Sermon Cloud

INTRO:  when I was a youth pastor, and I did a series through the Gospel of John, my goal to have a short catchy phrase for each 21 chapters.  So, I came up with phrases like, John chapter 9, a man born blind; John chapter 10, Sheep pen; john chapter 2, Wedding Pardoo – but when I got to john 7, I got nothing.  Tough chapter… show you what I mean

John 7:1 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. ² Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. ³ So his brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. ⁴ For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world." ⁵ For not even his brothers believed in him.

Judea = they knew they were in backwater Israel, go to the capitol

What did they want Jesus to show the world?  miracle maker?

Israel’s Savior?

God in the Flesh? == Think John 7 is a chapter that struggles with JC true identity = incarnation…

⁶ Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. ⁷ The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. ⁸ You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come." ⁹ After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

Timing – it was NOT Jesus’ time yet, avoids Sabbath travel (?) Wrong feast!

Commentary on contrasts – the world wants things immediately!  Jesus does things according to a plan – he will fulfill prophecy, he will go the way of the cross and he will adhere to God’s schedule – we will all remember that the Devil offers shortcuts to glory – Jesus will take a long road of persecution, humiliation and suffering

Keeping with the “killing” theme – it is usually proceeded by a hate crime.  Jesus says that world does not hate its own, only those who come on the scene and use words like, “Evil.”  From God’s viewpoint, certain activities are evil and will be condemned!  AND AS Each year goes by, and with each court decision that contradicts clear Biblical language and theology – we will end up being hated!

¹⁰ But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. ¹¹ The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, "Where is he?" ¹² And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, "He is a good man," others said, "No, he is leading the people astray." ¹³ Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

Did not come in a caravan, where the news could spread along the trail before you got there.  Evidently, Jesus is taking some side streets…

FEAR of the Jews – occurs 4 x’s, and suggests who really controlled public opinion.  Again, someone is always in charge of public opinion, that is why it is so liberating to follow Jesus because you don’t have to second guess what society may think…

¹⁴ About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. ¹⁵ The Jews therefore marveled, saying, "How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?" ¹⁶ So Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. ¹⁷ If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. ¹⁸ The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.

In the middle of the 7 day festival, Jesus heads to the temple to teach. And his teaching is powerful – but they know that he has not had formal training – yet what resonates with a portion of the crowd, is that they think he’s inspired!  Jesus agrees with them!  His teaching is not from the “schools;” it is directly from God!

          And then he drops the A-bomb of every pursuit of truth – AUTHORITY.  Jesus is speaking, teaching in the temple AS AN AUTHORITY!  He comes accompanied with signs, of which the people fully know, The signs lead credence to his AUTHORITY, even his teaching style and content is another indication of his AUTHORITY.   And so we come to the ultimate question of any AUTHORITY – whether it’s a history book, or news reporter, or teacher, or preacher – the question is:  WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE YOU?

          I want you to believe me!  But I know that just by being who I am, I am also an obstacle to belief – even tho I try to tell you that I’m representing the Lord!

          Jesus even struggles with this.  His family struggles with this. Why should I believe my brother?  Why should I believe someone who does not possess a bona fide degree?  Why should I believe someone when the guys who have earned the right to be in charge, don’t believe?? Maybe he’s a gifted con artist! 

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

Blog à Jesus speaks of HIS authority.  And for me this has always been a bottom line in making my “knowledge decisions,” and my faith decisions.  I Always consider the source – does the person making a claim about reality really have the authority to do so.  I have learned to trust the authority of most doctors – I have learned to doubt the authority of mechanics at Dodge dealerships!

Jesus claimed NOT to be AN authority; but THE SOLE AUTHORITY on all matters relating to God and eternity.  I have found that believing in Jesus over the pronouncements of an Atheists (for example) has been far more satisfying.  Because as I continue to listen to Atheists – I have never found anything ultimately re-assuring about the world of which they are trying to make sense – whereas Jesus speaks with the authority of Divine insight that actually has application to my life!  – I like that – He says Truth can known by knowing the Scriptures; but for it to be TRUE KNOWLEDGE, it must actually be carried out!  WE must DO it!    Jesus will challenge other authorities, especially in how they are applied to life.  If Moses is our authority, how does living out the Sabbath really work?  Is it really a day of total rest, or is it an inconvenience when something else must be done?

When it comes to knowing God’s will, Jesus was not ambiguous or speculative – He said if you really know Gods will, and you carry it out, you will end up endorsing Jesus!  However, I have not been satisfied with trying to apply the Atheist worldview – so here, once again, I quote my favorite statement from Atheist, Carl Sagan, “We owe our existence to a random collision of gaseous clouds.”  Just play that out. From that first random collision, all of history has been a random accident of both wonderful and cruel purposelessness… How did randomness organize, duplicate, reproduce, and end up making sense to all of us who don’t like to look stupid?  That is quite a faith that the atheist has.  And when he, the atheist dies, we should all gather to celebrate his randomness and his dissolution back into the gaseous clouds!

So here, we can see Jesus going after the supreme authority of their worldview…

John 7:19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?"

The law says, Thou Shall not murder, and you’re trying to take me down…  But they deny it…

²⁰ The crowd answered, "You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?" ²¹ Jesus answered them, "I did one deed, and you all marvel at it. ²² Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. ²³ If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? ²⁴ Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."

This argument must have had wheels for the early church!  What has the priority?  Sabbath keeping, or circumcising?  The Jewish Talmud makes comments about this – the formal command to Abraham to circumcise on the 8^th day came before the Law of Moses regarding the 7^th day.  Although the 7^th day is a creation mandate that predates everything!  However, to receive the sign of being Jewish, in the Talmud is the most important activity – in fact, if a baby died before his circumcision, they were considered still born, not a fully developed human being – and maybe an insight into why even today, the Jewish community has not been as aggressively opposed to Abortion policies – just a thought suitable for further discussion…

          BUT Jesus says in vs. 24 – don’t judge by mere appearances, Judge rightly according to a STANDARD of RIGHTEOUSNESS.  It was RIGHT that I healed a man on the Sabbath – I actually made him completely whole – that is a good thing.  Does circumcision promote righteousness?  Even if you have to break a law to do it?

²⁵ Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, "Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? ²⁶ And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? ²⁷ But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from." ²⁸ So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me? and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. ²⁹ I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me." ³⁰ So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. ³¹ Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, "When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?"

 == Here the people are privately debating that Jesus must be the Christ.  When we get to John 9 – no one is allowed to do this anymore!  No one is allowed to even suggest that Jesus should be equated with the prophesied Anointed One of God who was to come to redeem Israel!  The people of Jesus’ day were looking for a Christ to free them from their Roman oppression and to make Israel prominent again – they knew from their scriptures that God had promised this to them!  And here comes Jesus with all the marks of being the Messiah; but they stumble on a final point!

          HE is so human!  We know where he comes from!  I know his brothers and cousins!  He doesn’t have the official stamp of approval from those who say their in charge!  So I keep asking, why did John, under the inspiration of the HS want to preserve this part of John 7 for the early church, and for us??

SIDE NOTE = Amazing how often we have been referencing the Book of Nehemiah to bring light to the life of Israel in Jesus’ time!  From his temple cleansing, and Sabbath and feast keeping zeal!  I did not know that Nehemiah foreshadowed so many actions and conversations of Jesus!  BUT THEN, Who was Nehemiah? We really don’t know! He happened to be a cup bearer for a foreign king who had the power to make him a governor!    Just a man with passion to rebuild Jerusalem and to live out what God had promised for Israel – and even though he had all this passion to do what was right, Nehemiah was consistently opposed by locals and foreigners alike.  Why, because they had other agendas.  They had their personal plans for power and glory!!

Think of Jesus, who came to do what Nehemiah did to the ultimate degree, and all he encounters is a group of people questioning his passion and authority – even his closest family members.  “Tell me Jesus… Has the king of all the universe sent you here to restore the brokenness of our world?”  Yes, Yes He has!  I’ve been appointed the governor here, and it’s time you follow my lead!

John, Chapter 7: Who believes the incarnation?  John is telling his audience that when Jesus was here, it wasn’t easy for the immediate audience to handle it!  BUT, he IS the AUTHORITY for life and truth for this world!