The Secret Meeting

Who is this man Nicodemus?

Spring, AD 27

A Famous Man:

Nicodemus ben Gurion (son of Gurion) appears in the history books written by Flavius Josephus, in the Babylonian Talmud, and in other Jewish and Christian literature of the first centuries after Jesus. He lived until the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. For this reason doubt has been cast on the idea that this is the same man who spoke with Jesus, for it was said Nicodemus was "already an old man" when he met Jesus. But this tradition seems to come from his question at John 3:4, "How can a man be born when he is old?" If he were 40 when he met Jesus he would have been 80 at the fall of Jerusalem. His original name was Buni ben Gurion. He gained the honorific name Nicodemus when he prayed for a supply of water and it was provided miraculously.

A Rich Man:

Nicodemus was one of the three richest men in Jerusalem; perhaps the richest. He was responsible for supplying water for the pilgrims that came to attend the Jewish festivals in Jerusalem. He had extensive land holdings in Galilee and elsewhere, no doubt worked by tenant farmers. This perhaps gave extra sting to the rebuke he received when he spoke up to defend Jesus of Nazareth: "You are not from Galilee also, are you?" (John 7:50)

A Pharisee:

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, the leading religion movement in Judaism during his time. Pharisees were opposed by the Zealots, who accused the leaders of the Pharisees of cooperating with the Romans. It may be that Nicodemus was martyred by Zealots during the Jewish war. Nicodemus was active politically, and either he or his son negotiated a deal to free the Roman soldiers who were trapped in the citadel of Jerusalem during one phase of the resistance.

A Member of the Ruling Class:

Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews. Under Herod the Great, the Sanhedrin had great power over all the land of the Jews, but when the kingdom was split up after Herod's death, its power was limited to Judea, principally Jerusalem, and especially the temple precincts. Pharisees were probably a majority in this high council of 72 of the Jews, but the chair and leadership of the council was reserved for the family of the High Priest and his associates, who were all Sadducees. You might say that the Pharisee's teachings were centered around living an ethical life, while the Sadducees were most concerned with the operation of the temple cult.

The Testimony of John:

The writer of the Gospel of John tells us about a meeting between Nicodemus and Jesus in John 3:1-15. Here Jesus teaches that one must be born again to see the kingdom of God, and that the "Son of Man" (Jesus) has come from Heaven so that those who believe in him will have eternal life.

Jesus' words end at verse 15, and John follows that with comments explaining what Jesus is teaching, beginning with the beloved verse "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Most red-letter Bibles will indicate that Jesus' words continue past verse 15 to include everything to verse 21. But here John follows a pattern that may be seen throughout his Gospel, where he will follow a teaching of Jesus with a commentary that explains the teaching. In this commentary Jesus is referred to as the "Son of God," a term Jesus does not use upon himself, but that his disciples and John the Baptist use.

The "Secret" Meeting:

Being Born Again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjIlhu-yuTI

This video follows the red-letter edition of the King James Version, placing the full explanation of John (3:16-21) onto the lips of Jesus. (Use the link. I didn't get the embedded video to work)

The two men are not alone for this meeting. It was customary to bring along a witness for official and even semi-official meetings to protect the integrity of what was said. Here the Kingdom of God enters into a conversation with the "kingdom" of the rule of the Sanhedrin.

Jesus would have brought along (at least) the least of his disciples, not only to bear witness, but in case an errand would be needed as a result of the meeting. That would have been John son of Zebedee (in my view the writer of the Gospel), the youngest and "least" of the disciples. At this time in Jesus' ministry no apostles had been named yet, and Jesus had not called Matthew to follow him. In verse 11 we find Jesus using the first person plural: "We speak what we know and testify that we have seen, but you do not receive our witness."

Nicodemus would have done likewise. As a rich man he would have servants, and as a "teacher of Israel" (verse 10) he would also have had disciples who he was training. This would have been a very good meeting for one of his disciples to attend. Nicodemus also speaks in the first person plural: "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God" (verse 2).

Later on, after unsuccessfully trying to defend Jesus before the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus will team up with Joseph of Arimathea to provide for the burial of Jesus' body after the crucifixion (John 19:39). But that will take place in AD 30, and here we are still in AD 27.

Follow along in my book "JOHN!  Episode One - AD 27" as I write these blog posts of the issues I have dealt with in order to reconstruct the historical experiences of John of Zebedee as he keeps company with Jesus. You can find Episodes One and Two at rolinbruno.com. Episode three is under way. 

Righteous Anger and Table-Turning

Does Jesus in the Temple Justify Our Anger?

Spring, AD 27

The Jewish Passover was at hand. Jesus went up to the temple in Jerusalem and found people selling cattle and sheep and doves, and money changers seated at their tables (John 2:13-14).

This happens very early in Jesus' ministry, coming after his baptism at the Jordan, a wedding at Cana, and a get-together between his family and his new disciples at Capernaum (John 2:12). This is the first time we find Jesus dealing with commercial activity in the temple courts, and is disclosed to us only by the Gospel of John. This is Jesus' coming-out party, when he first reveals himself to the Jerusalem public.

This hubbub of commercial activity is a natural outcome of market demand: The season of Passover attracted Jewish visitors from across the world from such places as Damascus, Egypt, and Rome. Some say that the population of Jerusalem would swell from one million people to two million during Passover. These visitors would be ready to pay the nominal temple tax and make other offerings, but the money they brought would be no good: only Jewish-minted Shekel coins could be accepted into the temple treasury. They would be even more eager to acquire a lamb to be slaughtered and offered, so that they might participate in the Passover Feast.

The temple was holy, and contained the room known as the Holy of Holies. Even the temple courts outside the balustrade, where non-Jews were allowed to visit, was considered a privileged place. Although Jerusalem was controlled by the Romans, the temple and its courts were ruled by the Jewish high priests and guarded by temple police. No activity took place there without the temple authorities' permission. So we can be sure that this sales activity was taking place with the blessing of the high priests. Probably each of these merchants paid well to occupy their privileged spots in the temple courts, and this brought additional revenue to the temple authorities.

The Gospel tells us that Jesus "found" (euren) this activity. This Greek verb is defined in BDAG (the authoritative Greek lexicon) as, A. to have a good outcome from a search or a seeking, B. to come upon something, and C. to discover something. BDAG cites numerous uses of the word in the New Testament, but does not deal with its meaning in John 2:14.

Thayer's lexicon of 1889 does cite John 2:14, and collects its use of the word under meaning B, "to come upon something," as if by accident. I respectfully disagree. The Gospels are clear that the family of Jesus regularly went up to the temple for the Passover celebration, and Jesus would have been well acquainted with this scene. He came here looking for this activity, because he already had a plan in mind for what he was going to do.

Jesus made a whip out of cords, and drove all of them out of the temple [courts], including the sheep and the cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers, and overturned their tables. To those who were selling doves he said, "Take those out of here! Don't make my Father's house a house of commerce!" (John 2:15-16).

The word Jesus used for this place of commerce was "emporium." Imagine, if you will, a giant flea market in the holy space where people were coming from all over the world to worship the God who created it. Jesus was armed only with the cords that he wore around his waist, yet he cleared the temple.

The temple guards must have frozen, for it took them a minute to respond. When they realized that this was not a representative of the high priests, they challenged him.

"What sign will you show us as your authority for doing these things?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19.

This confused the guards, who were probably confronting Jesus with their swords drawn. Even Jesus' disciples didn't understand at the time: Jesus was foretelling his execution and his resurrection in three days, and referring to his own body as the true temple of God.

His disciples also gleaned some more information from this encounter, later remembering the words of Psalm 69, where it says, "Zeal for your house will consume me." But first century scriptures had no chapters or verses, so they would use memorable phrases to refer to a notable passage of scripture in its entirety. Let's look at the greater context for that:

Because of your sake I have borne reproach; dishonor has covered my face. I have become estranged from my brothers and an alien to my mother's sons. For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me (Psalm 69:7-9).

"Zeal" (qinah) in the Hebrew of the Old Testament was often used for the jealousy of a suspicious husband, which is clearly not the case here. Secondarily it was used for the zeal of people for God, and the zeal of God for his people.

But the Gospel of John is written in Greek, and at this later writing they are probably using the Greek translation of the Old Testament. For the Greek zelos of the New Testament, jealousy takes a back seat and zeal or ardor becomes more the focus. The best definition for its use here is "passionate commitment."

Jesus did not stumble across this misuse of the temple grounds and was angered into doing something about it. He already knew about this continuing misuse and had a passion to do something about it. This was an act of civil disobedience which placed his life in danger. So take care if you are defending your "righteous anger." Jesus' actions in the temple may not be the best place to seek support for your anger.

And as to civil disobedience? Nearing the end of his ministry Jesus went into the temple during Passover season again, and doubled down on his civil disobedience. This time he brought in a great throng of people who weren't supposed to be in the temple--the blind and the lame--where Jesus healed them in defiance of the temple authorities (Matthew 21:12-14).

Jesus was passionately committed. May we be so also.

Jesus and the Beloved Disciple

Was There a Disciple that Jesus Favored Most?

Who Was the Beloved Disciple?

The so-called "beloved" disciple is first identified at 13:23 in the Gospel of John: "Reclining on Jesus' bosom was one of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved." This happens during the 'Last Supper' when Jesus identifies to this disciple who it is that would betray him, as the disciple leans back upon Jesus' bosom. J. Ramsay Michaels, in his massive commentary The Gospel of John, writes that this sequence (verses 21-30) "is seen and told through the eyes of this disciple 'whom Jesus loved.'"

This disciple appears again at the foot of the cross (John 19:26-27): "When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, 'Woman, behold your son!' Then he said to the disciple, 'Behold your mother!' From that hour the disciple took her into his own household."

The disciple appears next in the story (John 21:20-23) when Peter saw "the disciple whom Jesus loved" and asked Jesus what would happen to that disciple in the time to come. Lastly, the writer of the gospel switches into the first person (John 21:24-25) and identifies himself as this same disciple.

When Christian scribes began to collect more than one gospel into a single document, they identified each gospel by name, preceding the text with kata Johannes, "according to John." Through all the early history of the church, this was believed to be John the son of Zebedee, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. Some recent writers have other theories.

One more appearance should be noticed: In John's gospel, the first disciples that meet Jesus are two disciples of the Baptist, Andrew and an anonymous companion. From the time that I began to read the Bible, I have identified this companion as John son of Zebedee. Again, some recent writers deny this, although it has been the traditional view of the church.

Okay, We Have His Identity, but What's This  About Being Beloved?

Didn't Jesus love the other disciples? What's different about this one?

In Christian tradition, John has been seen as the youngest disciple, the younger brother of James son of Zebedee. The painting above reflects this tradition. It was thought that John, as the youngest, particularly received Jesus' attention due to the love Jesus had for children. It is probable that John was at least 13, the age at which children became responsible for their own sins, with their father relieved of that burden.

Some liberal commenters have alleged that John and Jesus were gay lovers. This is completely wrong on two points. First, it betrays the commenter's confusion between love and sex. These two things can exist together or separately, and one does not necessarily imply the other. Second, the Greek of the original gospel is explicit. There are three different Greek words for love: eros, for erotic love; phileo, for familial love; and agape, for unselfish love. Every Gospel instance of Jesus' love for John uses agape.

But there is more. As the youngest, John would have been assigned the tasks usually relegated to the least disciple. This included being assigned to see to the personal needs of the master, such as bringing him his water. When the other disciples would go on a mission or errand, the least disciple would remain with the master in case he should need something.

This assignment put John son of Zebedee in a position in which he would see things and hear things which the other disciples would not be aware of. And indeed, that's what we find in his Gospel. When Jesus goes in private for a secret meeting with Nicodemus, a powerhouse in the Ruling Council of Jews, John is there with him to record their conversation. When all the other disciples go into the Samaritan town to buy food, John stays with Jesus at the well and witnesses the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan, and hears Jesus for the first time declare that he is the Messiah.

But there is even more.

Not Worthy to Untie the Strap of His Sandal?

John the Baptist declared, "After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals (Mark 1:7). The Baptist was speaking of a menial job which was often given to the lowest servant in a household: the least servant. The Baptist's point was that the One to come was greater than he like the master of a household is greater than the least of his servants.

John son of Zebedee may have encountered this task for himself, when Jesus was at the end of a long tiring day of hiking or preaching.

Jesus was especially sensitive to the underclass--to those usually thought of as the least important members of society. But he saw the hope in them and prophesied their fulfilment: In the end the last would be first and the first would be last. The lowly ones would be lifted up, and the exalted ones would be brought down.

Jesus Shows How Privileged People Should Behave.

At the Last Supper -- before the incident when John reclined on the bosom of Jesus -- Jesus demonstrated for his disciples how he expected them to act. Though he was the Master and the very Holy One of God, he took the lowliest job at their meal and washed each of the disciple's feet.

This was not always a pretty thing to do or see. The streets of town would be dirty, littered with things like the excrement of the village dogs. Some of the streets in and around Jerusalem had open sewer lines cut in rock at the side of the road to carry human offal out of the city. Washing feet was needed--but a dirty job.



Jesus Loved John just as Jesus Loved the Lowly.  For many hours and days, Jesus was physically close to John. John took care of Jesus and Jesus took care of John. He was always there to bring the lowly to Jesus' mind.

And lastly, Jesus knew he would never have a son or daughter born to him while he was on earth. The prophet Isaiah had said of the Messiah, "And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken (Isaiah 53:8).

John was the closest thing to a son that Jesus would experience during his sojourn with us. John was the disciple whom Jesus loved.

The Family of Jesus

ARE YOU IN THE FAMILY?

Spring, AD 27

Here's Jesus on a Journey.

Imagine, if you will, that this is the journey that Jesus took from Cana to Capernaum.

After the wedding, Jesus went down [from Cana] to Capernaum with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they remained there for a few days. (John 2:12).

First, about Jesus' starting place at the wedding in Cana:

A. Jesus and also his disciples had been invited to the wedding (John 2:2). But Jesus had just met at least five new disciples at a location over two day's travel away from Cana, and Jesus had instructed them to follow him. From the detailed incident about wine at the wedding, it can be proposed that the same disciple who witnessed the call of the disciples (i.e., the writer of the Gospel) also witnessed the water changed to wine. Evidently Jesus was close enough to the family of the bride or groom that he was empowered to invite whomever he wished.

B. Jesus' mother Mary was concerned about the wine running out at the wedding, and was either empowered to do something about it, or took on the responsibility herself (John 2:3). Evidently she too was close enough to the family of the bride or groom to feel responsibility for the happy celebration of the marriage. Mary said to Jesus, "They have no wine." Someone else (they) was actually in charge, but 'they' had dropped the ball. Remember also that Mary's husband Joseph is not mentioned anywhere in the ministry of the adult Jesus, and is presumed to have died before (or at the time!) Jesus turned 30 years old.

C. Mary says to the servants (literal translation), "Whatever [Jesus] tells you, do it!" She used the imperative form of the Greek verb when speaking to the servants. Does this mean that the family of Jesus had multiple servants in Nazareth, and they had been brought to Cana to help with the wedding? That's literally possible from the text, but is certainly not the presumption of centuries of Christians who have read the Bible. It just seems more likely that the servants were part of the household at Cana that was hosting the wedding, rather than being help brought in from Nazareth. In any case, Mary is evidently empowered to give commands to the servants helping with the wedding. This not only shows her closeness with the family of the bride or the groom, but elevates her status to one who can tell servants how the wedding should proceed (at the detail level).

D: At John 2:12 (above) we learn for the first time that the brothers of Jesus were probably also at the wedding, for they joined Jesus' journey to Capernaum immediately afterward.

E: If Jesus and his mother had places of prominence at this wedding, and most of his family members were invited, it strongly suggests that this wedding was between someone in Jesus' family and a person in Cana. Although it may have been someone from Mary's or Jesus' extended family, I propose that it is more likely that the person getting married is either a brother or sister of Jesus. I believe that if it were one of his brothers, the Gospel writer would have mentioned that. But if it were one of his sisters, that would have been passed over, following the custom of their day of not mentioning women unless it were critical to the telling of the story.

This was a family wedding! I propose that one of the sisters of Jesus was getting married in Cana, and this was important enough to Jesus that he would interrupt his disciple-gathering activity near John the Baptist, so that he and his new disciples could attend.

The sisters of Jesus are identified in tradition to have had the names Mary and Salome. There is a separate tradition that identifies a third sister, with the name Anna. As to the sister-wedding idea, the belief that his sisters were older than him (from Joseph's first marriage) would speak against it. Women were married off long before they were 30, when possible. Yet it is not impossible.

If say, Anna, were a daughter of Mary the mother of Jesus she could be quite younger than he, and this could be her wedding day. But I'm sticking to the first-century tradition that all of Jesus' brothers and sisters were older than he. (Mostly out of stubbornness.)

Second, about the journey from Cana to Capernaum:

A. Jesus is on his way to Capernaum, probably to the home where Simon Peter lived. According to formal custom, this would have been at the invitation of Peter. We know that Peter was married, but we do not know if his wife was accompanying him or had remained at home in Capernaum. We do know that Peter later took his wife along with him on missionary journeys (1 Corinthians 9:5).

B. Jesus had told his new disciples to follow him, at least as far as Cana. Now it is evident that they are to follow him again to Capernaum on the shore of Galilee. The majority of the disciples had roots in the fishing village of Bethsaida which lay beyond Capernaum. After visiting in Capernaum, they would not be too far away to also visit their parents and other relatives.

C. Jesus apparently invites his brothers to come also. Or, Peter may have invited them. We don't know if his sisters came, although they may have been at the wedding. If they joined the party going to Capernaum, they would probably be in the company of their husbands. (The now-married bride of the wedding would have been moving in to the new house that a husband was expected to provide.)

So this group of a dozen or more men and women were travelling together. At least three families were involved: the families of Jesus, Simon Peter, and the sons of Zebedee. These are new acquaintances getting to know one another.

Third, about the destination in Capernaum:

A. We know that Peter's mother-in-law resided with him (Mt 8:14, Mk 1:30,  Lk 4:38). We also know that Peter is a native of Bethsaida. Apparently Peter had moved into the home of his wife and mother-in-law rather than providing a new home himself. As there is no mention of his wife's father, we can surmise that her father has died and Peter is a quite welcome addition to his wife's mother's home.

B. We also must assume that this is a fairly substantial house, that can accommodate a dozen guests for a short stay. Later on, this house becomes Jesus' headquarters as his disciples grew in number. When Jesus appointed his twelve apostles, when they were not being sent out they would be with him (Mk 3:14). They may well have stayed with Jesus at the house of Peter and his wife.

C. It is not too far-fetched to describe this home in Capernaum as the first Christian house-church. Note that it begins as a meeting place for families to get to know one another. Later in Jesus' ministry, he would describe his disciples as his mother, his brothers, and his sisters--his new and true "forever-family" (Matthew 12:48-49).

What is the lesson to be learned from all this? Church is a Family!  It's not a building where we meet once a week. It's not simply a gathering of like-minded people with a mission to practice their religion. That would be a business enterprise, not a Church. John in his letters tells us that we should be able be identified as those people who love one another.

If your church does not seem to be an organic family that does things together, do something about it. Invite some of those people that you see every week to come to your house. Invite them to go with you to events. Help organize occasions when you can gather together as "forever-families."

Bonus: Here's Another Journey.

This is a journey that Joseph the widower took.
He's on his way from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
His three sons James, Joses and Simon are on the right.
His two daughters Salome and little Mary are on the left.
On the donkey is his youngest son, Jude.
Behind Jude is his new wife, Mary.
Mary is pregnant.

Jesus was born into a large family.
Is it time for you to be re-born into a large family?


If these story-journeys have struck a chord with you, you may be interested in reading some historical fiction that expands on these premises. Check out rolinbruno.com, where you can find the first two Episodes of the story of John son of Zebedee. The third episode is due out in 2016.

Are You Sure You've Found Jesus?

...Come And See!

Early Spring, AD 27

"Among You Stands One Whom You Do Not Know" 

So said John the Baptist to certain Pharisees, men who were priests and Levites dedicated to the service of God. They had come to see if this wilderness prophet might be the Holy One promised in Scripture. They had a chance to meet the Holy One, but missed it. They went back to Jerusalem to tell the powers that be there how John described himself--a forerunner, one who was unworthy to loosen the sandals of the Holy One. (John 1:19-28)

"Behold, the Lamb of God who Takes Away the Sin of the World!"

The very next day, and we hear the name "Jesus" for the very first time in the fourth Gospel. Jesus is that Holy One of whom the Baptist spoke, and here he is again, walking towards the Baptist. The heralding of this Jesus is the very purpose of the Baptist's ministry: "I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God." But Jesus walks on. (John 1:29-34)

"Behold, the Lamb of God!"

On the third day we are in company with Jesus again, and we learn that two of the Baptist's disciples have been listening to all this. This time they leave the Baptist behind, and walk to follow the Holy One. Jesus turns and says, "What do you seek?" The disciples want to know where Jesus is staying, for he has not been among the other disciples of the Baptist. (John 1: 35-38)

And what does it mean, "two of the Baptist's disciples?" Have they been staying with him and learning from him for months? Weeks? Or did they come out into the wilderness to hear what the Baptist had to say, and decided to follow his teaching and become Baptized? Surely these two have accepted the Baptism offered by this prophet. That may be all it takes for them to describe themselves as disciples of the Baptist.

"Come, and You Will See," says Jesus.

But Jesus himself is in a strange land. He has recently spent 40 days in the wilderness, and he has not returned to his home in Nazareth, many miles from here. The painter of the image above has imagined how that might be. But Jesus is a traveler, and soon he will travel again. Perhaps the tent in this image belongs to Jesus, and he has a donkey with him to haul it from place to place. Or perhaps he has moved in with another homeless person, someone who has offered him hospitality.

The Scriptures tell us that Jesus is at the otherwise unknown village of Bethany-Beyond-Jordan. Later in his ministry, when Jesus is seeking some respite, he will return to this village again. For now he is near the east bank of the Jordan River, almost certainly south of the Sea of Galilee. His visitors are from north of the Sea of Galilee, from the fishing town of Bethsaida. Jesus invites them to stay the night with him. (John 1:39)

What do they talk about? Surely they would talk about where they were from. Jesus would speak of Nazareth, and of the large family that he was from, with four older brothers and two (or three) older sisters. The extraordinary means by which Jesus became born and adopted into that family would be a story for another day. 

Who are these two baptized disciples? One of them is Andrew son of Jonah, whose older brother Simon has not yet been baptized by the prophet. It's not hard to figure out the other one: he is John son of Zebedee, the young fisherman who would later write the Gospel known by his name. He is the younger brother of James. These sons of Zebedee are mentioned in John 21:2, but nowhere in this Gospel are the actual names of these two fishermen/apostles disclosed.

Simon is in the vicinity, a long ways from home, and has evidently been listening to the prophet. Andrew goes to fetch his brother, saying, "We have found the Messiah!" Simon is brought to meet Jesus, who gives him a new name: Peter. (John 1:40-42)

Also in the vicinity is Andrew's neighbor Philip from Bethsaida, along with Philip's friend Nathanael (Bartholomew) from Cana. (Cana is not on the Sea of Galilee, but it is closer to where we find the Baptist.)

But here Jesus goes into action. He himself finds Philip, and says, "Follow me!"  Jesus has decided to go to Cana in Galilee, and is inviting his newly found potential disciples to attend a wedding there. Philip goes to find Nathanael and brings him to Jesus, saying "We have found the one of whom Moses and the prophets wrote--he is Jesus of Nazareth."

Find and be Found:

You may be looking for Jesus. You may have heard of him or even met him, but before you can know him you must truly find him. But Jesus is also looking for you. He's ready to go looking to find you, for the shepherd knows his sheep. And when you have found him, you will know his voice, and follow him.

An extraordinary thing is happening in the Islamic world today, and I don't mean the terrorists. The terrorists are only doing in the open what they have always wished for privately. No, I mean the people of Islam who are being found by Jesus. In the hundreds (if not thousands) they have been receiving dreams and/or visions in which they see or hear Jesus calling them. This is happening even in the hearts and minds of certain mujahidin warriors. I have known of these myself, and have seen photos of them being ordained and consecrated into the family of Jesus, in private groups amidst the world of Islam.

You will not see the details or the photos, for theirs is a very dangerous calling. They have already experienced martyrdom when exposed. But Jesus knows the voice of his sheep, and when he finds them, they will also know his voice, and will follow.

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End Note: Word Study on "Find"

The Greek word eurisko [hyurisko] "I find," can be found in the English exclamatory "Eureka!, "I have found it!", associated with the discovery of gold in California in 1849.

Etymology: eu means "good," as in euagggelion [yuangelion] "good word" or "gospel"  from which we get "evangelist." The second root is related to zeteo [dzaytayo] "I seek." Jesus uses this word (in the imperative tense) together with 'find' (in the future tense) at Matthew 7:7 and Luke 11:9 -- Zeite kai euresete, "Seek and you will find."

The primary use of "find" in the New Testament is as a successful outcome of an effort to "seek." A secondary use is when something is encountered unexpectedly: Mary was "found" to be with child.

The Theological Dictionary of the NewTestament (TDNT) has a good summary for "find:"

This word occurs in the New Testament mostly with reference to things relating to God's work and kingdom, e.g., surprising events (Mt 1:18), of miracles (Mk 7:30), or supernatural gifts (Mt 7:7-8), or the gift of God's kingdom (Mt 13:44), or encounter with Jesus (Mk 1:37), or experience of God (Lk 4:17), or gifts of salvation such as pasture in Jn. 10:9, grace in Acts 7:46, mercy in Rom. 4:1, and redemption in Heb. 9:12, or God's call and salvation (Mt 18:13), but also with a suggestion of responsibility (Lk 13:6-7), and the seriousness of divine judgment (Mt 24:26).

Therefore we can conclude that Andrew and Simon and John and Philip and Nathanael and probably James were all at the Jordan river, far from their homes, because they were seeking something-- someone-- who could make sense of this world they were in and the direction it was going. They were seeking the Messiah! Andrew and John had the messiah pointed out to them. The Messiah himself went to find Philip, after which Philip told his friend, "We have found" the one who had been foretold by the ancients. Their group had met with success. Little did they expect that this Holy One would invite them into his family to attend a wedding (perhaps his own sister's wedding) where his mother would be checking up on the wine supply.

It's your turn now. Seek Jesus. Be found by him. Become part of his family.