King's Business - 1913-06

THE KING’S BUSINESS 273 Studies in the Gospel According to John u By R. A. TORREY [These Studies are for careful study, not rapid and heedless reading] II. The Public Ministry of Jesus Leading Those Who Were of the Truth to Believe in Him as the Christ, the Son of God. Ch. 1:19—12:50. (Continued.)

is the sixth day from the beginning of the narrative part of the Gospel in chapter 1:19. The distance from the place where John was baptizing to Nazareth was about sixty miles, three days’ journey, so the note of time fits exactly into the topographical facts as we know them today. Cana of Galilee is identified with a very small modern village about five miles from Nazareth to the northward, that is, on the way toward Capernaum. Others have sought to identify Cana with a village about nine miles north of Nazareth. In any event our Lord chose a very obscure place for the first manifestation of His glory in miracle working power. There is an old tradition that John himself was the bridegroom, but there is noth­ ing in the story nor in any other his­ toric facts to warrant this conjecture. As Nathanael, the last disciple men­ tioned in the first chapter, was from Cana of Galilee some have thought that he was the bridegroom on this occasion but we are not so told. It is evident, however, from the story that the home was one with which Mary, the mother of Jesus, was on terms of great intimacy. This intimacy of the mother of Jesus with the family may account for the invitation of Jesus and His disciples. As Joseph, the hus­ band of Mary, is not mentioned, it is probable that he was already dead; as it seems quite clear that he was at the close of our Lord’s ministry (ch. 19:27). The mother of Jesus

3. The Testimony of His First Sign to the Lord Jesus, ch. 2:1-11*; Vs. 1. “And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there.” Jesus has already been recognized as “the Son of God” by John the Baptist and his disciples on the ground of the revelation made directly by God to John regarding the nature and mis­ sion of Jesus, a revelation which had been certified visibly to John by the visible descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus as His baptism (ch. 1 :33, 34). We now have God’s revelation and Jesus’ claims certified by the manifestation of His glory in His performing a creative act. This first manifestation of His glory was made in the circle of His family, His dis­ ciples, and His immediate acquaint­ ances, and not before the world in general. John describes the time and scene with great minuteness and pre­ cision of detail. The whole story bears everywhere the marks of an eye witness. Our Lord Jesus in the closing verses of the first chapter had revealed His divine glory by a mani­ festation of His omniscence (ch. 1: 47-51). He now reveals His glory by a manifestation of His omnipotence. The note of time, “the third day,” means with a day intervening (ch. Luke 13:32) between what is rec­ orded of Nathanael and what is rec­ orded here; so the day here described

"Copyright, 1913, by R. A, Torrey.

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