Gospel of John - Ask...

 

Ask…

John 7:25-36

Jesus was not afraid or timid about answering questions. He took them from the spiteful, cynical, doubtful, and faithful people. It is the answer you receive you need to ponder. During the last days of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus was teaching in the temple courts. Let’s look at the first part of the text, “At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 

Jesus resolutely came to the feast to fulfill the will of the Father. Standing or sitting on the steps of the temple courts, he was expounding on the scriptures that revealed who he was and the Father’s will and purpose. The people were attentive to his teachings and began to wonder if it was possible that the Messiah indeed had come. The first question shed light on what they perceived of the desires of the Sanhedrin. They had wanted to kill Jesus, just as he had stated earlier to the mass of Jews at the feast. What their question posed may have startled many. Would the religious political authorities really try to kill Jesus because of his teachings? And why is he being allowed to teach unhindered by the authorities? They surmised that maybe the Sanhedrin too had concluded that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, the promised One from God, just as Jesus had proclaimed and was proving by the authority of his teachings and the miracles he had performed, though only one miracle was performed so far in Jerusalem. 

Application - There are still those who are trying to kill the Word of God, for some it seems archaic, obscure, labeling it a myth, a fairy tale, it’s a panacea to the masses as Karl Marx said, “religion is an opium for the masses.” For others, it rubs them the wrong way, it is biased, intolerant, and Deocentric.

Yet Jesus’ words still resonate with the full authority of God today. “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.” (Heb. 4:12)  People still read and listen to the Word of God; they seek Jesus. The Word of God is a light that illuminates their lives, their journey in fulfilling the will of God. The Word of God still answers the questions of all men who seek him, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you…Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.” (Ps. 9:10, 119:2) 

God’s word says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye. shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you: For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks. finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.” (Matt.7:7-8) God’s word is the only source of truth and godly wisdom for those who ask, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” (James 1:5)

Last, the promised Holy Spirit reveals the Word of God, “when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” The Messiah will return one day, just as he left to go to the Father who sent him. 

Second, the next question, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?” goes to the heart of their unbelief and belief. Let’s look at the text, “But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.” Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him,  but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Still, many in the crowd believed in him.”  

The jewish people had been longing for deliverance. Some sought it in the hands of religiosity. Others through the rebelling against the political tyranny of those who oppressed through obtuse and obscure mandates and laws. Then there were those who obeyed the buzz word of complicity, “If you would only comply…” They were willing to compromise.

Yet,the compromising of one’s soul went against all that holy scripture taught to the true believers that deliverance only came through the Messiah. 

They knew what the scripture taught of a coming Messiah, a mystery, a solemn promise from God, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), a comforting and benevolent king, The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted…,” (Isa. 61:1a), a coming conqueror, “…to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,  and provide for those who grieve in Zion…” (Isa. 61:1b-3a), and a true Israelite in the line of king David, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom… And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Sam. 7:12,16), “Their prince shall be one of themselves; their ruler shall come out from their midst…” (Jer. 30:21a), “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.” Isa. 11:1, and But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” (Micah 5:2), and the Messiah’s kingdom would reign forever and break the yoke of the oppressor, and the people of Israel would be His people. “And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him. But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.” Jer. 30:8-9

All of a sudden, Jesus knowing the very hearts, minds and words of all who were listening, said to them, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him,  but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” “They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?” The people must have reacted in astonishment to the words of the One who could read their thoughts and feelings. Jesus was again explaining to them he was One promised by the Father, to whom all the scriptures they had believed and memorized. “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from!” 

For those whose hearts were burning with the very words coming from the One in whom the scriptures foretold, they believed. Those whose hearts were seared and callous, and their eyes were darkened by the god of this age, they wondered how long before the religious authorities would linger, as this man blasphemed that he was the fulfillment of holy scripture, One sent from God. 

They had seen and heard the man who was paralyzed for thirty-eight years, how he testified of his miraculous healing and Jesus’ admonition to repent and to stop living in sin, and the teachers of the law and the Pharisees had told everyone that these miracles were of the evil one, the deceiver from old, the god of demons like baal and beelzebub of the Philistines. Their darkened hearts couldn’t receive the truth.

Jesus speaking to ears that would hear and hearts that would respond to his words, he further exhorted, “I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him,  but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” The people in the temple courts pondered in whispers, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?” 

The people considered the words Jesus had spoken, weighing them in light of the words of the prophets pertaining to the coming Messiah. They again had heard of the miracles performed in Galilee by this man. Were these signs from God, pointing them to their long awaited Messiah? For they knew, the words of the prophets said the Messiah would have the power to over take the evil and oppressive rulers in the age in which they lived, and establish the divine rule of the promised One. 

Those listening knew that the only real truth came from the words of God. They also surmised the words that Jesus had spoken had authority unlike any of the teachers and priests. Jesus in essence was saying, “I come with the authority from God, not of my own, and the one who is true sent me.” Like the authority given to Moses who spoke to Pharaoh of old, God’s very word and authority were given to Jesus, and Jesus was the only one who knew God and had been sent by God.

Application - Jesus, the Messiah is prepared and ready to return from his Father’s house for those who have prepared themselves for his coming. Those like the wise virgins who had oil for their lamps when the trumpet and the shout of the bridegroom’s arrival, so that they could be caught up and be delivered to the wedding. The Messiah had come to the Jewish people, and yet they didn’t recognize him. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Matt. 23:37-39) And yet he is still waiting in his heavenly kingdom for the Father’s word to come again, so all will know that He was sent by God.

The last question, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? The Pharisees and their ilk responded to the whispers of those whose hearts were believing and surrendering to faith in the One in whom God had sent, the Promised Savior of the people of Israel. Let’s look at the rest of the text, “The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.” The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”

The Pharisees knew they couldn’t kill Jesus on their own accord, they had to bring word to the Sanhedrin, the chief priest, Caiaphas, and Herod the Hasmonean subjugater and puppet king on the words Jesus had spoken in the temple courts. For the priests knew that they couldn’t take Jesus’ life for it would break the commandments. They had to wait for the Sanhedrin’s and the king’s verdict and the authority of the Roman governor. 

Jesus knew that his time on earth was growing shorter, and he wanted to reach as many of the Jewish people as possible though their hearts were callus, their eyes closed, and their ears dull (Isa. 6:10). It was Jesus’ words to the people listening to him who would try to follow him, who wondered where Jesus was going. Even though the disciples heard all his words at the temple courts, Jesus later would say the same words to the disciples in the upper room before the next Passover (Jn.13-14). 

The prophet Isaiah was correct that the people would “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.” (Isa. 6:9) 

It wouldn’t be Jesus going to the Greeks but the disciples filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. They wouldn’t understand what Jesus had said until the Holy Spirit came upon them. “ But now I am going to the one who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (Jn. 16:5-15)

Application - We know now where Jesus went, but what we need to be asking is, “Are we ready for his return?” He gave us his Holy Spirit to indwell us and empowered us for service. “He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment…he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.”

He gave us signs in his Word to watch for, showing the time of his coming was near. (Matt.24, Luke 21). And it is still okay to ask Jesus questions, for He desires for all who ask to receive, all who seek the truth will find it, and all who ask him to come into their lives, he will come. As Jesus knew in the temple courts, the time was short. And today, the time is drawing closer everyday. The signs Jesus gave us are in His Word and they are happening everywhere. 

Today, many hear the Word on the internet, television and radio, and in written form (books, mags, pamphlets, and tracks). And like the time of Jesus being in the temple, He is still calling the sinners, out seeking the lost, and preparing His bride (the church) for her wedding in heaven.

For those like the Pharisees and all who obeyed and listened to them, the words of Matt.23:1-36 are reserved for them, for Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.”

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