Tell that to a boy or girl as a short story.  Use sensible words, but not one that your little listener wouldn’t at once understand.  Pretty sharp discipline for the story-teller, especially if you stop to put in a simpler word when you’ve blundered into a big one.  The child will be held by it But you will get the most yourself out of the telling.

Warp-Threads.

Now as you read the second part over, it gradually sifts itself into several incidents about which the story is woven.  These incidents form the warp-threads of the narrative.  Into this warp are woven, sometimes little connecting links, sometimes quarrelsome discussion, sometimes exquisite bits of Jesus’ teaching, and sometimes John’s comments.  And as the story grows it reaches one climax after another, each increasing in intensity, until the intensest is reached.[17] And these incidents fall naturally into groups.  There are three chief groups that seem to stand out as giving the bolder points of the outline, and then smaller groups or single incidents that lie in between.

It is very natural that the story begins with the accounts of the deputation that was sent from Jerusalem by the official leaders of the nation, down to the Jordan bottoms where John the witness was drawing such great crowds.  John modestly answers their questions about himself, and then the next day with dramatic intensity points out the Man for whom the whole nation has been looking for so long.

The only response from deputation and officials is a most significant disappointing silence, a silence fully understood both by John[18] and by Jesus.[19] But five Galileans in the crowd listening to John’s reply seek out, or are brought into personal questioning touch with, Jesus, and then yield Him unquestioning belief and personal devotion.  And these five come, in after years, to be leaders known wherever Christ’s name is known.[20] So there begins the sharp contrast running throughout these pages, between the two sides into which Jesus’ presence divides the crowds.

Then John traces the simple way in which the faith of these five men ran its tiny but tough tenacious tendril-roots down into their very vitals.  A simple neighbourhood wedding occasion up near the old Nazareth home drew Jesus thither with His kinsfolk and His new-made friends.  And then He meets the need of the homely occasion by helping out the shortened supply of wine in such an unusual way as reveals His character.  And the conviction takes great fresh hold upon these five men that they have made no mistake.  This Man is all they had taken Him for, and He is immensely more than they had thought into at first.[21]

Then comes a little connecting link.  After the Cana visit, Jesus runs into the near-by town of Capernaum with His kinsfolk and friends for a few days, a sort of continuation of the neighbourhood courtesies.[22]