign
of repentance
*as a ref to spiritual and physical
birth
*as a ref to spiritual cleansing as
seen in Ezek 36:25-27 which
would be seen in Messianic times
- this is seen as a sovereign act
of God - as seen in the
unpredictable activity of the
wind
pneuma = wind or S/spirit

12. Jesus and Nicodemus
- Nicodemus is a Pharisee
- he has seen the signs and
thinks these prove Jesus is sent
from heaven
- Nicodemus does not look
good as Jesus demonstrates his
lack of understanding
- v3 born again can also be
translated “born from above”
- v5 then adds born of water and
the Spirit - but what does
that mean?
*a ref. to Christian baptism
*a ref to John’s baptism as a sign
of repentance
*as a ref to spiritual and physical
birth
*as a ref to spiritual cleansing as
seen in Ezek 36:25-27 which
would be seen in Messianic times
- this is seen as a sovereign act
of God - as seen in the
unpredictable activity of the
wind
pneuma = wind or S/spirit
v16 is well known - the remaining verses less so
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life.17 For God did not send his Son into the world to
condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever
does not believe stands condemned already because they
have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
19 This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but
people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds
were evil.20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will
not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be
exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the
light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done
has been done in the sight of God.

13. Jesus and the woman at
the well

14. Jesus and the woman at
the well

15. Jesus and the woman at
the well

16. - Jesus again talks to someone
outside his group, but this
conversation is very different to the
one with Nicodemus
- powerful, male, Jew, pious, well off:
powerless, female, Samaritan, poor,
outcast due to marital history
- she (is unnamed) responds
positively and brings others to Jesus
- 3 social / cultural barriers
*gender
*religious / ethnic background
*should not associate with people
who are sexually immoral

17. - in seeing the boundaries broken
down the story indicates who not
necessarily how to evangelise
- Jesus changes the subject to
spiritual matters (flowing water)
which the woman wants and then
Jesus starts to address her marriage,
calling her to repent
- the well is that of Jacob and some
suggest a comparison being drawn
between the two systems (old and
new)
- Jesus deals with the issue of where
to worship (which was an ongoing
debate) by changing the locale to
make it personal “in spirit and truth”

18. - Jesus declares himself the
Messiah (25-26)
- why was he so clear? Some
say it was because
Samaritans expected Messiah
to be less nationalistic /
military and more converter
or redeemer, so words were
less likely to be
misinterpreted
- the conversation concludes
with a debrief for the
disciples “fields ripe for
harvest”, belief of the local
people
Ebal and Gerizim
Dt 11:22ff, 27:1ff, Josh
8:30-35
Just over 1 mile
between the mounts

19. The section in John’s gospel
ends with Jesus back in
Cana and the second sign -
healing of an officials son -
this is part of another
section of Galilean ministry
but is placed here by John
as a bookend of John 2-4
which Blomberg entitles
“The newness of Jesus’
ministry”.

21. The sun
has gone to
bed and so
must I
...but I
shall be
back