Wednesday wonderment |John 7|

by Mark Congrove

What makes someone so unapproachable... No one ever spoke like Him. Tonight we look briefly at the uniqueness of Christ, and value to all.

We're looking at John chapter 7, specifically, verse 45-52. I commented on an interview that took place between Josh Shapiro and the late John MacArthur. In it MacArthur was asked about his involvement in the political realm. It caught my attention because of MacArthur's answer. He said, in so many words, that his calling directs him to advance the gospel and only the gospel... to teach truth, and be that strong pulpit that the church needs. Political issues become important only when they have origin or substance in the truth revealed by God, and then it is his duty to represent God's authority for the matter at hand. 

I found that interesting given the text we are examining tonight. What is it about Jesus, that when the Pharisees dispatch officers to arrest Jesus, they return with nothing more than a comment... "No man ever spoke like this one..."  Truly, we have a unique savior.  I offered a number of examples:

  1. He is sent from God-- not sent BY God, but sent from God. This suggests a previous existence with God... Or as John has earlier said in chapter 1:18, "no one has seen God, but Jesus has explained him" (my paraphrase). Put another way, if you want to know what God is like, focus your attention on Jesus 
  2. He is sent from God and his life is controlled by God. In John 7:6, Jesus reminds his audience that his life is controlled by God, under the direction of God. That will be repeated later in His High priestly prayer of John 17. 
  3. He is sent from God, with a life controlled by God, who in fact, possessed the words of God. ( See John 16-17). The words he speaks originates from the Father, and His words are in lock step with the instruction of the Father. 
  4. He is sent from God, with a life controlled by God, who possessed the words of God, and one who answers the greatest needs of people. (See John 7:38). A well springing up, answering what is the greatest thirst we suffer.
  5. He is sent from God, with a life controlled by God, who possessed the words of God, who in fact, answered the greatest needs of people, and proves a blessing to all. To be sure, relief then comes, not from memorizing a Rabbinic code, but by trusting in the name of the Son of God. 

Which brings me to the remaining portion of interest from this text. The Pharisees have no use for who they call, " the people of the land." They cannot possibly comprehend the complexity of religious thinking, and in their minds, only fools follow after Jesus...  Wm. Barclay provides us some background...

The reaction of the chief priests and Pharisees was contempt. The Pharisees had a phrase by which they described the ordinary people who did not observe the thousands of regulations of the ceremonial law. They called them the people of the land; to them, they were beneath contempt. “The masses who do not know the law are accursed.” The Rabbinic law said: Six things are laid down about the People of the land: entrust no testimony to them, take no testimony from them, trust them with no secret, do not apppoint them guardians of an orphan, do not make them custodians of charitable funds, do not accompany them on a journey”. It was forbidden to be a guest of one of the People of the land, or to entertain such a person as a guest. It was even laid down that, wherever it was possible, nothing should be bought or sold from one of them. In their proud aristocracy and intellectual snobbery and spiritual pride, the Pharisees looked down in contempt on the ordinary people. Their plea was: Nobody who is spiritually and academically of any account has believed in Jesus. Only ignorant fools accept him. It is indeed a terrible thing when people think themselves either too clever too good to need Jesus Christ— and it happens still.

But guess what? Even one of their own suggests that their attitude may be in error. Whatever you might think of Nicodemus, and his growing interest in Jesus, he identifies the arrogance and hypocrisy of his colleagues' position. "How can you condemn him", he says, "until you have at least, heard him." (John 7:50-52)

Until next time...

MJC