Gospel of John - Judge Correctly

     

Judge Correctly

John 7:14-24

The Scriptures are chalk-full of advice to heed concerning judging. Jesus in wisdom has now been at the feast for three days, and he uses the wisdom and truth from God to answer the Jewish people and leaders. Let’s look at the beginning of the text. 

 “Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?” Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.”

Jesus is approaching the later half of the festival. Each day the priests would begin with the water drawing ritual from the pool of Siloam, as the priests commenced with this ceremony, and many people would be in the court of the women finishing the Hallel, Ps. 113-118, singing praise. The priests would have finished the reciting of Ps. 118:25, “Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us.”

 It was probably at this point that Jesus was teaching, and possibly on Ps. 118 that the people had just recited. Jesus was expounding the very words from God that the people had just recited, “Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us.”

Jesus had already claimed to have come from God publicly, and was teaching that the only salvation, “Lord, save us!”, came from believing in the One whom God had sent, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” For He is the Light to the world, “The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us.” The people were amazed at the words of wisdom as the Holy Spirit was illuminating God's words to their hearts, and they were responding in astonishment and bewilderment. “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

It was at this teaching that Jesus explains who he is and where his teachings came from, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.” 

Jesus’ first admonishment, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.” He was teaching them from the very words that they probably had just recited, yet had never internalized them into their hearts as coming from God, they were still rote. They had been asking for God’s blessings and the hope of the salvation of Israel through God. In Psalms 118:22-24, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.”

Jesus is the cornerstone upon all that eternal life stands, and yet there are many who reject what God has placed in front of them. They were still blind to Jesus being sent from God even though they were astounded at the words from the mouth of God. Jesus, the Son of God, was teaching them. How marvelous to the eyes and heart of them who have seen what God was doing in their presence that very day. But many were caught up in the celebration of the festival, and not in the celebration of the One in whom God had sent.

Second admonishment, “Check the word of God to see if what I say comes from God.” Jesus’ words were not his own but the very words from God. He wanted them to be like the children of Issachar, who understood the times in which they lived, “And of the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…” (1 Chr. 12:32) Jesus wanted them to know the will of God and eternal life, it was to know the one true God, and the Christ whom he sent (Jn.17:3) 

Third admonishment, “but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.” The one who speaks on his own was for his own honor and personal glory. Jesus knew the hearts of the Jewish leaders and their desire to be honored among men, and receive personal glory from among their peers. Jesus didn’t come to be honored by men, to be a public figure as his half-brothers had believed. Jesus declared that the One who seeks the glory of God who sent him is a man of truth, and in him they can believe for there is nothing false in him. 

Application - The church today meets for many reasons, some righteous, to hear and study God’s word, to worship and pray, and other times for the glory and honor of man and his works. Jesus knows the heart of every person and the very words that will be spoken and the motivation of the heart. We don’t celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles per se, but we do celebrate the One in whom God sent. For He spoke the very words of God through the Holy Spirit. It was as the writer of Hebrews wrote, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (4:12) 

Jesus’ words today should cut to our soul, for they are the words directing us to eternal life in our Savior Jesus Christ. Being a pastor, I know there are times in a sermon when it is man speaking, and usually to bring honor to the church’s achievements, or to honor the works of man. But when the Holy Spirit speaks from the Word of God, it changes those who hear the word and take it to heart. As Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16)  It is in these words that mankind will be transformed in their minds and actions, whether by correction in their lives, reproofing of their lives and application and understanding of God’s Word to their lives. And the training and leading of the Word of God by the Holy Spirit in equipping and leading them in the way, will, and work of God, so they are complete for his service. It would do the church good to read the Hallel, Ps. 113-118 to get a grasp of what Jesus might have taught in the temple on the Feast of Tabernacles.

There are many verses, God breathed words, that bring his life and power by the Holy Spirit. Here are a few verses that have changed me, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6) "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2Cor. 5:17), And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. (Rom. 13:11-14) "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Rom. 12:1-2), "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor. 4:16), and “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:1-3)

Today, let the One whom God has sent, speak into your lives the very Word that will transform you into the person God wants you to be. For they are Truth and Life.

Next, Jesus refers back to the laws of God through Moses to the people. The first problem Jesus addressed was that the people believed it was Moses who wrote the laws and that the glory went to him. Second problem, the people didn’t obey the laws that they revere. Let’s look at the text, “Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. “Why are you trying to kill me?” “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?” Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 

Jesus begins with the laws of God, the people keep and celebrate the feasts every year according to the laws given to Moses from God. They knew that this was required of them. Jesus asks them three questions in order to reveal to them who he is and why he does what he has done. First, Jesus asks, “Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law.”  Jesus set the precedence in order to expose their fallacy and error. It was God’s law, and they had not and could not keep the law and they failed, in this they were guilty. 

This brings Jesus to the second question, “Why are you trying to kill me?” Most knew that the Jewish leaders were plotting to arrest Jesus for blasphemy, he claimed to be the Son of God, which carried the death sentence (Lev. 24:16).  The third law said, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” And the seventh law was “you shall not commit murder.” It was here that they didn’t understand, Jesus wasn’t misusing the name of God by calling God his Father, and that he came from the Father, for both were true. But the people had believed the Jewish leaders and they were now calling Jesus possessed by the devil, “You are demon-possessed.” 

Jesus not taking offense, brings them to yet another failure of the law and their understanding of the Sabbath of the law of God. Let’s look at the text again, “Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath?” 

They had observed the Sabbath every week and twice on the festival of Tabernacles. They believe that the observance and rest from work were the fulfillment of the Sabbath. They would reflect on God's acts of creation, his role in the Israelite history, and the covenant with God, the Hallel. It was the rest of God that was skewed in their thinking and the teachings of the leaders. For they didn’t believe that anyone should be healed on the Sabbath, for that would be considered work, alas breaking the Sabbath. Jesus admonishes them for believing that it was right to circumcise on the Sabbath in accordance to the teachings of Moses and tradition, but no one was to heal or work a miracle on the Sabbath. They were still mystified by the miracle of the man by the pool, healed of his paralysis and made instantly healthy. It was here that the seed to kill Jesus began by the religious leaders, and now it was germinating in the hearts and minds of the people. 

Application - The churches today have established rules and for some laws: only one version of the Bible will be taught, there is a dress code, etc. 

Yet, in the established church laws, keeping the Sabbath seems to be lacking, and in the present culture of the world it is non-existent. Many attendees are like the people in Jesus' day. We go because it is right to observe Sunday as the Lord’s day. Like them, we have rituals and establish service schedules. We are trained to stand, sit, and say amen. If the Holy Spirit comes into the service and disrupts the status quo people are amazed, astounded by the release of the Spirit on the body of Christ to worship in Spirit and truth. The Word of God is like fire, and a two-edged sword, cutting to the chase and disrupting the mindset of the people, as a friend calls it “Messing with your stuff.” 

God wants and will interrupt our lives and Sabbaths to do a new thing, work miracles, change lives, bring salvation to the lost, and reproof the body of believers to live a holy and righteous life in Him.

Let’s don’t keep having observances, let us have revival. Jesus isn’t demon possessed, he is the devil’s condemner. Let us yield to the Holy Spirit and draw us closer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Last, Jesus  admonished them “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” How easy it had become to judge not by the Word of God, but by the word of man and tradition. The jewish people and leaders perceived by what they saw and judged in accordance with their traditions. Instead of believing God for miracles at any time, they had placed God in a time frame to which He could only work a miracle. Jesus, being the One sent by God and the Son of God, didn’t judge by time or by sight. He healed by the will and purpose of God the Father. Jesus came in compassion for the lost, “...to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 4:18, 19:10)

It was by this criteria that Jesus spoke and judged the people. He saw people as God the Father did, He was led and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the will and purpose of God. In love and compassion, Jesus taught, rebuked, corrected, and trained those who were listening with ears to hear and to judge not by man’s standards, but by the Word of God. Jesus knew the words from the Father would cut to the soul and “judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (2 Tim. 3:16, Heb. 4:12) 

This is how Jesus wanted the people to judge correctly.

Application - What would the church be like if we didn’t judge as the world does, or listen and believe the enemy of our souls, who has already been judged and condemned. Jesus came into this world not to be a judge but to save the lost, and because he was sinless and fulfilled the law and the will of the Father, he alone can judge. There are a number of passages from scripture on judging correctly. These are Jesus' teachings on judging, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matt. 7:1-5),  “Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:31-39), Paul wrote, “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? (Rom. 2:1-3),  “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister ? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. Rom. (14:1-13)

So in order to follow the words of Jesus and the Word of God, let us leave the judging of others to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. For the Holy Spirit came to “... convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.” (John 16: 8-11)

Jesus is the only one righteous to judge, and we will all kneel before him, and He who is the beginning and end, the creator and perfecter of our faith, knows those who are his and those who are not, and he will judge correctly. He is our Redeemer, Savior, and Lord, won’t you receive his salvation today.

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I am developing a new webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. I’m adding answers each week to questions that pertain to our time today.  Thank you

http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com