Sermon Tone Analysis

Exegetical Point: Jesus is working for the Father, on His timeline, for His Glory.

The World hates Jesus and tries to Kill him.

Intro

Kids engagement:

Draw, or write as you try to listen.

Last time we finished the episode of John 6, surrounding the miracle of feeding the 5000, and ending with many of Jesus disciples giving up.

The teaching of Jesus was too hard for them.

Now we’re some time down the road in this next chapter, maybe 6 months or so, but, as we will see, the next part of the story builds on stuff that had happened way back in John 5, where Jesus healed a disable man on the Sabbath, and told him to take his sleeping mat with him.

This passage has a few weird bits that can be a bit jolting, but we should be able to untangle them as we move through the text together.

One of the intriguing themes of John is the way that Jesus is continually misunderstood by other people in the narrative.

The author John continually points out where people just didn’t get Jesus.

He was on another wavelength.

He was from another world.

The same thing is going on in our passage today.

Jesus has to counter the perceptions of those around him to show how he is doing something better.

Lets look at 3 ways Jesus is better than human schemes!

A Better Timeline (v1-10)

Discussion Q: What is the Better Timeline?

After the events of John 5, Jesus had been mainly hanging out in the norther provence of Gallille, because last time he was down south, people had tried to kill him!

But, there is a big festival coming up, and Jesus brothers take it upon themselves to give Jesus advice about how he can raise his public profile, maybe gain a few disciples to make up for those he had lost!

Knowledge curve: We all know people who have a little bit of knowledge on a particular topic, who think they’re experts!

Jesus brothers think that they’re in a position to comment on Jesus ministry!

But here’s the irony, they don’t even think he’s the real deal!

So the advice isn’t even sincere.

But you can empathize with them right?

It makes pretty obvious sense that if you want a bigger following and to have a greater impact, you need to reach more people!

These brothers have missed an important key - Jesus is not working on a human timeline.

He’s not trying to get on trend, or hit growth goals, or promote his brand.

He has an a better timeline, and a better plan.

Another one of the recurring themes in John is the topic of “the hour”.

Jesus refers to a specific time in the future where his earthly ministry will reach it’s climactic moment.

And others around him try to pull Jesus toward that moment before he’s ready.

“the hour” is when Jesus will offer himself as an sacrifice for Sin.

It is the key moment when his mission purpose is fully revealed.

It is the lynch pin of salvation: He will be killed by the religious leaders, crucified.

He will carry all of our sin and make atonement.

He will die, but, he will rise again and defeat Death itself!

Now wevry time that people try to pull Jesus toward that revelation, or that death to early, Jesus resists, saying “my time is not yet come”.

It seems like he is doing that here, but he is also just talking about travel plans.

The author ingeniously weaves this double meaning into the text.

Jesus brothers think Jesus is talking about travel plans, but Jesus is also indicating that an early arrival at the festival will mess with the timeline.

Why will it mess with the timeline?

Because the World hates Jesus.

They will inevitably try to kill Jesus when he points out that their works are evil (v7).

This is what happened last time he was down near Jerusalem for a festival.

He has to go at the right time, and the the Brother’s plan is not it.

Some of the translations make it seem like Jesus definitively says he’s NOT going to the feast.

But as we can see from the context, he did intend to go up, just not at the behest of others.

Contextually, he is saying “I’m not going up with you”, or “I’m not going up yet”.

When the right time for the festival had come, Jesus set out.

But not with a big crowd, stirring up a bit of a hub-bub.

He just went quietly.

What it the feast of Booths/Tabernacles?

Harvest festival

Remembers God’s provision as they lived in tents in the wilderness.

Camping to remember.

Take branches and leaves to build little huts.

Jesus does go up to celebrate, living out his ability to Worship God perfectly and fulfill all of the law.

Application: We can be tempted to complain, or try and alter God’s plans when His timeline doesn’t suit us.

Even when it seems to be something God has promised!

Abraham & Sarah got sick of waiting for God and took matters into their own hands.

They ended up causing pain and hardship for others.

Patiently wait upon the Lord, and at the proper time he will exult you.

A Better Teacher (v11-20)

Discussion Q: Who is the Better Teacher?

Why?

Just as well Jesus went up secretly, because there were people looking for him.

Jesus would later come up to a festival with a lot of fanfare, the week before he was crucified!

But that’s not this time.

Because he came up quietly, he was able to slip in and get teaching People about God.

As Jesus goes up to the festival, there are people on the look out for him.

Some said he was a good bloke, other’s thought Jesus had nefarious intentions.

Nobody wanted to stick their neck out though, because the religious authorities might just kick you out of the synagogue if they didn’t like what you say...

So Jesus find a place and time to teach people about what God says.

But, this knocks back the Jewish leaders.

There’re blown away by what they’re hearing!

Unfortunately they’re not humble enough to listen and respond to the teaching...

The reason their surprised is, not that Jesus couldn’t read, but that Jesus hadn’t been through one of their sanctioned Bible college programmes.

Jesus wasn’t teaching in the style of the rabbis.

They would constantly refer back to their rabbis, and their rabbis before them.

And they would have to go through years of training to be considered a worthy teacher.

Now here is this tradie from Gallilee who is teaching the good stuff without any aides from Rabbi So-and-so!

The Jews are baffled at how this can happen, and they are wondering who sanctioned this.

Who gave Jesus the authority to speak?

Back in the day, the university campus used to be a place for the free exchange of ideas.

It was a public forum where you share your thoughts and could have your ideas tested.

Now, for the most part, academia has become a corporate bureaucracy, and university campuses have established dogma that you cannot challenge.

You rock up uninvited on a Uni campus and start saying something that goes against the Uni dogma, and it won’t be long before a security guard arrives and asks “What are you doing here?

Who gave you permission?

I’m going to ask you to leave”

Similar thing going on here.

These folks are so sttled in their monopoly on religion that they can’t fathom an outside influence, even when it is God himself!

Nevertheless, Jesus responds to show not only that he has authority to teach, but the people who are challenging Him have no “moral” authority to be teachers!

Jesus in on a mission from the Father, and everything he does is directly in response to his faithful obedience.

Jesus isn’t there to toot his own horn, or big-note himself, everything he does is to seek the glory of God.

There is something special about that kind of service: it shows authenticity when you work so hard and faithfully for someone else.

Jesus is worthy of all the earthly glory we could give him, but he selflessly puts aside that right for the sake of redeeming God’s people.

His selfless obedience is a demonstration of the legitimacy of the message.

Jesus also points out that those who truly, humbly want to follow God, will be able to see whether or not Jesus is speaking on God’s behalf.

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.