Chapter two

Gospel of John
John, chapter two: Smashes our institutionalized Worship

Chapter two is powerful, but to see fully what the writer is doing in this chapter we need to go back to chapter one and take note of his style. Paper and ink are expensive when this was written two thousand years ago. One needed to economize their words. Thus the power of what is being said is not only in the message of the words but it is also in the choice, arrangement, recurrence, and weaving of those words. Let me explain:
The writer of this gospel is a master weaver. Notice in chapter one the recurring words “next day”, “Lamb of God”, and “Come and see.” The words “next day”, Τῇ ἐπαύριον in Greek which more literally means “on the tomorrow”, occur three times in John 1:29, 1:35, and 1:43. Thus “next day” establishes the reality of time – Jesus comes in time, he is real, a point in time. The “next day” are the first words in a sentence introducing what happened on that day and marking a unit of events . This is the major thread as they are the first words around which the other recurring words are woven – the “Lamb of God” is John (the Baptist’s) announcement in the first two “next days” of John 1:29 and 1:35. “Come and see” are in the second and third “next day” of John 1:35 and 1:43, with John 1:35 being the connecting link.

Also note the progression! John (the Baptist’s) first “Lamb of God” is spoken in general and not to anyone in specific. The second “Lamb of God” in John 1:35 is spoken specifically to two of his disciples and the “come and see” in that section is also specifically addressed to those same two and by Jesus. On the last “next day” of John 1:43 the “come and see” has progressed. This time not spoken by Jesus but by Philip.

Life and faith are a journey of “next day” after “next day” for Jesus to be established in our real time. It begins with the general announcement of who Jesus is – the Lamb of God. Then announced and heard as a personal statement inviting us to see Jesus as our Lamb of God. As we wonder about this Jesus may we realize his pure invitation, “come and see!” Then when we hear his call to “follow me” we will know we are getting it when in response to people’s resistance to our witness we respond simply, “come and see!”

“In the beginning” is how this gospel begins in a repetition of Genesis 1. In Genesis 2:18-20, the first action of “Adam” and God together is to find a partner for Adam which is done by naming. So in John 1, Jesus’ first action is to name Simon as Cephas, or Peter in Greek (John 1:42) and to greet Nathanael (John 1:47-49 in such a way that Nathanael feels he has been named. The beginning of this gospel is all about the WORD. Jesus is that Word, and the writer weaves us into that Word. Just as in the ordered days of creation so this Word (Jesus) comes to us. God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light (Genesis 1:3).” The light has come (John 1:4-5)! Hear the declaration “Lamb of God” and “Come and see!” This is THE WORD who names us! On him the angels of God ascend and descend (John 1:51)!

Seeing this weaving action is very important to understand the Gospel of John and very much true in order to understand chapter two. Chapter two is not a recording of events in the life of Jesus. This is a gospel! It is the message of Jesus Christ calling us to life! The writer has two events in this chapter side by side – the wedding at Cana of Galilee and the cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem at Passover. Notice the cleansing of the Temple story has no reference to time. Also, though still at the beginning of the gospel, this story of the cleansing of the Temple emphasizes people believing in Jesus, seeing the signes he was doing, and the disciples not understanding until after the resurrection. Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Mt 21, Mk 11, Lk 19) all have the story of the cleansing of the Temple but at the end of Jesus’ ministry in Holy Week.

Thus it may well be Jesus only cleansed the Temple once, at the end of his ministry, the writer of this gospel knows that, and the writer is not intending to state that it happened at the beginning of Jesus ministry. This is a gospel. It is not a memoir. This gospel writer seldom tells the same stories included in the other three gospels. When the writer does include one of the stories in Matthew, Mark and Luke we instantly know this is VERY important and key to Jesus. Thus when the gospel writer not only includes the story of the cleansing of the Temple, but also puts it very early in the gospel – this is even more attention. The point is not when Jesus cleansed the Temple; the writer is not interested in the correct order of events (purposely showing us that right from the start). This is a gospel; it is all about Jesus. The writer is emphasizing in this arrangement that Jesus is the Temple – the new Temple, the new place of worship, the true object of worship.

This heightens the point in chapter one as well. Human beings institutionalize God! We institutionalize the most direct means by which God comes to us and we worship those means rather than God. It is neither the Scriptures (chapter one) nor the Temple (chapter two) that save us, that we ought to worship, that we need to protect and concentrate on and do exactly right and keep holy. It is God who saves, who alone is holy, alone is worthy of worship, and who keeps and protects and saves us!

Chapter 2:1-11 is sign of what Jesus brings and gives us as the Word in action, “Fill the jars with water,” and the Temple Jesus is, “You have kept the good wine until now!”