John Ch7v1-52 - Who Is Jesus?

So if you turn in your Bibles again to John's Gospel, John's Gospel chapter 7, and Mary

is going to read for us this morning.

So if you have your read Bibles, it's on page 1071, 1071.

John chapter 7.

John 7 · chapter mention

After this, Jesus went around in Galilee.

He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for

a way to kill him.

But when the Jewish festival of tabernacles was near, Jesus' brothers said to him, leave

Galilee and go to Judea so that your disciples there may see the works you do.

No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret.

Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.

For even his own brothers didn't believe in him.

Therefore, Jesus told them, my time is not yet here.

For you, any time will do.

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.

You go to the festival.

I'm not going up to this festival because my time has not yet fully come.

After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.

However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but

in secret.

Now, at the festival, the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, where is he?

Among the crowds, there was widespread crispering about him.

Some said, he's a good man.

Others replied, no, he deceives the people.

But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.

Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.

The Jews there were amazed and asked, how did this man get such learning without having been taught?

Jesus answered, my teaching is not my own.

It comes from the one who sent me.

Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory.

But he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth.

There is nothing false about him.

Skip down now, please, to verse 25.

At that point, some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, isn't this the man they're trying to kill?

Here he is, speaking publicly, and they're not saying a word to him.

Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah?

But we know where this man is from.

When the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.

Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out,

Yes, you know me, and you know where I'm from.

I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true.

You do not know him, but I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.

At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand in him, because his hour had not yet come.

Still, many in the crowd believed in him, they said.

When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?

Skip down again, please, to verse 37.

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice,

Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.

Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.

By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.

Up to that time the Spirit had not yet been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

On hearing his words, some of the people said, surely this is the prophet.

Others said, he is the Messiah.

Still others asked, how can the Messiah come from Galilee?

Does not scripture say that the Messiah will come from David's descendants,

and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?

Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.

Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand in him.

Finally, the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees,

who asked them, why didn't you bring him in?

No one ever spoke the way this man does, the guards replied.

You mean he has deceived you also?

The Pharisees retorted.

Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?

No, but this mob that knows nothing of the law, there is a curse on them.

Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked,

does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?

They replied, are you from Galilee too?

Look into it and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.

Thanks so much, Mary.

Good morning, everybody.

Good morning.

That was a long passage for Mary to read. Thank you very much.

Read very well.

Let's pray before we get stuck into it.

Holy Spirit, we pray that you would help us today to see the glory of Jesus,

to see him for who he really is,

and to correct any misunderstandings that we have.

In Jesus' name and for his glory.

Amen.

Amen.

So we're at the point in John's Gospel where Jesus is revealing himself throughout the country of Judea,

both in his signs and in his teaching.

And everybody is talking about Jesus.

The scene here is set during the Festival of Tabernacles,

when Jews from everywhere crammed into Jerusalem.

And the city is divided over this one massive question.

Who is Jesus?

You probably noticed as we were reading through,

this chapter is chaotic.

John is trying to capture the unrelenting debate

surrounding the most controversial figure in Judea at this time.

All the while,

the hostile religious leaders,

they're trying to arrest and kill Jesus.

They make three attempts to do so in this one chapter.

Yet into all this chaos,

Jesus,

the eternal Son of God,

speaks.

The maker of everyone and everything

stands up in the middle of the madness

and confusion.

And he tells us exactly who he is.

But before we hear Jesus,

let's take a walk among the crowds in Jerusalem.

Let's listen in to what they're saying about Jesus.

First of all, verse 3.

Jesus' brothers say that he's a showman.

People ought to quit touring around the backwater villages of Galilee

and hit the big stage in Jerusalem.

More signs,

more wonders,

before more people.

His brothers are really looking for the fame of association.

Being the brother of the superhero.

But is that all Jesus is?

Is Jesus just a means to my own ends?

In verse 12,

some of the crowds say he's a liar.

He's leading people astray.

In the same verse,

others say he's a good man.

Nothing more.

On the flip side,

verse 20,

that same crowd are saying he's demon possessed.

No one but a raving lunatic would claim to be God.

While again it swings in verse 31,

others believe that he genuinely is the promised savior,

the Messiah.

Asking how many more signs does this guy have to do to prove it?

But it swings like a pendulum again.

I warned you,

this chapter is chaotic.

Because in verse 41,

others say,

no, no,

he's not the Messiah.

He's just a great prophet.

He speaks God's words,

but only that.

All the while,

the Jewish leaders reject him

as irrelevant.

A scourge on society.

Judea is a melting pot

pot of opinions about who Jesus is.

But as you look at that list,

you realize that 2,000 years later,

Ireland is actually just as divided about Jesus

as they were back then.

For some of us,

Jesus is just a means to our own ends.

He's the ticket to heaven in my back pocket.

Now I can basically live whatever way I want.

Others say Jesus is a liar.

He's simply lying when he claims to be the only way to heaven.

Some in Ireland say,

well,

Jesus is just a good man.

Admirable in many ways,

but don't take seriously his claims of divine ownership over your life.

Others think him to be a raving lunatic.

Stephen Fry is the leader of one of these groups.

He was deluded,

Stephen Fry says,

to think that Jesus was God.

Some Irish people, though,

do believe

that Jesus is the Messiah,

the Son of God.

But more

say that he's just

a great prophet.

Up there with Muhammad

and the Buddha

to be respected.

Still others say

he's irrelevant.

And do you know what?

The faster we move on from Jesus,

the better for Irish society.

Who is Jesus?

We can't all be right.

Well,

one thing is that

Jesus is not just

whoever we want him to be.

In fact,

he's earned the right

to tell us

who he is.

And we need

to know

who Jesus

really is

more than anything.

That's what Jesus

is about to reveal to us.

And we're going to hear it

from the man himself.

Firstly,

Jesus is sent

from the Father.

So Jesus makes

this shocking claim

to have existed

with God the Father

before his life on earth.

Now,

for each one of us,

there's a moment

when our life began.

I know that might sound

completely obvious to you,

but it's true, right?

Now,

when you meet someone

for the first time,

once you've,

you know,

established what their name

is,

established what football

team they support,

you may start to ask,

where did you come from?

And you know what?

We are fascinated

in our culture

to know

where people

come from.

And if you asked me,

I'd tell you

I'm originally

from a farm

in Drimalik.

I know no one here

has probably even heard

of that place,

but I'm still proud

to be from Drimalik

in West Cork.

And my parents

are called

David and Elizabeth.

That's where I'm from.

Well,

the crowd,

they look at Jesus

and they say,

oh,

we know where

this guy's from.

He's Jesus.

His dad is Joseph,

the carpenter.

He's just from Nazareth.

Oh yeah,

we know him.

Now,

he couldn't be

the Messiah.

But look how Jesus

responds to them

in verse 28.

Then Jesus,

still teaching

in the temple courts,

cried out,

yes,

you know me

and you know

where I'm from.

I am not here

on my own authority,

but he who sent me

is true.

You do not know him,

but I know him

because I am from him

and he sent me.

At this,

they tried to seize him.

Why are the people

so outraged

at what Jesus just said?

It's because Jesus

is claiming

that he lived

in eternity past

before his earthly life.

He is not originally

from Nazareth.

He's actually from

God,

sent by the Father.

And the crowd

are so enraged

by him saying this

because he was actually

claiming to be equal

with God

in that statement.

Could you flick back

in your Bibles

to John chapter 1?

John 1 · chapter mention

Just a couple pages back.

We're going to look

at verse 18.

And this fleshes it out

a little bit more for us.

John chapter 1

John 1 · chapter mention

and verse 18.

It says this,

No one has ever seen God,

but the one and only Son,

who is himself God

and is in closest relationship

with the Father,

has made him known.

that's who Jesus is.

He is God,

the Son,

for eternity,

sharing closest relationship

with the Father.

He has revealed

what God

is like to us.

All things were made

through him

and for him.

He sustains

all things

by his powerful word.

He is.

He is.

We don't decide

who Jesus is.

We don't decide

what Jesus is like.

He is

who he has always been

for eternity.

So the question is,

what should our response

be

to him?

Well,

we should give him

the highest

honor

that he is due

and glorify him

as God,

the Son,

sent

from the Father.

Is Jesus

just a good man

to you?

Or is he

the God

man?

We show

our belief

by humbly

submitting our lives

to him

as our maker

and sustainer

and listening

to him.

And that actually

leads us

to the second thing

that Jesus

has to say

about himself.

He is

the man

of truth.

Now,

if you flick back

to John chapter 7,

John 7 · chapter mention

in verse 12,

some of the crowd

claim that Jesus

is a liar,

right?

He's simply

leading people

astray.

Others,

in verse 15,

are amazed

at his knowledge

and teaching.

He's got no

formal education.

How is he able

to teach like this?

Well,

Jesus addresses

both of these groups

in verse 16.

Read along with me.

Verse 16,

Jesus answered,

my teaching is not

my own.

It comes from the one

who sent me.

Anyone who chooses

to do the will

of God

will find out

whether my teaching

comes from God

or whether I speak

on my own.

Whoever speaks

on their own

does so

to gain

personal glory.

But he who seeks

the glory

of the one

who sent him

is a man

of truth.

There is nothing

false

about him.

Jesus says,

I am

that man

of truth.

There is no

falsehood

in me.

How do we know?

Well,

Jesus says

his teaching

comes from God

the Father.

That's the first

proof.

And here's

the second.

He seeks

his Father's

glory

not his own.

Now think about

that for a second.

As people

it's very

difficult

for us

to have

pure

motives

whenever we

seek

our own

glory.

Right?

Actually what

happens is

we get selfish.

We might say

whatever people

want to hear

so as to get

in with the

cool crowd.

we might not

really want

what's best

for others.

We might just

use them

to get higher

up the ladder.

But Jesus

says I'm not

like that.

When Jesus

seeks his

Father's glory

it's another

proof that

what he says

is true.

There are no

selfish ulterior

motives.

He's not a

crowd pleaser.

He truly

seeks his

Father's glory

glory and

our good.

And he does

this by

simply telling

us what

his Father

told him

even if it

ends up

costing him

his life.

So we can

trust everything

that Jesus

says to be

true

but the

problem is

that we

don't.

Or we like

most of what

Jesus says

that we

don't believe

us really

uncomfortable.

Like when

he says he's

the only

way to

heaven.

Where does

that leave

my friends

and family

who don't

believe in

Jesus?

Or when

he tells us

to loosen

our grip

and our

money and

finances and

to give

generously to

others.

Well will

he really

provide for

me like

he promised?

Or when

Jesus tells

us that

he's

sovereign

and in

control

over

even our

deepest

suffering

and pain.

How could

God do

that?

We

struggle

to trust

Jesus'

word.

But Jesus

says if you

want to know

who I really

am,

I am

the man

of truth.

You can

trust everything

I say.

And believing

in me means

trusting in

me even

when you

don't

understand it

right now.

So will

you believe?

Will you

take Jesus

as his

word?

So far

we've seen

that Jesus

is sent

from the

Father.

He's God's

eternal

son.

And we've

also seen

he's the

man of

truth.

we can

trust what

he says.

And now

we come

to the

last one.

John has

been steadily

building the

tension

through this

chapter and

now Jesus

is about to

reveal himself

as the

giver

of the

spirit.

But before

we read

we need to

understand the

context of

this festival

of tabernacles.

God had

commanded the

Jews to

celebrate this

festival to

remember how

he brought

his people

out of

Egypt over

a thousand

years beforehand

through the

wilderness and

into the

promised land.

Now at one

point along

that journey

the people

were in this

massive desert

and they

were thirsty

and they

cried out to

God.

And what God

did was he

told Moses

to strike

a rock

with his

staff.

And a

river of

water flowed

miraculously

from this

rock.

The people

were saved.

So every

year at

this festival

the Jews

would remember

that moment

in their

history where

God had

provided them

water.

And what they

would do,

it's really

interesting,

right?

They would

actually draw

water from

a pool

at the

bottom of

the city

and they

would carry

it in this

large procession

through the

city streets

all the way

up to the

temple.

And while

everyone in

the city

watched on

they would

pour out

the water

on the

big altar

in front

of the

temple.

That is the

context

into which

Jesus

stands up

and says

what he's

just about

to say.

Look at

this in

verse 37.

On the

last and

greatest day

of the

festival

Jesus

stood and

said in

a loud

voice,

let anyone

who is

thirsty

come to

me and

drink.

Whoever

believes in

me,

as scripture

has said,

rivers of

living water

will flow

from within

them.

Jesus

reveals

himself

as the

only one

who can

truly provide

us with

living water

which quenches

our spiritual

thirst forever.

Let's read

on to find

out what is

this living

water.

What does

Jesus mean?

Well, John

clarifies.

Verse 39,

he says,

by this he

meant the

spirit whom

those who

believed in

him were

later to

receive.

Up to that

time the

spirit had

not been

given since

Jesus had

not yet

been glorified.

So the

people of

Israel were

thirsty in

the wilderness

when God

gave them

water to

drink.

Jesus now

invites everyone

who is

spiritually thirsty

to come to

him for

drink and

that means

to believe

in him

as God,

as saviour

from our

sin and

receive

not just

a once

off drink

like he

would from

the tap

out there.

No,

Jesus offers

us a

river of

living water

flowing from

within us

forever.

It's a

spring that

will never

run out.

And that

water,

John says,

is the

Holy Spirit.

Spirit.

He's the

third member

of the

Trinity.

He has

existed for

eternity in

perfect relationship

with the

Father and

the Son.

The Spirit

actually

initiates our

new spiritual

life in

Christ.

He's called

the helper

or the

comforter.

He gives

us power

to live the

Christian life.

life.

But the

thing is

that before

Jesus came,

the Spirit

had never

dwelt in

anyone.

Through the

Old Testament,

the Spirit

rests upon

people,

but never

inside.

So, for

instance,

Moses or

David would

have had a

special anointing

of the Spirit

on them to

do special

things for

God, but

he actually

never indwelt

anyone.

Yes.

John tells

us here in

verse 39 that

once Jesus has

returned to

heaven, now

anyone who

believes in

Jesus will

receive the

Holy Spirit.

God himself

would take

up residence

in everyone

who would

believe in

him.

This is

totally new

and

astonishingly

great and

was foretold

hundreds of

years beforehand.

Isaiah

prophesied that

God would

pour out his

Spirit on

all people,

not just a

couple of

their leaders,

on all of

God's people

and read

what God

had said

through the

prophet

Ezekiel

of that

time to

come.

It's on

the board.

He said

this,

I will put

my Spirit

within you

and cause

you to

walk in

my statutes

and be

careful to

obey my

rules.

Now Jesus

stands up at

the climax of

the festival

as the

water is

being carried

up the

streets of

Jerusalem.

He cries

out that

He is

the giver

of the

true

living

water,

the Holy

Spirit.

The temple

is there

looming

above Him

as He

says these

words and

He declares

that this

building here,

that's no

longer going

to be the

place where

God dwells.

Not in the

building anymore,

no, in

His people.

God will

dwell in

all those

who believe

in Jesus

through His

Holy Spirit.

Jesus is

the giver

of the

Spirit and

He calls

to you

and to

I today

to come

and drink

of the

Spirit

to satisfy

our thirst

forever.

You will

know His

power and

presence like

a river

flowing from

within you.

forever.

So two

questions.

Number one,

have you

received the

gift of the

Holy Spirit

from Jesus

Christ?

Everywhere

else you

turn to

will never

satisfy

your thirsty

soul.

Second

question,

if you have

already received

Him,

are you

drinking

deeply

from that

river of

life?

His

help,

comfort,

and power

are yours

moment

by moment

if you

would keep

drinking

of Him.

To finish,

we have

heard plenty

of opinions

about who

Jesus is

today.

And we've

listened to

Jesus tell us

exactly who

He is.

And the

question is

now,

how will the

people of

Jerusalem

respond to

Him?

Well,

in the

last part

of John's

recount of

the festival,

we hear

three different

responses to

Jesus.

In verse

45,

we have the

temple guards

who were

ordered to

arrest Jesus,

but they

arrive back

empty-handed.

And when the

Pharisees ask,

why didn't

you bring

Him in,

like we

asked you to

do,

they reply

in verse

46,

no one

ever spoke

the way

this man

does.

Wow.

They are

amazed

by Jesus.

But don't

be like

the guards.

That's

as far

as it

goes for

them.

They're

just amazed

by Him.

But they

show no

signs

of true

belief.

We need

to really

watch out

here,

because many

people confuse

admiration

of Jesus

with true

belief in

Jesus.

They are

not the

same thing.

You cannot

admire Jesus

from a

distance and

presume that

you're safe

with Him.

No.

He calls

to receive

Him as

Lord,

as

Savior.

You cannot

sit on the

fence with

Jesus.

Either you

believe

or you

don't.

Secondly,

don't be like

the Pharisees.

They just

reject

Jesus

outright.

they want

rid of

Him as

soon as

possible.

They are

sure they

don't need

Jesus to

live a

fulfilled

life or

to get

to heaven.

And after

everything that

you have

seen of

Jesus'

life,

His death,

His

resurrection,

don't be

like the

Pharisees who

refused to

accept the

evidence.

They didn't

want Jesus.

But there

is a third

response.

Because in

verse 51,

Nicodemus

stands up

for Jesus.

He risks

his status

as a

leader in

the Jewish

parliament

to defend

Jesus before

the whole

court.

And he

later,

a couple

chapters later

in John,

he actually

appears at

the cross

where Jesus

died,

taking down

Jesus'

body and

preparing it

for burial.

I think we

can surmise

that Nicodemus

really did

believe Jesus

was who

he said

he was.

Nicodemus

took Jesus

at his

word and

believed.

No sitting

on the

fence,

no pushing

him away.

he believed

Jesus was

the only

saviour

from sin.

So what's

your response

to Jesus?

Everyone

has a

different

opinion

about who

Jesus is.

But what

do you

say?

Will you

take him

at his

word?

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

Will you believe that he is the giver of the Spirit?

And drink deeply from that river of living water every day.

Let's finish with Jesus' own words.

Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.

Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said,

rivers of living water will flow from within them.

Let's take a moment now to pray.

I'm going to leave a couple of moments for you to make your own response to Jesus in your heart.

Let's take a moment now to pray.

Your power knows no bounds.

You created this whole universe and sustain it by the power of your word.

You are God the Son eternal.

And yet you came down to wear our skin.

You bore the burden of our sin on the cross and died for us there.

You rose again, defeating our death.

We thank you that you gave us the very best you could give.

God's Holy Spirit living in us.

What a wonder.

What a mystery.

What an awesome privilege to be the dwelling place of God.

Let us not tire of the glory of this.

Let us drink deeply from the fountain of living water each day.

For your glory and our good.

Amen.