A Skeptical Crowd
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
A Skeptical Crowd
A Skeptical Crowd
key verses
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
john 2.
john 2.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
Jophn 2.,25
Intro and background
In verses 12 to 17 and that’s with the Temple forces, the masses, tens of thousands, upon thousands gathered in the Temple at the Passover time and we have already looked at that, how that Jesus confronted what He saw, the desecration of His Father’s house, turning it into a place of business.
And He made a whip and He threw everyone, including all the animals, out of the Temple.
This...this is a very, very powerful expression of the deity of Jesus Christ, His super-human powers.
There would have been resistance from the crowd in the tens of thousands, multiples of tens of thousands of people there.
There would have been resistance from the Temple police.
The minimum number would be three hundred and there would probably be more for the Passover.
There would have been, in the event there was any reaction by the crowd, and a conflict generated, immediate invasion by the forces of the Romans who were sitting next door watching all of this and ready to quell any disturbance.
‘And yet, with all of those forces set against one man, not with a repeating rifle, but with a little cord, there was no resistance.
John Mc auther - “And yet, with all of those forces set against one man, not with a repeating rifle, but with a little cord, there was no resistance.”
And He evacuated that Temple in a matter of brief time.
No man could have pulled that off.
The tables had been overturned
Their financial livelihood was run off
A major disruption was not in place
No one stood up to Christ - not one
In our text today:
We do not find after all the dust is settled:
repentance
Bowing as confessing of abuse of God’s House or authority
Reconciling with those that were taken advantage of
Nope we find:
Arrogance and elitism
Self proclaimed authority
How do you handle the turning over the tables in your life?
You been confronted with a sin;
You have been challenged on a bad habit
You have been caught red handed
Your children know
Your parents know
Your friends know
You back is against the wall …
just lie
change the story
challenge the facts
say it really was not wrong
it culturally acceptable
Confess and give in to God or come out fighting ...
Illustration
Philippian Jailer
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Acts 16.25-
A Skeptical Crowd will:
A Skeptical Crowd will:
I. Ask for a Sign
I. Ask for a Sign
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
john 2.
Jesus faces the Jewish leaders and their queries about why He had the right, or thought He had the right to do that.
After He had done what He had done to the Temple; they were infuriated, to put it mildly. “What sign do you show us as Your authority for doing these things.”
They’re outraged. “Who do you think you are?” That’s the question. The “Who do You think You are” question which they frequently will ask Jesus because He takes power and authority over things that they think belong to them.
Now they know He’s claiming to be from God because He says,
“You’ve turned My Father’s house into a business.”
Vs 18 They want a sign - So they want a sign. If you’re acting for God, if you’re protecting God, and God is Your Father and You’re the Son of God, well give us a sign, some sign to indicate that You have a valid authority for doing this.
By the way, there’s no repentance on their part. There’s no sorrow. There’s no bowing down and saying you’re right, we desecrated the place, this is absolutely true. We need to repent.
They demand, then, one thing--that is that Jesus give them some sign so that they can validate His right to do this. That’s what they want.
Some people seek after signs and wonders because they do not believe the signs and wonders which have already been performed.
The Pharisees of were just such a lot. Jesus had been performing miracles for quite some time when a group of scribes and Pharisees came to Him with an insolent demand to see another sign. In response, Jesus condemned them as “wicked and adulterous” ().
38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
matt 12.
They were “wicked” in that they refused to believe the signs and wonders Christ had already performed. “In spite of his wonders, they did not believe” ().
32 For all this they sinned still, And believed not for his wondrous works.
Their hearts were hardened towards the truth, even after numerous public miracles. Nothing would make them believe; their hearts were as pharaoh’s, hardened after witnessing so many of Moses’ miracles in Egypt ().
34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken by Moses.
Their hearts were hardened towards the truth, even after numerous public miracles. Nothing would make them believe; their hearts were as pharaoh’s, hardened after witnessing so many of Moses’ miracles in Egypt ().
They were “adulterous” in the spiritual sense, having left the true worship of God to follow a man-made set of rules and traditions.
Not satisfied with the miracles Jesus was doing, they demanded something even greater.
As commentator Matthew Barnes puts it, “They looked for signs of their own devising.” So entrenched was their rejection of Christ that, when later presented with the “sign of the prophet Jonah” (Christ’s resurrection, ), they still would not believe.
What they are basically saying is what gives yo the right to cleanse the temple?
What we say when we are caught red handed in a sin :
Is it really a sin - what give you the right to call it that - show me a sign its wrong....
Does the Bible really address that - show me a sign
The tables have been turned over By God you sin is excused and now you ask God what right do you have?
prove it to me - what arrogance ...
Asking for a sign could be seen as Justifying the sin by comparing ourselves to others
Justifying the sin by comparing ourselves to others
Justifying the sin by our situation
Stop saying what right do you have ? God to call out my sin and turn over the tables in my life?
You interrupted my life
A Skeptical Crowd will:
A Skeptical Crowd will:
4. Some people seek after signs and wonders because they are curious thrill-seekers. Like the crowds in and King Herod in , they want to see something sensational, but they have no real desire to know the truth of Christ.
5. Some people seek after signs and wonders because they hope to get something for themselves. After Jesus fed the multitudes, a large crowd followed Him to the other side of Galilee. Jesus saw their true motivation, however, and rebuked it: “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill” (). The crowd’s desire was not to know Christ or even to see more miracles; it was simply to fill their stomachs again.
Better than seeking after a new miracle is taking God at His Word. Simple faith is more pleasing to the Lord than a reliance on a dazzling sensory experience. “Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’” ().
They were never convinced by the miracles that Jesus did that didn’t fit into their category.
When He healed people on earth, when He cast out demons of people on earth, they saw those as insufficient miracles to convince them. What were they looking for?
A Skeptical Crowd will:
A Skeptical Crowd will:
II. Lack Understanding
II. Lack Understanding
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
This is best understood as a statement of future fact
It’s not a command. He’s not commanding them to destroy Him.
He’s not commanding them to destroy Him; He’s simply making a statement of future fact.
Well, of course, they didn’t understand what He meant by what He said, but they also misrepresented what He said. He never said “I will destroy it.” What He said was, “You will.” Verse 20, this is mockery, just sheer mockery:
Well, of course, they didn’t understand what He meant by what He said, but they also misrepresented what He said. He never said “I will destroy it.” What He said was, “You will.” Verse 20, this is mockery, just sheer mockery:
“The Jews then said, ‘It took 46 years to build this Temple and will You raise it up in three days?’” This is a joke. It’s also a demonstration of their spiritual blindness. I’m sure Jesus made a gesture like this, “Destroy this Temple and three days I’ll raise it up.” Let’s get off this Temple that you’re concerned about and let’s get on this one. And He predicts what they’re going to do in the future accurately.
They were so blind to everything He was saying that it all went right on by without ever attaching to their understanding. So here’s the first illustration of it, verse 20, 46 years according to Josephus, it had been exactly 46 years at this time that the Temple had been under construction.
So they’re looking at Jesus and this is a joke.
This thing is 46 years in the building and you’re going to destroy it and put it back up in three days.
Verse 21, “But He was speaking of the Temple of His body.” “He was speaking of the Temple of His body.”
Isn’t it interesting that He didn’t explain that to them? Why?
Because of , “He’s hidden these things from the wise and the prudent and revealed them to babes.” He wanted the disciples to understand that; He wanted you and I to understand that, because this is evidence of His deity as He predicts the details of the future. But He never said anything to them about it.
A skeptic will never discern what God is saying......
W
It goes right over their heads....
How does this discernment affect the way we live?
How does this discernment affect the way we live? In four ways:
It acts as a means of protection, guarding us from being deceived spiritually. It protects us from being blown away by the winds of teaching that make central an element of the gospel that is peripheral or treat a particular application of Scripture as though it were Scripture’s central message.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
ladies and gentlemen we must
What exactly is discernment? It means "to distinguish, to separate out by diligent search, to examine."
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
The skeptics in our passage had no discernment they were not enlightened or saved
Note: Jesus did not even bother to explain .....
We need to stop trying to debate people into heaven .....
They are not saved .... explaining abortion, the position on homosexuality
let me ask you this are bible concepts and principals boring or over your head?
Do never consider what God says when making a decision ?
3. Again, discernment functions as a key to Christian freedom. The zealous but undiscerning Christian becomes enslaved—to others, to his own uneducated conscience, to an unbiblical pattern of life. Growth in discernment sets us free from such bondage, enabling us to distinguish practices that may be helpful in some circumstances from those that are mandated in all circumstances. But in another way, true discernment enables the free Christian to recognize that the exercise of freedom is not essential to the enjoyment of it.
4. Finally, discernment serves as a catalyst to spiritual development: “The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning” (, NIV). Why? Because the discerning Christian goes to the heart of the matter. He knows something about everything, namely that all things have their common fountain in God. Increase in knowledge, therefore, does not lead to increased frustration, but to a deeper recognition of the harmony of all God’s works and words.
How is such discernment to be obtained? We receive it as did Christ Himself—by the anointing of the Spirit, through our understanding of God’s Word, by our experience of God’s grace, and by the progressive unfolding to us of the true condition of our own hearts.
That is why we also should pray, “I am your servant; give me discernment” (, NIV).
do you ever seek out counsel when making a decision
I have tried to explain bible precepts to people that just look at me ....
When I spoke to a college class at Cannon University
The first question from a skeptic was “Why do you hate gays”
I did not go into the doctrine of sexuality and what the bible says about the subject
He did not or would not accept the bible
I just told him what Christ has done for me and gave him my salvation testimony.
Let me ask you this are you a skeptic that when the bible is explained you either don't care or does it bore you?
You already know what you are going to do ....
john 2.19-
A Skeptical Crowd will:
A Skeptical Crowd will:
III. Will Follow Superficially
III. Will Follow Superficially
John 2.
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
maybe they follow for a while
A skeptic will follow for a while … they say they are believer but in the end they fall away
Look I don't know you hearts .... I can not say you are not a believer
But the God that does know your hearts can say that ....
He refers first to the foundation of the faith (2:23) of those who are said to have “believed in his name” (2:23).
John concludes this part of his record with a reference to Jesus and the believers.
He refers first to the foundation of the faith (2:23) of those who are said to have “believed in his name” (2:23).
They believed because of “the signs” he did.
We must remember that John by no means records all the “signs,” or miracles, which Jesus performed. Indeed, the gospels are sparing in recording miracles.
25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
A faith that rests on miracles is not a very satisfactory or substantial faith. Such a faith always demands more.
John records the flaw in the faith (2:24–25) of those who he says believed. The Lord did not “commit” himself to them, however.
The word commit is the same as believed in verse 23, but the tense is changed.
The “belief of those responding to the signs marks a completed act; the “belief of Jesus indicates a habitual, continued action.
They believed in him; he had no continuing faith in them. John gives the reason:
The “belief of those responding to the signs marks a completed act; the “belief of Jesus indicates a habitual, continued action. They believed in him; he had no continuing faith in them. John gives the reason: “Because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man” (2:24b–25). This attribute of knowing a person’s innermost heart, state, and character is an attribute of God (; ). Here the Lord’s omniscience is clearly stated. It was universal (“he knew all men”) and individual (“he knew what was in man”). He had no need for people to express their thoughts and feelings. He could read them infallibly without that.
But there’s a very interesting play on words here. “Many believed in His name, observing His signs, but Jesus on His part was not entrusting Himself to them.”
That is very interesting. I want you to look more deeply. “Many believed,” that’s the Greek verb pistuo, “Many believed in His name, in His name as Messiah, who He claimed to be.
But” verse 24, “Jesus was not entrusting” [in the NAS, it’s the same word pistuo, “believing”].
But” verse 24, “Jesus was not entrusting” [in the NAS, it’s the same word pistuo, “believing”].
They were believing in Jesus but Jesus was not believing in them.
One commentator said - He had no faith in their faith. He had no trust in their trust. He didn’t believe in their believing.
Right here at the very outset of the gospel of John, we’re introduced to a very important issue throughout all redemptive history, the presence of false, superficial, artificial faith that doesn’t save, that doesn’t save. It’s a reality. It has to be recognized.
The parable of the soils -
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
matt 7.22
many will follow free food
many will follow a good time
many will follow miracles
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
All belief in Him is not true belief.
It is superficial, artificial. It lacks repentance. It lacks the singularity of faith alone by grace alone and it’s muddied up by works. Or it’s superficial, like the soils, right? There were three kinds of soils that seed landed on and they produced no fruit. There was a little emotional response, a little positive reaction, but no fruit.
[1] Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring the Gospel of John: An Expository Commentary (). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.
Look a Skeptical crowd will :
Ask for a sign to excuse sin
Will not discern biblical principals
Will believe as long as the going is easy ....