perfect "go between" linking God and the needs of failing man. There was an immense

gulf that yawned between the far-off Platonist God and the earthly things of time and

sense, so we can understand why the Lord Jesus used the figure of Jacob's ladder as

representing Himself in John 1: 51. God and man meet in Christ and can only meet in

this way.

We now commence the body of the Gospel which extends from chapter 2: 1 - 2: 14

and prominent all through are the specially selected eight signs showing forth the glory of

Christ, which in each case leads to the great object of the Gospel as stated in 20: 31,

"but these (signs) are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of

God; and that believing ye might have life through His Name". We shall see that each of

the signs leads to this result.

The Evangelist begins with the wedding at Cana of Galilee and relates it to the "third

day", which probably was counted from the call of Nathanael and would therefore be the

seventh day of the record. It is not certain where Cana was situated. Kefr Kenna (about

3½ miles from Nazareth) has been suggested, also Ain Kana and Khirbet Kana are

possible. The mother of the Lord was invited to the wedding although she is not named.

It seems clear that she was an intimate friend, if not a relative of the family where the

wedding took place. Christ and His disciples were invited too. The word "disciple" just

means a learner. The term is sometimes restricted to the twelve apostles, but often has a

wider circle in view (John 6: 60, 61, 66).

The eight selected miracles or signs have a wonderful correspondence which is set out

in the next two pages. It is taken from Appendix 176 of The Companion Bible. The

reader should take time to look at the correspondence between the miracles which are

truly remarkable. The capital letters show the signs that correspond, and the whole is

certainly an indication of the divine inspiration of the Word of God.