You have kept the good wine until now!

 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.  And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?  My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.  Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water."  And they filed them up to the brim.  And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast."  And they took it.  When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.  And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior.  You have kept the good wine until now!"  This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days. 

John 2:1-12

On Saturday, we read about the fourth day reported in the Gospel of John, in which He chose two more disciples:  The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereinafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  My study bible tells us that the wedding in Cana is the setting for the first of the seven signs performed by Jesus in the Gospel of John.  It adds, "The setting is significant.  In the Old Testament, marriage feasts symbolize the union of God with His bride, Israel.  Jesus begins His ministry at a wedding in Galilee, which was largely Gentile territory:  thus this sign becomes a symbol of the joy of the Kingdom being spread beyond Judea to all the world.  It is the third day from the call of the first disciples.  The mother of Jesus was there, perhaps as a relative of the bride or groom.  (Tradition names Simon the Zealot as the groom.)  By His presence at this wedding, Jesus declares marriage to be holy and honorable." In this first sign or miracle reported by John, Jesus' mother is present.  We recall John's role as Jesus' "brother" in which he became caretaker to Jesus' mother after Jesus' death.

Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.  And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?  My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."   And in this first sign, we're given a strong flavor of the personality of the woman who was mother to Christ.  My study bible points out her gift of intercession, for which many Christians pray.  The Orthodox and other churches believe that Mary continually speaks to her Son on our behalf.  Another thing it tells us is about Mary's own assertiveness, and also the relationship Jesus has with His mother.  It is one of dialogue and mutual respect.  My study bible says that "Woman is a title of respect and distinction.  Jesus addresses His mother from the Cross in the same way as He does the woman at the well, the adulteress and Mary Magdalene (all incidents found in John's gospel), thus giving great dignity to womanhood.  What does your concern have to do with Me? is literally, 'What to Me and to you?'  A better translation is, 'What concern is that to Me and to you?' or, 'Why do you intervene?'  In His answer to His mother, Jesus is neither refusing Mary's request nor embarrassing her, but reminding her that the time for His full and public self-disclosure has not yet arrived.  My hour refers primarily to the time of His 'glorification' -- His Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension."  Jesus seems to ask His mother why the wine at the wedding is any of their business!  But she still confidently expects Him to act.

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.  My study bible says, "Waterpots were made of stone because, according to rabbinical teaching, stone would not contract ritual impurity.  That there are six (one less than the perfect seven) may indicate that Levitical law (Lev. 11:29-38), typified by this water, was partial, incomplete, imperfect.  The water, symbolizing the old dispensation, is changed into wine, symbolizing the new dispensation revealed by Christ.  The abundant gallons of wine are probably symbolic of the abundance of grace and truth in Christ."

Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water."  And they filed them up to the brim.  And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast."  And they took it.  My study bible points out to us that there is no overt action on the part of Christ.  "His word alone is sufficient to work the miracle."  In Christ's capacity as Logos, it is His thought that brings forth life, creation.  We notice the grace of Christ, the wine is simply taken to the master of the feast.  Those with faith will understand the sign.

When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.  And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior.  You have kept the good wine until now!"  My study bible says, "The Church Fathers saw in the transformation of the water into wine an anticipation of the transformation of the bread and wine into Christ's Body and Blood at the Eucharist."

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.  After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days. A note reads, "The seven signs of this Gospel point to something beyond themselves; the mystery of the Incarnate God at work in His mighty and saving acts; the Kingdom of God being inaugurated by Jesus.  The disciples see His glory -- His divine power which reveals that He comes from the Father -- and are strengthened in their faith in Him."  John's gospel also tells us that they went to Capernaum, the center of what will become His Galilean ministry headquarters.  Note how all are together:  "brothers" in the Middle East today still denotes extended family.  We once again remark on the "relatedness" involved in all events so far in John's gospel.

A wedding is the central event of this first miracle in John's gospel, the first sign.  Let's think for a moment of signs and of weddings, and we add in another metaphor to think about, the water turned to wine.  Water turned to wine involves a natural process that takes place given the presence or introduction of certain elements.  Here, its miraculous quality is the sign, but in itself wine is a good metaphor for what happens as we are engaged in the Spirit, in faith.  Jesus will use the term "new wine" to refer to the faithful who follow Him as well, elsewhere in the Gospels.  Both "wine" and "wedding" have great symbolic value; they tell us of what happens in union, through the effects of the grace of God at work in our midst, and we await that great wedding feast which characterizes the world to come, the fullness of His Kingdom here on earth in which all are reconciled, united.  The relatedness of all the disciples and family, even Jesus' mother's role in this first miracle here in this Gospel, all tell us about the importance of "related" -- about what God brings together.  In its fullness, a marriage grows in interdependence, not only becoming an entity in itself, a kind of creation of God in which the action of the Holy Spirit is present, but also in which each party grows in their own capacity as human beings.  It's a way to "God-likeness" for lay people.  So we also have the metaphor of the wine, the product of a good vintage thanks to the grace of God, God's energies at work among us and in us.  Let us consider the joy of a wedding feast, the wine that serves also as a "sign"  for consecration and union.  Let us think about what covenant is and means, and how it is hereby extended.  Ultimately, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights (James 1:17).  The Light will figure dramatically in John's gospel.  Let us remember His signs in our presence as we read through the Gospel.

An Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!

 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereinafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

- John 1:43-51

So far in John's Gospel, after the Prologue, we've been given the events of three successive days.  The first day John the Baptist witnessed about his own ministry in expectation of the One to come to members of the leadership, on the second day the Baptist gives us his witness to Jesus, and in yesterday's reading we were told what happened on a third day:  Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"  He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).


The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  On this fourth day, Jesus decides He wishes to go to Galilee, where we know He will spend the majority of His ministry.  Philip is another follower of John the Baptist, as were the disciples in yesterday's reading.  "Follow Me" is the call to discipleship.  My study bible says that "Philip immediately obeys, perhaps because he already knows about Jesus, or beholds the divine presence in Him."

 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." What we notice about these first few who are called is that first of all they were disciples of John the Baptist to begin with.  But perhaps even more strikingly they all are connected in some way.  They're Galileans.  Two of them are brothers.  As Jesus calls one, that one brings another.  Throughout the Gospels we get many more hints of relatedness and acquaintance before becoming disciples; it tells us something about the ways in which spiritual life works, its "connectedness" (in events, places and people) as part of its inherent quality.  The spiritual life shapes and forms connections of its own, building on whatever is at hand.  Nathanael will also be known in future as Bartholomew.

And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  We can read this statement in many ways.  Perhaps it's most likely that Nathanael is referring to prophecy.  What is expected of Nazareth?  It certainly reflects a popular kind of understanding, where expectation is focused elsewhere. 

Philip said to him, "Come and see."  "Come and see" is an echo from yesterday's reading.  They are the words Jesus used when the first disciples asked where He was staying.  "Come and see" is an invitation to real discipleship; to live and dwell with the Teacher, to find by experience for oneself.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  My study bible says that "no deceit implies a pure heart which is capable of recognizing Christ."  And we also have to remark on the quality of straightforwardness.  Nathanael obviously says what he thinks!  Jesus' greatest criticism will come to hypocrites, who outwardly appear moral but aren't honest about their inner life, or what is done in hidden ways.  Those hypocrites care more for the praise of men than the praise of God.  Nathanael, the one who wondered if anything good could come from Nazareth, is "an Israelite indeed" -- not because of where he may come from, but because in him there is no deceit. His faith will be sure, because it will come of experience.

Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."   Nathanael has been invited to "come and see."  And so, he has experienced Jesus and His "sight" for himself.  My study bible says, "Jesus' foreknowledge stirs Nathanael to a joyous confession of faith."

And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereinafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."  There's a long note here:  "In ancient Jewish thought, the Son of Man is a mysterious being of heavenly origin who is to usher in the Kingdom of God (see Daniel 7:13-14).  Jesus is this One.  In Old Testament prophecy, Jacob dreamed of a ladder connecting earth and heaven, upon which the angels of God were ascending and descending (see Gen. 28:12-15).  Jesus -- the Son of Man -- is 'Jacob's Ladder,' man's access to God, the final and fullest revelation of God.  In His Incarnation, God and man are united.  In the teachings and miracles of His public ministry, the Kingdom of God on earth is inaugurated.  His Cross, set up on earth like Jacob's ladder, reaches into heaven.  Through His Resurrection, Ascension, and exultation to the right hand of God, human nature is raised into heaven.  And through His Second Coming, all things will be reconciled to God.  In Christ, heaven and earth are joined."

Let's consider again the quality of character in Nathanael, and also Jesus' words about him:  "an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit."  These words can even be meant ironically, although with great humor, and truly complementary.  Nathanael speaks his mind, and he has to "come and see" for himself.  I think the "come and see" quality is what's important to focus on.  Nathanael doesn't just go along to curry favor.  He says what he thinks.  He needs to come and see, just as Jesus invited the disciples in yesterday's reading to "come and see" where He was staying.  Discipleship takes experience, experience of faith and of God's love.  It comes of a heart that is transformed in that place, transfigured, where the events of our lives go into the hands of the One who can show us how to look at life, how to serve, how to grow.  All of that takes a heart that's willing to be open and true, and implies the reality of finding out for oneself, truly "coming and seeing."  In the Old Testament, Jacob - whose "ladder" is indirectly referenced by Jesus, as my study bible notes, in His phrase about angels ascending and descending - wrestled all night long for his blessing.  Jacob was then called "Israel."  In light of Nathanael's question about Nazareth, we can read Jesus' humor, good cheer, and love - as this "struggle" makes him "an Israelite indeed."  This encounter and engagement, this struggle with God, is an important aspect of faith.  Engagement, experience is a key to a heart that is pure and capable of recognition; it also implies a basic trust and faith in truth.  Let us consider the heart that desires to "come and see" -- one in which there is no deceit.

Rabbi, where are you staying?

 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"  He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

- John 1:35-42

In yesterday's reading, we read of the "second day" in John's gospel.  The first day accounted for was the day John spoke about the purpose for which he baptized, and of the One who was to come (Tuesday's reading).   The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."  And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."


Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.   Today's reading is the third day reported in the Gospel of John.  The Baptist is with his own disciples.

 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Again, as in yesterday's reading, we note the personal quality of this reporting.  This is not an announcement to multitudes.  This is the Baptist speaking to two of his disciples about Jesus whom they observe as He walked.  Again, the title Lamb of God is used, suggesting the passages from Isaiah about the "Servant of God" (Isaiah 53:4-12).  The Baptist guides his disciples to Jesus.  It is a time of "handing off," a significant transition not only for the Baptist and these two disciples, but in the entire way the Church views salvation and the "times" of the Lord.

Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"  He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).   In a few simple sentences, we learn the idea of what constitutes discipleship.  First He asks them a question, and they must articulate what they want.  This is a common pattern with Jesus, who will also ask others, "What can I do for you?"  But here, these two disciples of the Baptist ask Jesus where He is staying.  "Come and see" is an invitation to discipleship, in which they will dwell together with Him in order to fully learn what He has to teach them throughout His ministry.  The tenth hour is about 4:00 PM.

One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).  Here, Jesus' first three disciples are recounted. Two of them are named:  Andrew, and Andrew's brother Simon, who is given the name Cephas.  Cephas, as the text tells us is translated "Stone."  In the Greek, this is Petros, rendered into English, Peter.  One of the two who heard the Baptist speak remains unnamed.  He is considered to be the author of this Gospel, John. All three of Jesus'  first disciples were first disciples of John the Baptist.

Something special about discipleship is revealed also in these very brief sentences, and that is Jesus' special way of knowing.  In this case, He sees into His disciple whom He renames Peter, or in the Greek, Petros meaning rock.  We'll come to know Peter throughout many of the Gospels and be introduced to his exuberant, sometimes fearful, and emotional character.  He will become in times to come a spokesman and leader among the Apostles.  But today let's observe Jesus as Teacher, in relation to His disciples.  In the renaming of Peter there is a powerful sense of Jesus' knowing.  Jesus "looks" at Peter at a depth that reveals.  He brings something out about Peter that nobody else knows, least of all Peter himself.  He reveals something about what is in the heart a true quality of character of the disciple, and reveals by renaming the transformation to come in discipleship - and after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  Christian discipleship isn't so much about who we are as individual entities on our own, but rather about who we are in capacity with Christ, with our Creator, the One who truly knows us and knows what and who we are.  This is real discipleship.  It's a synergy within this relationship of cooperation and teaching.  It takes our "yes" in discipleship to become the person that Christ calls us to be; but it is the grace of God that makes "all things possible."  Let us consider what it is to be a human being in relationship to Christ and to the grace of God.  Character and persona are shaped not as a separate isolated individual, but as one in communion with our Source, with the One who can tell us where to go and what to do, who knows us better than we can know ourselves.  Only Christ can see into Peter and rename him, alluding to "the rock upon which He will build His Church."  By the grace of the Lord, and the working of His Spirit, others along the way can also help us to learn these truths about ourselves and what we can be and become in His name.  Let us consider what discipleship is, and what it truly means to grow as we are "in communion."

I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."  And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

- John 1:29-34

In Monday's reading, John the Evangelist gives us the testimony of John the Baptist.  When the leadership sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but  confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the LORD,"' as the prophet Isaiah said."  Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him . . .  My study bible points out that in this beginning to John's gospel (after its Prologue),  we are given four days in the ministry of John the Baptist and then to Jesus calling the first Apostles.  Today, we are given the witness of the Baptist.  The "four successive days" give us a kind of seamless "handing off" of ministry, from the prophetic to the revelation of the Incarnate Christ.  The first day was yesterday's reading (above), in which John witnesses in the presence of the leadership.  The second day is today's reading, in which John the Baptist is speaking to his own disciples.

"Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."   My study bible says, "John's naming Jesus publicly as the Lamb of God recalls Isaiah's 'Servant of God' who dies for the transgressions of His people (Is. 53:4-12).  Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, offers Himself for our deliverance from darkness and death (1 Pet. 1:18-19).  This is a kind of "revelation" by John to his disciples; it is his witness to them about Christ.  Jesus is the awaited One, the One for whom John has been preparing Israel, the people of God.  Jesus is the reason for which John has been baptizing a baptism of repentance, of change of mind and preparation for that which was to be revealed. 

And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."   And here is John's witness to true revelation, to the Theophany present in Jesus' baptism.  John bears witness to his own enlightenment, to that which was revealed to him as he baptized Jesus (which the other Gospels present to us in a more "historical" form).  Here, John tells us of his own experience, and the revelation of and in the presence of "He who sent me to baptize with water."  My study bible tells us of this passage that "the Spirit remained upon Him [Jesus] because Christ possesses the Holy Spirit in His fullness."  "Christ" or "Messiah" means "the Anointed One."  The Spirit descending upon Him is an image of anointing, a fullness that is present in Him and with Him.

There are two elements in today's reading that I find notable.  The first is the hint, right from the beginning of the Gospel of John, of suffering that will come to Jesus (whom the Baptist calls "Lamb of God.")  By extension, we can experience, in some sense, this witness in the lives of the Apostles of what is to come as well.  By the time John's gospel was written, persecution was fierce for the Church, and so we are aware of this background and understanding in His disciples from the very beginning.  While suffering is present, yet we rejoice in the Good News, the great revelation of the Gift to the world, the awaited One, the Anointed One.  And the second thing we notice is the "interiority" (if I may use so modern a word) of this passage.  It is the witness, the testimony, of the Baptist.  What we are told, first of all, is a conversation, a reporting of things said to John's disciples, not to the public who comes to be baptized.  John reveals that he knew He was coming, but did not know who He was, a private and intimate detail -- and this is why he was baptizing, because he knew that He was coming and would be revealed.  So we are given John's prophetic knowledge, his understanding as the greatest prophet in the lineage of the Old Testament prophets.  And then John teaches to his disciples what was revealed to him:  "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him."  And then for extra emphasis, the understanding is repeated:  "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."  We are given the interior workings of John's mind in testimony to his disciples; we are given revelation -- something revealed to him, the descent of the Spirit and the message of the One who sent him to baptize with water.  The powerful message here (aside from Theophany or revelation of God!) is that this powerful reality comes to us from the testimony of one man.  A revered figure like John the Baptist has this sort of power because the One who sent him infuses and shares His power with human beings, with the world.  A revelation happens only through the power and grace of God, sharing through grace God's energies with the world, working with us and among us.  So what the Baptist reveals to his disciples and by extension to us through John's gospel is God among us, God at work in the world.  Jesus has given us the great parable of the mustard seed, to which He likened the Kingdom of Heaven.  Let us consider this testimony of one man to his disciples, a revelation that happened not in a spectacular sense of an immediate illumination to millions, a kind of "proof" for the world, but rather the testimony of one man, John the Baptist.  It is a revelation not only of Trinity, and of the Lamb of God in our midst, but also a revelation to us of the power in that mustard seed, in one extraordinary holy man, in the power of the witness of John the Evangelist as well, who began as a disciple of the Baptist.  Let us remember the power of the mustard seed, let us look at the power that is revealed not to millions in one fell swoop, but rather through those who have led holy lives dedicated to God and to doing what God has called them to do.  We can't predict the results and outcome of such lives.  The Gospel goes everywhere, 2,000 years later, to enlighten and to reveal to the countless multitude who will benefit in faith from the testimony of this man and the one who has written down these words in the Gospel.  Let us remember, even in the midst of the suffering of this world, the ways that God's power works, and that God is with us in the presence of the Lamb.  Let us remember the power of faith and God's grace.

Make straight the way of the Lord

 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but  confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am

'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Make straight the way of the LORD,"'

as the prophet Isaiah said."

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

- John 1:19-28

In yesterday's reading, we read the Prologue to John's Gospel, verses 1-18.  It tells us who Christ is, and sets out the theology that would be put into the Creed at the Nicene Council.  Some of the language of the Nicene Creed is taken directly from these verses.   It tells also of John the Baptist and his role as witness to the Light.  See Of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but  confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  "No."   Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am  'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  "Make straight the way of the LORD,"' as the prophet Isaiah said." John the Baptist was a towering figure among people in his own time, considered a holy man even by King Herod, who had John imprisoned and later beheaded.  So the interest of the religious leadership is a natural response to the powerful ministry which attracted all people in John's baptizing.  "Who is he?" becomes the important question, in a time when people await a deliverer and popular expectations of the Messiah are high.  John confesses that he is not the Christ, nor the Prophet, not Elijah, none of the "awaited" or "expected" figures.  My study bible points out that "John the Baptist is a prophet, but not the Prophet, the messianic Moses=-like figure expected by the Jews."  But John likens himself to "the prophetic forerunner of Christ spoken of by Isaiah (see Is. 40:3)," says my study bible.  He will announce that the Messiah is present in the world -- and also reveal Him in the verses to come.

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.  As usual, the questions of the religious establishment tend toward the authority of a person not among them to perform particular acts, and we will see this reflected in the questioning of Jesus.  Here, the question is about John's baptism, which other Gospels tell us was so widespread that even those among the leadership were coming to him at the Jordan for baptism.  John, in true saintly fashion, only points to the One who is to come.  His emphasis is completely on the Christ, and it is this great event -- the One who is even among them that they do not know -- who is the great One to come.  In the true voice of a prophet, this great holy man's words emphasize the truly expected one.  It is a statement of his humility.

Tomorrow Lent begins in the West.  As we think about John the Baptist's words it's important that we understand what a tremendous reputation he had.  It was so great that the religious leadership feared the people's response should they act against him, even when John was scathing to them.  Many of Jesus' early disciples were the Baptist's disciples first, as we shall see in the next few readings in John.  But the Baptist's hallmark is his tremendous humility before God.  He lived a life of radical poverty, so as to keep this service in mind.  When questioned by the leadership, he could have claimed any number of things because of the beliefs of people about his ministry, but true to his identity as forerunner and prophet, his reply is only concerned with Christ, whom he knows to be among them.  His eye is on his mission and his service to God, and his heart is wholly given over to this mission.  Let us consider, during Lent, what our missions are in the heart dedicated to God.  It's not a simple nor easy thing to give oneself over to God in the heart, but it is something to be worked at each day, especially through prayer.  The radical humility of John is simply a sign of the great dedication to something of which human beings are wholly capable.  But it starts in the heart and it starts with prayer.  Each of us has something to give to God, something through which God's light shines into the world.  This Lent, begin in the heart, simply with devotion, and with love.  That is how we "make straight the way of the Lord."

Of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

- John 1:1-18

Today the lectionary begins the Gospel of John.  For most in the Western Christian world, we prepare for Lent which begins this week, on Ash Wednesday.  For most in the Eastern Christian world, Lent and Easter will be many weeks later than in the West.  The Armenian Apostolic Church begins Lent today. Today's entire passage is known as the "Prologue" to John's Gospel.  It tells us about who Jesus is, especially in relation in the Holy Trinity, to us human beings, to the entire cosmos and to our world, and sets out the theology proclaimed in the Creed.  There are many notes in my study bible on today's passage.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  My study bible tells us that in the beginning recalls the creation but speaks of the Creator Himself; it echoes but reveals more than the creation story in Genesis.  "Was," it says, "indicates existence without reference to a starting point.  In the beginning was the Word (Gr. Logos) emphasizes (1) the Word's eternal existence in the Father without beginning, and (2) His oneness with Him in essence.  Logos signifies wisdom and reason as well as word:  the Creator.  ('Creation' is Gr. logikos, participating in the Divine Word.) With the Incarnation, the Logos fully participates in human nature."  The Word is distinct from the Father, but is in communion, with the Father.  My study bible adds that this phrase, "was God" tells us that the Word is not only from the Father but is also coequal and coeternal with God the Father: one in divinity.  John will quote Jesus as saying, "I and My Father are one" (10:30).

He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. "The Word," says my study bible, "is co-Creator of all things with the Father . . . Will, operation, and power are seen to be one in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit."  The Word's generation from the Father is different from creation:  "begotten, not made."   "Thus," my study bible continues, "the heavens and the earth are the works of the One who made them, while the Son alone is born from the Father.  Even when He comes in human flesh, the Word forever remains God, the Creator."

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.   My study bible says, "As the Divine Word incarnate, Christ is also the source of life and enlightenment.  Because the Word is God, He is life:  only God has life in Himself. . . .  By seeing and participating in Christ's life believers become light and children of light."  Light will figure very greatly in John's gospel.  This light, points out my study bible, is the light Moses saw in the burning bush (Ex. 3:2), Isaiah saw it in his heavenly vision (Is. 6:1-5), and Peter, James and John saw it on the Mount of Transfiguration (see this past Friday's reading).  The darkness, says my study bible, is "the satanic wickedness which actively opposes the light.  Though the world has embraced darkness (3:19), the Word freely offers light to all.  The word for comprehend in the Greek has a double meaning as it does in English:  it can mean both to understand and to "take in" or in this case, overcome.  My study bible continues, "Darkness will oppose the light, yet cannot defeat the light."

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.   So important a figure was John the Baptist that John the Evangelist introduces him here, into the narrative of Jesus, Son of God.  John the Baptist is a witness to the Light, declaring His presence and preparing all for it.  He is sent from God for this purpose.  In the viewpoint of Christian faith, the Baptist is both the greatest prophet, and the last of the Old Testament prophets.

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world did not know Him.  My study bible tells us:  "The true Light, Jesus Christ, enlightens every person, but the world refuses to receive and live in this light, and does not know Him."

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  My study bible points out that "He came into His own" indicates His own things, the created world.  "His own" that did not receive Him are His own people, the Jews.  While John the Baptist, and all of Jesus' early followers and Apostles are Jewish (including the author of this Gospel), John's Gospel will frequently refer to the religious leadership as "the Jews."   The contrast in these verses between those who did not receive Him and those who did points out for us the nature of faith and sonship by adoption.  The "right" to become children of God, says my study bible, "is a gift, not an inalienable right.  Those who receive Christ are given His power, His grace, to become children of God -- no longer servants, but friends of Christ (15:15).  The Jews were children of God by descent from Abraham, the father of the people of God.  But now divine sonship is a gift of grace through faith in Jesus.  Whether we are a privileged race or not, we are born into the family of God and saved not by 'the faith of our fathers,' but by our own faith in Christ.  His name:  His identity, the Word, the Son of God, the Messiah and Savior, who in His humanity is called Jesus.  To believe means to trust oneself completely to Him:  who He is, what He does, what He teaches."  It adds, "spiritual birth from God is a mystery of the Holy Spirit, which is closely integrated with Holy Baptism."  In John's gospel, one of the leadership, Nicodemus the Pharisee, will be the one to whom this is revealed, to teach us all. 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"  And here, finally, John speaks of his own experience of "the Word become flesh" -- that is, God Incarnate, Jesus.  My study bible says that the Incarnate Christ "accomplishes a redemption that fully heals and saves fallen humanity."  It notes that, "We are the disciples, the people of God, pilgrims in this transient world.  In the Old Testament, God's glory, dwelt ('tabernacled' [or 'tented']) in the temple.  Here, the eternal Word in His divine glory comes to dwell in the midst of humanity through the Incarnation."  John testifies to the grace and truth he has witnessed as a disciple, and I find this statement to be full of love.  My study bible says that "this phrase qualifies not only 'the Word' but also 'the glory.'  Grace is Jesus' uncreated energy manifested to us through His lovingkindness and redeeming love.  Truth includes His faithfulness to His promises and covenants, and the abiding reality of His gifts.  By His grace and truth we enjoy a life in union and communion with God through Christ." 

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  My study bible notes, "In union with Christ's deified humanity, we participate in the fullness of grace.  Through Christ, God's children become gods by grace (10:34, 35), without ceasing to be human by nature.  As metal thrust into fire takes on the heat of the fire without ceasing to be itself, so human nature immersed in God's uncreated grace and truth becomes godlike without ceasing to be human."  Grace for grace is a Semitic expression signifying and abundance of grace.

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.  My study bible tells us, "Since to see God in His essence is to be God, the Son who is in the bosom of the Father can declare God.  He is one with the Father, and He (together with the Holy Spirit) sees the Father in His essence.  As 'Light of Light,' Jesus reveals the Father:  when we see Jesus Christ we see the Father (14:9)." 

Today's passage has many notes to it, which are significant because it is the "hallmark" of our understanding of who Christ is, who Jesus is.  It is also John's testimony to what he knows and what he has experienced; it is his witness.  Whatever we know of Christ and of Jesus, we must remember that John is the Apostle of love, and perhaps the greatest teacher of love that we have in Scripture.  It is John who will also tell us, in one of his Epistles, that "he who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" 1 John 4:8-10.  My study says, "We too, bear witness to Jesus Christ.  For since God became man, and we are united with Him in baptism, we experience His Incarnation in our lives.  The miracle of Christology for us is that, as the Son of God became man, we in turn may partake of God."  God's energy or grace infuses our lives and is shared with us, not just a little, but as John says, "of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace."  It is in love that Jesus has "declared" God to us. 

O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?

 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, tat they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

- Mark 9:14-29

In yesterday's reading, we read about the Transfiguration.  After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.  And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.  And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.  Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of man had risen from the dead.  So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.  And they asked Him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Then He answered and told them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things.  And how it is written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?  But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him."

  And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  My study bible points out here that this passage expresses Jesus' loyalty to His own disciples.  He doesn't ask them what they are discussing with the scribes.  Instead, it is the scribes who must answer.

Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, tat they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to me."  My study bible teaches that "faithless generation is said of all, including the father of the child and the disciples."  It's interesting that as we get closer to Jesus Passion, the emphasis on faith and its power and potential grows stronger.  These are, in some sense, new lessons for the disciples, giving them a deeper instruction for the time when they will be without Him -- and preparing them for the difficult events to come in His life and ministry.  In the light of what is to come, and the warnings He's begun to give His disciples, the question, "How long shall I be with you?" takes on a much deeper significance for their ministry.

Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."   My study bible notes, "The man's comment, but if you can do anything, is prompted by the disciples' inability to cast out the demon.  What Christ's disciples can or cannot do reflects on the Lord Himself."

Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."   A note reads:  "All things are possible because of God's power released through faith.  Jesus seeks to elicit faith from the child's father."  We note again the emphasis on faith.  We ask ourselves, when Christ is gone, what is it that we rely on for our lives in His name?

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  My study bible says, "The presence of doubt does not imply the absence of faith.  Christ honors whatever faith we have and will increase faith when we sincerely desire Him."  That's quite a statement!  Faith is not up to us alone, but rather our synergy with God, with Christ, who works with us.  We add our "yes" and the Spirit, our Helper, comes to our aid and works within us.  Again, we go to Jesus' own metaphor of faith even as a grain of mustard seed that can grow to a great sturdy bush that will support even the birds of the air.

When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."  A note here reads, "Prayer and fasting are essential expressions of the life of faith.  The inclusion of and fasting in the text is quite appropriate, though a number of ancient manuscripts lack it." 

"Prayer and fasting" teach us something about commitment.  That is, the will to exercise and to build faith.  Why do we have practices in the Church such as rules of prayer, or set prayers we learn, or attend our worship services and say the many prayers there?  Practices such as fasting are ways to enforce our own commitment.  They work to help draw our faith and emphasize our capacity for faith even in the presence of doubt.  It is my belief that as human beings, this is our constant state of tension, if you will.  The world will always present to us causes for doubt, nagging fears, difficulties in realizing God's perfect faith in us.  And so, we are like this man, we are like the disciples, we are like this picture of a world where Christ asks us the question:  "How long shall I be with you?"  And we know the answer to that question.  He is not with us any longer incarnate, but He is with us in spirit and in that connection of faith within ourselves and among ourselves in community and in the "great cloud of witnesses."  It's like making a commitment to some form of discipline to enforce what you know is good, to make a rule although you "don't feel like it."  Prayer and fasting are those things that we do to help our faith, not simply to validate that we are somehow perfect in faith.  So these disciplines are for all of us, even when we "don't feel like it."  Even when they are accompanied by doubt.  If we think of our disciplines this way, we will come to understand God's love a little better.  God knows we're working on it.  That's all that is asked.  God's love will do the rest.