BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

John begins his gospel with “in the beginning,” the exact words that open the creation story in Genesis 1. This is John’s way of saying that the story of Jesus he’s about to tell is a new creation story.

In the opening poem, John identifies Jesus as the “Word,” or logos, of God who was and is God. This carefully designed statement introduces a mysterious truth: The eternal Word (or Son) has always been both fully God and also distinct from God the Father. This Word incarnates as a flesh-and-blood human, a man named Jesus of Nazareth. Watch today’s video to explore the design patterns John uses to craft the prologue to his gospel.

As John’s gospel continues, Jesus begins gathering disciples by asking a question: “What are you looking for?” When they respond with their own inquiry, Jesus invites them to “come and see” for themselves what he is doing. This call to “come and see” repeats in the next scene as well when Philip invites the bluntly honest Nathanael to encounter Jesus. Notice, Nathanael comes to see Jesus, but it is Jesus who truly sees Nathanael.

First, Jesus discerns his innermost character, then he describes him sitting under a fig tree earlier that day. Nathanael’s fig tree recalls prophetic imagery, in which Israel’s restoration is marked by everyone sitting under their own fig tree (Mic. 4:4). Nathanael finds truth and life by turning to Jesus, becoming the picture of Israel’s restoration.

Then Jesus, his mother, and his disciples attend a wedding in Cana that runs out of wine. Jesus’ mother persuades him to intervene, so he turns water into a lavish quantity of the finest wine, far more than is needed—likely the equivalent of 750 bottles! Jesus turning water to wine is the first of seven major sign acts performed by Jesus in John’s gospel. It fulfills the lush imagery of Isaiah 25:6, which describes the messianic age as a time of rich feasting with aged wine. This Jesus, says John, is the Messiah the prophets were promising.

The Gospel of John begins with groundbreaking, expectation-shattering claims about Jesus: He is truly God and truly human, in the flesh. Then, Jesus’ seven sign acts point to the restoration of Israel, which, as we will see, is the beginning of all humanity’s restoration.

Reflection Questions

• Meditate on the seven titles for Jesus in the second half of chapter 1: Lamb of God, Son of God, Rabbi, Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, King of Israel, and Son of Man. What hyperlinks to the Hebrew Bible do these titles evoke?
• Why do you think Jesus begins his ministry by asking a question? What does this suggest about Jesus and the way he thinks about others?