Clarity or Conflicted?, John 7:40-52

Read 7:37-52

Big idea - Christ Followers have clarity about who Jesus is.

Introduction

Have you ever seen the exact same dramatic event as someone else? When they described what happened - it was so off - you thought, Did we even witness the same event?

Enter funny Cartoon Land/Sea

Differences in perception can be great.

BUT - Many times perceptions conflict.

Transition - In our passage today we see a tremendous amount of conflict about who people thought Jesus.

Here is what we know ...

Big idea - Christ Followers must have clarity about Christ.

The question you need to answer is this ...

Do I have crystal clear clarity about who Jesus is?

In a day where very few know the Bible and push back against what God says.

Clarity about who Jesus is helps drives your anchor of faith in the sand?

Christ Followers must have clarity about Christ.

Transition - In our passage today we see

1.The Invitation to be spiritually satisfied.

Short context - Context of John 7:37-39

In our passage today ...

-Jesus goes to Jerusalem late during the Feast of Booths.

-The feast of booths was one of 3 big celebrations during the Jewish calendar (think Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas).

Everyone celebrated. Feast of Booths was a week long and would have had a 4th of July feel to it.

-During the feast of booths the Jews celebrated how God took care of them when He freed them from Egypt and they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years living in tents.

-One of the ways God took care of the people is that he provided water in the desert.

On several occasions - WHEN THE PEOPLE WERE DESPERATELY THIRSTY - God even miraculously provided water as it burst forth from a rock.

At the Feast of Booths

-Lots of great social and spiritual energy.

-There would be hundreds of thousands of people in Jerusalem.

-The floor of the Temple would be filled with a crush of people.

-We find Jesus in the Temple teaching.

-There are many of us who speculate that on this day especially Jesus chooses to teach from a very visible place, probably elevated.

-Every morning, during the feast of booths, there was a special ritual.

-A Celebration of water. A celebration of God’s provision of water.

At morning worship during The High Priest led a procession to the pool of Salome in Jerusalem with a golden pitcher. Dipped water out and lead this small parade of people back to the Temple.

The High Priest would pour this water out on the massive 8 foot by 8 foot alter at the beginning of morning worship.

It is just after this water ceremony, after morning worship begins, that we think Jesus draws everyone’s attention.

Jesus yells at the top of His lungs,

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”

Jesus declares himself in front of thousands as the one who satisfies spiritual eternal thirst.

-That the spiritually dead desert of their soul could receive SPIRITUAL LIFE by saving water. That water is Jesus.

My friend, Have you received Jesus in faith?

Have you allowed Him to spiritually awaken and revive the dead desert of your soul by fulling taking Jesus in - in faith?

If you are already a Christ Follower, - Are you allowing Jesus to continually satisfy your spiritual thirst?

Pause

One thing the people recognized in our passage and agreed upon was that JESUS WAS DIFFERENT.

Jesus taught with authority. He boldly spoke new teachings that no one other religious leader would teach.

He taught with divine supernatural authority.

The people had not heard anyone speak like this. This was brand new to them.

-In fact, you and I have never heard anyone teach like Jesus taught.

-The Son of God stands and proclaims with His own authority - what is true.

When the people and religious leaders heard this, they were struck.

Transition - This caused several different reactions...

Illustration - Reactions are a funny thing.

-When stressful situation arrises people act differently.

-2 weeks ago a green lizard got into the church before worship and was up here in the front.

-First, you notice those who run when feeling threatened. They scatter.

-Then there are those people with cool heads, who don’t panic and just take in what they see.

-They don’t need to run. They are going to start slowly looking for the lizard, but aren’t going to do anything aggressive.

-Then there is the person who without thinking, they want to catch it.

Once the lizard is caught there are 3 kinds of people.

-Those who want to free it.

-Those who want to keep it as a pet.

-Those who want to prank and throw it on someone who will scream.

Transition - There are all kinds of reactions

But in Jesus case instead of 3 different reactions to the same event you had 5 different reactions. People were very conflicted as to what happened.

Transition - We see this in our 2nd point … that there are those who are...

2. Those Conflicted over Jesus, 7:40-44

Read 40-44

A. vs. 40, The Prophet - A powerful prophet like Moses, but not the Messiah.

B. vs. 41, The Messiah - To save us from Rome and restore Israel.

C. vs. 42, Not the Messiah, not from Galilee.

One of the most fundamental of religious questions is, “Who is Jesus?” and “What are you going to do with Him?”

-How you answer this question effects your morals, your relationships, your work, and your eternity.

Some people just think Jesus was another person who walked the earth who has zero effect on their life.

Others believe Jesus was ...

A prophet (a good teacher) - like the Muslims believe,

-this prophet, this good man, offers good teachings,

-but He’s not the Savior, just a moral teacher.

-At best the prophet Jesus just raises the moral bar

-challenges you to live a better life. To do good.

But Jesus is not just a prophet. Jesus is greater than a prophet.

The Bible gives us clarity about the Christ.

Jesus is the one who saves you from the wrath of God and Hell, to a loving forgiving Father.

If you believe Jesus is the Savior - He must become your Savior and Lord by you fully trusting Him.

-There are some who have not trusted Jesus as there Savior, but who God is drawing to Himself.

-God has been stirring in your heart and life.

-Today, you need to say yes to Him as your savior. Today you need to surrender your entire life to Him.

Pause

It’s interesting too me that twice in this passage the people and the religious leaders mention that Jesus is from Galilee.

They infer that Jesus was born in Galilee, but their facts are off.

-If they had gone to ancestory.com and check the Roman Census data they would have found out that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He was not from Galilee (originally).

But the people of Jesus day don’t go online and research the facts.

Instead, they had bad information.

Why is this important?

It was prophecied (Micah 5:2) that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem.

THIS BRINGS CLARITY TO WHO JESUS IS.

If you are going to give your life to believe the Bible and to follow Jesus you better have clarity about who Jesus is.

-The people of Jesus day day were conflicted about Jesus.

Big idea - Christ Followers have clarity about The Christ.

Something that gives the Christ Follower clarity about The Christ is that there are over 150 specific prophecies about Jesus ini the Old Testament.

-Hundred of years before Jesus walked this earth there were given specific prophecies about Jesus.

-All this points to Jesus being the Son of God.

-These prophecies help prove who Jesus was.

I want to share with you just 9 prophecies -briefly and quickly.

The ruler of Israel would come from Bethlehem. Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1

Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah. Genesis 49:10, Luke 3:33

Messiah would be heir to King David's throne. 2 Samuel 7:12-13, Isaiah 9:7, Luke 1:32-33

Messiah would spend a season in Egypt. Hosea 11:1 Matthew 2:14-15

A massacre of children would happen at Messiah's birthplace.

Jeremiah 31:15 Matthew 2:16-18

Messiah would enter Jerusalem on a donkey.

Zechariah 11:12 Matthew 21:4-5

Messiah would be betrayed.

Psalm 41:9, Zechariah 11:12-13, Luke 22:47-48

Messiah's price money would be used to buy a potter's field.

Zechariah 11:12-13Matthew 27:9-10

Messiah's hands and feet would be pierced. Psalm 22:16 Zechariah 12:10 John 20:25-27

I just gave you 9 prophecies.

The mathematical calculations for just 8 specific prophecies coming true...

Prophecies made made hundreds of years before Jesus was alive

1 in 10 17 power

1,000,000,000,000,000,000

One Quintillion

Illustration - One quintillion is enough silver dollars to cove the state of Texas 2 feet deep.

-If you took 1 silver dollar marked it, threw it back in, stirred it all up, and sent a blind man out to pick just one. The chances of him picking up that 1 silver dollar is the same chances as 8 of these specific prophecies coming true.

1 in 1 Quintillion.

We as modern day Christ Followers have evidence that the Bible is true and that Jesus is who He says He was.

We know Jesus identity.

-When people of Jesus day thought he might be a prophet and when people of our day do not know who Jesus is ...

We as Christ Followers have clarity about The Christ.

Transition - The people lacked clarity, but there were a few who...

… heard Him and knew He was different ...

III. Those who are conscious of Jesus.

Read John 7:45-52

In the temple there were temple police. Our passage calls them officers. Their job was to keep order in the temple. During a major holiday there would be several hundreds of these temple police standing around.

These Temple Police specially came from the clan of the LEVITES.

-A clan of Jews who’s main job was to teach God’s Word and serve in the temple.

Because it would be immoral for an unbeliever to serve in the Temple - the Temple police were all made up of Levites. Roman soldiers could not be Temple Police.

-The religious leaders told these Temple police to arrest Jesus.

-Problem, The Levites were not like the common people. The Levites were well trained in the scriptures. They were spiritual people.

-As Jesus would teach in the Temple, some of these Levites would stand around and get to listen to His teachings.

Read vs 44-46

They heard Him and knew He was different.

They are conscious that Jesus is someone special.

They go back to the religious leaders and tell them they haven’t arrested Him..

What is the response? They are persecuted.

-Have you been deceived like the common crowd who is going to hell?

-Are you ignorant of God’s Word and going to hell too?

-They are shamed.

The Temple Police are conscious of Jesus. Not saved, just conscious.

Transition - There is another one conscious of Jesus being special.

He is one of the big dawgs, He is THE TEACHER OF ISRAEL.

Among the Pharisees He is one of their smartest and most influential experts in the scriptures.

His name is Nicodemus.

In John 3 Nicodemus and Jesus have a private conversation and Nicodemus tells Jesus in John 3:2, “…We know you are from God.”

In our passage today,

Nicodemus is very conscious of Jesus - He sticks up for Jesus and demands Jesus get a trial before He is condemned.

Nicodemus is showing signs of spiritual clarity.

But - Nicodemus is mocked and persecuted - as one of the smartest pharisees - He is called ignorant. He is shamed.

The pharisees hated Jesus.

Jesus threatened their way of life - their system.

Today, Jesus threatens unbelievers way of life.

Following Jesus will come with persecution.

The only way you will follow Jesus is if you have clarity on who Jesus is.

Christ Followers must have clarity about The Christ.

Illustration

Archaeologists digging in the remains of a school for imperial pages in Rome found a picture dating from the third century.

It shows a boy standing, his hand raised, worshiping a figure on a cross, a figure that looks like a man with the head of a donkey.

Scrawled in the writing of a young person are the words,

"Alexamenos worships his God."

Nearby in a second inscription: "Alexamenos is faithful."

Apparently, a young man who was a Christian was being mocked by his schoolmates for his faithful witness. But he was not ashamed; he was faithful.

This young man had clarity about who Jesus was.

Eventually our guy Nicodemus would get full clarity of who Jesus was.

We find Nicodemus later in John as a changed man. A man full of faith in Jesus.

How do we know?

-After Jesus was crucified, making the payment for sin...

-Nicodemus got permission to get Jesus down from the Cross.

-Nicodemus made himself ceremonially unclean by touching Jesus body and placing burial spices on Jesus.

-Nicodemus supplied Jesus tomb.

-Nicodemus came to believe in Jesus. He loved Jesus.

Close

Being conscious about who Jesus is not enough.

To really follow Jesus you must be clear and be convinced of who Jesus is.

So much so that you fully trust Him in Faith.

Consciousness is not enough.

-Do you have clarity about who Jesus is?

-Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?

-Do you believe that Jesus Lord?

-Have you given your life to follow Jesus, even if it leads you into persecution?

-If not, what is standing in your way?

-What would keep you from trusting in the Savior of the world and saying “Yes” to him now?

-Will you fully follow Him?