Good Shepherd Community Church

This podcast relates Jesus' third messianic sign in his healing of a paralyzed man in one of the Temple porch areas. The man had been in this condition for 38 years but on this day Jesus at the Father's direction heals him. He miraculously restores his limbs so that he instantly got up and walked carrying his own pallet. And it was the Sabbath--Now his religious enemies began to plot his murder--Consider John 5-1-16 with Isaiah 35-5-6 and Matthew 11-1-6, John 7-21-24

On the mountainside that day, five thousand hungry and tired men, along with their families, were before Jesus and his disciples. Only five barley loaves and two fish were found to feed this multitude. What could be done-- In this incident we see--I. The Overwhelming Need-II. The Meager Supply-III. The Abundant Provision-IV. The Inescapable Conclusion - that Jesus is indeed the prophet whom Moses said would come into the world.

Nicodemus , a ruler of the Jews, came to visit Jesus during the early days of his ministry in Judea. He said to Jesus, -Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.- Jesus startled him with a discourse on his need to be born again by the sovereign work of the Spirit. He then gives Nicodemus this sign which explains how it is possible for God to forgive sinners and have access to God. -As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.' John 3-14-15-This was a reference to what happened the wilderness days of the Hebrews in route to the Promised land. When they grumbled and spoke against Yahweh and Moses God visited them in judgment by poisonous snakes that bit thousands who died. The people beg Moses to ask God to take the snakes away and that the punishment. God told Moses to make a bronze snake image and put it on a pole so that when a person was b

Christians are referred to as God's Temple twice in Paul's letter to the Corinthians. Interestingly, Paul uses the pronoun -you- to refer to the group, a plural -you,- in 1 Corinthians 3-16-17, but later he uses the singular -you- in 1 Corinthians 6-19. This podcast considers the practical applications of the truth that we are God's Temple in both the corporate and the personal sense.

What sign do you give for your authority for you have done in chasing workers out of the temple court-- Jesus gave a puzzling sign.It is sign that comes to pass after he is killed and raised from the dead.

A certain class of prophecy watchers are looking to developments in Israel to detect any sign of a rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. To them this would be the signal of the end of the world. Perhaps in light of the New Testament we might need to listen closely to Jesus' teaching about the temple and the proper worship of God. Ezekiel's vision of a future Temple is recorded in chapters 40-47. The key to the meaning of this extended description of the Temple perhaps is found in the depiction of the flowing water from the Temple that becomes life giving water, a river of life. Jesus' words about himself in John 4 and 7 and the picture of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21-22-5 should help us see that the ultimate Temple is Jesus dwelling with his people.

After cleansing the Temple is Jerusalem in his early days of ministry Jesus answered the Temple authorities question about his authority to do this with a cryptic statement. Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. John explains that jesus was speaking of his body. The utterance came true when Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven. This message gives an insight into its profound significance.

At Jesus' first cleansing of the temple by his zealous chasing out the marketplace animals, with the sellers and money changers, the temple authorities asked for a sign for the authority by which he was displaying such a drastic action. Jesus gave them a veiled sign based on the concept of type and its fulfillment. -Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.- The leaders did not understand, but they always remembered these words. After Jesus was raised from the dead his disciples remembered his words and its interpretation of Jesus' body as the temple. This message considers what the tabernacle-temple were and how they functioned and how Jesus was the fulfillment of their function. Jesus as the incarnate Word was God dwelling among us as the place where deity and humanity met in his body, and by whic he makes the all sufficient sacrifice for sin.

John's gospel narrative is structured around the signs that testify to Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. They function to reveal his nature, his character, and his divine mission. They are done so that people will believe in him. The healing of the royal official 's son from a distance of many miles demonstrates that Jesus is the life-giver because as the Word he is life -John 1-4-. This man believed Jesus when he told him, -Your son. will live.- On his way home his servants met him with the news, -He lives--- - When did it happen,- he inquired, -At 1 yesterday afternoon.- That was the exact time Jesus had said, -Your son will live.-

In this, Jesus' first cleansing of the temple, we see--I. The Disturbing Practice -II. The Decisive Action -III. The Devoted Son -IV. The Devout Worshipper--Jesus's zeal to protect the worship of Yahweh from corruption in the temple was seen as the now baptized, anointed Messiah exerts his Messianic authority in expelling the merchandizers from the holy courtyard.

The concept of sign is very prominent in the Gospel Narrative of John. It is an organizing principle of his witness to Jesus as the Messiah. Soon after Jesus has gathered his first disciples, 5 in all, they go to Cana in Galilee because they were invited to a wedding feast. It was probably a relative of Mary and Jesus who was the bridegroom. When the wine ran low the situation was presented to Jesus. He solved it by turning the wash. water into wine- John 2-1-12 Let's listen to the conversation of Mary, Jesus, the servants and the Master of the Feast.--Notice key words--Wine-My hour-signs-glory

Jesus' baptism was a defining moment in his ministry because-.--I. It revealed that he was the One whom John the Baptist was preparing the people to receive. -REVELATION - The revelation that he was the divine Messiah-II. It revealed Jesus' full identification with his people in their need of forgiveness for their sins. -IDENTIFICATION - His identification with sinners he came to save. -III. It revealed the descent of the Spirit from heaven upon him. -EFFUSION -outpouring-.-It was his effusion, inundation in the Spirit of God.-IV. It revealed the Father's love for and pleasure in his Son. -It was the AFFIRMATION of the Father's love for and pleasure in him.--This -defining moment- in Jesus' ministry is one also for us who believe in him.

After Jesu' baptism by John he begins to gather his disciples. The first two, John and Andrew, were disciples of John who now begin to follow Jesus. Andrew enlist his brother Simeon -Peter-. Jesus then finds Philip who in turn enlist his best friend, Nathaniel. Nathaniel's encounter wit Jesus leads to this first confession of a disciple to Jesus identity as the Son of God, the King of Israel. What is he confessing-- What lead to this confession--

John the Baptizer was the appointed fore-runner prophet of the Messiah -Malachi 3-1-4- Isaiah 40-3- Luke 1-5-80-. God sent him to proclaim the arrival of the kingdom of God through the Messiah. John received the sign of water immersion for repentance for heart preparation to receive the Christ when he arrived. God told John that he would know for certain who this man was when he saw the sign of the Spirit coming to rest upon his head. When Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River the baptizer both saw the sign and heard the voice of God speaking to Jesus. After this he loudly announced regarding Jesus, -Behold the Lamb of God.- The first sign was specifically given to John, and John in turn becomes the first witness, a confessor of Jesus as Messiah.

-The Word became flesh and dwelt among us...-John 1-14- - is a key text in the New Testament which focuses on the mystery and glory of the incarnation. The context makes clear that the Word is Jesus Christ. The first three verses of John 1 reveal that the Word is the eternal Son of God who lived in fellowship with God in all eternity- he was, in fact God, full deity in every way. He is God's agent of creation and the source of life as well as the bringer of light to all men. The only proper response to his coming to us is worship and thanksgiving.

John's gospel or good news testimonial to Jesus' person and nature is summarized in this key verse- And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. -John 1-14 ESV--Who is this Word-- What is the nature and purpose of his coming-- To fully grasp the meaning of this sentence we must consider the context. The context constitutes verses 1 through 18 which we call his Prologue, -the word before the word- that sums what the writing that follows consists of and serves as an introduction to its layout.

In Psalm 89 we see--I. Yahweh's integrity is unfailingly dependable. v.1-18-II. Yahweh's covenant with David was backed up by Yahweh's unfailing integrity. v. 19-37-III. Yahweh is questioned about his seeming rejection of his covenant with David. v. 38-51-IV. Yahweh is to be blessed forever. v. 52--Yahweh's covenant with King David to place one of his descendants on the everlasting throne of God's kingdom was fulfilled in Jesus Christ our Lord, as he died, rose, and now reigns.

Jesus of Nazareth , the son of Mary, unlike anyone else. existed before he was conceived and born. He existed from eternity. Although he was born a true human male of the tribe of Judah, descended from Abraham through Isaac and Jacob and from the line of David, he had a prior life of Deity which continued unabated, but then he added to himself humanity. There are a number of Scripture verses that pull back the curtain and tell us the backstory.-Consider Genesis 1-1-3 with John 1-1-3, 14,18. Also Paul's letter to the church at Philippi, chapter 2-5-8, and the sermon letter of Hebrews chapter 10 quoting Psalm 40--7. At Christmas we sometimes sing high biblical truth about Jesus Christ. Such is the hymn, -Of the Father's Love Begotten- - something of the backstory and the new story of Christ's birth are included in it.

Psalm 110 verse 1 is the most quoted of Old Testament verses in the New Testament. It's proper interpretation is dependent upon the identity of the speaker in each section. Jesus in his encounters with the Scribes and Pharisees cited this psalm as a key to his identity as the Son of David. Paul in his letter to Timothy said Jesus as the Sonof David is essential to the gospel. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead and descended from David, according to my gospel, 2 Timothy 2-8-The Gospel begins with our understanding of the identity of Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Mary.

Christians rightly celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth the son of Mary because it was in fulfillment of God's promise to send a Deliverer, a Redeemer. And he came--This unique Son of God, the Word taking to himself human nature offered himself as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. He died. He was buried in the cave. Three days later in that body he was raised to life. Forty days later he ascended into heaven.His departure was seen by his disciples.--Where exactly did he go-- How did he get there-- Why is he there-- HHow long will he be there--