NLT Study Bible - Gospel of John - Flipbook - Page 10
John 2:3
1771
1:49
2 Sam 7:14
Ps 2:2
John 1:34; 20:31
brhabbi (4461)
John 3:2
1:51
Gen 28:12
49Then Nathanael exclaimed, “ bRabbi,
you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”
50Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this
just because I told you I had seen you under
the fig tree? You will see greater things than
this.” 51Then he said, “I tell you the truth,
you will all see heaven open and the angels
of God going up and down on the Son of
Man, the one who is the stairway bet ween
heaven and earth.”
Jesus and Jewish Institutions (2:1–4:54)
The Wedding at Cana: Purification Water
Turned to Wine
The next day there was a wedding cele
bration in the village of Cana in Galilee.
Jesus’ mother was there, 2and Jesus and his
disciples were also inv ited to the celebra
tion. 3The wine supply ran out during the
festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They
have no more wine.”
2
John the Baptist (1:19-37)
John 3:23-36; 4:1-3;
10:40-42
Matt 3:1-15; 4:12;
9:14; 11:2-19; 14:112; 16:14; 17:10-13;
21:24-27, 31-32
Mark 1:1-9, 14;
2:18; 6:14-29; 8:28;
9:11-13; 11:29-33
Luke 1:13-17, 36,
39-43, 57-66, 76-80;
3:1-21; 5:33; 7:1835; 9:7-9, 19; 11:1;
16:16; 20:3-8
Acts 1:5; 10:37;
11:16; 18:25-26;
19:1-7
John the Baptist was a fiery open-air preacher who called people to repent and be baptized,
to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. John acted in the role of Elijah, to prepare people
for “the great and dreadful day of the LORD” (Mal 4:4-5; see Matt 11:14; 17:12; Mark 9:13).
John’s birth, like that of Jesus, was miraculous. His parents had been unable to have children and were elderly (Luke 1:5-25). His mother, Elizabeth, was a relative of Mary, the mother
of Jesus (Luke 1:36), so John was related to Jesus. The two miraculous births near the same
time signaled the beginning of God’s redeeming work.
John was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth and devoted his life to preparing people for
the coming of the Lord (Luke 1:15-17). Living in the desert (Luke 1:80), he began preaching
when he was about thirty years old. Dressed like a prophet and subsisting on desert food
(locusts and wild honey, Matt 3:4; Mark 1:6), he called everyone to repent and be baptized
(Matt 3:1-2; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:1-3). He even castigated the religious leaders who came to hear
him (Matt 3:7).
Though John reluctantly baptized Jesus (Matt 3:13-17; Luke 3:21), he considered Jesus his
superior, the one who would “baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (1:33; Matt 3:11;
Mark 1:7-8; Luke 3:16; cp. 3:23-30). He encouraged his followers to become Jesus’ disciples—and many did, including Andrew and possibly John (1:35-40), as well as Apollos (Acts
18:24-26) and the twelve disciples at Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7).
Herod Antipas received harsh judgment from John because of Herod’s unlawful marriage
to Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. To please Herodias, Herod imprisoned John and then
beheaded him (Matt 14:3-12; Mark 6:17-29; Luke 3:19-20). John’s imprisonment marked the
beginning of Jesus’ public preaching (Matt 4:12; Mark 1:14).
Shortly before his death, John seemed to be confused about Jesus and sent messengers
from prison to ask him if he really was the Messiah. Jesus did not do what most people anticipated the Messiah to do. Rather than bringing judgment and a visible kingdom, he brought
forgiveness, healing, and a spiritual kingdom. To reassure John, Jesus spoke of the miraculous things God was doing through him (Luke 7:18-23).
John remained faithful to his calling throughout his life, consistently preaching repentance
and the judgment of God, even to people who had no desire to hear it. Jesus referred to John
as one of the greatest servants of God who had ever lived (Matt 11:2-19; Luke 7:18-35), the
end of a long line of prophets anticipating the coming of the Kingdom of God (Luke 16:16).
John stood on the threshold of the new age, proclaiming its coming to all who would hear.
1:51 I tell you the truth (Greek amen
amen): Jesus often used this expression
to emphasize what he was about to
say. In John’s Gospel, the Greek word
amen is always doubled. you will all
see heaven open: Jesus made the comparison with Jacob explicit (see note
on 1:47; see Gen 28:10-22). Like Jacob,
Nathanael would see God at work. Jesus
himself is the new Bethel (“house of
God,” Gen 28:19), the place where God
lives. going up and down on the Son
of Man, the one who is the stairway
between heaven and earth: Literally
going up and down on the Son of Man;
see Gen 28:10-17. “Son of Man” is a
title Jesus used for himself (see note on
9:35; see also Dan 7:13-14; Mark 8:31).
John the apostle used several names
for Jesus (Son of God, Son of Man, Messiah). Knowing Jesus’ true identity is
necessary to fully understanding and
following him.
2:1–10:42 Jesus illustrated his identity
and work through the institutions and
festivals of Judaism (see 2:1; 5:1).
2:1-25 Jesus appeared at two symbolic
Jewish ceremonies. At a wedding in Cana
(2:1-12), he replaced the ritual cleansing
water with his own superior wine. Later
he cleansed the Temple (2:13-25).
2:1 The next day: Literally On the third
day; see 1:35, 43. The ceremonies surrounding a wedding celebration could
last as long as a week; weddings often
included dramatic processions in which
the groom would bring the bride to his
home for the festivities (Matt 25:1-13).
2:3 When the wine supply ran out,
the host’s family would face embarrassment for failure to plan properly.
Perhaps Jesus arrived unexpectedly
(cp. Matt 25:1-13), bringing his circle of
