December 13, 2009
Evening Service

St Jn. 7:25-53

 

Review:

1.       This morning Jesus taught us how that His authority was from the Father.  This evening we will see the continued confusion, and concern of who this man Jesus really is.

 

Joh 7:25-53 ISV  Then some of the people of Jerusalem began saying, "This is the man they are trying to kill, isn't it?  (26)  And look, he is speaking in public, and they are not saying anything to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?  (27)  We know where this man comes from. But when the Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from." 

• Can you sense the confusion and doubt?  They reason among themselves, saying we know where this guy is from, but do they.  They think He is from Galilee, or Nazareth, but is actually born in Bethlehem.
• I think the thinking concerning the Messiah was that He would be revealed then hidden, and then be revealed again.  If we look at Jesus’ life, He was born in Bethlehem, then went to Egypt for a time, then returned to grow up in Nazareth. 

(28)  At this point Jesus, still teaching in the temple, shouted, "So you know me and know where I have come from? I have not come on my own accord. But the one who sent me is true, and he is the one you do not know.  (29)  I know him because I have come from him and he sent me." 

• Again His statement is so true when He said, “a prophet is not without honor except in His own country.”
• Then one of the all powerful statements from Jesus.  He says I do not come in my own name, but the Name of Almighty God, He sent Me, you do not know Him, I know Him because I have come from Him, and He sent Me.”
• Jesus will get into this further in the latter chapters of John.

(30)  Then they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come.  (31)  However, many in the crowd believed in him, saying, "When the Christ comes, he won't do more signs than this man has done, will he?" 

• The signs that Jesus does are things that benefit someone, such as healing, and teachings of love.  The anti-christ that will come will do wonders, and cause the people to marvel but they will not benefit anyone.

(32)  The Pharisees heard the crowd debating these things about him, so the high priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.  (33)  Then Jesus said, "I will be with you only a little while longer, and then I am going back to the one who sent me.  (34)  You will look for me but will not find me. And where I am, you cannot come."  (35)  Then the Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go so that we will not find him? Surely he's not going to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he?  (36)  What does this statement mean that he made, 'You will look for me but will not find me,' and 'Where I will be, you cannot come'?" 

• Again confusion, and uncertainty.  Would we have understood His words?  Do we now?  I hope so. 

(37)  On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!  (38)  The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have rivers of living water flowing from his heart."  (39)  Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who were believing in him were to receive. For the Spirit was not yet present, because Jesus had not yet been glorified. 

• Joh 20:17 ISV  Jesus told her, "Don't hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'’
• Joh 14:26 ISV  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of all that I have told you.
• Act 1:1-8 ISV  In my first book, Theophilus, I wrote about everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning,  (2)  up to the day when he was taken up to heaven after giving orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.  (3)  After he had suffered, he had shown himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them through a period of forty days and telling them about the kingdom of God.  (4)  While he was meeting with them, he ordered them, "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the Father's promise, about which you heard me speak.  (5)  For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."  (6)  Now those who had come together began to ask him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"  (7)  He answered them, "It is not for you to know what times or periods the Father has set by his own authority.  (8)  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
• Another reason for the giving of the Holy Ghost is;  Eph 4:8  That is why God says, "When he went up to the highest place he led captives into captivity and gave gifts to people."  Eph 4:9  Now what does this "he went up" mean except that he also had gone down into the lower parts of the earth?  Eph 4:10  The one who went down is the same one who went up above all the heavens so that he might fill everything.  Eph 4:11  And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, and still others to be pastors and teachers,

(40)  When they heard these words, some in the crowd were saying, "This really is the Prophet,"  (41)  while others were saying, "This is the Christ!" But some were saying, "The Christ doesn't come from Galilee, does he?  (42)  Doesn't the Scripture say that the Christ is from David's family and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?"  (43)  So there was a division in the crowd because of him. 

• I believe that down the road when many of these people found out that He was born in Bethlehem, went to Egypt at the time Herod was killing all the children two years old, and under, that they believed on Him, and accepted Him as their Lord.
• You see they were interested enough in the things of God to be there, but just needed more facts to believe.

(44)  Some of them were wanting to seize him, but no one laid hands on him.  (45)  Then the officers returned to the high priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why didn't you bring him?"  (46)  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like that!"  (47)  Then the Pharisees replied to them, "You haven't been deceived, too, have you?  (48)  None of the authorities or Pharisees has believed in him, has he?  (49)  But this mob that does not know the law-they are accursed!" 

• I marvel every time I read this scripture.  Jesus spoke with authority, confidence, and surety.
• These religious leaders were an arrogant bunch.  Jesus had no pity on these people, He had sharp words for them from time to time.

(50)  One of their number, Nicodemus (the man who had previously gone to him), said to them,  (51)  "Surely our law does not condemn a person without first hearing from him and finding out what he is doing, does it?" 

• I am sure Nicodemus marveled at the knowledge Jesus possessed.  He no doubt would have liked to have talked extensively with Him.  Would have liked to spent hours listening to Jesus tell of His Father.

(52)  They answered him, "You aren't from Galilee, too, are you? Search and see that no prophet comes from Galilee."  (53)  Then each of them went to his own home.

 

So we see that their concluding arguments are the fact that they think Jesus is from Galilee, and that no prophet will come out of Galilee.

 

Aren’t you glad we have this complete Word of God. 

 

Our faith should actually be stronger than those people that we have looked at tonight.  John has told us that these things are written that you might believe, and that by believing we would have life through His name.