Who Is Jesus, Really?

CHANGE THE ANGLE OF THE SUBPOINTS TO....

HERE’S THE QUESTION...

HERE IS JESUS’ ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION...

WHY DIDN’T THE OTHERS SEE THIS THEMSELVES...

Three questions you must answer in order to discover who Jesus...

(1) Where Did Jesus Come From?

John 7:25–31 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. 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?”

There were two opposing views on Jesus’ origins...

The Jerusalemites (25-27)

Their opinion was strictly a viewpoint of geography and genealogy. The only conclusion is that Jesus was just another man.

Jesus (28-29)

Jesus spoke the truth that he was sent from God. This means that Jesus was the Son of God. This means that his teaching was true. This means that he is the one that they had been longing for. This means that they were dead wrong about him.

What do you say?

Is Jesus just another man?

Is Jesus really the Son of God?

We respond to these question with our words and actions. Our actions are more important.

See v. 31

(2) Where Did Jesus Go?

John 7:32–36 ESV

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. 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’?”

There were conflicting views on this as well in this encounter...

(1) The Pharisees / Jews (35-36)

They thought that Jesus was about to break camp and try to run from them. They thought he was going to hide among the Greeks...

[MORE RESEARCH HERE]

If Jesus was going to hide then he was just a phony and not worhty of believing...

(2) Jesus (33-34)

Jesus was talking about going to be with God the Father. He was talking about going back to his eternal abode. The place where he had always been.

This means that Jesus is exactly who He said He was. His destination defines His identity. If he was just a dude buried in a tomb, then He was a liar. Since he is in the presence of God, it means that He is LORD.

(3) Why Was Jesus Here?

Jesus said something that revealed why He was here...

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.

???

The response of the people reveals that this question is just as important today as it was then...

[RESEARCH WATER CEREMONY of SUKKOTH]

John 7:40–52 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. 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 people’s response was all over the map...

(1) This really is the Prophet

(2) This is the Christ

(3) Some still questioned (41-42)

(4) Some wanted to arrrest Jesus

What’s the difference?

BELIEF.