Come and Believe in Jesus
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
IF you have a copy of God’s word I would ask that you turn with me to John Chapter 7 this morning, starting in verse 32… I have titled this message “Come and Believe in Jesus”
As I was thinking about what to preach this morning, I went through several different texts, asking God if he wanted me to preach something other than the gospel of John, and I personally felt that we should continue studying this great gospel, because it connects so well with gospel message. The gospel message promises all those who come and believe in Jesus have eternal life. Which is the main idea of this very text today.
Now before I read God’s word today I would like to pray for this time.... Please pray with me…
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 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? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
37 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. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 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.
40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
Main idea for those taking notes.. All those who come and believe in Jesus have eternal life. x2
In this text today we are coming to the close of the festival of tabernacles, and over the last two weeks together we have seen a progression happen. Two weeks ago we saw that Jesus accomplishes all his goals in due time. And Last week we saw that Jesus the Theologian’s teaching is heavenly, righteous, and true. And those ideas are woven into todays text as well several times.
And in the text today Jesus is going to continue teaching to them, and through his teaching, the jewish people are going to continue in there lack of understand standing of who Jesus is, and what he is actually talking about, and because of this many want him dead.
The pharisees heard the crowd, Muttering about him as we see in the text and all these different opinions of who Christ is, and because of this division happening an unlikely alliance forms, between the Chief Priests and the Pharisees, who traditionally were not on the same page. They had different teachings, different social standings, yet collectively came together and wanted to arrest Jesus. Wanted him out of picture, so they sent officers to arrest him.
Now these officers were guards of the temple, they were well learned themselves, and I will talk about them more later , when they hear Jesus for themselves. But through all this commotion, all that was going on, Jesus began to say something…
33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.”
If you have been with us you know Jesus was doing the work of God, that he himself is God, and that he does things on God’s timing and not other peoples. He is not going to be with the people forever he is going to be with them just a little longer, and where he is going they will not find him.
He is going back to where is he is from, back to heaven, back to glory after he does his work here on earth.
If you are taking notes or following along in your bulletin the 1st point I want you take note of this…
You must come to Jesus to have Eternal life.
You must come to Jesus to have Eternal life.
After Jesus said these things, John says…
35 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? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
They truly questioned where could he go where we cannot hind him. And as we have seen time and time again in this gospel is that the people who Jesus is interacting with tend to always think in physical ways, rather than seeing what Jesus was truly teaching them.
It wasn’t like Jesus was going to play hid and seek with these people, and say come find me if you can, he was returning back to the Father.
They thought maybe he is going to the Dispersion which is in fact where his message would go. The dispersion refers to members of Israel who were dispersed around the world, because of persecution or conquest, and the message of Christ would in fact reach people all of the world, especially after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. So people from all nations could come to him.
Now later in this gospel we will see he teaches greeks, and gentiles, but the place where he is going is a place where they cannot go.
The text jumps to the last day of the feast the great day. Jesus is going to say something that ties into what part of what the feast is about.
Listen to his words. John 7:37-39
37 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. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 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.
What actually happened during this feast is important to understand. One Scholar said this about this feast. On the seven days of the Feast, a golden flagon ( giant container ) was filled with water from the pool of Siloam and was carried in a procession led by the High Priest back to the temple. As the procession approached the watergate on the south side of the inner court three blasts from the—a trumpet connected with joyful occasions—were sounded. While the pilgrims watched, the priests processed around the altar with the flagon, the temple choir singing the Hallel which is (Pss. 113–118;. When the choir reached Psalm 118, every male pilgrim shook a (willow and myrtle twigs tied with palm) in his right hand, while his left raised a piece of citrus fruit (a sign of the ingathered harvest), and all cried ‘Give thanks to the Lord!’ three times. The water was offered to God at the time of the morning sacrifice, along with the daily drink-offering (of wine). The wine and the water were poured into their respective silver bowls, and then poured out before the Lord. Moreover, these ceremonies of the Feast of Tabernacles were related in Jewish thought both to the Lord’s provision of water in the desert and to the Lord’s pouring out of the Spirit in the last days. Pouring at the Feast of Tabernacles refers symbolically to the messianic age in which a stream from the sacred rock would flow over the whole earth. The water-pouring ceremony is interpreted in these traditions as a foretaste of the rivers of living water foreseen by Ezekiel (47:1–9) and Zechariah (13:1). In these traditions the water miracle in the wilderness (Ex. 17:1–7; Nu. 20:8–13; cf. Ps. 78:16–20) is in turn a forerunner of the water rite of the Feast of Tabernacles. ( So the feast is a foreshadow of Jesus, and his kingdom to come )
Now going back to the text with a little more background information, Jesus is quoting another prophet. Isaiah and in Isaiah 55:1 he says this..
1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Jesus saying becomes a little more impactful. We talked about this a little bit on Wednesday night, but Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Feast of Tabernacles, and all the Jewish festivals and all those who come and drink this water have eternal life.
Isaiah says to come everyone who is thirsty. Jesus says if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink. This isn’t one of those occasions like we have often have where we can go to the fridge and drink whatever we find, this is like a man, or women is the desert desperate for something to drink and Christ is giving them this water that flows like rivers.. He not only gives, but he gives in abundance. He gives a river when we need a drop… And the best thing about this water is free.
Despite the rise in inflation rising in our country, the gift of eternal life has not changed, and this water is free. Grace does not cost you a thing. This water from God is the only thing that truly satisfies. Just like someone in the desert receiving an abundance of water in need, God refreshes the soul in deed. Its all satisfying to a soul in need. And those who come to him can have eternal life in Christ indeed.
This drinking is a continually thing as you walk down the path with Jesus.
I love what John Piper says, “You will never have to search again for a source of satisfaction for your soul. Every river that needs to slow for the joy of your soul will flow from Jesus. When you come to him, you get him, and he never leaves.
Not only do you get Christ and living water that refreshes the thirsty. You get a Spirit that satisfies the soul. And Jesus is referring to the Holy Spirit. The third person of the Trinity. God himself will live in the believer. For those who believed in Christ that day the Holy Spirit would not yet dwell in believers, but it would after Jesus had done the work he promised to do, and return to a place where he is from.
If you are thirsty today for something more, come to Jesus the one who can fully satisfy. But you must come to him to have eternal life.
first point You must come to Jesus to have eternal life.
second point is this…
You must believe in Jesus to have eternal life.
You must believe in Jesus to have eternal life.
Not only must you come to Jesus you must believe in him.
As we continue in the text today, We touched on a similar idea a few weeks ago, at-least the idea that people did not truly know who Christ was and there was much speculation about him, his words as we have seen have a power unlike others. And when the people heard these words they began to speculate…
Some said.. This is really the Prophet.. The Prophet as we have learned during our study of John was prophesied by Moses in Deuternomy. Ill just read verse 18 today.
Deuteronomy 18:15–18 (ESV)
18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
And when the prophet came they did not listen. The biggest problem is they did not listen to the prophet, to Christ who came with life giving words, and a promise of eternal life.
Others said he is the Christ. Christians recognized that he is both the Prophet and the Christ.
Now Many Jews in the first century believed that the Prophet, and the Christ were two different people. So how could Christ be both they may have wondered.
But others in text 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?
We have already answered this question last week, that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, we see this in Matthew Chapter 2.
I find the irony in the text this morning to be fascinating. Because they knew where the Christ would come from, but thought Jesus was from Galilee, although he was not. They got the answer to where the Christ would come from right, but they missed where he is from. Let me say that again. They got the answer to where the Christ would come from, but they missed where he is from.
The people were divided about what they thought of Jesus. Even today, We could survey a 100 people asking them about what they think of Jesus, who he really is, and you could get 100 different answers.. Some saying he is the Christ, some say he is good teacher, some saying he is fraud, some saying he was just misunderstood. Ect… But as one of my good friends told me one time, you either believe that Jesus is a Liar a Lunatic or Lord.
And he is Lord and they missed it they did not believe that he was the prophet nor the Christ. Don’t miss that he is both today.
Continuing in our text John 7:45-46
45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”
There is much division among the people about Jesus, and this is continuing with the officers and the chief priests and Pharisees. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when this happened. It would be a spicy encounter I am sure. The text doesn’t say there was some great defence of Jesus, but there was this statement.
No one ever spoke like this man… Remember these men where themselves well- learned they knew the scriptures, and they were probably like this man is different, not sure how, but man Jesus is something special. No one is like him..
and the Pharisees you would think.. would ask why do you think this way???… instead they say something we would probably grow to expect from them. Have you also been deceived…
The Pharisees were accusing them of being deceived by Christ. And they try themselves to change the minds of the officers. They say…
48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?
They are essentially telling them, look you don’t see any of us believing in Christ, and we are the authority when it comes to these types of things. We know what is right.. Don’t you think if Jesus was who he said he was, we would believe. Trust us we know the right things. Sounds much like many today… So many say, we have the right answers you dont. But only God’s Word can tell you about him.
Verse 49…
49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”
In there minds the one’s accursed were the people in the crowd who began to buy into the fact that Jesus was the Christ. That he was the prophet. These common people could not understand who the Christ is because they are unlearned, is what they were saying, but the reality is the one who is deceived and cursed are the ones who don’t believe. and that was the Pharisees and because they did not belief they could not have eternal life.
One Pharisee said in , John 7:50-51
50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”
Nicodemus seemed to be at first trying to do the right thing, Now Jesus is chapter 3 told Nicodemus you have to be born again to have eternal life, and that entailed believing in Jesus which they did not do.
However Nicodemus talked about how to handle this event, they were suppose to hear Jesus out, but they did not do anything the right way, and rather than them saying your right. They come after him.. They tell Nicodemus John 7:52
52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
Now again, there is some irony here, because these men who claimed to know the scriptures, better than Christ himself, who is the Word. missed the fact that Micah, Elijah, and Jonah were all from Galilee. They are telling a fellow Pharisee listen if you search the scriptures you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.
There problem was unbelief and there own lack of understanding what the scriptures say… And the scriptures testify that Jesus is the Christ, He is Lord, and the scripture we read today says if you come to me and believe in me as the scripture has said, will flow rivers of living water, and you yourself will have the spirit.
We can have the Spirit because of what happened on the cross. Remember he said when Jesus is glorified this would take place. The Good news of easter is this Jesus came to die for sinners, but he did not stay dead. He is alive, and the scriptures point to that very thing If you have a bible follow along with me or listen to God’s word I am going to highlight some texts in John 19 and 20. Starting in John 19:16
John 19:16–42 (ESV)
16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.
So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”
38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
keep Listening…
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Alot of scripture there.. But Folks I wanted to drive home the point of why we are here today, and each and every Sunday, because the tomb is empty, and Jesus is alive, he is not like the cemetery across the road. he has fulfilled the scriptures, and what he said for them on that day came to pass, and for us today that means if we come to Jesus and drink from him living water, and believe in him we can have eternal life, we can have forgiveness and the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.
So the question is do you believe the scriptures today or are you like the crowd and the pharisees not knowing what to make of Jesus? If you are in that boat let me warn you right now, the biggest sin you have commited in this life is not something you may have done, but not believing in him. See Jesus had to die, had to be buried because of our sin. Had to rise again proving he had dominion. Because Our sin separates us from God, makes us enemies of him. The sin of unbelief manifests itself in a variety of different way’s my friends. But don’t let the sin of unbelief send you to hell.
Jesus is who he said he is, and he is alive, he is not dead and he died for sinners, but today if you come to him and you repent and believe. Repentance is turning away from sin, and trusting in Christ alone for salvation you can have eternal life, and out of your new heart will flow rivers of living water, and the Holy Spirit will be living in you. (There is so much more that could be said, but Jesus is alive, and you can be to if you come and believe in him.
Every week we have a time of response. Today I want you to honestly ask your self have I come to Jesus and believed in him, or have I spent my whole life not truly believing Jesus is the Christ....
If thats you today when we sing in our time of response, come forward, no shame here, every believer in this room was like you at one time, but God changed our hearts just like he can change yours.. we want you to know Christ personally. Grace does not cost you a thing.. Also if you want to be obedient by being baptized or you want join this church respond in that way. Also if you need prayer today, I would love to pray for you. Those things always have a standing invitation besides today.
Respond how the Lord leads you today, and know. All those who come and believe in Jesus have eternal life.