Author: iolaHC

I am an Artwork in progress

Can This Be the Christ?

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John 7:25-31 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? But, lo, he speak 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: but when Christ cometh, no man know whence he is. Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, You both know me, and you know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom you 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. And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ come, will he do more miracles than these which this man has done? 

The question arose under the people if Jesus was not the one whom the Pharisees seek to kill because He spoke with such wisdom and authority; and if the rulers would indeed know that He (Jesus) is the very Christ (the anointed)?

The Rabbis taught from Isaiah 53:8 that when the Messiah would be born He would hide Himself and that when He appeared no man would know from whence He had come. They had a proverb, “Three things come unexpectedly: a thing found by chance, the sting of a scorpion, and the Messiah.”

Isaiah 53:8 reads that “he was cut off out of the land of the living,” not that He would hide Himself.

Christ answered in verse 28 and 29 their argument by saying that since they know Him and know where He came from, they should add to their knowledge that He did not come of Himself and was no self-appointed prophet. He came from God whom He knew, but whom the Rabbis did not know.

They then wanted to arrest Him, but no man was able to touch Him until His time (to be crucified) has come. God’s power backed up by innumerable angels would not allow Him to be arrested at this time (Matt. 26:53; Luke 22:53; John 18:6).

Many of the people believed He was the Christ because of the miracles He has done.

Judge Righteous Judgment

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John 7:19-24 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keep the law? Why go you about to kill me? The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who go about to kill thee? Jesus answered and said unto 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. If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are you angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. 

Moses gave the nation of Israel the Law as he received it from God, and the whole summary of the Law (Matt. 22:37-40) was to love God, serve AND obey Him (Deut. 6:5; 7:9; 10:12; 11:1, 13).  Jesus accused the Pharisees of violating the very law they professed to respect and obey, they only kept up the Law for outward appearance that would produce the praise of men and produce followers for their religion (Matt. 23).

Many strangers (people) at the feast were ignorant of the plots of the Pharisees to killed Jesus, so they were astonished at His announcement that they seek Him to kill Him.

This ‘one work’ from verse 21 was the healing of the man on the sabbath (John 7:23; 5:1-16). The Pharisees accused Him of breaking the law and, in the interest of religion, thought He should be killed. He replied that they did more work on the sabbath in circumcising a boy than He did in healing a man, so who was the greater sinner?

The law concerning circumcision was given to Abraham (Gen. 17:9-14); Moses only mentioned the law in Exodus 12:44, 48 and Leviticus 12:3.

‘Judge not according to the appearance’ – Jesus answered those who tried to kill Him for obeying His Father that the covenant of healing (Ex. 15:26) should be obeyed as much as the covenant of circumcision (Gen. 17:9-14); that sickness in their midst proved that they had broken God’s covenant.

His Doctrine

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John 7:16 – 18  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 himself seeks his own glory: but he that seeks his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. 

 ‘My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.’ – Seven times He claimed that He spoke only God’s words at His direction (vv. 7:16; 8:28, 47; 12:49; 14:10, 24; 17:8). He was a true ambassador and a true example to us (2Cor. 5:20).

‘Know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself’ The acid test of a true doctrine is whether or not it is scriptural; whether it makes men love God supremely and others as themselves; and whether it glorifies God and produces peace among men. He challenged His enemies to judge His doctrine on this basis. Most doctrine today is church doctrine and man-made and not scriptural at all, yet people still choose to follow those instead of searching the Scriptures for themselves (reading the Word).

‘He that speaks of himself seeks his own glory’ – an infallible rule that was given to us by Christ is that self-seekers’ will come in their own names creating their own ministries seeking their own glory and secular interests, the same as it was in Jesus’ time.

‘But he that seeks his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.’ Christ promoted the Father’s glory, induced men to serve Him, proposed nothing contrary to the Scripture or the fulfilment of it, and therefore was declared a true prophet. If we add to this the miraculous works confirming His divine mission, then we must accept the Messiah: Jesus Christ.

In the Midst of the Feast

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John 7:9- 15 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. Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, No; but he deceive the people. Howbeit no man spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews. Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying, How know this man letters, having never learned?

After Jesus’ brothers spoke to Him to go to the feast, He stayed in Galilee for about four days and then went up in the middle of the feast. Any godly man who was seeking to save the lost instead of seeking worldly fame and popularity would want to stay away from the ever changeable mobs. The Rabbinical law required Him to be there the first day, for the performance of many of the rites; but as they were mostly human invention, He would not have thought them proper to attend.

The ‘Jews sought him’ – that is, the rulers of the Jews who were seeking to destroy Him. From the following verses it is clear that many were for Him, but would not openly take a stand for Him for fear of the rulers (vv. 12-13, 30-32, 40-53).

‘How know this man letters, having never learned?’ Most people could not read or write in Bible times, that’s why they gathered at the temple so that a priest could read from the scrolls. Jesus knew their Scriptures, traditions, history and future better than all others combined. (Luke 2:42-47). He had great knowledge and wisdom from God  and could read from a young age (Isa. 11:2; 42:1; 50:6; 61:1; Luke 2:40, 52; John 7:16; 8:28, 47; 12:49; 14:10, 24; 17:8).

Be Known Openly

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John 7:1-8 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou does. For there is no man that does any thing in secret, and he himself seeks to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hates, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go you up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. 

After the things that happened in chapter 6, Jesus stayed in Galilee, for He could not walk in Jewry – the land of the Jews – because they wanted to kill Him. The Jews’ feast of tabernacles was held on the 15th to 22nd of September (Lev. 23:34-44; Deut. 16:13-16; 2Chr. 8:13; Zec. 14:16-21). This feast was about 7 months before the crucifixion (15th of April).

Christ’s brethren told Him to do to the feast so that His disciples (followers) in Judea may see His miracles. They knew His miracles and no doubt accepted Him as a prophet, but not as the Messiah, for they had found Him declining the kingship (John 6:15) which was one of the Messiah’s chief offices. They could not believe that He would do this if He was really the Messiah.

Jesus Christ was no ordinary man. Another would have taken every opportunity of exhibiting himself before the public that he might become famous, but not so with Christ. Their appeal was to leave the country – the small villages and the ignorant people – and go to the city – the capital, among the learned people and rulers – to make Himself a name.

‘My time is not yet come’ He referred to the time of His sufferings and said to them (His brothers) that the world cannot hate them because they still have its interests at heart and they expected a worldly Messiah. But the world (the inhabitants) hated Christ because He condemned its injustice, pride, ambitions, way of life, and doctrines.

Jesus did not say that He was not going to the feast, but “I go not up yet.” It could have been that He wanted to go alone with His disciples, so as not to bring criticism from His enemies that He was exciting sedition; and also to prevent any popular commotion from a renewed effort to make Him king (John 6:15).

Will You Also Go Away?

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John 6:64, 66-71 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will you also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

Jesus knew from the beginning of His ministry who they were that did not believe in Him not, and who was to betray Him. Jesus knew two things from the beginning of His ministry. Many disciples went back – left Christ and did not follow Him anymore – but not the twelve for He asked: “Will you twelve also abandon Me?”

Peter answered that they had no one else to go to, that Christ alone had the words of eternal life, that Jesus was the Christ and that Christ was the Son of the living God. This kind of confession brings the new birth (1Jn. 5:1)

Christ chose the twelve when they were eager to follow Him and they were seeking to hear God’s will. ‘One of you is a devil’ – Here it reveals Judas as an adversary of Christ and under the influence of a devil (demon) and not as some say that he was satan.

Judas Iscariot was an ordinary man, the son of Simon (John 12:4; 13:2, 26); a genuine chosen and empowered apostle (Matt. 10:1-20; Mark 3:14-19; Luke 6:12-16; 9:1-10; Acts 1:17); the one carrying the purse of the disciples (John 12:4-6; 13:29); and a successful teacher and healer (Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:10). He was named “Iscariot,” meaning “man of Kerioth,” a place in Judah (Jos. 15:25). He became a “thief” and an “adversary” of Christ late in His ministry (John 6:70; 12:4-6). He betrayed Jesus (Matt. 26:14-16, 47-50; Mark 14:10-11, 43-45; Luke 22:3-6, 47-49; John 13:2; 18:2-5; Acts 1:16-25), returned the money to the chief priests (Matt. 27:3-10), committed suicide and is lost (Matt. 26:24; 27:5; Mark 14:21; Luke 22:22; John 17:12; Acts 1:16-25). There are prophecies concerning him (Matt. 26:21-25; Mark 14:18-21; Luke 22:21-23; John 13:18-26; 17:12; Acts 1:16, 20; Psa. 41:9; 69:25; 109:8; Zech. 11:12-13).

The Words of Eternal Life

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John 6:60-63, 65 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Does this offend you? What and if you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quicken; the flesh profit nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 

‘This is an hard saying; who can hear it?’ The Jews found Jesus’ message hard and they found it intolerable and impractical for they could not digest such a doctrine as this. People just want to hear of God’s grace and love and not of their role in the relationship. He must keep on giving and doing and they only want to receive (see 1Cor. 15:19).

Jesus knew by the gift of discernment and knowledge (Isa. 11:2; 1Cor. 12:4-11) that this time it was some disciples that were offended and that they murmured against Him.

He asked them that if the eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood offends them, what if He told them an even harder doctrine? Suppose you saw the Son of Man ascend up to heaven where He was before? This is the 18th New Testament prophecy that was fulfilled with the ascension (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:11; Eph. 4:8-10).

‘It is the spirit that quicken; the flesh profit nothing’ – Quickeneth must be understood figuratively of the benefits of His sacrifice. He will give this bread, which symbolizes His body given in death to save the world (1Pet. 2:24; Col. 1:20; 2:14-17). If they could literally eat His flesh and drink His blood, it would not save their souls. The words He spoke unto them were spirit, and are life – He spoke of spiritual and eternal life, not fleshly life (2Cor. 3:6; Heb. 4:12).

Bread of Life

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John 6:47-59 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believe on me has everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which come down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoso eat my flesh, and drink my blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eat my flesh, and drink my blood, dwell in me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eat me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eat of this bread shall live forever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 

‘Believe on me’ – expresses an act and a continued process. It could not be that one act of faith and no more will save the soul (Luke 8:13; 1Tim. 1:19; 4:1; 5:12; Heb. 3:12-14; 10:23-38). The faith that saves is an ever-present active one; it cannot cease and still produce results. Even Believers live by the faith of the Son of God and must always live by faith (Rom.1:17).

The manna of the wilderness (Deut. 8:3) was not the ‘meat which endureth unto everlasting life’ it was only the typology of the MAN that would have come in the flesh (John 1:1,14) which is the sixteenth New Testament prophecy fulfilled in Christ’s first advent. Any man that eats thereof will not die, refers to eternal life, not physical life which all men have (Heb. 9:27; 1Cor. 15:51-58; 1Thess. 4:16-17).

The fourth and last time in this chapter Christ claims to be the bread of life, this bread is His flesh which He gave for the life of the world (John 6:33, 51). Conditions must be met by the world in order to get this life, for example: ‘if any man eat of this bread’ is one of the first conditions one must meet to have everlasting life.  Christ is the life-producing bread, and eating of Christ simply means that man must accept by faith what Christ did for him and live by obedience to Him without sin so the penalty will not have to be paid again. We live when we accept Christ as our substitute and meet the Word’s conditions.

‘Eat my flesh, and drink my blood’ Eating and drinking is used figuratively of partaking of the benefits of the death of Christ. We partake by faith and enjoy the benefits because God gives them on the basis of what Christ did for us (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 3:24-25; 5:1-11; 10:9-10; Acts 3:16; 4:12; 15:9; 26:18; Gal. 2:16-20; 3:1-26; 1Pet. 1:5-13). Eating is used figuratively of partaking of spiritual food (1Cor. 10:1-3); of other benefits received (Psa. 69:9; Eze. 2:8; 3:1-3; Rev. 10:9); and even of the evil results of sin (Pro. 9:17; Hos. 10:13; Jas. 5:3). No figure of speech was more common to Jews at this time, so there was no excuse for them to misunderstand His words. By comparing John 6:47-48 with 6:53-54 we see that believing on Christ is the same as eating and drinking Him.

Three times Christ here claims to be sent from heaven (6:38, 41, 42) and five times He claims He was sent by the Father (6:38, 39, 40, 44, 57).

Seven times manna and the true bread are spoken of as coming from heaven (6:31, 32, 33, 50, 51, 58).

Six times here men are promised everlasting life if they meet certain conditions (6:40, 47, 50, 51, 54, 58).

Come Unto Me

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John 6:41-46 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, come unto me. Not that any man has seen the Father, save he which is of God, he has seen the Father. 

As a last resort for their unbelief, the Jews always fell back on the excuse of ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from Heaven?’ The same excuse so many uses today to deny that Jesus is God as the second person of the Trinity and not just a mere prophet.

The way the Father draws men to Him is always through the Word which is Jesus as clearly explained in John 1:1, 14 and in John 14:6 it is stated that  Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and no man can come to the Father, except through Jesus (the Word). No man is able to come to God except by God’s Word through the Holy Spirit and his own conscience, both of which are God-given (John 16:7-11; Rom. 2:12-16).

The Word must be heard for faith to grow (Rom. 10:11-17; 2Cor. 1:17-24) and the Holy Spirit to convict of sin (John 16:7-11). Man’s conscience then condemns or sanctions his own action as right or wrong according to the light received (Rom. 2:12-16; 2Cor. 2:15-17; 1Jn. 1:7). God draws or allures but never drags or uses force.

‘It is written in the prophets’ – the Old Testament was known as the Prophets, (or the Law and the Prophets) because it was the period that the Father spoke to the world through prophets (Heb. 1:1; Lk. 16:16) for there were no Bibles yet, only book scrolls of the Old Testament.  ‘And they shall be all taught of God’ through the prophets that wrote the books of the Old Testament man was told about God.

‘He has seen the Father’ For those – in the days of the apostles – who have seen Jesus (His example) they have also seen the Father (John 14:7).

Believe on Him

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John 6:36-40 But I said unto you, That you also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father give me shall come to me; and him that come to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which see the Son, and believe on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 

‘That you also have seen me, and believe not’ Jesus explains to the Jews that God, and not Moses, gave the bread to the Israelites, but the Jews have seen Him multiply bread and do all kinds of signs and they still refuse to believe (trust) in Him. They only followed Jesus from sensual motives (John 6:26-27).

The thirteenth New Testament prophecy is constantly being fulfilled in ‘All that the Father gives me shall come to me, and him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out’ When one ‘comes to’ it means to come in faith, repenting and turning to Christ with a whole heart, giving up sin, and consecrating himself forever to God and His Word and His will (Rom. 10:9-10; 2Cor. 7:10; 1Jn. 1:9; Acts 2:38-39; 3:19).

The fourteenth New Testament prophecy – ‘And this is the Father’s will… that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day….that every one which sees the Son, and believes on Him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day’ – is being fulfilled and will be completely fulfilled in the resurrection (1Thess. 4:16-17; 1Cor. 15:23, 51-58).

The ‘last day’ is used six times of which five times refers to the last day of redemption of the righteous when their bodies will be fully redeemed (John 6:39-40, 44, 54; 11:24), and of the last day when the wicked will be resurrected and judged (John 12:48; Rev. 20:11-15).