John 7:14-31. Jesus’ Authority

In the modern world employers are increasingly looking for paper qualifications in applicants for university or jobs. The better the GCSE or A level grades the better your chances of getting into a good university. The more prestigious the university, the higher the class of your degree, the better your chances in employment. Then, after graduating, people need to consider ‘Should I progress to get a Masters or a PhD degree as this will surely help my career’. Interviewers are always looking at candidates’ credentials.

The credentials of Jesus were also investigated. He had now travelled down to Jerusalem, after his disciples, and attended the Feast of Tabernacles. Half way through the seven day feast, Jesus entered the large Court of Gentiles in the Temple and begins to teach the crowds who collect around him. There was something about the way he taught that excited and invigorated his listeners. They said amongst themselves,

“How did this man get such learning without having studied?” John 7:15

Some had clearly been investigating his Curriculum Vitae! They knew he had been brought up in the outback, in Nazareth of Galilee, and that he had not studied under any of the prestigious professors such as Hillel or Gamaliel. They considered Jesus ‘unschooled’. It is interesting that the same criticism was later applied to his disciples as they began their teaching ministry,

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13

The authorities were critical of Jesus for having the audacity and the affront to stand up in their temple and presume to teach when he was not even an accredited rabbi. Yet, just under twenty years earlier, this same Jesus had clearly been a child prodigy. When 12 years of age he had astounded the doctors and others who heard him discuss issues in the temple.

“Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Luke 2:47

Now Jesus is again in the temple and again people are amazed at his learning. Where did his wisdom and knowledge come from? Jesus replied that he was not self-taught,

“My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me.” John 7:16

In the previous chapters Jesus had helped people in Galilee to ask questions about who he really is and who sent him? He made it abundantly clear then and repeats the message clearly here in Jerusalem that he has come from God God, his own Father!

Jesus’ education

There is much misunderstanding about Jesus and how he knew so much. Did the baby Jesus understand all about the laws of science and know the Scriptures? Clearly not. He had to learn just as we do. What an absurd line there is in the Christmas carol ‘No crying he makes’ - of course the baby Jesus cried out when he was hungry or needed to be changed. He had to learn just as all children do. There is an ancient heresy that Jesus’ divine nature swallowed his human nature, but there are many passages in Scripture that show this was not so. There were things that Jesus didn’t know but that his Father did. When asked about the timing of God’s judgment he said,

“No-one knows about that day, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Matthew 24:36

Jesus puts a limit to his knowledge. How did Jesus come to know the Scriptures as well as he did? He surely had to spend time and energy to both understand and memorise Scripture. There was no short cut for him, he had to slog away at his studies just as we should.

“For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15

Throughout church history, Biblical churches have acknowledged that Jesus is one person but has two natures. He is both fully man and fully God. The early church spoke of:

“Vera homo, vera Deus” - ‘truly man and truly God’.

Paul makes this doctrine about the two natures of Jesus Christ abundantly clear,

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form . .” Colossians 2:9

“ . . . Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness . . .” Philippians 2:6-7

Jesus’ divine nature has all the attributes of God whereas his human nature has all the limitations of humanity. These can be distinguished but never separated. All of us have physical, psychological, social and spiritual sides. To separate these is fatal. When Jesus tires, is hungry or anxious he is manifesting his human nature. When he doesn’t know something he is also manifesting his human nature. But when he demonstrates a supernatural power or knowledge he is manifesting his divine nature. He knew all about Nathanael and what he had been doing although they had never met. This was enough to convince Nathanael that Jesus was the Messiah. When he heals the sick and raises the dead he demonstrates that his divine nature is above the Laws of Nature that we are all bound by. Yet, although at times there were things Jesus did not know, everything he taught and helped his disciples to pass on to us in Scripture was from his divine insight. So although Jesus is not omniscient, he is infallible.

One of the greatest arguments for the infallibility of Scripture is that Jesus has himself affirmed Scripture to be the very Words of God. Jesus affirmed,

“ . . . and the Scripture cannot be broken.” John 10:35

“Do not think I have come to abolish the Law and the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear until everything is accomplished.” Matthew 5:17-18

This is why Jesus can so confidently affirm,

“My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me.” John 7:16

The moral dimension in knowledge

It is well recognised that a person’s perspective on a subject can be prejudiced by preconceived notions. Thus those who are determined that God will have no place in their life will call themselves atheists and tend only to look at evidence that supports their view. Thus those who are biased towards the idea of a young or a flat earth will tend only look at evidence that supports their view. We are all blinkered to one degree or another. Jesus uses such reasoning when explaining why some people cannot see that what he does and says is from God.

“If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” John 7:17

Jesus is teaching that there is a moral dimension to knowledge. A person who is not committed to living for God will not be able to see that Jesus is that God and what he teaches is therefore inspired by God.

There are many religious leaders who speak very authoritatively but this is usually to gain a reputation for themselves and often to improve their bank balance. Jesus continues,

“He who speaks on his own does so to gain honour for himself, but he who works for the honour of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.” John 7:18

Jesus is clearly talking about himself. He was certainly not speaking out for his own benefit. He knew that what he was doing would result in his being executed. For him truth, which can only be defined as ‘concepts compatible with God’, was what all people desperately need.

“My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me.” John 7:16

Those who want divine knowledge will listen to the only person who can give us this. If we refuse him, our motives are to be questioned.

On one occasion Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain and there they saw him change into a divine figure. Even his clothes became dazzling white. Then Elijah and Moses appeared with Jesus. Finally a cloud enveloped them all and they heard a voice saying,

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” Matthew 17:7

God himself confirms the teaching of Jesus. We must listen to him. His doctrine is true and is not tainted with any falsehoods.

Jesus certainly caused people to react one way or another to his claims. Jesus has just said that none of them keeps God’s law and this made many angry. Jesus knew that many would like to see him dead although the Ten Commandments forbid ‘murder’ and ‘bearing false witness’.

“’Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?’

‘You are demon-possessed’ the crowd answered.

‘Who is trying to kill you?’” John 7:19-20

Jesus knew their hearts.

Jesus contrasts himself to Moses

It is one thing to affirm a truth, it is also necessary to apply this and teach what this truth opposes. The religious rulers prided themselves that they followed the Mosaic Law literally. Jesus elsewhere repeatedly told them that they had misunderstood the law. On one occasion Jesus was criticised for not washing his hands before a meal. Jesus was outraged that the religious leaders were not only wrong but were misleading others away from the truth.

“Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.” Luke 11:52

The key to understanding the real issues about life is Jesus himself and these ‘experts’ were trying to put the public against him! Jesus illustrates the inconsistencies of the Jewish teachers. Jesus had healed a paralysed man at the pool of Bethesda on a Sabbath and the Jews persecuted him because of this. Jesus pointed out that they also worked on the Sabbath when they circumcised a child on the Sabbath. The law stated that every child should be circumcised on the eighth day after birth. The question was therefore which law took precedence – not working on the Sabbath or circumcising on the eighth day. The rabbis had long concluded that any act of mercy could lawfully be performed on the Sabbath. Jesus affirms that the Law requires holiness on the Sabbath and that sometimes this can involve kind acts. If an animal falls into a ditch and was trapped, it was legitimate to rescue it. Elsewhere Jesus had pointed out that it was legitimate for the priests to continue to offer sacrifices in the temple on Sabbath days,

“Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and are yet innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:5-8

Jesus repeatedly confirms that he has the right to heal and show mercy to people any day of the week. Jesus’ argument is that if they were permitted to perform circumcisions on the Sabbath, how could it be wrong for him to miraculously heal a person with God’s power. God does not stop working one day a week!

A decision about Jesus must be made

Here were two totally opposing views. Jesus comes along claiming to be the world’s Messiah. He supports his claims by performing the type of miracles that the Old Testament said the Messiah would perform.

“Be strong, do not fear; your God will come . . . he will come to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.” Isaiah 35:4-6

Jesus fulfilled this prophecy both figuratively and literally.

Jesus was a direct physical descendent of king David, whose father was Jesse, just as the ancient Scriptures said the Messiah would be. He had been born in Bethlehem, another feature prophesied about the Messiah. He taught with an authority that all recognised as being both independent and persuasive. He explained that mankind’s greatest problem was our inherent rebellion against God’s rule in our lives. He fulfilled what Isaiah prophesied,

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD – and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his mouth he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waste.” Isaiah 11:1-5

In contrast, there were religious leaders who hated what Jesus represented.

“At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, ‘Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? Here he is speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ?” John 7:25-26

The people were perplexed. Whenever there is conflicting information this will happen, even if the confusion is because some of the information they have been given is wrong. The crowd thought they knew where Jesus came from – he was, they thought, just a Galilean from Nazareth. They said,

“But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no-one will know where he is from.” John 7:27

How poorly taught they were. Ignorant ‘know-alls’ do find it hard to change their minds! Why won’t they listen to Jesus when he says,

“I am the bread that came down from heaven.” John 6:41

Why won’t they open their minds to what he says about himself and the importance of committing themselves to him?

“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 him up at the last day.” John 6:40

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” John 3:36

Jesus made his case absolutely clear. He cried out loudly in the temple Court of Gentiles. Was he talking cynically or is he acknowledging that some have recognised that he is the Messiah sent by his Father in heaven?

“Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” John 7:28-29

This was too much for some who wanted to arrest Jesus there and then. But for some reason they could not do so. Perhaps it was because many in the crowd had become convinced about Jesus by all he was, all he did and all he taught. God is sovereign and nothing can happen that he does not allow.

“At this time they tried to seize him, but no-one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.” John 7:30

There is always a division when the claims of Jesus are put to people; some love him and others hate him. The evidence is all there but any who are unwilling to accept God will strongly oppose Jesus and his claims to be God’s only Son.

“Still many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, ‘When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?’” John 7:31

People make the wrong conclusions about Jesus because their motives are wrong, but listen again to the three simple statements Jesus makes about his relationship with his heavenly Father in one short verse; Jesus ‘knows him’, Jesus ‘is from him’ and ‘he sent me’.

“I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” John 7:29

What a wonderful thing it is when people turn back from trying to achieve righteousness themselves by trying to live well but accept the righteousness that Jesus alone can give us. This ‘credited righteousness’, given as a result of our turning to be Christ centred, is the core of the gospel. Paul wrote,

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” Romans 1:16-17

BVP