JOHN LESSON 21
We will begin this lesson in John 7:16. We will repeat verse 16
from the last lesson.
V-16, "Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine,
but his that sent me."
The Father and Son are of the very same doctrine. In fact, they
are one in the Spirit. There really was no contradiction of the Old
Testament and New Testament.
V-17, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the
doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."
If any man will do God's will, He shall know the truth. Jesus is
telling them, here, that just knowing the letter of the law is not
enough; they must know the Giver of the law. They must be willing for
God's will to be done in their lives. You could memorize every word
in the Bible; but it would do you no good, unless you allowed God to
open your understanding to His Word. Jesus says, "If you are truly in
right standing with God and His Word, then you know that I am of God."
You see, the en tire Bible is all about Jesus Christ. He is the theme
of the Old Testament and the New Testament.
V-18, "He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he
that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no
unrighteousness is in him."
Jesus, over and over, stresses that He is in the will of the
Father. This is very similar to what everyone who ministers in the
name of the Lord should be. The message is worthwhile, if it
originates with God. The person bringing the message must give the
glory to God where it belongs. Of course, Jesus is the Word, the
Truth. He has no apologies to make to anyone. Since they are viewing
Him as just a man, He explains this as if He were a man. Jesus says,
"Give the glory to the Father who sent Him."
V-19, "Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you
keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?"
Jesus has fulfilled the law, not broken it. These rulers of the
temple have twisted God's law around to fit their own needs, and this
is part of the reason they do not recognize Jesus as Messiah Lord.
Even their law says, "Thou shalt not kill", and yet, they are plotting
right now to kill the Messiah.
V-20, "The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who
goeth about to kill thee?"
Anything they didn't understand, they proclaimed as a devil.
They knew they were plotting to kill Jesus; but now that He knew it,
they lied and denied it.
V-21, "Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work,
and ye all marvel."
V-22, "Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because
it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day
circumcise a man."
Jesus is trying to tell them, here, that He is doing good on the
sabbath. They actually break the sabbath when they circumcise a man;
but they think nothing of that, since it is them doing it. You see,
He is showing them with this comparison just how foolish it is to
criticize Him for healing someone on the sabbath. They marvel, not
only at the fact of healing on the sabbath, but also they marvel at
His great ability.
V-23, "If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the
law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have
made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?"
V-24, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous
judgment."
You see, a male Hebrew child must be circumcised on the eighth
day. This surgical procedure, which God required of all males since
the time of Abraham, must be done on the eighth day. If the eighth
day fell on a sabbath, they had to break sabbath t o circumcise the
child. Circumcision was necessary to be a part of the covenant of
Abraham. Jesus is trying to make them see that sabbath was not a
technicality, but a help to the people. He is saying to them, "Don't
judge with your mind. Judge with you heart." If God's laws are in
our heart, our heart will judge righteously.
V-25, "Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom
they seek to kill?"
You see, even the Jewish people scattered throughout Jerusalem
were aware that the Jewish leaders wanted to kill Jesus. They were
astonished that He was teaching and they had not captured Him.
V-26, "But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto
him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?"
These Jews believe that the reason the rulers have not done
anything to Jesus is because they know Jesus truly is the Christ
(Messiah). They realize that these rulers are no match for Jesus.
Every time they verbally attack Jesus, He makes them look foolish with
His answers. They suddenly realize that Jesus is too much for these
rulers of the temple.
V-27, "Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ
cometh, no man knoweth whence he is."
They could not believe Jesus was Messiah, because they knew Him
and His family. They had a belief that Messiah would suddenly come
down in Jerusalem from the skies and wrench their land out of Roman
hands. They thought He would be a great Warrior King. Perhaps, they
had His second coming mixed up with His first. Really, the Old
Testament Scriptures said He would be born in Bethlehem of a virgin
mother. Had they really understood the Old Testament, they would have
known this to be their Messiah. Their view of Jesus is what deceived
them.
V-28, "Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye
both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself,
but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not."
V-29, "But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me."
Jesus says to them, "Yes, you know me in the flesh. You know my
mother, and you know that I have lived among you in the flesh; but you
really have no comprehension of who I am." The Spirit of Jesus, they
did not understand. They knew the people they lived around could not
do the miracles He did, but they could only see His flesh. They could
not put it out of their mind that He had grown up among them. It is
very difficult today for many people who profess to be believers in
Christ to see beyond His flesh. I say one more time, He was Emmanuel
(God with us). Jesus tells them one more time, above, that God the
Father sent Him. Jesus had lived in heaven and was called the Word of
God. This Word of God took on the form of flesh and came to earth to
save mankind. Jesus is on a mission (to save all of mankind who will
accept Him).
V-30, "Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on
him, because his hour was not yet come."
You can see from this statement that no one could take hold of
Jesus, until He was willing for them to. They were restrained by God
and kept from capturing Him now. When the right time comes, they will
be able to take Him; because He will be ready to fulfill His mission.
V-31, "And many of the people believed on him, and said, When
Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath
done?"
We read that so many miracles were done that all the books of the
world could not contain all of them. No one had ever done miracles
like these before. This is a good question they asked: that when
Christ come would He do more. The answer is no. No one would, or
could, do more. We can see here that many believed because of the
miracles.
Notes
John 21 Questions
1. Whose doctrine was Jesus preaching?
2. Who are those who will know this doctrine?
3. Just knowing the letter of the law is not enough, who must they
know?
4. If you memorized the Bible, it would do you no good, unless you
did what else?
5. Who is the theme of the Bible?
6. He who speaketh of himself seeketh what?
7. The message of any minister is good, if it originates where?
8. Who does Jesus say to give glory to?
9. Who gave them the law?
10. What question did Jesus ask of them, if they didn't keep the law
themselves?
11. What did they accuse Jesus of having?
12. What did they marvel at in verse 21?
13. They thought Moses gave them circumcision, but where did it really
come from?
14. What did Jesus tell them to judge not according to?
15. How were they to judge?
16. What day must a male Hebrew baby be circumcised?
17. If the day fell on sabbath, what must they do?
18. In verse 25, some from Jerusalem said what?
19. Do the rulers know, indeed, that this is ___________________
_____________________________?
20. Why was it so hard for them to believe this was Christ?
21. What were they expecting the Messiah to be like?
22. Who did Jesus say He came from?
23. Why did they not take Jesus now?
24. Some believed and said what?
Notes
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