Chapter # 2 Paragraph # 1 Study # 2
June 11, 2023
Broadlands, Louisiana
(Download Audio)
Thesis: The issue of "the third day" is the issue of the "faith" of the disciples as it "settles in".
Introduction: As early as
1:7 we are told that "believing" is an extremely critical issue for men because of Jesus' declaration in
8:24. In
1:7 we are told that it was John's message ("Make straight the way of The Lord":
1:23) that was to be the "gate-keeper" of "The Faith". Then, in
1:11-12 we are told that this "faith" was essentially "receiving Him as The Light" (
1:9) and being given the privilege of becoming a "born one of God" (teknon) by His own determination (
1:13), in contrast with all of the other ways "begetting" occurs. After that, "believing" is not mentioned again until Jesus questions Nathanael's "faith" based upon Nathanael's recognition of the omniscience of Jesus (
1:50). In between
1:13 and
1:50 we are given the particular elements of John's "Make straight the way of The Lord" message. All of these particular elements involve "identities" that are assigned to Jesus and are to be "believed" by those who wish to become children of God.
Now, this morning we are going to look into the question of why Author-John wanted us to know that "it was on the third day" that there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee.
- I. The Issues Of "The Third Day".
- A. These issues are raised because "the third day" assumes two previous days and the text only obliquely informs us what happened on those two days.
- 1. The text is clear about the decision of Jesus to go away into Galilee (1:43).
- 2. The text is also emphatic about Jesus "finding" Philip: the verb is a present tense in an historical narrative.
- 3. The text tells us that Philip lived in Bethsaida, approximately 90 miles from Bethany where Andrew and Peter were when Jesus acquired them as "disciples" (along with another unnamed man).
- 4. The text does not say Philip was in the general area of Bethany, where his fellow citizens of Bethsaida were, but it is not unclear that he "found" Nathanael, who was, apparently, at home in Cana "under the fig tree".
- 5. In any case, the normal walking speed of most travelers was 3 miles/hour, so that to get to Galilee, one would have to spend 3 ten-hour-days or 4 eight-hour-days to get from Jerusalem to Bethsaida (so that 3-4 days go by without being counted in the "third day").
- 6. The text also says that Philip, having been summoned by Jesus to be a "follower", turned around and "found" Nathanael who was, according to 21:2, from Cana, which was about 22 miles from Bethsaida (another 2-3 days away). Thus, it took from five to eight days (one of which was a Sabbath so they would not have traveled on that day) for Jesus to "acquire His fifth disciple".
- 7. The text also tells us two other pertinent facts: Jesus questioned whether Nathanael "believed" on the basis of His omniscience, and 2:11 says the "disciples believed into Him after observing His glory" in the form of changing a very large amount of water into the best wine the wine-master had tasted before the wine ran out.
- 8. Since Nathanael was from Cana (21:2), himself, it is likely that he "believed" just prior to the events that started "on the third day".
- 9. Also, since it is not likely that the wine ran out on the first day, there were some other days involved...but this ball got rolling "on the third day" (most likely measured from the arrival in Galilee).
- B. The question is, "Why did Author-John identify the beginning of the wedding on the third day?"
- 1. It seems clear that, since a person's eternal destiny hinges upon whether, or not, he/she "believes into Jesus", this "third-day event" that brought the disciples into that "believing" is significant.
- 2. In our record, that the event that brought about "eternal life" for five disciples began "on the third day" is "telling".
- a. It is no accident that in 2:19 Jesus tied His resurrection to a "third day".
- b. It is also no accident that in Romans 1:4 Paul wrote that Jesus "was declared to be the Son of the God with power by the resurrection from the dead".
- 3. And, it is significant that, though it was Jesus' action of turning water into wine that sponsored the beginning of the "faith" of the disciples, it was not the wine that produced the impact (the Joy of Life): it was the revelation of His glory (wine does not lead to an established "joy"; only "faith" can do that).
