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THE FIRST TESTAMENT CHURCH
9. THE NEXT APPEARANCE OF JESUS WHICH TOOK PLACE THREE DAYS LATER IN CANA OF GALILEE John 2:1-2 "And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage." In John 1:41, we read, "The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee." Now the third day he was called to the marriage in Cana of Galilee and the word tells us his disciples were with him as they were called to the marriage. There is no record of Jesus having disciples before he received those John the Baptist had prepared for His coming. These were received at Bethany where John was baptizing, yet they continue to be with him in Galilee. The Scripture does not show all of these to be John's disciples. However, it is a logical conclusion that John had prepared the material Jesus was using. He taught in Mark 2:22, "And no man putteth new wine into old bottles." Neither would He use old covenant disciples to establish and preserve new covenant teachings unless they were obedient to John's message: repent and be baptized. Let us follow the word to the next mention of His disciples. John 2:11: "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him." Jesus had already begun the task of teaching his disciples to believe and trust Him. Again at Capernaum in John 2:12, "After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days." In John 2:13-17, Jesus goes to Jerusalem to the Passover feast where He exercises great authority against those that kept the temple in that He made a scourge of small cords and drove out the people and sheep, and oxen, and poured out the changers' money, and overturned the tables. "And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; Make not my Fathers's house an house of merchandise. And the disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." Here again we see his disciples as they continue in the fellowship with Jesus, being taught both by word and deed. This seems to be the same time referred to in John 2:23, "Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name." Also, it is very possible these happenings at the passover were what convinced Nicodemus so that he sought to know the Lord's teachings. (John 3:1-7) 10. THE NEXT TESTIMONY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST John 3:22-23 "After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized." Here were two separate places where baptism was being done at the same time. John was continuing his work preparing material for the Lord, for he had not yet been cast into prison. (John 3:24) Jesus also, after calling together those of John's disciples that he had chosen, began to preach and baptize. The Scripture tells us (John 4:2) "Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples." This is a clear-cut case that the disciples were now serving the Master. This was a separate work from John the Baptist, as he said, as he answered those that came to him to inquire of this matter. John 3:25-26 "Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him." Listen to His answer: John 3:27-30: "John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." Here I am sure John would have us to understand that Jesus was the bridegroom and the disciples (the church) stood in the position of the bride. Another point I want to note here: Verse 27: "John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven." Beloved, does your hope of eternal LIFE depend on heaven's gift, JESUS? "He that hath the son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." Neither can one become a member of the Lord's church apart from heavens's authority. 1 Cor 12:18 "But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body (church), as it hath pleased him." Dear one, God must have the preeminence in all things. Does your church hold her authority form heaven or did some man decide he didn't like some of the things in the so called "church" he was in and just started another one without heaven's authority? 11. CALL TO FULL TIME SERVICE Matthew 4:18-22: "And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him." Mark 1:16-20 "Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him." With the evidence before us that these had first met Jesus at Bethany Where John was baptizing, and seeing they followed Jesus immediately, would lead us to conclude they were well acquainted with Jesus and had some knowledge of His desire to have them follow Him. Notice how Jesus began immediately His training of them that they might become fishers of men. Matthew 4:23: "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." Mark 1:21: "And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught." Many other Scriptures show also that Jesus did all the teaching. The church was being trained for the work Jesus had called them to do by going about with Him observing His words and deeds. The only way we today can learn to be workers (disciples) of the Lord is to take up fellowship with Jesus in His church, with those that know Him, and begin to observe His words and deeds. This was the call to full time service. 12. THE CHALLENGE TO THE CHURCH TO SERVE Jesus had gone about preaching and teaching the people, His disciples with Him, until they were prepared for the work. Now He wants their willing surrender. God never forces His servants to do His work, but He will burden us by making it known to us. The joy comes as we surrender our will to His. He not only makes us know what to do and how to do it, but also makes us happy in it. Look now at Matthew 9:36-38, "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." Have you ever learned the Lord's message well enough to see the masses on their way to eternal destruction and begin to pray for the Lord to send someone to tell them the way to escape? This kind of prayer could not be offered by one that was prepared to do the work, without that one being effected. Let us prepare to carry the message of the Gospel of Christ, so as we look on the field that is white unto harvest and the laborers so few, it might effect us to fulfill the purpose of God as His church. 13. FIRST PREACHERS OF THE CHURCH ORDAINED Luke 6:12-13: "And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles." It is evident from this that Jesus had appointed a position of leadership in the church and filled it by ordaining the twelve and naming them apostles. We see as we study I Corinthians 12:28, "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers" and so on. Here He was numbering the different spiritual gifts given to the church to last until the full revelation of the new covenant was revealed, which are the recorded New Testament Scriptures. After which they did not need these special gifts of power. See also I Corinthians 13:10, Ephesians 4:11-16. We find at least three of those named to the apostleship, Peter, Andrew and Phillip are the same names that first took up fellowship with Jesus near where John was baptizing at Bethany (Matthew 10:2-3: John 1:40-44). They were sent forth to preach and to demonstrate with special powers the Kingdom of God. |