The Gospel of John: Come and See Signs of Deity

Sunday, we will return to our study of the Gospel of John. When we paused our study, we were concluding Jesus’ teaching during the Feast of Tabernacles. The author, John, moves from that celebration to the Feast of Dedication of the temple, about three months later. 

During the period between the Old and the New Testament, a ruler, Antiochus Epiphanies had sacrificed an unclean animal to a foreign god on the altar in God’s temple, desecrating the holy place. When God delivered Israel from that oppression, they cleansed and rededicated the temple. The eight day feast celebrated God’s merciful redemption and restoration. 

John moves right into a conversation between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. Jesus asserts the leaders' inability to believe, which isn’t received well. But what really irks them is Jesus’ claimed connection with God the Father. They pick up stones, about to enact Levitical judgment, and Jesus challenges their understanding of Scripture, which is also not well received. 

It’s amazing that as they celebrate God’s restoration of the temple, that his own people reject the One he has been sent to reconcile them to himself. Not even the signs (miracles with meaning) move them to believe. Why do some reject Jesus and others believe? Why is Jesus so controversial? Come Sunday and consider the lesson of faith.