The Book of John - 46

Introduction - In verses 11-13 and also in verses 25-27, we discovered that many were discussing the Lord Jesus Christ.

As was stated in the last lesson, a discussion is not what is needed, but rather a personal decision to receive all that God has revealed to us about His wonderful Son.

In this lesson, we will see the revealing of the Lord.

Let us read together verses 14-24.

John 7:14–24 “14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. 15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? 16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. 19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? 20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee? 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”

Let’s pray.

In verses 11- 13 we see:

f. The discussion of the people vss. 11-13

But then here in verses 14-24 we see:

g. The debut of the Lord incognito. vss. 14-24

In verse 14 the Bible declares that Jesus went up into the temple and taught. This reinforces the idea that the Lord was operating according to His perfect will.

I like to point out the discussion continues amongst the religious crowd, notice what the Bible says concerning the Jews.

In verse 15, the Bible says “the Jews marvelled…”

The Lord’s teaching demonstrated the God’s wisdom. By this, these were shocked.

The question is then posed, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?”

We are not given the sum of what Jesus taught that day, however, we are given some of what He stated and how He responded.

The fact is, that the Lord took His place in the Temple just the same as the rest of the rabbinical teachers.

The substance of His message was so assertive and with such authority, that even the enemies could not deny truth.

Do you see their test however for receiving what the Lord stated?

How knoweth this man letters? having never learned?

This statement revealed that they were more interested in what man had to say, than what God had to say.

The idea being— If Jesus did not come under our training—- whether is be this Rab— or this rabbi or this rabban —- or this rabboni —- How could he speak of the Word of God?

We might think of this way in our common day—- boy if they did not go to Hampton Roads School of the Bible how could they know anything of God—- how could they speak or teach in the manner they are?

Some folks I have learned over the years get this way about certain Bible colleges, and certainly I would say there are some who hold to the Bible and there are some who are moving away from the Bible—-

But it almost becomes a sect— much like the rabbinical schools… The idea is that we limit what God can do with a man—- based on whether He has been to the preferred school of the learning.

In Matthew 23:8 we see the Lord speaking against this kind of idolatry, when He states, “8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.”

One expositor stated this, “Education is a blessing, but it is better to be taught by God than to borrow the ideas of men. Christ’s doctrine comes from heaven; man’s teaching comes from his darkened mind. Paul warns of what is falsely called “knowledge [science]” (Weirsbe)

And then He cites these verses:

1 Timothy 6:20 “20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science[knowledge] falsely so called:”

The word ‘science’ means knowledge. And my friend there will be some who approach you and claim to have discovered some new knowledge that is hid from the rest of the world.

I am reminded of the beginnings of many cults have had their roots in some additional “holy book” or some “heavenly vision.”

Colossians 2:8–9 “8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

You and I ought to thank the Lord that He has recorded His Word for us and promised to preserve it, for without the Word of God we would be left to the traditions of men.

Psalm 119:160 “Thy word is true from the beginning: And every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”

The Lord in His teaching —- at least the parts that you and I have recorded for us here reveal several things:

They assert His authority. vs. 14

They assert His subordination. vs. 16

They assert God’s way to truth. vss. 17-19

They assert His revelation of man’s inconsistency. vss. 21-24

(Division given by Merrill C. Tenney, outline mine.)

First, we see they assert His authority in verse 14.

John 7:14 “14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.”

The Lord did not hesitate to proclaim truth. In the midst of this feast He went up into the temple and taught. We seem sometimes concerned for the wind to be blowing in just the right direction with people, but rather we should be concerned if God’s Spirit is telling us to speak.

This is what we see in the life of the Lord. He was never in a hurry and He was never behind schedule. He operated according to His divine will.

We know from the head of this chapter, that from a man’s perspective, this would be a dangerous move, to go into a crowd, knowing that there were many there who were seeking the Lord’s life.

In this, the Lord demonstrates His authority.

After the Lord enters into Jerusalem that final week before He was crucified, the chief priests and elders ask this very question in Matthew 21:23 “…By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?”

The question they pose betrays their disbelief. There is no higher authority than God. He asks for permission from no one for He cannot and does not ever need to.

In verse 15, we find their question, How can this man teach not having the “proper accreditation?”

His response is recorded in verse 16 andshows His subordination to the will of God. He states, “What I am teaching you is not an opinion of man, but is directly from God.”

John 7:16 “16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.”

Doctrine is what we believe and teach. To have right doctrine is very important. Man has many doctrines.. in the plural.

In Matthew 15:9 “9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

When speaking of man’s teachings, the Bible uses this plural form of the term doctrine.

Colossians 2:22 “22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?”

1 Timothy 4:1 “1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”

Hebrews 13:9 “9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.”

Rather see the singular form speaking of biblical truth:

Deuteronomy 32:2; Proverbs 4:2, Isaiah 28:9; Matthew 7:28, 22:33; Mark 1:22, 27; 4:2, 11:18, 12:38, Luke 4:32; John 7:16-17, 18:19; Acts 2:42, 5:28, 17:19; Romans 6:17, 16:17; 1 Timothy 1:3, 10, 4:6, 13, 16, 5:17, 6:1, 3; 2 Timothy 3:10, 4:2-3; Titus 1:9, 2:1, 2:7, 10; Hebrews 6:1; 2 John 1:9-10.

Man’s doctrines are always evolving.

Let me give you and example:

The Jehovah Witness whose head is publication and doctrines producer is “The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society” have claimed many dates of arrival for their bizarre doctrines.

1878: The end of the harvest.

1881: A revised end of the harvest.

1914: The end of human rule.

1918: The new end of human rule.

1925: The resurrection of the patriarchs.

1975: Another guess at the beginning of the millennial reign of Christ.

“Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society publications have made a series of predictions about Christ'sSecond Coming and the advent of God's kingdom, each of which has gone unfulfilled. Almost all the predictions for 1878, 1881, 1914, 1918, and 1925 were later reinterpreted as a confirmation of the eschatological framework of the Bible Student movement and Jehovah's Witnesses, with many of the predicted events viewed as having taken place invisibly. Further expectations were held for the arrival of Armageddon in 1975.Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society publications have made a series of predictions about Christ'sSecond Coming and the advent of God's kingdom, each of which has gone unfulfilled. Almost all the predictions for 1878, 1881, 1914, 1918, and 1925 were later reinterpreted as a confirmation of the eschatological framework of the Bible Student movement and Jehovah's Witnesses, with many of the predicted events viewed as having taken place invisibly. Further expectations were held for the arrival of Armageddon in 1975.”

In 1878 Charles Taze Russell predicted the end of the harvest to 1878. At which time the gathered saints— referred to as the “little flock” would be translated into spirit form.

Later this was reinterpreted to state, that “nominal church were cast off from God’s favour.”

In 1881 the revised end of the harvest date was extended to the end of that very year.

Later in that year—- a new teaching was declared that physical death might be one of the ways in which some of the saints might undergo their translation.

Another prediction for 1914 states that the “full end of the times of the Gentiles” would occur. And that the beginning of Christ millenial reign would ensue. It is “….an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establisment of the Kingdom of God, will be accomplished at the end of AD 1914.”

“As 1914 approached, excitement mounted over the expected "change" of anointed Christians.[5] Early that year some Bible Students, convinced the end of the world had arrived, began distributing their material belongings, abandoning their jobs and eagerly anticipating the future”

“Russell's final revision of his predictions was to identify 1918 as the new terminus.”

J.F. Rutherford this successor of Russell, “In his 1920 booklet Millions Now Living Will Never Die, Rutherford wrote that he expected the ancient patriarchs and prophets, "the faithful ones of old", to be resurrected to earthly life in 1925 as a prelude to a general physical resurrection of faithful followers of God destined for everlasting life on earth.”

In 1975 there was supposed to be the heralded year of the beginning again of the millenial reign of Christ.

“In 1966 the Watch Tower Society issued the first of what became a sequence of statements on the importance of a new date—1975—that raised the possibility of that year heralding the beginning of Christ's millennial reign and, along with it, doom for unbelievers”

How are we to know truth? In contrast to the statement of the Jews (that truth is discovered based on man’s pedigree), which begins with man. Notice what the Lord states is the proper way to know God’s truth.

John 7:17–19 “17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. 19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?”

Warren Wiersbe stated this, “How, then, can we know that Jesus is teaching us the truth? By obeying what He tells us to do. God’s Word proves itself true to those who will sincerely do it. A willingness to obey is the secret of learning God’s truth.”

F.W. Robertson said, “Obedience is the organ of spiritual knowledge.”

This was the mode of testing the validity of knowledge. Resolution to do the will of God would bring with it certainty of being right. Usually the process is reversed in human thinking. Man seeks to know first, and to act afterward. The divine pragmatism says, “Do, and know.” (Tenney)

This is not an admonition to work for Salvation, but rather an admonition to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

These question His authority to teach, they question His ability to know anything of God simply because they had not been taught by the main streams of religious education.

h. The division and decision of the crowd. vss. 25-27

I. The disclosing of the Lord. vss. 28-29

J. The design to take Him. vss. 30-45

K. The disgust of the religious rulers. vss. 46-53