THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S (3) THE S I N N E R S S A V E D • THROUGH MIRACLES, vs. 23- 25, “And they believed the Scripture.” He evidently worked some m iracles a t i the feast. (Mark 3:10.) .These were attestation s of His claim. (John 6:14;- 8 :30.) The secrets of h earts were revealed to Jesus. He knew what was in man. He knows what is in us. He knows all. (Jer. 17:10.) Topics fo r Study (1) ; Is Anger Ever Justifiable? . (2) Are Signs E ssential to F aith ? (3) The Holiness of th e Temple. (4 ) The Scriptures and the Word of Jesus. The second chapter of John is a m ar velous unfoldment of th e life of our Lord. His heavenly credentials are broken open here and th e first sign or m iracle presents Him as having abso lute au tho rity over th e chemistry; of the universe which He created. John 1:1- 14; Heb. 1:10-12; Col. 1:13-17. The chapter logically divides, as fol lows: 1. The Marriage in Cana.. 2:1-11. 2. Chasing th e Modern Theologians Out of the Temple. 2:13-17. 3. The Jews Demand a Sign. 2:18. 4. Christ Pledges His R esurrection from among th e Dead. 2:19. 5. Because of His omniscience, He Knew W hat Was in Man; therefo re did not T ru st H imself to Them. 2:24. 'F ir s t. A m arriage which repudiates th e presence and au tho rity of Jesus Christ is, a t best, a carnival of sensual ity. The frigh tfu l sweep of lewdness, divorce and lowering home standards, (5) The Deity of Jesus. ( 6 ) The Glory of Jesus. (7) The Zeal of Jesus. ( 8 ) The Development of His Mani festation. SUGGESTIVE COMMENT Dr. F ren ch E . Oliver
82 key note of His life is found in the wprds: “W ist ye no t th a t I must be about my F a th e r’s business?” Busi ness for God should be th e them e of every Christian. (b) The Medium of H is Zeal. Zeal for H is house, for God’s glory, zeal in the rig h t direction. The Christian Scientists are zealous for Mrs. Eddy; the Turks for Moham med; th e Chinese for Confucius. We should be zealous fo r Jesus Christ and H is Word, fo r pu rity of worship and Consuming, absorbing Him, a pas sion, always, everywhere, in every way seeking th e glory of th e F ather. Con tra s t th a t w ith the zeal of pride, am bition, politics, unholy zeal. The cords He used were an emblem of H is au tho r ity and we can paint th e picture of th e trad e rs scattered and running from th e Court. (2) THE SIGN OF HIS AUTHOR separation of Church and world. (c) The Measure of H is Zeal. He was to be au th en ticated by His resurrection. 'No o th er sign would suf fice. (John 8:28.) “T h e n s a id ' J e s u s u n to them » W h e n y e h a v e lifte d u p th e Son o f m a n , th e n sh a ll y e k n o w t h a t I a m h e, a n d t h a t I do n o th in g : o f m y se lf; b u t a s fn y F a th e r h a th ta u g h t m e, I sp e a k th e s e th in g s .” (Also Matt. 16:21.) The disciples did not understand it th en ; bu t afte r H is resurrection they remembered it. Note th a t it was to be raised up, not rebu ilt. H is body was th e temple. I t had been filled w ith the Shekinah glory a t baptism. (John 10: 17-18; Acts 17:18.) The bodies of believers are temples. (1 Cor. 6:19-20.) The whole Church is also His temple and is to be raised. (Eph. 1:23,’ 2:19- 22 .) ITY, vs. 18-22, “Destroy th is temple and . . . I will raise it up.”
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