NEW CREATION
-- REVELATION OF GOD IN THE WORLD
February 24, 2012
MF Blume
John 1:1-7 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with
God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any
thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the
light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness
comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was
John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light,
that all men through him might believe.
John begins his gospel with a wonderful parallel with the book of
Genesis.
• He begins with the beginning.
• And he begins with the LIGHT.
As we well know, Genesis follows through with speaking of day after day
in which God accomplished various works.
• Before the first day, we read that God existed.
• And we read that the earth was void and without form.
• The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the deep.
1 John 1 does the same thing.
1 John 1:1-6 That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and
our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (2) (For the
life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew
unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was
manifested unto us;) (3) That which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and
truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus
Christ. (4) And these things write we unto you, that your
joy may be full. (5) This then is the message which we have
heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no
darkness at all. (6) If we say that we have fellowship with
him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
During the first day God spoke forth light.
• Declaration was made.
• God spoke.
• And HIS WORD ALWAYS REVEALS HIMSELF.
He is the word.
• We actually see that LIGHT was God being revealed.
• He is the light.
• And He divided light from darkness.
On day two, God separated waters above from waters below.
On day Three things really livened up literally.
• Life was created.
• Plants: grass and fruit trees.
Three days are always significant in the Bible of a precious truth.
John 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple,
and in three days I will raise it up.
Mark 10:33-34 saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son
of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests and the scribes; and
they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him unto the
Gentiles: and they shall mock him, and shall spit upon him, and shall
scourge him, and shall kill him; and after three days he shall rise
again.
John 1:19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent
priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
And then there is day following this one according to 1:29
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and
saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Then there is day following that in verse 35.
John 1:35-36 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his
disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the
Lamb of God!
And even another day in verse 43
John 1:43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee,
and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
So we have four days listed here so far.
But THE reference to a DAY is noted in 1:29.
Things begin in 1:29.
• But there is an interesting note mentioned in chapter 2:1 that
looks odd at first but actually makes a lot of sense.
• We need to note this because it has spiritual significance.
John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of
Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
Chapter 1:43 says that Jesus had not been to Galilee yet during these
days, and set out to go there on that day.
John 1:43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee,
and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
• Chapter 2:1 says that it was during the third day Jesus was in a
marriage celebration in Cana of GALILEE.
IT TOOK THREE DAYS TO GET TO GALILEE.
- That means that the third day
when Jesus spoke to Nathaniel was followed by three more days when the
marriage at Cana occurred.
- A WEDDING OCCURRED THAT DAY.
- This makes it the SIXTH DAY
from the day Jesus was baptized.
- THE SIXTH DAY OF THE CREATION
WEEK SAW ADAM AND EVE CREATED!
- MARRIAGE DAY!
For some reason, the Spirit did not lay forth the pattern for the 4th
and 5th days of Genesis 1.
So Day One is John 1:29.
Day Two is John 1:35.
Day Three is John 1:43.
Day SIX is John 2:1
John 1:29-34 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and
saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred
before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should
be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven
like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that
sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou
shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he
which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that
this is the Son of God.
Jesus came on the scene and was revealed to John.
Verse 31 said that John knew that He would introduce Messiah, but did
not know who it specifically was who is Messiah.
• He only knew that somehow through his ministry of baptizing in
water that Israel would have manifested to them the Messiah!
This is full of truth!
• Baptism portrays of death and burial and resurrection.
• Dead bodies are lowered into graves.
• But since baptism shows one lowered into water and raised again,
we see resurrection from the grave.
• And therefore baptism is such a wonderful portrait of death,
burial and resurrection.
JESUS IS REVEALED TO THE WORLD THROUGH HIS DEATH, BURIAL AND
RESURRECTION!
John saw a revelation of the Messiah, personally, when he saw the
spirit descend upon Jesus in the form of a dove.
John 1:33-34 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize
with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit
descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with
the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
As I said, John also wrote the book of Revelation.
• That book is about a revelation of Jesus Christ.
• Well, it seems that the Gospel of John is also a revelation of
Jesus Christ.
• Jesus is the light and is revealed.
Before God said let there be light in Genesis, we read that the Spirit
of God moved upon the face of the deep (Gen. 1:2).
• We read that the world was covered in darkness.
• The earth was void and without form.
Well, in the same manner on this first day we read that Jesus is in the
water and the Spirit of God descends upon Him while He is in the water.
• Just like the Spirit moving on the face of the deep.
• And it is then that John the Baptist said that he had Jesus, the
Light, revealed to him.
• It was then that John first realized who Jesus was!
• LET THERE BE LIGHT.
• AND THERE WAS LIGHT.
• He was made known.
On day two, look at what occurs.
John 1:35-42 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his
disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the
Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed
Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them,
What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being
interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and
see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for
it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John
speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He
first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found
the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he
brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art
Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by
interpretation, A stone.
Only John saw who Jesus was on day one.
• Nobody else saw the dove descend on Jesus.
• But on day two the revelation spreads.
• John points out what he knows to others.
Two disciples are with John.
• John’s disciples.
• And as they stand with John, they all look at Jesus, and they
hear John say, “Behold, the lamb of God.”
• And those two disciples leave John and begin to follow Jesus.
• Those were John the apostle and Andrew.
The first day we see Jesus revealed as LAMB OF GOD.
• And Jesus is baptized.
• The second day we see Jesus revealed again as Lamb of God, but
it goes further than that.
• People FOLLOW HIM this time.
WATERS WERE DIVIDED the second day of Genesi.
Look what the bible says WATERS REPRESENT:
Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the
seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will
shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many
waters:
Rev 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest,
where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and
tongues.
We need to see Jesus revealed to us twice.
• The first time we see Him baptized.... or dead, buried and risen
again.
• Then the second time we need to see OURSELVES INVOLVED WITH HIM
in His death, burial and resurrection.
• AND WE FOLLOW HIM.
We separate from OTHERS and follow Him!
• We involve ourselves with Him.
• We need to see that WE DIED, WERE BURIED and RESURRECTED with
Him.
• We need to see that WE WERE INVOLVED IN THAT EXPERIENCE OF HIS.
And on the third day we read this....
John 1:43-49 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee,
and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of
Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and
saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the
prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And
Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?
Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him,
and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and
said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the
fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi,
thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Jesus called Phillip on the third day and Phillip told his brother
Nathanael about Jesus.
• Somebody is revealing Jesus to others each day.
• God uses us to reveal Jesus.
• And Nathanael comes and Jesus not only already knows His name
without any help from people, but informs him that He saw Nathanael
beneath the fig tree.
• This completely astounds Nathanael.
• Obviously Nathanael had some sort of spiritual experience
beneath the fig tree, perhaps praying for the Messiah to appear, for
him to react like he did when Jesus informs him of seeing him there.
• And obviously it was a secret time of Nathanael alone with
God for him to be shocked and to call Jesus the SON OF GOD.
John 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art
the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
It's remarkable that he said this because we read earlier...
John 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have
found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus
of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Phillip called Jesus the Messiah, but yet told Nathanael He was THE SON
OF JOSEPH.
• So we have the LAMB revealed on day one.
• And the lamb further revealed as the one whom Moses spoke about
in day two, the messiah.
• And thirdly, on day three, the revelation progresses and we have
Jesus recognized AS THE SON OF GOD.
• John saw him as Son of God on day one in verse 34, but Nathanael
confesses it to Jesus, Himself, similar to Peter confessing in in
Matthew 16.
• Nathanael confessed JESUS’ DEITY!
• The revelation became greater each day until He was made known
as SON OF GOD.
• AND KING OF ISRAEL!
• LORD!
• Even more of Jesus is revealed!
The third day was when Nathanael was beneath the fig tree alone and
seeking God.
Notice what the Bible says about beneath the fig tree.
1Kin 4:24-25 For he had dominion over all the region on this side
the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side
the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and
Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree,
from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
Mica 4:3-4 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke
strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift
up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and
none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath
spoken it.
• Being underneath the fig tree speaks of peace and prosperity.
Deut 8:7-8 For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a
land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of
valleys and hills; A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig
trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;
It speaks of coming into the promised land.
• When you go the three days with Jesus, you come into the
promised land.
• Its like you left Egypt’s bondage of your life in sin in
the world, and you accepted the lamb’s death for your salvation
as Israel’s lambs blood splashed on their doors in Egypt saved
them from death, and Egypt.
• It begins with the Lamb as the first day occurred when John saw
Who the Lamb of God was.
• And they came out of Egypt to go into a promised land of Canaan,
where fig trees and peace and prosperity existed speaking of our
spiritual peace and prosperity in Jesus.
The real promised land was Jesus.
• He is the Lamb and the land – the promised land.
The third day in Genesis was when the FRUIT TREES were created.
Food for the world.
Nathanel is under a FIG TREE.
John 2:1 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. And when they wanted wine, the
mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto
her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His
mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of
the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled
them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear
unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the
feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it
was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the
feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the
beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then
that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This
beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested
forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
Here He performed His first miracle.
• At a wedding where a man and a woman are united and become one
flesh, Jesus turned water into wine.
• Moses’ first miracle was turning water into blood in
Egypt.
• Law brought death, but Jesus brings life.
• He is the life and the life was the light of men.
On THIS SIXTH DAY in the sequence there is the fullness of the union.
• Married to Christ.
Acts 2:13-17 Others mocking said, These men are full of new
wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and
said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem,
be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not
drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But
this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to
pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all
flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young
men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Wine speaks of Holy Ghost baptism.
So we see a revelation on day one.
• Then a further revelation where we FOLLOW Jesus -- DAY TWO.
• And then even further revelation where we See Jesus' DEITY!
This is the full revelation of Jesus Christ that God wants you to
experience.
• Do not just see Him as Lamb and not go further and follow Him.
• Follow Him.
• But do not stop there either.
• Be baptized in His Spirit.
• As they were baptized and spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave
them utterance, we read that men mocked saying they were drunk with new
wine.
• It was new wine alright, but spiritual wine!
• Come into this full union until you are ONE with Him, with the
Holy Ghost inside your very being!
• So one with Him that as He began creation by SPEAKING, HE SPEAKS
THROUGH YOU IN OTHER TONGUES as you drink the new wine!
• Drunk in His love.
• And His work of new creation kicks in through you, and others
are touched.
• Speaking in Tongues is intended to reveal Christ through you to
others.
Acts 2:8-11 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein
we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in
Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about
Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and
Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of
God.
Creation was God’s work.
And this NEW CREATION is also God’s Work.
• And He speaks, but this time in new creation, THROUGH HIS
PEOPLE.
TONGUES!
DARBY TRANSLATION
2 Corinthians 5:17 So if any one be in Christ, there is a new
creation; the old things have passed away; behold all things have
become new:
And when we get a full revelation of Him, we will carry on that
revelation and actually reveal Him through our lives to others!
• Holy Ghost baptism puts His Spirit in us to reveal Him to the
world.