Learning Jesus | Week 17
Learning Jesus Week 17
Might of Right Sight in Fight
Key Word – Drink >> Central Passage – John 7:11-24
We are now transitioning to a three-month period in Jesus’ life that only Luke and John cover in their gospels. Luke focuses on Jesus’ activity in Judea, while John focuses on His activity in Jerusalem. Dr. Fructenbaum makes three observations about this period:
1. When the Pharisees accused Jesus of performing His miracles through the power of Satan, the people were not sure who to follow – Jesus or their leadership; therefore, Jesus described them as sheep without a shepherd. In this period, however, some begin to believe the false shepherds.
2. A key phrase in this section is “so there was a division among the people.”
3. John includes seven major discourses of Jesus. We just finished Jesus’ third on the bread of life. This section contains the fourth on the water of life.
Day 1 John 7:11-24 Central Passage of the Week
Background Notes – The feast referenced in this passage is the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. Remember in our reading last lesson, Jesus’ brothers challenged Jesus to go to the feast to prove He was the Messiah, but Jesus refused to accept their bait and waits until “the middle of the feast” to attend the feast to clearly communicate that He is not establishing the Messianic Kingdom at this point. We will learn more about the purpose of the Feast of Tabernacles and how it connects to the Kingdom on Day 4 of this week’s lesson.
John uses the phrasing “the Jews” to refer to three different types of Jews, and you shall see two of those types in this text. The first type includes the Jews in general; an example of how John used the Jews in this way was when Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well. The second type John uses in today’s story while referring to the Jews “looking for Jesus at the feast”; John here is referring to the Judean Jews as opposed to the Galilean Jews. The third type John uses in this story while referring to the Jews that the people “fear”; John here is referring to Jewish leadership.
1. True Teacher
o According to Jesus, what characterizes a true teacher? (See 7:18.)
o In contrast what characterizes a false teacher? (See 7:18.)
2. True Disciple
o According to Jesus, what characterizes a person who knows Jesus’ teaching/authority comes from God? (See 7:16-17.)
o According to Jesus, why are some people unable to know that Jesus’ teaching/authority comes from God? (See 7:19.) Consider how Jesus has continually debunked the man-made laws of the Pharisees (the Mishna) while reminding the people of the heart of the Law.
o Jesus is saying “None of you have a problem with obeying the Law regarding circumcising a boy baby on the eighth day even when this eighth day lands on the Sabbath, yet you do have a problem with a man’s WHOLE body being healed on the Sabbath.” How have those who are judging Jesus been judging Him by appearances?
o What “right judgment” is He commanding them to make about Him? (See 7:24)
3. True Disciplemakers –
Remember Jesus is still training His disciples in how they will make disciples. They need to know that when a person has issues with Jesus, the issue is not with Him, but this person’s rebellious heart.
o What would you say to one who questions the authority of Christ in your sphere of influence?
o How would you pray for him or her?
o Take time to pray for those in your sphere who do not trust the authority of Jesus.
Deep Think (Totally Optional)
In other weeks, your deep think is typically to dive deeper into a theology topic. This week you are encouraged to use this time to think deeply about the Person of Jesus. Completing the remaining days of this week’s lesson will give you more to think about. But, overall, ask yourself two questions:
1. What do I know to be true about the Person of Jesus? (The reason you KNOW it is because this truth is in the Bible.)
2. Am I equipped to share what I know without fear with those I am praying to know Jesus?
Day 2
Background Notes –The people of Jerusalem were, as we say in Laredo, chonitos; the schools of the Pharisees were, of course, in the area of Jerusalem, so they were always in-the-know regarding the current mindset and machinery of the religious elite. As you read, underline what they think they know and what Jesus says they do not know at all, making Him the righteous omni-chonito .
Read John 7:25-30.
1. What do these Jerusalemites think they know about Jesus?
Background Notes – This is the first time in John’s gospel that the possibility of Jesus actually being the Messiah has been articulated in Jerusalem. These Jerusalemites held to the rabbinic teaching that the Messiah would be unknown until He came save them. Jesus is not unknown. He is from Nazareth, residing currently in Capernaum, and has been preaching for two years now. As New Testament readers, we know that Jesus actually is in the line of David and was born in Bethlehem just as the prophet Micah foretold the Messiah would be (5:2). Jesus does not defend this; instead He states with such piercing irony that it is better read as a question: “Oh, you know me do you? And you know where I am from too?” and focuses on His truest origins.
2. What are Jesus’ truest origins? ____________________________ Why does that matter? (7:28-29)
3. Remember in John 7:16-17, Jesus told the crowd that if their will was to do God’s will, then they would trust His authority.How in this text do we see Jesus practicing a quiet confidence in the Father’s will that you can emulate?
Day 3
Background Notes – Yesterday we read that some Jerusalemites question Jesus’ origins, but now our first verse today states: “Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, ‘When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?’” Before His rejection Jesus performed different signs to authenticate His message, including those the rabbis taught only the Messiah would perform such as healing a Jew from leprosy and casting out a demon from a deaf mute. So it’s not surprising that the people are confused.
The Sanhedrin, consisting of Levites who were chief priests, had the authority to govern Israel’s religious matters since Rome did not govern the religions of the peoples they conquered. The officers sent to arrest Jesus would be Levites who served as temple police. After John drops the detail of incoming arrest, he returns to Jesus’ discourse to create some suspense. Again Jesus is speaking in parabolic fashion to everyone except His disciples, leaving the Jerusalemites in further confusion. Jews used the word “dispersion” to refer to Jews living outside the land of Israel. They are wondering if Jesus means they won’t find Him because He is going to preach outside the land of Israel.
Read John 7:31-36.
1. Although the Jerusalemites question Jesus’ origins, what compelling evidence leads many to wonder whether Jesus truly is the Messiah?
2. Where will no one be able to follow Jesus?
3. The controversies in this discourse have centered around Jesus’ authority, Jesus’ origin, the miracles Jesus has performed, and now Jesus introduces a new controversy – His departure. Why do you think Jesus introduces His departure at this moment? Consider where Jesus is returning and what He will accomplish before He ascends.
Day 4 John 7:37-44
Background Notes – The Feast of Tabernacles celebrates God’s provision of water and light for the Israelites when they lived in tents in the wilderness. It occurred after the harvest, a harvest dependent upon God’s provision of water and light, so both represent God’s presence. To remember His presence when He dwelt among them in temporary tents and to look forward to His presence when He would dwell with them permanently, water from the Pool of Siloam was poured out upon the water. Water upon water symbolized the bountiful outpouring of the Spirit in the last days (Ezekiel 47:1-9; Zechariah 13:1). In the outer court, apprentice priests lit the 75-feet-high lamp stands so that every private courtyard in Jerusalem was awash from the light of the temple.
In Nehemiah, those returning from exile celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with an especial joy. Ezra read from the Law day by day for a month, not merely the commanded seven days. Their celebration concluded with a prayer of confession and praise for God’s faithfulness during the wilderness. He provided manna from heaven for their mouths and water from the rock for their thirst. He did not forsake them but gave them a pillar of cloud by night to light the way they should go and His Spirit to instruct them (Nehemiah 8:15-9:20).
In Isaiah, God calls to Israel “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters....Listen diligently to me and eat what is good...that your soul may live” (from Isaiah 55:1-3). In today’s text, Jesus weaves what God has done for Israel and what He will do as fulfilled and to be fulfilled in Himself. Significantly, He chooses to do this on the last day of the feast, likely the eighth day of rest.
1. Jesus’ Call to Salvation & Promise -- Check your answer by unscrambling the words in the parentheses.
o What is the state of a person who comes to Jesus? (yirttsh)
o What is the only requirement to a person being regenerated by the Holy Spirit? (lefbi)
o What future promise does Jesus give regarding the Holy Spirit? (ginlldweni)
o When will that promise be fulfilled? (after Jesus is lgroifdei, meaning His ascension to heaven)
2. Jesus’ Promise Fulfilled
o Read Acts 2:1-4. Prior to this, the Holy Spirit regenerated those who trusted God to eternal life, but He did not indwell these believers permanently. Re-read John 7:38-39. How do you see Jesus’ promise fulfilled in Acts 2:1-4?
o Read Ephesians 1:13-14. How do the truths affirmed here, encourage you today?
3. Re-read the notes with the passage. Why is it appropriate that at the Feast of Tabernacles Jesus promises the Holy Spirit will be given to those who come to Him?
(optional) John 7:37-38 is the suggested memory verse for this week.
Day 5 – John 7:45-52
Background Notes – Since Jesus did not attend rabbinic school, the religious leaders dismiss His wisdom as deception no teacher of Israel could believe. Ironically, Nicodemus, whom Jesus addresses as “THE teacher of Israel” and who addressed Jesus as a teacher from God, is the one who reminds the Pharisees that they are breaking the law. The word used for “crowd” is am ha-aretz meaning “people of the land” or peasants. The connotation of this slur is that anyone heeding Jesus is both ignorant and impious. Ironically, these supposed learned teachers who denied a prophet could come from Galilee (a land they held in contempt) forgot that the prophets Elisha, Jonah, and Hosea all came from Galilee.
1. Why do the officers hesitate to arrest Jesus?
2. How do the Pharisees’ answers reveal their attitudes toward Jesus, the common people, the people of Galilee, and any who align themselves with these groups?
3. In our current post-modern Christian culture we see that wherever Jesus Christ is revealed, there is division. How do the texts in this week’s lesson affirm this has always been true?
REFLECTION Questions
These questions along with the Central Passage will usually be the focus of your group’s discussion each week.
1. In the Central Passage you read John 7:11-24. Now read John 7:25-52.
2. The title of this lesson is Might of Right Sight in Fight because we see Jesus communicating in multiple ways in John 7 “I am who I am” without fearing others’ responses to the truth of His Person. Using John 7 discuss with your group the answers to the questions below. The purpose here is to have an overall grasp of this passage, so once you have the gist, move on to the next question.
Sight - What’s the truth?
Right - What’s the choice?
Fight - What’s the problem/controversy?
Might - How is God’s power displayed?
3. In our current post-modern Christian culture we see that wherever Jesus Christ is revealed, there is division. The texts in this week’s lesson affirm this has always been true.
o Share stories with one another about conversations you have had with those who do not agree with you about who Jesus is. (Group, the goal is to hear about a variety of experiences, stories with positive execution but negative results, stories with negative execution but positive results, etc. So try to share a different story type than those previously shared.)
o What did you learn from this story sharing time?
o Why is the key word this lesson “drink”?
4. If you have extra time, you can continue to plan your group project.
5. Close in prayer.
COMMUNITY GROUP TIME
• Discuss the Central Passage questions. (This week that is Day 1 — John 7:11-24)
• Open Share Time -- Allow time for each to share “starred” insights or questions from Days 1-5. Allow others to respond to the shared insight.
• Discuss Reflection Questions. If time is tight, start with question 3.
• Did anyone memorize John 7:37-38 this week?
• Close in prayer.
God’s joy & strength to you,