Gospel of John 09.vp

Sess ion 2: The Word Made F l esh, Glory and S igns , and the New Bi r th 41

a. The miracle’s purpose: to demonstrate the majesty and glory of Jesus

b. The miracle’s result: belief in Jesus of Nazareth as God’s anointed deliverer

IV. The Cleansing of the Temple, John 2.12-25

A. The place of festival in Hebrew worship

1. Three main feasts celebrated yearly in Jerusalem (cf. Deut. 16.16-17 – Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. [17] Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.) 2. The Passover, e.g., Deut. 16.1-2 – “Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. [2] And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the Lord your God, from the flock or the herd, at the place that the Lord will choose, to make his name dwell there.”

a. Celebrated in Nisan (our March-April)

b. Commemorated God’s merciful “passing over” of the Israelites at the Exodus through the shed blood of the lamb (i.e., Exod. 12)