TEXT: John 7:10-36

SUBJECT: Exposition of John #19: At the Feast

This morning we continue our study of John's Gospel and find another proof that "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God". The Apostle means to persuade us of that truth. He won't be satisfied until we are convinced. Do you know why? Because "eternal life" is bound up in it. You can be wrong on many issues and still make it to glory. But you cannot be mistaken on this one. "Who do men say that I am?" is a question you must answer. May God give you the right one, for Christ's sake. Amen.

The first nine verses of this chapter narrate an argument our Lord and His brothers had over the Feast of Tabernacles. They want Him to go up right away, but He prefers to await His Father's signal. This means nothing to them, of course, and so, off they go, leaving our Lord behind in Galilee.

But then the Word comes. His "time" has now arrived. And He is eager to redeem it. His arrival is not what His brothers wanted; there is no spectacle. He comes to town unnoticed.

Do you know why? In general, because He is an unassuming man. Isaiah has it, "He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street". He doesn't crave publicity; He needs no press agent. But--more to the point--He comes in quietly because His "time had not yet come". One day He would "show Himself to the world". But not this day. Unlike most of us, He could "wait on the LORD".

He hasn't been there for several months, but He remains "the talk of the town". What do the people think of Him?

Public opinion is split: "Some said, `He is good', others, on the contrary said, `No, He deceives the people'". The Rulers, however, are united in their opposition.

Thus, our Lord was right. "The world hated Him". Why? "Because [He] testified of it, that its works were evil". This is quite disturbing, isn't it? It is not Rome or Athens that "hated" Him--but Jerusalem! The children of the prophets hate "The Prophet who was to come into the world". "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him".

The Lord came to Jerusalem privately. But a few days into the Feast, He made Himself known. He went to the Temple--where His enemies were concentrated--and began to teach.

What He taught John doesn't say. But he does describe the effect it had on the people. "The Jews marveled..." They were amazed at His teaching. One of them would say, "Never has a man spoken as this Man speaks". But there was more than wonder in their reaction; there was also contempt. "How does this man know letters, having never studied?" In other words, He is unqualified to teach because He did not attend seminary and does not have the rabbis approval.

The charge is weighty in a nation taught to respect "the ruler of God's people" and to venerate learning. How will our Lord respond to it?

Here's how: "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me". In other words, He has studied letters, but not with the rabbis. He has learned from God. This is quite a claim, isn't it? But it's not unique--every fanatic has made it--from Zedekiah to David Koresh.

Why should they believe it? Why should we? Where's the proof? He tells us, v.17: "If anyone wants to do God's will, he will know concerning the doctrine, whether it is form God or whether I speak on My own authority". The proof that our Lord's teaching is from God is in the teaching itself!

He needs no credentials, for His teaching certifies itself. If this is true, why doesn't everyone recognize it? He explains that too: "If anyone wants to do His will, he will know..." The problem, in short, is not in "knowing His will", but in "wanting to do it". Because the Rulers don't want to do God's will, they cannot know it.

But Christ wants to do His Father's will--with all His heart--and, therefore, is uniquely qualified to teach it. Because He "seeks the glory of Him who sent [Him]"(and that alone), our Lord's teaching is trustworthy. "Every word of God is pure".

The charge has been made and refuted. Our Lord hasn't "studied letters" in the conventional way, but so what? "Study" is a means to an end: the end is truth. Which our Lord speaks perfectly because His teacher is God and because His motives are unmixed. No one else can justly make that claim. No one but Jesus. "God has spoken to us in His Son".

The enemies of Christ hoped to silence Him with their arguments. When this failed, they went to "Plan B". Violence.

He reveals the conspiracy: "Did not Moses give you the Law, yet none of you keeps the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?" At first, the deny the charge: "You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?" A bit later, one of them lets the cat out of the bag, v.25: "Is this not He whom they seek to kill?"

Why did they want to murder Him? Because He exposed them for the hypocrites they were. But, of course, they couldn't admit this. They had a pretext. The last time He was in Jerusalem--they said--He broke God's Law by healing a crippled man on the Sabbath. And that was a capital offense, see Numbers 15.

How does He answer the charge? By turning it around on them.

Firstly, He says, these defenders of God's Law have forfeited the high moral ground by plotting murder. After all, the Law that commands Sabbath-keeping also forbids murder.

Secondly, He reminds them of their own practices on the Sabbath. A boy must be circumcised on the eighth day. If He was born on a Friday, his eighth day fell on the Sabbath. Would they postpone this holy work because of the Sabbath? No they wouldn't. If they don't, why should He delay the holy work of healing a man on the Sabbath? They had no answer for that one.

In v.24, He puts His finger on the problem: "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment". The Rulers are shallow in their judgment. All they could see was our Lord "working on the Sabbath"; they didn't notice what He was doing, why He was doing it, and what it signified. They were blind to the deeper issues involved.

Why did they judge so superficially? Two reasons come to mind: it was easy and it gave them power over the people. They preferred ease and control to thought and true leadership.

Threats have failed to silence our Lord Jesus. It is not He who is in danger of hell fire, but they who must "flee from the wrath to come".

Our Lord has now beaten the Rulers in debate and stood up to their deadly threats. Some of the people are stirred and ready to pronounce Him Messiah. But others balk. What's their problem? His origin. "...We know where this man is from, but when Christ comes, no one knows where He is from".

The facts of His life are well-known. He grew up in Galilee, the son of a carpenter. His mother, brothers, and sisters are still with us. Nothing mysterious about Him. But Christ is a mystery man. Therefore, Jesus is not the Christ.

What do we make of the objection? It's the best one yet. It is true that the Christ is shrouded in mystery; Daniel 9, Malachi 3, and other Scripture teach that. It is also true that "Jesus of Nazareth" lived an open and rather ordinary life.

How do we answer the objection? We don't have to. Our Lord does it for us in vv.28-29.

He admits the facts: "You both know Me and you know where I am from". But He goes on to add another: "But I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me".

What does He mean? This: They know Him well, according to His human nature. But they've missed His Divine nature. Therefore, they don't know Him at all! Why not? Because they don't know God. If they knew the Father, they'd instantly recognize His Son. But the Lord Jesus knows God, and therefore, knows His mission in life, from which He will not be deterred by their trifling objections.

Our Lord's human heritage is despicable. He grew up "as a root out of dry ground, without form or comeliness, or any beauty that we should desire Him". He knew that and made no attempt to cover it up. But it is not His human descent that makes Him the Savior. "Jesus is the Christ" because He is "the Son of God". Shake your head at this son of Galilee, but bow your knee to this Lord of Glory.

The crowd is more restless than ever. The Man they tried to despise has deeply impressed them; they're about to become His disciples.

But the moment is lost when the cops show up. A detachment of "officers" is sent from the Rulers to take Jesus into custody. This reminds Him of how short His time is. And more: How little time the people have.

Our Lord is now with the people. He won't be with them forever. One day--one day soon--He will leave them for a place they cannot go. Where is that? The people have no idea. Maybe He's going to the Jews abroad. Or, maybe to the Gentiles. Their speculation--like ours--is idiotic! He explains quite clearly where He is going and why they can't follow Him there: He is going back to God and they can't join Him because of their unbelief.

The people end the dialogue by quoting these words verbatim, as if perplexed and troubled by them. Should they have been? Yes. Westcott writes: "In spite of all, Christ's words cannot be shaken off. They are not to be explained away. A vague sense remains that there is some unfathomed meaning". Strachan adds: "The speakers are still haunted by Jesus' words".

The meaning for us plain. We must "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on hin; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon".

Today is "the day of salvation". But only today. "Do not boast of tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth".

John wrote these words to prove that "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God". Do they? Yes they do. How?

They emphasize His remarkable fortitude. Just reading the objections wore me out. "You're not a scholar!" "You're a Sabbath-breaker!" "You're from Galilee!" "You're a deserter!" On and on they go. The people are relentless in their opposition to Christ. And unreasonable. Yet, rather than turning from them in disgust, He remains with them, answering their every objection. Over and over again.

How does this prove He's the Christ? Like this: Isaiah 42:4 described Messiah in just these terms: "He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands shall wait for His law".

The plot to murder Him causes no failure in nerve. The faithless grilling leads to no discouragement in purpose. Therefore, "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God". And, if He's the Son of God, you may have "life in His name". Why not take it? Why not now?