Riverbend Bible, November 19, 2017 (John 7:15-39, p. 893)
“Rumors and Rivers”
Rumors
Jesus knows what it’s like to be misunderstood; to be the brunt of false rumors and half-truths; to realize that people are plotting against him. If you’ve ever felt the sting of slander, Jesus sympathizes with you. In John 7, we listen with Jesus as he overhears people talking about him. Most of what he hears is wrong. And getting Jesus wrong is not just confusing. It is dangerous. So, Jesus speaks up in the middle of a hostile crowd to make clear who he is.In our world,too, Jesus is often misunderstood. Sadly, we who claim him as Lord often misrepresent him and contribute to the problem. One of the most important responsibilities our church has is to make clear who Jesus is. That’s our task. As a Christian, one of your most important life assignments is to make Jesus clear to the “crowd” around you—your family, your friend group, your fellow students, and your co-workers. In the comingweeks,many of us will attendgatheringslike family reunions and Christmas parties. We will rub elbows with people who misunderstand Jesus and the gospel. Let’s determine to interact in a way that makes him and the gospel as clear as we can. When we do, some will remain confused. Others will respond with hostility.Still others will believe and follow the Lord. Jesus faced the same three reactions.
Turn in the Bible to John 7.We will read and examine the next section in our study of this gospel, vv. 25-39. If you are picking up one of the Bibles in the row, turn to p. 893. As I read, listen and identify the rumors circulating about Jesus, how he corrects them, and how people respond.
John 7:25–39 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?” 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’?” 37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
In vv. 25-31 wehear rumors about where Jesus came from, his origins. In vv. 32-36 we hear rumors about where Jesus is going, his destiny. In vv. 37-39 we hear the promise Jesus makes to those who reject these rumors and receive him for who he is. Let’s look at each section to see how Jesus challenges rumors and clarifies the truth about himself. How you respond to Jesus will depend on whether you accept him for whohe is. I pray that God will use this message to lead you to understand who Jesus is, to respond joyfully to him, and to represent him clearly to those around you.
Jesus’ Controversial Origins
If you have been at Riverbend recently, you realize that,in this reading, we have landed back in the middle of the city of Jerusalem, in the middle of the temple, in the middle of a national harvest festival, and in the middle of a crowd of Jewish worshipers. Jesus has been a public celebrity for about three years. Most people at the festival know something about him. Rumors are rampant. At the end of the section we studied last week, Jesus reminds the crowd why some want to kill him. During an earlier visit to Jerusalem he healed a crippled man on the Sabbath day, forcing the man to carry his mat home from the place where he had been begging. The religious authorities accused Jesus ofviolating Sabbath. In response, Jesus claimed that, as God, he was not subject to Sabbath restrictions. The authorities deemed this double-blasphemy worthy of death.
Here in 7:25-27, after Jesus recalls this incident, many from Jerusalem recognizehimasa marked man. Their question, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill?” invites a positive response. But their confusion increases because he is still on the loose (v. 26). “He’s in the temple. He’s openly teaching. Why haven’t the authorities arrested him?” This leads some to rumor that the authorities must think that Jesus is the Christ. The Jewish people lived expecting that the Messiah, the Christ, would appear for them. The title refers literally to God’s anointed one – the one to deliver his people from oppression and injustice. It’s appropriate that we would look at this passage today for our last message in John before the end of the year. Not long from now we enter theAdvent season.We will remember how God sent his long-promised Messiah to Bethlehem. We will review how,throughlong centuries, God’s people longed for this deliverer to arrive.
When people realize that the authorities wanted to kill Jesus butwill not arrest him, some assume that these authorities must now think that Jesus is the Messiah.And their opinion matters. But as quickly as some voice the possibility, others respond that Jesus can’t be the true Messiah. Their reasoning is in v. 27. “But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” Truly, there is no consensusabout where Jesus came from. Some said Galilee. Others thought Bethlehem (vv. 42-43). They seem to agree that they should not know the Messiah before he appears. A tradition had developed that the Messiah would come out of nowhere. He would not live a normal life and rise slowly to power. He would arise suddenly and bring swift deliverance. His appearance would reflect his supernatural power. He would be a Jewish superhero. His background would be secret. Jesus does not fit expectations.
In vv. 28-31 Jesus tells the truth about his origins. What people have said about him is only half the story. In v. 28 he confirms that the people do know him,but only as a man. They do know where he comes from,but only in a human sense. It’s true that he does not come of his own accord. The literal language says that he does not come “from himself.” He is like any other human being. But there’s so much more to tell. V. 28 ends with an expression meaning, “My true origin is one who sent me” (meaning God). Jesus adds that those who speculate about his origins do not know God. In contrast, Jesus knows God intimately because he comes from God and has been sent by God. He himself is God.
Jesus reiterates the claim he made back in chapter 5. And the response is the same. In v. 30, they seek to arrest him. “Seeking” here means desiring or planning. Not until v. 32 do they act to makean arrest. Here in v. 30, John reminds us that the one who comes from God enjoys God’s protection. “[N]o one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.”Jesus’ hour is his crucifixion and resurrection. On God’s perfect schedule, this is still six months away. Yet even before his hour, v. 31 says that people believe in Jesus as the Messiah.His miracles prove he is genuine. We do not know precisely what they believe about him. It seems reasonable to conclude that they recognize him as God and man. They trust that he will do whatever it takes to deliver them from sin and restore them to fellowship with God.
You see three distinct responses to Jesus when he clarifies where he comes from. Some remain confused. Others openly oppose him. And some believe. The same responses exist among us. In our worship we have emphasized that Jesus is the perfect Savior. He is perfect man. He is qualified to represent us and obey God’s law on our behalf. He is competent to serve as substitute to take the punishment for our sin. He can sympathize with our weaknesses without giving into temptation. But he is also fully God. His obedience and suffering for us are perfect. He bears God’s righteous anger against sin, endures the death penalty, and overcomes death through his resurrection. This is the wonder we celebrate at Christmas: The Incarnation. Infinite God becomes man. The eternal Word takes on flesh.
Some hear this and remain confused. How can Jesus be both God and man? How can one person have two natures? How can the divine and human be intricately united? If these kinds of questions perplex you, keep asking. Keep seeking. Ask God to give you understanding. Read the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to show Christ to you in its pages. Jesus assures us that if we ask God for bread he will not give us a stone. He will not frustrate the one who humbly seeks him.Others will respond in opposition. It may not be the same kind of religious offense ofthe opponents in the temple. But opposition continues today. “Why do I need a Messiah? I’m not a bad person. If anything, I expect God to come out of nowhere and solve my problems. He doesn’t meet my expectation of what God should do for me.” If this is your response to Jesus, remember that the hour that John wrote about in v. 30 came. Jesus did die. History confirms this. He rose again from the dead. The greatest skeptics cannot refute this. He proved himself to be the perfect Savior you need. If you’re honest, you’ll admit that life often leaves you longing for rescue. Ben Affleck, who plays Batman in the new Justice League movie describes why superhero movies are so popular these days.
“Part of the appeal of this genre is wish fulfillment: Wouldn’t it be nice if there was somebody who can save us from all this, save us from ourselves, save us from the consequences of our actions and save us from people who are evil?” (USA Today)
The movies may portray the wish. But Jesus is the fulfillment. He alone does save us from ourselves, our sin, and the evil that lurks in our own hearts as well as around us.
The third response represented here today is the response of faith. There are many here who worship Jesus as true God and Savior. You rest on what he has already accomplished for you.And you rely on his promises of future grace to complete your salvation. Your life is not defined by the crowd or those in power. He’s all you need. More and more he’s becoming all you want. You long for the people in your life to see Jesus clearly for who he is.You want them to love him as you do. You’re a Christian. Tell others that you are. Be baptized (if you have not already) to announce your loyalty to King Jesus. Join with us as we seek to make Jesus is clear to the people of Atchison. Next week we’ll be giving you more details about opportunities in December to show and tell Jesus in our city and county. Pray that God will use you this holiday season to make Jesus clear.
Jesus’ Controversial Destiny
Jesus also speaks about his future, his destiny. The crowd in Jerusalem cannot not agree on his origins. In vv. 32-36 Jesus describeswhat will happen to him in a short time. We note that he does this in the face of an imminent threat of arrest. The reality that some are believing in Jesus pushes the authorities over the line. “Jesus is swaying people. They think we’re among those fooled by him. We’ll show them.” So, they dispatch temple guards to seize him. John does not tell us here why the guards failed to capture their prisoner. He leaves us in suspense. Which means you will be in suspense until the new year unless you read ahead to v. 46. What we learn now is that Jesus is a flight risk. In vv. 33-34 he tells the authorities and their officers that he will be around a little longer and then he is leaving, going back to God. They will not be able to find him. They cannot come where he is going.
Their response demonstrates how their hard hearts only create more confusion. In vv. 35-36 they ask questions which presume that Jesus is talking about geography. He must be planning a trip to visit Jews who live far from Jerusalem and speak Greek. Such a trip would be too long for them to make. But, they are only exposing their spiritual foolishness. Jesus’ destiny is to return to the Father after completing the Father’s work. The authorities cannot imagine the glory that this humble Messiah will soon inherit. They will not share in that glory. Today, some people, like these Jewish authorities, live as if this world is all there is. Nothing exists that we cannot see, hear, touch, taste, smell, or measure with our machines. Faith is for sissies. Religion is for people who reject science. But we know instinctively that we are more than molecules. We are not atomic accidents. Life is more than chemical processes. God has put eternity in our hearts. We reflect his image. One day you will meet him whether you believe in him or not. On that day, even if you could give the whole world, it would not be sufficient to save your soul. Don’t let this world blind you to eternal realities.
Jesus’ Compelling Announcement
It seems that, while the authorities were trying to figure out what Jesus was saying, he slipped away and avoided arrest. In vv. 37-39,he surfaces a couple of days later. Through v. 36 we have been with Jesus in the middle of the feast (v. 14) which lasted eight days. The last day referred to in v. 37 is likely the eighth day. Jesus is no longer debating with certain elements in the crowd or the authorities, he is declaring truth for the whole world to hear and consider. He is crying out (v. 37), issuing an announcement. We hear his call invv. 37-38. “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Jesus’announcement is a command and a promise. He commands the thirsty. If you recognize your spiritual neediness, come to me, believe in me. The only way to come where I am is to come to me for who I am. His promise is that he will provide a source of never-ending satisfaction to the one who comes.
V.39 clarifies that this satisfaction is the Holy Spirit. We know that by the time of Jesus, at the Feast of Booths, the Jews conducted a daily water ceremony. Priests carried water from a nearby pool into the temple and poured it out around the altar. The ceremony reminded people of the water God provided them in the wilderness. But it also reminded them of God’s promise to make a new covenant with them in which he would put his Spirit within them, cleanse them from their sins, give them a heart to obey and the power to please him.Jesus’ announcement is a claim that he is the One who provides this living water. He is God and will fulfill the new covenant promises. But first he must be glorified. He must die and shed his blood so that the Spirit can cleanse sinners from their guilt and condemnation. He must rise from the dead so that the Spirit can give new life to spiritually dead rebels. He must ascend his throne to have the authority to send the Holy Spirit to all his people. Under the Old Covenant, the Spirit came upon certain individuals (usually those in leadership), for a defined time and for the completion of a specific assignment. In the new covenant, anyone who believes in Jesus receives the Holy Spirit. On the last day of the feast, the ceremonial water has already dried on the temple pavement. Jesus announces that he is true water who will flow forever.