Wine & a Whip

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:23:32 +0100

After I had given a presentation on the claims of Christ, a skeptical student asked: “What proof do you have that Jesus really was who he claimed to be?” People have been asking that question for two thousand years! For John the convincing proof of Jesus’ deity was found in his words and deeds. No one but God could say the things Jesus said, and no one but God could do the things Jesus did.

In chapter two, John pulls two events from the early ministry of Jesus that demonstrate his power and authority. We are shown a miraculous sign as Jesus exercises his creative power to turn water into wine. We are also shown a prophetic sign as Jesus cleanses God’s temple in Jerusalem. Both signs demonstrate that Jesus was the fullness of God clothed in humanity.

1. What initially convinced you that Jesus was more than a man?

2. Read John 2:1-11. When the groom’s parents ran out of wine for their guests, Jesus’ mother asked him to help (v. 3). What do you think Mary expected Jesus to do? (Remember, according to verse 11 Jesus had not yet performed any miracles.)

3. What did Jesus mean by his reply to Mary in verse 4?

4. In your opinion, why did Jesus command that the servants fill the pots with water (v. 7)? (Obviously, Jesus could have simply created wine in the empty pots.)

5. If you had been a wedding guest, what do you imagine your reaction would have been to this miracle?

How did Jesus’ disciples respond (v. 11)?

6. According to verse 11, the purpose of Jesus’ miracle was not to save the groom from embarrassment but to display Christ’s glory. What aspects of Christ’s glory does this miracle reveal to you?

7. Read John 2:12-25. How does John’s picture of Jesus in verses 15-16 fit with today’s popular concept of him?

8. What is the significance of Jesus’ claim that the temple is “my Father’s house” (v. 16)?

9. Only the Messiah had the authority to cleanse the temple. The people recognized that and asked Jesus for a miraculous sign to confirm his identity (v. 18). To what “sign” did Jesus point them (vv. 19-22)?

Why do you think that particular sign was so significant in Jesus’ mind?

10. Why didn’t the disciples immediately grasp what Jesus was talking about when he said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (vv. 19, 22)?

11. If people were believing in Jesus because of the miraculous signs, why didn’t Jesus “entrust himself to them” (vv. 23-25)?

12. What do we learn from this passage about Jesus’ concern for his Father’s reputation?

13. In what practical ways can you demonstrate the same concern toward the holy character of God?

bible-studies

Wine & a Whip