God's Ways and God's Timing

if you have your bibles/devices… please stand if your able and follow along as I read God‘s word. This is the word of the Lord. Let’s pray. Please be seated.

God’s ways are not our ways

The Festival of Tabernacles (or the Feast of Booths) fell at the end of September and the beginning of October. It was one of the obligatory festivals, and every adult male Jew who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem was legally bound to attend it. But devout Jews from far outside the 15 mile radius delighted to go to it. It lasted altogether for eight days.

Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of John (Rev. and updated., Vol. 1, p. 269). Saint Andrew Press.

Jesus’ public appearance at the Feast of Tabernacles in John 7 and 8 is a perfect example of how John portrays Jesus as fulfilling the very essence of the Jewish festal calendar. The Feast of Booths celebrated God’s provision for the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings. The Israelites engaged in water-pouring and torch-lighting rituals to commemorate water coming out of the rock and God guiding his people by a pillar of fire in the book of Exodus. For Jesus, the festival is anything but an occasion for Jewish nationalistic pride or even for reliving the past. Rather, he announces that he is the very embodiment of what the Jewish people celebrate. He is one with the God who led Israel at the exodus and will lead his people in a new exodus through his death on the cross. As Andreas Kostenberger says it, “This was not Theology 101; instead, he sought to impart to his listeners a lesson in Advanced Biblical Theology.”

John gives us insight into Jesus’ family and interactions with His brothers. Jesus had half brothers. After Mary gave birth to Jesus, we know that Joseph and Mary went on to have children. Jacob, or James in our Bible, was the pastor of the early church and we have his letter today, called James to the church. But what John records here is an interaction between Jesus and his brothers.

Jesus’ brothers declare that he must show himself openly if he wishes to gain more followers (7:4); this was generally sound political advice from the culture, this makes a lot of sense. For the last four American Presidential elections, the campaigning season begins a year and 7 months before the actual election. John regards this comment as an expression of unbelief (7:5). They condemn acting in secrecy, yet Jesus ultimately goes to the feast secretly (7:10). Like those who expected a fleshly, political messiah and kingdom (6:15; 18:36), Jesus’ brothers wanted to see immediate evidence of Jesus’ claimed identity… maybe they wanted him to prove it, or perhaps to vindicate the family’s honor; by contrast, Jesus was committed to the Father’s timing (7:6). They demand an “open” revelation in a manner similar to Jesus’ enemies (10:24).

The Gospel of John: A Commentary, Volumes 1 & 2 (1. Jesus and His Brothers (7:1–9))

I get the wisdom of the world… a lot of times it comes about by experience and observation. Often times when we see the wisdom of the world it is characterized by selfish desires or at the expense of others for another’s gain. There is a saying, “all press is good press”… but let me say, this is not the timetable or way that God sought to play it out. When we think, know, and believe that God is completely for us, doesn’t want us to sidestep His process, receiving the best thing for us to shape, mold, and form us into His image, we can easily say no to the “obvious things of the world… or the worldly wisdom.”

Isaiah 55:8-11 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

Sometimes when we listen to God and say, “yes” to Him, there are those around us that say “what?”. “That’s dumb”, “Why would you do that?”, “That doesn’t make any sense to me.” If that’s you… if God has called you into something, if God has called you out of something, if you are sacrificing something that others don’t understand, but you are doing it out of obedience to God… John wants us to see that we are in good company. Jesus was misunderstood too in being committed to following God’s leading.

I’ll say this too, Jesus says John7:6 “Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.”

He’s telling them, people will know who I am, but it’s not time yet… things aren’t fully ready to be revealed. BUT your time is always here. OUR TIME IS ALWAYS HERE TO BE READY TO BELIEVE IN HIM. BELIEVE IN WHO HE SAID HE IS. This is our opportunity to lean in and believe Him for who He is.

Working in the margins

Jesus goes up to the feast in private. I don’t know how you picture Jesus in your head, but here is perfect example that He is like many of us. He wasn’t looks weren’t so striking that you would think… well of course that’s God in the flesh. No but when God spoke about what Him taking on flesh would look like, He said “The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.”

Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: the Bible in contemporary language (Is 53:2–3). NavPress.

This is how He is able to be among people… Those who were touched by Him, those who loved Him, they could recognize Him. Those who weren’t looking or those that didn’t know Him, they can miss Him in a crowd.

He got to hear what people were saying about Him. This is helpful for me. I’ve been in the lead pastor role/chair for 7.5 almost 8 years now. My predecessor, Pastor David Grisanti, shared with me at one time is there are certain things that you can only know by sitting in the chair for a while and experiencing things first hand. Here is one of the realities: You are going to be misunderstood. And, it happens. Not a lot, but it happens.

Now hear me, I don’t say this for sympathy… you all have probably experienced it too with family, friends, and/or coworkers. I am constantly humbled by this body of believers in the love, care, and generosity that I and my family experience. Some of my pastor friends don’t experience this in their congregations. I’m truly blessed. But we have to be reminded and encouraged that though people are going to talk (some getting it right, some getting it wrong, some not even caring about what they are saying)… we derive our identity and direction from Jesus.

We must derive our identity from Jesus.

I will and have gotten things wrong. I seek to be as defenseless as possible when confronted with missteps, failings, or if I’ve hurt/offended someone. As a follower of Jesus, my worst moments do not tell me who I am. It must be Jesus where I derive my identity and hope.

I am a pastor at this church. I have great honor and privilege to serve you and go with you side by side into the mission of God in this community, city, county, and world. I will not always be a pastor. As a follower of Jesus, I can not let my job define me and give me value and worth.

I am a husband and a dad. I have not always modeled or been the best possible example of a dad or a husband. My children are bright, talented, beautiful, and extremely hilarious. They make me laugh and I’m constantly proud of the way they are growing into young adults. Their choices can not define me or validate me as an individual. Their success and/or failures in life bear no bearing as being beloved of God and cherished by him (girls, this does not mean you can slack off in school or not do your chores).

I just imagine and wonder what Jesus felt as He heard all of these things.

People will talk. People will criticize and people will praise. We take all of those things and bring them before the Lord and allow Him to help play those things out.

Philippians 2:3-11 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Compare verse 3 & 4 with 5-11… see how Paul’s encouragement should flesh out.

A moment for self-examination

Jesus in the middle of the feast week, begins to teach in the Temple. I love how they marvel, because again, according to their understanding and their perception, what’s coming out of His mouth shouldn’t be coming out of His mouth (He didn’t belong to a rabbinical school, didn’t have the degrees, didn’t have what they valued as necessary)

John 7:16-17 “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.”

You know it when you see it. You know it as you live it out. You know it as you give Him your life and He transforms your heart and mind… you know it to be true.

As we read earlier… the discourse is that Jesus is being sought to be put to death because He healed someone on the Sabbath and then He told the man who had been healed of being lame for 38 years to take up his bed and walk… Jesus caused someone else to “work” on the Sabbath… which according to their traditions, was not acceptable.

But Jesus hods up a mirror surrounding circumcision… they would violate the Sabbath to circumcise a male child, but for Jesus to make someone whole… Oh no! (sarcasm)

What does God’s word call us to do in order to be faithful to Him

“I desire mercy not sacrifice”

Signs of the Messiah: An Introduction to John’s Gospel Halfway through the Feast (7:14–36)

Thus, Jesus used the classic “from-the-lesser-to-the-greater argument” against the Jewish leaders, who were excessively concerned with the law of Moses but lacked perspective as to its actual purpose. God’s purpose for issuing the Sabbath commandment was hardly to keep a longtime invalid from being healed. Jesus gave the example of circumcision, which was performed on the eighth day after a child was born (Lev 12:3). If that day fell on a Sabbath, two commands collided. Should one honor the Sabbath or go ahead with circumcising the infant? Jewish first-century practice held that circumcision was to go ahead; the need to obey the circumcision commandment overrode the command to observe the Sabbath rest.

In this way, a precedent had been set; the Sabbath commandment was not absolute but could be set aside in exceptional cases such as circumcision. Based on this precedent, Jesus argued skillfully against his Jewish opponents that if it was appropriate to circumcise a small part of a person’s body, why would it be inappropriate to heal an entire person? Why, for argument’s sake, were they too rigid to allow for an exception in this case, which was of obvious benefit to that person and did not truly violate the spirit of the Sabbath command? It is hard to argue with this line of reasoning. In fact, one cannot help but be impressed with Jesus’ skillful use of logic and in-depth understanding of Scripture.

As we’ll see in a couple weeks, the people did not have a consensus as to who or what the Messiah would be. That is the same today. When we think of fulfilment or God’s role in our life, it is across the board all together different for people. Let me tell you who God is and what He has done that you might experience the love that’s been evading you, the hope that you are grasping for, the peace you are needing to envelope you...

He created all that we see, having always been, forming you and me knowing our inmost desires

That because of our sin, we are separated from Him… it’s that tarnishing, deadening, violation of relationship that has put a gap in-between us.

That in the Bible we see where He promised that He would come and restore that relationship, specifically, not generally, but told us how He would do it so we would know it is Him and not another counterfeit.

He came as a baby, putting on flesh, and walking among us as Jesus of Nazareth, in whom the Bible calls the Christ (or chosen/anointed one)

He was perfectly sinless… but He was approachable (loved by children, loved by sinners, loved by the marginalized, respected by leaders and those who met him), compassionate, kind, focused, and had a mission. This mission was to take on the punishment of dying on a cross (this was predicted (prophesied) too). This punishment did a few things: 1) He showed what God said to be true is exactly what is true 2) It was the penalty of sin, not that He committed, but He took the wrath of God towards our sin upon Himself 3) He overcame sin and death… He eradicated it and it no longer has authority eternally for us 4) By His life, death, and resurrection, He showed us how we ought to live if we are allegiant to Him, following and doing the things that He did.

In rising He demonstrated God’s great power and authority in all that He said and did for all time, previously and in the future.

He ascended into heaven where we will be with Him (if he does not come back first)… He went to prepare a place for you, for me, for those that give their allegiance to Him.

He sent us the Holy Spirit who dwells in and upon us when we believe and confess Jesus as our Lord and King. Like our Lord and King, we no longer live for ourselves but we look to please Him who is greater than we. We operate out of how He has made us in our beauty, uniqueness, and gifting to accomplish His desire and fulfill His will for us… this looks like loving Him, loving others, and sharing the good news with all who will hear. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do the things that He puts in front of us. These things have eternal consequences. We see love produce in our lives, peace, patience, kindness, joy, self control… we see depth and significance.

Our culture is one where the identity of many are in crisis… who am I, do I matter, how do I relate to the things around me. Just as wearing a specific sports jersey identifies you with a team and a culture… so too as we live out the Kingdom of God, with Jesus as King, He becomes the factor in which we derive our identity. He is unchanging, always faithful, worthy of our affection and commitment.

I want to finish reading the rest of Isaiah 55… I read verses 8-11 earlier… I want to read Isaiah 55:12-13 ““For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.””

As we are led of the Lord, as we take His paths and follow His ways, we go out in joy and are led out in peace. And we shall not be cut off from the Lord but enjoy Him forever.

Yield your life to Him today, allow Him to establish you in His ways, and in His ways receive the life intended for you, uniquely and divinely crafted for you. The cost is one of faith, the cost is stepping down off of the throne of your own heart and allowing Him (who loves you wholly) to lead you into the rhythms and paths of His kingdom.

would you stand with me?

I want to invite our elders, deacons, and staff that are here this morning to come down. If you need or want prayer this morning, they are here to pray with you

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