November 18, 2010
IS THAT MY VOICE I HEAR?
John 7:14-31
Melissa Hutts
Central Truth
God will provide us with the tools and the opportunity to know Him and serve Him.
Key Verse | John 7:17
"If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself." (John 7:17)
John 7:14-31
14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, 1 7:15 Or this man knows his letters when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone's will is to do God's 2 7:17 Greek his will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
Can This Be the Christ?
25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
Dive Deeper | John 7:14-31
I put off writing this entry for as long as I possibly could. Not because I did not devote the time to reading, studying, and meditating over the passage; but because I was intimidated! What could I possibly say that would be worthwhile? Ironically, my fears point to the heart of this passage. It is true that I don't have anything to say, but rather God does, and I hope that He will use me as an instrument to share His voice.
From studying John 7:14-31, I learned that the reference to Jews in verse 15 was not a broad, generalized description, but rather a specific reference to the narrow or select group of Jewish scholars and rabbis. How could Jesus possibly teach when He has no training? These scholars were not looking at Jesus as the Son of God, but rather as a seemingly uneducated commoner posing as a teacher. That would certainly be an intimidating group to speak before . . . trained intellectuals with skills honed to debate one's knowledge and beliefs. I can relate to that situation.
In John 7:16-18, the Jews were aghast, not only because Jesus dared to teach without educational pedigree, but more importantly because Jesus spoke of a direct spiritual knowledge, not an intellectual one. The Jews merely had the teachings handed down from rabbi to rabbi over the course of time as provided by God to Moses, not the spiritual knowledge passed directly from God. Jesus directs us to the heart, not the mind.
I find it so encouraging that Jesus says, "If anyone is willing"—anyone! All we need is the willingness to receive His teaching and His guidance and then to do His will. And we, too, can receive truth. As believers, we should be encouraged by this passage, not just to receive the truth, but to speak the truth even if we are not the most "learned" one in the room.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you hesitate to share the truth because of your lack of formal biblical training?
2. If so, what are you doing to learn more of scripture and God's word?
3. Are you growing in your ability to explain what you believe to those who do not yet know the Lord?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. From whom did Jesus get all His teaching (verse 16)?
2. When you talk to others, are you usually giving your opinion, or are you giving them truth from God’s Word (verses 17-18)?
3. How can you be sure that you are speaking truth when you share with others?
4. Pick a verse to memorize this week that will help you when talking to others (e.g., Romans 12:2, Hebrews 11:6, Hebrews 12:1-3).