2025.05.11 The Proof of the Pudding Is in the Tasting
Notes
Transcript
22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem;
23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area, in the portico of Solomon.
24 The Jews then surrounded Him and began saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me.
26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep.
27 My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
28 and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
30 I and the Father are one.”
►►►CLICK [title]
The Proof of the Pudding Is in the Tasting
The Proof of the Pudding Is in the Tasting
Merry Christmas everyone!
You’re looking at me strangely. Don’t you understand? Well, verse 23 says it was winter!
Okay, let me be a little more specific than that.
We’re told this takes place at the Feast of the Dedication, which is a feast not mentioned in the Old Testament. This may feel like a rabbit trail, and if you’re not a history nerd, bear with me a minute …
But we can dig up some history to better understand that timeline:
It all centers around Emperor Antiochus Epiphanes, who, as I’m sure you know, was king of the Seleucid Empire (Greeks based in Syria) from 175 BC to 164 BC. So, we’re talking … like a little more than 100 years or so before Jesus was born. Epiphanes expanded his empire to the borders of Egypt. He couldn’t quite conquer the Egyptians, so he stopped at the southern border of modern day Israel.
In addition to historical writings about this timeframe, we also know of this period through a collection of “apocryphal” books 1 and 2 Maccabees. Our Orthodox and Catholic brothers and sisters include these books among 7 “deuterocanonical” books in their printed Old Testaments. Most Protestants see these books as valuable for historical or devotional purposes, but not rising to the level of being considered Scripture.
The Maccabees books get their name from Judas Maccabeus, who led a revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes because of his persecution of Jews in Judea and Samaria. At one point, he sacrificed a pig on the altar of the temple to intentionally defile the space. Judas Maccabeus instituted the Feast of the Dedication to celebrate the cleansing and rededication of the Temple after this defilement.
Does anyone know the Hebrew word for “Dedication”? [Hannukah]
So, the Feast of the Dedication is Hannukah. But that’s not likely the story you’ve heard about Hannukah. In fact, most Western Jews wouldn’t call Hannukah the Feast of the Decidation. They would call it the Festival of Lights. That’s because of a secondary story from the Maccabeean Revolt.
The revolt was successful, and the Jews drove the Seleucids out. The Maccabeans recaptured the Temple, and made plans to rededicate it. Do you remember when we talked about the Temple? Remember the 75-pound gold oil lamp stands in the sanctuary? When they began the rededication, they only had a one-day supply of oil for those lamps. They lit them anyway, and they miraculously stayed lit for eight days. So, Hannukah is an 8-day festival where they light candles on a mennorah to remember God’s provision during wartime, and to celebrate the re-dedication of the Temple.
THIS is the timeframe when Jesus is confronted in the Temple. It’s Winter. It’s Hannukah … so … Merry Christmas everyone!
Like so many of Jesus’ teachings, this is not a formal teaching where he puts down a soap box and just starts teaching. He’s just walking along the columns on Solomon’s porch and The Jews surround him. Why does it matter that we know the history of Hannukah and the timeline?
The Jewish understanding that Messiah would be a military leader, and this being a season of celebrating a Jewish military victory play heavily into this encounter. During Hannukah, the Jews asked if Jesus would just tell them if he was the one who would overthrow the Romans like Maccabeus had pushed out the Greeks.
OK - if you are not a history nerd, and you checked out while we were talking about the Maccabean Revolt and Hannukah … come back to me.
On the surface, the Jews’ request doesn’t seem like a trap … it’s just a simple request for clarity. It’s simple ... unless you think about the logical implications of any of the expected answers:
From the Jewish leaders’ perspective ...
What happens if Jesus says, “No?” [non-rehetorical]
If Jesus says plainly, “No! I’m not Messiah,” his credibility immediately evaporates and most of the people who are following him will likely walk away.
What happens if Jesus says, “Yes?” [non-rhetorical]
If he says, “Yes!” they have plenty of eyewitnesses to put him on trial for making a claim they think could end in discrediting him or perhaps even execution.
Either way … they get rid of him, so this question may not seem like a trap, but it likely IS a trap.
But Jesus is again too smart for them. He points them back to Jewish teaching.
He doesn’t tell them he’s referring to Isaiah 35, but check this out:
►►►SLIDE [Isaiah 35:3-6 - one slide per verse]
3 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees.
4 Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”
5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf.
6 The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland.
►►►SLIDE [John 10:25 NASB]
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me.
Check out the New Living Translation:
►►►SLIDE [John 10:25 NLT]
25 Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name.
Many of us know an old saying, but most of us actually know it wrong.
We know the saying as “The proof is in the pudding”.
What does that saying mean? What “proof” is there in pudding?
The original saying is the title of the sermon this week:
►►►CLICK [title]
The Proof of the Pudding Is in the Tasting
The Proof of the Pudding Is in the Tasting
You won’t really know whether the pudding is good until you taste it.
Isaiah said “your God … is coming to save you.” And you’ll know the time when you see the signs -
He’ll open the eyes of the blind - CHECK
He’ll unplug the ears of the deaf - CHECK
The lame with leap - CHECK
Those who cannot speak will sing for joy - CHECK
His miracles were the evidence (or proof) that Jesus is Messiah. He’s communicating clearly, but they aren’t reading the signs. Just like Herod wasn’t reading the signs of Messiah’s birth when Jesus was born.
It may LOOK like pudding. It may SMELL like pudding. It may even FEEL like pudding. But ...
The proof of the pudding is in the tasting!
Then, in verse 26 …
►►►SLIDE [John 10:26 (do not read directly)]
26 But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep.
Jesus says, you’re not tasting a pudding doesn’t taste right …
you’re refusing to taste it so you can claim it’s not actually pudding.
Have you ever had a conversation with a non-believer that sounds like this?
“There is no proof of God’s existence, or that Jesus was God-in-flesh.”
How many of the people in our society are non-Christians for this exact reason?
You don’t believe … because you are not his sheep. And you’ll never believe until you stop refusing to be his sheep!
►►►SLIDE [quote]
19th and 20th Century Christian author G.K. Chesteron said:
“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”
This Jesus has not been untried.
He was tried countless times while he walked the earth.
He’s been tried for nearly 2000 years since he left the earth.
He’s being tried right now in someone’s heart and soul … perhaps even in this room.
►►►CLICK [title]
The Proof of the Pudding Is in the Tasting
The Proof of the Pudding Is in the Tasting
Is this a comfortable shirt?
It LOOKS comfortable.
It FEELS comfortable in my hand.
It SMELLS … okay, maybe you can’t smell comfort like that.
How do you find out if it really IS comfortable? You put it on!
If you’re wondering if Jesus is real or not … the proof of the shirt is in the wearing - and the proof of this Jesus is in his miraculous signs.
“Well, Pastor Chris, I can’t see those miraculous signs because he’s not walking among us today.”
I am a walking miraculous sign. I was an enemy of the faith! I was dead in my sins, and happy to remain there!
On May 27, 1988, I put him on - like you put on a shirt. And I am radically new! I am no longer dead! I am alive!
Won’t you put on Jesus today? Take him for a test drive, and see if he doesn’t work miraculous changes in you.
Or maybe you’ve taken off the shirt and it sits folded in your drawer. Won’t you put it back on again, and give it another round? See if Jesus doesn’t work miraculous changes in you.
Chesterton is mostly right: “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” Won’t you try it today?
Let’s pray.
