Jesus is often pictured as being meek and mild, gentle and lowly. But in this passage, we see what Revelation 6:16 calls "the wrath of the Lamb." Jesus' anger is directed toward those who would use religiosity as a veneer for personal gain at the expense of God and others. Will we come to the true and better Temple - Jesus Christ - for forgiveness and grace?
In the Gospel of John, we have seen how Jesus is the Word, the life, the light, the Lamb, the Christ, the King, the Son of God, the Son of Man. In this passage, we come to a familiar story - Jesus turning water into wine. But there is nothing ordinary about Jesus here. Jesus is the true and better Master of the Feast who supplies the abundant wine of the gospel, and He is the true and better Bridegroom who makes purification for His Bride - the Church - through His blood that was poured out as the sacrifice for our sins.
In this passage, we see the glory of Jesus Christ in being the goal of our witness, the initiator of our salvation, the One with absolute authority to change our identity and command our allegiance, and the One who knows all things about us yet continues to love us. Ultimately, we see the "glory as of the only Son from the Father" in Jesus Christ's death on the cross. May we come and see, and then may we go and tell of His glory.
After concluding his theologically rich prologue, the apostle John turns his attention to the witness of John the Baptist. Rather than focusing on who he is and what he has done, John the Baptist focuses on who Christ is (the Lamb of God) and what Christ came to do (take away the sin of the world). The question is whether or not we are going to listen to the message of the messenger.
In this passage, we read about one of the most important events in history - the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Word became human without ceasing to be God, and we behold His glory through the eyes of faith.
In this passage, John introduces us to Christ as the Lord of Life and Light of the World. There are many who reject Christ as Life and Light. But to all who receive Him, He gives the right to become children of God.
In this passage, John is stating very carefully and very deliberately that the Word, Jesus Christ, is eternally pre-existent, that He is in eternal relationship with the Father, that He is eternally God, and that He is the eternal Creator of all things. May we marvel at the majesty and splendor and wonder of Jesus Christ.
In Psalm 146, the psalmist invites us to praise the Lord with our whole being and for our whole life. We may be consumed by worries of various kinds, but if we have put our trust in Jesus Christ, we can have assurance that God will take care of us. Such wonderful news should certainly make us sing for joy.
In Psalm 72, David prays for his son Solomon, king of Israel - that God will give him perfect justice and righteousness, that God will give him a long life and flourishing kingdom, that his dominion will extend to the ends of the earth, that he will be known for his care of the poor and needy, and that he will be a blessing to the nations. While Solomon partially fulfilled Psalm 72, God's answer to David's prayer would be fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who "will reign over the house of Jacob forever," and of whose "kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31-33). While we wait for Jesus to come again to fully and finally establish God's perfect kingdom on the earth, may we bear witness to and pray for Jesus' coming.
In Psalm 122, the psalmist urges Old Testament pilgrims to pray for the peace of Jerusalem because "the house of the Lord" (Psalm 122:9) was in the city. Since the church is "a dwelling place for God" (Ephesians 2:22), we should pray also for the peace of the church. And as we pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the peace of the church, may we long for the day when the new Jerusalem will come down out of heaven from God, and when the dwelling place of God will be with man forever. Only in Jesus Christ can such perfect peace be found.