JOHN 7 NOTES
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 7 viewsNotes
Transcript
intro:
JOHN 7:1-2 THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES (THAT POINTED TO THE MESSIAH)
develop the truth that the feast of Tabernacles (which celebrated God’s provision through the wilderness and water) pointed to Jesus (who was the spiritual rock from which they drank.
For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
This is an incredible passage because it reveals that while they were fed with Manna and given water from a rock in the wilderness, they did not survive by bread alone and the water was not just physical. The Israelites were sustained spiritually by food and water and verse 4 says that that rock was Christ. (The physical rock stayed but the spiritual rock went with them.)
So the significance of what is happening in John 7:37-39 is overwhelming. God used the feast to point to Jesus in an incredible way.
On the first day of the feast, a priest read Zechariah 14:8 which obviously pointed to the Messiah and what Jesus was about to do.
(add note from Life app comm…)
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.
EVEN JESUS’ BROTHERS DID NOT BELIEVE IN HIM.
So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in him.
Having sibling can be great at times and very difficult at times. Sometimes they are your supporters and at other times they seem to be your opponents.
Ill: Sometimes my brothers were my helpers, protectors and supporters, but at other times they made fun of me and belittled me. I do not say that to complain because this is the case with everyone who has had siblings at some point or another.
Illum: As you are first reading through this is may seem that Jesus brothers are telling Him to show Himself to the world so people would believe until it says, “For not even his brothers believe in Him.” So they were really mocking Him in a way.
If at times you feel that people in your life are not supporting you faith, even close family, you are not alone, even Jesus’ own family did not believe in Him in the beginning.
Jesus did not just say that you must love God more than even your family, He demonstrated it as He did God’s will.
Think about what has been said up to this point in the chapter. Jesus enemies want to kill Him and His own brothers do not believe in Him.
APPLICATION: DO WHAT GOD TELLS YOU EVEN IF NO ONE BELIEVES YOU OR SUPPORTS YOU.
(DO NOT LET ANYONE’S OPINION OR FAUX TRUTH KEEP YOU FROM EXPERIENCING THE LIVING WATER CHRIST OFFERS.) WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN LETTING KEEP YOU FROM COMING TO CHRIST?)
DISBELIEF, DIVISION AND BELIEF
ONE OF THE BIGGEST THEMES IN JOHN 7 IS RELATED TO THE GREATER THEME OF THE BOOK; BELIEF IN JESUS. BUT JOHN 7 GIVES A PICTURE OF DIFFERING BELIEFS OF THOSE WHO KNEW ABOUT JESUS.
There are a lot of examples of disbelief and division surrounding who Jesus really was.
This chapter reveals all of the talk concerning Jesus among the Jews at the time.
EVEN JESUS’ OWN BROTHERS DID NOT BELIEVE IN HIM.
We get a glimpse into the reasons and thinking behind the disbelief people have at times.
all the verses concerning what people believed about Jesus:
Vv 6-7 WHY DOES THE WORLD HATE JESUS?
Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.
If you look at our culture and world today would you say that it hates Jesus?
Jesus was so hated in His day by the religious leaders that they wanted to kill him. It was not just because Jesus was a treat to their positions and power.
Jesus reveals the greater reason in verse 7: “it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.”
This did not just apply to Jesus, but Jesus told His disciples that the same would happen to them.
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.
We may be hated and we may be persecuted for the same reason that Jesus was; because He testified that its works are evil.
John the baptizer was killed because He told Herod that His works were evil.
Application: DO WE FACE ANY OPPOSITION BECAUSE WE TESTIFY THAT THE WORLD’S (OR INDIVIDUALS) WORKS ARE EVIL?
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT THAT WE TESTIFY TO WORKS THAT ARE EVIL?
BECAUSE IF WE DO NOT SHINE THE OF TRUTH ON THE DARKNESS NO KNOW WILL COME TO THE LIGHT.
Why did Jesus testify to that the world’s works were evil? It was not out of pride or because He was pushed.
If you do not point out the evil in the world then how can anyone see the need for repentance. John the baptist’s and Jesus message was to repent. While it brought hatred because hard hearted people do not like to be told they are wrong, it also brought softer hearted people to change.
There is a passage in Ephesians that reveals this as well.
for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,
Testifying that the works of the world are evil by teaching the truth of Christ exposes them allowing people to see the need to repent.
Vv 14-19 JESUS’ TEACHING WAS NOT HIS OWN/ OUR TEACHING SHOULD NOT BE OUR OWN
The gospels testify in a number of places about how incredible Jesus’ teachings were. Here in John 7 the same is pointed out more than once.
In verse 46 the temple guards who were sent to arrest Jesus come back without Him. When Asked why they did not arrest Him they say;
The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”
Because Jesus’ teachings were so different, and powerful and authoritative the Jews asked in 7:15:
The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?”
Jesus was not taught under any of the major religious teachers of that day. So they wondered where He learned what He was teaching. Jesus’ answers as to why His teaching were so much greater...
So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.
THIS IS A POWERFUL MESSAGE FOR US FOR TODAY FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS:
It does not matter who is teaching, how dynamic or popular if their teaching does not come from God. JESUS POINTS OUT THE MOTIVES OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT TEACHING GOD’S TRUTH BUT THEIR OWN TEACHING; THEY WANT PERSONAL GLORY.
Why do we teach? What is our motivation? What we should want more than anything else is to glorify God and teach for His purposes.
Later on in the chapter the Pharisees use the fact that none of the Pharisees had believed in Him to try to claim Jesus was not from God. Religious position does not determine truth, God and His word do.
We should test everything we hear to see if the one teaching is teaching what is from God. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT CONTRADICTING BELIEFS TODAY. JUST LIKE ALL THE OPINIONS OF THE JEWS DURING THE FEAST IN JOHN 7, NOT ALL OF THEM COULD BE RIGHT.