John 7:1-52 - Answering the Ultimate Question

In our passage today, John 7:1-52, tension steadily rises as people are confronted with this question, and they answer it in a number of different ways.

The author, John, is building this tension in this chapter to get to a point later on.

In the next chapter, this tension will culminate with Jesus confronting the religious leaders with the reality of their unbelief and the clearest statement of his divinity in Scripture, so they have no excuse for their rejection of him.

But the tension rises here in John 7 in three phases as people are confronted with the question of what to do with Jesus.

It goes from private assessment about Jesus, to open debate about Jesus, and ending with widespread division about Jesus.

So, as we walk through each phase in John 7 I want you to really feel the tension building and understand that this tension has not gone away 2000-some-odd years later.

Let’s look at the first phase, the private assessment about Jesus in verses 1-13.

John 7:1–6 ESV

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in him. Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.

John 7:7–13 ESV

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” After saying this, he remained in Galilee. But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

So, as people begin to answer the ultimate question of what to do with Jesus, the tension starts to simmer in their…

Private Assessment about Jesus (1-13)

Jesus is hiding out in Galilee.

Remember, the religious leaders are seeking to kill him because he was a Sabbath-breaker and claiming equality with God back in chapter 5.

John 5:18 says, “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”

So, he’s laying low in Galilee, but the Feast of Booths is at hand.

This is a bit of a problem because all Jewish males were required to attend the three main festivals in Jerusalem each year, Passover, Pentecost, and Booths.

He had to go to the festival, but he couldn’t openly go near Jerusalem because the religious leaders were looking for a way to kill him.

Well, Jesus’ brothers are on their way up to the festival, and they tell Jesus that he ought to go up to Jerusalem publicly and prove his claim that he is the Christ.

They probably hadn’t actually seen Jesus’ signs that he had done up to this point.

We know they accompanied Jesus from the wedding at Cana down to Capernaum in chapter 2, but nowhere else are they mentioned.

They’re skeptical of their brother’s claim to be the Christ, so they want proof, and they want it to be public.

And what better opportunity to do that than the Feast of Booths.

Everyone’s going to be there, so if Jesus undeniably proves that he is the Christ, then he will have all of Israel on his side

And then he can go overthrow Rome like the Christ is supposed to do… right?

Wrong.

Jesus answers their suggestion by saying, “My time has not yet come.”

It’s the same argument he gave his mother back in chapter 2.

He’s referring to the time when he would be glorified by dying on the cross for the sins of the world, rising from the dead, and ascending to the right hand of the Father in heaven.

But then Jesus says, “Your time is always here.”

You see, his use of the word “Time” refers to glory regardless of where that glory comes from.

So, the time of Jesus’ brothers’ glory is always here because the world always glorifies them for their worldliness.

The world glorifies and accepts Jesus’ brothers because they condone the evil in the world as a part of that world system.

But the world hates Jesus because he’s against that evil system.

He testifies that the works of the world are evil because they’re selfish and working against God.

Then Jesus sums up his answer to his brothers.

You go up to the feast without me.

I’m not going to make a spectacle of myself because it’s not time for that yet.

So, Jesus stays in Galilee while his brothers head up to the feast without him.

Then Jesus goes up privately to the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem.

It sure looks like Jesus told his brothers he was NOT going, but here he is GOING to the Feast…

Did Jesus have a change of heart or did he lie to his brothers?

Nope, what he told his brothers was that he was not going with them, not that he refused to go at all.

But he left it ambiguous enough that his brothers wouldn’t ruin his private journey to the feast.

Jesus fully intended to go because his attendance as a Jewish male was required by the Law, God’s Law… his Law that he came to fulfill.

So, Jesus gets to the feast, and the religious leaders are asking around if people know where Jesus is.

It’s almost as if he has a WANTED poster with a reward for his capture.

Jesus is like, public enemy number one to these religious leaders.

And they assumed rightly that he would be there since, again, all Jewish males were required to attend.

Well, Jesus is the talk of the feast, even though his presence isn’t publicly known yet.

The people had heard and seen many things about Jesus, and they’re all judging him based on their presuppositions instead of the proven facts of his identity.

Some said he was a good man, but some said he was deceiving the people.

But both are wrong.

Jesus claims to be the Christ, and that claim is an all or nothing claim.

It doesn’t leave room for Jesus to be just a good man.

If he were just a good man and not the Christ, then his claim would be a lie, and he would necessarily not be a good man for deceiving the people.

But since his claim is true, as we have seen from the proof he gave the religious leaders in chapter 5, then he is not deceiving the people either.

Word has spread about Jesus, but word has also spread about the religious leaders’ antagonism toward him.

Because of this, the people kept their opinions quiet so that they would not end up kicked out of the synagogue.

So, Jesus was hiding out in Galilee, keeping his works largely secret, then he privately goes up to the Feast of Booths, and the people there are quietly muttering to each other their assumptions about Jesus whether he is just a good man or if he is deceiving the people.

This is a very private assessment about Jesus.

But the heat is about to get turned up a bit.

Now let’s read verses 14-36 and see how the tension builds in an open debate about Jesus.

John 7:14–18 ESV

About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.

John 7:19–24 ESV

Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

John 7:25–28 ESV

Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 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? But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 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.

John 7:29–33 ESV

I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?” 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.

John 7:34–36 ESV

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’?”

So, Jesus turns the heat up on the situation by revealing himself at the Feast of Booths.

And revealing himself in this way sparks an…

Open Debate about Jesus (14-36)

So, he goes into the temple and starts teaching but somehow remains anonymous.

To me, teaching seems like the opposite of laying low.

I would have found a secluded corner of Jerusalem and waited this whole thing out.

But Jesus knows what he is doing.

By teaching in the temple, he’s getting ready to reveal himself in a way that will force people to answer the ultimate question.

What do I do with Jesus?

They’re already thinking about it, but they need to think deeper and debate amongst themselves about the facts and the Scriptures.

Well, the religious leaders hear Jesus’ teaching and they marvel.

It appears that they don’t immediately recognize Jesus, but we don’t get to know why.

All they know is that this guy that’s teaching has never been to Rabbi school…

So, how does he know so much about the Scriptures?

Based on tradition, we know that Zechariah chapter 14 was read and taught at every Feast of Booths, so it’s very likely that this is what Jesus was teaching.

Basically, it’s a prophecy about the coming day of the Lord, and in verses 16-19 the Feast of Booths is specifically mentioned.

Jesus probably had some very insightful things to say about this chapter.

And the religious leaders marvel that Jesus knows so much.

So, Jesus responds to their marveling by explaining just where his teaching comes from.

Whenever people are amazed at Jesus, he seems to always point back to the Father and the fact that the Father sent him to do and say these things.

He’s only doing the works his Father has given him to do (John 5:36).

He’s only teaching what the Father has taught him (John 7:16)

He is only speaking the words the Father has given him to speak (John 8:38; 12:49).

This in no way diminishes Jesus’ glory as if doing and saying what the Father has given him somehow makes him less the Father.

Jesus has claimed and continues to claim identical authority with the Father because he has a direct link to the Father since they are both God along with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ glory and authority are fully bound up with the glory and authority of the Father.

And if anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know that Jesus’ teaching is from God and not from his own authority.

Jesus says that one thing will reveal the truth of his teaching as fact from the Father rather than his own opinion.

That one thing is desiring to do God’s will.

Jesus had taught about the Father’s will and knowing the truth in the previous chapter.

John 6:40 “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.””

John 6:44–45 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—”

So, desiring to do the will of the Father is desiring to come to Jesus believing that he is the Son of God having been taught by the Father in your heart.

If that is the state you’re in, then you’ll instinctively know that what Jesus teaches comes from the Father…

because it’s the very thing that the Father has already taught you by writing it on your heart.

Then in verse 18, Jesus gives a sort of truism to explain the nature of his teaching in basic terms.

Speaking your own opinion generally comes from a desire to glorify yourself even slightly.

But if you have been sent to speak on behalf of another, then your words are not your opinion, they reflect the authority of the one who sent you and give glory to the one who sent you…

and there is no temptation to exaggerate or lie because your desire is to accurately reflect the one who sent you.

Remember, Jesus has been teaching anonymously up to this point.

And even now, as he explains the source of his teaching, the people don’t know who he is.

But then he brings up the Law given by Moses and accuses them all of not keeping the Law and trying to kill him.

The implication is that the religious leaders he was speaking to were speaking on their own authority and seeking their own glory by seeking to kill Jesus because he broke their Sabbath rules and they refuse to believe that Jesus really is God.

And their desire to kill him actually goes against the Law that came through Moses.

Well, the crowd, including the religious leaders, is confused.

They think that Jesus is a crazy person.

Only crazy people think that people are out to kill them when no one is out to kill them.

The common term at the time for a crazy person was that they had a demon that would cause them to act and say crazy things like this.

But then Jesus reveals exactly who he is and who is trying to kill him.

He says, “I did one work, and you marvel at it.”

The one work he did that they all marveled at was the most visible miracle he had done… feeding the 5000.

But he projects further back to a miracle that they ignored healing the man on the Sabbath.

He argues from the lesser to the greater that if performing circumcision is acceptable on the Sabbath, then healing a man’s whole body should be acceptable on the Sabbath.

Circumcision was a practice that was established with Abraham and carried into the Mosaic law.

And they give special permission to do the work of circumcision on the Sabbath in order to uphold the law.

So, how much more should miraculously making a man’s whole body well also be given special permission on the Sabbath.

After Jesus makes this argument he says, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Basically, don’t judge a book by its cover.

At first glance it appeared that Jesus had broken the Sabbath.

But looking closer, Jesus’ miraculous healing should have been one of the works that was acceptable to do on the Sabbath, like circumcision.

Judgment must be reserved for after all the facts are known.

Like Proverbs 18:13 says, “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.”

And the Law in Deuteronomy 1:16 says, “And I charged your judges at that time, ‘Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him.”

Now that Jesus has identified himself specifically with his healing on the Sabbath, the people openly debate about him.

At first, the people are a bit confused at the lack of response from the religious leaders.

Isn’t this the guy they are seeking to kill?

Then why don’t they confront him?

Unless… maybe they have become convinced that he’s legit.

But on the other hand…

We know that this guy comes from Galilee, and tradition says that no one will know where the Christ comes from.

This tradition was a common teaching about the Christ that was not from Scripture.

That the Christ would have no earthly parentage, but he would just appear out of nowhere.

So, Jesus takes the opportunity to address the error of this particular tradition.

He affirms that they do know him and where he came from physically, but he’s talking about his heavenly origin as the Christ, not the earthly place he calls home for now.

Sure, he physically came up from Galilee up to the feast, but he came to earth from the Father who sent him from heaven, and they don’t know the Father.

Well, the response is split, but the people are speaking and responding openly now that Jesus has revealed himself.

What are they to do with Jesus?

Some sided with the religious leaders and wanted him arrested, but they weren’t able to do so.

And the only explanation John gives us for why they were prevented from arresting him is that Jesus’ divinely appointed time had not yet come.

Remember that this is referring to the time when Jesus would be glorified in his death, resurrection, and ascension.

Those who did not side with the religious leaders believed in Jesus.

They argued that Jesus had proven his claim to be the Christ due to the sheer amount of signs he had performed.

There are hundreds of prophecies about the Christ and Jesus fulfilled them all.

But the Pharisees heard the crowd saying these things and sent officers to arrest Jesus.

These officers were Levitical priests in charge of keeping the peace during the festivities and ceremonies.

And what Jesus says to the religious leaders here is terrifying.

If they only understood what he says here they would be terrified.

But they don’t.

They think he’s going to go back into hiding, but he’s really talking about going back to the Father.

Jesus says that he’s going to be on earth a little longer, then he’s going to heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father.

Right now they are seeking to arrest and kill Jesus.

But once he rises from the dead and ascends to heaven, they will seek him again, but he will be long gone and they will be unable to come to him.

The terrifying part is where he says, “Where I am you cannot come.”

At that point he will be in heaven with the Father, and he says that these religious leaders will be unable to be with him there because of their unbelief.

Jesus will say something similar but directly opposite much later, giving assurance to his disciples that they will be with him in heaven.

Jesus will say in John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Obviously, the religious leaders don’t understand Jesus’ statement.

They ask among themselves if Jesus was talking about going somewhere like the Dispersion where the religious leaders wouldn’t dare to go.

So, things have gotten a little more tense, haven’t they?.

Jesus started out this chapter hiding out and privately coming to the feast, and the people were keeping quiet about their assessment of Jesus…

Now he’s gone and started teaching in the temple and revealed himself.

The people are now openly debating about him, the religious leaders make a move to arrest him, and Jesus tells them the eternal consequences of their unbelief.

But believe it or not, things are about to get even more tense in verses 37-52 as Jesus gives a genuine offer of the gospel which effectively divides the entire festival.

John 7:37–39 ESV

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.

John 7:40–44 ESV

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.

John 7:45–52 ESV

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.”

The ultimate question has reached a fever pitch as throughout the feast there is…

Widespread Division about Jesus (37-52)

This is now the last day of the feast, John calls it the great day, and Jesus gives a genuine offer of the gospel to everyone who would listen.

This was probably the eighth day of the feast since it went from the beginning of one Sabbath to the end of the next Sabbath…

And calling it the great day indicates that it was significant.

When Moses told the Israelites what God had told him about the Feast of Booths in Leviticus 23:33-36, he said that the 8th day was to be a solemn assembly distinct from the other 7 days of the feast.

And Jesus gets up during this solemn assembly and starts crying out to everyone there.

“If anyone is thirsty, 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.’”

You see, water was a very accessible image throughout the Feast of Booths.

Water would be ceremonially drawn and brought to the temple in a sort of parade every day of the feast.

And the customary reading and teaching from Zechariah 14 said that all who did not obey and attend the Feast of Booths during the coming day of the Lord would incur drought in their land as punishment.

But Zechariah specifically talks about living water in 14:8 where he says, “On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem…”

And here Jesus says that all who thirst need only come to him to drink, and he will provide living water flowing out of their heart.

This is the same imagery he gave to the Samaritan woman at the well in chapter 4 and that he gave to the Jews in Capernaum in chapter 6.

Believing in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God results in rivers of living water flowing out of your heart.

Then John explains that Jesus was actually speaking about the pouring out of the Holy Spirit that would come after Jesus was glorified in his death, resurrection, and ascension.

The people probably didn’t understand what Jesus was getting at because he was speaking about something that hadn’t happened yet.

But they understood enough to know that Jesus was making a claim about his sufficiency and identity regarding Zechariah 14.

So, the people become divided as they are forced to make a decision about Jesus.

We can see 5 different responses here, and each one weighs the Scriptures and Jesus’ fulfillment of them differently.

Some had a deficient understanding of the Scriptures.

These people reasserted the view that Jesus is the Prophet that Moses spoke about in Deuteronomy 18:15.

This was the same thing the people concluded after being miraculously fed in chapter 6.

They misunderstood the Scriptures and thought the Prophet and the Christ were going to be two different people, but they are the same person.

Some rightly understood both the Scriptures and Jesus’ fulfilment of them and believed that Jesus is the Christ.

We don’t get any more details about this group because John is focusing on the tension that arises from the wrong views about Jesus.

But this is where we all should be.

This is a right understanding of Scripture and a right understanding of Jesus’ proof that he is the Christ.

Some had a deficient understanding of the facts about Jesus’ life.

These people rightly understood the Scriptures, but they did not have all the facts about Jesus’ fulfillment of those Scriptures.

They understood that the Christ would be from the line of David and that he would come from the city of David, Bethlehem.

But they thought Jesus came from Galilee, and they had no idea what his ancestry looked like.

So, they concluded wrongly that Jesus couldn’t be the Christ because he didn’t come from Bethlehem.

But he did… he was born in Bethlehem.

Between these first three responses the people were divided, some wanting to arrest him because they didn’t believe he was the Christ, but again no one was able to lay hands on him because his time had not yet come.

The last two responses are the officers and the religious leaders.

The officers had a deficient understanding of both the Scriptures and Jesus’ fulfilment of the Scriptures.

They were confused about the whole thing.

They came back to the religious leaders empty handed and show their confusion as they answer.

No one ever spoke like this man.

I don’t know who this guy is, and I don’t really understand what he is saying…

All I know is that it’s different from anything I’ve ever heard.

Well, the last response is that of the religious leaders.

When the officers return emptyhanded, these religious leaders show that they are willing to ignore the facts about Jesus and ignore the Scriptures in their blind hatred of Jesus.

They didn’t have a deficient understanding, they fully knew the Scriptures and Jesus’ proof that he is the Christ.

He had proven it to them back in chapter 5.

They were worse than uninformed, they were willfully ignorant.

They rebuke the officers asking if they had also been deceived.

They’ve convinced themselves that Jesus is nothing but a liar deceiving the people and deceiving these officers as well.

Then they argue that none of the authorities or Pharisees has believed in Jesus.

The assumption is that the religious leaders’ knowledge of the Law gives them the authority to judge the legitimacy of Jesus’ claim.

In their opinion, these officers, and all the people, would do well to look to their judgment because they know better…

In their “educated judgment,” Jesus is a fraud.

Their comment here, that the people don’t know the Law and are accursed, is pretty ironic.

The people have already recognized the truth about the Christ’s lineage and place of birth from the Law that the religious leaders have missed or ignored.

And the religious leaders will go on to show their contempt for the Law they say they know and keep.

Nicodemus is the Pharisee who came to Jesus in chapter 3, and Jesus taught him about the new covenant and the second birth, and he went away from that encounter pretty confused.

But now things are starting to click in Nicodemus’ mind, especially as he sees the lengths his fellow religious leaders are willing to go to stop Jesus.

He brings up a valid point, and one that Jesus himself had brought up earlier.

In verse 24 Jesus had said, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Don’t judge a book by its cover.

Remember Deuteronomy 1:16?

The Law required that a man is only to be judged after giving him a hearing.

So, Nicodemus brings up this point as a question, but even that question is more room than the other religious leaders are willing to give Jesus.

They’re willing to disobey this law and judge Jesus without giving him a hearing.

In their pride they refuse to entertain the thought that Jesus just might be telling the truth.

So, they turn on Nicodemus and scathingly ask him if he is from Galilee too, accusing him of being in collusion with their public enemy number one.

But then they say something that is utterly and verifiably false, “Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

No prophet arises from Galilee, huh?

In 2 Kings 14:25 it says that the prophet Jonah was from a region called Gath-hepher which was later renamed… Galilee.

The PROPHET Jonah was from Galilee.

They are even willing to twist the Scriptures to fit their narrative.

Remember that Nicodemus was the premier teacher in Israel at the time.

I bet he heard them say that and immediately thought of Jonah.

We don’t know for sure, but this was probably the moment that Nicodemus believed in Jesus as the Christ.

So, we’ve gone from private assessment about Jesus, to open debate about Jesus, and now widespread division about Jesus.

The tension has grown to a boiling point with the religious leaders willing to ignore and twist Scripture because they hate Jesus for testifying that their works are evil.

This tension will keep building throughout the next chapter as well as Jesus continues his dialogue with the religious leaders.

But the point John is getting at here is that this tension is not going away.

Ever since Jesus came to the earth people have been confronted with this ultimate question.

What will you do with Jesus?

Whenever people are confronted with this question there will be tension, especially when people answer wrongly.

Conclusion

So what will you do with Jesus?

This is the ultimate question because how you answer it will indicate where you spend eternity.

If you’re a believer, then you’ve already answered the ultimate question correctly.

But when you interact with others, understand that there are many different ways people answer this question and many different reasons for answering the way they do.

It’s not your job to coerce or manipulate people into giving the correct answer.

All you are called to do is give the facts of the gospel and then pose the question.

It’s God’s job to draw all those whom he has called to answer correctly.

Now, if you are not yet a believer, then allow me to give you the facts of the gospel.

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who came from heaven, lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose again so that you can be forgiven of your sins and have eternal life if you will believe in him, and right now he is interceding with the Father on behalf of all who believe in him.

Now allow me to pose the question to you again.

What will you do with Jesus?

Will you ignore him and keep living your life for yourself only to be eternally condemned to hell because you refused to believe?

Or will you believe in Jesus, repenting of your sin and submitting to him as the rightful ruler of your life so that you can be forgiven and live with him forever?

Pray

Father, thank you for your Word.

Thank you for showing us your glory.

Thank you for showing us your Son.

Lord, we are thirsty, so we are coming to your Son, Jesus, to drink because he’s the only one who satisfies.

And we have your Spirit living inside of us producing rivers of living water.

I pray that those rivers would overflow as we tell others and remind each other of your glorious gospel.

The good news that you love us so much that you sent your Son to die in our place and rise again so that we can live with you forever as your adopted children.

I pray that as we encounter tension with those who do not believe in your Son, that we would remember that it is not up to us to draw them… that’s your job, not ours.

And we trust that you will call all of your children, and that none of us will be lost.

We thank you, and we love you, and we pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Related Media

Related Sermons

Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.