The Greatest Question

Some of you may have seen the movie, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  In that comedic movie, the answer to the universe is given; the ultimate question had been asked and the world’s largest and most powerful computer gave the answer.  It was 42.  

That makes for some nonsensical comedy and totally frustrates many people.  You can rest assured that “42” is not the answer to the world’s greatest question.  In fact, many people do not realize what the greatest question posed to every single man and woman, boy and girl actually is. 

The greatest questions, as has been asked countless times over the centuries are these: Who Is Jesus? What will you do with Jesus Christ?  Ultimately, the last answer depends upon each person.  Nobody else can answer that question for you.  You cannot answer that question for anyone else.  Yet, every single person who is alive will have to deal with that question.

This past week, the world observed a man, named Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated. Though many would want people to think it was political. The reality is that it was as a result of his speaking boldly, presenting to all who would listen, the opportunity to be able to face the question with more clarity.

What will you do with Jesus?

The Question - 7.37-39

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ”  But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

If you are thinking that this statement Jesus makes is familiar, you are quite right.  You will recall that Jesus shared the same thoughts with the woman at the well.  We also read that this is the last day of the Feast of Booths.  It might be possible that there is some symbolism involved as Jesus continues to proclaim His offer of salvation. 

You recall that this Feast is a time of celebrating the gathering of the harvest.  Elsewhere, Jesus shares with His disciples about the need for workers for the harvest.  I don’t want to say more than the passage itself is saying; however, I also recognize that Jesus never wasted opportunities for people to have every possible opportunity about the life which He offered.

We see that Jesus uses the visuals that are currently taking place at this feast to present the good news. Many commentators point out that this Feast also had some traditions which were added.  One of these is that of a water ceremony to celebrate God’s providing water for the Jewish people in the wilderness after they left Egypt.  Water would be taken from the Pool of Siloam and ceremonially carried back to the Temple.  Then it would be poured out as an offering of praise to God.  Then, on the seventh day, they would do this seven times. This was a very visible way for them to give thanks and praise for God's provision of life-sustaining water as he gave them freedom.

Thus, if the people were thinking about the salvation they had experienced in the wilderness, or the miracle of water in a desert land, then Jesus’ words at this point would have been incredibly powerful and meaningful.  According to Warren Wiersbe, In the Bible, water for cleansing symbolizes the Word of God (John 13:1–17; 15:3); water for drinking represents the Spirit of God (John 7:37–38).  In this verse, both of these areas are covered. Let us look at the three basic parts which parallel the salvation experience.

First, a person must admit they are thirsty.  One normally doesn’t take a drink unless they recognize they need a drink.  The spiritual parallel is that a person must recognize that they are a sinner and are going to die in their sin unless something else happens to remove that.

Secondly, a person who recognizes their thirst must then go to where they can get water.  Just thinking about it or talking about it will do no good.  One must go to where the water is.  Spiritually, a person who recognizes they are a sinner must go to the One Who has the solution.  Just talking about the sin or feeling badly about the sin will do no good.  One must go to where the solution can be found.

Finally, the person who recognized their thirst, who went to the source of water, must at that point drink the water.  It is useless to have done the first two steps, then go and simply admire or analyze the water.  For the water to have any value and keep you from dying, you must drink.  Spiritually, for the person who recognizes their sin; who understands that Jesus is the only way to be saved; they must then accept Him as their Lord and Savior.  They must take Jesus for themselves.  Anything other than this will not allow a person to be saved.  Trying to dig your own water well by doing good works will cause emptiness and condemnation.  However, for the person who does as Jesus requires here, they experience eternal life.  

In addition, we are told that this living water springs up within us and will flow out of us.  Leon Morris, a famous scholar, writes of this:  “The believer is not self-centered. As he receives the gift of God, so he passes it on to others. Or to put the same thought in another way, when a man believes, he becomes a servant of God, and God uses him to be the means of bringing the blessing to others.” 

It seems obvious that when you and I were born again, God intended for us to share that living water with others.  We are to tell others of the salvation which Jesus offers to all who will believe in His Name.  We are to equip other brothers and sisters in Christ to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, so that we can all impact as many people for the cause of Christ as He allows.

John also provides a reminder that all of this is done in the power of the Holy Spirit.  You and I know that our conviction comes by means of the Holy Spirit.  We know that we are born into God’s family by being baptized by means of the Spirit into the Body of Jesus Christ.  We also know that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to evangelize and to equip.  We know that others come to salvation, not by our eloquence, but by the Holy Spirit.  You see, the Spirit of God has always been at work.  However, the increased power and permanence of the Holy Spirit would not take place until Pentecost after Jesus had ascended to the Father when Jesus would send the Holy Spirit.  

So, we see that Jesus is showing grace as He gives the invitation.  Let’s look ahead and see what kind of answers are given to His plea.

The Answers - 7.40-52

In these verses, we find four different responses to Jesus.  When the question is asked today as to what people will do with Jesus, there are very similar answers today.  Let’s break down the various choices the different people made then and still make.

7.40-41a

Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.”  Others were saying, “This is the Christ.” 

This first group of people were much closer than the majority of the religious leaders.  They understood that Jesus was not some off-the-wall individual.  They had observed by His miracles and in His words that He was most likely the prophet of whom Moses spoke.  Others recognized Jesus as the Messiah.  Regardless of how they understood this, they obviously knew that Jesus was indeed sent from God and wasn’t simply a local fellow from a carpenter’s family.  He was much more than that.  

Interestingly, this same information was available to all.  However, only a small number understood the ramifications of Who Jesus was.  We see a similar comparison in another portion of the Gospels where Jesus describes four different types of soil on which seed was broadcast.  Even there, only one out of the four was able to produce properly. 

In our culture of productivity and focus on measurable results, Jesus would have probably been told to move elsewhere as He wasn’t producing enough results.  According to the world’s wisdom, that is what often happens today.  You and I must not become discouraged when the results are not what we might desire.  We can still recognize that God’s desire is that all men might be saved.  However, we also understand that very few enter through the narrow gate which leads to salvation.  Even of the original twelve who were the closest of the disciples, one of them turned traitor.  Of the thousands who followed and cheered on Jesus, a very select group remained when His teachings became “too difficult.”  Our task is not to look at the results, but to keep proclaiming that Jesus is God; then ask others what they will do with Jesus?  

But let’s go on and look at the next group.

7.41b-44

Still others were saying, “Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?  Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”  So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him.  Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

These individuals presented here are the “cup is half empty” skeptics.  These are the people where we picture their noses stuck up in the air, thinking they are better than others.  In fact, they ask a negative rhetorical question, which is basically a derogatory comment about people from Galilee.  They felt that those people just weren’t on the correct side of the tracks.  

The humorous part which I find is that their comments put in the form of the second question are actually correct.  In their sarcasm and mocking, they actually revealed that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament in that He was a descendant of David; He was from Bethlehem.  

As a result of just these two groups with diametrically opposed views, John points out that a division occurred in the group.  This is what Jesus stated in other places.  Because of Him, there would be division, even among families.  The reality is that either a person is with Jesus or that person is against Jesus.  You cannot claim to believe in God and believe in heaven without believing on the person of Jesus Christ as the only Savior of humanity.  It doesn’t matter how good, wonderful, and philanthropic a person may be.  Without Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they are without hope.  Their soul will be parched even though they have been offered Living Water.

Sometimes, when we present Jesus, we will encounter this type of response.  Others may have some facts correct, but they just don’t get it.  Their eyes are blinded by Satan and their own flesh.  

Once again, we see that there were those who wanted to seize and silence Jesus.  They wanted to do whatever they could to get rid of Him.  Rather than deal with their own depravity and sinfulness, they wished to silence the One Who would dare to reveal it.  Yet, God’s sovereignty rules; Jesus was still untouchable. That sovereignty is still ruling; people may silence the our voices, but the message is still the same and will never be silenced.

Let’s move on to the religious leaders and check out their response.  So far, we have seen a group that responded positively and a group that responded with sarcasm and cynicism.

7.45-49

The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?”  The officers answered, “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.”  The Pharisees then answered them, “You have not also been led astray, have you?  No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he?  But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed.”

This group that I want to look at now is the temple police.  You will recall that last time they were called in to go bring Jesus back to the Pharisees and chief priests, getting Him away from the crowds.  The temple police were more than likely Levites.  They, along with the rest of the people, should have had some more depth of insight.  However, they appear to be at odds with themselves.  They didn’t seem to know what to think about Jesus.

The exchange between the leaders (Sadducees and Pharisees) and the officers begins with a hostile question.  Jesus was not in their control and the religious leaders wanted an explanation.  The response must have been irritating to the religious leaders.  These officers actually felt the power and authority by which Jesus spoke.  They had never heard this in, or from, anyone else in their lives.  Of course, that would include all the religious leaders in their presence.  In other words, they could have easily stated that the Sadducees and Pharisees never spoke with such power and authority that they hear from Jesus.

These guys were between a rock and a hard place.  They didn’t know what to do.  They heard the words of Jesus and were probably very much moved.  Yet, the religious leaders were in total opposition to Jesus and they were under their authority.  As a result, they left Jesus alone.

Now the religious leaders revert to trying to put other people in their place, which was beneath them.  Basically, they asked the officers if they had been fooled like imbeciles.  You see, they weren’t reprimanded for not doing their job.  They were attacked for actually considering belief in what Jesus was teaching.  In other words, they were no different than the run-of-the-mill street Jew.  

Then they go on to state that they were not fooled.  None of them had been taken in by Jesus.  The obvious insinuation is that if Jesus were really the Messiah, didn’t they think that those who were the learned religious scholars would know this.  They considered themselves the top of the line in all things spiritual.  They never once considered that they could be in error in any area about God and the Word.  

It seems that in our world, this is seen more and more.  It is in the religious realm as well as the secular realm.  Many in the world like to pretend or think they are intellectually superior to those of us who are born again and followers of Jesus Christ.  There are many in the religious world that try to exert a haughty, superior attitude over those of us who hold true to the Word of God, as it is, without compromise.  This is sad, though it is a harsh reality.  It is not sad because of how we may be treated.  It is sad because of the eternal loss and the extreme consequences for those who dare to mislead others. 

But we still must present the question and leave the answer up to the person. Next, we read a controversial response.

7.50-52

Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them, “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?”  They answered him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.”

We finally get to the section some of you have been waiting for.  I can almost hear you, like me, wanting to correct the religious leaders’ statement from the last section of verses. 

You see, when they stated that none of them had believed in Jesus, they were wrong.  Some of you recall John 3, where Nicodemus came to Jesus at night seeking further information.  Well, from that alone, it appears that one of them was at least contemplating the possibility that Jesus was the Messiah.  He has shown previously, as well as here, that he was willing to consider this as a possibility.  At this point, he probably was not a believer.  However, from John 19.39, it is obvious that he did become a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

So, exactly what is Nicodemus doing?  He is pointing out to his learned colleagues that they were acting contrary to the Law, itself.  Historically, we know that even the Romans did not find a person guilty without at least providing a trial.  One might say that Nicodemus was bringing up a point of order.

Sadly, the religious leaders, whose responsibility it was to point the people to God, were so closed minded about Jesus and His claims that they didn’t even care to be fair.  You can almost imagine their comments: Forget all the rules and regulations.  Be gone with doing things according to the Law, even though we’ve attacked Jesus for doing things against the Law according to our interpretations.  Never mind getting all the facts laid out on the table.  We want this Jesus character to be silenced.  We’ll tell you when the Messiah gets here and he’ll get here when we say so.

How sad that they missed such an incredible privilege.  They resorted to denouncing one of Israel’s greatest teachers among them.  How severe was their reprimand?  It was like comparing Einstein with a flea for intellectual brilliance.  They basically told the most renown teacher of their time that he was as ignorant as the most base of the Jewish people on the wrong side of the tracks.  

In fact, they arrogantly challenged him to check out for himself that there was no prophet who ever came out of Galilee.  Oops!!!  They were wrong once again.  Jonah came from Galilee.  Elijah came from the Galilean area. Thus, in their attempt to make Nicodemus out to be spiritually ignorant, they showed themselves to be not only blind, but unlearned and ignorant. 

Reflections

In today’s passage, we’ve heard Jesus present Himself as God once again; as well as the only way in which a person can be saved.  If a person recognizes their sin, comes to the Savior, and accepts Him as Lord and Savior, they will be saved.  They will be saved not only for their own eternal soul, but also be given the opportunity by the Holy Spirit’s power to live out the Christian life and proclaim the Good News to others and help them grow in their walk.

We’ve also seen that when this magnificent opportunity is presented and the question is asked, What will you do with Jesus? there are often varied responses.  As clear and simple as it may seem to us who are part of the family of God through Jesus, Satan has blinded a large number of people.

Praise God for the fact that some will actually get the message.  They may not understand it completely.  Yet they know that without Jesus there is no hope and they need salvation through Him.

Then there are those who respond with sarcasm and cynicism.  They think they are too good for such thinking.  Such things are merely crutches and fairy tales.  It’s all mythical stories.  These individuals have outsmarted themselves out of God’s Kingdom.

Then there are those who find themselves confused and bewildered.  They know what those closest to them think and want them to think.  However, when they weigh what Jesus has to say, they are amazed and find themselves wanting what He has to offer.  Yet, they are hesitant.  They are afraid that they will hurt someone or be misunderstood or may lose their job or be mocked, etc.  Can it possibly be that simple?  My friends, this group is a group that I believe there is great hope for.  We must continue to be friends with them and continue to live out and speak for the Christian faith.  Eventually, it is possible that they will surrender to the Holy Spirit and allow Christ to take over their life and make them a new creation.  Then they won’t care about what anyone else may think or say.  But in the meantime, there is a constant battle raging within them.

Then there is the group that needs to evaluate and think things through.  They want to give a fair hearing to all that is said.  I believe there is great hope for this group as well.  The danger is that they can possibly overthink by using earthly wisdom rather than allowing God to convict and do the work in them which needs to be done.  However, we can still pray.  We can live for Christ in a way that does not contradict His Word.  

Sadly, the group of people that will never get it are those who think they’ve already got it because of their smugness and self-righteous attitude.  They think they have it because they are not like those other people.  For those who are set against Jesus Christ, there will be a judgment day coming.  Woe to those who choose to oppose God.

Where does that leave us, those who have believed, today?  We must keep living and speaking of Jesus as the Son of God.  We must continue to live in a way that shows we have been genuinely saved.  We cannot fear what others might do to us, even if it means death. We must present Christ in such a way that we can ask that question, What will you do with Jesus?