In our last encounter, we got a brief glimpse of His childhood, witnessed His baptism, and Jesus’ victory over Satan. (See Christ as a Boy and a Warrior). Here’s what happens next…
Immediately after His victorious battle with the devil, Jesus begins His return journey to Galilee. Along the way, He encounters John the Baptist and his disciples. John immediately exclaims.
“Look! The Lamb of God!” Jn:136 AMP
Two of John’s disciples decide to follow Jesus:
The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned and saw them following Him, and asked them, “What do you want?” They answered Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went [with Him] and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard what John said and [as a result] followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first looked for and found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means the Christ). Jn. 37 – 41. AMP
(The unnamed disciple has traditionally been identified as John). When Simon Peter approaches, Jesus says:
“You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas (which is translated Peter).” Jn. 11:42 AMP
The following day, Jesus and His trio of disciples went to Galilee, where He conscripts a man named Philip, who in turn ran to get his friend, Nathanael, telling him that he found the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.
Nathanael responded by asking if anything good could come from Nazareth, seeing as how it was a small insignificant town. Philip asks him to see for himself.
As they approached Jesus, He said:
“Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor duplicity!” Jn. 1:47 AMP
Jesus is alluding to Nathanael as being a true man of faith. Nathanael retorts:
“How do you know these things about me?”
And Jesus responds: “Before Philip called you, when you were still under the fig tree, I saw you.” Jn. 1:48 AMP
That Jesus could have seen him in a vision, where he indeed had been under that very, tree was enough to convince him:
“Rabbi (Teacher), You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” Jn. 1:49. AMP
Jesus answers him basically telling him he hasn’t seen anything yet:
“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man [the bridge between heaven and earth].” Jn. 1:51 AMP
Two days later, Jesus and his quintet of disciples are invited to a wedding, where Mary, his mother, was in attendance as well. She approaches Jesus and tells Him that the host has run out of wine, (a social disaster in Jewish culture.)
Jesus answers:
“[Dear] woman, [b]what is that to you and to Me? My time [to act and to be revealed] has not yet come.” Jn. 2:4 AMP
Mary cleverly ignores her Son and tells the servants to do whatever He says. Jesus tells them to fill six each 20-gallon or 30-gallon pots with water, which He transforms into unparalleled wine.
This, the first of His signs (attesting miracles), Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory [displaying His deity and His great power openly], and His disciples believed [confidently] in Him [as the Messiah—they adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him]. Jn. 2:11 AMP
Passover was approaching; so, Jesus and His retinue went to the temple in Jerusalem. In the outer courtyard, He saw money changers, and people selling animals for sacrifice. He was not pleased:
He made a whip of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; then to those who sold the doves He said, “Take these things away! Stop making My Father’s house a place of commerce!” His disciples remembered that it is written [in the Scriptures], “Zeal (love, concern) for Your house [and its honor] will consume Me.”[1] Jn. 2:15 – 17. AMP
The Jews were upset at His behavior and asked what kind of miracles He could show them that would attest to Jesus’ authority for His behavior. He answers:
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews replied, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and You will raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple which was His body. So when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered what He had said. And they believed and trusted in and relied on the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. Jn. 2:19 – 22. AMP
Jesus increases in stature every time we encounter Him, yes?
Next time, a big mental shuffling for Nicodemus…
Goodnight and God bless.
[1] Ps.69:9
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