Series: Biblical Cities- Jerusalem [#26]
JERUSALEM- PHYSICAL VERSUS SPIRITUAL
Matthew 23:37
Introduction:
We are continuing in our Series about the most mentioned City in the Bible- Jerusalem.
Matthew 23:37
Last week, we saw how confused the people were concerning who Jesus was. Tonight, we are going to see that the people’s confusion continued. No one could agree on anything Jesus said. They had many questions.
John 7:33-36
1. Where is Jesus going?
Jesus told them that He would be leaving soon, and they would not find Him. In fact, He said that they would not go where He was going. The people thought that maybe Jesus was going to places that Jews did not usually go and they would not find Him.
The truth of this question remains true today- Jesus left this Earth and went to Heaven where He is at the right hand of the throne of God the Father. Without Jesus, a person cannot enter into Heaven. These Jews did the same thing that people do today- We think in physical terms, not spiritual.
John 7:37-39
2. What is Jesus trying to tell us about thirst?
Jesus is speaking to them about spiritual thirst, and they are all thinking about physical thirst. Jesus offers a forever thirst quencher- The Holy Spirit. Yes, they had to wait until Jesus had ascended to Heaven before the Holy Spirit entered people’s lives; but it was a real promise.
John 7:40-44
3. Who is Jesus?
This is a question that is still asked today. Is Jesus the Prophet, the Messiah, or just a good teacher? Notice that they said the Prophet, (which refers to Elijah). The Prophet that fulfilled this was John the Baptist. They knew about the Messiah; but they were looking for someone else. They had no idea that Jesus was a descendent of David and was born in Bethlehem.
Notice the people’s reactions. Some wanted to follow Him and worship Him while others wanted to arrest Him and kill Him. The World is the same today- Some react to Jesus by wanting Him gone and never spoken of; while others, want to follow and worship Him.
Conclusion:
These are very relevant and important questions that we should still be answering. Who is Jesus and what happens when He comes into your life? Are you looking at life in a spiritual way or a physical way?
