John 7:25-53

John 7:25-29 NIV

• 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 Christ ? (27) But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."

John 7:25-29 NIV

• 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 Christ ? (27) But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."

John 7:25-29 NIV

• (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, 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."

Reactions to Jesus

– Was he a good man, or a fraud?• John 7:12 NIV Among the crowds there was

widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man." Others replied, "No, he deceives the people."

– Was he demon-possessed?• John 7:20 NIV "You are demon-possessed," the

crowd answered. "Who is trying to kill you?"

Reactions to Jesus

– Or was he the Messiah and the Prophet?• John 7:26 NIV Here he is, speaking publicly, and

they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ ?

• John 7:40 NIV On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet."

Incorrect Assumptions

– That Jesus was only a Galilean carpenter from the village of Nazareth

– The Messiah would appear from nowhere

– Those traditions ignored the Scriptures that predicted the Messiah's birthplace

• Micah 5:2 NIV "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

Make up your own mind

– Jesus is more than a Galilean; he is the Logos who was virgin-born in Bethlehem

– Yet he was relatively unknown until his death and resurrection

– Whatever you decide about Jesus will have eternal consequences

• John 7:28-30 NIV 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, 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 time had not yet come.

• Jesus’ rebuke stirred the leaders to attempt to arrest him

• But God had set a time and place for his death, and until then all things worked toward that goal

• They could not lay a hand on him because God’s hand was over him

John 7:31-32 NIV • Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him.

They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous 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.

Many believed on him• His miraculous signs marked him out as

unusual

• Surely, the Messiah could not do any more miracles than this man

• But their faith in Jesus as Messiah was tentative and fickle

This unsettled their leaders • John 7:32 NIV The Pharisees heard the crowd

whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

• They feared the people would set aside the Pharisees' traditional teachings

• As guardians of tradition, they knew something needed to be done about Jesus soon

John 7:33-34 NIV

• Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go 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."

• The nation had only a short time to decide about him

• This time was not determined by the authorities, but by God

• When he had completed God's plan, he would return to the Father

The time of spiritual opportunity is now

• A time will come when it is too late

• Jesus went to heaven where unbelievers cannot go– John 8:21 NIV 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."

• What you decide about Jesus will determine whether you join him there

John 7:37-39 NIV

• On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. (38) Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

John 7:37-39 NIV

• (39) By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Festival Ritual

• A procession each day from the temple to the Gihon Spring

• A priest filled a gold pitcher with water while the choir sang– Isaiah 12:3 NIV With joy you will

draw water from the wells of salvation.

• Then they returned to the altar and poured out the water

Reminder of God’s provision

• Numbers 20:7-11 NIV The LORD said to Moses, (8) "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink."

Reminder of God’s provision

• (9) So Moses took the staff from the Lord's presence, just as he commanded him. (10) He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" (11) Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

Reminder of God’s provision

• Psalms 78:15-16 NIV He split the rocks in the desert and gave them water as abundant as the seas; (16) he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers.

Prophecy of the Messiah

• Zechariah 14:8 NIV On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter.

The Last, Great Day

• Jesus’ offer, “Come to me and drink”, was an offer of salvation

• “Come and drink” alludes to many passages about the Messiah’s life-giving blessings

• In promising to give the Holy Spirit to all who believed, Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, for that was something only the Messiah could do

Living Water

• He used “living water” in John 4:10 to indicate eternal life

• Here he refers to the Holy Spirit

• The two go together: The Holy Spirit brings eternal life– The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus’

followers at Pentecost (Acts 2) and was promised to those who repented and were baptized

John 7:25-53

John 7:50-52 NIV

• Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, (51) "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?" (52) They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee."

The Mosaic law assured the accused of a fair trial

• The leaders had decided to arrest and kill Jesus

• Nicodemus, one of them, said, “This is not right!”

• He had interviewed Jesus earlier (John 3)

• He risked his reputation, position, and political future when he spoke up for Jesus

– The Pharisees became suspicious of him

– Tradition holds that he was excommunicated from the Sanhedrin and that he lost all influence among the Jews

– History is otherwise silent about him

• The last time we encounter Nicodemus was when he came – one of only two men – to attend to Jesus’ burial (John 19:39)

What Mallory Holtman & Nicodemus have in common

Each did what was right – simply because it was right – and without regard for personal consequencesIt cost Mallory a game and her last shot at a championshipIt cost Nicodemus his political careerWhat will it cost you?

John 7:37-39 NIV

• On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. (38) Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

John 7:37-39 NIV

• (39) By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

How do you contact

• Acts 2:38 NIV Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

How do you contact

• Titus 3:4-7 NIV But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, (5) he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

How do you contact

• (6) whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

• What are you waiting for?– Jesus has offered you the Holy Spirit

and eternal life

– The next move is yours