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.”
There was apparently those in the crowd that were already aware of the leaders’ intentions about Jesus.
They were “in the know.”
So…
1. Those in the know wonder why the authorities are allowing Jesus to speak.
Why can’t they get Him?
Here Jesus is teaching publicly, and how can it be that the leaders have not gotten Him yet?
Was He somehow immune from all this?
No one was speaking to Him.
No one was taking action against Him.
Could it be that they had changed their mind?
Well…
2. It did not make sense that they changed their mind.
They did not really think the authorities had changed their mind, because they ask the question expecting a negative answer…
“No, the rulers do not believe that He is the Christ, do they?”
The reason they come to this conclusion goes like this:
1 Nobody knows where the Messiah comes from;
2 We know where Jesus of Nazareth came from;
3 Conclusion: Jesus cannot be the Messiah.
The problem was, of course, is that they were blinded by what they thought to be dependable facts.
They seemed to be confident that they had the right facts when it came to Jesus.
He was the son of Joseph and Mary.
They lived in Nazareth.
Therefore, they knew who He was and where He had come from.
Whether they were saying this loud enough to be heard by Jesus, we do not know.
But we do know that Jesus challenges it immediately.
And He seemingly challenges the authorities to do something about His Presence and His teaching.
For…
3. Jesus consistently presents the concept that if they knew the Father, they would know Him.
There is a touch of irony in His response, “So you know me and my origin!”
“You think you know me, but really, you do not!”
And the reason they did not really know Him was that they did not know the One who sent Him.
They did not know the Father.
This, of course, was a very serious accusation to make against an orthodox Jew.
The Jews prided themselves in knowing the true God, the God of Israel.
So making a statement like this was like pouring gasoline on a fire.
This was definitely not a “let’s just all get along” attitude and technique.
What else is interesting to note at this point is that Jesus does not seem to be motivated by self-interest.
He is a truth-teller in a world of self-delusion.
He was surrounded by a people who would rather believe lies and fantasies than face the truth about themselves.
II. The second phase is the PLOTTING (30-32).
[30] So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. [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?” [32] The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.
We see here that…
1. When Jesus speaks the truth, some get upset and angry.
We should not be surprised by the response.
For if one refuses to accept the words of Jesus, then one must reject Him as a blasphemer.
For the leaders, He could be considered nothing less than a heretic.
He is worthy of death.
So, it is time for a rock concert.
He should be stoned on the spot.
Since this is their conclusion, they are seeking to do that very thing.
Yet, Jesus is untouched!
For…
2. Those that plot to get Jesus play an unsuccessful game of catch.
They cannot find the right time to do it.
But the reason is quite simple.
It is not time!
Now is not the time.
The time is coming, for they will “catch” Him in six months.
They will catch Him because it is the God-ordained time to do so.
In the meanwhile though, they cannot bring that time forward.
But there is another response to Jesus…
3. Some, though, are relieved when Jesus speaks.
When Jesus speaks, the illusions and facades begin to disappear.
When Jesus speaks, people see and understand who they really are.
When Jesus speaks, people understand how much God loves them and wants to change and restore them.
They find that this One who does these signs speaks the truth and the truth sets them free!
Simply, Jesus leaves us with a choice.
We must accept Him fully or reject Him absolutely.
There is no sitting on the fence.
ILL Notebook: Plan (flight 1124)
On a flight that Susan Farrell was on, the flight attendants were trying to help the passen-gers get settled into their seats for an on-time takeoff.
"You are boarded on Flight 1124 bound for Newark, New Jersey," an attendant announced over the public-address system. "If Newark is not in your travel plans today, please speak to a flight attendant right away."
The crew helped people stow their carry-ons and urged everyone to be seated; then we heard the plane door shut. “Once again, you are boarded on Flight 1124 bound for Newark,” announced the flight attendant. "If Newark was not in your travel plans today – it is now.”
As the leaders heard people still believing in Jesus, for them it was the plane door shutting.
They were all in for the ride now, because in verse 32, it was now official.
They were on the way.
It was not necessary to take Him strait away.
But they were going to do it.
The door was shut and there was no turning back.
Now all that mattered was the timing.
III. The third phase is the PREDICTING (33-36).
[33] Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. [34] You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” [35] 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? [36] What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
Again, we do not know how Jesus knows, we just know that He knows.
So He responds to what He now knows to be true.
The desire to remove Him was now more than a threat; it was a reality.
So here is His answer…
1. Jesus explains that His departure is coming soon.
Jesus says, “Don’t worry! I am going away.”
And we know that the time is near.
It is only six months away and He is going to return to the Father.
Jesus’ enemies want that time to be right at that very moment, but it won’t happen that way.
It will happen on God’s timing.
The enemies of Jesus do not have control.
Though Jesus understands what He means (and we do as well with the benefit of hindsight), the people do not.
They are puzzled and uneasy.
Just what is He saying?
Is Jesus going to go to distant nations and teach them?
By focusing on the literal meaning of Jesus’ words, they missed the real intention of what He was saying.
They thought that perhaps Jesus was going to leave Palestine and venture out of the area to speak to Jews that were spread across the Gentile world.
Would Jesus try to escape the danger in this way?
But the truth was…
2. It was not Jesus that was in danger!
ILL Notebook: Warning (the end is near)
Two pastors were fishing on the side of the road. They thoughtfully made a sign saying, "The End is Near! Turn yourself around now before it’s too late!" and showed it to each passing car.
One driver that drove by didn’t appreciate the sign and shouted at them: "Leave us alone you religious nuts!"
All of a sudden they heard a big splash, looked at each other, and the one pastor said to the other, "You think we should just put up a sign that says ’bridge out’ instead?’"
No doubt the authorities are thinking, “You can’t escape from us, especially now. There is nothing but danger for You.”
The trouble, though, is that they would not escape.
Soon it was going to be too late.
The bridge was out.
They were going over.
And in a different way, Jesus is appealing to them to turn around.
For if they continue the way they are going, they are going to miss out on the blessing the Father has for them.
APPLICATION:
For the Father has the greatest blessing in store for them.
He has sent the Son on the greatest errand of grace and mercy.
Now it was almost finished.
And…
1. Jesus was returning back to heaven.
His path to get there was set.
The path was through the cross.
It was through the tomb.
It would come through an earthquake and a stone that would be rolled away.
Then the path would lead to a mountain, and a departure into the sky.
Jesus was returning back to heaven through a sacrificial death, burial, resurrection and an ascension into heaven.
ILL Notebook: Heaven (Gate of heaven)
Watching TV while the Frederic Fritz family were stuck inside during a blizzard, they no-ticed on the screen a running list of public and parochial school clos-ings. The severity of the storm became apparent when the message read: "Gate of Heaven-Closed."
Well, contrary to that, Jesus was not leaving to close the gate of heaven.
Rather…
2. Jesus is preparing heaven for us (John 14:1-7).
[1] “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. [2] In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. [4] And you know the way to where I am going.” [5] Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” [6] Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. [7] If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
These great promises mean simply this…
3. WE CAN GO WITH JESUS.
We do not have to miss it.
But the choice is ours.
We must accept Him fully or reject Him absolutely.
Jesus’ warning to His listeners were, “if matters stay as they are, you cannot come!”
Don’t let that be true of you today.
Take your stand for Jesus and go with Him.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Go with Jesus…put away your skepticism; hear what Jesus has to say and know Him as He is.
Go with Jesus…believe Him, and understand how much God loves you, and wants to change and restore you to what you are designed to be.
Go with Jesus…and find your way out of the danger that is before you; He is preparing a place for you; it is a place of incomparable joy and blessing.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
