The Resistance

Kid Chat

John 7:25–36 ESV

25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?” 32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 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? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”

There are a lot of things we can do with the message of Jesus and what we see the people around Him doing in our text today: Resisting Him.

Ok, so maybe there arent a lot of responses we can have to Jesus. Maybe there are only two. Receive or Reject. Last week we said ‘liar, lunatic or Lord’. Liar and lunatic are rejecting Him. Lord is receiving Him. But are resisting and rejecting the same? Maybe.

As Lee Stroebel set out to prove Jesus was a myth, God was a fantasy and religion was a farce, he was resisting Jesus. But only until the Holy Spirit convinced (convicted) Mr Stroebel of the truth!

Let’s take vv.25-31 and break them down right quick. It seems this is more than a dialog when ‘some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said...’ It feels like several people feeding on an idea.

I heard the Pharisees were serious about shutting this guy up. But here He is teaching and no one says anything about it.

Do you think they know He really is the Messiah so they’re afraid?

Naw, if they thought so they would believe. The promised one? We’d all have to believe.

Right, and we know where Jesus is from. He’s Joseph’s son from Nazareth.

Jesus addresses this group talking from where He is teaching: You do know me, and you know where I am from. But who you dont know is the one who sent me. (They fully understood He meant ‘you dont know the Father’). And because Jesus called them out for not knowing God they tried to have Him arrested.

More than this small group was listening and many of them believed in Jesus because the conversation was had.

What an incredible insight to the resistance Jesus was faced with! Where do you think Jesus meets with resistance today?

Far away lands where mysticism is prevalent? Yes.

The inner cities of America where violence rules? Yep

Among the rich who believe in money and self-sufficiency? Sure

In our part of the world where everyone thinks they’ll go to heaven because their grandmother believed? Definitely

In the churches where scripture is deleted and perverted to justify a lifestyle?

In my church when the pastor offers a chance to reconcile, repent, or even reflect on what God is saying to me? Ouch

In my own heart when the Holy Spirit urges me to stop and help or call and encourage or sit and listen but I’m too busy? Now I’m just dancing all over toes.

Do you see? Far away to MY HEART, Jesus meets resistance. Its a wonder He loves us. But He does!

Heard a guy talking about being pursued by a search committee not too long ago. Nice facilities, people seemed great. But the more they visited the more he noticed, Jesus didnt seem to have anything to do with their church. He brought it up and their reaction was almost in unison. There’s this other church in town and for them its always Jesus this and Jesus that. Why does it always have to be all about Jesus? Thankfully it ended their conversation but sadly, when a church begins to resist Jesus, there’s no brakes on the bus.

In the conversation Jesus had with the Pharisees in our text, He begins to point to His death. Sometimes I wonder if Jesus talked about His future the way He did to point out how much the learned didnt know. They were full of knowledge but empty of understanding. And the lack of understanding caused them to resist Jesus.

In fact, they led the resistance. Many were believing but afraid to be public about it because ‘they feared the Jews’.

Do you ever worry people will think you are too fanatical about Jesus? I dont mean in here. I mean out there. It’s one thing to love Him enough to be at church. A whole nother thing to love Him enough to live for Him out there.

Remember this was Peter’s problem: I’m ready to die for you! But he soon found out he wasnt quite ready to live for Jesus.

Do you feel a resistance in your heart to Jesus? When the pang of conviction tells us what our heart wants is sin, do we trust Him enough to let Him BE ENOUGH and provide a way out from the sin. This is what He promises. But we can’t resist Jesus and run away from sin. Because if we are resisting Jesus, we are just running toward a different sin. We need to run toward Jesus.

This week you will be given opportunities to practice what you’ve heard today. To put it to the test. And it’s not like He’s putting a foot in your back and kicking you out the door. He’s walking with you. Leading you. Always present for you.

Don’t resist or reject Him. Receive Him. Believe Him.

We know now where Jesus went. He went to receive His rightful place in heaven. He told the Pharisees they couldnt go because they didn’t believe. But He told the disciples He was going to get things ready for those who do believe. To prepare a place. Will you be able to go where Jesus went? You will if you believe in Him as Lord. If you receive Him instead of rejecting Him. Can I pray for you about that?