Lesson 9

John 2-4 Lesson 5

1.        Why did John highlight the day of the week when this marriage was held?  There is a suggestion made by various commentaries that according to tradition, Jewish weddings were often held on Tuesday, the third day of the week because, during the Creation of the world, God twice declared the third day good and the other days of the week were declared good only once.  To run out of wine was a social faux pas.  Cana was a small village and such an occurrence would be social ruin as it would never be forgotten.  Wine was a rabbinical symbol of joy.  To run out of wine would have been the equivalent of admitting that neither the guests nor the bride and groom were happy.

2.       Is there anything to be learned from the miracle of turning water into wine?  What is the significance of the vessels being made of stone?  It manifested Jesus’ power to effect change of the elements from one state to another.  It was a testimony of His role as the Creator.  We can parallel this idea that the Savior can change us from our carnal, fallen state to a state of righteousness.  This turning of the wine was Jesus’ gift of salvation.  In verse 6 there is the phrase “after the manner of the purifying of the Jews. . .”  The waterpots are connected with the system of Law, because they were used in ceremonial purification.  These vessels would have been used, according to the tradition, to wash hands and feet.  Christ’s miraculous creative work would truly purify the Jews.  Wine in scripture is often used of God to signify blood, and thus without the creative work of Christ turning the water into wine, there would be no purification of the Jews.  Almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.  Just as in an actual birth of a child there is water and blood, so also in the recreation brought about by Christ, the new birth must be by water and blood.  The stone pots signify that Christ is the Stone from which the purification will come.  God illustrated this principle when He had the saving water for Israel coming out of Egypt, come from a stone.  The Jews were forty years in the wilderness and had no water.  God in His mercy had a rock smitten that they might have water.  The smitten rock signified Christ.  (Isaiah 53:4)  The rock in Horeb was a type and shadowing.

To summarize, in this miracle story, John’s focus on the jars used for purification can teach us that the Law of Moses, potentially symbolized by those jars I under scrutiny.  The jars held water—useful, but not palatable.  Jesus would replace the water with wine, which among other things stood as a symbol for joy, truth, atonement, transformation, and union with God.

3.       There must be a lesson to be learned by Jesus cleansing the temple.  What was that lesson?  He taught the Jews something about his identity.  By turning over the tables the attention fell upon Him and they watched and wondered.  He called the temple, ‘my Father’s house, instead of our Father’s house.’  He was declaring that He was not merely mortal but was the divine Son of God.

4.       Why were there money changers in the temple?  They were there for the convenience of those who came from other countries, so they could give in local currency their temple contributions.  They felt justified.  The pilgrims traveling these great distances could not bring their own animals for sacrifice and would have needed to exchange foreign currency for coins acceptable for temple offerings.  The temple leadership in this period was notoriously corrupt, the Savior’s rebuke may have been directed in part at them for allowing, and likely profiting from these activities.

Notice that this gospel is not so much a presentation of the life of Jesus as it is a powerful presentation of His deity.  Every chapter presents evidence—both signs and statements—for His divine authority.  Miracles in the gospel are called ‘signs’ because they point to Jesus’ divine nature.  John records seven such signs.

In verses 18-22 Jesus talked about destroying “this temple.” 

5.        In what way did this statement foreshadow His own death and resurrection?  His own disciples did not understand it.  He continually made it clear there would be a resurrection involving his physical body.  It wasn’t until after his death that they comprehended his words.  He spoke of this doctrine often enough and was clear about it, but the idea was too foreign for them to readily accept the notion of resurrection.

John often used the term, “the Jews.”

6.       To whom was he referring?  It was like a technical title for the religious authorities, particularly those in Jerusalem who are hostile to Jesus.  They were the chief priests, scribes, or Jewish rulers who felt threatened by Jesus’ claim to authority.

7.       Why did Jesus distrust those who were following Him in Jerusalem?  They only had a testimony of him as a wonder-worker.  They had not gained a testimony of his divine “Sonship” by the power of the Holy Ghost.

John 3:  All Must Be Born Again

1.        Who was Nicodemus?  He was a member of the Sanhedrin and held a position of political, social, and religious influence and power. He represented the old religion in contrast to Jesus, who brought the new religion. He actually defended the Savior to the chief priest and Pharisees and received ridicule for it.  After Jesus was crucified he assisted Joseph of Arimathea in burying him and even contributed expensive burial ointments.

2.       Why would Nicodemus visit the Savior at night?  It was likely the best time to have a sincere and serious private talk with the Savior.  The streets were filled with people participating in Passover activities.  It is also possible he was responding to the spiritual stirrings of a change of heart.  He was exhibiting on a limited basis faith in Christ.  He never quite reached the state of valiant devotion.

3.       What does it mean to be born again?  When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to be changed.  If we are to obtain eternal life then we must go through a rebirth—a transformation.  This means a change in the way we think, feel, and act with reference to spiritual things.  It means undergoing a fundamental and permanent change.

4.       What is the difference between seeing the kingdom of God and entering it?    To see the kingdom of God we must have a change of heart and we must adopt or subscribe to the doctrines.  This is followed by participation in the ordinances of the gospel and then we qualify to enter the kingdom of God.

5.       When speaking to Nicodemus what did Jesus mean by the kingdom of God?  He is referring to the celestial kingdom.  All who accepted the word of God would be baptized and would enter the celestial kingdom and all others would be assigned to one of the other kingdoms.

6.       How is receiving a testimony similar to feeling the wind?  We don’t really know of what our testimony is made, or where it comes from.  We cannot measure it, weigh it, count on it.  We can only feel it.  What we feel is a testimony.  It may feel pleasant, refreshed by it.  When someone is born again they feel refreshed.

7.       What is the connection between Jesus Christ and Moses’ brass serpent?  When the fiery serpents killed many of the children of Israel, the Lord told Moses to make a brass serpent and put it upon a pole and raise it up.  The children of Israel were to look at it in order to live.  This typifies Christ.  Those who will look to Him and believe will have eternal life.

8.       What was the most important message taught by ancient prophets?  The holy prophets knew of the coming of Christ and testified of Him with clarity and richness.

9.       How does one gain more light? Ask a simple question:  Do you see any light in that?  Bu asking this question as we seek to follow the 13^th article of faith of seeking for anything virtuous, lovely of good report or praiseworthy, we can use this simple question as a filter as it will help us differentiate between things that inspire us and bring us closer to the Spirit and those things that do not.

10.   What were the responsibilities of the friend of the bridegroom?  John the Baptist was the friend of the bridegroom—Christ.  Judean marriage customs in the days of Christ required the appointing of a chief groomsman.  His responsibility was to attend to all the preliminaries and to make arrangements for the marriage feast, in behalf of the bridegroom.  This made him the friend of the bridegroom.

11.   What messages can we learn from John’s message?  He preached faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, and the bestowal of the Holy Ghost by an authority greater than that possessed by him.  John is a great example of humility and he deferred always to the Savior.

John 4:  Jesus teaches a Samaritan Woman

In verses 1-2 we get the impression Jesus and John are competing for disciples.  This is not true.  Jesus did not baptize as many people as any of his disciples did and the number they baptized were probably not as many as John did.  Many did receive John as a prophet, but they did not accept him totally.  If they had, then more would have accepted Jesus as the Messiah.  They may accept him as a prophet, but still not follow all of the teachings.

1.        Is there a lesson to be learned in regard to humility that can be drawn from the Savior’s weariness as described in verse 6?    We can see him physically tired, weary, hungry, and thirsty.  He could have gotten from point A to point B without all of this mortal stuff getting in the way.  In all things he was subjecting himself to the proper experiences of mortality and so the greatest humbled himself to the fullest extent in all things.

2.       How does the account of the woman at the well show Jesus’ respect for women?  Some Jews viewed Samaritans as more unclean than a Gentile of any other nationality, and shunned interactions with them.  In this instance the Savior set aside the traditions of the day.  This was Jesus’ first time acknowledging himself to be the Christ and he did so to a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well.  By so doing John shows that the Savior is aware of women and knows the details of their lives.  He is showing respect for all women regardless of their background.  He is willing to accept and lift each woman in her individual circumstances.

3.       Who were the people of Samaria?  They were descendants of foreign colonists placed there by kings of Assyria and Babylonia.  They were also Israelites who escaped at the time of the captivity.  When the Assyrians took Samaria captive they deported large numbers o f the in habitants and replaced them by men from all over the empire.  They brought their own gods with them.  Over time their polytheism disappeared and they worshipped Jehovah alone, but their religion had peculiarities.

4.       What does living water symbolize?  It is a representation of Jesus Christ and His gospel.  Water is necessary to sustain physical life, so the Savior and His doctrines, principles, and ordinances are essential for eternal life.  It is needed on a daily basis and in ample supply to sustain our ongoing spiritual growth and development.  Because the scriptures contain the words of Christ and are a reservoir of living water, we can readily access them and drink deeply and long.

5.       Where can we find the living water in a world with great spiritual thirst?  Many of us are searching intently for a source of refreshment that will quench the yearning for meaning and direction in life. We look for a satisfying drink of insight and knowledge that will soothe our parched soul.  The spirit cries out for experiences of peace and calm to nourish and enliven our withering hearts.  David A. Bednar has given three basic ways or methods for obtaining water from the scriptural reservoir:

a.       Read the scriptures from beginning to end.  This initiates the flow of living water by introducing us to important stories, gospel doctrines, and timeless principles.  It introduces us to significant characters in the scriptures and the sequence, timing and context of the events and teachings.

b.      Study the scriptures by topic.  This approach grows out of and builds upon our reading of the scriptures from beginning to the end.  This causes us to focus upon questions and studying by topic, using the Topical Guide and index to all of the scriptures will allow us to dig into and explore the depth of the scriptures and obtain a much richer spiritual knowledge, and will increase the rate at which the living water flows into our lives.

c.       Search the scriptures for connections, patterns, and themes.  In this approach we are searching in the revelations to build upon and add to our spiritual knowledge by broadening our perspective and understanding of the plan of salvation.

Regardless of which method we use in each we must invite the companionship and assistance of the Holy Ghost.

6.       What did the woman initially think Jesus was offering her?   When she arrived at the well she was focused on the grind of her daily chore—one she wished she could forego.  Instead she got a lesson about the things of eternity through that chore.  While she was fixated on the physical water and the difficulty of obtaining it without a bucket, Christ explained to her that the living water would be a spring of water bubbling up into eternal life.  To receive that gift, the Samaritan woman had to come to recognize who Jesus was.

7.       What is a possible reason for the reference to the woman’s husbands?  Jews were allowed only three marriages.  If that standard was applied to Samaritans, then the woman’s life had been markedly immoral.  The Hebrew word for “husband” was also used as a name for a pagan deity—ba’al,  master, lord.   This Samaritan woman has had five be’alim or five gods previously worshiped and the ba’al or Yahweh that she now has is not really her god because the religion was not in its pure form.  Her marital condition may represent the apostate condition of the Samaritans.

8.       What did the woman misunderstand about the gospel?  At this point the Samaritan woman did not know what she worshiped.  She had rejected the continuous revelation of God through the Old Testament prophets; she apparently did not appreciate the true purpose of the temple, and she did not understand the implications of her declaration that Jesus was a prophet.  She saw salvation as of the Jews.  After all, the prophet standing before her was the source of salvation and because He, as she had quickly recognized at the beginning of their interaction, was a Jew.  This meant that Jesus had to teach her the elements of true worship.  He told her it did not matter if she had a building to worship in as true worship was not a function of location.  We must worship the Father in spirit and in truth.  In other words we worship the true and living God by the power of the Spirit and in the way he has ordained.  This approved way of worshiping leads to salvation.  Devotions rendered to false gods and not founded on eternal truth carry no such assurance.

9.       To whom should we direct our worship?  We are to believe in Christ and worship the Father in his name.

10.   What does it mean that “God is a Spirit”?  It is not translated correctly.  It should say “God is spirit.”  John said “God is light” and “God is love.”  In the same way “God is spirit.”  There is no indefinite article (a, an) in the Greek language.  Jesus only promised God’s spirit unto those who worship him in Spirit and in truth.

John 4:31-38.  Jesus invites his disciples to harvest souls and thereby gain eternal life.

The disciples encouraged Jesus to eat.  He said he had meat to eat that they did not know about.

1.        What was the “meat” to which Jesus had to eat?  He was talking about the “sustenance” of the experience he had just had with the Samaritan woman.  He had lifted her from probable hostility and spiritual stupor to a state where she glimpsed spiritual matters and heard Jesus declare himself to be the long-awaited Messiah.  For Jesus this was meat as he fed on things of the Spirit.  The disciples had not yet had enough experience to understand.  Christ’s meat is like his living water.  It would leave one filled for eternity.  In his patient and gentile, uncommon way, Christ lifted his beloved followers from the commonplace.  When he spoke of Temples, they thought he spoke of temples.  He spoke of Bread and the people thought he spoke of bread.  These were not merely parables in the allegorical sense of multiple applications of a single saying.  Instead they were invitations to lift up the eyes and see heavenly things—to see and understand him.  It was also a manifestation of his willingness to meet people in their own terms—wherever they were in their limited understanding and lead them onto higher ground.

2.       What was always Jesus’ first concern?  It was always to do the will of the Father.  The doctrine was not His.  It was the doctrine of His father.  He always said He could do nothing.  He never sought His own will.

3.       What should we remember about God’s work in His vineyard?   He is telling His disciples they are building on the foundations established by earlier prophets.

John 4:39-42.  Many Samaritans hear and believe the Savior.

1.        Why is it important for us to know who Christ is ourselves?  The Samaritans first believed on Christ based on the word and strength of the woman.  They then believed Him as they developed their own testimony.  This led to great success among the Samaritans later.  If we are to be strong in living the gospel, then we must receive and strengthen our personal testimony.  This is made known to us through the Holy Spirit by fasting and praying many days until we know for ourselves these things are true.

John 4:43-54.  Jesus heals a nobleman’s son.

1.       Why should we not seek signs to produce faith?  We should not ask for proof without the price.  The price is to have faith.

2.       What does this account teach us about the Savior’s power?  Jesus was in Cana and the boy was 20 miles away in Capernaum.  By the power of faith the sick are healed regardless of their geographical location.  God is God of the universe and his power is everywhere manifest.

A personal experience:

When my sister, Cindy, was dying, I got word that the cancer had developed to the point that she had lost her sight, was unable to speak, or to move anything but one arm.  A friend of mine, Russ Burdick, was here with his wife, Susan, when I received this word.  I was sick at heart knowing of the suffering she was experiencing.  Russ said, “You need a priesthood blessing.”  My answer was, “My sister is the one who needs the priesthood blessing.  I would have a blessing if it would extend to her—vicariously.”  He simply said, “Let’s do that.”  So he and Hoppy gave me a blessing on behalf of my sister.  A week later I heard of the miracle.  She was able to utter the words, “church people.”  Her son-in-law called my mother and told her Cindy wanted church people to come.  The next morning the stake president came with the bishop and they were able to give her a blessing of comfort and release that her family would be okay and she could return home to the Father.  Two days later she did.  I knew that my blessing of faith had afforded her the miracle of being able to say two words that would bring the peace and calm she needed to depart.  She had been agitated for hours and with those two words, she rested.  I know firsthand of the power of priesthood blessings and that power knows no geographical boundaries.  I know the power given to the Savior through the Father of us all.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie gave this insight:

As performed by Jesus, healings followed this pattern:

1.        They came because of the faith of the people among whom he ministered.

2.       To the Jewish mind they were and should have been convincing evidence of the divine mission of the Lord of heaven who walked among them.

3.       As acts of mercy and compassion, they were of inestimable benefit and blessing to the suffering and diseased of the day.

4.       Their occurrences came in accordance with the Messianic utterances of inspired men of former ages.

Healings are of two kinds:

1.        Those which confer physical and mental health to suffering mortals.

2.       Spiritual healings which cure those who are suffering from spiritual maladies and which awaken to spiritual life those who are dead to righteousness.

Healing of the sick by the Master’s touch is but symbolical of the greater and more important rejuvenation that must take place for all accountable persons if they are to be healed spiritually and thus become heirs of salvation.  3 Nephi 9:13 “Return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you.”