What Do You Think Of Jesus?

John 7 (2)

What do you think of Jesus?

- Read John 7:11-13

Pray

In 1998 I and my very pregnant wife, took a van full of youth on a mission trip from Mississippi to the plains of Colorado. While there we met a pastor, who told us about one of his members who had recently moved to Denver. He said, this member wanted to share Christ with her neighbors so each time she visited over the fence with the lady who lived next door she would include something in the conversation about Jesus. After a month of these conversations, the neighbor said, “Who is this Jesus you keep mentioning? I have no idea who you are talking about”.

Who would believe folks in the United States would not know who Jesus is? But, even closer to home, we had a similar situation happen this past Christmas with some volunteers here at Christmas in the Country.

As Gladys was helping several of the National Honor Society kids find their costumes, explaining that they would be playing the parts of Joseph, and Mary, one of the students asked, “Who are Mary, Joseph, and Jesus? My family isn’t very religious.”

Who is Jesus? That and your answer will make all the difference in the world.

In this passage, we find the people discussing that very question.

Jesus’ family has gone up to Jerusalem for the festival of booths, a time to remember how they had once lived in tenets and to remember how the Lord led them through the wilderness and protected and provided for them during their journey.

Jesus’ brothers had suggested that He go up to the festival and show Himself so He could get a following, so He could start a movement, but they really didn’t believe in Him. He told them “No”, but a few days later He went to the festival after all.

During the time that He waited, the people in Jerusalem were looking for Him, The leaders asked, “Where is He?’ He people asked, “Who is He?” That is a question that men and women have been asking ever since Jesus’ time and that needs to asked and answered again and again in very generation.

In this passage the people offer 4 possibilities. In verse 12 we read,

- Read verse 12.

I. He is a good man

The first possibility people suggest is that He is a good man. That is one idea many people have about Jesus even today. Many suggest that He was a good man, or that He was a good teacher. That is an impossible answer for several reasons.

1. Jesus cannot be a good man, because of the relationship He claimed to have with God. In the psalms, king David, one of those in the Bible closest to the Lord called Him:

The Lord – 1:2

God of my righteousness – 4:1

My King – 5:2

Oh Lord my God – 7:1

God of my salvation – 18:46

God of Jacob – 20:1

Oh My Strength – 22:19

King of Glory – 29:3

And 16 other names.

He described God as:

A shield for me – 3:3

My glory – 3:3

The One who lifts up my head – 3:3

The righteous God – 7:9

A just judge – 7:11

A refuge – 9:9

The portion of my inheritance and my cup – 16:5

My strength – 18:1

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer – 18:2

The horn of my salvation, stronghold – 18:2

My support – 18:18

My shepherd – 23:1

And had many other ways to describe God; but he never called God His Dad. Neither did any of the other writers in the Old Testament.

Then along comes Jesus and He claims to have a unique, special relationship with God where He is able to call Him, not only God, or Father, but to call Him “Abba”, or Daddy as well. Jesus comes along and says, “I have a relationship with God unlike any other person in history. God is my Dad. Is that the claim of a “good man”?

2. Jesus cannot be a good man because of His I-Am Sayings.

Jesus made some unique claims about Himself.

In a world filled with darkness and despair Jesus said, “I am the light of the world?” What good man does that?

When the people were clamoring for Him to feed them. Jesus said to the people. I am the Bread of Life.” The sustenance that you want, the filling you want is only available through me.

Do you remember His statement in John 14:6?

> John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

That’s rather arrogant of a “good man” don’t you think? To tell folks that the only way to get to God is through Him? Of all of prophets, and preachers, and scribes in the world, to tell people that the only way to get to God, the only way to get to heaven was to go through him?