When I was a freshman in High School I was a sprinter and a hurdler, but at the end of that year they discovered that for a sprinter I was, slow. So they moved me to the 400 as a sophomore and at the end of the year the coaches realized I was still, slow. But my junior year they moved me to the 800, ah for the 800 I was fast, it was my niche. I loved it and they actually were going to let me do it for my senior year. But then a problem came up. There was no one to run the hurdles, the coaches asked for volunteers to try it. So I did, amazingly I didn’t look that slow anymore. So they pulled me from my distance workout to work with the hurdle coach. So I went over and we began to work together. He ran me through all of the drills worked with my technique everything was going great until he wanted me to try it for real. The hurdles coach was a big, older, former, football coach he gives me a pep talk and sends me over to the starting line and tells me when he says go to just run down and try and take a hurdle or two, just to relax and get a feel for it. I’m feeling good, coach is pumping me up in that football way, he says go, I take off down the track everything is fine until I get to the hurdle and realize that somewhere I forgot how to translate moving this way, to moving this way. I stopped, he asked me what was wrong, I said it doesn’t feel right, he said, try it again. So I did and I stop again. So he pulls me aside and he gives me his best pep talk, you’re young, you’re strong and fast, don’t let that hurdle beat, this time when you run down that track don’t let anything stop you. So I line up, I’m fired up, coach says go, I’m running down the track everything is good, I come to the hurdle, my legs say stop, but I over rode their wisdom, nothing was going to stop me until I got to the other side of that hurdle, and nothing did, the problem was I didn’t jump, I just ran right through that hurdle and the thing that stopped me was my face hitting the ground. I looked up, coach could still run, ‘cause he was running to me, fortunately for me my distance coach could run fast, the hurdle coach got there and he asked are you ok, you gonna try it again, I said, yes, my distance coach said no, you’re not going to kill him, and you’re going back to the 800 where you belong. Sometimes it’s good to branch out and do more than one thing, but always we must be stick to the main thing.
It is true of people and it is true of organizations. One of the most important things that an organization can do is keep the main thing the main thing. What does that look like within the church? Well remember that if Jesus had a vision statement for His like it was Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Jesus came to seek and to save, the lost the simplistic statement here is that the focus of Jesus like was evangelism, but realize that He was so focused on His mission that He died for it. That is focus.
It is that focus that inspired John to write his book the way he did. The gospel of John is a beautifully written book, he used several different literary devices to emphasize his theme, he writes from an omnipotent point of view, he uses irony as we’ll see in a moment. But because people fail to understand all of the literary devices he used sometimes his book can be misunderstood.
There several stories that John writes about that Matthew, Mark and Luke didn’t, this has made people question John over the years this is a controversial book. But perhaps the most controversial passage is a story we are about to look at when Jesus chased the money changers out of the temple. John writes about it at the beginning of Jesus ministry, Matthew, Mark and Luke place it towards the end. The question is, is this a problem. Well two things, one sometimes controversy is a marker. I believe that God is pointing us to something here.
What that something is, I believe, and my seminary professor who wrote a book on the subject, fortunately it hasn’t been published yet so that’s one less textbook to buy. But I believe that John used a Jewish literary device called a chiasm. It comes from letter “chi” and it speaks of crossing, within literature, it themes or stories that cross reference each other and point to the central theme. In language it sounds a bit confusing but let’s look at it, so you can see it.
The particular chiasm that we are looking at today begins in John 2:1-12, it’s the wedding feast at Cana where Jesus turned water into wine. Now Biblical critics note that this is the only story of this gospel so they question why it’s here. But John is using it for his Chiasm to point us to his central theme.
If this is in fact a Chiasm then it will end with a similar story or theme. Turning over to John 4:46-54 we find Jesus healing a nobleman’s son. Healing…water into wine, on the surface these don’t appear to be related, but where did this miracle take place? Cana of Galilee, water is the symbol of life, and Jesus tells the nobleman, “Your son lives.” So that’s A and A’ why do we note it that way? Because it makes the guys with all the letters after their names happy. So we have the Miracle at Cana of Galilee.
So that’s the frame the next step starts with that troubling story of Jesus and the money changers in John 3:1-9. You have to understand what this story was about to understand its placement. Basically Jesus comes to the temple, and sees the money changers ripping people off. People came to the temple to offer sacrifices, to worship, and the moneychangers were using it as an opportunity to rip them off. So Jesus chases them out and then when they come to Him and well give us a sign and what about our temple, and Jesus says basically, worship isn’t about the temple, it’s about me. So Jesus addresses Jewish worship.
Then flip over to John 4:1-26, Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman. There is also in this passage, the background is that in Jesus travel He stopped in the town of Sychar. Understand that this was the direct route but the Jews and the Samaritans disliked each other so much that strict Jews would go the long way around, just to bypass this region. That is some strong dislike. But Jesus goes to Samaria, He not only speaks to a Samaritan but a woman, understand, she was alone and He was alone, in their culture this wasn’t done for fear that you could be flirtatious, but Jesus set all of that aside, because He has a message to deliver. Yes He confirms that salvation is available to everyone but there is one important point in this conversation that is often over looked, she says, “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus responds that we must worship “In Spirit and in Truth.” In other words stop worrying about where you worship and worry who you worship. So B is Jesus addresses Jewish worship and B’ is that Jesus addresses Samaritan worship. But the theme of each is worship and it is used to point us to something greater.
From there Jesus had an encounter with Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee, he was a teacher, and he was willing to be humble enough to ask questions of Jesus. Of course he came at night but at least he was there. They talk about a lot of things but the first part of the conversation is centered around baptism of water and of the Spirit. See when you get save it is not a requirement that you be baptized, the thief on the cross wasn’t, but it is an expectation. Jesus said, you must be born of water, He’s talking about baptism. If you’ve accepted Christ and never been baptized understand that Jesus said it was really important. But it was just the first step He also talked about being born of the Spirit. Allowing the Holy Spirit to come into your life, transform you and give you the power to live your life.
After Jesus conversation with Nicodemus John the apostle moves on to a story about John the Baptist. The story starts with a discussion about baptism by water and notice how it ends, John 3:34, “For He whom God as sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.” In other words, you need baptism by water but you also need the Holy Spirit. Who is the source of the Spirit? God the Father through Jesus. How much of the Holy Spirit is God willing to give us? As much as we can handle. This is an important concept. The Jews thought that God was only willing to give the Holy Spirit out in measure. The Prophets got more than others, but everyone only got a portion. What John the Baptist is saying is that Jesus is superior to Him and everyone who came before Him because He not only gives us access to the Spirit, but access without measure. That is a promise, how much power is God willing to give you for your life? As much as you can handle. So C and C’ are about Baptism by water and Spirit.
All of these steps, as important as they are, to John they merely point to the main thing. What is the main thing? It is Christ’s theology of salvation. It is found in John 3:10-21, “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you eathly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but, He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of god. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
This is what this Chiasm pointed us to. By the way a Chiasm is also called concentric theology because if you circle each match it moves inward and you find the focus in the center. The focus of this Chiasm is the message of salvation, the focus is evangelism. Before I get too far into it, I know that some of you remember from the purpose driven life that Rick Warren wrote about five purposes for life, and if we’re going to say that evangelism is the focus then how does all of this fit together. Well they’re all included in this section of the book.
At the wedding feast in Cana what was Jesus doing? Well He was going to a wedding and notice that in John 2:2 we are told not only Jesus went but His disciples as well. That’s fellowship. Remember Jesus was a party animal, he acknowledged that they said, we was a glutton and a drunkard. It doesn’t mean that He was one, just that they said it. It indicates that Jesus went to parties and He actually had fun. So we see fellowship, but it’s pointing to evangelism.
What about ministry? Well is there any more powerful way for God to minister to us than to heal us. Jesus heals a boy who was dying, that will get peoples attention. But Jesus ministry is just like ours. It is meant to point us to evangelism.
Obviously we’ve talked about worship. The only time we see Jesus violently angry is when people interfere with the worship of God. When people are exploited because of their worship. God takes worship very seriously. Notice He tells the Samaritan woman, that we must, worship Him in Spirit and truth. We must be accurate in our worship, we must worship who He really is and let nothing interfere. Our worship must be focused on God, not people, not buildings, not instruments, not styles, but on Him alone. We must worship the one God who exists in three persons and nothing else. Because He alone is worthy. Worship is important but it points to Him alone.
Next, and I don’t think it’s any coincidence Jesus teaching on evangelism begins with discipleship. The two go hand in hand. If we don’t know God, then how can we tell people about God? When we accept God we’re not just supposed to stop at getting a ticket into Heaven. The goal of the Christian life isn’t just fire insurance, it is to know God. Look at John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Eternal life isn’t just accepting God, it’s getting to know Him day by day and becoming more like Him. When people get to know God they want to know more of Him. When we understand that then our discipleship will turn into evangelism.
Finally we come to evangelism, notice how important it is. Look at verse 10, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?” Don’t miss the irony here; it’s intentional from John’s writing. Jesus is saying, how are you a teacher but you don’t know. It is possible to be religious and yet miss the basics. The teacher of Israel didn’t know the basics of salvation. So as Jesus begins to explain it to him, as Jesus is witnessing to him He is also discipling him. Discipleship and evangelism go hand in hand.
So what does the message of salvation look like within the book of John? It begins with the sobering reality that it is a message that must be received. Nicodemus starts off this conversation by saying, “We know that you are a teacher come from God.” He’s telling Jesus what he knows, but then we Jesus checks his understanding, Nicodemus only thought he knew. Look at what Jesus says, as he begins to address him, “We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive our witness.” Here was a man that Jesus called “the teacher of Israel.” The term indicated that he was a leading teacher, a famous teacher, and yet he had missed the point, and missing the point, missing Jesus has a consequence. Verse 12, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how ill you believe if I tell you heavenly things.?’ In other words, if you can’t get the basics about God, if you miss God, you can never really understand God. Why do so many smart people question so many things that should be obvious? Because they missed God in the first place. Listen it’s not about understanding spiritual things, it’s not about understanding people and religion. If you want to understand the supernatural, if you want to know God, you must know Jesus. If you don’t know Jesus everything else is a waste and you will never really understand. You’ll be lost just like Nicodemus was. See the steps of salvation are to receive the message of salvation, that’s a choice, receive speaks of a gift, it is offered and we must receive it. But then once we receive the gift we must then learn to seek after Heavenly things. One of the themes of our lives should be ever, only and always Jesus, He is the center.
Why? Look at verse 14, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” Now on the surface he is referencing the story where Israel sinned while traveling through the desert and so God sent poisonous snakes among them and the people were getting bit by the snakes and dying, so Moses prayed for deliverance, and he was told to fashion a cross with entwined snakes on it, and who ever looked at the cross would live. If sounds familiar doesn’t it. If we will just receive the gift of the cross we will live. The people around us are dying, but all they have to do in look to the cross and they will live. That is the message we should share everyday. Because Jesus, our God, allowed Himself to be put on the cross to pay for our sins, He died so that we can live.
But don’t miss the double meaning here. Do you see it? Yes Jesus was beaten, tortured and nailed to that cross, when they raised Him up on it and dropped it in the ground His shoulders would have separated aiding to his suffocation and ultimate death. But that was not the end of the story. Because that day he won, when they raised Him up on that cross, to John they raised Him up in victory. There is absolutely a double meaning to this statement, they thought they raised Jesus up to death, but they really raised Him up to victory. Our God is so great that that cross became a throne. Jesus went from that cross to claiming the keys to death and hell for Himself, then He sat down at the right hand of His Father on the throne from which He reigns forever. Our God is so great that He can make a cross a throne. There is nothing in this world that can stop Him, and when we look to Him, He puts His Spirit inside of us. There is nothing that can stop us either, because through the Spirit we have His power.
The power that makes the cross a throne, is the same power that also moves from the throne to the courtroom. Look at the language He uses, Martyreo, testify, Martyria, testimony, Krisis, Judgment, and Krima, verdict. This is the beauty of the gospel of John in every other gospel the viewpoint is that Jesus was the one on trial, but to John, John the disciple whom Jesus loved, John who had the opportunity to look back and reflect with the objectivity given by the years, John realized that we are the one’s who were on trial. The Pharisees thought they had the power to kill Jesus. Look at John 11:49-50, “And one of them, Caiaphas, being the high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” They thought that they were passing judgment on Him, they didn’t realize that they were prophesying the purpose of His life and the result of Him mission. One man, our God, died to save us all. They thought that they had condemned Him, but Jesus knew, He always knew, that the cross was His path to the throne, it wasn’t a threat it was His destiny. It is really us who are on trail, will we receive the gift of the cross and not only eternal life, but also His Spirit as power for living.
It sounds to good to be true but it is. But there’s a problem, we love to quote John 3:16 but don’t miss 17, “For God did not send His Son in the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Condemned, it’s a legal term, it’s the sentence for those on trial who are found guilty. It’s sad that Jesus came so that no one ever would be condemned and yet, people are because they fail the trail. Jesus doesn’t act as our prosecutor but we must understand that He is light. He shines with the light of His holiness. The word for holy in the New Testament is Hagios it not only means to be set apart, but to be pure in moral and spiritual character. The holiness of Jesus is so great that it literally shines exposing the darkness in our lives.
When that happens we become afraid. We are afraid that people will see us for who we really are, as if their perfect. People avoid the light, people are condemned because they are afraid. But what are they afraid of, what are we afraid of? How many people here live your life with a secret shame? Do your realize that God forgives you? How many people are held back from living for God, from knowing Him, from truly having eternal life that starts right now, because of a sin they are afraid to let go of. Listen there are consequences to our sins. There are sometimes steps of repentance and reconciliation that must be taken. Sometimes we damage relationships that can not be repaired, but there is never condemnation. God is the only one who can condemn us, and He sent His Son so that if we would just receive His gift we would never be condemned. But until we are ready to receive that gift we can never overcome our fear because we can only see that things of this world, when Jesus came to show us so much more.
All we have to do is believe. Belief is the bridge between fear and the light. The power that made a cross a throne was at work through out Jesus life. John was able to realize it. Look at the power that he writes of even in the garden of Gethsemane. John 18 starting in verse 4, Jesus is praying in the garden when the soldiers come to seize Him, but look at how John writes about it. “Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “whom are you seeking?’ They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them,. Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” Who was in charge here, Jesus was. Who was in charge at the cross? Jesus was. In His darkest hour Jesus was in control to deliver us from condemnation. In the darkness of our sin, Jesus, the one who made a cross a throne, is the one who chases away the darkness of our sin and then gives us the power of His Spirit to live in victory if we will simply receive His message. We don’t have to understand it all at first, He will explain over time, but first we have to receive the basics and trust Him with our lives.
