My sermon notes from Sunday, Aug 27th as we continue our study through The Gospel of John. Remember, these are my study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. To see the sermon each week or subscribe to the weekly sermon podcast please visit http://www.fbcap.net
John 7:1-13 – The Feast of Booths (part 1)
The Setting
According to Matthew we know that Jesus has spent the previous six months doing ministry in Galilee.
Outside Galilee
- The transfiguration – 17:1-9, 9:2-10, 9:28-36
- The coming of Elias – 17:10-13, 9:11-13
- The lunatic healed – 17:14-21, 9:14-29, 9:37-42
Back in Galilee
- The passion again foretold – 17:22-23, 9:30-32, 9:43-45
- The fish caught for the tribute – 17:24-27
- the little child – 18:1-5, 9:33-37, 9:46-48
- One casting out devils – 9:38-41, 9:49-50
- Offences – 18:6-9, 9:42-48, 17:2
- The lost sheep – 18:10-14, 15:4-7
- Forgiveness of injuries – 18:15-17
- “Binding and loosing” 18:18-20
- Parable of the unmerciful servant – 18:21-35
Getting into the Text
vv. 1-2 – The Feast of Booths was at hand
One of three great Jewish OT feasts:
- Passover/Feast of unleavened bread
- Spring
- Exodus from Egypt. Start of barley harvest
- Feast of weeks/Pentecost
- 7 weeks after Passover
- Offering of first fruits from early summer harvest
- Feast of Booths/Tabernacle
- Harvest in the barn
- Recalls the Exodus and God’s provision
- Rejoicing and Celebrating
- The messiahs coming
It was a celebratory time. It has been said it was their favorite feast, while to a Christian it is the Passover.
vv. 3-5 – The brothers request
Come to the feast with us
- It was expected that a faithful Jew to attend the feast
- What a great opportunity to do something marvelous in a public setting (Do one of your miracles)
- The disciples (people) had turning away (6:66…6 months earlier) and this would be a time to get them back)
- Promote yourself. Look at me (Social Media today)
- Man’s goals (worldly expectation. Career, Money, Fame)
- 4:8-10 – Satan’s tactic. GET EYES OF GOD’S PURPOSE FOR OUR LIFE AND PUT THEM ON OUR PURPOSE.
- Not even His brothers believed in Him
- James and Jude – Bible books. Eventually the Spirit opened their eyes!
- WHAT A GREAT PICTURE OF THE SPIRITS ROLE IN SALVATION….OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART LORD, I WANT TO SEE YOU!!!!!
- That is why we pray and share the Gospel…the means we have control over, as the Spirit works.
vv. – 6-9 – Jesus Responds
My time has not yet come – My Time – I come to do the Father’s Will
- The Fathers will….Jesus mission was the cross. Nothing else
- Jesus was willing to follow God’s plan, purpose, and providence.
- Great lesson here….Feast of booths was a celebratory time when they anticipated the Messiah coming to establish the Kingdom.
- NO KINGDOM WITHOUT THE CROSS
- Know is not time for a violent collision….TRUST GODS TIMING
Your Time is always here (negative…you are doing your will)
- You are doing your will. Life Through Your Perspective
- Today….I want to do this, then I want God to bless it.
- We fill out our calendar and then ask God to pour His favor on us. INSTEAD OF ASKING GOD TO FILL OUT OUR CALENDAR
vv. – 10-13 – The crowd at the Feast
10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
Muttering about Him
- There will always be confusion about Jesus
- There is one Jesus. THE BIBLICAL JESUS
- Not the Jesus of our imagination and will, but the Jesus we have received from the Father.
- The Jesus that went to the cross over the sin
Lessons to be learned (WHAT NOW)
- God’s timetable is perfect. We can trust His plan, purpose, and providence. Know Him, Love Him, Worship Him, Follow Him
- There is no redemption apart from the cross
- Satan’s tactics never change…our glory or His glory.
- It does not matter how much you know about Jesus, unless you are born from above you will never truly know who He is.
- Conversion is a God thing, not a man thing….THEREFORE WEW CAN UTILIZE GOD’S MEANS RATHER THAN MANS MEANS
- (We Pray and Proclaim the Gospel and Persuade people to come to Christ)
- As we live out the Christian life people are going to murmur. Remember, their murmuring is about God not us.
- Popular acceptance is not a true measure of faithfulness.
- There is one Jesus. The Jesus that went to the cross for our sin.