Coming Into Focus - Part 2
The Endless Journey - John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Reading:
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent.
19 For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
Introduction:
There was a gun competition called: “top-shot” It was a show made up of people with great marksmanship skills.
There were many different events that involved bows and arrows, axes, blowguns, etc...
The obvious ultimate challenge was the long distance shot.
One of the contestants was an Sniper in the Marine Corp.
He helped others on his team “walk” the shot into the target at 1000 yards.
This required a spotter through a scope focusing on the target.
Last week the religious leaders were focusing on Jesus’ person and position.
To which He stated He is the door into the sheepfold, and He is the Shepherd.
The shepherd leads, protects, provides, and loves the sheep.
He revealed to the religious leaders that they were not of the sheepfold and weren’t taking care of their position as shepherds.
He compared them to the priests of old who were going to get God’s wrath because of failing to uphold their duty.
They honed in on Jesus to kill Him; but Jesus revealed to them He would be the sacrificial lamb and all who believed in Him would have eternal life.
You see:
A sniper can have perfect aim, but if he's aiming at the wrong target, perfect accuracy accomplishes nothing!
The religious leaders carefully lined up every shot against Jesus...but completely misidentified the target.
This week the religious leaders are target Jesus’ deity?
Here is a way to view the text for today:
See it as a spectator in a courtroom.
In this courtroom the evidence demands a verdict!
It starts with the religious leaders’ case making themselves the:
Prosecution (22-30)
Prosecution (22-30)
The scene for the prosecution is given in verses 22-23.
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter,
23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.
Scripture highlights the festival as the “feast of dedication” in Jerusalem!
This is a culture wide celebration for all Jews.
It was collective and celebrated by all, and they all still celebrate it today.
What were they celebrating?
It was in the period of history where the Maccabeans, who were a priestly family, led a rebellion against Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
What was the rebellion’s purpose?
Antiochus decided to impose Hellenistic culture and outlaw Jewish religious practices, including the desecrating the Jerusalem Temple.
Outside the obvious: The importance of God only occupying the temple and only Jewish High priests being allowed to enter was perverted by:
Antiochus erecting a statue of Zeus in the Temple.
The Hellenistic culture imposed on the Jews was:
Forced Hellenization: Meaning their dress, Language, customs, and abandoning of all Jewish customs.
Suppression of Jewish traditions was removal of all Jewish observances, Sabbath, circumcision.
Promotion of Greek religion and philosophy required Greek gods and cultural idol worship.
You can see why the Jews would not agree and fight against it.
It was a 3 year fight that Judas Maccabeus continued after the death of his dad Mattathias’, who started the revolution.
The victory brought restoration of the temple, proper worship practices, and a Jewish revival
Named: the Feast of Dedication, or also known as Hanukkah.
Hanukkah is the celebration of Joy!
Joy had returned to the Jews because they were free to worship Yahweh as He had commanded.
Their Joy was in the Lord, and each year they would celebrate the connection they could have with the Lord, because it was restored.
Yet the irony of being in the middle of this celebration to restore true worship and
Israel is rejecting God Himself while standing in the Temple?
Jesus, walking on the porch is cornered and an answer is demanded of Him.
24 So the Jews gathered around Him and said to Him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Have you ever been to a wedding where at the reception a fight breaks out?
It isn’t pretty, and very disrespectful.
This is that moment!
God walking amongst His people probably celebrating the day their Joy in Him was returned.
The mood is ruined by those who want to pick a fight.
Thought:
It’s interesting at the celebration of the rededication of Jewish religious rights, the temple, and the removal of idol worship.
The religious authority has re-instituted the promotion of idol worship (themselves) and the usury of the people for selfish ambition and pride.
Then to find the pompous idea to question the one who isn’t doing things for Himself about His motivation and whether He is the Messiah.
Connection:
When we are selfish it is hard to see past our selves, and we subsequently ignore the obvious.
When we are focused on the wrong things we miss the joy we can have because of the Lord.
Often we pick fights and ruin the moment we could’ve had.
The answer was already given to the religious leaders.
Jesus’ response was: refer to the evidence for your answer.
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name bear witness about Me,
26 but you do not believe because you are not among My sheep.
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
28 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.
Just in case anyone missed the claim:
30 I and the Father are one.”
Transition:
The prosecution had made its accusation.
They didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting for.
They expected a plain answer (maybe it was to trap or “seal the motivation” about Jesus’ blaspheme) and they got it!
They believed they had Jesus cornered with their evidence presented;
But every good courtroom gives the accused an opportunity to answer, and now Jesus presents the evidence that completely overturns their case.
Jesus spoke on behalf of Himself as His own:
Defense (31-39)
Defense (31-39)
They seemed to be victorious in justifying why they were going to kill Him.
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.
He pointed to the evidence for them and all to evaluate between them and God; including us here and now.
32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone Me?”
Which one specifically are you bringing a charge against?
Jesus confronted their motivation and called for a presentation of witnesses against Him.
33 The Jews answered Him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
So...who’s judgment is taking place?
Man’s or God’s?
If our judgment, is to be found righteous the bible provides truth on how:
It must be found in: fairness and impartiality - Deuteronomy 1:16-17
16 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.
17 You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’
There must be Humility - Matthew 7:5
5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
It must be in truth and mercy - James 2:13
13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Connection:
Let’s be honest - Our judgment isn’t always selfless is it?
It isn’t always being done in a humble way with the hope of restoration?
When it's selfishly and pridefully motivated there is no truth and mercy found in it.
The religious abandoned all righteousness in their judgment on Jesus, and they were going to kill Him right there.
We do the same thing when we decide in the moment to pursue our judgment no matter the audience, or severity.
Note:
It’s hard to think clearly enough in the moment to ask ourselves proper questions to evaluate our motivation.
Is this what I want or what is right?
Is this what is best for the other person?
Will this proclaim the Lords desire or is it my desire?
Those who grabbed stones, didn’t just grab hand sized stones either..
The word for “Took up” here describes something held as a heavy weight rather than something they just grabbed; like a “heavy burden”.
This suggests pre-meditated murder, as they carried their weapons into the temple to the porch with the intent to kill Him.
This reveals their motivation for the question: tell us plainly.
Jesus spoke truth and required them to judge:
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’?
35 If He called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken—
36 do you say of Him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe Me;
38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me and I am in the Father.”
Jesus reveals to them that His testimony speaks for itself against their accusations.
The evidence has been examined and shows that Jesus is doing the works of His father, and will continue, until His work is finished: dying on a cross.
That time was not yet!
Jesus may have left; but the trial isn't over, to be re-visited later.
The same Jesus rejected in Jerusalem was received somewhere completely unexpected.
39 Again they sought to arrest Him, but he escaped from their hands.
We find that He left to a place and location where it was much different than where He should’ve found acceptance and praise.
It was a place of:
Those Who Believed (40-42)
Those Who Believed (40-42)
Across the Jordan where John had been preparing the hearts of the people as the forerunner for Jesus.
The hearts were prepared, they witnessed the baptism of Jesus, heard the commissioning of the Lord’s voice about Jesus and accepted it.
All this time I bet there was rumors of Jesus’ healing, and the defying of the religious leaders, their system and stating the truth: they weren’t shepherds.
They received Him there.
40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there He remained.
41 And many came to Him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.”
42 And many believed in Him there.
The phrase remained is specific.
This is true in the sense that Jesus didn’t go back until the day had come for the Lamb to be given as a sacrifice for the atonement of the sins of the people.
He returned to the place John revealed Him as the Messiah.
There were 2 reasons for His return:
A connection to the Baptist.
A connection to the Believer.
41 And many came to Him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.”
People took John at His word and his life lined up with what he preached.
So did Jesus’
The evidence was believed.
Connection:
How about you?
Are you a “Sunday Christian”?
Or does your life evidence a faith in Jesus for each aspect of your life and overflow into each day?
I’m not judging you..Each one of us have areas of our lives the Lord is working on.
What I am asking you is: “If you were accused of being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you”?
Do you spend time in prayer each day?
Do you spend time in study pouring into the scripture each week?
Do you look forward to spending time with the body of Christ (Church)?
Do you have a burden for the lost to find their way into Christ?
Maybe you’re sitting here and aren’t sure if you consider yourself a believer in Christ...
He died for your sins to restore a relationship between you and Him, accept His offer and believe in Jesus and live eternally.
Better than escaping from Hell is the relationship you get with Him!
Don’t be as the prideful religious in Jerusalem, be like those where John preached:
Miracles weren’t needed, they evaluated what was said compared to the evidence, and the evidence proves Jesus is God!
42 And many believed in Him there.
Conclusion:
The religious leaders had every shot lined up against Jesus.
They had the witnesses.
The accusation.
The stones already in hand — carried with intent.
By every human measure, they were walking the shot in.
But they were aiming at the wrong target.
The evidence wasn't ambiguous.
The works of the Father were right in front of them.
The only thing standing between them and the truth was their own pride.
That's still the choice in front of every person who hears or reads this text.
If you've never trusted Christ:
The evidence is the same evidence it's always been:
His works, His words
His claim to be one with the Father.
You don't need a sign you haven't already been given.
What you need is to stop building a case against Him and let the case He's already made stand.
He didn't come to argue with you — He came to die for you, so that the relationship broken by sin could be restored.
Lay down the stones!
Believe in Him, and you will have eternal life.
And if you do believe — if you're already a sheep who knows His voice — then let this text examine you the same way it examined them.
Is your life building a case for Christ, or quietly against Him?
People didn't need another miracle.
They simply lined up what John had said against what they now saw in Jesus, and the evidence held up.
That's still the test.
Not perfection, but a life whose evidence matches its confession — prayer that's actually prayed,
the Word actually opened,
a love for His people,
and a burden for the lost.
The text closes on the only verdict that matters:
"And many believed in Him there."
Not because the case got easier.
Because they finally judged it rightly.
Submit to His authority.
Accept His grace.
Let your life be the kind of evidence that, when examined, leaves no doubt whose you are.
Faith responds to the evidence while pride rejects it.!
-Pray!
