So if you turn in your Bibles again to John's Gospel, John's Gospel chapter 7, and Mary
is going to read for us this morning.
So if you have your read Bibles, it's on page 1071, 1071.
John chapter 7.
After this, Jesus went around in Galilee.
He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for
a way to kill him.
But when the Jewish festival of tabernacles was near, Jesus' brothers said to him, leave
Galilee and go to Judea so that your disciples there may see the works you do.
No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret.
Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.
For even his own brothers didn't believe in him.
Therefore, Jesus told them, my time is not yet here.
For you, any time will do.
The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.
You go to the festival.
I'm not going up to this festival because my time has not yet fully come.
After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.
However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but
in secret.
Now, at the festival, the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, where is he?
Among the crowds, there was widespread crispering about him.
Some said, he's a good man.
Others replied, no, he deceives the people.
But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.
Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.
The Jews there were amazed and asked, how did this man get such learning without having been taught?
Jesus answered, my teaching is not my own.
It comes from the one who sent me.
Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.
Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory.
But he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth.
There is nothing false about him.
Skip down now, please, to verse 25.
At that point, some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, isn't this the man they're trying to kill?
Here he is, speaking publicly, and they're not saying a word to him.
Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah?
But we know where this man is from.
When the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.
Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out,
Yes, you know me, and you know where I'm from.
I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true.
You do not know him, but I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.
At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand in him, because his hour had not yet come.
Still, many in the crowd believed in him, they said.
When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?
Skip down again, please, to verse 37.
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice,
Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.
Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.
By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.
Up to that time the Spirit had not yet been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
On hearing his words, some of the people said, surely this is the prophet.
Others said, he is the Messiah.
Still others asked, how can the Messiah come from Galilee?
Does not scripture say that the Messiah will come from David's descendants,
and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?
Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.
Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand in him.
Finally, the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees,
who asked them, why didn't you bring him in?
No one ever spoke the way this man does, the guards replied.
You mean he has deceived you also?
The Pharisees retorted.
Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?
No, but this mob that knows nothing of the law, there is a curse on them.
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked,
does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?
They replied, are you from Galilee too?
Look into it and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.
Thanks so much, Mary.
Good morning, everybody.
Good morning.
That was a long passage for Mary to read. Thank you very much.
Read very well.
Let's pray before we get stuck into it.
Holy Spirit, we pray that you would help us today to see the glory of Jesus,
to see him for who he really is,
and to correct any misunderstandings that we have.
In Jesus' name and for his glory.
Amen.
So we're at the point in John's Gospel where Jesus is revealing himself throughout the country of Judea,
both in his signs and in his teaching.
And everybody is talking about Jesus.
The scene here is set during the Festival of Tabernacles,
when Jews from everywhere crammed into Jerusalem.
And the city is divided over this one massive question.
Who is Jesus?
You probably noticed as we were reading through,
this chapter is chaotic.
John is trying to capture the unrelenting debate
surrounding the most controversial figure in Judea at this time.
All the while,
the hostile religious leaders,
they're trying to arrest and kill Jesus.
They make three attempts to do so in this one chapter.
Yet into all this chaos,
Jesus,
the eternal Son of God,
speaks.
The maker of everyone and everything
stands up in the middle of the madness
and confusion.
And he tells us exactly who he is.
But before we hear Jesus,
let's take a walk among the crowds in Jerusalem.
Let's listen in to what they're saying about Jesus.
First of all, verse 3.
Jesus' brothers say that he's a showman.
People ought to quit touring around the backwater villages of Galilee
and hit the big stage in Jerusalem.
More signs,
more wonders,
before more people.
His brothers are really looking for the fame of association.
Being the brother of the superhero.
But is that all Jesus is?
Is Jesus just a means to my own ends?
In verse 12,
some of the crowds say he's a liar.
He's leading people astray.
In the same verse,
others say he's a good man.
Nothing more.
On the flip side,
verse 20,
that same crowd are saying he's demon possessed.
No one but a raving lunatic would claim to be God.
While again it swings in verse 31,
others believe that he genuinely is the promised savior,
the Messiah.
Asking how many more signs does this guy have to do to prove it?
But it swings like a pendulum again.
I warned you,
this chapter is chaotic.
Because in verse 41,
others say,
no, no,
he's not the Messiah.
He's just a great prophet.
He speaks God's words,
but only that.
All the while,
the Jewish leaders reject him
as irrelevant.
A scourge on society.
Judea is a melting pot
pot of opinions about who Jesus is.
But as you look at that list,
you realize that 2,000 years later,
Ireland is actually just as divided about Jesus
as they were back then.
For some of us,
Jesus is just a means to our own ends.
He's the ticket to heaven in my back pocket.
Now I can basically live whatever way I want.
Others say Jesus is a liar.
He's simply lying when he claims to be the only way to heaven.
Some in Ireland say,
well,
Jesus is just a good man.
Admirable in many ways,
but don't take seriously his claims of divine ownership over your life.
Others think him to be a raving lunatic.
Stephen Fry is the leader of one of these groups.
He was deluded,
Stephen Fry says,
to think that Jesus was God.
Some Irish people, though,
do believe
that Jesus is the Messiah,
the Son of God.
But more
say that he's just
a great prophet.
Up there with Muhammad
and the Buddha
to be respected.
Still others say
he's irrelevant.
And do you know what?
The faster we move on from Jesus,
the better for Irish society.
Who is Jesus?
We can't all be right.
Well,
one thing is that
Jesus is not just
whoever we want him to be.
In fact,
he's earned the right
to tell us
who he is.
And we need
to know
who Jesus
really is
more than anything.
That's what Jesus
is about to reveal to us.
And we're going to hear it
from the man himself.
Firstly,
Jesus is sent
from the Father.
So Jesus makes
this shocking claim
to have existed
with God the Father
before his life on earth.
Now,
for each one of us,
there's a moment
when our life began.
I know that might sound
completely obvious to you,
but it's true, right?
Now,
when you meet someone
for the first time,
once you've,
you know,
established what their name
is,
established what football
team they support,
you may start to ask,
where did you come from?
And you know what?
We are fascinated
in our culture
to know
where people
come from.
And if you asked me,
I'd tell you
I'm originally
from a farm
in Drimalik.
I know no one here
has probably even heard
of that place,
but I'm still proud
to be from Drimalik
in West Cork.
And my parents
are called
David and Elizabeth.
That's where I'm from.
Well,
the crowd,
they look at Jesus
and they say,
oh,
we know where
this guy's from.
He's Jesus.
His dad is Joseph,
the carpenter.
He's just from Nazareth.
Oh yeah,
we know him.
Now,
he couldn't be
the Messiah.
But look how Jesus
responds to them
in verse 28.
Then Jesus,
still teaching
in the temple courts,
cried out,
yes,
you know me
and you know
where I'm from.
I am not here
on my own authority,
but he who sent me
is true.
You do not know him,
but I know him
because I am from him
and he sent me.
At this,
they tried to seize him.
Why are the people
so outraged
at what Jesus just said?
It's because Jesus
is claiming
that he lived
in eternity past
before his earthly life.
He is not originally
from Nazareth.
He's actually from
God,
sent by the Father.
And the crowd
are so enraged
by him saying this
because he was actually
claiming to be equal
with God
in that statement.
Could you flick back
in your Bibles
to John chapter 1?
Just a couple pages back.
We're going to look
at verse 18.
And this fleshes it out
a little bit more for us.
John chapter 1
and verse 18.
It says this,
No one has ever seen God,
but the one and only Son,
who is himself God
and is in closest relationship
with the Father,
has made him known.
that's who Jesus is.
He is God,
the Son,
for eternity,
sharing closest relationship
with the Father.
He has revealed
what God
is like to us.
All things were made
through him
and for him.
He sustains
all things
by his powerful word.
He is.
We don't decide
who Jesus is.
We don't decide
what Jesus is like.
He is
who he has always been
for eternity.
So the question is,
what should our response
be
to him?
Well,
we should give him
the highest
honor
that he is due
and glorify him
as God,
the Son,
sent
from the Father.
Is Jesus
just a good man
to you?
Or is he
the God
man?
We show
our belief
by humbly
submitting our lives
to him
as our maker
and sustainer
and listening
to him.
And that actually
leads us
to the second thing
that Jesus
has to say
about himself.
He is
the man
of truth.
Now,
if you flick back
to John chapter 7,
in verse 12,
some of the crowd
claim that Jesus
is a liar,
right?
He's simply
leading people
astray.
Others,
in verse 15,
are amazed
at his knowledge
and teaching.
He's got no
formal education.
How is he able
to teach like this?
Well,
Jesus addresses
both of these groups
in verse 16.
Read along with me.
Verse 16,
Jesus answered,
my teaching is not
my own.
It comes from the one
who sent me.
Anyone who chooses
to do the will
of God
will find out
whether my teaching
comes from God
or whether I speak
on my own.
Whoever speaks
on their own
does so
to gain
personal glory.
But he who seeks
the glory
of the one
who sent him
is a man
of truth.
There is nothing
false
about him.
Jesus says,
I am
that man
of truth.
There is no
falsehood
in me.
How do we know?
Well,
Jesus says
his teaching
comes from God
the Father.
That's the first
proof.
And here's
the second.
He seeks
his Father's
glory
not his own.
Now think about
that for a second.
As people
it's very
difficult
for us
to have
pure
motives
whenever we
seek
our own
glory.
Right?
Actually what
happens is
we get selfish.
We might say
whatever people
want to hear
so as to get
in with the
cool crowd.
we might not
really want
what's best
for others.
We might just
use them
to get higher
up the ladder.
But Jesus
says I'm not
like that.
When Jesus
seeks his
Father's glory
it's another
proof that
what he says
is true.
There are no
selfish ulterior
motives.
He's not a
crowd pleaser.
He truly
seeks his
Father's glory
glory and
our good.
And he does
this by
simply telling
us what
his Father
told him
even if it
ends up
costing him
his life.
So we can
trust everything
that Jesus
says to be
true
but the
problem is
that we
don't.
Or we like
most of what
Jesus says
that we
don't believe
us really
uncomfortable.
Like when
he says he's
the only
way to
heaven.
Where does
that leave
my friends
and family
who don't
believe in
Jesus?
Or when
he tells us
to loosen
our grip
and our
money and
finances and
to give
generously to
others.
Well will
he really
provide for
me like
he promised?
Or when
Jesus tells
us that
he's
sovereign
and in
control
over
even our
deepest
suffering
and pain.
How could
God do
that?
We
struggle
to trust
Jesus'
word.
But Jesus
says if you
want to know
who I really
am,
I am
the man
of truth.
You can
trust everything
I say.
And believing
in me means
trusting in
me even
when you
don't
understand it
right now.
So will
you believe?
Will you
take Jesus
as his
word?
So far
we've seen
that Jesus
is sent
from the
Father.
He's God's
eternal
son.
And we've
also seen
he's the
man of
truth.
we can
trust what
he says.
And now
we come
to the
last one.
John has
been steadily
building the
tension
through this
chapter and
now Jesus
is about to
reveal himself
as the
giver
of the
spirit.
But before
we read
we need to
understand the
context of
this festival
of tabernacles.
God had
commanded the
Jews to
celebrate this
festival to
remember how
he brought
his people
out of
Egypt over
a thousand
years beforehand
through the
wilderness and
into the
promised land.
Now at one
point along
that journey
the people
were in this
massive desert
and they
were thirsty
and they
cried out to
God.
And what God
did was he
told Moses
to strike
a rock
with his
staff.
And a
river of
water flowed
miraculously
from this
rock.
The people
were saved.
So every
year at
this festival
the Jews
would remember
that moment
in their
history where
God had
provided them
water.
And what they
would do,
it's really
interesting,
right?
They would
actually draw
water from
a pool
at the
bottom of
the city
and they
would carry
it in this
large procession
through the
city streets
all the way
up to the
temple.
And while
everyone in
the city
watched on
they would
pour out
the water
on the
big altar
in front
of the
temple.
That is the
context
into which
Jesus
stands up
and says
what he's
just about
to say.
Look at
this in
verse 37.
On the
last and
greatest day
of the
festival
Jesus
stood and
said in
a loud
voice,
let anyone
who is
thirsty
come to
me and
drink.
Whoever
believes in
me,
as scripture
has said,
rivers of
living water
will flow
from within
them.
Jesus
reveals
himself
as the
only one
who can
truly provide
us with
living water
which quenches
our spiritual
thirst forever.
Let's read
on to find
out what is
this living
water.
What does
Jesus mean?
Well, John
clarifies.
Verse 39,
he says,
by this he
meant the
spirit whom
those who
believed in
him were
later to
receive.
Up to that
time the
spirit had
not been
given since
Jesus had
not yet
been glorified.
So the
people of
Israel were
thirsty in
the wilderness
when God
gave them
water to
drink.
Jesus now
invites everyone
who is
spiritually thirsty
to come to
him for
drink and
that means
to believe
in him
as God,
as saviour
from our
sin and
receive
not just
a once
off drink
like he
would from
the tap
out there.
No,
Jesus offers
us a
river of
living water
flowing from
within us
forever.
It's a
spring that
will never
run out.
And that
water,
John says,
is the
Holy Spirit.
Spirit.
He's the
third member
of the
Trinity.
He has
existed for
eternity in
perfect relationship
with the
Father and
the Son.
The Spirit
actually
initiates our
new spiritual
life in
Christ.
He's called
the helper
or the
comforter.
He gives
us power
to live the
Christian life.
life.
But the
thing is
that before
Jesus came,
the Spirit
had never
dwelt in
anyone.
Through the
Old Testament,
the Spirit
rests upon
people,
but never
inside.
So, for
instance,
Moses or
David would
have had a
special anointing
of the Spirit
on them to
do special
things for
God, but
he actually
never indwelt
anyone.
Yes.
John tells
us here in
verse 39 that
once Jesus has
returned to
heaven, now
anyone who
believes in
Jesus will
receive the
Holy Spirit.
God himself
would take
up residence
in everyone
who would
believe in
him.
This is
totally new
and
astonishingly
great and
was foretold
hundreds of
years beforehand.
Isaiah
prophesied that
God would
pour out his
Spirit on
all people,
not just a
couple of
their leaders,
on all of
God's people
and read
what God
had said
through the
prophet
Ezekiel
of that
time to
come.
It's on
the board.
He said
this,
I will put
my Spirit
within you
and cause
you to
walk in
my statutes
and be
careful to
obey my
rules.
Now Jesus
stands up at
the climax of
the festival
as the
water is
being carried
up the
streets of
Jerusalem.
He cries
out that
He is
the giver
of the
true
living
water,
the Holy
Spirit.
The temple
is there
looming
above Him
as He
says these
words and
He declares
that this
building here,
that's no
longer going
to be the
place where
God dwells.
Not in the
building anymore,
no, in
His people.
God will
dwell in
all those
who believe
in Jesus
through His
Holy Spirit.
Jesus is
the giver
of the
Spirit and
He calls
to you
and to
I today
to come
and drink
of the
Spirit
to satisfy
our thirst
forever.
You will
know His
power and
presence like
a river
flowing from
within you.
forever.
So two
questions.
Number one,
have you
received the
gift of the
Holy Spirit
from Jesus
Christ?
Everywhere
else you
turn to
will never
satisfy
your thirsty
soul.
Second
question,
if you have
already received
Him,
are you
drinking
deeply
from that
river of
life?
His
help,
comfort,
and power
are yours
moment
by moment
if you
would keep
drinking
of Him.
To finish,
we have
heard plenty
of opinions
about who
Jesus is
today.
And we've
listened to
Jesus tell us
exactly who
He is.
And the
question is
now,
how will the
people of
Jerusalem
respond to
Him?
Well,
in the
last part
of John's
recount of
the festival,
we hear
three different
responses to
Jesus.
In verse
45,
we have the
temple guards
who were
ordered to
arrest Jesus,
but they
arrive back
empty-handed.
And when the
Pharisees ask,
why didn't
you bring
Him in,
like we
asked you to
do,
they reply
in verse
46,
no one
ever spoke
the way
this man
does.
Wow.
They are
amazed
by Jesus.
But don't
be like
the guards.
That's
as far
as it
goes for
them.
They're
just amazed
by Him.
But they
show no
signs
of true
belief.
We need
to really
watch out
here,
because many
people confuse
admiration
of Jesus
with true
belief in
Jesus.
They are
not the
same thing.
You cannot
admire Jesus
from a
distance and
presume that
you're safe
with Him.
No.
He calls
to receive
Him as
Lord,
as
Savior.
You cannot
sit on the
fence with
Jesus.
Either you
believe
or you
don't.
Secondly,
don't be like
the Pharisees.
They just
reject
Jesus
outright.
they want
rid of
Him as
soon as
possible.
They are
sure they
don't need
Jesus to
live a
fulfilled
life or
to get
to heaven.
And after
everything that
you have
seen of
Jesus'
life,
His death,
His
resurrection,
don't be
like the
Pharisees who
refused to
accept the
evidence.
They didn't
want Jesus.
But there
is a third
response.
Because in
verse 51,
Nicodemus
stands up
for Jesus.
He risks
his status
as a
leader in
the Jewish
parliament
to defend
Jesus before
the whole
court.
And he
later,
a couple
chapters later
in John,
he actually
appears at
the cross
where Jesus
died,
taking down
Jesus'
body and
preparing it
for burial.
I think we
can surmise
that Nicodemus
really did
believe Jesus
was who
he said
he was.
Nicodemus
took Jesus
at his
word and
believed.
No sitting
on the
fence,
no pushing
him away.
he believed
Jesus was
the only
saviour
from sin.
So what's
your response
to Jesus?
Everyone
has a
different
opinion
about who
Jesus is.
But what
do you
say?
Will you
take him
at his
word?
No.
Will you believe that he is the giver of the Spirit?
And drink deeply from that river of living water every day.
Let's finish with Jesus' own words.
Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.
Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said,
rivers of living water will flow from within them.
Let's take a moment now to pray.
I'm going to leave a couple of moments for you to make your own response to Jesus in your heart.
Let's take a moment now to pray.
Your power knows no bounds.
You created this whole universe and sustain it by the power of your word.
You are God the Son eternal.
And yet you came down to wear our skin.
You bore the burden of our sin on the cross and died for us there.
You rose again, defeating our death.
We thank you that you gave us the very best you could give.
God's Holy Spirit living in us.
What a wonder.
What a mystery.
What an awesome privilege to be the dwelling place of God.
Let us not tire of the glory of this.
Let us drink deeply from the fountain of living water each day.
For your glory and our good.
Amen.