This week we come to a watershed chapter in John's account of the life of Jesus.  Up until now, the message from Jesus has been 'my hour has not yet come'.  In this chapter, however, when the 'Greeks' come looking for him, Jesus says, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified' (12:23).  In this language we see how John paints a strong picture of the suffering and death of Jesus (a time of human weakness) as the time of his glorification!  There Jesus will defeat the power of sin and death!  Three key events prepare the way for Jesus to be in Jerusalem for what we know as the Passion Week.  This chapter is once again full of emotion as we see Jesus as fully human and yet fully God! 
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In today's text, the sign miracles of Jesus reach their highest peak!  Who else has ultimate authority over life and death so as to be able to raise one who has been dead for four days?!  At the same time this chapter reveals something to us of the tender humanness of Jesus also.  How he loved this family!  How he is moved with compassion and deep emotion!  Let us stand together in awe of the power of this picture of Jesus! 
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A picture still set against the background of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus this time makes a claim related to the ceremony of Light.  We observe in today's lesson that the initial hearers of Jesus words would have clearly understood Jesus to be claiming to the God in these words 'I AM the Light of the World'.  No wonder they picked up stones to stone him - in their minds he was clearly guilty of blasphemy!  Once again, through these pictures the Apostle John is painting a strong picture of Jesus, inviting us to fully believe that Jesus really is the Messiah who comes from God to take away the sin of the world!  May we truly believe and find the fullness of Life Jesus promises! 
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The Feast of Tabernacles provides the vivid backdrop for John's picture of Jesus in John 7.  We notice that among the strong traditions of this most joyful festival of the Jewish calendar is the Water Ceremony.  As the priest would draw water from the pool of Siloam, the people would sing and dance words from the Old Testament reminding themselves that God had provided water from the rock to save His people as they wandered in the desert.  In the midst of this celebration, Jesus stands up and declares, "All who are thirsty, come to me and drink!"  In these words the Jews would immediately recognize that Jesus is claiming to be God - after all, only God can supply water for the earth.  Once again we see the people are divided - some believe; some turn away.  The story at the beginning of John 8 provides a living example of a thirsty (broken) woman who drinks and finds life through Jesus words - 'nor do I condemn you'. 
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In this scene, John shows Jesus interacting with two people who are very different from each other and yet there are similarities which allow us to see the skill with which John puts these images together.  In the first instance, Jesus crosses over all kinds of cultural barriers to speak with a desperate Samaritan woman who believes wholeheartedly without a physical sign and brings her whole community to believe  along with her.  In the second, Jesus is met by a desperate 'royal official' from his home region who cries out for healing for his dying son.  Jesus heals his son 'from a distance' and in response to this, the official and his whole family believe.  Through all of these scenes, John continues to build our confidence in believing Jesus!

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In today's text we are reminded that, just like the lame man, we must also to look to Jesus to receive life.  Jesus longs to give us wholeness and healing - he invites us to turn to Him.  In this picture we also receive a clear reminder that we coming to believe in Jesus is coming to a relationship.  We do not follow a religious set of rules or even a holy book.  We follow a Person!  God invites us to relationship with him through Jesus. 
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The beauty and power of the picture presented by John in Scene 3 is enhanced by a careful understanding of the structure of the chapter.  We observe that there are 2 conversations - the first with Jesus (3:1-15); the second about Jesus (3:2-30).  Each conversation is followed by a commentary by John the Apostle.  We notice John pens these commentaries many years after the events actually occur; they are written from a post-resurrection, Holy Spirit-filled perspective and therefore carry much weight and clarity with regard to the bigger picture of why Jesus came to earth.  "For God so loved the world..."
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Having been announced as 'the Son of God' and 'the King of Israel' at the end of Scene 1 by Nathanael, one might expect the next scene to open with a suitable kingly display of power, but John surprising introduces Jesus to us as a simple invitee to one of the most common of human celebrations - a wedding.  His glory is revealed there, though not to everyone - only his family and his disciples know that it was His power that changed water into wine!  Similarly, in the event of the cleansing of the Temple (Act 2 of Scene 2), the display of the glory of Jesus is only given clearly to the disciples.  In both Act 1 and 2 of this Scene, we find a strikingly similar result - his disciples 'believed' in him!  John is a masterful painter as he recreates these scenes so that as we read them, we too may grow in our confidence of faith - He really IS the Messiah sent from God to wash away the sins of the whole world!
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We are viewing John's Gospel as a work of art - perhaps a skillfully painted depiction of life on canvas; or perhaps a well crafted story in dramatic form.  Either way, the latter part of chapter 1 is 'Scene 1'.  Here we find a vivid description of Jesus being revealed as the One who is 'the Word become flesh'.  John the Baptizer is the primary witness.  We are also meet 5 of Jesus' early followers and in the unfolding of the drama we learn so much about the nature of what it means to become a follower of Jesus.  In particular we observe three steps - 'meeting, knowing, and following' Jesus! 
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It is hard to overestimate the importance of the words that make up the Prologue of John.  In these verses John is employing words which push the boundaries of human comprehension is his effort to describe for us not only the mystery of God, but, in particular, the mystery of God made flesh.  In these powerful words John seeks to expand our understanding of the true nature of Jesus (Christology); in these verses he also describes our world, showing that we live in darkness and have rejected Jesus.  However, he also speaks about the possibility of salvation through believing and receiving Jesus and thus establishes and points forward to a theology of Hope that he will portray in much detail in the chapters to come.  May we today be drawn to a place of Wonder and Worship and we consider the reality of these words: 'the Word became flesh and dwelled among us'. 
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