What were the Jewish people of John’s time looking for? Some were not looking for anything, but Jesus appeared, worked some miracles and they followed him – these were the “crowd that was with Him” (Joh.11:17). Others, who had lost all hope of an independent Jewish homeland, passively hoped that perhaps, maybe, but most likely not, the old stories they had heard would perhaps come true one day – but they were not counting on them, and had adhered to the shoe of Rome in their lives – these were “the great crowds” (Joh.11:12). Others, were looking for something specific, signs of the coming of the New Age, particularly the signs of the One who would usher in the New Age, the Messiah foretold in the Scriptures – these were the “large crowd of Jews” (Joh.11:9). Finally, there were those who were Jesus family and those few men He had hand-picked as His disciples. John's goal is to fulfill his purpose in writing this Gospel.
All of these persons had expectations of Jesus and all of them had one thing in common – none of them knew who He was or why He had come. This now is the moment of God’s revelation of Himself to man. This is the beginning of a kingdom's advance. It will advance on its own terms via the ministry and mission of it King, the Messiah, the God-man, Jesus the Son of God.
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August 25, 2013 | John Bayles | The Beginning of the Advancing Kingdom (John 2:1-24)
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