John 7:19-31

We pick up from last week with a little review of Jesus expressing where His authority comes from. In the Jewish religion authority is often a great issue, for one speaking from their own authority were often disregarded.

16 Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.

Jesus’ Authority was clearly The God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.

19 Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”

This was quite an indictment, to say that none of them keep the law, was an indictment against all of them, and yet when you look at their reaction….
20 The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”

Not one argues their innocence. Instead they engage in the age old trick of slandering your enemy to discredit his message. And yet there was a contingent among them , the Pharisees who were most certainly plotting His destruction.
21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?

The Pharisaical view of the law had become so slanted, so “missing the point” of God, they could not see past the narrow limits of their self imposed rules to see the work of God being done. Nor could they….or would they see that the one doing this work was the son of God.

24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

What is a righteous judgment? It is using God’s standard, not our own to see if something measures up to righteous in the eyes of God. Now at this point may I say, perhaps somewhat boldly, that there are more Christians running around doing more damage than the devil could ever hope to accomplish. These Christians take the opinions of their preachers (who, instead of preaching bible truths, preach their own opinions as if they were the truth) And bash other Christians and non believers about the head with these misinformed, misappropriated untruths. We should never ever ever (ever) take anything that a preacher tells us as the Gospel truth….unless we KNOW it is the Gospel truth. Just because someone wears a robe, or (ahem) has a website doesn’t make them harbingers of truth. It is the responsibility of EVERY Christian to take what they hear and compare it to the bible and find out if it is the Gospel Truth.

Acts 17: 10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

Back to our Study

25 Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? 26 But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?

Oh Jesus had put the Leaders of the Jews on the spot, for apparently the people knew they were seeking to kill Jesus. More than that if Jesus knew that…what was he doing there? And why were the leaders not trying to kill him? Again these people followed their leaders somewhat blindly and on every account here, Jesus’ and the Pharisee’s, actions seemed contrary to evidence.

27 However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”

This is not exactly the truth as they knew (through prophecies) the Christ would be born in Bethlehem and live in Nazareth
28 Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. 29 But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.” 30 Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.

Again, in a place where others might equivocate or compromise to keep the peace, Jesus redefines, and sharpens His point, causing division. If he had only been a little less direct…he might have made more friends, and less enemy. Instead he drives home the point forever alienating those who stood against Him. It is so against out inclusive tolerant thinking today, to think that Jesus would purposefully be so blunt with the truth to force people to choose sides…..instead of holding hands on a mountainside singing the coke song. Why?

31 And many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”

Because those who would believe, were also brought to a decision point. The decision to follow Christ is not to be taken lightly , nor is it to be handled without much care. The gift may be free, but in the end it still costs you a life. For to be saved you must give up your will and your life, to take on His will and His life.

Jesus did not come to bring the whole world into a harmonious state of being.

In His own words He said:

Matthew 10: 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’[e] 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

As we have seen in the last few weeks, the truth of God brings us to a point of decision, where we either decide to commit fully to Him, or when finally faced with a truth we cannot submit to, we walk away. There is nothing out there dear brothers and sisters in Christ to walk out to, only despair and cold cold loneliness. We have all been there. Is there a lie so dear to us, that we cannot give it up for the truth? Let us pray when we are faced with our decision time, we remember the goodness of the love, grace and mercy of God our Father and Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the precious Holy Spirit.