6

If this is the first page you clicked on check back to the first day of the ninety-two day chronological reading plan of the New Testament. "DAY ONE" If you want the whole plan day by day and not wait find it here at Shalom in the wilderness 

Day Six: John 2-4
As we go a long reading the New Testament we will notice a lot of reference to marriage, whether it be about events, parables, or prophesy of what is to come. Jesus refers to himself as the bridegroom and when he comes again he will take up his bride which is said to be those who have prepared themselves for his coming. I won't get into too much detail about the controversy over religions and people of different sects of Christianity claiming to be the ones who will be taken at the rapture while others who believe and repented are left behind since this can be discussed at a more appropriate time. But I will say this, do you know how silly it sounds, to really believe that one group who with their whole heart, mind and soul trust and follow Jesus can say that about another group who have prepared and continue to prepare for his coming, waiting for him?

Today's reading we experience a couple of the first miraculous signs of Jesus being the Messiah which reveals his glory and causes his disciples to place their faith in him. Mary, mother of Jesus, comes to him and tells him there is no more wine, at first he asks how this is his worry and then takes water and has the servants of the banquet serve it and they do not see that it has been made wine but the disciples, servants, and his mother see that it was done. Not only that but the master thinks it to be the finest wine. This first miraculous sign is done in secret for those who are closest to Jesus.
John 2: 9-11

 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." 11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

The next part of John 2 is always heartbreaking to me. The love between the father and the son is so great that he see's right through what is going on in his father's house while those who are taking part in not honoring heavenly father are ignorant to the disgrace. Jesus loses his temper when he see's his father's house being misused and demands them to stop, all they do at his request is tell him to prove he has the authority to make them stop. Are they so blind to what is holy, are we so detached from our father that we don't know what is honoring or not? This is where Jesus tells them destroy the temple and watch him raise it up again in 3 days referring to his Crucifixion. He doesn't give them a sign since he already knows they have seen some of his accounts of miracles.

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

In chapter 3 we meet Nicodemus, a pharisee testifies to Jesus by saying him and others can trust his teachings are from God since they are nothing like any other and no one has preformed such miracles before and knows they could not come from anywhere else. This is where the topic of being born again comes into play. I am sure there is dispute and controversy in this topic since people always take things differently and everyone has their own opinion. But by the words of Jesus we can learn that he preaches about baptism, repentance and that there is no other way to God then through knowing him. With baptism we are cleansed with water and we receive the Holy Spirit with our faith and repentance. I thought these next verses were extremely important for the message of heaven, we can know and testify when we can believe without seeing, listen and hear the words (in this case we read from Jesus) which will bring understanding to therefore see all it's glory.
John 3:5-8, 16-21

 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." 

At the end of this chapter we get the testimony of John the baptist of Jesus. Both him and Jesus' disciples were baptizing on different sides of the river and some of the followers of John were concerned because Jesus was getting more attention then him. This is when John professes that this is the will of God and this is the purpose of his life and there is no greater joy to him.

29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.

Chapter 4 Jesus leaves towards Galilee and goes through Samaria and stops near the well of Jacob on land given to Joseph his son. There he meets a Samaritan women and asks her to give him a drink. At first she did not understand how a Jew could even talk to her. Jesus then explained that if she asked him he would give her living water which would quench her forever. Her response made me giggle because she was questioning how he would draw it yet would like to know where to get such water so she didn't have to keep drawing more. The Samaritan women went and told others about Jesus and how he knew her life and those who she tells accept him as the Messiah.
John 4:23-26, 41-42

23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." 25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." 26 Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

41 And because of his words many more became believers.42 They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." 

The last thing I want to touch on is the healing of a dying son which is the second miraculous sign. With this Jesus heals through the faith of the father (The Official). The father of the sick son knew he was dying and trusting that Jesus could heal him from death of fever. By his faith alone his son was healed.

49 The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 50Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living.