A Question of Origin
Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted
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· 1 viewBig Idea: The question of Christ’s origin breeds opposition and division.
Notes
Transcript
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Introduction
Introduction
10,000 Sermon Illustrations Neutral Countries
Sometimes I get the feeling the whole world is against me, but deep down I know that’s not true. Some of the smaller countries are neutral.
Robert Orben, Comedy writer, quoted in Bits & Pieces, Vol. T/No. 17, p. 22
Sometimes, it does seem like everyone and everything is set against us and out to get us doesn’t it?
Truth is, that is not true, but it sure can feel like.
For Christ, in His earthly ministry, it was certainly true. He faced much.
As we return to John 7 today to pick up where Dave left off, we will see some such opposition.
Before we get there, let’s do a step back and do a quick review.
Outline
Outline
Review
Review
The Incarnation of the Son of God (1:1–18)
His Eternality (1:1, 2)
His Pre-incarnate Work (1:3–5)
His Forerunner (1:6–8)
His Rejection (1:9–11)
His Reception (1:12, 13)
His Deity (1:14–18)
The Presentation of the Son of God (1:19–4:54)
Presentation by John the Baptist (1:19–34)
To the religious leaders (1:19–28)
At Christ’s baptism (1:29–34)
Presentation to John’s Disciples (1:35–51)
Andrew and Peter (1:35–42)
Philip and Nathanael (1:43–51)
Presentation in Galilee (2:1–12)
First sign: water to wine (2:1–10)
Disciples believe (2:11, 12)
Presentation in Judea (2:13–3:36)
Cleansing the temple (2:13–25)
Teaching Nicodemus (3:1–21)
Preaching by John the Baptist (3:22–36)
Presentation in Samaria (4:1–42)
Witness to the Samaritan woman (4:1–26)
Witness to the disciples (4:27–38)
Witness to the Samaritans (4:39–42)
Presentation in Galilee (4:43–54)
Reception by the Galileans (4:43–45)
Second sign: healing the royal official’s son (4:46–54)
The Opposition to the Son of God (5:1–12:50)
Opposition at the Feast in Jerusalem (5:1–47)
Third sign: healing the paralytic (5:1–9)
Rejection by the Jews (5:10–47)
Opposition During Passover (6:1–71)
Fourth sign: feeding the 5,000 (6:1–14)
Fifth sign: walking on water (6:15–21)
Bread of Life discourse (6:22–71)
Opposition at the Feast of Booths (7:1–10:21)
The opposition (7:1–8:59)
Sixth sign (9:1–10:21)
Current
Current
Basic Outline
Basic Outline
Opposition at the Feast of Booths (7:1–10:21)
The opposition (7:1–8:59)
Sixth sign (9:1–10:21)
Sermon Outline
Sermon Outline
Big Idea: The question of Christ’s origin breeds opposition and division.
Feast of Booths Explained - John 7:1-2.
Jesus Delays Departure - John 7:3-9.
Jesus Goes Up - John 7:14-24.
The Question - John 7:25-31.
A Question of Origin - John 7:25-28a.
A Question of Commission - John 7:28b -30.
The Challenge - John 7:32-36.
An Arrest Order - John 7:32.
An Unknown Destination - John 7:33-36.
The Declaration - John 7:37-39.
In Invitation - John 7:37.
An Promise - John 7:38-39.
The Division - John 7:40-52.
The Convinced - John 7:40-41.
The Contrary - John 7:41-44, 52.
The Confused - John 7:45-49.
The Contemplative - John 7:50-52.
Sermon Body
Sermon Body
Feast of Booths Explained - John 7:1-2.
Feast of Booths Explained - John 7:1-2.
Feast of Booths is described - Leviticus 23:33-44.
Annual feast - Seventh month, fifteenth day
Feast for seven days
Natives and sojourners alike are included in this celebration - Deut 16:13-15.
This is one of the three times annually that all males shall appear before God. The other two were the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Weeks.
Present food offerings all seven days of the feast.
Eight Day - Hold a holy convocation, a holy assembly and shall present another food offering. It is a solemn day.
Seems that the eight day is not part of the feast but falls after the conclusion of the feast.
Was to celebrate the gathering of the harvest, of the produce of the land. (Essentially a harvest festival)
1st and 8th days were solemn rest days.
First day, day take the branches of fruit trees, palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and make booths out of them to dwell in for the seven days of the feast. The booths would be constructed of wooden panels and the branches used for the roofing. Nehemiah 8:14-18.
Shall dwell in booths for those seven days (Thus festival of booths) to commemorate the booths they dwelt in when delivered from Egypt.
Numbers 29:12-40 detail the specific sacrifices that were to be offered on each day of the feast.
The feast is a celebration of God’s faithfulness and provision; of his protection.
While not commanded in these passages, certain practices did become part of tradition in this celebration long before Christ’s time.
Two ceremonies were part of the last day of Sukkot: (1) Giant golden lampstands were lit in the temple courtyard, and people carrying torches marched around the temple, then set these lights around the walls of the temple, indicating that Messiah would be a light to the Gentiles (Isa. 49:6). (2) A priest carried water from the pool of Siloam to the temple, symbolizing that when Messiah comes the whole earth will know God “as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:9). When Jesus attended the Feast of Tabernacles, on the last day of the feast, he said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37–38). The next morning while the torches were still burning, he said, “I am the light of the world" (John 8:12).
Feasts of the Bible (Torrance, CA: Rose Publishing, 2021).
The lighting of these lampstands was strongly connected to the light of the Shekina glory as it entered the tabernacle. This emphasis on light would play out later as Jesus would declare himself to be the light of the world. He would do in John 8:12 while the candles would still have been lit from the festival.
This priestly procession from the pool of Siloam to the temple took place daily.
Given that this feast was a celebration of the harvest and abundance, it was strongly connected to the rains and water that made provision for the crops to grow.
This would explain the connection to the water and set up the living water expression.
Both of his I am statements (Living Water, Light of the World) were tied to the practices and traditions of the festival of booths.
Jesus Delays Departure - John 7:3-9.
Jesus Delays Departure - John 7:3-9.
Jesus Goes Up - John 7:14-24.
Jesus Goes Up - John 7:14-24.
The Question - John 7:25-31.
The Question - John 7:25-31.
25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
What two questions arise form these verses?
Essentially, there are two questions or issues address here, one that is asked and one that is not even considered but addressed by Jesus: His origin and his commission.
A Question of Origin - John 7:25-28a.
A Question of Origin - John 7:25-28a.
25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.
What observations or questions do you have as you look at these few verses?
Possible suggests....
Why does he specify the people of Jerusalem?
Are their questions sincere? Do they really wonder if the religious leaders are believing? Is the question mocking or disbelieving? They seem to have their own issues with Christ.
They seem confused.
Why do they say they will not know where the Christ will come from? Was it not prophesied where he will come from?
What does Jesus mean by you know me and you know where I come from?
What does it mean that he who sent me is true?
Why does he accuse them of not knowing God?
This reference to the people of Jerusalem (elsewhere translated “Jerusalemites) is only seen here and in Mark 1:5. They are being distinguished from those who have traveled in for the feast. These locals would be more familiar with Christ, the religious leaders and the tension that exists between them. They have the context to be able to make the statement that follows.
Their statement should not be taken as support for Christ. They may not have been seeking to arrest or kill him, but they had their own objections to him - Vs. 27.
Their objections aside, they are confused.
They know that this is the man whom the religious leaders cannot stand and are seeking to arrest and/or kill. And yet, they allow him to stand in the temple and speak publically without any opposition.
They begin to question is the religious leaders have changed their opinion, if they have learned something about this man that they did not know previously which has changed their opinion.
However, due to their own objections, they toss aside this fact.
Their objection was based on his origin.
27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.”
First....They THINK they know where he comes from.
They are of course going to be thinking in human terms.
Most think he comes from Galilee, from Nazareth. (John 1:45-46; 6:42; Matthew 21:11)
Even IF they knew he was born in Bethlehem, it may not have alleviated their question BECAUSE they claim that no one will know where he came from until he appears. Their familiarity with Christ, his parentage, and his history is the stumbling block for them.
Though, this is interesting since it is prophesied where the Messiah would be born.
So, what are we to make of this objection, this question?
There was a common notion in the day held by many that stated...
“Christ—if he indeed has been born, and exists anywhere—is unknown, and does not even know himself, and has no power until Elijah comes to anoint him and make him manifest to all” (Dialogue, 8). George R. Beasley-Murray, John, vol. 36, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1999), 110.
They believed the Messiah would be born of flesh and blood but that he would be wholly unknown until the time for Israel’s redemption was ready.
Which in their minds was not happening now
And again, they were looking for a different Messiah than that which actually came.
It was not that they were necessarily rejecting or unaware of the prophecies, but rather that only when the Messiah rose to redeem them would his identity be made known, even to himself until right before redemption took place.
And for some, or many, of these, they may have been unaware of his Bethlehem roots.
They did not view that time as upon them, so for Jesus to claim to be him, or for them to believe he was the one, flew in the face of the belief of his anonymity until ready.
They “knew” of his origin and thus, that was a roadblock to their believing and accepting him.
Jesus response to them is interesting. John 7:28.
28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.
It is curious and interesting because of what He will later say in chapter 8, he will say.... (John 8:14b)
14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
“You do not know where I come from or where I am going?”
Wait? He just said that they do know?
His statement here in John 7:28 can be taken and understood another way…as a question....
“So, you think you know me? You think you know where I come from, do you?”
When followed by....I have not come on my own…him who sent me is true…and HIM you do not know...
You think you know me, but you neither know me nor him who sent me. John 8:19.
The point he is trying to make is that they do not know as much as they think they know.
Jesus was actually saying the same thing in both places, just in different ways. He is asserting that they do not really know him as they think they do. He is addressing their false assumptions and spiritual misinformation.
Is our knowledge ever a stumbling block to faith?
Truth will never be an obstacle to faith. Truth LEADS to faith.
However, our incomplete, obscured, or blurred knowledge is sometimes an obstacle to faith
Our faulty traditions, speculations, and erroneous convictions are the true stumbling block.
The problem was not truth. It was incomplete information and an erroneous understanding of the coming of the Messiah.
Where is our hearts is there pride at the extend of our knowledge about God while our passion for Christ is empty and barren?
His response goes on to expose a question of his commission (the one who sent him); a question that is not even in their minds but Christ, in His usual fashion, takes them beyond their presenting issue.
NOT ONLY do they not truly know His origins, they do not know the one who commissioned and sent him.
A Question of Commission - John 7:28b -30.
A Question of Commission - John 7:28b -30.
28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
Not only was he not from Nazareth (but Bethlehem) but in truth his starting point was MUCH farther away.
The one who sent me is TRUE....
They want to call him a false prophet.
They want to declare that everything about him is blasphemous and wrong.
They want to arrest him, kill him, and remove him from the picture.
They view him as dangerous.
Christ pushes back.
I am TRUE because the one who sent me is true.
Jesus is not trying to debate or defend the existence of God. His audience already believes that.
The word also bears the idea of being genuine, being real. Jesus is trying to make the point that it REALLY IS GOD who sent Jesus to them. He REALLY IS the source of His authority and power. Jesus is operating under the power and authority of His father in his earthly ministry.
He came from His father, who they also did not know. FOR if they had known him, they would have recognized Jesus easily enough. If they knew the scriptures and God as they claimed, Jesus would have been glaringly obvious to them. But they knew neither.
Jesus here is pointing out their spiritual blindness and exposing the self-righteousness of their supposed knowledge.
How often are we guilty of the same sort of spiritual blindness and arrogance? How often do we THINK we understand only to have been deceived by our own flesh?
This is a blistering affront to them. They pride themselves on KNOWING God and His word.
The response was twofold....they wanted to arrest him…but they did not because his time was not yet come.
Other’s, however, believed.
Is this not typical of our responses to truth? It either bristles against our pride and we seek to eradicate the offense from us OR we will embrace it.
A passive indifference, though seemingly a middle of the road response, is no better. It may not provoke anger and opposition, malice and ill will, but it is just as severe as the angry response. To have so little response to truth, to regard it as insignificant is just as bad as their angry and sinful responses because it produces the same end.
So, in this opposition at the Feast, their questions reveal their unbelief, their spiritual blindness.
This exchange only heightens the opposition and brings new challenges.
The Challenge - John 7:32-36.
The Challenge - John 7:32-36.
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
An Arrest Order - John 7:32.
An Arrest Order - John 7:32.
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.
The muttering of the crowds prompts the Pharisees to decide they HAVE to do something. He is stirring the crowds to believe in Him, and this had to be stopped.
Opponents of the truth are not satisfied to reject it for themselves and let others decide…they must stamp it out.
And to a certain extent, this is right, reasonable, and understandable.
We do the same thing with false doctrine and teaching.
When we discern that something is false, and dangerous, we do not permit it teaching and we warn others of the danger of it.
Difference here is this…TRUTH is TRUTH and cannot be revealed as false.
That which is false, can always be exposed with truth.
It is only blindness that prevents truth from winning every time.
These religious leaders THINK and BELIEVE they are right. If only they would have known God, known truth, they would have seen and believed…as Nicodemus will later do Himself.
Threatened and afraid of what the people were confessing about Christ, they tried to stamp it out before he could do any more damage.
Jesus, however, use this as an opportunity to point forward to his going away.
An Unknown Destination - John 7:33-36.
An Unknown Destination - John 7:33-36.
33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me...
He will make this or similar statements again (John 8:21; 12:35; 13:33; 14:19; 16:16-19.)
It will be about six months from this time till he his tried and crucified.
His repetition in this statement can be understood, (I think) as His way of warning and preparing them for this time.
Time is short. You will not have me much longer. I am going away. I will be returning the one who sent me.
As clear as this statement is…it is not understood…in large part, probably, due to the fact that they truly failed to understand where he had come from (They have knowledge but do not have relationship).
He goes on...
You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.
What does this statement mean? Why does he make it?
John 8:21 sheds some more light on it.
21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
Those who reject him will never come to where he is.
He strengthens his warning in John 8:24.
24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
This is a sober warning for all those who reject Christ, for all those “on the fence,” for all those who think they have time.
Jesus will later tell his disciples that they cannot come where he is going now but that they will later follow.
BUT those who reject him will NEVER follow.
There will come a time when they will seek him, but it will be too late.
Jesus is warning them all, the time to come is limited. Do not delay. Come now, while you are able, so that you may come later, when you are able.
2 Corinthians 6:2.
2 For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Isaiah 55:6.
6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
The writer of Hebrews warns…(Hebrews 4:7)
7 again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”
Beware the danger of hardening one’s heart so that you do not come, do not believe.
Point is…the time to call upon the Lord, the time to believe in Him is limited.
This ought to give us a sense of urgency when it comes to sharing the gospel and ministering to others. Shouldn’t it? But if I am honest, if we are honest, it does not always does it?
Should this not also be a warning to us who do believe and do follow? Our opportunity for growth, for service, and for the work He has entrusted to us is limited. Should we not run to it with faithful diligence?
Do you and I have a sense of urgency for the gospel? Does it terrify us that one day we will stand before God, that ALL creation will stand before God and be judged?
Sadly, the religious leaders missed the warning and treated it with disdain.
I pray that NONE of us miss this warning, that we are diligently issuing this warning to others and calling them to see.
John MacArthur notes...
Instead of heeding the Lord’s warning, the unbelieving Jews merely ridiculed Him. “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him?” they scoffed. “He is not intending to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He?” They found the idea that the Messiah would minister to Gentiles to be preposterous. The Greeks they scornfully referred to were probably Gentile proselytes to Judaism. (Ironically, it was because of Israel’s spiritual blindness in rejecting her Messiah that the gospel would indeed reach the Gentiles who had no interest in Judaism [cf. Rom. 11:7–11].) Mockingly, they offered Jesus’ statement, “You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come,” as support for their derisive suggestion.
Mocking disdain always comes from a place of pride and self-righteousness. You find someone who mocks and treats with scorn, you will find someone controlled by pride and self-righteousness.
A humble person, when faced with error, false teaching, false prophets, will warn, rebuke, admonish, but will never mock or scorn. Derisive, sarcastic, mocking, and scornful tones expose the presence of pride.
Their mocking response exposes the pride in their hearts.
Church, are you and I ever guilty of the same?
Church, do we mock and show disdain for those who disagree with us?
Do we mock and show disdain for those who embrace error and reject truth?
If so, we are no better than the self-righteous and arrogant religious leaders who scoffed at Christ Himself.
We will conclude here for today and pick John 7 back up next week but let me end with this for now...
Conclusion
Conclusion
Big Idea: The question of Christ’s origin breeds opposition and division.
Feast of Booths Explained - John 7:1-2.
Jesus Delays Departure - John 7:3-9.
Jesus Goes Up - John 7:14-24.
The Question - John 7:25-31.
A Question of Origin - John 7:25-28a.
A Question of Commission - John 7:28b -30.
The Challenge - John 7:32-36.
An Arrest Order - John 7:32.
An Unknown Destination - John 7:33-36.
The Declaration - John 7:37-39.
In Invitation - John 7:37.
An Promise - John 7:38-39.
The Division - John 7:40-52.
The Convinced - John 7:40-41.
The Contrary - John 7:41-44, 52.
The Confused - John 7:45-49.
The Contemplative - John 7:50-52.
May God protect our hearts from spiritual blindness, from spiritual arrogance.
May we not be content with spiritual knowledge but use that knowledge to drive us to spiritual intimacy.
May we heed the warning and be diligent to be growing AND diligent to be admonishing and proclaiming...
In order that we all will be
Growing together to become more like Jesus for the glory of God.
Application
Application
How does understanding more about the Feast of Booths and their traditions around it bring light to the text, to Jesus’s words?
Knowing the purpose of the feast and the traditions round it, give great insight to Jesus’ words. He often tied his words to events, circumstances, and traditions. In light of the feast of booths, his claims about living water, about light all have greater weight. It would have as well for the Israelites. He was tying himself to their traditions, to the feast. Makes his claims, his teachings, and his acts so much more potent and powerful.
Why is the issue of Jesus’ origin important? Why does it matter?
In his situation, origin determines the authenticity of his claims to Messiahship. It was prophesied specifically where the Messiah would come from. If he did not meet that criteria, he was a liar and a false prophet.
Origin also determines authority. Jesus claim to have been sent BY GOD gives authority to his words and his actions. The one sending, the one with authority strengthens the position of the sent one.
In what way(s) can knowledge be dangerous? In what way(s) should we be using knowledge? How do we guard against the same spiritual arrogance of the Pharisees?
We can come to view knowledge as the end all. Knowledge BECOMES the god instead leading us to God.
Knowledge should be used to draw us nearer to God as we deepen our understanding, our familiarity with who God is.
We work to maintain a humble and teachable heart. We always meditate upon and consider how we ought to be growing and changing from any text we read/study. We invite others in to help them view our blindspots so that we can ever be growing into Christ likeness.
What benefits do traditions bring? What dangers do they bring?
They can help remind us frequently of truth and press our hearts and sights toward God.
They can become as important or authoritative as that of scripture. They can begin to mean more to us than scripture itself.
What are some of the traditions in your life or family that, while not scripture, have been helpful to prompting your heart to God?
What factors contribute to spiritual blindness? What must we do to overcome spiritual blindness?
Pride, self centeredness, self-righteousness, success (the more of it we possess the less we think need God), money, independence and self-sufficiency.
Humble ourselves, live in community, be teachable, foster a healthy discontentment with our spiritual growth, foster intimacy with God.
Why is Jesus’s warning so sobering?
Time is short. God is patient. He will not endure forever. People must repent or they may well miss the window.
We must be diligent to be serving and reaching out while there is time. There is no excuse for laziness and apathy on our part.
Why is disdain and mocking rooted in pride and self-righteousness?
It assumes we have it all figured out and under control MORE than the person we are mocking or disdaining.