Reading of Text

[The Earliest Manuscripts Do Not Include 7:53-8:11]

[[“They went each to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?’ This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, ‘Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.’ And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.’”]] (John 7:53–8:11, ESV)

Introduction

This passage presents some interesting challenges for a preacher. The story itself raises some interesting questions. Where is the man with whom the woman was involved? How could it be that the woman was caught in the very act of adultery? What were the motives of the scribes and Pharisees in accusing the woman? What exactly did Jesus write in the ground? And how are we to understand Jesus handling of the entire situation? Did he disregard the law of Moses by pardoning a guilty woman? Or was the woman in fact innocent? We will deal with these questions in due time.

The more pressing question is this: is the story original to John’s Gospel?   Read the rest of Sermon: John 7:53-8:11: Judge with Right Judgment »

Reading of God’s Holy Word

“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. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ 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. When they heard these words, some of the people said, ‘This really is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’ But some said, ‘Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?’ So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, ‘Why did you not bring him?’ The officers answered, ‘No one ever spoke like this man!’ The Pharisees answered them, ‘Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.’ Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, ‘Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?’ They replied, ‘Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.’” (John 7:37–52, ESV)

Introduction

As you can see verses 37 through 52 contain two rather distinct episodes. Verses 37 through 39 tell us of Jesus standing in the temple and proclaiming, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink”, whereas verses 40 through 52 tell us of the division that existed among the people concerning their opinion of Jesus. Some were willing to confess that Jesus was the Prophet, or Christ. Others were on the fence and were willing to give Jesus a hearing. And others were decidedly hostile. They were ready to arrest Jesus in that moment.

I’d like to give the bulk of our attention to the first section – verses 37 through 39. I have two reasons: One, verses 37 through 39 are incredibly rich and deserve our attention. And two, I managed to dip into verses 40 through 52 in last weeks sermon and have already covered what is at the heart of that text.

An Overview of  Verses 40 Through 52 

Let me make a few observations concerning verses 40 through 52 before we set our attention on 37 through 39.

One, notice that at the heart of this passage is the thing we discussed last week – namely, Jesus’ origin. The people are divided concerning their opinion of Jesus. Some say he is good; others bad. Some are ready to confess that he is the Prophet, or the Christ; others want to arrest him. And much of the discussion comes to center upon the question, does Jesus come from the right place in order to qualify as the Messiah? Verse 40: “When they heard these words, some of the people said, ‘This really is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’ But some said, ‘Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?’” (John 7:40–42, ESV) This we discussed in detail last week. The conclusion was this: Jesus did indeed have the correct earthly origins. More than that – and this is John’s emphasis – he had heavenly origins as well, having come from above, that is, from the Father.

Two, notice in verses 40 through 52 that the division that existed between the people was such that even the officers were unwilling to the lay their hands upon Jesus, though they had been given an official task of arresting him. The officers were temple police. They were drawn from the Levites and were given the task of maintaining order within the temple precincts. Remember that all of this took place during the Feast of Booths, and so their job was a most important one given that great crowds were gathered in this place. But as they approached Jesus to arrest him they could not follow through with it. And what was their reason? The officers said, “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46, ESV) It wasn’t that Jesus was particularly dynamic. It wasn’t that he was an unusually skilled communicator (though I’m sure he was very skilled). No, it was the way in which he spoke. He spoke as one who had authority. He did not merely teach about the law, or the significance of the Feast of Booths. No, he claimed to be the fulfillment of the law – the fulfillment of the Feast. Great teachers have come and gone, but no one has made the claims that Jesus made. “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46, ESV)

Three, notice that while most of the Pharisees, and others who possessed religious authority, rejected Jesus’ claims, some were beginning to express sympathies towards him. Nicodemus (who was himself a Pharisee), appears again in the narrative. He is the one who came to Jesus at night with questions. Not a word has been said about him since chapter 3, but here he is again. This time he is standing up for Jesus. It’s not as if he fully identified himself as a follower of Christ. He certainly did not give a full-blown confession of faith at this time. But he did stand up. In verse 51he said to his fellow Pharisees, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” (John 7:51, ESV) And notice the pushback he received! The only thing he did was suggest that they give Jesus a hearing before judging him! And what do they say? “They replied, ‘Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.’” (John 7:52, ESV) It was an insult for them to say, “are you from Galilee to?” It meant, are you one of these poor and ignorant Galileans willing to believe this nonsense?

This interaction between Nicodemus and his fellow Pharisees is important for a few reasons: One, we learn more about Nicodemus. It appears that the Spirit was indeed working upon his heart. He will eventually identify with Jesus publicly as he will take part in providing a proper burial for him. Here we see that the Spirit is at work drawing him to Christ and to the Father. Two, we gain insight into how difficult it would have been for a member of the religious elite to follow Jesus. To identify with Jesus would mean enduring scorn. To follow Jesus would involve suffering great loss. Three, this interaction between Nicodemus and his fellow Pharisees reminds us that while many of Jews rejected Jesus, some believed. Though John uses the term “Jews” to refer primarily to the religious elite who were opposed to Jesus, he inserts little nuggets like this to remind us that not all rejected Jesus. Some believed. Most of the early Christians were Jews. Most came from among the common people – the Galileans, for example – but some who held high positions were also willing to identify with Christ in his humility and suffer, by the grace of God.

An Exposition of Verses 37 Through 39

Let’s turn our attention now to the saying of Jesus which stirred up the great division described in verses 40-52.

Take your eyes back up to verse 37 where we read, “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.’” (John 7:37, ESV)

Remember that Jerusalem is at this time packed with people celebrating the Feast of Booths. This holiday, as I’ve said in previous sermons, was the camping holiday of the Jews. People would flock to Jerusalem, would construct shelters out of branches, and would camp out for seven days. It was a time of great celebration as the people rejoiced concerning the harvest. They would feast and worship, offering up great sacrifices to the Lord. Many expected Jesus to be there. They were eagerly awaiting his arrival. At first he roamed in Jerusalem secretly, but when the time was right he suddenly “went up into the temple and began teaching.” (John 7:14, ESV) We don’t know exactly when he began to teach, and we don’t know much about what he taught, but John is specific here. He tells us that “on the last day of the feast, the great day”, Jesus uttered these words: “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.’” (John 7:37–38, ESV)

This particular saying of Jesus is clearly marked off as being significant. For one, he uttered it on the last day, the great day of the feast. This is probably the seventh day of the feast. It is the day in which everything came to a climax. Jesus waited for this moment to say what he had to say. Two, notice that he stood up. Teachers would typically sit, while students would stand (sounds like a good idea to me). And so by standing Jesus drew attention to the significance of what he was about to say. He usually sat, but to say this, he stood. And three, notice the text also emphasizes that he cried out. He shouted this saying. He had probably been teaching in a natural voice for some time, but here he shouts. And what was Jesus so concerned to emphasize? He shouted ,“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.’” (John 7:37–38, ESV)

Even if we knew nothing concerning the context in which this saying of Jesus was uttered – even if we knew nothing of the historical setting, nothing of the biblical context – this saying of Jesus could still be appreciated for its great beauty, and for the magnificent offer contained within.  Are you thirsty? Come to me and drink, Jesus says. And not only will you be satisfied by the living water that is found in him, but you yourself will overflow with this living water and will serve as a conduit of blessing to others as well.

I hope it is clear It is clear that Jesus is not offering to quench physical thirst here. He is not offering physical water to be received by the physical mouth. No, Jesus is calling out to those who are spiritually thirsty. He is calling to those who are parched of soul. He is urging them to drink with the mouth of faith. He offers spiritual water – water that flows from him and satisfies eternally. “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.’” (John 7:37–38, ESV)

Even if we knew nothing of the context in which this saying of Jesus was uttered, it could still be appreciated as a most beautiful saying – a most appealing offer. But how much more appealing it is when we begin to consider the historical and biblical context in which these words were uttered.

First, let’s consider the historical setting.

Remember that Jesus uttered these words on the last day – the great day – of the Feast of Booths. Remember that one of the public rituals preformed at the Feast of Booths was the daily pouring of water from the pool of Siloam. D.A. Carson summarizes this ritual nicely, saying:

“On the seven days of the Feast, a golden [pitcher] was filled with water from the pool of Siloam and was carried in a procession led by the High Priest back to the temple. As the procession approached the watergate on the south side of the inner court three blasts from the šôp̄ār—a trumpet connected with joyful occasions—were sounded. While the pilgrims watched, the priests processed around the altar with the [pitcher], the temple choir singing the Hallel (Pss. 113–118; cf. Mishnah Sukkah 4:9). When the choir reached Psalm 118, every male pilgrim shook a lûlāḇ (willow and myrtle twigs tied with palm) in his right hand, while his left raised a piece of citrus fruit (a sign of the ingathered harvest), and all cried ‘Give thanks to the Lord!’ three times. The water was offered to God at the time of the morning sacrifice, along with the daily drink-offering (of wine). The wine and the water were poured into their respective silver bowls, and then poured out before the Lord. Moreover, these ceremonies of the Feast of Tabernacles were related in Jewish thought both to the Lord’s provision of water in the desert and to the Lord’s pouring out of the Spirit in the last days. Pouring at the Feast of Tabernacles refers symbolically to the messianic age in which a stream from the sacred rock would flow over the whole earth (cf. J. Jeremias, TDNT, 4. 277f.).”

So it was with this ceremony fresh on the people’s mind that Jesus stood and shouted, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink…” (John 7:37, ESV) His message was unmistakably clear. What the pouring of the water during the Feast of Booths symbolized was fulfilled in him. He was the rock who the people of Israel drank from in the wilderness. He was the long awaited Messiah. The last days were coming upon the people as the outpouring of the Spirit was soon to take place. 

This was the historical context surrounding Jesus’ words, and I think it adds to the beauty and significance of them. Now what about the biblical context?

Notice that Jesus states in verse 38 that his offer is in fulfillment to scripture.  Verse 37: “…Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘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.’’” (John 7:37–38, ESV)

The question is, which Old Testament scripture is Jesus referring to when he says, “as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’”? Actually, you could look long and hard in the Old Testament for this phrase, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”, and never find it. The reason is that this is not a direct quotation of any particular Old Testament text, but rather a composite or all encompassing statement which serves to summarize a great theme which runs throughout the Old Testament scriptures, namely, the promise of a coming day when God would pour out waters of blessing and salvation upon his people.

Consider Isaiah 55:1: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Isaiah 55:1, ESV)

Listen to Isaiah 58:11: “And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” (Isaiah 58:11, ESV)

Hear also Isaiah 12:1-3: “You will say in that day: ‘I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.’ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:1–3, ESV)

Listen to the prophet Joel in 3:18: “And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord…” (Joel 3:18, ESV)

And consider Zechariah 13:1: “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.” (Zechariah 13:1, ESV)

So you can see that it was common for the prophets of old used the imagery of water to refer to the day when the Christ would appear. He would quench the thirst of his people; he would make his people like a “well watered garden” and “like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail”; he would be a fountain to them, cleansing them from sin and uncleanness. Many more Old Testament scriptures could be sited which contain this theme of waters flowing to the people of God in the last days. If I had the time I would mention more. In particular I wish I had the time to go to the vision of Ezekiel 47:1–12 to demonstrate that Christ is the fulfillment of that prophesy. Also, I would go to Nehemiah 9 to show that, by the time of Nehemiah, the Feast of  Booths (or Tabernacles) had certainly been used to bring to remembrance the Exodus, the Manna that was given from heaven, and the water that, o two occasions, was provided from the rock as the people wandered in the wilderness. But time will not permit. You will have to look at these things yourself.

The point is this: Jesus was referring to these scriptures, and to others like them, with his summery statement, “as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’”.

One question that has puzzled students of the Bible in the past, and continues to be a source of debate today, is this: Out of whom will the rivers of living water flow. Jesus says, ‘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.’’” The question is, out of who’s heart will the rivers of living water flow.

Some say that the rivers of living water will flow out of Jesus’ heart (or, more literally, belly). certainly the texts could be read in that way. “His” could be referring to Jesus.

Another opinion is that “his” is referring to the believer. When the believer believes in Christ – drinks of Christ – the believer becomes a fountain of living water – the believer becomes a conduit of blessing to others.

Really, the two views are not all that different. Both see that Jesus is the ultimate source of living water. No one would claim that the believe has the ability to prove living waters to others, in and of himself.

The difference is this: the first view sees the passage as only talking about Christ. Christ invited people to drink of him (to believe) – and it is of Christ that scriptures speak, saying, “out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’’ The second view agrees that we must drink of Christ by faith – he is the source of living water. But it sees the text as saying something more, namely, that the believer, once he or she drinks of Christ, then overflows with this living water, blessing others too.

I’ve come to believe that this second view is the correct one. I will not provide an argument for it here, (again, for the sake of time). If you are interested I would be happy to provide you with commentary excepts from Hermon Ridderbos, Leon Morris, or D.A. Carson, who all prefer this second view.

If this second view is true – that it is the believer out of who’s heart, or belly (what is at the core of man), that living waters flow once we believe in Christ – then this passage is saying something similar to that which Jesus said to the woman at the well in chapter 4: “Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’” (John 4:13–14, ESV)

I think this is the meaning: Jesus not only satisfies our spiritual thirst and the longing of our soul as we trust in him, but he works within us in such a way that the living waters are abundant waters – they bubble up and overflow for the benefit of those around us. This is similar to the concept of the believer bearing fruit.

Now the question could be asked, how exactly does Christ quench our spiritual thirst? John clarifies this for us when remarks in verse 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.” (John 7:39, ESV) The living water that Jesus speaks of here is the Holy Spirit. It is through the sending of the Spirit that Jesus quenches our Spiritual thirst.

This is consistant with the Old Testament witness:

Isaiah 44:3: “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.” (Isaiah 44:3, ESV)

Ezekiel 39:29: “And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.”” (Ezekiel 39:29, ESV)

Joel 2:28: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.” (Joel 2:28–32, ESV)

It is the Holy Spirit who gives life. It is the Holy Spirit who cleanses and renews. It is the Holy Spirit who quenches the human soul with streams of living water.

John remarks, “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.” (John 7:39, ESV) The Spirit would not be poured out with New Covenant power until after Jesus was glorified. Christ would have to suffer, and die, and on the third day rise. He would have to assessed to the right hand of the Father before the Spirit would come in New Covenant power.

Jesus will emphasize this very thing as his ministry progresses:

John 14:15: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15–17, ESV)

John 16:7: “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7, ESV)

It would be a mistake to think that the Spirit did not exist prior to Christ sending him. The scriptures are clear that the Spirit has always existed. He is God eternal along with the Father and Son. And it would also be a mistake to assume that the Spirit was not active prior to being sent by the Son. He was clearly active under the Old Covenant. In fact, it can be argued that he functioned under the Old Covenant in much the same way that he functioned in the New. What must be confessed is that it wasn’t until the New Covenant – after the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ – that the Spirit was poured out in power. The New Covenant is rightly called the age of the Spirit. The Spirit would be poured out with great power, and upon all of the peoples of the earth at Pentecost.  This is what is meant when John says, “for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Application

The unbeliever must be urged to drink of Christ initially.

Worldly things will never quench the thirst of the soul.

The Spirit quenches the thirst of the soul.

Washing

Life

Right relationship with God

Union with Christ

The Christian must be urged to drink of Christ continually.

We do not eat only once, nor do we drink only once. These are proper metaphors, in part, because they encourage ongoing, habitual, perpetual activity. We are to believe in Christ, and we are to go on believing. We are to partake of Christ, and we are to go on partaking.

Through prayer

Through the word

Through fellowship with others in the body of Christ

Through the Lord’s Supper

The Christian must be urged to be a conduit of living water to others.

Are you like the Sea of Galilee or the Dead Sea? A pond, or a great river?

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16, ESV)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23, ESV)

Reading of God’s Holy Word

“Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, ‘Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 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? But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.’ 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. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.’ So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, ‘When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?’ The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. Jesus then said, ‘I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.’ 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? What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?’” (John 7:25–36, ESV)

Introduction

One thing that is abundantly clear in John’s gospel is that it is of utmost importance that we trust in the right Jesus, and for the right reasons. We must know the right Jesus if he is to be of any help to us. In other words, we are not free to use his name as if it were a magical incantation while gutting it of its significance. The name of Jesus is powerful only so long as the real Jesus is behind it. He was a real and particular person who came to accomplish a real and particular work and who is really alive even today. How important it is that we know him really and truly as he is revealed in the Holy Scriptures.

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and you begin to talk about someone else that you think you have in common? Perhaps his name is Steven, or something like that. And so you go on for some time talking about Steven – Steven this, and Steven that – when you begin to sense that perhaps you’re not talking about the same Steven. And so you stop and you say, “wait a minute. Are you talking about Steven – he’s tall and slender and works at whatever place?” And the other person responds saying, “no! The Steven I’m talking about is short and stocky and works at such-and-such a place.” And then there’s that awkward moment when you realize that the conversation you’ve just had was completely lacking in substance. It was the same name, but not the same person.

There are many who claim to be followers of Jesus in this world, just as there were many who claimed to follow Jesus in the days of Jesus. What has become clear as we have studied the gospel of John together is that many who followed Jesus did not follow him truly. And why was that? Because they did not know him truly. They called him Jesus, but their conception of him – their expectation for him – their belief concerning him, was far from true. Though they all beheld the same Jesus with their eyes, and though the same sound proceeded from their lips as they uttered his name, some knew Jesus truly, while many did not.

Tell me church, does it do us any good to call upon the name of Jesus, if the Jesus in whom we trust is in essence the wrong Jesus?

John, in his wonderfully rich gospel, goes to great lengths to present us with the true Jesus. He, like a master painter, paints a detailed portrait of Jesus. His medium is, of course, not paint, but words. His inspiration is the Holy Spirit. The finished product is not an image that can be examined with the eye, but truth to be comprehend with the mind and believed upon from the heart. Little to nothing is said concerning the appearance of Jesus – we don’t know if was tall and slender, or short and stocky – but we are told all about him. John tells who he was; we are told of his essence, or nature; we know where he came from and where he would be going; we know all about his purpose for coming, his mission and his work. The portrait that we have of Jesus in John’s gospel is vivid and bright, full of clarity and detail. Jesus is brought to the fore in a most pronounced way as John masterfully sets him against the backdrop of Old Testament images and themes, prophesies, feasts, and festivals. In the end there is no excuse for walking away from John’s gospel with an inaccurate understanding of Jesus. He is set before us here with great clarity.

Remember the words that John wrote near the end of his gospel. John 20:30-31: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

I’m aware of the fact that I have made reference to this text a number of times throughout this series, but I think it is for good reason. It is here that John directly states his reason for writing this gospel. These two verse, therefore, serve as an anchor. When we are tempted to run off after this detail or that in the text, John 20:30-31 keeps us from going adrift. As it is in life, so it is with the study of the Bible – we ought to keep the main thing the main thing!

And what is John’s main objective? It is to persuade us to believe in Jesus. But is that all he says? No! He is concerned, more specifically, that you and I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we have life in his name.

You see, while it is true that John’s objective is for us to believe in Jesus, more is said. It does us no good to say that we believe in Jesus unless we believe that he is the Christ, and that he is the Son of God. It is only after believing in this Jesus – Jesus the Christ – Jesus the Son of God – that we have life in his name.

John 7:25-36

Notice the question that is on the forefront of everyones mind in this passage. Verse 25: “Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, ‘Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 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?’” Verse 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 is everyone curious about? They want to know, is this Christ? Is this the Anointed One of God? Is this the Savior promised by the Father from long ago? Is this the Christ, the Messiah of Israel?

Two things are mentioned that persuaded some to believe. One, they were astonished that, though Jesus was despised by the religious establishment, no one laid a hand on him. He continued to teach publicly and with great authority. Two, some began to ask the question, when the Christ comes will he do more signs than these? It is interesting that John does not mention many of the miracles of Jesus. He selects only a few. But remember that John’s gospel was the last of the four to be written. It seems that John assumes that his readers knew about all that Jesus did. Perhaps they knew of his deeds through oral tradition – preaching and teaching in the early church. Or perhaps they had read Matthew, Mark, or Luke, which had circulated by this time, and were therefore aware of more of the works of Christ. Whatever the case, John is clear that Jesus had preformed many miracles by this time in his ministry, though he has only mentioned a few. And it is clear that the crowd in Jerusalem at the Feast of Booths was aware of these signs that Jesus had preformed, and they began to reason, saying, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?” (John 7:31, ESV) Some grew convinced of Jesus’ claims. They began to think, perhaps this is the Messiah.

 

But what was their hangup? Their hangup is stated in two places, and from two different angles. Their hangup had to do with Jesus’ origin. The people wondered if Jesus came from the right place in order to be qualified as the Christ, the Messiah.

First, look at verse 27 (picking up in the middle of verse 26): “Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” (John 7:26–27, ESV)

It was a common view amongst the Jews that when the Christ did appear, he would appear suddenly. He would live in relative obscurity and then appear all of a sudden.

It would seem that the prophesy of Malachi 3:1 is what motivated this view. Malachi declared the word of the Lord some 500 years before the birth of Christ, saying, “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1, ESV) So the Lord would come suddenly, Malachi says.

Some were puzzled concerning Jesus because they knew all about his earthly origin. They new his mother, and his brothers and sisters. They knew that he grew up in Nazareth. They knew where he came from.

But notice that John does present Jesus and coming suddenly to the temple. Do you remember the interpretive difficulty that we discussed last week? Jesus told his brother that would not go up to Jerusalem (7:8), but after his brothers left he did go up (7:10). I said that the key to understanding this is to observe that Jesus did not say he would never go up, but that he would not go up with is brothers in their way, nor according to their timing. He was on the Father’s schedule, not theirs. And notice, when Jesus did go up, he went in secret. Everyone was looking for him. They wanted to know where he was, but he remained hidden. But what did Jesus do in the middle of the feast? He “went up into the temple and began teaching.” (John 7:14, ESV)

The message is clear. Though it is true that these people knew of Jesus’ background, he did “suddenly come to his temple” in fulfillment of the prophesy of Malachi 3:1.

Secondly, we should peek down into the text that we will be considering in detail next week. Verse 40: “When they heard these words, some of the people said, ‘This really is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’ But some said, ‘Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?’” Again, some are on the right track. They are beginning to wonder if Jesus was indeed the prophet, or the Christ, promised from long ago.

But again, notice their hang up: they wondered if Jesus came from the right place. They wanted to know if he had the correct origin. Jesus is known as Jesus of Nazareth, for that is where he was raised. But the Christ was to come from Bethlehem. He would be the offspring of David, and thus born where David was born.

We could point to a number of Old Testament passages as the source of these expectations. 2 Samuel 7:12–16, Psalm 89:3–4; Isaiah 9:7 and 55:3 would all be good places to turn. But perhaps the clearest passage of all is Micah 5:2 which says,“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” (Micah 5:2, ESV)

Many concluded that Jesus did not possess the proper Messianic credentials because he was Jesus of Nazareth. But there is more to the story, isn’t there? Tell me church, though is true that Jesus’ home town was Nazareth, where was he born? Bethlehem! Matthew 2 and Luke 2 tell us that Jesus was born there.

So Jesus was indeed qualified to be the Messiah. He fit the description. He fulfilled the prophesies. He did indeed appear suddenly in the temple claiming to the be the Christ. And he was indeed born in Bethlehem, the offspring of David.

But notice this – and I think this is most fascinating (I hope you share the same sentiments) –  isn’t it interesting that John does not say, no but wait, he did appear suddenly. Or, no but wait, he was born in Bethlehem. He leaves us to figure that out. Remember that the gospel of John was written last. His readers have at their disposal oral tradition, as well as the the gospel of Matthew, Mark and Luke. And so John did not need to say these things; others already had. Instead he emphasized something else, namely Jesus’ heavenly origin. And that is the theme in John’s gospel.

Tell me church, does John’s gospel contain a birth narrative? What I mean by that is, does John’s gospel record for us the details surrounding Jesus’ birth? No! Where does John begin? “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1, ESV) “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, ESV) John is concerned to emphasize Jesus’ heavenly origin. Others have emphasized his earthly origin; he wants us to know that Jesus is from above, from the Father.  Jesus of Nazareth was, and is, God with us.

The same is true in this passage. John does not explicitly deal with confusion of the Jews. They complain saying, I thought the Messiah would appear suddenly, and, I though the Christ would come from Bethlehem. John leaves it to us to sort all of that out. Instead he records these word’s of Jesus: (7:28) “So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, ‘You know me, and you know where I come from [it’s true you know something of my background]. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true [the Father], and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”” (John 7:28–29, ESV) So what does John emphasize? Once more he emphasized, not the earthly origin of Jesus, but his heavenly origin. John want’s us to know that Jesus was from the Father – from above. It’s true, Jesus was truly a man. He was born of a virgin in the town of Bethlehem. He was raised in Nazareth. But that is not all! He also had a heavenly origin. He was called Immanuel, which means God with us. He was the Christ, the Son of God.

Believing in Jesus will do us no good unless we come to him as the one who has come from heaven, being sent by the heavenly Father.

And that brings us to the first of two points; John makes it clear in this passage, and his gospel as a whole, that believing in Jesus will do us no good unless we come to him as the one who has come from heaven, being sent by the heavenly Father.

The Jew’s knew exactly what Jesus meant by this. Verse 30 simply says, “So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.” Why were they seeking to arrest him? Because he claimed to have heavenly origins! He claimed to come from the Father. This claim could only fall into one of two categories: either it was true, or it was the hight of blasphemy. There could be no middle ground.

And indeed their is no middle ground when it comes to our opinion of Jesus. Either we agree that he is the Christ, the Son of God, or we must confess that he was a blasphemer, a lier, a hoax. It has been famously said that there are only three possible conclusion to reach concerning Jesus – he was either a lier, a lunatic, or he is Lord.

That Jesus claimed to be divine, the second person of the Trinity, the Eternal Son of God, is most clear in scripture. And perhaps no book of the Bible is more clear and insistent that John’s gospel. The opening verses begins with his assertion: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1, ESV) We have discussed this before that in the greek the word order is actually this, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was Word. According to the most basic rules of greek grammar there can be know other interpretation than to see that the word “God”

is functioning as an adjective describing what the Word (who is Jesus Christ) is. The Word existed in the beginning (he was not created). The Word was with God (he was in union with God and yet somehow distinct). And the Word was God (what God was the Word was, in essence). And it was the Word – the second person of the Trinity, the Eternal Son of God – who became flesh and dwelt among us, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the God man.

Many other passages in John could be sited in support of this.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58, ESV)

“Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9, ESV)

“I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30, ESV)

“Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God”” (John 20:28, ESV)

“This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” (John 5:18, ESV)

And this not even to mention the nine times in John in which the phrase “Son of God” is attributed to Jesus.

The evidence is overwhelming. Jesus claimed to be more than a man. He was God come in the flesh. He was from above – from the heavenly Father.

It is interesting to me how many will claim to believe in Jesus – to know Jesus, and to serve Jesus – while maintaining an utterly unbiblical view concerning him. We say Jesus, and they say Jesus, but a brief conversation reveals that we are not talking about the same Jesus – we do not know the same Jesus. 

Some believe in Jesus, but that was noting more than a man with a brilliant religious mind. This is not my Jesus.

Some believe that in Jesus, but that he was nothing more than good man, a moral example for us to follow, the epitome of love. This is not my Jesus – he is more than that.

Some believe in Jesus, but they say that he was an ordinary man made, at some point, into the Son of God. This is not my Jesus. My Jesus is God with us – the eternal Son of God, without beginning or end.

Some believe in Jesus, but they say that he was only an angel. Others specify that he was the brother of Lucifer. This is not my Jesus.

Why? Because this is not who the Jesus of history claimed to be; this is not the Jesus preached by the Apostles; this is not the Jesus confessed by the Church; this is not the Jesus of the Holy Scriptures!

To believe in anyone other than Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, is vain, futile, empty, and void.

You see, this is about more than getting the facts right – it’s about knowing the right person. This about more than right doctrine – it’s about having the right relationship. This is about more than knowing the truth – it’s about trusting in the right person. And the bottom line is this, were Jesus a mere man, or a mere angel, then he would not be trustworthy, for no ordinary angel or mere man could ever effectively atone for the sins man and rise from he dead for our salvation.

Believing in Jesus will do us no good unless we come to him as the one who has come from heaven, being sent by the heavenly Father.

Believing in Jesus will do us no good unless we come to him as the one who has ascended to heaven, and is seated with the heavenly Father even now.

The second point is this, believing in Jesus will do us no good unless we come to him as the one who has ascended to heaven, and is seated with the heavenly Father even now. 

Notice that Jesus makes two claims concerning himself in this passage. First, he makes a claim concerning his origin – he has come, not ultimately from Nazareth, nor Bethlehem, but from the Father. Secondly, he makes a claim concerning is final destination. He has come from the Father to earth, and to the Father he would one day return.

Listen to Jesus words to the Pharisees in verse 33: “Jesus then said, ‘I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.’” (John 7:33–34, ESV) The Jews were puzzled about this. They said,“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? What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?” (John 7:35–36, ESV)

This is typical in John. Jesus reveals something spiritual – that he would one day ascend to the Father from where he came – and the worldly, fleshly, spiritually blind people do not understand. They ask. will he go to the Dispersion among the Greeks (that is, away from Jerusalem, off into heathen territory)? In their minds that was the only place where he could go where they would not be able to follow. After all they were to holy to travel amongst the heathens!

No, Jesus came from the Father, and to the Father he would return. The unbelieving Jews (there were some who believed) could not go to the Father if they remained in their worldly, earthly, sensual, unbelief. But for those who believed, Jesus prayed this way: “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24, ESV)

Just as their are many who would claim to believe in Jesus while denying the full deity of Christ, so too there are those who, while acknowledging that Jesus Christ was real historical person, deny his resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father.

Conclusion

So who is the Jesus that you trust?

What was his origin? And where is now?

To believe that he is anything less than the Christ, the Eternal Son of God, is to trust in something other than the Christ of history, the Christ of the Apostles, the Christ of the early Church, and ultimately the Christ of the Holy Scriptures.  Though you may utter his name, you do know him truly.

A few months back we established the practice of reciting the Apostles Creed, or the Nicene Creed before we partake of the Lord’s Supper. Both of these ancient creeds are useful in that they, in a relatively brief space give an overview of basic Christian doctrine. The Nicene Creed is especially helpful in when it comes to the doctrine of Christ that we have been discussing today.

Follow along as I read the Nicene Creed to you. If you agree with what us stated I would invite you to say Amen at the end. In this way we will conclude the sermon for today.

“We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. AMEN.”

(Nicene Creed)

Introduction

Remember that this is part two of a two part sermon on John 7:1-24. I had hoped to cover all 24 verses last week in a single sermon but simply ran out of time. That’s why I decided to break our consideration of this passage into two sermons. You might be thinking to yourself, why not simply preach two sermons? Why say that they are parts one and two? The answer is this: it seems to me that a single theme runs throughout these 24 verses, therefore I think it is best to keep them together.

The theme is this: We are told of men and women who reject Jesus. Many do not believe in him – they will not identify with him, or trust in his name. Notice that verses 1-24 not only reveal that this is true, the text also has something to say about why this is true.  The question why? was our focus last week, and it will remain our question this week. Why do people reject or deny Christ? That is the thing that this passage addresses, I think.

Here is what is revealed in this text:

Jesus’ own siblings did not believe. Why? Because they were in love, not with God, but with the things of the world!

The crowds, as we will see, also refused to openly identify with Jesus. Why? Because they were in love with the approval, not of God, but of others.

And the Jews also (that is to say, the leaders of the Jews) did not believe. Why? Because they loved bringing glory, not to God, but to themselves.

And why did John reveal these things? On one level we might say that he simply wanted to report the facts of what happened. The Jew’s, the crowds, and even Jesus’ own siblings did not believe – it’s a fact! But I’m sure there was deeper reason as to why John told us of these things. Remember, and do not forget, that John’s objective is to persuade us to believe! And so as he records for us these facts, they are not bare facts. No, John is seeking to persuade us to not make the same mistakes that the Jews, the crowds, and even Jesus’ own brothers made as they engaged with Jesus. Read the rest of Sermon: John 7:10-24: Why do people reject Jesus? (Part 2) »

Reading of God’s Holy Word

“After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, ‘Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.’ For not even his brothers believed in him. Jesus said to them, ‘My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.’ After saying this, he remained in Galilee. But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, ‘Where is he?’ And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, ‘He is a good man,’ others said, ‘No, he is leading the people astray.’ Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him. About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. The Jews therefore marveled, saying, ‘How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?’ So Jesus answered them, ‘My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?’ The crowd answered, ‘You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?’ Jesus answered them, ‘I did one work, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.’” (John 7:1–24, ESV)

Introduction

Think back to the introduction of John’s gospel where we read these words: “The true light, which gives light to everyone [that is, the Word, the eternal Son of God], was coming into the world [Jesus Christ, God incarnate]. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (John 1:9–11, ESV)

John did warn us, didn’t he? He warned us that the story he was about to tell, when considered from a human perspective, was really most tragic. The world  – the very world that was created through the eternal Son of God – did not know or receive him when he came in human flesh. Read the rest of Sermon: John 7:1-9: Why do people reject Jesus? »

Reading of God’s Word

“When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’ But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, ‘Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.’ (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.’ After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.’ He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.” (John 6:60–71, ESV)

Introduction

Most of John 6 (at least vs. 22 onward) is an account of Jesus teaching people about his true identity, his true origin, and his true mission. The response that he received from people was mainly grumbling.

When Jesus claimed to be the bread of life, come down from heaven, not to do his own will but the will of the Father who sent him – which was to lose no one or nothing of all that the Father had given to him, but raise it up on the last day (see John 6:35–40, ESV) – we are told that  “the Jews grumbled about him” (John 6:41, ESV).

The phrase “the Jews” is used in this passage, and throughout John’s gospel, to speak of the crowds of Jewish people in general. Of course not all of the Jews grumbled against Jesus. Jesus himself was a Jew. His closest disciples were Jews. But when John uses the phrase “the Jews” he is typically referring to the Jews who, in general, rejected his claims.

And that is important to understand if we are to grasp the significance of the passage that is before us today. Here we see that, not only did the Jews grumble; but even his own disciples began to grumble against him as they listened to his teaching.

Notice this: when we envision those following Jesus in John 6, we are to think of three groups of people.

The broadest group are the the Jews in general – the multitude or crowd. They are by far the most numerous. They are by far the most confused. And they are the first to abandon Jesus after they are confronted with his teaching – his claims concerning his identity, origin, and mission.

But there is another group. They are called “disciples” in verse 60, which simply means follower. This one is apparently smaller. Apparently they walked with Jesus more closely than the crowed. They must have walked with him for a longer period of time, and they must have known him more intimately – otherwise they would not be classified as disciples, or followers, of Jesus. But as we will see, many of them went the way of the crowd, abandoning Jesus after they were confronted with his teaching. They too grumbled (vs. 61).

There is third group presented in John 6. They are true disciples – true followers – who posses true faith. This is their creed:“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’” (John 6:68–69, ESV)

This third group is much, much, smaller. Certainly there were others who said, ‘Amen’ to Peters confession, But John 6 hones in upon the 12 – that most intimate core of Jesus’ followers. And we learn something surprising in John 6 – that there was “a devil” even amongst the 12. Jesus knew about it from the beginning. Though the 12 would go on following him, only 11followed truly. And though the 12 would go on believing in him, only 11 believed truly.

Perhaps it is best to say it this way: It is possible to be a disciple of Jesus, but not a disciple. It is possible to follow Jesus, but not follow him. It is possible to believe, but not truly believe.

To say it another way, John 6 makes it clear that there is a difference between the appearance of things, and the reality of things. Things look a certain way to the human eye, which is only able to perceive externals, but they look much different to the eye of God, who sees all things, even the hidden things of the human heart.

Some Who Appear to be Followers of Christ Prove Not to Be

This passage is teaching, that it is possible for some to appear to be followers of Christ and yet prove not to be in the end. 

We read in verse 60, “When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’” Verse 61:  “But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, ‘Do you take offense at this?’” (John 6:61, ESV)

These people are called disciples, not because they were true disciples, but because they had followed Jesus rather closely. But they, like the crowd, grumbled about Jesus. They found it difficult to accept his claims. They said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” The phrase, “who can listen to it?”, means who can hear this teaching and accept it as true?

The question that comes to my mind is, what, in particular, were these disciples of Jesus troubled by? A lot was said by Jesus as recorded in John 6. The question is, what, of all that Jesus said, troubled these so-called-disciples?

I supposed we could say that the way Jesus spoke about eating his flesh and drinking his blood offended them. It’s true that this way of talking would have been offensive to the Jews, but there must be more to it than that. These were intelligent people. Certainly they could understand that Jesus was using metaphorical language here.

Perhaps they were offended by the doctrine of election that Jesus presented. He taught that some were given to the Son by the Father; that they were the ones who would come. Indeed, no one could come to faith in the Son unless the Father drew them to the Son. And it was those given and drawn who would be raised un on the last day.

Or maybe they were offended that Jesus claimed to have life in himself – “I am the bread of life.” That is quite a claim! Or perhaps they grumbled about Jesus’ claim to be from above. 

My view is that it was probably a combination of these things. When we read in verse 60, “When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’” I take this as a reference to the totality of Christ’s message. It was all hard to understand and accept.

That being said, the trouble seems to focus on Jesus’ claims concerning his origin.

Time and again in John we see that Jesus Christ claims to be from above, from heaven, and not of this earth, as we are. 

John 1:1, 14: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1, 14, ESV)

John 3:13: “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.”

That claim is intensified in John 6.

John 6:38: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38, ESV)

John 6:41: “So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’” (John 6:41, ESV)

John 6:50–51: “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”” (John 6:50–51, ESV)

Jesus Christ is claiming to have a divine and heavenly origin.

This, I believe, is what the people were most offended by.

Think of it! This is really a most incredible thing to claim – to be from above, from heaven – to have existed with the Father before coming to earth. And yet that is what Jesus claims.

As great as the prophets of old were, none had claimed anything like this. They were men. They were godly men, but they were men. They were of the earth. They were born as you and I were born. But Christ claims to be from above. The virgin birth is not mentioned here, but the idea is behind it all. The doctrine of the incarnation is not expressly stated here, but the idea is present. Jesus was Divine. He was more than a man. He was the God-man, having both the nature of God and the nature of man united in the one person.

Here is why I believe that this was the main offense: Look at what Jesus says in response to their grumbling.

Verse 61: “But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, ‘Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?’” (John 6:61–62, ESV)

How does Jesus respond to their complaints concerning his claims to have a heavenly origin. He says, what if you were to see me ascend to the same place that I descended from – would you believe me then?

This, of course, is what Jesus would do.  He would live and die and raise again. He would walk upon the earth for 40 day in his resurrection body, proving himself risen from the dead. And then he would ascend to the Father.

Acts 1:9-11: “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”” (Acts 1:9–11, ESV)

The point that Jesus is making here in John 6 is that he would ascend to Father because that is where he descended from first.

He, as the eternal Son of God, had existed with the Father from eternity past. He, as the eternal Son of God, came to earth and took on human flesh. Jesus Christ, in his human nature, was born and had a beginning. But when we speak of the divine nature of Jesus Christ, we must speak of him as eternal – having no beginning and no end. He was truly from above, from heaven.

This is why Jesus can say in John 8:58: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the man, was born.  But the eternal Son of God, was never born. He is eternally begotten of the Father.

If this is confusing to you I would encourage you to memorize questions 7-9 and 24-25 of our Catechism:

Q. 7. What is God?

A. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. (John 4:24; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 90:2; James 1:17; Rev. 4:8; Ps. 89:14; Exod. 34:6,7; 1 Tim. 1:17)

Q. 8. Are there more gods than one?

A. There is but one only, the living and true God. (Deut. 6:4; Jeremiah 10:10)

Q. 9. How many persons are there in the Godhead?

A. There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory. (1 Cor. 8:6; John 10:30; John 14:9; Acts 5:3,4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14)

Q. 24. Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect?

A. The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was and continueth to be God and man, in two distinct natures and one person, forever. (Gal. 3:13;1 Tim. 2:5; John 1:14; 1 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 9:5; Col. 2:9)

Q. 25. How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?

A. Christ, the Son of God became man by taking to himself a true body and a reasonable soul; being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary and born of her, yet without sin. (Heb. 2:14; Matt. 26:38; Luke 2:52; John 12:27; Luke 1:31,35; Heb. 4:15; 7:26)

It’s true that these so-called-disciples of Christ could have been offended at whole host of things mentioned in John 6, but the main thing seems to be Jesus’ claims concerning his origin. He claimed to be from above. And claiming to be from above meant that he was something other than a mere man. The rest of John makes it clear that Jesus claimed to be divine – God incarnate, God in the flesh. I believe this was the offense.

Verse 66 simply says, “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” (John 6:66, ESV)

They apostatized. They walked with Jesus for a time and then renounced him.

Some who appear to be followers of Christ prove not to be in the end. 

Some Who Appear to be Followers of Christ Do Indeed Believe Truly and From the Heart 

But notice also that some who appear to be followers of Christ do indeed believe truly and from the heart.

Jesus, seeing that multitude had left, and that many of those who appeared to be his followers left, turns to the 12 – the inner core of his band of disciples, and said, “Do you want to go away as well?” (John 6:67, ESV)

This is a big moment.

From a worldly perspective Jesus’ once successful movement has just been decimated. Thousands had turned their backs on him in a relatively short period of time.

And now he turns to his most trusted friends, saying, “Do you want to go away as well?” (John 6:67, ESV)

Verse 68: “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’” (John 6:68–69, ESV)

Notice that Peter speaks on behalf of the group. Notice that he calls Jesus Lord. And notice what he, and most of the others, think about Jesus. They believe, and know, that he is the Holy One of God. They believe that Jesus has the words of eternal life. Therefore Peter asks a most appropriate question: “Lord, to whom shall we go?” Where else would we go, Lord? No one else has life. No one else has come from God as you have. This is our belief. This is what we know to be true.

This is a most impressive confession of faith.

Notice the role this confession of Peter plays in John’s gospel.

What was John’s goal in writing?

He tells us in 20:30: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30–31, ESV)

In John 6 we see virtually everyone abandon Jesus, but his small band of disciples remain. They confess, through Peter’s words, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68–69, ESV)

The effect upon the reader is this: we are urged to go all in with Peter and the others. Though the whole word reject Christ, we are to remain. We are urged to know and believe that Jesus is the Holy One God, and that he alone has the words of eternal life.

If we believe that really and truly, then how could we possibly walk away?

The Decisive Factor is Divine Initiative 

And so we have this situation – many have turned their backs on Jesus, very few have remained.

A question that we must ask is why? What is the difference between those who walk away and those who remain? What is it that distinguishes the two groups?

Our most natural inclination would be to assume that those who remained simply made a better choice than those who walked away.  And while that is certainly true – these people did make real choices, some decided to stay, others decided to walk away (and those who remained made a better choice than those who did not) – more is revealed in this passage. More is said concerning the difference between those who remained and those who walked away. Jesus reveals more concerning what distinguished those who remained from those who apostatized.

Notice that, according to the scriptures, the decisive factor is Divine initiative.

Another way to say this is to say that it is God who ultimately determines who comes to Christ and who does not.

Trust me, I know that this is an unpopular thing to say. But I’m not sure how I could possibly claim to be faithful to the scriptures as a Pastor if I refuse to say this. It is just so plain in the text. It is a central feature in this passage, and in the whole of John 6. One cannot honestly teach this text and ignore this fact.

It has already been clearly stated in John 6. See verse 35-37.

Here Jesus says it again.

Verse 64:“‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’ (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.’ After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” (John 6:64–66, ESV)

“No one can” – δύναμαι – “to be able to do or to experience something—‘can, to be able to.’” (Louw Nida 74.5

“Come” – In John 6, to come to Jesus is to believe in him unto salvation.

“Granted” – δίδωμι to give an object, usually implying value—‘to give, giving.’ Ex. “he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples” Mt 14:19. (Louw Nida 57.71)

Jesus knows who are his! He knows who are his from amongst the crowd, the disciples, and the 12. Though Judas would go on walking with Jesus for a time, and though the other disciples did not know of his treacherous heart, Jesus knew.

“Jesus answered them, ‘Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.’” (John 6:70, ESV)

The Proof is in the Perseverance 

Another question comes to mind. How do we know? How do we lay ahold of a sense of assurance? How do we know that we know Christ truly? Jesus knows! God knows! But how do we know who it is that belongs to Christ?

The answer: The proof is in the perseverance.

Notice that John – the same John who wrote this gospel – deals with this question in another letter.

1 John 2:3-6: “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (1 John 2:3–6, ESV)

1 John 2:19: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” (1 John 2:19, ESV)

So can you have assurance? Can you know that you know Christ? John says yes! We gain a sense of assurance by walking in Christ’s ways, by keeping his commandments, by abiding in him.

See chapters 17 (Perseverance) and 18 (Assurance) of our Confession!

Application and Conclusion

Think of how this effects the way we do ministry!

Do you agree with Peter’s confession?

If election is true, why do the scriptures warn against falling away? The threat of apostasy is real! Persevere!