Truth Time — Who Do We Say Jesus Is?
Notes
Transcript
Truth Time — Who Do We Say Jesus Is?
Truth Time — Who Do We Say Jesus Is?
Introduction: Truth Time
Introduction: Truth Time
Good morning friends, today we will be continuing in John chapter 7. We will be in verses 40-52.
Two weeks ago, I preached from an earlier part of the chapter and the context was much the same.
People were debating, questioning, and had dividing opinions over who this man Jesus truly was.
Some said, “He’s a good man.” Others said, “He deceives the people.”
The same confusion and division we saw there continues in our passage today.
But church, I don’t find this repetitive — I find this important!
So important that God made sure we couldn’t miss it.
He highlighted these repeated moments of confusion and misunderstanding throughout His Holy Spirit–inspired, living, breathing, active Word so that we would grasp the vital truth — knowing Jesus rightly matters eternally.
Friday night LDS missionaries stopped by. I shared the Gospel with them and pointed our their different definition of who Jesus is. (Tell Story)
I lovingly discussed these differences with them because the Jesus that we place all of our hope, faith and trust in matters.
It’s like if I were to stuff a tent rain cover into a back pack and call it a parachute. It may be a similar shape, similar material but the reality is it’s not a parachute. The even harsher reality is that if I jump from a plane with it no matter how strongly I believe it’s a parachute I’m still falling towards certain death.
So family, it’s truth time.
Who do we say Jesus is?
That question is not just for theologians or pastors. It is the question that defines eternity for every soul.
Jesus even asked that question...
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
And Peter answered boldly...
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
In that moment, Peter stood firm in truth. He didn’t waffle with the crowd. He didn’t chase cultural opinions.
He declared what the Father revealed to him — that Jesus is the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Savior of the world.
And so today, church, the important question is:
Do we follow Peter’s example and say, “Truly, you are the Messiah… and where else shall we go?”
Or do we stand among the crowd of John 7, divided, confused, and skeptical?
Let’s read today’s verses, pray and dive into today’s sermon.
40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him.
44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. 45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived?
48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them,
51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
Point 1: The Confusion of the Crowd (John 7:40–44)
Point 1: The Confusion of the Crowd (John 7:40–44)
In our text, the crowd is divided.
Some say, “This is truly the Prophet.”
Others say, “This is the Christ.”
But others reject Him because He doesn’t fit their expectations:
They had pieces of truth — but not the whole.
They knew the prophecies, but they didn’t know the Person.
It’s possible to know about Jesus, but not know Him.
Illustration:
Think about it like this — you might have hundreds of “friends” on social media.
You know their profile picture, their favorite posts, maybe even what they like to eat or where they went on vacation.
But if you’ve never sat down with them face-to-face, heard their voice, shared a meal, or seen their eyes light up when they talk — then you don’t really know them.
You know about them, but you don’t have a relationship with them.
That’s how many people treat Jesus.
They can quote His words, they wear the cross, they even post a verse or two — but they’ve never actually met Him.
They haven’t spent time in His presence.
They haven’t surrendered their heart to His lordship.
They’ve got a “spiritual profile,” but not a saving relationship.
Jesus Himself warned,
8 “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;
The danger of the crowd is this: they let preconceived notions blind them to revelation.
They measured Jesus by human logic, not by divine truth.
They were so focused on where He came from, they missed why He came.
And isn’t that like today?
Some say Jesus was a great teacher, a prophet, a revolutionary, or a spiritual guide —
but only a few confess Him as Lord, Redeemer, Son of God, and Savior.
But the Bible says...
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Truth Creates Division (John 7:43)
Truth Creates Division (John 7:43)
Verse 43 says,
43 So there was a division among the people over him.
Now that’s a striking statement — division over Him.
The very presence of Jesus forced people to make a decision.
And church, that’s still what truth does today.
We live in a world that preaches unity at any cost — we’ve all heard things like...
“Can’t we all just get along,”
“Don’t offend anyone,”
“Let’s blend all beliefs together.”
The late Voddie Baucham said there is now a new 11th commandment, Thou shalt be nice.
But unity without truth is not unity — it’s confusion.
It’s not peace; it’s compromise.
Because the truth of Jesus will always draw a line between light and darkness, truth and lies, repentance and rebellion.
Jesus Himself said,
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
He wasn’t talking about violence — He was talking about division over truth. His coming and his claims of being the Messiah, the Son of God would force people to make a fundamental choice: to accept Him or reject Him. This choice would cut and divide humanity.
The fact of the matter is that when truth enters, lies must flee.
When light shines, darkness is exposed.
The Gospel has always been a dividing line.
It divided Cain and Abel — one brought faith, the other pride.
It divided Israel — Joshua and Caleb believed; others rebelled.
It divided the two thieves on crosses — one mocked, one repented.
Even in creation, God set the pattern:
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
From the very beginning, light and darkness could not coexist.
Paul echoes this truth:
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
Following Jesus will sometimes cost us relationships, comfort, or approval.
But that’s what truth does — it purifies as it separates.
Jesus said...
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Freedom comes after we separate from deception and walk in light.
So don’t fear division caused by truth — fear compromise caused by comfort.
Because truth isn’t the enemy of unity; truth is the foundation of it.
Point 2: The Courage of the Confessor (Peter’s Example)
Point 2: The Courage of the Confessor (Peter’s Example)
I love the example we get from Peter in acknowledging who Jesus is.
When Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter didn’t hesitate.
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Later, when many turned away, Peter said,
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
That’s the heart of a true disciple — conviction, not convenience.
Peter followed because he knew there was nowhere else to go.
Jesus said...
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
If that’s true — and it is — then every part of life must revolve around Him.
Discipleship is not comfort; it’s cross-bearing.
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Point 3: The Discipleship of Discipline and Love
Point 3: The Discipleship of Discipline and Love
To know Jesus truly is to be changed by Him.
That means accepting both His discipline and His praise in love.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
When He corrects us, it’s not rejection — it’s refinement.
When He challenges us, it’s not to shame us — it’s to shape us.
The same Jesus who rebuked Peter for denying Him later restored him in love.
So let’s ask ourselves:
Are we following Jesus for who He really is — or who we wish He were?
Sometimes we want a Jesus who comforts but not corrects,
who blesses our plans but doesn’t interrupt them,
who loves us but doesn’t call us to change.
Following the real Jesus comes with surrender —
forgiving when wronged, giving when it costs, serving when unseen,
and staying faithful when we don’t understand.
Following the imaginary Jesus looks like selective obedience —
reading verses we like, ignoring the ones that convict.
The real Jesus doesn’t bend to culture; He reigns above it.
He’s not a mascot for movements — He is the Messiah, the Son of God, and the Lord of all.
Point 4: The Danger of Knowing the Wrong Jesus — and the Hope of a Changed Heart
Point 4: The Danger of Knowing the Wrong Jesus — and the Hope of a Changed Heart
45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived?
48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them,
51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
The Pharisees rejected Jesus because He didn’t fit their expectations.
They knew the Scriptures but missed the Savior they described.
39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,
They had head knowledge, not heart knowledge.
They studied truth but didn’t submit to it.
And here’s the sobering reality —
you can be religious, moral, and respected… and still not know the real Jesus.
22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Now here’s the sobering truth:
There are many “Jesuses” being preached today.
Paul warned of this in...
4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.
There’s the “prosperity Jesus” who promises wealth without repentance.
The “moral teacher Jesus” who offers advice but not salvation.
The “cultural Jesus” who never offends anyone and never calls for change.
But none of these can save.
Only the biblical Jesus — the one who died for sin, rose for righteousness, and reigns forever — brings eternal life.
It is possible to say “Lord” and still be lost.
That’s the heart-wrenching reality.
To spend a lifetime near truth, yet never surrender to it.
But Church, Here’s the Good News: No Heart Is Beyond His Reach.
Even among the doubters and the critics, God is still working.
Even in the middle of religious pride and spiritual blindness, His Spirit is still drawing hearts to Himself.
Look at Nicodemus in
50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
This wasn’t a loud sermon, but it was a start of courage.
Nicodemus had first come to Jesus by night in John 3 — afraid, unsure, still hiding behind the shadows.
But now, here in John 7, he steps into the light just a little more.
He speaks truth in a room full of hostility.
He begins to stand where faith is costly.
And later, in John 19, we see the full transformation —
Nicodemus, alongside Joseph of Arimathea, publicly takes the body of Jesus and prepares it for burial.
The man who once came to Jesus in secret now honors Him in the open.
The man who was once timid in faith now risks everything to serve His Savior.
This should encourage us to not give up on the Nicodemuses in our lives.
This is why we must never stop sharing the Gospel.
Never stop praying for the hard-hearted.
Never stop believing that God can turn a skeptic into a servant, a Pharisee into a follower, a critic into a worshiper.
Some of the people you think are too far gone may just be in their John 3 season — still questioning, still searching.
You might meet them when they’re skeptical, like Nicodemus in John 7.
But keep loving, keep preaching, keep praying — because their John 19 moment is coming.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
God can reach into the darkest heart and light a fire of faith.
He did it for Paul, who once persecuted the church.
He did it for Nicodemus, who once hid in the dark.
And He can do it for that loved one, that co-worker, that prodigal child, that neighbor who seems so far away.
So yes, there is danger in knowing the wrong Jesus —
but there is also hope in proclaiming the right one.
The same Gospel that exposes false belief is the Gospel that redeems the lost.
The same truth that offends the proud heals the humble.
And our mission is to keep sharing that truth, no matter how dark the night seems,
because the Light of the World still shines.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Point 5: Focus On The Glory of the Real Jesus
Point 5: Focus On The Glory of the Real Jesus
Let’s quickly look at some truths of who Jesus really is.
The real Jesus is not a concept — He’s a King.
He’s not an idea — He’s the incarnate Word of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
He’s not just a teacher — He’s Truth Himself.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
He’s not dead — He’s alive forevermore (Revelation 1:18).
18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
He is holy, merciful, faithful, just, and eternal.
He is the Lion and the Lamb.
He is Savior, Lord, Redeemer, and Judge.
This Jesus — the true Jesus — is worthy of worship, obedience, and our whole lives.
Conclusion: Who Do You Say He Is?
Conclusion: Who Do You Say He Is?
So church, it’s truth time.
Who do you say Jesus is?
Will you stand with the crowd — divided and confused —
or with Peter — convinced and committed?
If we follow a false idea of Jesus, we’ll end up with false hope.
But if we know the real Jesus, we’ll find real life.
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
If you’ve never surrendered to Him — now is the time.
Not to religion, but to relationship.
Not just information, but transformation.
Friends if you don’t know him let’s talk so that you don’t leave here just knowing about him.
Let’s talk so that you leave actually knowing Him.
And friends if you do know Him ask him to search your heart and continue to strip away the things that get in the way of spending time with him. To strip away the things that aren’t a reflection of Him.
I know I have my fair share of those things, we all do, but God is gracious and forgiving. He met us in this space, our rebellious space but He also loves us enough not to leave us in that space.
He gives us the grace and the power so that little by little we become more like Jesus.
Amen? Amen!
Let’s pray,
“Lord Jesus,
We come to You today in truth.
We’ve seen how the crowds were divided, how opinions swirled — but You never changed.
You are still the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Forgive us for the times we’ve tried to shape You into our image,
instead of letting You shape us into Yours.
Lord, search our hearts.
Expose the lies we’ve believed, the idols we’ve built, the areas we’ve resisted surrender.
Give us the courage of Peter — to declare that You alone have the words of eternal life.
If anyone here today doesn’t know the real Jesus —
the saving, risen, redeeming Lord —
draw them by Your Spirit even now.
Let truth break the chains of deception,
and let Your light drive out every darkness.
Jesus, You are the way, the truth, and the life.
We confess You as Lord.
We surrender all to You.
In Your holy name we pray, Amen.”
