Commissioned

Mary pushes Jesus to solve the wedding host’s problem to avoid embarassment to the groom and his family. Mary's words to Jesus was quite appropriate because she knew that the problem would be resolved. Jesus' reply to Mary is not considered a rebuke but rather He said it as a caution so that she would not make subsequent requests and expect Him to respond again and again. Jesus perform the miracle because He too wanted to avoid his host's embarassment.

We are sometimes “too busy” to spend time with friends and relatives because we think what's keeping us away is more important. Jesus' attendance at this wedding tell us that He the tradition of marriage and wanted to celebrate the ocassion with the bride, groom and guests. We too can do as Jesus did and make priority opportunities to be with friends and relatives on special and ordinary ocassions.

Jesus applied His position as one given given authority, glory and sovereign power; the one to whom all peoples, nations and men of every language will worship. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. The Son of man will complete His ministry when He comes to take His Bride and oresents her to His Father.

Andrew invited Simon Peter to met Jesus. Today, many would bring a person to church instead of bringing them directly to Jesus because they may feel inadequate. The similarities would be that they are introduced to Christ and have the opportunity to receive and believe in Jesus. The difference might be that the presentation of Jesus being the Messiah, the redeemer, the One who bore our iniquities might be shared differently, one on one as opposed to hearing it in a full service.

Jesus dealt with Nathanael's skepticism by revealing somthing to him that only comes with supernatural knowledge. This was indeed a miracle since Nathanael had not experienced such before. Upon coming to faith, Nathanael called Jesus "Son of God" and "King of Israel."

Jesus dosen't tell his inquirers where he is staying, instead He invited them to journey with Him. This was important for disciples to "be with" Jesus as it was in His presence, under His teaching that they learned of Him and of what He requires of them as disciples. Today, "being with" Jesus means the same. As we continue our journey with Jesus we are in constant communion with Him; our minds will be on Him, which will bring renewing and peace. We would be in the place where Jesus can use us to proclaim His word and demonstrate His supernatural power.

Andrew and another person started to follow Jesus by personal recommendation of a person they know and respect. This recommendation cost the recommender, in John's case, the lost of followers.

John's baptism differs from the baptism that Jesus brought in that Jesus' baptism is the baptism with the Holy Spirit. It is a new birth, an immersion, a possession by the Holy Spirit.

The title “Lamb of God” tell us that Jesus’ ministry is supernaturally empowered. According to John 1:29, Jesus came to take away the sin of the world. The world in this verse signifies the human race. Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53 as he was the sacrificial Lamb that atoned for the sin of the world once and for all.

John the Baptist showed humility when he pointed the people to the Messiah and professed that the Messiah is mightier than he adding that he was unworthy to loose the thongs of His sandals; an act that was relegated to slaves. A person can see himself as the fufillment of a prophetic passage and remain humble when he gives himself to completing the mission he has been given to do and do so to the best of his abiity. John saw himself as the forerunner, a preparer for the Ministry of Jesus. A person who is a strong revivalist can remain humble when he knows his callin and remain faithful to carrying it out. Yes, Humility and powerful, confident speech can co-exist when one fully trust and rely on God for empowerment.

John baptized because he was instructed to do so by God. John's baptizing was an act of purification and forgiveness those who repented of their sins. For those John baptized they received the act as a sign that they were forgiven of their sins and were in obedience to God's command through John.

John the Baptist was being hassled by the religious leaders from Jerusalem because he was not one of them and his preaching was making a huge impact, many were following him. They were afraid that the people would be influenced by John's teaching and follow him instead. John understood that his mission as the forerunner of the Messiah was to prepare the people to receive Him. Becaus of the mission there woud be much conflict as Satan would not want this mission and the coming ministry of Jesus to take place.

Jesus is the “Only God” or the “Only Begotten God” means that Jesus is fully God. The Apostle John does make a distinction between God the Father and God the Son, as he speaks to the preexistence of Christ and that He is "at the Father's side." This means that indeed our understanding of the Trinity should be that the Father God, Jesus Christ is God and the Holy Spirit is God; three of one.

The idea of God “becoming flesh” is important to the basis of the Christian faith because it is by this means God chose to save us. If God were only pretending to “become flesh”, Christ’s life, crucifixion, and resurrection would be a mere sham. There would be no power to save, no access to eternal life. Thank God for Jesus, it is God's grace that gave us Jesus who came into this world, was crucified and resurrected so that I may have eternal life. It is this truth, that Jesus became flesh and dwelt among man, to give me access to the Kingdom of God and the Holy Spirit that now dwell within to keep refresh the truth; that changed my life and will keep me until I see Him face to face.

To "receive" Jesus means to believe that He is the Son of God sent by God to redeem man from sin. It means that you fully trust Jesus and that He is worthy of that trust and you've put complete confidence in Him. For those who receive and believe in Jesus you receive the gift of becoming children of God. Those who do not receive Jesus and believe that He is Son of God, Messiah, redeemer of man, do not have that spiritual relationship to God and cannot enter into His rest. They cannot see the kingdom of God.

That John was sent to testify to the light means that John's ministry was to tell and point the people of his day to the One who is the "light". The "Light" that Jesus brings is the glory of God, the light which destroys darkness. Christ's light represents and brings life. I am put here, at this time, to do as John did to tell and to point people, who are in my domain that Jesus is the Light of the World. The world will know of this testimony through the words that I preach and teach and demonstrated in my life. John the Baptist because of his testimony to the "Light" was beheaded. As the children of God continue to testify of Jesus the "light" we are also positioned to be persecuted and to suffer for preaching Christ to sinners.

Q1. (John 1:1-3) According to the Apostle John, is Jesus fully God? What does it mean that Jesus is the "Word"? What does this say about him and his ministry? Yes, according to the Apostle John Jesus is fully God. That Jesus is the "Word" means that He is "the independent personified expression of God." In Jesus we find God communicating to us in a way that we can understand or receive Him in our finite human intelligence. That He is the "Word" says that His ministry is fully divine, He is on the same level as God, the Father.

In persecution, pressure and stress we see God's faithfulness in answer to our fervent prayers, in this our faith grows and we grow stronger in Christ. Without the testing of our faith we would never know that we can bear up under trials in the face of difficulty, patience, endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance, etc The testing of our faith brings us in closer relationship with our Father.

Such a Christian must first believe that God is all powerful. In believing that He is all-powerful then, there is nothing that He cannot do. The problem of having no assurance of salvation is not believing in the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ. The value is of Christ work for our salvation is everlasting. It is the believers, just believe. The problem of having a false assurance of salvation is eternal death. As a believer, we must believe that eternal life is in Christ alone.

Churches sometimes despise or prohibit prophecy because of ignorance, lack of teaching on how to test and interpret prophecy. The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians in chapter 14 to weigh carefully what is said in prophecy.

A person can rejoice and pray continually by being conscious of their activities and being aware that the omniscient, omnipresent God in with them; and having that awareness should cause one to talk to God, give Him praise and be thankful in everything. There is never a circumstance when we might be in the midst of where we should not give thanks to God, just knowing that God is watching over us and is in control is enough to be thankful.

People who seek revenge on those who hurt them are in a state of unforgiveness and when they neglect to forgive those who have wronged them they forfeit forgiveness from God for their wrong doings. In a congregation that has an unloving, superior attitude towards others, they will have few new-converts. People and congregationa can get healthy after been vengeful, proud, or unforgiving by adopting a loving nature as Christ asks us to have. When there is love there will be opportunities for reconciliation.

When people do not show respect for their leaders the congregation will weaken and evventuallybreakup. Too many "want to be leaders" will emerge and pull the people into many directions, like lost sheep. When the disrespectful spread their disrespect, if nothing is done to bring correction, it will contaminate the congregation as fast as leaven will spread in flour. Getting the leader to fix the problem, with the people recognizing the error of trheir ways, admitting and turning away from their error could eventually bring harmony.

Christ soon coming should cause believers to be always in a state of readiness, expecting our Lord at any moment. To be "sober" or "self-controlled" means to be level headed and not giddy, unaware of the seriousness of the season that we are living in. To be "alert" or "watchful" means that as believers we ought to have our minds on things eternal, always in a state of listening and expecting to hear from God as He guides and directs us on this journey. Sadly, for most of us, myself included; we are too often side tracted by the carnal, material things of life. Help us Lord!

According to this passage, there will be no warning when Christ returs. His return will be like a thief in the night. To "come like a thief" means to come without warning.