February 25, 2018
Morning Service

As we finished chapter 6 last week Jesus proclaimed that he was “The Bread of life” and that all those who follow Him must eat of His flesh and drink His blood.  This was a very difficult statement that caused many of those who were following, but not truly committed to Him, to leave.  Jesus asked Peter if he too would leave and he told Him; “Lord to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son the living God.”   This is one of the main conflicts that John focuses on throughout his writings; do you believe or don’t you.  This conflict continues into the first part of chapter 7 as Jesus teaches at the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles.  The people are confused because the Jewish leaders seem to do nothing to silence Him.

John 7:25-31 Then some of those from Jerusalem said, “Is this not the one they seek to kill?  (26)  But lo, he speaks publicly, and they say nothing to him. Perhaps the rulers truly know that this is the Christ indeed?  (27) However, we know where this Man is from; but when Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”  (28)  Then Jesus cried in the temple as He taught, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from. And I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  (29)  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He has sent Me.”  (30)  Then they sought to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.  (31)  And many of the crowd believed on Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more miracles than these which this One has done?”

·        The people’s confusion was magnified in that their leaders did nothing to stop Jesus and that they knew Him and His parents.  It was an untrue tradition that the Messiah would simply appear, but Micah 5:2 clearly told them His birthplace was Bethlehem.  Jesus however never feels the need to tell them that He is from Galilee, but was born in Bethlehem.  His reply may have been sarcastic, because the crowd responded with anger as they now sought to seize Him.

 

John 7:32-36 The Pharisees heard that the crowd murmured such things concerning Him. And the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to seize Him.  (33)  Then Jesus said to them, “Yet a little while I am with you, and then I go to Him who sent Me.  (34)  You shall seek Me and shall not find Me. And where I am, you cannot come.”  (35)  Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where is he about to go that we shall not find him? Is he about to go to the Dispersion of the Greeks, and to teach the Greeks?  (36)  What saying is this that He said, You shall seek Me and shall not find Me, and where I am, you cannot come?”

·        The Pharisees take action and send the temple security to take Him into custody.  As Jesus is speaking of His upcoming DBR and His ascension into heaven, the Jews perceives it that He is planning on going on a mission trip to Greece.

·         The Feast of Tabernacles (Shelters or Booths) celebrates the time the children of Israel were in the wilderness with Moses; and it was the most joyous of all the festivals.  As part of the celebration, the priest would carry water to the temple and pour it on the altar every day to represent the life giving water that flowed from the rock that Moses struck.  This was also done in expectation of the coming Messiah. 

 

John 7:37-44  And in the last day of the great feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  (38)  He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."  (39)  (But He spoke this about the Spirit, which they who believed on Him should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.)  (40)  Then when they heard the Word, many of the people said, “Truly this is the Prophet.”  (41)  Others said, “This is the Christ.” But others said, “Does the Christ come out of Galilee?  (42) Has the Scripture not said that Christ comes from the seed of David and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”  (43)  So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him.  (44)  And some of them desired to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

·        When this ritual of pouring the water upon the altar occurred, Jesus seizes the teachable moment and proclaims He is here to fulfill this celebration.  Everything in the OT was just a shadow of the truth, but Jesus came to illuminate to us that it all points to Him.  He is the Rock from which flow rivers of living water.  If you are thirsty He calls you to come unto Him and drink.  “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.”  It is an open invitation and promise to receive eternal life.  He spoke on the spiritual realm of the giving of the Holy Spirit which is eternal life. To receive it anyone only has to only come by faith and ask.

·        Are you thirsty this morning?

·          Is there something deep in your soul that just can’t seem to be satisfied? 

·        Come to Jesus and ask Him to quench that thirsting of your soul and He will.  You will never thirst again.

·         At this time, the conflict of who He is continues to rage as some thought Him to be a prophet, some the Christ and some were stilled unsure.  The key question today is who do you say that He is?

 

John 7:45-53 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees. And they said to them, “Why have you not brought him?”  (46)  The officers answered, “Never did any man speak as does this Man.”  (47)  Then the Pharisees answered them, “Also, have you not been deceived?  (48)  Is it not true that not any of the rulers or of the Pharisees have believed into him?  (49) But this crowd, not knowing the Law, is cursed.” (50)  Nicodemus said to them, (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them), (51)  “Does our law judge the Man before it hears Him and knows what He does?”  (52)  They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search the scriptures and see that a prophet has not been raised out of Galilee.”  (53)  And they each went to his own house.

·        The temple guards returned to the Pharisees without Jesus and were questioned why.  Their only answer was that “Never did any man speak as does this Man.”  The guards listened with their hearts.  They knew there was something different about Jesus.

·        We see again Nicodemus mentioned again.  We have not seen him since His visit with Jesus at night.  It certainly appears that his faith in Jesus is growing as he tries to defend him by the word of the Law.  He criticizes his colleges for not fully investigating Jesus’ situation as the law required.  Had they took the time, the scriptures would have pointed them to the truth that Jesus was the Messiah.  Jealousy, pride and a divine design all drove them to judge Him unjustly. 

·        A similar story resonates in my mind that I read about Lee Strobel and his book The Case for Christ.

 

 

What do we learn about Jesus?

·        He calls out to anyone who has a thirsty soul and promises to quench that thirst.

·        He spoke like no other man ever has before or since.

 

What can we apply to our lives?

·        To quench out thirst we must come to Jesus.

·        We must decide who we believe Jesus to be. 

 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the invitation to “Come unto You” and please guide our hearts to grow into new levels of faith.