Catch Me If You Can

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

John 7:25-36

S: Belief

Th: Going with Jesus

Pr: WE CAN GO WITH JESUS.

?: Inductive

KW: Phases

TS: We will find in John 7:25-36 three phases that show the continued opposition to Jesus.

The _____ phase is the…

I. PROBING (25-29)

II. PLOTTING (30-32)

III. PREDICTING (33-36)

Version: ESV

RMBC 21 July 02 AM

INTRODUCTION:

ILL Notebook: Truth (politicians lie)

There were a busload of politicians driving down a country road when, all of a sudden, the bus ran off the road and crashed into a tree in an old farmer’s field. The old farmer, after seeing what happened, went over to investigate. He then proceeded to dig a hole and bury the politicians.

A few days later, the local sheriff came out, saw the crashed bus and asked the old farmer where all the politicians had gone. The old farmer said he had buried them. The sheriff asked the old farmer, "Were they ALL dead?"

The old farmer replied, "Well, some of them said they weren’t, but you know how them politicians lie."

Have you ever had trouble believing someone?

It has been nice to be free from the political ads for a while, hasn’t it?

It will start up again for us this fall, but the break has been nice.

It is hard to listen to though.

There are so many conflicting claims that we are faced with.

It is hard to know the truth from the error.

We probably all have a healthy skepticism about our leaders, for we are not sure that they really mean what they say.

It is one thing to say it, of course, but it is a whole other thing to do it.

So often, we have to wait to see if a leader is believable or not.

TRANSITION:

You will remember in our previous studies that…

1. People had a difficult time believing Jesus because he said hard things.

He said things like…

“Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”

Even those that had been following Jesus found these sayings hard to swallow.

Did Jesus really mean what He was saying?

Could they really follow someone saying things like this?

As a result, most left Jesus.

It was getting a little bit too weird for them.

One thing is for certain, if Jesus was trying to create a movement that had as many people on His side as possible, He was doing it all wrong.

Not only was He saying hard things, He was not getting along with others.

For…

2. Jesus did not cooperate with the status quo or with contemporary thinking.

Jesus was not worried about whether the Jewish leaders, whether it be the chief priests or the Pharisees, were on His side or not.

He was not interested in keeping the status quo.

In fact, He states that it is more important for them to be on His side than for Him to be on theirs.

And as we noted last week, he was also not concerned about the thinking of the day that was reflected by His brothers.

They told Him it was time to get out in the open.

Jesus needed to hit the big time and move to the heart of the country in Jerusalem.

But Jesus put them off as well.

It was not the time make some grand entrance.

So, for those that were believers in the status quo or the thinking of the day, Jesus was not going to sound believable.

In fact, since He did not agree with them, people were going to oppose Him.

And this is what we continue to find as we come to today’s text.

3. In our study today of John 7:25-36, we will find three phases that show the continued opposition to Jesus.

What is interesting here is that it is an opposition that Jesus does not avoid.

He does not tiptoe around it.

He faces it straight up.

With boldness and courage, He takes on the opposition.

OUR STUDY:

I. The first phase is the PROBING (25-29).

[25] Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? [26] And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? [27] But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” [28] So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. [29] I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”