Sermon Tone Analysis

Turn in your Bibles to John chapter 7.

Introduction

As Americans, we tend to have a natural, deeply ingrained suspicion of authority.

It seems like the stronger the leader, the more extensive the authority they claim, the more suspicious we become.

In general, that suspicion is not a bad thing.

History has taught us well that leaders who make much of themselves and revel in exerting authority typically do not serve the interests of the people well.

I have in mind leaders like Hitler, Stalin, the Persian Empire, and basically any empire you can think of.

We even have this loathing built-in to some of our favorite movies.

Take Star Wars, for example.

The whole plot line is the Rebels fighting against the evil Emperor Palpatine as he tries to exert and expand his authority over the whole universe.

The authoritarian leader is evil, the Rebels fighting against him are good.

But sometimes that fierce independence, that rebel spirit, carries over into our spiritual lives as well.

We subconsciously transfer our suspicion of authority to God as well, questioning or rebelling against his authority over our lives, making him out like Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars.

It’s a conflict that dates back to the Garden of Eden— “Did God really say…?

You will not surely die… God just doesn’t have your best interests at heart.”

As we pick back up in our series in the Gospel of John in chapter 7 today, we see this conflict intensifying as Jesus’ claims to authority bring him into more and more conflict with the religious leaders and others who desire to have the authority for themselves.

The fundamental reason for this conflict boils down to an issue of authority.

Even still today, we see a conflict between those who willingly submit to Christ’s authority and those who sinfully rebel.

FCF: Our fallen world—and our own sinful hearts—rebel against a higher authority.

But in John 7 we see that submission to Christ’s authority is in our best interests and is the only way to salvation.

Read John 7:1-24

Prayer for illumination and submission to God’s Word.

Passage Intro and Overview

John 7 is a long chapter and we won’t be reading all of it today, so I want to start by drawing your attention to what all happens in the chapter because I’ll make reference to some of the latter parts of the chapter throughout my sermon today.

v.8 probably means, ‘not yet going’ to the feast

‘My time’ and ‘your time’ = ‘time of glorification’ (see v. 39)

The Festival (or “Feast”) of Booths was a 7 or 8 day celebration and remembrance of God’s provision for the people of Israel during their wandering in the wilderness.

More on this later.

The bulk of chapter 7 is a back and forth between Jesus and those who believe or refuse to believe in him.

Cycles of Division and Conflict in Jn 7:

vv.

1-13 With Jesus and his brothers

vv.

14-24 With the religious leaders over interpreting the Law

vv.

25-31 Amongst the people over where his authority/claim to the title Messiah comes from

vv. 32-36 With the religious police & Pharisees

vv.

37-39 Jesus offers salvation

vv.

40-52 The people and religious leaders argue over Jesus

This passage is all about Christ’s authority and shows us that:

Christs’ authority gives us courage to proclaim God’s Word

In spite of opposition (v.

13-14)

Some people had started to believe in Christ but for fear of what others might think remained silent.

In contrast to this, Christ was bold enough to go into the temple and preach, even when the authorities were seeking to arrest him.

(vv.

11 & 14)

As Christians, our message is a controversial and offensive one.

We can have confidence in our evangelism when we remember that we are just the messengers.

It is not our message but God’s.

In spite of our own weaknesses and shortcomings (v.

15)

This passage doesn’t devalue theological training

Pharisees depended upon not only the Law but also Rabbinical teaching as authoritative and binding on Jews

Most Rabbis made incessant references to the Rabbinical writings in their teachings, always appealing to a prior Rabbi for authority in their teachings

While all Jews would have a basic knowledge of the Law, only those who had undergone Rabbinical training would have extensive knowledge of the Law and be able to hold their own in an argument with a Pharisee

Jesus was very well versed in Scripture, beyond the norm for an “untrained” laypersonJesus’ claim to the title “Rabbi” and his practice of gathering disciples and teaching publicly incensed the Pharisees because Jesus had circumvented their Rabbinical processes.

The crux of the issue is that the Rabbis drew upon the authority of the Rabbinical teachings handed down to them from former Rabbis, whereas Jesus cited no Rabbinical sources.

He seemed to teach from his own authority!

(Mat.

7:28-29)

This led to constant criticism from the Scribes and Pharisees; they repeatedly accused Jesus of “bearing witness to himself” and “teaching from his own authority”

Their criticism is potentially valid--we do not have authority in and of ourselves.

If we teach new doctrines which are not in Scripture and not from God, then we are teaching false doctrine.

Jesus himself acknowledges this in Jn. 5:19-47, especially Jn 5:31

But what they failed to grasp--and what Jesus repeatedly says--is that his teaching came straight from the Father.

Jesus’ teaching had authority which was not based upon formal training or upon intelligence but upon his commission from God himself.

Christ had no formal training, yet he boldly preached God’s Word, because it was God’s Word!

While education is helpful, it is not the basis of our authority.

God’s Word is.

You don’t have to be able to answer every question that an unbeliever poses to you.

You just have to point them to God’s Word.

Christ’s authority causes division

It divides believers and unbelievers

Some think he is a “good man” (v.

12)

Some think he’s the Christ (v. 26, 31, 41)

Some think he’s the Prophet (v.

40)

Others think him evil

A heretic or deceiver (v. 12, 47-48)

Demon-possessed or crazy (v.

20)

Imagine for a moment that some random person walked in off the street, took the pulpit, and began to preach.

You’d have every right to ask him, “What authority do you have to preach here?”

The authority to preach must be granted by God and the church.

Christ’s authority demands a response

Christ’s claims are too audacious to simply dismiss

He claimed to have the authority of God the Father (v.

17, 28-29)

He claimed to have authority over the Law and Moses (vv.

22-23)

He claimed to be the exclusive source of Salvation and the Holy Spirit (vv.

37-38)

Every morning of the feast, a golden flagon of water is brought to the temple from the Pool of Siloam.

While the pilgrims sing hallelujahs, the priests carry the flagon in procession around the altar, and pour out the water before the Lord.

The action celebrates how God provided water for his people in the desert, and will one day pour out his Spirit on all humankind.

On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stands up and shouts an invitation.

‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink!’

He is the real source of life which this water ceremony is celebrating.

He is the One through whom the Spirit will be given.

By claiming that belief in him generated “rivers of living water” within a person, Jesus is connecting himself with Yahweh of the OT who provided water for his people from the Rock.

Christ’s authority makes demands upon our lives

Conclusion: Are you submitting to Christ’s authority?

Are you walking daily with him in his Word and in prayer?

Are you “making disciples?”

Are you giving faithfully to his church and its mission?

Have you submitted your life to him?