Bible study the book of John 1:35-2:22 By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Bible study the book of John 1:35-2:22 By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce  

 Christian Arts Ministries 

Scripture reading John 1:35-51; John 2:1-22 

And He said to him, truly, truly I say to you, you shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. (John1:51)   

        This is the fulfillment of Jacob’s dream (Gen.28:11-22). Christ as the Son of Man, with His humanity, is the ladder set up on the earth and leading to heaven, keeping heaven open to earth and joining earth to heaven for the house of God, Bethel. Jacob poured oil (a symbol of the Holy Spirit, the ultimate expression of the Triune God reaching man) upon the stone (a symbol of the transformed man) that it might be the house of God. Here in this chapter are the Spirit (John 1:32) and the stone (v.42) for the house of God with Christ in His humanity. Where this is, there is an open heaven.

         In John chapter 1 as the introduction to this Gospel, introduces Christ as both the Son of God (vv.34,49) and the Son of Man. Nathanael recognized Him as the Son of God and addressed Him as such (v.49), but Christ said to Nathanael that He was the Son of Man.  The Son of God is God; as such, He has the divine nature. The Son of Man is man; as such, He possesses the human nature. For the declaring of God (v.18) and for the bringing of God to man, He is the only begotten Son of God. But for the building of God’s habitation on earth among men, He is the Son of Man. God’s building needs His humanity. In eternity past Christ was only God, only the Son of God and had only divinity; but in eternity future Christ, as God and man and as the Son of God and the Son of Man, will have both divinity and humanity forever.  

John 2:1-22   Life’s Principle –to change death into life

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water” so they filled them to the brim” (John2:7) Water which had become wine and (v.9) This beginning of signs Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed into Him (v. 11).

           Jesus demonstrated first miracle in Cana of Galilee, Marriage signifies the continuation of human life, and a wedding feast signifies the pleasure and enjoyment of human life. Cana means reed, and reeds signify weak and fragile people. Galilee was a despised place. (John7:52). Wine, the life juice of the grape, signifies life. Hence, the wine running out symbolizes that the human life runs out.

         The six water jars signify the created man, for man was created on the sixth day. The Jew’s rite of purification with water signifies religion’s attempt to make people clean by certain dead practices. But the Lord changes death into life. Water here signifies death, as in Gen 1:2,6, Exo.14:21 and Matt.3:16. The changing of water into wine signifies the changing of death into life.

         In verse 11 the first mentioning of any matter in the scriptures sets for the principle of that matter. Therefore, this first sign sets forth the principle of all the following signs that is to change death into life.

          In the scripture, figuratively, the tree of life is the source of life, and the tree of knowledge is the source of death, as revealed in Gen.2:9, 17. The meaning of all the cases recorded in this gospel corresponds with the principle that the tree of life results in life and the tree of knowledge results in death. In the book of John all the miracles done by the Lord are called signs (v.23,3:2;4:54;6:2,14,26,30;7:31;9:16;10:41;11:47;12:18,37; 20:30) they are miracles, but they are used as signs to signify the matter of life. The Lord’s divinity was manifested His glory.