Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Jesus at the Feast of Booths

Remembering God’s faithfulness to his people in the wilderness

Time of the grape and olive harvest…celebration

Booths, Tabernacles, temporary dwellings with long palm branches, for a 7 day festival in Jerusalem.

Out of the three major festivals (Passover, Pentecost, Booths) this was the most popular.

Last week: John 7:1-13,

Show yourself to the world, Jesus (his brothers)

Jesus’ assessment of the world—it’s evil

The world’s assessment of Jesus (good man, leading people astray, unbelief)

This week

Jesus has gone up to the Feast of Booths…in private not in public.

He begins to teach.

Jesus is obviously the perfect model of teaching that comes from God.

And what I want us to look at in this section of John 7 is 5 characteristics of Teaching from God.

Exemplified perfectly in Jesus.

And that I think we still see today when God’s word is rightly taught all around the world.

5 Characteristics of Teaching from God.

Outline: Teaching from God...

Point 1: Is powerful (v.14-16).

Point 2: Has God’s glory as the focal point (v.17-18).

Point 3: Will face opposition (v.19-20).

Point 4: Rightly understands the law (v.21-23).

Point 5: Gives accurate judgment of the world (v.

24).

Point 1: Is powerful (v.14-16).

Private to Public

Jesus begins in private

Jesus refused to show himself to the world in the way that his brothers tempted Jesus to.

He didn’t want a sort of premature triumphal entry.

So, he’s gone down to the feast in private.

Moves to public teaching

And towards the middle of the feast, Jesus has avoided whatever he wanted to avoid, and so he begins to teach in the temple complex

Temple

typical for rabbis to teach in the temple.

Multiple teachers in the temple complex at one time with groups sitting around them

Content of teaching (v.14)

Often take a passage from the Old Testament and explain its meaning…and the Rabbis would often cite the Jewish sources from which they drew their teaching.

Unlike today, there wasn’t an infatuation with the novel.

Most of the Jewish people there would respect teaching if there was some sort of historical precedent or lineage to the teaching.

Jesus teaching is different

You can tell that by the Jewish people’s response.

John 7:15 “15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?””

James Montgomery Boice:

“Where did he get this teaching?”

Hidden within their question was the deeper question as to whether or not anything so radical and new could be trusted.

We see the importance of this question when we realize that many persons ask it today when they hear true Christian teaching for the first time.”Jesus

hasn’t studied under any famous Rabbi.

His teaching is different and here’s why:

Look at what Jesus says in v.16

John 7:16 “16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.”

His teaching comes from the one with ultimate authority…from the author of the Scriptures...

in fact…Jesus himself is the author of the Scriptures.

He teaches with power

And the authority of this teaching from God is powerful!

The people recognize that there is power to it!

Whether they accept it or reject it…they recognize it’s different!

Application:

Love to Have Been There!

Jesus’ understanding of the Scriptures was unparalleled.

Can you imagine the author of the Scriptures standing there and explaining them to you.

Illustration: Walking through Greeley West High School

tour guide showing some of the details.

Different experience walking through it with the chief architect and engineers.

The ones who devised the plans and then implemented them.

With Jesus…you have the author and perfecter of our faith explaining the Scriptures!

Teaching Has Power Today!

Gospel message and the truth of Scripture is just as powerful today!

It’s different than any other message out there!

It explains our life experience better than any other philosophical system or worldview out there.

It explains what goes on in our minds and hearts.

It explains what’s going on in the world around us.

It shows us that salvation isn’t a matter of being a good person…but that we need to trust in the work of another…our good and loving Savior…who accomplished salvation for us!

It’s a message that gives us hope and purpose in this life!

Transition to Point 2: Teaching from God...

I think we see some of that purpose laid out in our next two verses.

So let’s move to our the second characteristic of teaching from God.

Point 1: Is powerful (v.14-15).

Point 2: Has God’s glory as the focal point (v.17-18).

Point 2: Has God’s glory as the focal point (v.17-18).

Understanding Truth

Born Again—new will

If you want to understand truth…v.

17 says that you need to be born again.

You need to be given a new will.

By nature, we are living according to our own will.

When we’re born again…we’re given new hearts that love God and want to seek after him.

Desire to do God’s will

Matthew 7:21-23 “21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Jesus teaches with the authority of God (v.16-18)

God’s People Know The Truth

V.17—God’s people can tell his teaching...

Sniff test.

My sheep know my voice.

1 John 2:20 “20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.”

1 John 2:27 “27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you.

But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.”

Illustration: Bella & Ethan

Bella…she can be in the other room laying on the couch…and I say her name… “Bella”…and I can hear her tail start thumping on the couch....why?

Because she knows my voice.