Who is Jesus? part 23

The third song?

Another song? Yes indeed, or at least a poem. The third song in the introduction to John’s Gospel.

The first song is in two parts:
Part 1 says the God who made the universe is here on Earth.
Part 2 says those who believe can have relationship with God.

The second song also had two parts centred around what John the Baptist said about himself and what he said about Jesus:
What he said about himself: “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’”
What he said about Jesus: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

The third song I have quoted below in full, but have removed the headings and included indents to reveal the poetic structure contained in this song.

• ³² And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. ³³ I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
  • ³⁵ The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 
    • ³⁹ He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 
      • ⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 
        • ⁴² He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
      • ⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 
    • ⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 
  • ⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸ Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” ⁵⁰ Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree’, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 
• ⁵¹ And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

John 1:32-51 ESVUK restructured to show the poetic structure.

If you are familiar with the poetic structures found in the Psalms, you may still find it challenging to find them in what looks like narrative writing.. The paragraph headings present in contemporary translations, which are absent in the original texts, can be quite helpful; however, they sometimes obscure the beautiful structure of the writings. While it’s true that the words are immensely significant, the underlying structure can illuminate the writer’s intentions and emphasis, particularly that of John the Evangelist. Initially, I perceived this as purely narrative and instructional, but once I uncovered the poetry woven within, it transformed into an enjoyable experience.

So, building on the first song’s uplifting conclusion that we can indeed have a relationship with God, along with the second song’s beautiful message that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away our sins, it would be wonderful for the final song to joyfully express how we can cultivate and enjoy a meaningful relationship with God.

That conclusion seems to have taken a coffee break, but this is just the intro! What we actually get is a persistent invite: “Come and see!” How to be in a relationship with Jesus is within the Gospel, told through the stories of those who met Jesus.

The central theme of John’s Gospel beautifully captures the question of who Jesus is, inviting us with open arms to “Come and see.”

The theme of the introduction revolves around nurturing a relationship with God—a journey that invites exploration and connection. It’s a gentle beckoning, urging you to “Come and see.”

How can we understand the profound way in which Jesus takes away the sins of the world? In this moment of deep personal reflection, we are invited to “Come and see.”

The answers you seek can be found within the Gospel of John, and we are assured that wisdom awaits us there. Come and see what treasures lie within; it will truly be a rewarding experience.

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