John 1

Encountering the Messiah

How do you react when you suddenly encounter someone? That may depend on who you are meeting. If you run into an old friend, the chance meeting could turn into a happy reunion. But, believe me, bumping into my father while skipping school didn’t exactly deepen our relationship.

 The early chapters of the Gospel of John tell of various people encountering Jesus for the first time. Some of these people were transformed and drawn to him, while others were threatened and defiant. But no one was ever the same.

Jesus Encounters His New Disciples

In John 1:35-50 Jesus meets and calls his first disciples. He is first introduced to Andrew and John, and they spend the day with him. They immediately tell their brothers, Simon Peter and James, they have met the Messiah. Jesus then meets Philip who finds Nathanael and tells him the good news.

Jesus’ interactions with these men follow a certain pattern. First he asks them a question, “What do you want?” He then issues an invitation, “Come and see.” When they come, he issues a challenge to them by saying, “Follow me.” Finally, he promises them that, because they believe, they will see greater things than they ever imagined. Jesus initiates the action and leads these new disciples through a step-by-step process into a deeper relationship with him.

Jesus Encounters the Jews

Sometime later, in John 2:13-23, Jesus encountered the Jews for the first time in Jerusalem. The “Jews” were the religious leaders who built their power base around Jewish traditions and laws. They opposed Jesus throughout his ministry because he threatened their authority.

In this encounter Jesus finds the money changers and sacrifice sellers doing a lively business in, what was known as, the Court of the Gentiles. He drives them out of the area and tells them to stop turning his Father’s house into a marketplace. Surprisingly, they do not deny his accusation. However, they question his authority to tell them what to do.

 Exposing Scams in a Sacred Place

So what’s behind this encounter? The Jews were using the sacred temple to run two scams on the worshipers.

First, the required temple tax was required to be paid only in temple coins. Since all foreign currency was deemed “unclean”, people were forced to exchange their regular money for “pure” temple money. The money changers not only set the exchange rate, but they also charged exorbitant fees for the exchange.

 The second scam occurred when people brought their own animals as sacrifices. Each animal had to be certified unblemished and worthy for sacrifice. The inspector/sellers charged a high inspection fee, and usually found the animals unworthy. So people were forced to trade in their suddenly faulty animal for a “worthy” one at a substantial premium.

 These lucrative activities took place in the outer courtyard of the temple that was designated for the Gentiles to come and learn more about God and the Jewish faith. Jesus found this place, set aside by God for evangelism and prayer, had been turned into a chaotic, noisy, and illegitimate marketplace.

By What Authority?

What can we learn from these two different encounter scenarios? The disciples acknowledged Jesus as Messiah, and he invited them into a closer relationship. However, when he chastised the Jews, they responded by questioning his authority. From then on, the disciples drew closer to Jesus, while the Jews further alienated themselves from him.

How are you reacting to your encounters with the risen Jesus today? When he asks us “What do you want?” or invites us to “come and see” or challenges us to “follow me”, do we draw closer to him and allow him to have more authority in our lives? Or do we stifle our relationship with him by asking the same question the Jews asked - what authority do you have over my life?

Here’s the good news - Our faithful response to each question will always result in a deeper relationship and greater promises.  

Maranatha,

Andy