NOTE.—Between last week's lesson and the present one we have the record of John's testimony concerning himself and Christ, when questioned by the priests and Levites. Of himself he said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” Of Christ he said, “In the midst of you standeth One whom ye know not, even He that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose.” On the morrow John witnessed before the people, pointing out Jesus, and saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the11sin of the world.” Again on the following day came the incidents recorded in the lesson.
35 “Again on the morrow John was standing, and two of his 36 disciples; and he looked upon Jesus as He walked, and saith, 37 Behold, the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him 38 speak, and they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned, and beheld them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? And they said unto Him, Rabbi (which is to say, being interpreted, 39 Master), where abidest Thou? He saith unto them, Come, and ye shall see. They came therefore and saw where He abode; and they abode with Him that day; it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two that heard John speak, and followed Him, was 41 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He findeth first his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah 42 (which is, being interpreted, Christ). He brought him unto Jesus. Jesus looked upon him, and said, Thou art Simon the son of John; thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter). 43 “On the morrow He was minded to go forth into Galilee, and He findeth Philip; and Jesus saith unto him, Follow Me. 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, 46 Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”
Golden Text.— “Behold the Lamb of God.” Verse 36.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What public testimony had John given of Christ prior to that recorded in this lesson? See introductory note. (2) On the morrow, after introducing Jesus to the multitude as the “Lamb of God,” with whom was John standing? V. 35. (3) What did he say to them as Jesus was passing? V. 36. (4) What did the two disciples then do? V. 37. Note 1. (5) When Jesus saw them following Him, what did He ask them? What was their reply? V. 38. Note 2. (6) What invitation did Jesus extend to them? What is said of their acceptance? V. 39. Note 3. (7) What was the name of one of the two disciples that heard John speak? V. 40. (8) What was Andrew's first missionary act? What did he say to Simon? V. 41. Note 4. (9) To whom did he bring his brother? What did Jesus say to Simon? V. 42. Note 5. (10) Where did Jesus propose to go the next day? Whom did He find? What did He say to Philip? V. 43. (11) Where was Philip's home? What other disciples lived there? V. 44. (12) Whom did Philip find? What good news did He tell? V. 45. (13) What was Nathanael's doubtful question? How did Philip propose to remove his doubts? V. 46.
NOTES.
1. “They followed Jesus.”—The idea here is not that they followed after Him out of curiosity, as the crowds often did afterward, but that they became His disciples. Believing John's word, it would be only natural for them to leave the less and follow the Greater.
2. “Where dwellest Thou?”—At this time any dwelling-place of Jesus was but a temporary abode (Matt. 8:20), but those who asked the question would not be aware of this, especially in view of the common idea among the Jews concerning the Messiah being a great king.
3. “Come, and ye shall see.”—Jesus always invites the closest investigation of His life as well as His Word. Under all circumstances, His standing invitation is, “Come unto Me.” He was manifested unto the world, and had nothing to hide from those who desired to know all the truth concerning Him. He asks not for blind following, but desires that all may know Him intimately. “Abode with Him.”—He set an example of that hospitality which is enjoined in the scripture, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Heb. 13:2. But Jesus entertained these men knowing that they were not angels, but sinful men. He “came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:32.
4. The first two followers of Jesus were disciples of John the Baptist. Naturally enough one of these, Andrew, sought his brother Simon, that he too might be a partaker of whatever benefits might accrue from being personally connected with the Messiah. Messias is the Greek spelling of the Hebrew word Messiah. The Greek word for the same idea (the anointed) is Christ.
5. “Simon son of John.”—The Common Version has “Jona,” but John is deemed correct. “Thou shalt be called Cephas.”—Cephas is Aramaic, a modernized form of the Hebrew language commonly used in Palestine at that time, and called Hebrew in the New Testament. This language would not be familiar at Ephesus, where John is supposed to have written, therefore he translates it for them into Greek. By interpretation Peter, that is, a stone, or, rather, a mass of rock detached from the living rock.”—Westcott.
1 “And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; 2 and the mother of Jesus was there; and Jesus also was bidden, 3 and His disciples, to the marriage. And when the wine failed, 4 the mother of Jesus saith unto Him, They have no wine. And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? 5 Mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it. Now there were six water-pots of stone set there after the Jews' manner of purifying, 6 containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up 7 to the brim. And He saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the ruler of the feast. And they bare it. And when 8 the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and knew not whence it was (but the servants which had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast calleth the bridegroom, 9 and saith unto him, Every man setteth on first the good wine; and when men have drunk freely, then that which is worse; 10 thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of His signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed on Him.”
Golden Text.— “And His disciples believed on Him.” Verse 11.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What occurred on the third day after the events recorded in last week's lesson? What woman is mentioned as being present? V. 1. Note 1. (2) What other guests are especially mentioned? V. 2. (3) When the wine failed, what did the mother of Jesus say to Him? V. 3. Note 1. (4) What was His reply? V. 4. Note 2. (5) Then what did Mary say to the servants? V. 5. (6) What vessels were sitting there? Why were they there? How large were the vessels? V. 6. (7) What did Jesus say to the servants? How did they respond to His command? V. 7. Note 3. (8) What further directions did He give? How were these instructions carried out? V. 8. (9) What change had taken place in the water? Who knew of the miracle at this time? V. 9. (10) When the ruler of the feast had tasted, what did he say? V. 10. Note 4. (11) Where was this miracle performed? What was the result? V. 11. Note 5.
NOTES.
1. “The mother of Jesus.”—The fact that the mother of Jesus, who lived in Nazareth, eight or nine miles distant, was present at the wedding would indicate that it was at the house of an intimate friend or relative. Her knowledge that the wine had given out would indicate that she was acting in some responsible station in connection with the feast. Even the ruler of the feast, or master of ceremonies, was evidently not aware of it.
2. “Woman, what have I to do with thee.”—This was not a disrespectful remark. Jesus kept the commandments (John 15:10; Ps. 40:7, 8), therefore He would not, by word or deed, dishonor His mother. By His anointing to the work of His Father in heaven He had passed from under the personal control of His earthly parent. Mary must not presume upon her earthly kinship, however closely related, in order to control the action of the Son of God.
3. The quantity of wine.—Six water-pots, 2 or 3 firkins apiece; a firkin was about 9 gallons. If each pot held but 2 firkins, there would be 108 gallons. This enormous quantity would of itself put beyond dispute the word of the servants as to the manner in which the wine was procured.
4. The quality of wine.—Because the ruler of the feast praised the wine for its excellent quality, many suppose that it must have possessed the nature of old fermented and perhaps “fortified” wine, and was therefore intoxicating. The remarks of the master of ceremonies were based on the ordinary custom of Bacchanalian feasts, and show in themselves that the feast was at least in one respect different from the ordinary. Surely wine which the Lord Himself made good would not be good because of its containing ingredients that would make ordinary wine bad for men to use. His Word enjoins us: “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright [or is fermented]. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” Prov. 23:31, 32. The Lord would not make such wine as that, yet that is just the kind of wine that men would ordinarily call the best. While Jesus could indorse a pleasant wedding party, attending it Himself and contributing to the necessities of the custom, He certainly would do nothing to encourage, much less contribute to, a prolonged debauch.
5. Manifested His glory.—It showed that in Him was creative power, that He was the Son of God. It takes the same power to change water to wine through the grape as was manifest in Cana of Galilee, but blind, unbelieving eyes can not see it.
