John 7:1-24 “Are you with or against Jesus?”

1:12Well, John makes it real clear what the purpose of his writing is, and so let's be reminded of that in John 20, 30, and 31. Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written. John's words are written, so that we May, 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.

1:40So, friends, this is the big picture. Jesus is performing miracles, which are signs that point to who he is. Essentially, he's making claims about who he is so that, don't miss that, so that his hearers would change, that they and you, not just them, but you as well, would believe the kind of belief that leads to life transformation. And so, he feeds the 5,000, he walks on water, he calls himself the bread of life. John 6:60 to 65 captures the climate leading into our passage.

2:27And so, I want you to get a sense of what it might have been like, what it might have felt like to be in Jesus' presence, to be in the moment. Take a look at verse 60. 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?

2:58It 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.

3:28And friends, verse 66 captures the sad reaction and response. After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. My friends, ultimately, Jesus is on trial here. Not in the John 18 sense. He's on trial before Pilate, but he's making claims about himself, and his hearers are judging the validity and accuracy of his claims. And so, in this section, he's using the Jewish feasts, Passover, the Feast of Deliverance, Pentecost, first fruits, and tabernacles, booths, or tents, it's referred to, to continue to reveal to the world that he is the Messiah. And so, I want you to notice his evangelism method, his evangelism strategy. He's taking something culturally.

4:30That the people would understand, and he's showing how he is the one who fulfills it. Okay, notice that there. Listen to what one commentator said: Threaded through these days are questions posed to Jesus by leaders and the crowd who are trying to interpret what Jesus is saying. The chapter also describes a series of reactions to Jesus as people must decide if indeed he is a man to be followed. There is no doubt that in Jerusalem a storm is brewing, and words of condemnation recur with surprising frequency.

5:10Some want to arrest him, and some want to kill him. So, this sets the scene. You can sense the tension. John wants you to feel what's about to happen. And so, essentially, in this text, we see three scenes with three juries. So, the first scene in verses one through nine, Jesus is interacting with his brothers. It's the Feast of Tabernacles. That is, it was the time during which Israel would pause to commemorate and retell the story of their wilderness wanderings of the Exodus.

5:48God commanded them to live in tents so that he would provide all of their needs. This celebration provided all of God's people the opportunity to learn. Look back and to celebrate, looking forward to God's future provision, his future faithfulness. And so it was expected that every single devout Jew was going to go up to Jerusalem. Notice that there. That is, Jerusalem, elevation-wise, was higher. And so I want you to notice that because there was sacrifice and great cost for anyone, and almost everyone was going. There was great sacrifice to go up to worship during this time or to worship at the temple.

6:37And so what are his brothers asking? They're encouraging him to come with them in order to show himself. That is, putting his messianic identity in full public view. And of all things, they're reminding Jesus as if he needed to be reminded. They're reminding him of his religious obligation to celebrate the feast despite the danger. But they didn't see the Jerusalem visit as a fruitful disclosure of the truth about him as the God-man. Because verse 5 tells us that they didn't believe him. They didn't believe in him.

7:24In other words, they failed to see all that was going on. In the situation. And so here's the first claim that Jesus makes in scene one. Jesus speaks that which is true. He reveals ultimate reality. All that he says and does proceeds from the Father. That's the first claim. So he says, I'm not going up with you because the Jewish leaders are seeking to kill me. Why is that? Was Jesus afraid? We have to make a decision and we have to look at the text to decide.

8:10He says the Jews hated him because, why? He testified about their evil works and about the evil works of the world. So that's what he says. And then what he does is he doesn't go because his time has not yet come. And so by what he says and what he does, he shows that he only does what the Father calls him to do. So friends, Jesus is not afraid to die. That's why he came. What he is unwilling to do is anything that the Father is not calling him to do. And so it is not yet his time, therefore he is not yet going. Make sense? Excellent.

8:55What he is saying and showing yet again is that he is not like. Them. Though he is human, he is completely divine, and his life is not his own. He's come to show them that the world and the world, that he is different, he is holy and set apart, and he's going to show that by his life and by his death. And he's not going to go up to Jerusalem for the final time until the Passover.

9:29And so here's the response. Even those closest to Jesus, his brothers, they failed to see him as he truly is, and therefore they don't believe in him. And this is not in the knowledge sense. In other words, to believe that something is real, a person, place, or thing. They were there with him. They saw what he did. They saw that he was alive. Everything was laid out before them. But this belief is in a complete life-transforming sense. To believe something is true means that you live in light of it. And that's what John 20:31 tells us: that you may be saved. That is the kind of belief that he's talking about. And so it's critical for us to see that their closeness and familiarity at some level prevented them from seeing Jesus as more than just. Brother.

10:32More than that, it reiterates what John 6:25 through 34 shows us: that simply acknowledging Jesus's ability to do miracles does not necessarily lead to faith. Only God can provide divine insight and grant faith. So, if he's drawing, one should respond. Friends, if God is drawing you to himself, if you sense the desire to come to him, do not delay, because only God does that in the human heart through the Holy Spirit. And so, this is scene one, verses one through nine.

11:23Well, the second scene, verses ten through thirteen, features the crowd. Jesus actually attends the festival in private in order to avoid those who would like to kill him. And we see here that John's description of the anticipation of the crowd sets the stage for what is to come. Jesus's arrival brings controversy and division. And to sum up this passage in a nutshell, that's what we see in this passage: the message of Jesus, the works of Jesus. Jesus, they create division. They divide the audience, and we see that very clearly. So, as expected, the Jewish leaders are looking for him. You can sense the tension. They're on a manhunt. They're trying to find him. And I want you to notice the contrast here. Jesus is operating in private. Is he scared? Nope. We already addressed that. He's not scared, but he's not wanting to draw unneeded attention because it's not yet time. So he's operating in private, and the Jewish leaders are operating very publicly, so much so that they're scaring people.

12:39We also see that the people and the crowd are operating in private. Notice the words muttering, whispering. They are murmuring in fear, but also expectation. And so here is the second claim that Jesus is making. Jesus is the stone of stumbling, Peter says, 1 Peter 2, 7, and 8. As the Word who became flesh and inspired the Word, this is the Hebrews 4 passage we began our time with. Jesus and the Word are living and active, piercing the division of the soul and spirit, joint and marrow, discerning the thoughts, the intentions of the heart.

13:30No one, not a single person, can hide from his sight. All are naked and exposed before him, and in the end, must give an account. So, friends, the crowd has been following Jesus. They're aware of what he's been saying and doing, and this is their response: verse 12. Some say that he's good, and some say that he's evil. Could it be that they missed the point? Could it be that they're asking the wrong question? The right question, I think what John wants the reader to see, the right question is not: is he good or is he evil, but is he God? That's what he's seeking to claim and prove.

14:25No one comes into contact with Jesus and His Word and is neutral. When you come into contact with Jesus and His Word, you're making a decision. And the crowd here are afraid, and the uncertainty of the situation keeps them from coming to the Savior. That is, their circumstances distract and prevent them from seeing and knowing the God behind them. I think this is instructive for us. We'll get to that in a moment. Here's the final scene: verses 14 through 24, and this primarily involves the Jewish leaders and teachers.

15:14Well, Jesus remains in private, we've said, because he's only going to go public when the Father tells him to go public. So while he's in his Father's house, the temple, he stands to teach. Even the Jews marvel, they're also perplexed. It's a funny word. Listen to what one commentator says. Questions are launched by Jesus' listeners that permit him to describe his identity and mission more completely. But the questions do more. They disclose how little his audience really understands. Buried in Jesus' answers are ironic messages fully beyond the grasp of his listeners. So they say, How is it possible? How is it possible that this man has learning, has become well-versed in the scripture and theology, yet he's never studied, never been taught, is without formal training?

16:21You see, in part, Jesus was not identified or associated with any particular rabbi or teacher. Because he was not ordained. And he hadn't followed the traditional method of becoming a teacher, a rabbi. Many doubted his legitimacy. Some also were surprised, we can see here, by his ability to teach. But they were reluctant to follow because he didn't fit the mold. He didn't follow the traditional path. And so we see the third claim that Jesus is making.

16:59He's saying and he's showing that his teacher and rabbi was none other than God himself. We see that in 16 through 18. In other words, Jesus complies by saying that his diplomas are divine. Those aren't my words, those are a commentator. But I thought it was lovely. His diplomas are divine. He spoke, he taught, he did that which the Father told him. Therefore, his authority is a different authority altogether. His authority is a heavenly and divine authority. And here's the thing: if they knew God, they would know that. They would understand that, and they would recognize him and his teaching.

17:49But they didn't. They didn't. There's a second issue here that Jesus addresses, and that is the Sabbath. Back in John chapter 5, Jesus said, Deals with this, but it's obvious that it's a sticking point because it comes up again. Here's the basic issue, and we see the response in and through this explanation. The Jewish leaders were upset because Jesus was working on the Sabbath. They criticize him, accuse him of breaking the law. And yet, Jesus reminds them that those who do not keep the law of Moses in its entirety should be reluctant to judge others. In addition, he says, You all are trying to kill me, so you're about to break the law as well.

18:36In other words, Jesus is saying that the work that I came to do is the Father's, and that's not just circumcision, but that is a full heart and life transformation. Jesus sees himself not simply liberalizing the law, but fulfilling what the law was meant to do, to bring renewal and redemption to God's people. The acts, the signs, they're meant to point to a greater reality. The Jews refuse to see, hence Jesus' final words: you must judge rightly.

19:25Essentially, he's saying, You are not, but you should judge rightly. Their religion, their rules prevent them from seeing the way, the truth, and the life. And so, with this understanding of the text, I want to take some time now to consider what we learned from the text and how it applies to us. This is a trial scenario. And as we've said, it ends with a divided audience. You can sense the tension there. You see that in the three scenes.

20:02Jesus' life was a model of Christian proclamation and rejection. The truth of Jesus split the audience into those who believed and those who refused to believe. In other words, they had all the information they needed and they refused to believe. This has been happening frequently in John's Gospel. We heard about it just last week in John chapter 6 with Pastor Mark. The whole scene is a reflection on what's going on in and around Jesus' life and ministry, what's going on in and around John's church, and what's going on in and around ours as well.

20:53Jesus is on trial, friends, in our lives and in our world. And here's what you can't miss. You have to choose. You have to choose. You can't be neutral. It's impossible. This is what John's trying to help us to see. So, the main thrust of this passage is to see, know, and believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the kind of belief that leads to life change. Because every one of us is exercising faith. No matter where we stand or what we believe, we have to ask ourselves: what is the object of our faith? Are we believing in Jesus or not? Are we standing with Jesus or are we standing against Jesus?

21:51And so, I wonder which character you identify with most this morning: the brothers, maybe the crowd, possibly the Jewish leaders and teachers. We see a couple of categories from this passage. The first are those standing against Jesus. And we see kind of two subcategories for you, note-takers. The first is worldly opposition. Time and again throughout. John's gospel, we witness the unwillingness of the world to accept what God is doing in Christ. Remember what John's told us. John 1:5, the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it. Another translation for that word, overcome, is understood or grasped.

22:55But the darkness has not understood it or grasped it. Again, John 1:11, he came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. John 3:19 The light has come into the world. The people love the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. Worldly opposition. Jesus was misunderstood, and he was rejected among his own people. He struggled for recognition, he was battered with questions, and he was wrongly accused. Therefore, we must not assume, Christian, we must not assume that the good news is going to be met with a warm reception. Yes, we believe it is the word of life. Yes, we believe it is the hope of the world. But the world is opposed because Jesus says there's one way, and we want to go the other way. Opposite way. It's in our nature.

24:04The world is in rebellion. It is skilled at asking religious questions and feigning spiritual interest. But such inquiries are nothing more than disguised, sophisticated rebellion. And notice, Jesus fields the questions. He doesn't always answer, but he fields the questions with men and women who are eager for religious debate but reluctant to meet God. And so both Jesus and John know that there is darkness and there is light, there is truth and there is falsehood. There is God and there is Satan.

24:51And so as Jesus moves through the world, what he's doing, what we see here is he is unmasking the opposition for what it is. It's disbelief. So there's worldly opposition warring against the way, the truth, and the life, but there's also religious opposition. Those standing against Jesus, and sometimes it takes the form of religious opposition. In the end, the theological experts, they condemned him. That is, the religious authority and spiritual experts. From the most religious city are standing against him. And this is not just, ah, I'm not a fan.

25:39Ah, I don't like that, so I'm going to cancel you. No, we see from this text and we've seen in John's Gospel, this is a militant opposition. They're out to kill him. We see in this, the crowd is afraid because they're on a manhunt. Chapter 1 reminds us that leaders from Jerusalem arrive to question John the Baptist, who is associated with Jesus. Chapter 3 reminds us that Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night. He is the teacher of the Jews. And he comes to Jesus at night so that he's not seen. Chapter 5, religious leaders seek to disqualify Jesus, accusing him of breaking the law by violating the Sabbath. And that pops up again here in chapter 7. And then chapter 7 and 8, we see this mounting tension. Don't miss it, the fury.

26:40They are angry, so angry that they want to kill him because they feel threatened. And so it's clear that the religious leaders, despite what they say, are doing something much different than what Jesus is doing. And so, friends, there. There's a war raging on inside and outside our church in opposition to the truth of the gospel, in opposition to the truth of Jesus Christ. I can't help see some of the similarities in our own time. A few examples.

27:21The ongoing war over abortion. If you've been following that, you know it's an all-out war. There are no pleasantries. People are angry. So angry that they may kill. That's the war that we're in. And the truth about Jesus divides the audience. Truth and light. Truth and falsehood. Light and darkness. Related, there's a well-known public figure who has been banned by her archbishop from communion because her beliefs do not line up with the scripture's teaching. And what is happening? There's an all-out war: truth, falsehood, light, and darkness.

28:14In our own denomination, God help us. Choosing to gratify the flesh, protect the ungodly, abuse the weak and needy. Rather than repenting of sin, speaking against evil and taking swift action, significant action, there is an all-out war, truth and falsehood, light and darkness. Increasingly, church, the lines are becoming clear between God's people and the world. Do not lose heart. Jesus has overcome the world. God is making it clear through these wars, those who are His and those who are not.

29:21We can be at peace, church, knowing that it's not for us to decide or determine, but to be faithful as witnesses, as ambassadors, as lovers who have first been loved by God through Christ. But it comes with the decision: Are you standing against Jesus? What is causing you to be opposed to Him? What is contributing to your unbelief? Like the brothers, is it your familiarity or frustration with what you've experienced in the church? Maybe you've been hurt by other Christians.

30:23Maybe you've been hurt by others who claim to be Christians. Are you more concerned with what's going on in the world and this life than what's going to happen in the next? Are you afraid of what others might do to you if you claim Jesus? If you live your life for Him? Maybe you identify more with the religious leaders. You want your way, your rules, your made-up system instead of His. If the Bible is true, and we believe that it is, there is one standard by which all will be judged: those who are against and those who are for.

31:24No one is the ultimate authority over self, but the Creator, the sustainer of all things. Is, and in the end, here are the answers to the test. In the end, you either be perfect according to his law in every way, always. Option one, or you fall on your feet before the one who stood in your place for your sins, and you trust in him. For he fulfilled his father's law perfectly, and he gave it all, that you might be received, that you might be forgiven, that you might be pardoned, that you might be saved.

32:25Why are you opposed? What's leading to your disbelief? Are you against Jesus? Well, the second category, those standing with Jesus. Are you standing with Jesus? Now, before you answer, know that standing with Jesus probably means that your life is going to be harder. Remember those in the crowd? Some of them, what are they doing? While some believed he was good and were operating in private as to not draw unneeded attention, what were they doing? They were afraid.

33:14Why were they afraid? Because they were being persecuted for what they believed about Jesus, and as a result, how they lived and what they were saying about him. My friends, those who are in Christ, things don't get easier in this life. All of the language in the Bible tells us to expect trials and suffering and persecution. It is a mark of being a Christian. How else is it going to be clear who is God's and who is not, apart from persecution?

33:58But lest we forget, we find these wonderful promises that I want to remind you of. John 16, 33, do not lose heart. Jesus has overcome the world. Peter says that trial and difficulty are used by God to refine us like precious metal in fire. Romans says that our suffering is producing something greater, endurance, character, hope. We learn in the Great Commission, Matthew 28, that we are not alone. Jesus promised to never leave us nor forsake us. And he didn't just promise, but he gave us a guarantee, the promised Holy Spirit, God's indwelling presence that will keep us and empower us and help us until he returns. John 14.

34:58My friends, these aren't my words. These are God's words, which means we can trust them. We can live our lives by them. So if you're standing with him, know that the way will be hard, the road will be narrow, and the people will be few. But that's the good news: that there are others standing with Jesus. There are those who have responded to God's call of salvation. They have taken steps toward the light upon his drawing. They have confessed their sin, their ignorance, their rebellion, and they have asked God for help.

35:44Have you? Have you? Will you today? Will you today? A couple of things as we close. First, it's impossible to stand with Jesus without Jesus. You can't treat Jesus and His church like a hobby or a country club and expect to faithfully stand with him through the difficulty, through the wars that are raging in our lives and in the world. It's impossible to stand with Jesus without Jesus. Second, not only has God provided himself Jesus and His Spirit, but He's brought us into His family, the church, in order that we might stand together with one another as the world comes against us. So we have hope.

36:58Third, God has made it all clear. I didn't say easy, but He's made it all clear. Those who are with Him submit to Him and obey Him. Submitting means that you don't always agree, but you bring yourself under regardless and obey because you recognize that His way is greater. That's number three. Fourth, your life and my life will reveal. Where we stand against or for Jesus. Stop thinking about your neighbor. Stop thinking about your neighbor. I'm talking to you. I'm talking to you.

37:48Look into your heart. Look into your life. Ask others to do the same. That's what we're here for. Every single one of us, it doesn't matter your position, it doesn't matter your title. We all find ourselves in some respect, in this respect, in the same boat. What does the evidence reveal about your life? Fifth, this world and our lives are quite messy, aren't they? So remember that you are not the final judge. It's actually quite complicated.

38:36There are some, and maybe you, but if not you, there are some in your life that are a bit on the fence. There are some who have just been beat up by life. Some who are struggling, some who are searching for hope. Some who are looking for life and love in all the wrong places. I want to encourage you to stand on the truth, but bear with them in love. Enter into their lives and point them to the one who can actually help them.

39:26He sees, he knows, only he can change hearts. This passage helps us to see what's going on in Jesus' day, in John's day, and in ours as well. The miracles, the signs, the message of Jesus are making claims, and they demand responses. They are dividing the audience. Those who are standing with Jesus, those who are against him. There's no way around the decision. Where are you standing this morning? Remember, all of these things 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. Let's pray together.

40:49Father, we pray that through your Holy Spirit, you would bring conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment. For those who have believed and are standing with Jesus, we pray, God, that you would help our unbelief. For those who are standing against Jesus, we pray that you would bring new life. I pray especially that you would guard hearts against this feeling, this expectation that they would know all things, that they would have everything figured out, so to speak, before coming to you.

41:52God, I pray that they would be freed, knowing that that is impossible. Your word tells us, as we will celebrate here in a moment through baptism, that one must only confess with their mouth, believe in their heart that Jesus is your Son, that he gave his life for ours, that you raised him from the dead, and that by believing in him, we can be saved. And then the indwelling spirit teaches us, sanctifies us, helps us to mature in the faith.

42:49God, we pray that decisions would be made, not for decision's sake, but the souls of men, women, and children would be freed from sin, given eternal life. It's our hope. It's our prayer. Help us, God. In Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for listening to the sermon audio from New Life Baptist Church in College Station, Texas. For more information, Or to support our ministry, visit us online at newlifecs.net.