No One Ever Spoke Like This Man!
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Scripture Reading: John 7:32-52
The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.
Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.”
The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?
What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee?
Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”
So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”
The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”
Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”
They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
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1. The Attempted Arrest
1. The Attempted Arrest
The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.
What was the crowd saying about Jesus?
Some of the people were beginning to wonder or speculate if Jesus might be the Messiah.
Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
Why do the religious leaders want to arrest Jesus?
because he was breaking their Sabbath rules
because of his claims to be equal with God, to be the true Temple, etc.
because he made them look bad; he exposed their sinfulness, their pride, and their hypocrisy (John 7:7; John 7:19)
The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.
Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?”
How do they plan to arrest him?
The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.
Notice how the chief priests (mostly Sadduccees) and Pharisees worked together to get rid of Jesus. They did not get along and had very different beliefs. (Think Baptist and Jehovah’s Witness today). Such was their hatred of Jesus.
They sent “officers” or Temple Police to arrest Jesus. This was probably an unusual task for these men. They would have been Levites responsible for guarding the Temple and enforcing the laws in the Temple area.
But verse 44 tells us that neither they nor anyone else were able to arrest Jesus:
Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
Why were they not able to arrest him?
The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”
We might imagine all kinds of different excuses they might offer when the religious leaders reprimand them for not arresting Jesus.
They could have said, “We couldn’t find him.”
Or “there were too many people around him and it would have started a riot.”
Instead they said simply, “No one ever spoke like this man!”
What was it that Jesus said that left them so stunned or awestruck that they couldn’t complete their mission?
We’ll come back to this question later.
2. The Puzzling Proverb
2. The Puzzling Proverb
Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.”
Jesus demonstrated his authority
John 7:33 (ESV)
Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer...
This reminds me of what he says later in John 10:17-18
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Jesus told of his destination
John 7:33 (ESV)
… then I am going to him who sent me.
Jesus Condemns their unbelief
You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.”
They could not find him or go to be with him (in heaven) because they refused to humble themselves trust in him. They are clinging to their love of human praise, so they cannot love Jesus or trust in him, and they will not be able to be with him unless their condition changes.
What was the response of the Jews to this proverb?
The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
They are confused and don’t understand at all what Jesus is talking about.
Parallel proverbs:
So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
You will die in your sin = you will not find me.
John 13:33–36 (ESV)
Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ … Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”
Here it seems Jesus is referring to his death, though possibly to his ascension as well.
“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”
The disciples, in contrast to the religious leaders, would see Jesus again, and they would be with him forever, because they trusted in him.
3. The Generous Gift
3. The Generous Gift
What is the great day of the feast?
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
The seventh day of the feast was the climax, though many also celebrated an eighth day. John is probably referring to the 7th day.
The Feast of Tabernacles included a water drawing ceremony where a priest would draw water from a pool, there would be a big procession to the Temple, then the priest would pour out the water at the base of the altar at the Temple.
This ceremony celebrated God’s provision of water in the desert when the Israelites complained in Exodus 17:1-2
Exodus 17:1–2 (ESV)
All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
So what Jesus is about to say about his abundant provision of eternally satisfying water would have called to mind both God’s provision of water in the desert as well as pointing to Jesus as a fulfillment of this ceremony and as God’s ultimate provision for the satisfaction of his people.
Also, what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit would have called to mind many other prophecies in the OT as well.
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
Why did Jesus stand up and yell?
Jesus started out the chapter hiding and coming to the feast secretly. In the middle of the feast he began teaching in the Temple. Now at the end of the feast he is shouting.
“Cried out” = shout or scream (not whispering)
Jesus had said similar things in private conversation to the woman at the well, but now he yells for everyone to hear.
What generous gift did Jesus offer?
Read John 7:37-38 again
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
The condition: are you thirsty? “If anyone thirsts.”
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
We often keep so busy drinking in all the world’s pleasures and goods that we don’t notice the deep spiritual thirst inside us. God created us with this thirst that can only be satisfied in him. Only in coming to Christ (not just once, but always!) is our thirst satisfied.
The call: come to me, believe in me, and drink.
Coming to Jesus, believing in him, and seeking satisfaction in him all seem to be parallel ideas, just as in John 6:35.
Jesus was offering himself as the eternal satisfier of our thirst.
Jesus was offering himself as the eternal satisfier of our thirst.
“Come to ME and drink.” Believe in me and become a springing fountain.
This probably calls to mind John 6:35
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Jesus himself, and Jesus alone, truly satisfies the desire of our hearts. And he calls us to come to him, to believe in him, and be satisfied.
Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
V. 39 indicates that Jesus is talking about the Spirit. The Spirit is sent by the Father and the Son; He is sometimes called the Spirit of God, and other times the Spirit of Christ, so that the Scriptures can talk about Christ living in us by his Spirit.
The Holy Spirit only began to dwell in all believers after the glorification of Christ: after Jesus died, was buried, rose from the dead, and ascended to the right hand of the Majesty on high. We read in Acts 2 of the Spirit’s work at Pentecost and how starting there, those who believed in Christ received the Holy Spirit. But Jesus had to be glorified first.
So...
We must recognize our thirst
We must come to Christ, believe in him, and drink of him
When we do that, we will be satisfied by him, and we receive the Holy Spirit.
The effect of receiving the Holy Spirit is that not only is our thirst quenched, but also God’s love springs through us to others so that they also come and drink and find satisfaction in Christ.
The fruit of the Spirit is love… Genuine faith always results in love — for God and for others, even for our enemies.
Now we come back to this question from the failed arrest by the Temple officers: What was it that Jesus said that left them so stunned or awestruck that they couldn’t complete their mission?
I think this was the statement that stopped them in their tracks and left them awestruck so that they couldn’t arrest him.
Jesus was offering them the greatest gift ever—the greatest gift anyone could ever get: Jesus. He was offering himself as the one who would satisfy their thirst if they would only come to him.
Here he offers his love to his enemies, and they can’t move.
4. The Deadly Division
4. The Deadly Division
So there was a division among the people over him.
Two sets of three divisions:
The crowds:
1. This is the Prophet.
When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.”
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
2. This is the Messiah.
Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee?
3. He can’t be the Messiah because he’s from Galilee.
Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”
The religious leaders
1. You (temple assistants) are deceived!
The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived?
2. The crowd is cursed
But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”
3. Nicodemus is biased
They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
Illustration of Love for Enemies
The first martyr in the early church that we are told about is Stephen. Acts 6:8 tells us that he was “full of grace and power” and doing great things. As one of the first Deacons, he was also considered to be full of the Spirit and of wisdom. (6:3)
Stephen was brought before the high council, and from the text we have, it looks like about a five or six - minute sermon he preached, where he recounted Israel’s history of stubbornness against God and rebuked the religious leaders for their resistance to God’s will.
He concludes in Acts 7:51-53
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
Understandably, the religious leaders were enraged by this accusation (though it was true).
But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
It tells us that Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit as they dragged him out of the city and stoned him to death. And his final words were
And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Just like Jesus, who while he was on the cross cried out, “Father forgive them…,” now Stephen, following his Lord, asks forgiveness for those who are murdering him.
What produces this kind of radical love?
God, through our trust in Christ, has poured out his love into our hearts by his Spirit (Romans 5:1, 5), so that not only are we satisfied by his love, but we become a fountain of his love for others to taste as well.
The officers were dumbfounded by what Jesus said. No one ever spoke like this man! No one ever demonstrated such love and care for his enemies. No one ever offered eternal satisfaction in himself like this.
But Jesus did.
No one ever spoke like this man. Because he’s not just a man; he’s also God. And he is the one who can satisfy your soul if you will come to him and drink.
Have you found satisfaction for your thirst in Christ?
Have you found satisfaction for your thirst in Christ?