John 7:14–36 - Cameron Jungels - 03-16-2014 AM

“Jesus, the Man from Heaven” (John 7:14–36) (Eastside Baptist/Sun AM/March 16, 2014)

¹⁴ Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.  ¹⁵ The Jews there were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having been taught?"  ¹⁶ Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.  ¹⁷ 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.  ¹⁸ 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.  ¹⁹ Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?"  ²⁰ "You are demon-possessed," the crowd answered. "Who is trying to kill you?"  ²¹ Jesus said to them, "I did one miracle, and you are all amazed.  ²² 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.  ²³ 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?  ²⁴ Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly."  ²⁵ At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill?  ²⁶ Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah?  ²⁷ But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from."  ²⁸ 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,  ²⁹ but I know him because I am from him and he sent me."  ³⁰ At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.  ³¹ Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, "When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?"  ³² The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.  ³³ Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me.  ³⁴ You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come."  ³⁵ 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?  ³⁶ 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'?" (John 7:14–36, NIV)

1.       Jesus teaches with heavenly authority and wisdom (vv. 14–24).

a.      Heavenly wisdom is not taught by men (vv. 14–15).

b.      Heavenly wisdom is authenticated by God (vv. 16–17).

c.       Heavenly wisdom is not self-glorifying but God-glorifying (v. 18).

d.      Heavenly wisdom is true wisdom (v. 18).

e.      Heavenly wisdom understands the true nature and purpose of the Law, including the Sabbath (vv. 19–­23).

f.        Heavenly wisdom evaluates with a depth of perception not possible with surface-level assumptions (v. 24).

g.      Application: Those who believe accept the heavenly authority and wisdom of Jesus’ words (v. 17; John 6:29).

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. (John 7:17, NIV)

Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:29, NIV)

Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. (Dan. 12:10, NIV)

Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." (John 8:47, NIV)

2.      Jesus’ true origin is not from Galilee but from heaven (vv. 25­–31).

a.      Jesus did not come from Galilee but from Bethlehem, Judea in fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies of Micah 5:2 and other Davidic promises (vv. 25­–27).

b.      Jesus’ true origin cannot be fully explained by Bethlehem, Judea; his true origin is from heaven with God, his Father (v. 28a).

c.       Jesus has true knowledge of the Father and is able to reveal that knowledge to others because his true origin is from Heaven (vv. 28b–29).

²² "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." (Lk. 10:22, NIV)

d.      Jesus’ heavenly origin explains the timing and unfolding of his life’s events (v. 30).

e.      Application: Those who believe recognize his heavenly origin in his words and works (v. 31).

Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, "When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?" (John 7:31, NIV)

3.      After fulfilling the Father’s will, Jesus is returning to heaven from where he came (vv. 32–36).

a.      Jesus’ mission on earth would last for a short time in fulfillment of the Father’s will and appointment (v. 32–33).

b.      When his mission is complete, he will return to his Father in heaven from where he came (v. 34).

Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" (John 20:17, NIV)

c.       The Jewish leaders and the people misunderstood his words because they had not been illuminated by the Spirit to understand (vv. 35–36; cf. John 8:21­–24).

d.      Ironically, Jesus did go to the scattered Jews and Gentiles and teach them by extension through his apostles, after he returned to heaven (v. 35).

e.      Application: Those who believe understand that Jesus is now with his Father God in heaven and that they too will one day share in the joy of his presence (v. 34, 36; John 8:21–24; John 13:33, 36; John 14:1–3).

You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come." (John 7:34, NIV)

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'?" (John 7:36, NIV)

²¹ Once more Jesus said to them, "I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come."  ²² This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, 'Where I go, you cannot come'?"  ²³ But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.  ²⁴ I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins."  (John 8:21-24, NIV)

³³ "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. (John 13:33, NIV) ³⁶ Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." (John 13:36, NIV)

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  ² My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going."  ⁵ Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"  ⁶ Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  (John 14:1-6, NIV)

Main Idea: Jesus is the Man from Heaven, whose words are heavenly words, whose authority is heavenly authority, and whose mission is to bring with him to heaven all those who believe in him.

Those who believe in Jesus Christ accept his divine, heavenly authority; understand that his origin is from God; and trust that even now Jesus is reigning at his Father’s side from heaven where they will one day join their Savior and Lord.