TROUBLE AT THE TEMPLE

John 7:14-36

Prayer

At one time, Jesus stayed out of Jerusalem because the religious leaders were         

planning to kill Him.

But the Feast of Tabernacles came.

And His brothers suggested that He go there to show His followers some of

the miracles He could do.

They said, ìFor there is no man that doeth anything in secret and he himself  

seeketh to be known openlyî (verse 4).

They were saying, ìIf you want to be famous you can't waste your time in the        

small towns.î

ìYou have to go to the big city.î

ìPeople will gather in Jerusalem from all over the world for the Feast of        

Tabernacles.î

ìIt will be a good time to do a lot of miracles.î

 And here is a sad verse, "For neither did his bretheren believe in Himî

(verse 5).

Jesus was now two and one-half years into His ministry.

But His brothers still didn't believe that He was the Christ.

And they were not alone.

Many from His own hometown didn't believe that He was the Christ.

This prompted Jesus to say, ìa prophet is without honor in His own country.î

Sometimes familiarity breeds contempt.

Sometimes our relatives,

Our neighbors,

Or the people we work with,

Reject our message because they think they know a lot about us.

It's sad that some are like that.

And more sad that some may drop into hell because of it.

So the brothers of Jesus grew up with Him;

Heard Him preach;

Heard He could perform miracles.

They urged Him to go to Jerusalem to show off.

But they didn't believe that He was the Christ.

He told them it wasn't time for Him to go.

But they should go.

He said, ìThe world cannot hate you,î

ìBut me it hateth because I testify of it that the works thereof are evil.î

He was saying, ìNo one hates you.î

ìYou donít rebuke anyone's lifestyle.î

 ìBut I have rebuked the religious leaders,

Rebuked their sin,

Rebuked their false worship,

And they don't like it.

If we wouldn't say anything about the way people live,

If we wouldn't condemn abortion, adultery, alcohol, drugs, gambling and      

things like that,

More people would like us.

Some have a problem with us because we use the Bible to admonish their     

behavior.

Some have a semblance of religion.

But theyíre openly hostile because we condemn their unscriptural doctrines.

Anyway, the brothers of Jesus went to the Feast of Tabernacles.

And after they left, Jesus went also in secret (Verse 10).

He appeared suddenly at the Temple.

Remember this because we will come back to it.

Jesus appeared suddenly at the Temple.

He began to teach.

ìAnd the Jews marvelled, saying How knoweth this man letters, having never          

learnedî (7:15)?

How does He know so much?

He didn't go to a religious school.

He didn't learn from the rabbis.

Where did He get all this knowledge?

Some who attend a religious school think others should attend a religious      

school.

I'm in favor of religious education.

But not all religious education is good.

The scribes and Pharisees received a religious education.

But their religious education was worthless.

Their religious education caused them to reject the Christ.

If religious education is going to be any good, it must be based upon the      

Scriptures.

So the first sign of trouble at the Temple came when Jesus began to teach.

And people began to question His religious education.

Jesus said, ìMy doctrine is not mine, but His that sent meî (verse 16).

My words are not my opinion.

They came from God.

This is extremely important.

If we accept anything Jesus said, we are accepting what God said.

If we reject anything Jesus said, we are rejecting what God said.

And if we alter anything Jesus said, we are altering what God said.

Next, Jesus divided the religious people into two categories:

Those who talk about themselves;

And those who talk about God.

Concerning those who talk about themselves, Jesus said, ìHe that speaketh of        

himself seeketh his own glory.î

The scribes and Pharisees constantly sought to attract attention to themselves;

To their keeping the law, their fasting, their righteousness, etc.

They painted their faces white so people would think they were fasting;

Sat in the front of the synagogue so everyone could see them.

They gave when people were watching.

They prayed long prayers in crowds.

Jesus was saying if we call attention to ourselves;

To our obedience;

To our acts of worship;

To our good deeds, etc.

We are giving glory to ourselves.

Concerning those who talk about God, Jesus said, ìBut he that seeketh his   

glory that sent him, the same is true and no unrighteousness is in Him.î

If we call attention to God;

To the          grace of God;

To the love of God;

To the things of God,

We are not sinning.

This is partly why there was trouble at the Temple.

Jesus was accusing the religious leaders of calling attention to themselves      

instead of God.

He was saying those who exalt themselves are sinning.

Those who exalt God are not sinning.

Next, Jesus stepped on their toes just a little bit harder.

ìDid not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you keepeth the Law?î

ìWhy go ye about to kill me?î

He was saying, ìMoses gave you the Ten Commandments.î

The Sixth Commandment says, ìThou shalt not kill.î

But some of you are plotting to kill me.

Sometimes we brag about the way we live.

Then, all of a sudden we sin.

We pat ourselves on the back with one hand,

And kill Jesus afresh with the other.

Jesus told these religious leaders, ìNone of you keepeth the Law.î

Paul would say, ìAll of you have Sinned and come short of the glory of God.î

It was a good time for them to confess their sins.

And to make things right with Cod.

But they were madder than an old wet hen by this time.

They said, ìThou hast a devil;î

ìWho goeth about to kill thee?î

This gets all over me.

They accused Jesus of being demon possessed.

He said, ìI have done one work and ye all marvel.î

The Living Bible says, ìI worked on the Sabbath by healing a man and you   

were surprised.î

This time, Jesus was talking about the Fourth Commandment.

It says, ìRemember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.î

Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath day.

They said He was breaking the Law.

They said that was proof that He didn't come from God.

They decided to kill Him.

Notice, that they would break the Sixth Commandment by killing Him.

But they didn't want Him to break the Fourth Commandment by healing on   

the Sabbath.

Jesus said, ìMoses therefore gave unto you circumcision (not because it is of        

Moses, but of the fathers).î

ìAnd ye on the Sabbath day circumcise a man.î

ìIf a man on the Sabbath day receive circumcision, that the Law of Moses be         

not broken;î

ìAre ye angry at me, because I made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath

day.î

He was saying, Moses told you to circumcise a male child on the eighth day

after his birth.

If that male child was born on Friday, Moses told you to circumcise him eight       

days later on Saturday.

Saturday is the Sabbath.

You circumcise him on the Sabbath to keep from breaking the Law.

This is the point.

Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath.

And because He healed a man on the Sabbath they accused Him of breaking

the Law.

He responded by saying, ìYou circumcise children on the Sabbath.î

ìYou circumcise on the Sabbath to keep from breaking the Law.î

ìAnd I healed on the Sabbath to keep from breaking the Law.î

He said, ìJudge not according to the appearance, righteous judgment.î

Be careful.

You can't always go by the way things look.

I have a joke for you.

It really makes this point.

There was a woman who was bad about accusing her fellow Church members        

of sin.

She loved to get up in front of the whole Church.

And tell people what she thought other Church members were doing.

One Sunday she told the Church that a pickup truck belonging to a certain    

Church member was parked in front of a bar.

She was inferring that this Church member was inside drinking.

The Church member got up.

And left the Church without saying a word.

That night, he parked his pickup truck in the woman's driveway.

And left it all night.

Jesus was saying, ìWeigh a matter before you pass judgment.î

Don't forget that you are a sinner too.

Don't forget to judge righteous judgment.

Don't forget to go by what the Bible says.

Right and wrong is not what we say it is.

It's what God says it is.

Itís important to understand that itís not a sin to do works of piety on the     

Sabbath.

Itís not a sin to heal, circumcise, sacrifice animals, etc. on the Sabbath.

ìThen said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this He, whom they seek to     

kill?î

ìBut lo, He speaketh boldly.î

ìAnd they say nothing unto Him.î

ìDo the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?î

Some people knew there was a plot to kill Jesus.

But they were perplexed.

He was publicly pointing out that the Jews were working on the Sabbath       

when they circumcised children;

Publicly pointing out that they were doing the same thing they accused Him   

of doing when He healed a man.

And no one was doing anything about it.

So someone asked, ìDo you suppose the rulers know indeed that this is the

very Christ?î

ìDo you suppose the rulers are not doing anything to Jesus because they      

know that He is the Christ?î

But others said, ìHowbeit we know this man whence He is?î

ìBut when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence He is.î

They were saying, ìWe all know where Jesus came from.î

ìBut when the Christ comes, no one will know where He's from.î

This shows why it's important to know what's in the Bible.

The Bible says the Christ would appear suddenly at the Temple.

And there He was.

But some Jews wrongly said that the origin of the Christ would be a mystery.

Some wrongly said we know where Jesus came from so He can't be the        

Christ.

There's no excuse for this.

One prophecy said Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, Ephratah.

Another said He would come out of Nazareth.

Another said He would be called out of Egypt.

To say that no one would know where the Christ is from was ridiculous.

And Jesus rebuked them.

He said, ìYe both know me and ye know whence I am.î

They knew Jesus.

They knew where He came from.

They should have searched the Scriptures;

Compared Him to the prophecies;

Determined that He was the Christ.

But they didn't do it.

They remind me of people who could go to Church.

They could learn about the Christ;

Be saved;

Lay up treasure in heaven.

But they don't do it.

One of my relatives has never accepted Jesus as his Savior;

Never studied the Bible.

Heís learned a little from the lost.

But what heís learned is all fouled up.

Jesus said, ìIf the blind lead the blind, both will fall in the ditch.î

What the Bible says is something we need to check out for ourselves.

If we donít, the end result may be disastrous.

Next, Jesus said, ìI am not come of myself.î

ìBut He that sent me is true, whom ye know not.î

ìBut I know Him;î

ìFor I am from Him,î

ìAnd He hath sent me.î

He was saying, ìI'm not here to do my own thing.î

ìI'm here to do the work of God.î

ìBut you don't know God.î

We're talking about trouble at the Temple.

Jesus is laying it on the line.

He was saying you claim to know God.

But you don't know God.

Understand this.

It's possible to know about God without really knowing God;

To know about the Christ without really knowing the Christ.

It's not enough to know about God in our mind.

We have to know God in our heart.

Itís not enough to know what others say.

We have to have a personal relationship with Jesus.

This really upset the Jews.

John said, ìThey sought to take Him.î

ìBut no man laid hands on Him because His hour was not yet come.î

Some tried to kill Him right there on the spot.

But God wouldn't permit it.

Jesus would die.

But it would be on the exact day that Gabriel told Daniel about

(Dan. 9:24-27).

And that day had not yet arrived.

It would be on the Feast of Passover.

This was the Feast of Tabernacles.

And He would die on the cross not in the Temple.

Finally, we read that many believed that Jesus was the Christ;

Many believed in Jesus.

The Pharisees noticed this.

They didn't like it.

So they collaborated with the chief priests to have Him arrested.

They sent officers to take Him.

When the officers arrived, Jesus said, ìYet, a little while and I am with you,î

ìAnd then I go unto Him that sent me.î

ìYe shall seek me and shall not find me,î

ìAnd where I am, thither ye cannot come.î

He would soon be crucified.

And go back to God.

They would seek Him.

But they wouldn't find Him.

And they couldn't go where He was going.

The Jews asked, ìWhither will He go, that we shall not find Him?î

ìWill He go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?î

ìWhat manner of saying is this that He said ye shall seek me and shall not

find me,î

ìAnd where I am thither ye cannot come?î

It's difficult for unbelievers to grasp the idea that they cannot go to heaven.

But we cannot go to heaven unless God lets us go to heaven.

And God will not let us go to heaven unless we admit that we are sinners;

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ;

Confess our sins;

And ask Jesus to save us.

Will you do that?