Jesus makes the difference!!

In the second chapter of John's Gospel we see two events. The wedding at Cana and the cleansing of the temple.Weddings were community events among Jews. The whole town usually show up for wedding and the celebration lasted many days. Cana  was north of Nazareth. Jesus and disciples were invited to this wedding.  Mary's intervention indicates that she was related to this family. During the celebration they ran out of wine. Wine was a normal drink at that time. It was a public humiliation and disgrace to run out of wine. Wine speaks of joy in the scripture. So Mary spoke to Jesus about the problem because she knew who He was. Christ addressed her as Woman or Lady. It does not show any disrespect. He said my hour is not yet come. He was not operating on His own initiative or Mary's direction but on His father's will and timing. Mary acknowledged this and submitted to the will of the God. She told the servants to do whatever He says. Jesus transformed the six jars of water into finest wine. When they tasted the wine the governor  complimented the bridegroom. By this first miracle Jesus displayed his glory and the disciples believed in Him.

There are some 36 recorded miracles in the Gospel account. Here the symbolism is clear. This world is full of emptiness and sorrow. Only the power of Christ can fill the emptiness and deficiency  in  our lives. Jesus did this to manifest His glory. Many people saw the miracles but only the disciples saw His glory and believed in Him.Miracle always  points to something greater than itself and often followed with a message(John 5:14-24). Many people hear the gospel today but only few believe in Christ. There were many who traveled with Jesus but only few followed Him. Satan had blinded their minds to see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ(2 Cor 4:4).For many professing  Christians Jesus does not mean much. Their worship is a religious ritual and a joyless expression. Being a Christian means to be a follower of Jesus and be loyal to His authority.  They acknowledge Jesus us Savior and Lord. When we follow Jesus then He would make us a  blessing to others and transform our lives of eternal value.Many approve drunkenness based on this passage. But the Bible forbids drunkenness. Drunkenness is condemned in the Old Testament(Pro 23:21). New Testament does not approve drunkenness because it can lead to riotous life style(Rom 13:13).

Secondly John gives the account of cleansing the temple in this chapter.  Temple worship was very important to Jews. Every male Jew required to attend three annual feasts in Jerusalem(Deut 16:16).Passover was one of them. During the feast Jesus found  that the court of the Gentiles in the temple was taken over for marketing and money exchange. Religious leader saw this as a service to worshipers. But Jesus saw this differently. He saw this as an offence to God and gentile worshipers. Jesus cleansed that place because of His zeal for His Father's house. It was the fulfillment of a prophecy(Ps 69:9).Jews were demanding a sign to substantiate His authority for His conduct. Christ said "destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up".Jesus was referring to His death and resurrection. But they failed to understand the spiritual meaning of his statement. Even the disciples failed to understand until Jesus was risen from the dead. From both these events we learn that  Jesus is willing and able to bring joy and cleansing in our lives.

While Jesus was in Jerusalem many believed in His name when they saw the miracles. But Jesus did not trust them because He knew they were not true believers(John 2:23-25). Their interest was primarily in miracles. Even today many people are attracted to a Jesus the powerful miracle worker rather than the Savior of the soul. Seeing is not believing. Conviction does not mean conversion. Only faith in Christ saves us(Rom 10:9).Many traveled with Christ but few followed Him. Christ knows His own.Are you a follower  of Christ or a fellow traveler? If you believe Christ as your Lord and Savior, you shall be saved. Only true disciples would see His glory and believe in His name.(John 11:40) May God help us!!

Be a Faithful Witness.

In the John's Gospel the writer gives the witness of John the Baptist about Jesus Christ."Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world"(John 1:29). John was sent to bear witness of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the light of the world(John 8:12). John testified that Jesus  is the preeminent one, He existed in eternity He is the lamb of God, He is the fullness of God and out of Him we have received grace upon grace or blessings after blessings.. The John gives a sharp contrast between Law and Grace. The Law was given by Moses,The Law reveals man's sinfulness but is powerless to transform us(Gal 3:24).Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ. Grace is God's undeserving favor to forgive our sins.The truth is that it is possible only through the sacrifice of Christ. God is Spirit and can't be seen by man(1Tim 6:16).But Christ has revealed the heart of God to mankind. God appeared in human form in the Old Testament in the garden of Eden, to Abraham and Jacob. But they were only temporary appearances. Christ is the begotten Son  and  He distinguishes Him from other sons(John 1:12).

 Because of sin, man was isolated  from God and helpless. All through the Old Testament God reminded them that the divine help is coming. In the fullness of time that help came through Christ(Gal 4:4).He took humanity so that He could be with us forever. It was entirely of  grace that Christ came  to save us (Titus 2:11). The sinless  one came to die for the guilty.  As our substitute He took our sin and given us His righteousness. Our best  work was not good enough. It is His righteousness from beginning to end. Whom He declared righteous are not kept on probation now. Our knowledge and zeal wouldn't make us righteous(Rom 10:2).  He came to taste death for us(Heb 2:9).Bible says that  He is able to lead many sons to glory. He also destroyed the power of devil by His death and resurrection..He is able to deliver us from the fear of death. This is  the unbelievable  transaction story. As some one said" the Son of God became Son of man to make us sons of God. By descending to the earth He has prepared us to ascend to heaven. By taking our mortality He has imparted to us His immortality. By experiencing our weaknesses He has strengthened us by His power. By receiving  our poverty He has made us spiritually rich.By taking our sins upon Him He has clothed us with  His righteousness". What a Savior!!

Jesus Christ was testified by many individuals in the first chapter of John's gospel. They include John the Baptist, Andres, Peter, Philip and Nathanael. John testified of Jesus that He is the lamb of God who takes away the Sin of the world(John 1:29,36).Christ is the fulfillment of Old Testament sacrifices. Only Christ can take away the sin of the world. Two of John's disciples followed Jesus. They wanted to know Him personally and to have close fellowship with Him. Andrew told  his brother Simon  that they found the Messiah. Jesus personally called Philip to follow Him.Philip witnessed to Nathanael. Their lives were radically changed and they became witnesses of Christ. They all became their brothers keepers. Their message was come and see the one who saved us. Witnessing is one beggar telling another beggar where he found the bread(2 King 7:3-11).Man was in need of a Lamb that takes away the Sin of the world.That need started with individual, family,nation, and ends with the world.  Jesus met that need on the Cross. That is the good news this world need to hear and we should proclaim.

Why we should witness Christ?  Because He is the Savior of the world and it  was His dying request.(MK 16:15). The plan of salvation includes it(Rom 10:9).The open sacrifice of Christ demands an open witness. The Lord of the harvest expect it(Act 1:8).The day of judgement requires it(Matt 10:32). The examples in the scripture demands it(John 9:25).We can become witnesses of Christ by godly living, by open confession of faith in Christ, including baptism. By our association with believers( Matt 5:16, Act 8:36-38;Rom10:9,10;Heb 10:25). May God help us.  

The WORD was made flesh and we have seen His glory!!

We have seen that Christ came  to lead us out of the darkness of sin into light. He is the light of the world. God has maintained  His presence on the earth so that people could find Him. God has chosen the nation of Israel to be the light to nations.Prophets were the witnesses of that light.The light of the Jewish nation culminated in Jesus Christ. He brings salvation to gentile nations. (Lk 2:32). One of the feature of the Church  is to bring light to nations through the Gospel. Today Christians are the light of the world(Matt 5:14).But God's own creation or the world and in particular the nation of Israel did not recognize Him. In fact they  rejected Christ  But as many as received Him to them God gave the power or authority  to become sons of God(John 1:12).

What is salvation? Salvation means deliverance from sin and it's consequences. Salvation also means conversion. Salvation is not the ABC's of Christian life but the entire experiences of Christian life. In salvation we see God brings to completion what He has begun in regeneration(Phil 1:6).Salvation of man is very precious to God. "For God so loved that world that He gave His only begotten Son , that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"(John 3:16).

There are three central truths about salvation. Salvation is not by works but by grace(Eph 2:8,9).Grace means  God's special favor to undeserving people. By the deeds of law no one is made righteous. Law describes what pleases God but does not have the power to produce that life.Christ came to fulfill the law  and to deliver us from sin. Salvation is not initiated by us but by God. It is not man reaching out to God but God reaching out to man. When we were utterly helpless and still sinners God saved us(Rom 5:6-8).Also Salvation is not an after thought of God but it was included in the eternal plan of God for mankind. God chose His Son to be a ransom for us long before the world began but now revealed unto us in these last days through the Gospel(1Pet 1:18-20). Gospel  is Christ. Peter gives us a summery statement of the Gospel in 1Peter 3:18.So Salvation is entirely of God, entirely of grace, entirely through faith, and entirely in Christ. God poured out the wrath sinners deserve upon His begotten Son on the cross. He became our substitute and willingly suffered our death on the cross.

Salvation is not by the blood. It is not on the basis of our lineage. Being born from Christian parents would make you a believer. Salvation is not by the flesh. Reformation will not save us. Salvation is not of the will of man. It simply means conformation will not save us. Pharisees were conformed to the law and reformed religious people. But there were not saved. The followers of John the baptist were reformed people but not saved. John the Baptist pointed his disciples to Jesus Christ and said this is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.. John said you need less of me and more of Him. He knew that only Christ can bring about the radical change in their lives.John could baptize them with water but Christ by the Holy Spirit. Salvation is only by the supernatural work of God called regeneration. Those who are born and brought up in Christian homes and who ares conformed to morality and Christian behaviour  can be mistakenly think that they are saved.. Nicodemus is an example. Jesus said to him, you must be born again.

Salvation is a gift from God. But as many as as received Jesus  and believed in His name become the sons of God.(John 1:12).In this verse we see two action words. Receive and Believe. Man's action is to receive and believe. Receive means more than receiving a mail. it means to welcome Christ as one's Lord and Savior. To believe means more than mental agreement.  It is more than admiring Jesus as a great teacher. Also it is more than admitting Jesus as God. Satan not only believe that there is a  God but also tremble in terror(James 2:19).Believe simply means active trust in Christ with the desire to treat Him as God and Savior. Also in this verse we see God's action word."To them he gave the power to become the sons of God. Bible says if any man be in Christ he is a new creation.(2Cor 5:17). Jesus is the Savior because He is Lord. Do you know Him as your Lord and Savior?

Apostle John was an eye witness of the glory of Christ. Christ is eternally equally and essentially God. Yet He was willing to be born as a human. This is called incarnation. It is a great mystery(1Tim 3:16).His coming was voluntary. Paul says He was send in the likeness of sinful flesh to become a sin sacrifice for us(Rom 8:3).
In His incarnation Jesus never ceased to be God or exchanged His deity for humanity.But voluntarily emptied the independent exercise of divine attributes and became obedient even unto the death on the cross.He had to be made like His brethren in all things in order to cleanse our sins and serve as our high priest(Heb 2:17).He experienced all range of human infirmities so that he could help us in our needs( Heb 5:2).He had an ancestry, a mother, normal physical growth, brothers and sisters. He experienced hunger, thirst, temptations, sorrow and even experienced an agonizing death.

Those who followed Jesus saw His glory.  Glory is the visible manifestation of God.Many traveled with Christ but few followed Him. Many people saw the  miracles He performed but failed to see His glory(John 2:23-25).Because Satan has blinded their minds to see Christ's glory. John was an eye witness of Christ's moral and divine glory. Christians are privileged to see His moral glory as we follow Him.in obedience to His Word. John saw His glory as the unfailing love or favour and the perfect divine revelation from God. There is a perfect balance in the revelation of grace and truth in Christ. Let us love and adore this wonderful Savior!!.

His Own Received Him Not!!

We are created by God and for God. He sent His Son to reveal Himself to us. So God gave us prophets and the law. God wants us to know Him.as the living Word.  He also gave us His written Word.  Jesus Christ Said "I am not come to destroy the law and prophets but to fulfill(Matt 5:17). Old Testament is taking us forward to Christ. And the New Testament tells us how He came and what He did for us. Bible is not given to scare us but it is God's love letter to us. It was not written for scholars but for the common people in their common language.

Jesus Christ is eternally ,equally and essentially God. Every thing have their existence Him(1 Cor 8:6). He is the creator and not the created(John 1:3). Apart from Him nothing was made. He is the sovereign source, the divine agent of creation. For His use all things were created(Col 1:16' Eph 2:10; Heb 11:3).As some think water,air and fire are not the agent of creation. Nor we are the product of some unplanned chemical process. Jesus is the creator and He sustainer of  this universe(Heb 1:3).In creation  we see God's power and wisdom. Bible says Christ is the power and wisdom of God(1Cor 1:24).He carries all things to their final destiny by controlling and guiding them. God did not create this universe and left it alone. So we can trust our Creator to protect and guide us in our life journey.

In Him was life. (John 1:4). Jesus is the source of life. Both physical and spiritual life come from Hi.m. Here the emphasis in on our spiritual life.This life was the light of men. Christ is the true and complete light. He is able to give light of reason and conscience. This light shines on all people. This world is in darkness. In the Bible darkness referred to our sin and unbelief(John3:19).There is always a hostility between darkness and light. Yet light continue to shine and darkness  never extinguish this light in the life of believers.( 1John 4:4).

John the Baptist was not the complete light but was a witness of light. He was sent from God to bear witness of Christ. He was the forerunner of Christ(Is 40:3-5; Mal 3:1). He came to make ready the way of the Lord by giving the baptism of repentance. He was commissioned by God to lead people to a saving faith in Christ. His ministry was to give Christ all the glory. John testified that he is not Christ,or Elijah or the other prophet
He was the voice crying in the wilderness to repent for the kingdom of God is at hand(Matt 3:2).His ultimate desire was that Christ must increase but he must decrease. We are also commissioned  with a similar ministry today. To reach the world with Gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples for Him. Jesus testified of John the Baptist that he is the greatest among all prophets. May be because he was privileged to see the one he proclaimed.(Matt 11:11). But no position in this life can be compared with the glory of Christ.

Jesus is more than a prophet. He came to fulfill what prophets prophesied.They wondered  in whom all these prophecies are  going to be fulfilled. They knew that these prophecies reached far beyond  their time. In Genesis 3:15 we read about the enmity between Satan and the Seed of the woman. Christ came born of a woman to destroy the works of the devil (Heb 2:14; 1John 3:8).To Abraham God said "in you all the families of the earth be blessed."(Gen 12:3). That promise was fulfilled in Christ(Galatians 3:16).Christ also fulfilled the law.We failed to obey the law. But Christ fulfilled the Law in His life. Father testified of Jesus that this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Christ also fulfilled the law in His death. Law says that the soul that sins should die. Christ bore our sins and died so we can be dead to sin and live in righteousness.(1Pet 2:24).
Christ fulfilled the law in us. Christ came to be our sin offering. He became the atonement for our sin that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us. Now God is able to fulfill the law in us by enabling us to live in obedience to the Holy Spirit(Rom 8:3)What prophets searched are now openly fulfilled by Christ and proclaimed by the Apostles for us. What a privilege to live in the age of New Testament revelation. Yet many people reject Christ, the true Light who fulfilled the prophets and the law.

He came to His own and His own received Him not.. Christ came to revel the Father and  save the world. He  preached about the acceptable year of the Lord. But people were furious and rejected Him(Lk 4:19.28). Jesus healed the sick but Pharisees sought to kill Him(Lk 6:11).He did all things well yet people shouted crucify Him, crucify Him. But there is always  a small remnant to receive Jesus as their Lord  and follow Him. Are you one among them.? May God help us!!