John 7 (2)

Chapter seven of John's Gospel, verse one, begins, After these things Jesus walked in Galilee, for he would not walk in Jure, that is in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him. So just quickly, I might make a few comments as we go through the first half, just to give a bit of a review what we saw yesterday. The background of this circumstance that finds the Lord Jesus lingering in Galilee is the event in chapter five, when he healed the man there at the pool of Bethesda, and it was on the Sabbath day that he had healed that man, and the religious leaders took great offense at that occasion, and right from that time looked for an opportunity to put this man that they would have known as none more than Jesus of Nazareth, it was their desire to see him dead.

And so we just sought to note yesterday, yes the Lord Jesus in his eternal person was omniscient, he knew all things, so he would understand the hearts of these men, the circumstances there in Judea, and yet too there is that example of human responsibility, if you would. Knowing what it was like there, he stayed in Galilee. And as chapter six concludes, very clearly Judas was identified as the one that would betray him, and so practically speaking, remaining in the north, rather in Galilee, rather than going into Judea again, would keep Judas among the other disciples away from the religious leaders, and restrain his liberty, if you would, to initiate his act of betrayal.

And the Lord Jesus would be, humanly speaking, free to step out and to do things in his time, and in his purpose, according to the occasion. So verse 2, now the Jews feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, depart hence and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

For there is no man that doeth anything in secret, and he himself seeks to be known openly, if thou do these things, show thyself to the world. And we suggested that it seems fairly evident that this was pure mockery on the behalf of the brothers, that is the siblings of the Lord Jesus, and they were dismissing his works and his words that indicated who he was, that he was truly the Messiah, but they made little of it, and they were challenging him to go up to the feast of tabernacles, and not only to make himself known to his disciples, but as verse 4 concludes, show yourself to the world. And to my mind, it indicates that they had some understanding of what the prophetic scope concerning the come of the Messiah was, so that in mockery, he said, well you go up and show yourself to the whole world.

Messiah is not only going to benefit the peoples of Judea, but the the whole of mankind. And you can see them just with curled lip almost speaking to him in this way, and verse 5 makes it evident to my mind that they were mocking him, for John clarifies, they did not believe in him. Verse 6, then Jesus said unto them, my time is not yet come, but your time is always ready.

The world cannot hate you, but me it hates, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast. I go not up yet unto this feast, for my time is not yet full come.

Quickly we saw that the word here in our English Bible, time, is the one then that opens up a fair duration of time, as we would use the word season. And so the characteristics of an era, if you would. And the Lord Jesus says, in keeping with the occasion of the Feast of Tabernacles, that look both backwards, to be reminded of their deliverance from Egypt, their wanderings in the wilderness when they lived in temporary shelters, and then arriving in the land where a kingdom would be established, it would make them look forward to the coming of the Messiah when he will reign.

And that Feast of Tabernacles, by mocking brethren, would seem, well this is the time to make yourself known. And the Lord Jesus said, no, this isn't my season of recognition. For you, your time's always, you can pursue success and human recognition in this world anytime, but this is not my season to reign.

Verse 9, when he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. So commonly the families would go up, almost in caravan style, as they did when the Lord Jesus was 12 years old.

They're back in Luke's Gospel. They went up as a group, he went on his own, and just slipped into Jerusalem in a secretive manner. But verse 11, then the Jews sought him at the feast and said, where is he? And we've seen that the label, the Jews, isn't just a, you know, a term that envelops all the peoples of that area of Judea, but really indicates those that are particularly opposed to him.

They're introduced in chapter 1 when they sent out the priests and the scribes, was it, to interrogate John the Baptist as to who he was and why he was preaching like he was, and we'll see more of that in our chapter here. They were looking to get their hands on him. Where is he? He should be here.

He proclaims to be a faithful Jew. The three primary feasts, the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, chapter 5, Passover, chapter 2, Feast of Weeks, chapter 5, we suggest, and now chapter 7, the Feast of Tabernacles. He ought to be here.

Where can we find this man? Verse 12, and there was much murmuring among the people concerning him. For some said he is a good man, others said nay, but he deceives the people. Albeit no man spake openly of him for fear, there it is, of the Jews, these people that had tremendous power, and their opposition was evidence against Christ.

Now about the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught, and the Jews marveled, saying, How knows this man letters having never learned, never been trained by the rabbis? How can he teach with such knowledge and efficiency? Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself. He that speaks of or from himself seeks his own glory, but he that seeks the glory, his glory, that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is found is in him.

Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil or a demon, who goes about to kill they. Quickly, that verse that we so aptly use, verse 17, the principle of learning the will of God by doing the will of God as we understand it being revealed step by step, great principle. We can teach it that way, we can use it that way, but in the immediate context, I would suggest to you it was the Lord Jesus, as it were, setting the argument against the, and there I used the word argument and I told you he never argued with people, setting the point that he was about to make with these opposing religious people to show them the reason they didn't understand who he was and the teaching that he had was because what God had already veiled through the law of Moses and which they didn't obey, they broke the commandment, they were seeking to kill him, that was the reason why they wouldn't recognize who he was.

They weren't doing the will of God that was already revealed to them, therefore they did not have the capacity to receive his word that he taught. So verse 21, Jesus answered and said to them, I have done one work and you all marvel. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision, not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers and you on the Sabbath day circumcise a man.

The man on the Sabbath day receives circumcision that the law of Moses should not be broken. Are ye angry at me because I have made a man every whit hole on the Sabbath day? Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. So if you have a copy of the outline in front of you, you will see that that is the concluding statement, if you would, of his first message and the interchange of points with the religious leaders, with the Jews that were seeking to kill him.

Don't judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment. And if there's nothing else that we as believers can learn from that, it's this, that the attitude that we live by inevitably will be the attitude by which we will judge others. And the Pharisees known as the hypocrites back in Matthew 6 in the Sermon on the Mount, they lived to be seen by others.

We noted those verses in the early part of Matthew 6, three or four times over, for to be seen of men, for glory from men. And so the way they lived inevitably affected the manner in which they judged others. And that's true about us as believers too.

If we live with that idea of just doing what looks good, we will in the end find ourselves judging people because what they're doing just doesn't seem to look right. Judge righteous judgment, the Lord Jesus said. Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he whom they seek to kill? Below he speaks boldly, and they say nothing unto him.

Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? Howbeit we know this man whence he is, where he is from, but when Christ comes no man knows whence he is, where he comes from. And so this is where we left off yesterday afternoon. So we're looking at this section that I referred to as the conflicted response.

That there is this group of people, some adamantly are denying who he is, others are wondering if he is who he is claimed to be and demonstrated himself to be. Is he the Christ? Do some actually recognize this? And then you get this answer as we're going to see tonight that really, well it shows that sin either distorts or blinds rather people who are sincerely ignorant of the truth or sin even distorts truth that a person has received if they refuse to obey it. And so we're going to see that on the one hand they said we don't even know where Christ comes from and then we're gonna see tonight that they they had that one real clear when they wanted it, when it was convenient for their argument and for their side of the debate.

When there's willful unbelief there's no winning the argument if you would. As we suggested yesterday the Lord never really argued with people. He didn't need to.

It wasn't a question of winning the argument with him. And if you want to just put a theme title over this second half tonight that makes it more relevant to you and to myself it's simply this. When you can't win the argument just speak the truth.

When you can't win the argument just speak the truth. In the first half it was we tried to emphasize the thought that overrides not only this setting but every occasion when there was very pointed opposition the Lord Jesus faced the conflict if for no other reason the hope of winning at least one soul. He didn't want to go he didn't choose to go he stayed in Galilee because of their desire to kill him and yet he decides eventually to go and we'll see that there was a particular invitation given for souls that would hear him in that occasion.

So he faced the conflict if for no other reason for the sake of souls and then tonight we could learn from it ourselves in a relevant way even today when you can't win the argument just speak the truth and I'm not saying the Lord Jesus didn't win the arguments he didn't seek to he just spoke the truth and left that responsibility with those that had heard. So we pick up then tonight around verse 27 or thereabouts this confusion and or is it just simply unbelief among the people. How be it we know this man whence he is where he's from but when Christ comes no man knows where he's coming from.

How in the world they would introduce that as a viable component in their argument well I'm confused by it myself and either they're confused or it demonstrates willful unbelief. Then cried Jesus verse 28 in the temple as he's taught saying you both know me and you know whence I am where I'm from and I would just take it simply as we read this what he's saying is you know that I am Jesus of Nazareth you know me for the man that I am and where I have come from that's not to be questioned but then he adds and I am not come of or by myself that is promoted by self but he that sent me is true whom ye know not but I know him for I am from him and he has sent me then they sought to take him but no man laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come we'll come back to that verse 31 let's continue and many of the people believed on him and said when Christ comes will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him then said Jesus unto them yet a little while am I with you and then I go unto him that sent me you shall seek me and shall not find me and where I am thither you cannot come then said the Jews among themselves whither will he go that we shall not find him will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles and teach the Gentiles what manner of saying is this that he said you shall seek me and shall not find me where I am thither you cannot come in the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink and he that believeth on me as the scriptures have said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water but this spake he of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified many of the people therefore when they heard this saying said of a truth this is the prophet others said this is the Christ but some said shall Christ come out of Galilee hath not the scripture said that Christ comes of the seed of David and out of the town of Bethlehem where David was so there was a division among the people because of him and some of them would have taken him but no man laid hands on him then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees and they said unto them why have you not brought him the officers answered never man spake like this man then answered them the Pharisees are you also deceived have any of the rulers of the Pharisees believed on him but this people who knows not the law are cursed Nicodemus saith unto them he that came to Jesus by night being one of them doth our law judge any man before it hear him and know what he doeth they answered and said unto him art thou also of Galilee search and look for out of Galilee arises no prophet and every man went unto his own house so we have tried you know to just intersperse their little comments of what we covered yesterday some measure of review and so we'll pick up somewhere around here now just that say verse 28 the confusion or unbelief of the people following that there's another charge from the Lord Jesus another pointed charge to those that oppose him and then we've used that same word again and with an apology and it's not feeling sorry and saying I did something wrong but rather than the technical term sense he will give reason for his charge then we'll look at verses that follow it's a either it's a logical faith or an illogical reaction then we'll see Christ's response and their confusion there'll be two more sections to look at after that as we pursue the close of the meeting the last day of the feast with his second message and then the fifth second section verses 45 to the end verse 53 the Pharisees really are thwarted and Nicodemus steps in and gives his legal defense if you would or his legal challenge to their actions and we see how that plays out with the really the willful unbelief of the Pharisees at that time the conflicted response and the attempts then to apprehend him some said then that it's possible that there are those who believe that this is the Christ because he's speaking so boldly and yet they're not doing anything about it it's like hands-off but we see time and again that even when they attempted to apprehend him they couldn't and that was summarized by the words of the Apostle John in verse 30 when he said no man laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come and we sought to note the distinction yesterday we've talked about the idea of the time the season of his glorious reign wonderful thing to look forward to but the Lord Jesus said what the Feast of Tabernacles depicts as far as its future blessing it's not happening yet this is not my season for recognition and reigning but it also wasn't the hour when they could apprehend him it was outside of God's time and God's schedule the hour when they would apprehend him abuse him crucify him but then that would lead as chapter 13 we looked at it a little yesterday to the hour when he would actually head home and that was just a brief spell suffering and yet glory that would follow when he would ascend to heaven just a little time frame of his earthly experience but oh a little hour really but the wonder of the time the season of display that's something for us to look forward to because we're going to be with him at times I tell you I long for the vindication of the Lord Jesus in a world that really in our society it's almost like any talk of Christ any sense of even historical legitimacy is it's a non-issue it's like he never even existed people maybe still use his name in vulgar and blasphemous ways but any sense of the genuine existence of such a person is really not even considered anymore let alone maybe you know made light of there's a day coming when he will be vindicated that's the time of his revelation thank God for each one here that saved tonight will be with him we will be with him we won't be on those on the other side among those on the other side that will be almost in a sense erased by his very revelation we'll have to flee calling upon the mountains and the hills to cover them hiding them from the face from the wrath of the lamb in the face of him that sits on the throne so this confrontation continues to unfold and the Lord Jesus makes his points about his legitimate relationship with the one who sent him and then pointedly as we said another charge verses 28 and 29 he says you don't even know him you don't know him and again he's not trying to berate those that oppose him to dismiss them as just ignorant and really you know well full set willful sinners which they were he's longing to awaken them as we said he went into the conflict face the opposition if for no other reason he will win some if at least one from among them and so these people that claimed to know God he is showing them and by their reaction to him they are making it very evident that they didn't know the one who sent him verse 29 but I know him for I am from him and he has sent me and at that verse 30 again they seek to take him why because that claim is really a statement of being the eternal son of God he's in a relationship that no other man could claim and he's in a relationship with the God whom the Savior very pointedly says you do not know then they sought to take him but his hour of suffering was not come first 31 then I've questioned is it a logical faith only you remember back at the close of chapter 2 when the Lord Jesus had been up to Jerusalem at the Passover and it says in verse 23 when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover in the feast day many believed in his name when they saw the miracles which he did but then John clarifies what happened but Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men and needed not that any man should testify a man for he knew what was in man so there was a sense in which people could see miracles were done and if you allow me to use expression they did the math a plus B equals C and so they saw the miracles that he did during that Passover visit and so it says they believed on him because of those miracles that they saw but the Lord Jesus in his omniscience he knew what was in man he knew there was something missing and I would have to believe that the thing that was missing was the awakening concerning sin and the conviction of sin against God it was one thing to be persuaded that a man was doing amazing things and it indicated something of who he was but it was another thing to know that you needed to know that man is your Savior and your to be forgiven so when we look at verses at verse 31 many of the people believed on him and said when Christ comes will he do more miracles than these which this man has done again very similar I would take it to the close of chapter 2 they did the math look at all the miracles he did a plus B C this must be the Messiah so we really aren't sure at least I'm not sure where these people stood at this time but the Pharisees didn't like it Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him and so the Lord Jesus responds with these words chapter 8 he will speak very similar manner we'll see that tomorrow God willing or in the next two nights he says to them a little while I am with you and then I go unto him that sent me but you'll seek me then and you shall not find me where I am thither ye cannot come another statement about his legitimate claim to being related to the God of heaven and he was heading in that direction that's where I'm going and you're not going to be able to find me where I will be you will not come so the darkness of unbelief has these men asking the next question will he go where to the dispersed among the Gentiles so the idea I would take it was this when he said you can't go where I'm going and they stepped back and think well he's going someplace where we just can't go would it be to the believers the believers rather the Jews who had been spread out among the Gentiles is this the aftermath of the likes of the captivity in Babylon they didn't make it all the way back in there still out there in those Gentile regions dispersed people because one thing's for sure we're not going there we're too holy for that we're we're faithful Jews the Pharisees would think and if he goes out there well so be it we're not going there that would defile us if we would go to such a place and you can just see this reasoning of the self-righteous hypocrite and yet they still wonder verse 36 what manner of saying is this that he said then you shall seek me and shall not find me and where I am thither you cannot come is that the end of the conversation it's not we'll see how the chapter wraps up as time unfolds here God willing but a very similar statement and argument debate if you would will open up again the next day and the response from the Lord Jesus will be even more pointed their response then will be even more if I could use the word ridiculous and it just demonstrates to us this elite mindset of those that oppose truth are beyond as it were persuasion that's why I've sort of put a theme over this section you can't win the argument just speak the truth that's exactly what the Lord Jesus was doing no intent to win any arguments just the intent of speaking what was true with the hope that some will respond so verse 37 introduces a very precious section that we often refer to gospel preaching and even instruction to us that are saved tremendous words the last day of the feast his second message I've noted in the outline there's a significance I would take it to the timing of this message and the audience that is addressed we need to note John's statement is footnote if you would about the truth of what the Lord Jesus said in this invitation and then verses 40 to 44 we see how the debate continues division is very evident and they make another attempt to detain him in the last day that great day of the feast on the outline there's that chart that we borrowed from Rose publishing about the Feast of Jehovah and noting even under year 2018 how some of its very relevant to our actual calendar date right now September 10th was the start of the new year for them and the Feast of Trumpets there September 19th which was or is today's what the 17th so two days from now rather is Yom Kippur Day of Atonement tremendous day but then the Feast of Tabernacles the context of this chapter is just coming up in a few days seven days particularly then related to the Feast of Tabernacles when they would put up their booths and they would dwell in them whether they had them at their home some historians will say some were even spread around the the precincts of the the temple in the heart of the city so whichever place the people would be but comes the end of the seven days there was the eighth day was added we appreciate that don't we just another picture of the start of something new so on that eighth day booths would be taken down there would be final celebration on that eighth day and then the people would just disperse and go off to their homes there's a note that I have shared there from Barnes the commentary writer mr. Barnes you know one thing you'll find if you start looking at the Feast of Tabernacles and this is an interesting point to to pick up on there was quite a variation of how they defined the setting that seems relevant to why the Lord Jesus uses this call to thirsty people and the picture of the outflowing river of water of living water from within but this helps us understand why at the beginning of the chapter it's called the Feast of the Jews back there in verse 2 now the Jews Feast of Tabernacles was at hand because the the feast had really degenerated in its clarity in its distinction because when we go back and we read in Leviticus and in Numbers where the feasts are defined as God delivered it to Moses there's not a thing said relative to water but it the historians and again I said this is where you get the variance because you can't clarify this because it was an instruction that was given by God through Moses the the Jews introduced this aspect this ritual of going as mr. Barnes says to the pool of Siloam it might have been another body of water but they would go with their big jugs and they would dip this jug these jugfuls of water and bring them in and pour them out at the altar some have suggested that on the eighth day they actually walked around the altar seven times you kind of get the Jericho picture thrown in here too so there's such a discrepancy from one commentary to the other from one historian to the other it's because it was man-made it wasn't God's instruction whatsoever so the feast had deteriorated to the point where the Spirit of God through John calls it the feast of the Jews that the Jews feast of tabernacles it wasn't what it was originally intended to be it was a time yes of recognition of celebration but the sad thing is that when the people left that the bulk of them they were gonna say just generally they you know we use our we use the expression but going to a conference hope you go home a different way than how you arrived and that's a good thing when a conference affects us that way but people were arriving at the feast of tabernacles and they were going home the same way they arrived not satisfied not clearly instructed not having the Word of God in clarity work for their blessing and so under that circumstance and this was an example for us and I'm saying this carefully because we just don't throw things wide open and we can grab any old situation out of culture or whatever and use it as a basis to build a message on but the Lord Jesus I take it took advantage of a man-made dimension in the feast of tabernacles that depicted people leaving unsatisfied still spiritually lost in their sins and on that basis he can stand up that I love that picture the way the Spirit of God presents this through John because the others he just went into the temple and he taught that's all it says but when it comes to this tremendous call to the thirsty souls at the feast of tabernacles on this last day the great day on the eighth day the day of new things the day of a new beginning the potential of a person going home totally different than they had arrived at the feast of tabernacles leaving the ritual and the folly behind of unbelief and going home a new soul one to Christ he stands up the Spirit of God is recorded here he stood up that day he couldn't be missed you know it says back there earlier which verse was that just verse 28 then cried Jesus in the temple so he says says he was there but just what his you know his actual physical stature standing or whatever but here he stands you can't miss him and he cries out it says if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink some suggest that they even spoke the words of Isaiah about drawing waters of salvation it's quite a picture even has scripture for the man-made ritual that they introduced but the Lord Jesus says if any man thirst let him come unto me let him come unto me and drink he that believes on me as the scriptures have said so they would claim some relevance to their practice that it had a basis in the scriptures but he says the scriptures have taught maybe not in specific words in any one passage but this tremendous permeating theme that salvation was like waters that quench the thirst of the soul come to me and those words ring even for each one of us in the meeting tonight have you ever come to Christ the Lord Jesus said him that comes to me I will in no wise in no way cast out you say it's too simple you know some salvation can be a very hard thing I want to tell you the hard thing about salvation as best as I understand it in my own experience and after years of seeking to preach the gospel in some way and deal with individual souls hard thing about it is going through the matter of conviction of sin that's a bitter dark dark experience learning that you are a sinner unjust unacceptable in your condition before God you know children in Christian homes sometimes really struggle with this idea and it was Mr. Jim Smith that years ago we picked up on this little perspective and it's I believe very very well put asking sometimes a youngster why are you not going to be in heaven and the immediate answer comes back because I'm not saved well that's true not being saved keeps us soul from heaven that's not really the issue the issue is our sins why are you not going to be in heaven because of my sins Isaiah the prophet said so effectively your sins are separated between you and God and the moment your sins are forgiven then your soul is saved and heaven is wide open for you so these people would have this thirsting of soul what had been as it were polluted by man-made ritual in the seven days of that celebrating feast leaves them unfulfilled still lost in unbelief and the Savior says let him come unto me just come to me and drink obviously it's figurative language drinking then was depicting the idea of receiving him wholeheartedly as a thirsty soul longing for peace with God and the promises the one that believes on me then there's the equation drinking coming equals believing out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water it was a brother Jim Beatty pointed out in the Bible reading in Sault Ste. Marie last a week ago in chapter 3 when Nicodemus had come to the Lord Jesus the Savior talked about birth by water even the spirit so it's the idea then of the spirit then in chapter 4 with the woman at the well there would be the springs of living water within springing up within and now this idea is not only finding satisfaction but the person has such fulfillment the rivers flow out from them as a testimony to others you know when God saves us it's not just for our good first off it's for our good but it's also that he can use us as a demonstration of how he wins the soul and satisfies the heart of the person so let me just say quickly and I think it was Mr. William McDonald in his commentary where I would have first got a little bit of a pointer on this verse 39 has a nice doctrinal spin to it for us that's very relevant this spake he of the spirit okay so John's commentary on the preaching of the Lord Jesus makes it very evident that the living water was that of the Holy Spirit within which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified notice how John says that there is no secondary qualification beyond believing to receive the Holy Spirit so none of this business that some have added to the scriptures that all there's the day that you trust Christ and you're saved but there has to be a subsequent experience to receive the Holy Spirit not at all in a brief statement the Spirit of God comes to those that believe said and done that was John's comment on the message of the Lord Jesus versus 40 to 44 need to move along debate division and another attempt to detain many of the people therefore said whoa now that we've heard this of a truth this is the prophet now we've seen that in chapter 1 and chapter 6 if you go back and look it would take it quite evidently they are referring to the words of Moses when he said to the people back in Deuteronomy that the Lord would raise up a prophet like unto himself so Israel had been waiting for the one like Moses so with that statement from the Lord Jesus standing unopposed in the temple that day calling out to the people they said this must be the prophet they had asked in chapter 1 Jonah or John the Baptist are you the prophet and he of course had denied it now they think maybe that the one that Moses had spoken about has arrived problem is they still haven't made the link between the prophet and the Christ because the next group of people say other said this is the Christ so they hadn't put the two things together the prophet that Moses spoke about is one and same as the Christ that they looked for for the Messiah that would come same person so there is this breakdown of understanding of the Word of God and as we said earlier either there's total ignorance of the scripture and sin blinds the mind or there is understanding of the scripture that is knowledge of his existence but unbelief in that scripture and sin even still then darkens the understanding they couldn't put the two together and so here's this old nailing the jello to the wall thing it just doesn't work you can't win the argument with some people because they won't believe that's why I have been emphasizing that I don't know about you I get really frustrated when those people come knocking on the door my problem is I always want to win the argument and you can't win the argument they'll they'll skate from point A to B to not from Dan to Beersheba as we would say in the scriptures just to keep you off-balance false teachers can't win the argument with them so you just speak the truth so here's the people on the one hand that we saw earlier when the Christ comes we don't know where he comes from that's what they said back there and what is it verse 27 so now when somebody is adamantly saying this must be the Christ oh no it's not because Christ doesn't come out of Galilee and we know earlier there said well where did this guy come from now they know he came from Galilee we'll back up to that point and we'll concede he comes from Galilee and the Messiah does not come from Galilee how do you know that well the Bible tells us he comes from Bethlehem just like David did so you can just see they just keep flipping the coin back and forth or doing whatever with it it only serves their unbelief otherwise don't want to hear it as I say it's the old trying to nail jello to the wall thing what does verse 43 so there was a division among the people because of him some of them would have taken him there's another attempt but no man laid hands on him time and again but it's not going to happen until it's God's time and it hasn't arrived so we got about seven or eight minutes here the last section verses 45 to 43 let me just add a point though just relative to that willful unbelief the disparity of having the facts but dismissing the facts remember the blind man Bartimaeus outside of Jericho when that crowd of people came walking by and he said what's the commotion and they said it's Jesus of Nazareth passing by what did that man said it says there in Mark also when he knew that it was Jesus of Nazareth where's Nazareth it's in Galilee he cried out and said Jesus the house son of David have mercy on me that poor blind beggar had more confidence in the Word of God than this whole group of Pharisees put together he knew that he was Jesus from Galilee and yet he was the son of David from Bethlehem and he put the pieces together he took the A and the B and he got C the Christ with total confidence and he received blessing that day but these who would not have it remain lost to him so verse 45 to 53 the Pharisees are thwarted and Nicodemus provides legal challenge or defense for the man that they oppose you know as I was looking at this and I am this isn't a political statement by any means but this manner has not gone away that's shown here in their opposition to the Lord Jesus there are people that take the elite position and elevate themselves above others and think that people don't know what's going on they're the only one that's know that knows and that's being demonstrated in our political world today to the extreme you know you just step back and try to be as independent as possible and just watch the manner of man who's ruined by sin and you get this elitist attitude so the officers that the chief priests and Pharisees had sent come back and they give an honest report they didn't bring him they didn't lay hands on him they couldn't it by God's design but they didn't even try they come back and the priests say to them well where is he well never man spake like this man they brought an honest report they realized we can't touch this man so then here comes the elite response are you also deceived you know you can just hear the sneer in their voice have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed on him like how can how can you even think in those terms none of us have believed on him hmm but this people who know not the law are cursed these people that are just the commoners of the day they don't even know what's going on this elite manner has so engulfed the thinking and our society is full of them today you know some of my companions that I went to school with they pursued education way beyond anything that I ever pursued and today still as dark as anything try to talk to them there's one fellow without going into any detail that was one of my gang that I ran with in high school in recent years God has mercifully brought him back into contact with believers in the city of Sarnia and therefore I've been brought back into the picture and I've had occasion to visit with him and like he's as dark as anything appreciates the kindness of Christians but don't give me any of that business about Jesus and the gospel have any of us rulers believed on him this people this low group of people they're cursed they don't even know the law Nicodemus first statement might we say of faith on the part of this dear man he said under them and it's qualified he's the one that came to Jesus by night and he's one of them so he's part of the Sanhedrin likely this council of authority does our law judge any man before it hears him and knows what he does what he's done so legal response on the behalf of Nicodemus is really a testament to his confidence in the man that he had visited that night in John chapter 3 they answered and said unto him art thou also of Galilee Nicodemus you also from that despised region Galilee in the north land of the half-breeds you know this is this isn't good Nicodemus were they right search-and-look for out of Galilee arises no profit a few years ago now I had the privilege responsibility of preparing for one of the Bible readings at the conference in Arlington Washington and they wanted to take up the book of Jonah man this will be interesting Bible readings you know well let's just go there let's turn back please to second Kings chapter 14 if you've ever wondered about it whether you maybe you've already read and saw it yourself or saw some comment by others in their teaching second Kings chapter 14 verse 25 this is the only other reference we get to Jonah outside of his own book that's named after him without going into the details of the setting and the occasion that is being recorded in the record of the Kings he is referring to Jeroboam King at that time he restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain according to the word of the Lord God of Israel which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah the son of Amittai the prophet which was of Gethsepher and just a little research will tell you that Gethsepher is was in Galilee so there's a very clear indication that the Jonah was from Galilee search and see no prophet comes out of Galilee they were despising that region of the north they were making little of Nicodemus as if he is following the man of Galilee and any others that might trust them these people are accursed and their ignorance spell just really spilt out in their own words now you could turn to Nahum we're not going to do it but Nahum chapter 1 verse 1 he's identified as being one called the if I say it correctly Alkoshite or Alkoshite you say well what in the world an Alkoshite well we know it's usually refers to a place where somebody comes from and the historian Jerome points out that there was a town a village known as Akosh and it as well is in Galilee Nahum there's the city of for the village of Capernaum and that was a place that God it's named because in his older years birthplace Alkosh it's in Galilee Capernaum place where he lived a good portion of his life named after him in Galilee so there are at least two prophets that can very clearly be noted came out of Galilee sin is a wicked wicked thing in the hearts of those who don't want to believe darkens the understanding raises up a darkness that not only will not believe but won't respond even when the truth is presented so again we say whether it's the Lord Jesus himself or even a Nicodemus Nicodemus spoke the truth it wasn't looking to win any argument when you can't win the argument just speak the truth and even then when the truth was staring them as it were in their faces those poor souls refused to believe now one last comment and I owe this to brother Brian Crawford he made this comment near the close of the Bible reading there in Sault Ste.

Marie often we take verse 53 and we use it as the opening of chapter 7 and every man went unto his own house and there's a lot of reason to see that as a legitimate step because our chapters and verses in our English Bibles were put there by the editing men the translators to make it easy to refer to the different portions of our Bible and so this was just broken up this way with that verse concluding chapter 7 and we often say really it introduces chapter 8 every man went to his own house Jesus and it could actually be said but Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives good way to start chapter 8 but Brian made a very interesting point to conclude its relevance to this chapter because the mob scene see the Pharisees didn't act as individuals they had to have everybody around them had everybody of like mind so they could you know they could talk the way they are and you know what that's like you get a mob that are totally wrong but they think they're so right and they sort of lean on each other and they support their cause Brian said at the end of the day every man went to his own house no longer part of a crowd he has to go to his own house with his own thoughts with his own soul with his own consideration of what took place that day and he's not beyond I'm adding this that such a person is not beyond then the truth that has been spoken to them in the debates of the day you know everybody's gonna stand on his own he will stand either to believe like a Nicodemus or he'll stand to face the consequences of his own belief every man went to his own house there was no mob to support the unbeliever and there's no mob to restrain one who might say after all truly the prophet is the Christ truly this is the man that I must receive let's pray