Slide 1
| Leven van Jezus Door Johannes | Life of Jesus By Johannes |
A well-known story, usually situated at the end of Jesus’ life (even after the entry on a donkey in Jerusalem). You can talk a lot about this difference between the other gospels and John: who is right, did he do it twice… John situates it here, and let’s see what message He wants to convey. Here too, we must remember what the Bible is: not a story with a moral: do as Jesus did, or not like the Jews. But it is about the history that God is going with us. What do we see in this of God’s work.
Slide 2
| Begin van het verhaal Bruiloft in Kana: overvloed als teken van grootheid Vandaag verder in Johannes 2: Daarna….paar dagen Kafarnaum En dan het volgende verhaal: Jezus opnieuw met Pascha naar Jeruzalem | Beginning of the story Wedding in Cana: abundance as a sign of greatness Today we continue in John 2: After that… a few days in Capernaum And then the next story: Jesus again goes to Jerusalem for Passover |
Willem started preaching about the story of Jesus as told by John. Willem’s previous sermon was about the first part of chapter 2: As the beginning of his work, Jesus turned water into wine to show his greatness. Now the continuation: After that, they went to Capernaum for a few days. Shortly before Passover, they went to Jerusalem. As a twelve-year-old, he had also been there. There he discovered how important the temple is to him. It is now about 18 years later.
Slide 3 Visit to the temple
| Bezoek aan de tempel handelaren | Visit to the temple Merchants |
When visiting the temple, Jesus notices the merchants, and them He drove them out. There is a lot to say about the Merchants: Merchants are driven away from the Temple. And in many commentaries, you see a somewhat negative approach to these merchants. In the temple, you could only use the temple currency, a monopoly. If you came from afar, bringing an animal was difficult – and it also had to be a perfect animal without defects. And as true believers in free market, we quickly shout: abuse of monopoly. These merchants are no good. Even using something sacred to make money. The downside of this approach: pointing to the merchants means staying out of the spotlight yourself. And when reading this story in the Bible, the question is whether that is the intention. Important to realize: the trading itself does not seem to be directly condemned here. It is not about the merchants, the money changers. It is about the temple.
Slide 4
| Bezoek aan de tempel handelaren Tempel | Visit to the temple Merchants Temple |
Jesus does not seem to be concerned with the merchants. He is concerned with the Temple. The house of his father.
Slide 5
| Bezoek aan de tempel handelaren Tempelàhuis van mijn Vader | Visit to the temple Merchants Templeàhouse of my father |
Jesus is not angry that people are trading. He is angry that this is happening in the temple. There are even explanations that see caution in Jesus’ actions: the doves are not driven away, he does not throw the money around. The merchants can continue their trade, but outside the temple. I cannot fully judge if that is really the case. What is clear: Jesus is angry about the abuse of ‘my father’s house’. It is not about the trade itself, but about the house of his father. Notable that he says this here. Last week in the sermon, we heard already the reaction to his mother’s reproach. And also here: the house of my father. The Pharisees are not really paying attention yet, and are not focusing on his claim. But Jesus is already clear here: this is my father’s house. In other words: I am God’s son. A claim that later leads to problems and is the direct reason for his condemnation. When Jesus finally says unequivocally that he is God’s son when questioned by the high-priest and others, that is enough to stop looking for witnesses. An important theme for John: Jesus is God’s son, you must believe in Him.
Slide 6
| Reacties leerlingen | Reactions Disciples |
We start with the reaction of his disciples. They think of a psalm. Let’s look at that psalm.
Slide 7
| Reacties leerlingen Psalm 69: 10 De hartstocht voor uw huis heeft mij verteerd, de smaad van wie U smaadt, is op mij neergekomen. | Reactions Disciples Psalm 69: 10 The zeal for your house has consumed me, the reproach of those who reproach you has fallen on me |
Special text: the disciples were impressed by Jesus, the idea of a suffering Jesus does not really seem to be their idea of a Messiah. The only psalm that resembles the quote they think of is Psalm 69, and the quote is not even literal. And it is also special: Psalm 69 describes suffering: it is about someone who is besieged from all sides, not by natural forces but by people. And only at the end is there hope that God will restore the land and let his people live there. But that happens in that psalm only after much suffering. So special that they think of this. They want Jesus as a powerful king, but they accidentally think of a psalm that describes suffering.
Slide 8
| Reacties Leerlingen Joden (leiders van het volk) | Reactions Disciples Jews (leaders of the people) |
Another reaction: who are you, that you think you can do this.
Slide 9
| Reacties Leerlingen Joden (leiders van het volk) | Reactions Disciples Jews (leaders of the people) Who do you think you are” |
“Who do you think you are” That question comes up more often: why do you think you can do this. In other texts from the gospels, we read that Pharisees ask ‘what authority do you have to do this’. To many questions, Jesus gives answers that raise eyebrows. Also here, the comments about the temple we understand now, because John explains them. But honestly, we would not have understood it either. The disciples only understood it after his death and resurrection. So it is not strange that the other Jews did not understand it. Jesus’ answers are often quite unsettling. Unsettling can be a euphemism for irrelevant, but in this case, it mainly shows that Jesus shows a different truth than the reality we see. This is important for John to explain: Jesus tells who he is, and it is worth believing in Him. That is the purpose of his book, and that is why he explains here what Jesus means. I think it is not only about what Jesus did here, but certainly also about how people look at him: who is Jesus. That may be the real question here.
Slide 10
| Eind Johannes 2: 23 Toen Jezus op het pesachfeest in Jeruzalem was, kwamen velen tot geloof in zijn naam, omdat ze de tekenen zagen die Hij verrichtte. 24 Maar Jezus had geen vertrouwen in hen, omdat Hij hen allemaal kende. 25 Niemand hoefde Hem iets te vertellen over de mensen, want Hij wist wat er in een mens omgaat. Bijvoorbeeld Nicodemus. | End of John 2: 23 When Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name because they saw the signs he was doing. 24 But Jesus did not trust them, because he knew all people. 25 No one needed to tell him about people, because he knew what was in a person. For example, Nicodemus. |
The last part of this chapter also addresses this. Many people come to believe because of the miracles Jesus does. But they do not really know him. It seems somewhat overshadowed, and the Pharisees do not seem to be really paying attention yet. They are now focusing on the question: why do you think you can do this? They do not know Jesus, and do not want to know Him. And the disciples understand it later, but even now they do not really know Jesus. Conversely, that is the case: Jesus knows the people. He knows what is in them. Detail: the next chapter about Nicodemus begins with ’there was a Pharisee’. Apparently, that is an example of the people Jesus knows what is in them because he knows them.
Slide 11
| de boodschap van dit verhaal. | The message of this story. |
This is not a standalone story with a moral. This is the history of Jesus, through which we must come to believe and learn that he is God’s son who saves us. Willem has talked about it before: John wrote this book with a purpose. And that purpose also comes forward in this story. There are many more stories, but these are written so that you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. This story is included as a reminder of who Jesus is and what he does. And also as proof that he does what he says: they did not understand it, but later they did: He rose from the dead in three days. And that is already mentioned here: the house of my father. That is the message of this story:
Slide 12
| de boodschap van dit verhaal. Jezus is Gods zoon, geloof in Hem en wordt behouden | The message of this story. Jesus is God’s son, believe in Him and be saved |
The message of this story. Jesus is God’s son, believe in Him and be saved The most important thing is not driving away people and animals. The message here is: believe in Jesus. He knows the people, including you. Because he is God. The zeal for God has consumed him. But he has risen. And He wants to give you life.
Amen