John 7:1-2
The Absolute Essential
John 7-8 are a bit different. John’s goal appears to remain the
same. He wanted to give the messages of Jesus more so than the
miracles of Jesus, but John did like to introduce the message with
Jesus’ corresponding miracle. However, in these chapters, there is
no miracle. In fact, there is no sermon. Instead, we have an event
and conversations. The event is the Feast of Tabernacles and all of
chapters 7-8 give us the conversation.
Let me give you three thoughts in
I. Why no miracle?
A. Of course the Bible does not say but I have a thought.
1. I think it is because Jesus was back in the heart of
Israel, Jewry \\#1\\ and He was not going to give the
religious leaders a miracle that could be used for a
sign.
Matt 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of
the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would
see a sign from thee.
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil
and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign;
and there shall no sign be given to it, but the
sign of the prophet Jonas:
2. Jesus made that statement at least twice for Matthew
records it twice \\#Matt 16:4\\.
3. I don’t think Jesus did a lot of miracles when the
religious leaders were around the last year or maybe two.
B. God does not want us to trust Jesus by sight but by faith.
1. God could have left the gift of obvious miracles for the
church but He did not.
2. He wants us to trust in Him as difficult as that may be
to some.
II. What is the event? Feast of Tabernacles
A. One of the annual feasts that all men in Israel were required
to attend.
1. So most of the chapter will occur either in or very near
Jerusalem.
2. In fact, John will not record Jesus leaving Jerusalem to
go any further than Bethany from this chapter forward.
B. During the feast, the people lived in huts or booths for
seven days \\#Lev 23:34\\.
1. This was not to be a punishment but a celebration.
2. There was no work just worship and celebration.
C. The feast has several names including Feast of Booths, Feast
of Ingathering, and today’s name for it, Sukkot.
D. This feast actually started today in Israel, about 10 AM
this morning. We are 8 hours ahead of them and their day
starts at sunset which was 6:16 PM there or 10:16 AM here.
III. What is the message that John wants to convey?
A. Notice the background.
1. \\#1\\ The leadership of the Jews wanted to kill Jesus.
a. This was no secret and their plot is mentioned
repeatedly in this chapter.
(1) Jesus knew of it and confronted His killers.
John 7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, and
yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about
to kill me?
(2) Jesus even told them WHY they wanted to kill Him.
John 7:23 If a man on the sabbath day receive
circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be
broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a
man every whit whole on the sabbath day?
(3) The public knew about it.
John 7:25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem,
Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
(4) Which means that when Judas betrayed Jesus to the
religious leaders, he knew full well what they
intended to do to Him.
b. The leaders even attempted to take Jesus.
John 7:30 Then they sought to take him: but no
man laid hands on him, because his hour was not
yet come.
(1) That basically means that God kept them from
taking Jesus.
(a) Jesus spoke of it not yet being His time
\\#John 2:4, 7:6,8,30, 8:20\\.
(b) But at the same time, He spoke of such a
time coming
\\#John 4:21, 23, 5:25, 28, 16:2,4,25,32\\.
(c) Then He said it was here
\\#John 12:23,27, 13:1, 16:21,32, 17:1\\.
(2) However, they certainly tried.
John 7:32 The Pharisees heard that the people
murmured such things concerning him; and the
Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers
to take him.
(3) But the guards sent were memorized by the Lord’s
presence.
John 7:45 Then came the officers to the chief
priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them,
Why have ye not brought him?
46 The officers answered, Never man spake like
this man.
2. Even worse, Jesus’ own brothers wanted Jesus killed.
John 2:3 His brethren therefore said unto him,
Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy
disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in
secret, and he himself seeketh to be known
openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself
to the world.
5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
a. Now we see just how much of a type Joseph was of
Jesus!
b. But Jesus told them it was not yet His time.
John 7:6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is
not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
c. It is not looking good. Isn’t anyone on Jesus’ side?
3. The best Jesus got was a split decision by the public.
John 7:12 And there was much murmuring among
the people concerning him: for some said, He
is a good man: others said, Nay; but he
deceiveth the people.
13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for
fear of the Jews.
a. That indecision is demonstrated throughout the
chapter as well.
b. \\#John 7:26-27, 40-44\\
B. Realization - If after two years of miracles and wonders these
people did not believe, what was it going to take?
1. It seems that some people just can’t be won!
a. This was Jesus—God!
b. Wisdom poured out of Him—so much that even the guards
who came to arrest Him just wondered at Him.
c. Power eked out of Him—so much that a woman who was
sick just touched the hem of His garment and was
healed.
d. Love flowed out of Him!
e. These people knew Him—Some of these were His earthly
younger brothers.
(1) At least some of Jesus’ younger brothers did get
saved after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
(2) For them it would take a death and a resurrection
for them to believe.
(3) But for many of these, even that would not
convince the.
f. Jesus was not only these people’s only Hope, He was
their last hope.
(1) Jesus told the parable of the vineyard in
Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
(2) The Master sent servants but they were rejected
and killed.
(3) What was his last hope of working with the
rebellious servants? He sent His Son!
2. Jesus took a different approach. Instead of miracles
and a message, He is going to use an event and
conversation to convey some truths.
a. This is another of Jesus’ efforts to get the truth
into the hearts of stubborn, rebellious humans!
b. In these verses, Jesus was giving the absolute
essential truths—not of salvation!
c. These people were not ready for the truths of
salvation, but the essentials for a totally
unbelieving heart.
C. What did Jesus tell them?
1. Jesus was from God and so were His words.
a. \\#28-29\\ Jesus was not on His own mission.
(1) This is not just a statement that Jesus made.
(2) This was a statement He proclaimed with a loud
voice in the temple to all. (See also
\\#37\\.)
(3) Jesus wanted the people to know what He was
about was from God!
(4) All that comes under the topic of Jesus is God
communicating with mankind!
b. \\#16-17\\ This is similar to wanting them to know
that His words were from God.
c. We know this truth and so should they but that had not
been able to receive it.
d. So these are the FIRST two truths a person must find
even before his journey to salvation can begin.
(1) That God sent Jesus.
(2) That the truths that Jesus shared are from God.
(3) We know that Jesus is God but that is not the
first truth that needs to be accepted. The
first is more basic.
e. A person must at the very least open his or her mind
and heart to the thought that Jesus was/is God’s
means of communicating with mankind.
2. \\#17\\ If you will obey, you will know it is from God.
a. This is an important truth and principal that reveals
an important fact.
b. The only way to know God is real is to start obeying
Him!
(1) Of course that is exactly backwards to man’s
thinking. We want proof first then we will
consider obedience.
(2) To put it bluntly, that won’t happen.
(3) Why?
c. It is the faith factor. You have to have faith to
come God.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to
please him: for he that cometh to God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him.
d. So if you are totally devoid of faith, God will not
directly reveal Himself to you.
e. What must one do? They must open their eyes to the
possibility!
(1) At the least, realize the possibility that Jesus
is sent from God.
(2) Then, whether you want to or not,
whether you believe or not,
whether you think anything will happen or not,
pick out at least one Biblical truth and obey it.
f. Like what?
(1) Read the Bible.
(2) Go to a Bible-preaching church.
(3) Pray - Not a "name-it-and-claim-it" prayer but a
humble request that God would show Himself to
you.
g. That is not what most people do. Most….
(1) challenge God. God will not respond.
(2) blaspheme, curse, or laugh at God. God will not
respond.
(3) ignore God. God will not respond.
h. Why should He?
(1) That person is already cursed and going to hell.
(2) If God was an evil God like people think, He
might send him there quicker, but God is not.
i. If you want God to respond, open your heart to Jesus
and take a step of faith.
(1) God will respond to faith!
(2) Start doing the will of God and God will show
you that He is real.
3. \\#33-34\\ The time to find the truth is limited.
a. Their time was limited by Jesus’ soon coming death.
b. Ours is limited by…
(1) God’s grace in dealing with us.
(2) The rapture.
(3) Death.
If you know someone who has abandoned the notion of God, sin, and
salvation altogether, this is what they need. Sadly, many will not
even take the least of these steps, but if one will, there is hope
for their soul!
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