WHO IS JESUS ??

Is Jesus divisive?

John 7:40

When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.”

Deuteronomy 18:18

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.

John 7:41-42

Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”

John 7:43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

The Gospel always divides.

DETAILS, FACTS, CONCLUSIONS

Ignorance is bliss.

Willful ignorance is pride.

While intentionally not seeking out a comprehensive assessment to determine the truth

The Pharisee Spirit - I choose to fixate on the facts/details that secure my conclusion in order to make sure the whole story, the truths that comprise it, and the witnesses that corroborate a conclusion different than mine never have a chance to nudge my preconceived notion.

John 7:45

The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”

John 7:47

The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”

Religious pride can blind you from the truth.

Knowledge + Humility = Seeing Jesus.

The Pharisee Spirit - “I have decided what the truth is. If you don’t agree with me it is because you are weaker (mentally, academically, spiritually) than me and have been deceived by a deception I would never be susceptible to… like you.”

The Pharisee Spirit - Once the Pharisee spirit has identified your deception they threaten disconnection.

“Have you also been deceived?”

John 7:50

Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

God uses courageous voices in hard places

The question is not “Who do they say He is?” but“Who do you say He is?”

John 7:25-27

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.”

John 7:28-29

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.”

John 7:30-31

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?”

John 7:32-24

The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 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.”

John 7:35-36

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’?”

John 7:37-38

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

John 7:39

Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

John 7:14

About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching.

John 7:15

The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?”

John 7:16

So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.

John 7:17

If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.

John 7:18

The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.

The way someone speaks reveals what they seek.

John 7:18b

The one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.

All of human existence is getting the opportunity to encounter glory so you can glorify the giver of the glorious.

John 7:1

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him.

John 7:2-3

Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing.

John 7:4-5

For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world. ” For not even his brothers believed in him.

Even those closest to Christ misunderstood him.

Even those closest to the Christian will misunderstand them.

Matthew 4:5-6

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, ’and“‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. ’”

John 7:6

Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.

Christ operates on The Fathers timetable, not human pressure.

Christ followers will operate on the Father’s timetable, not human pressure.

John 7:7

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.

Christ’s mission is inseparably connected with the world's hostility.

The Christians mission will be inseparably connected to the world's hostility.

John 15:18-21

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

John 7:8

You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come. ” After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

John 7:10

But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private.

Christ moves with wisdom in a hostile world.

The Christian must move with wisdom in a hostile world.

In light of my past experience, my current reality, and my future hopes and dreams…

What is the wise thing to do?

John 7:11-13 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he? ”

And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man, ” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray. ” Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

John 6:60

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”

John 6:61-62

But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples weregrumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?

John 6:63-64

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you whodo not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did notbelieve, and who it was who would betray him.)

Non-christianity is less dangerous than false christianity.

John 6:65

And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

John 6:66

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longerwalked with him.

John 6:67

So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”

John 6:68

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

1. Lord, to whom shall we go?

2.You have the words of eternal life.

Why are you staying with Jesus?

John 6:70-71

Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

“Do you want to go as well?”

John 6:52

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

John 6:53

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

“This is the life!”

LIFE -

Bios - Existence  of life

Zóé -  Quality of life.

“I’m alive, but I’m not really living.”

John 6:54

Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

Feeds = Trogon - gnaw, chew, process

John 6:55-56

For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

MUTUAL INDWELLING (co-inherence)

John 6:57

As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.

John 6:58

This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

The bread of life is not just a person, it’s a broken person

John 6:59

Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.

John 6:33

For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

John 6:34

“Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

John 6:35

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

John 6:36

But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.

John 6:37

All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

John 6:38

For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

John 6:39

And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those He has given me, but raise them up at the last day.

John 6:40

For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

John 20:31

"but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

We get a case study in how Jesus heals our human condition -

1. Appetites & true motives

2. That we are good with God by what we do

3. Our need for proof

1. Appetite

John 6:22-24

"On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus."

Don’t taste the things you don’t want to hunger for.

John 6:25-26

"When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves."

What are you really seeking or really hungering for?

2. Works = Salvation

John 6:27-29

"Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”  28Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

It’s not about what you do, its about what He’s already done

We all have a propensity to work for the perishable and nonperishable. But it's all given by God.

3. Prove it… Again

John 6:30-33

"So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

We want to make a deal with God, but He wants complete transformation.

 John 6:34-35

"They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

The Bread of Life was broken for you.

John 6:1-3

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.

John 6:4-6

Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

John 6:7

Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”

John 6:8-9

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, butwhat are they for so many?”

John 6:10-11

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.

John 6:12-13

And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.

Matthew 14:19

And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

When placed in His hands our deficiencies are his sufficiencies.

John 6:14

When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

“...to make quite sure that we never forget how much God can do with little things that are brought to him in faith” -C.H. Spurgeon.

John 6:35

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.