TEXT: John 7:10-24
INTRO: In our text we will discover an answer for people who struggle with the problem of knowing how to live life in the best way. Obey God to know the truth!
I. THE CONTEXT OF THE EVENT.
A. Vss.1-9, Jesus had begun to make a name for Himself teaching and making miracles and He had made enemies of many of the Pharisees and other religious leaders. He had healed a man on the Sabbath, defying them publicly, and had taught He was the “bread from heaven,” the One sent from God. So those leaders had decided to kill Him and put an end to the rising trouble He presented.
B. The Feast of Tabernacles: to celebrate was to remember and give thanks for the guidance and protection of God on His people during the Exodus. The people would live in tents or in “brush” tabernacles,” representing the housing of the Israelites in the wilderness. The people would worship, entertain, and greet guests for meals. Jesus did not go: “My hour has not come.”
II. THE MEETING AT THE FEAST.
A. Vs. 10-13, Why Jesus went to the feast and the debate over His identity: a good man or a trouble making deceiver, leading people astray.
B. Vs. 14-15, Jesus’ interpretation of the Scriptures was with wisdom and understanding and the fact that He taught without reference to any well-known authority. Mark 1:22, [People] were astonished at His teaching because, unlike the scribes, He was teaching them as one having authority.” Others taught according to the religious experts or “Rabbis.”
C. Vss. 16-20, Jesus makes two (2) claims about His teaching.
1.) He makes no claim to being able to know the Law except that the Father, who gave it, revealed it directly to Him.
2.) This claim will become evident when His teaching is tried and found to be true.
ILLUS: Ex. 20: Moses taught the 5th commandment, “You are to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God, you must not do any work.”
D. Vss. 21-23, Jesus referred to the healing of the lame man at the Pool of Siloam (Jn. 5). In Jn 5:18, John writes, “This why the Jews began trying all the more to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” Jesus was no more sinning in healing the man than Jews were in doing circumcision!
E. Vs. 24, Judge according to righteous affect.
III. FIVE LESSONS FROM OUR TEXT.
- Don’t’ let pride or peer pressure push you into becoming more devoted to your fame than to God’s purpose.
- Don’t let fear stop you from obeying God when He calls you to do something.
- Teaching or learning the truth of God must grow out of truly seeking to know and honor Him.
- The Spirit of God’s word is always more important than just the letter. In 2 Cor. 3:6, “For the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life.”
- Don’t make judgments until you know what is really true.
CONCLUSION