Removing The Filters Series

So watch this next section. Jesus in effect is saying: "How can you speak authoritatively about what is right if you don’t do the right you know?"

19 - 24

The incident Jesus refers to was in chapter 5 where he healed the paralyzed man on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were more interested in keeping their interpretation of the Sabbath than they were in keeping the Law of Moses, which says "you shall not murder."

Jesus points out that the Jews would overrule one tradition (the Sabbath rules) if it meant not fulfilling a requirement of the Law (circumcision on the 8th day) if it fell on the Sabbath. Yet because they were so slavish about their rules, they didn’t see that healing on the Sabbath was more important than not working on the Sabbath. It’s always important for us to look at the Scriptures, and see God’s heart and his intent, rather than just force an opinion of something based on outward appearances.

An example from today might be that a Christian frequenting bars might be seen as a drunkard and "not a good Christian." In fact, it may be that God has a special call on that person to reach out to those who are caught in the vise grip of alcohol with the gospel. Now I’m not advocating us all going over to Joe’s Bar and Grill after church to put down a few cold ones for the Lord. I’m just saying that there is often more to what God is really doing than we can see without the eyes of faith, the guidance of the Bible and the leading of God’s Holy Spirit.

How can you claim something is of death ("you have a demon") when it brings life ("I made a whole man’s body well"). Saying "you have a demon" is like saying "you’re out of your mind!"

25 - 31

The crowd was dealing with several issues: should we follow someone who doesn’t have consensus of popular opinion (12)? Should we believe someone without credentials we recognize (15)? Should we follow someone that we are familiar with and doesn’t fit our preconceptions (27)?

If you truly seek to know and understand God you will know and understand who Jesus is and what he is doing. If you dismiss Jesus as just a good person you will miss who he really is and what he has done for you and can give to you. This idea that no one would know where the Messiah would come from, that he would just appear, was urban legend and may have come from writings that didn’t make it into the Bible.

In the end, after all their questioning the people seem to conclude that he really fits the mold of the Messiah. This is a very surface belief, however, not real trust. But it has an effect on the Pharisees who see power slipping from their hands.

32 - 52

If we think our ideas and our logic are correct, we miss the true substance of the Messiah, from heaven, going to heaven (36).

Scripture for water flowing from the Spirit (Isaiah 12:3 - spring up from the wells of salvation)

As Jesus spoke the people realized the truth of his words went beyond anything they had heard from the own leaders. They started in earnest talking about whether he was the Prophet (Duet 18) or the Christ (Messiah). When you really listen to Jesus he makes perfect sense.