Bible Study Notes - John 2:13-25 and 3:1-21

We continue our study of the Gospel of John, “Encountering Jesus.”  The great apostle of love writes this gospel to share the human side of Almighty God whom Jesus personifies during His earthly journey.  In Jesus, we glimpse the essence of God’s unconditional love.  Jesus declares the “Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us.”  In Jesus, God identifies directly with our daily challenges.  As we study John, we will focus upon Jesus’ teachings and the life changing encounters of the people who meet him.

Was Jesus an effeminate wimp who passively took verbal and physical abuse and looked the other way when confronted with social, economic and political injustice?  The first passage, “Jesus Cleanses the Temple Courts,” contradicts the prevalent idea that Jesus was indifferent to the pain and suffering of the masses.  As it relates to his high tolerance for verbal abuse by the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes and other religious leaders, Matthew 23 paints a picture of fierce righteous indignation in which Jesus frankly condemns their hypocrisy.  In Matthew 9:35-38, Jesus has compassion for the masses by healing, teaching and preaching.  He further instructs His disciples to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send workers amongst the masses to encourage and empower them.  In this passage in John, Jesus forthrightly attacks the entrenched exploitation, subjugation and oppression of the masses by the priesthood and Temple cult.  At the time of Passover, Jesus goes to Jerusalem and visits the Temple like a good observant Jew.  He finds currency exchange operations of the various types of money throughout the Roman Empire.  Poor people are made to exchange their currency in order to purchase animals to make required sacrifices.  These exchanges are done at high interest rates. 

Additionally, priests and designees reject the sacrificial offerings that many pilgrims brought with them.  Thereby, they force particularly poor people to exchange currency and buy Temple approved animals at tremendous profit margins.  William Barclay, longstanding venerated Bible scholar and author of the New Testament Daily Study Bible commentaries, posits more than a quarter of a million (250,000) lambs were sacrificed each Passover in Jerusalem.  In addition, sparrows, doves and other birds and animals were acceptable depending upon income level.  Essentially, Jesus discovers a multi-billion dollar industry of sales and currency exchange in the Name of Almighty God.  This racketeering greatly offends Jesus.  He opposes it with force.

The second passage, “Jesus Teaches Nicodemus,” is a very familiar text which contains the epitomized gospel message, John 3:16-17.  A member of the Sanhedrin who marvels at Jesus’ miraculous powers, healing record, effective teaching and rhetorical flourish in preaching, Nicodemus comes in the stealth of darkness to inquire about the source of Jesus’ ministry.  Practically speaking, Nicodemus asks two straightforward questions.  “Are you legitimate?”  “How are you able to do what you?”  These questions are a plea from a jaded Pharisee who must recognize God’s approval of Jesus’ ministry but wrestles with everything he has been taught to the contrary.  Nicodemus’ questions, bewilderment and doubt represents the predicament of the average reader of the gospel.  Perhaps, he personifies your doubts about Jesus.  As we study this passage, let’s dissect this critical conversation and glean some foundational and enduring assurances as strengthen our relationships with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Consider the following questions and ideas as you reflect upon the passages.

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts – John 2:13-25

• At the time of the Passover in Jerusalem, Jesus enters the holy city to begin his passion and fulfill His destiny as the Lord and Savior of the world. 
• He finds people in the Temple selling livestock and birds and exchanging currency from the outermost parts of the Roman Empire.
• He constructs a whip out cords and drives out the moneychangers, overturns their tables and releases the livestock.
• Note the physicality of the previous verses.
• Does Jesus engage in an unprovoked act of violence?
• Biblical scholar, E. P. Sanders in his book, Jesus and Judaism, argues forcefully this scene in the temple is the major catalyst of the crucifixion. 
• Let’s analyze the social, economic, political and religious dimensions of the Temple scene.
• Jesus protests the marketplace which the Temple had become with the full sanction of the priesthood who benefited greatly from this scandal.
• The religious leaders then ask Jesus for a sign to prove his authority.
• The nineteenth verse will be used later to support the truncated charges that Jesus is a insurrectionist.  Again, Sanders argues these temple sayings along with the economic and political threats culminate in the crucifixion.
• After the destruction of Solomon’s Temple in 587 BCE, the Jews would not tolerate lightly any indictment of the Temple.
• They manipulate the temple sayings and actions to gain the support of the disinterested Roman governmental officials in executing Jesus of Nazareth.
• Let’s return to our consideration of Jesus’ potentially violent act.  How do we reconcile this story with the prevalent idea that Christians are inherently non-violent? 
• Let’s discuss civil disobedience, just war, hunger strikes, self-defense and other forms of protest.
• Plato says “Evil triumphs because good men do nothing.”
• Let’s consider the Church in Nazi Germany, slavery in the American South, segregation, Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, and apartheid in South Africa.
• The twentieth verse demonstrates the Jews ignorance of the temple to which Jesus refers which is his body which He offers as a sacrifice for the sins of humankind.  Disciples, after the resurrection, realize His message.
• Crowds hear Jesus’ message during this Passover.  They flock to Him at the chagrin of the Sanhedrin.
• Jesus, possessing omniscient powers, knows how fickle the crowd will become later in the week.  His does not allow their emotionalism to seduce him into abandoning His purpose.
• John concludes this passage by saying Jesus knows everyone.  His knowledge of the human heart enables Him to love unconditionally.  As a consequence, people who encounter Him find healing and wholeness because of His love. 

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus – John 3:1-21

• Nicodemus is a Pharisee who is a member of the Sanhedrin.  The Pharisees believe in resurrection; the Sadducees do not.
• Note the duality of light and darkness in this passage.  Nicodemus approaches Jesus at night as he receives instruction about how to live in the light of God’s love and presence.
• Nicodemus asserts Jesus enjoys God’s approval otherwise he could not perform the miracles he does.
• As a highly educated religious leader, Nicodemus has difficulty understanding how Jesus performs countless miracles, preaches to masses and teaches with authority without any formal training; particularly in light of Jesus’ humble origins from Nazareth.
• Jesus replies that a person must be born again in order to see the kingdom of God.
• What does it mean to be born again?
• Nicodemus responds incredulously, “How can this be?  Surely, someone cannot enter the womb a second time.”
• Jesus explains birth of water (baptism) and Spirit (impartation of the Holy Spirit with increasing acquisition and development of the fruit of the Spirit) is necessary to enter the kingdom of God.
• Then, Jesus distinguishes natural birth from spiritual birth.  The latter is a supernatural and mysterious process that human words cannot define.
• The wind which is invisible to the human eye but acts with tremendous force specifically in a hurricane or tornado symbolizes the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.
• Nicodemus remains perplexed.  “How can this be?”  In essence, he says “None of this makes sense.”  Given our rapidly scientific and technologically advancing world, we can relate to Nicodemus’ bewilderment and questions.  We regrettably limit “truth” and “Truth” to the scientific method or some social science version of it.
• Jesus equally replies in amazement at Nicodemus’ doubts.  He tells Nicodemus that allegiance to his presuppositions about faith, religion and spirituality inhibit his ability to understand divine mysteries.  Jesus informs Nicodemus his unwillingness to consider spiritual reality as legitimate and intellectually respectable inhibits his comprehension of them.  Notice Nicodemus’ dismissal of Jesus’ testimony about God.  Jesus chastises Nicodemus for this indifference.  If he cannot believe earthly matters, how will he be able to comprehend eternal ones?
• In John 3:13-15, Jesus foreshadows his crucifixion and resurrection with a reference to the healing serpent episode during Israel’s wilderness wandering years.  The people’s complaints and sins yielded the Lord’s wrath.  I plague of scorpions were sent to punish the evildoers.  To reverse the deadly effects of the stings, Moses lifted up a serpent on a cross.  Everyone who looked upon the serpent, repented and believed was healed.  Likewise, anyone who looks upon the risen Lord and Savior and genuinely believes will be healed of the plague of death and given eternal life.
• John 3:16 states God’s primary purpose in sending His Son.  The gift of Jesus’ life, broken body and shed blood is establishment of a new and eternal covenant for everyone who believes.  Anyone who believes will not perish but have eternal life.  Practically speaking, believers will not die.  They transition from an earthly existence to an eternal.  In the words of the apostle Paul, death transliterates eternal beings from captivity to human limitations to their eternal essence.
• Did God really mean this covenantal promise extends to everyone who believes? What about Jeffrey Dahlmer, Carla Faye Tucker, Maury Davis and other murderers who have become disciples of the Lord?
• Often, disciples quote John 3:16 without mentioning the next verse.  In so doing, they inadvertently emphasize the contrast between heaven and hell.  We evangelize by telling people they have a distinct choice between these two eternal destinations.
• John 3:17 affirms “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him.”  This verse asserts God’s eternal purpose of unfailing love for humankind.  Moreover, Christ comes and offers wholeness to anyone who believes.
• In the eighteenth verse, the evangelist offers two responses to God’s incredible and invaluable gift in Christ.  Those people who believe inherit eternal life.  Those persons who do not believe stand condemned already due to their lack of faith.  It is God’s perfect intention for them to know His unfailing love and actualize the unique life He offers in Christ.  Their lack of faith is a rejection of this divine love and gift.  Its practical consequence is condemnation to life’s circumstances on earth and complete, irreversible separation from Almighty God in eternity.  As each person makes this choice and determines his or her eternal destiny, there is no need to threaten someone with the possibility of going to hell.
• Using legal language, John proclaims a most regrettable verdict.  Humankind prefers its self-centered fear and self-seeking life in comparison to the light of God’s love in Christ.  People prefer evil to Christ’s love and goodness.  They fear Him as relating to Him exposed their evil deeds which they love.
• Yet, if they forsake this evil by establishing a relationship with Jesus, we become instruments of God’s love, messengers of His grace, and channels of His peace.  Essentially, we offer our lives to God for His perfect purpose and will.  The love and service we give is a sign of God’s power in us.
• The twenty-first verse resembles the command in the Sermon on the Mount to be perfect as God is perfect.  We let our lights shine so people can see our good works and glorify Almighty God.