Controversial Christ

Pastor Mike will be speaking on Controversial Christ. He will be in John 27:25-36.

They were so angry with Jesus, they were so convicted in their hearts that he was a liar or a lunatic that they wanted him to suffer and be killed. Hello this is Pastor Mike Sanders and this is Hope Worth Having.

We’re so glad you tuned in today and thank you for taking time. Today we are going to begin a new study on the controversial Christ. We often think of Jesus as meek and mild. We think of him as being very amicable and working alongside of others and pleasant.

But did you know that Jesus was controversial and he kind of started up every once in a while and sometimes people struggled with who Jesus was and some of the statements that he made. Well we come to John chapter 27 and we’re going to be studying verses 25 through 36 and we’re going to be learning about the controversial Christ.

Yes Jesus was controversial and there are so many that maybe sometimes do not understand this but Jesus certainly was controversial and even his own family struggled with some of the statements that he said and sometimes they thought he was maybe a little crazy and losing it.

Well let’s learn more about that so let’s get our bibles and let’s get right into our study this day. If you have your Bible this morning join me in the Gospel of John chapter 7. John chapter 7 verses 25 through 36 is our main text this morning.

When we think of Christ I’m certain that there are many thoughts and words that come to our mind immediately about Jesus but perhaps the word controversy is not associated with Jesus but I declare to you this morning that Christ is a person of controversy.

Several years ago I heard a story about a local congregation that had a program and their special speaker that day was Oliver North. Oliver North worked in the Reagan administration and was a controversial figure within this administration.

After the service had concluded, the local news media interviewed the pastor and they asked the pastor, how could you have such a controversial figure speak in your church? The pastor listened and he said to the lady, if controversy were the basis for choosing speakers for our church, then Jesus Christ could not speak here.

And the truth is that Jesus is a controversial person. The biblical Jesus is a man that is surrounded by controversy. We think in terms that Jesus was always gentle, that he was always peaceful, but the Bible teaches us a wider picture of our Savior.

As a matter of fact, we are taught that Jesus came not to bring peace, but a sword. Matthew 10 34 says, do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. These are the words of our Savior. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

Jesus is the real cohesive power in the universe. And he is the only one who unites all things within himself. But his truth, his words cut to the heart. And they leave people on one side of the fence or the other.

You either love Jesus or you hate him. There is no in -between with Jesus. When we come to our text this morning, we are clearly understanding how the crowd has become very hostile towards Jesus. Just a few chapters before in chapter 5, Jesus had aroused such hostility and people wanted to kill him.

Now we find him at the Feast of Tabernacles six months before the final Passover and things are really heating up. People are getting very angry and upset with Jesus. Some people thought that Jesus was a good man.

Some believe that he was a deceiver and others as we had already learned felt like he was unqualified to enter into the temple and begin teaching people. Many accused him of being demon -possessed and thankfully there were a few that believed he was the Christ.

In one sentence the focus of my message this morning is simply this, the controversy about Christ is due to the confusion of who Jesus really is. The reason that people struggled with Christ is because they did not understand his identity.

Jesus was not shy about proclaiming his identity. Jesus was very bold in proclaiming who he was, that he was the Son of God, and that he was sent from God. and he was on mission to bring forgiveness and redemption to all who would believe in him.

As we review what we’ve already covered about Jesus in chapter 7, we’re reminded that Christ encountered controversy from his own family. His own family struggled with him. His unbelieving brothers urged him to show himself and demonstrate himself to the world.

If he is this Messiah, then go out there and make yourself know. Their concern, which was a concern that was not rooted in truth or sincerity, was due to jealousy and a lack of discernment about the mission of Christ.

When Jesus hears his brothers tell him this, he counters by teaching about God’s timing. How important it is to be in step with the Lord and to follow his timetable. Christ recognized that he was on a timetable that was dictated only by the heavenly Father.

How beautiful it is when people submit to the timetable of God the Father. Many people have careless attitudes about their use of time, but Jesus was always careful to make sure that he was in tune with the Father.

That he never got ahead of the Father or behind the Father, but he walked in step with the Father in the perfect timing of what God wanted for the mission that he was sent to this earth for. The second thing we note in chapter 7 is that Christ encountered controversy from the religious leaders.

Those Those that sought to seek to harm, to destroy or kill Jesus were not able to. Because Jesus’ time had not yet come. He kept saying, my hour has not come, referring to his death and his resurrection and eventually his ascension.

But his hour had not come, it was not the right timing. Jesus always lived according to God’s plan. And when you and I live according to God’s plan and according to his timing, listen, there is nothing or no one that can destroy you.

You are literally immortal until God has finished what he wants to do in you and through you for the cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why we do not have to be fearful. We do not have to retreat because we…

receive criticism or pushback, we must march forward for the cause of Jesus Christ no matter whether the world likes us or hates us. We must march on that more people will know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Jesus told the religious leaders that God had his future and that he would eventually be in the presence of the Father back home with the Father. His future was rock solid because he was keeping in step with the Father and he was on mission for God and that he was going to fulfill what God had called him to do.

But this upset the religious crowd. The third thing where I want us to spend most of our time this morning is that Christ encountered controversy from the crowd. Just the everyday person. We pick up in verse 25 of John chapter 7 and we note that the scripture says, then said some of them of Jerusalem is not this he whom they seek to kill referring that the crowd is saying is this not who the religious leaders are wanting to kill.

So they were alert and they had insight and it was obvious to them that the religious leaders wanted Jesus killed. Verse 26 but lo he speaketh boldly and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ or the Messiah.

Verse 27 how be it we know that this man whence he is but when Christ comes no man knows whence he is meaning where does he come from. Verse 28 then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught saying you both know me.

and you know whence or where I am and I am not come of myself but he that sent me is true whom you know not but I know him for I am from him and he has sent me verse 30 then they sought to take him but no man laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come underscore that phrase that is consistent throughout the gospel of John verse 31 and many of the people believed on him and said when Christ cometh will he do more miracles than these which this man has done the Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him then said Jesus unto them yet a little while I am I with you and then I go unto him that sent me you shall seek me and shall not find me and where i am thither you cannot come then said the jews among themselves whether will he go that we shall not find him will he go unto the dispersed among the gentiles and teach the gentiles what manner of saying is this that he said you shall seek me and shall not find me and where i am thither you cannot come jesus christ encountered controversy not only from his family and not only from religious leaders but just the everyday crowd this controversy resulted in confusion about who jesus christ really was and is in verse 25 of john chapter 7 you’ll note that the bible says then said some of them of jerusalem is this not he whom they seek to kill is he not the person that they’re looking for the crowd could not get a fix on jesus they couldn’t clearly understand who he was because jesus did not fit their concept of a messiah and the reason that he did not fit their concept of a messiah was not because the bible was not clear about the characteristics of the messiah the coming of the messiah the credentials of the messiah but rather because of the traditions and the false teaching of the religious leaders that had warped and clouded who the messiah would be and how he would come into this world it is a reminder of what the apostle said in romans 10 2 for i bear them record that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge.

Not the knowledge of man was Paul criticizing the religious leaders but rather the knowledge of God. This is what we have to be careful in our walk and journey of faith is that as we are serving Christ that we understand his identity not based upon traditions, not based upon emotions or hearsay or what we think and want God or Jesus to be but rather what the Bible reveals him to be and that’s what happens is that in my life is that I get concepts of Jesus based upon what I want him to be for me and it’s not the real Jesus and it messes up my theology which messes up my thinking which messes up my behavior which messes up my choices and so it’s important for me you A .W.

Tozer said the most important thing about your life is what you think about God. And when you have the wrong understanding of who Jesus is, and you don’t really grasp his identity as revealed in the scriptures, you might be zealous, and you might have passion for religion, and you might have passion for a God that does not exist, but only exists in your mind, but is not the God of the Bible, is not the Jesus of the Word of God,

but it is not according to the knowledge of God, it is simply according to your own knowledge of what you think it should be. Jesus entertained all kinds of opinions about him. Even in our text in John chapter 7, there were many that thought he was a good man, others felt that he was insane, that he had really lost it.

They questioned his credentials and said, you’re not really a person that is qualified, you didn’t even go to the right school to be able to stand before us and teach us. And then they had this belief about Jesus.

If you’ll notice in verse 27, it says, how be it we know this man whence he is, meaning that in the Old English kind of clouds it a little bit there, because we don’t speak Old English. But they are saying this, we know where this man’s from.

And they in their mind said, we know where he’s from. So then they go on to say in the text, when Christ or the Messiah comes, no man knows where he comes from. But that’s not what the Bible teaches, right?

I mean, we know the Bible teaches that Jesus, the Messiah, would come and be born, very specific about his birth place, very specific about his genealogy, very specific of his works, very specific of what he would accomplish, very specific of even his characteristics.

And the Bible is so clear about that. But here’s what happened is that the rabbis began to teach a false theology that we will not know where the Messiah comes from. They knew that Jesus came from Nazareth.

Certainly they knew that he was born in Bethlehem. Some certainly knew that. But in their mind, because what they had been taught, the false theology by the rabbis, they believed that he could not be the Messiah because they knew where he came from.

This was simply a false teaching. There’s nowhere in the Old Testament to support that. The Jews believed that The Messiah would just emerge out of nowhere, and yet He truly is the Messiah. That’s how false theology can mess up your understanding of who Jesus is.

That’s why you have to be a student of the Word. That’s why you have to saturate your life with God’s Word and not just take a teacher or a preacher’s Word for it. You have to search the Scriptures and see if the things that the pastor says is true and lines up with the Bible.

I welcome that kind of a Bible student. Amen. I encourage that in you that you are researching the Scriptures like the Bereans. The crowd was confused. Here’s a question. Are Jesus’ claims true? Are they true?

Are His claims unique? Because Jesus didn’t just say, I’m a teacher, and I’m here to help you, and I want to do some nice things for you socially, and I want to lift you up and help you to be more positive about your life, and I want you to be encouraged every day as you walk through the struggles of life.

That’s not really the message of Jesus, and that’s not why He came. Certainly those things are byproducts of faith in Jesus, but listen to me. Jesus was clear about His identity. He said He was God. He said He was sent from the Father.

He said He was the Son of God. He said, if you lift me up, I will draw people unto me. Jesus promised redemption and forgiveness for all who would believe in Him. Jesus made claims that only the Messiah could make, but are these claims unique?

Think about it in your own mind, because so many people are confused about the identity of Jesus. Buddha never claimed to be God. Confucius never claimed to be God. Muhammad never claimed to be God. The prophets of the Old Testament never claimed to be God.

You can do all the research you want to in all of the major mainline religions of this world and you will find that none of their leaders have ever claimed to be God. Not a one of them, only Jesus. And what’s not only amazing about this that Jesus claims to be God, He’s clear and bold and upfront about His identity is that Jesus backs it up, amen.

Jesus not only backed up his claims that he was God in the fact that he performed miracles, he granted forgiveness to people, he did things that are unbelievable walking on water and feeding the thousands and raising up the dead, but if that was not enough and it wasn’t for some people, go figure that one.

But when they crucified Jesus, he prayed that God would forgive them for they know not what they do. And then when they laid them in a tomb, a borrowed tomb, they laid them in there. Three days later, Jesus put the stamp of affirmation that he is truly God when they came to the tomb, he was not there.

He was alive and risen and if they somehow thought that maybe somebody stole the body, you know that Jesus appeared. He walked on the earth 40 days after his resurrection and he interacted with his disciples and you say well you know only the disciples knew that.

No, Jesus went beyond the disciples and Paul tells us that over 500 people interacted with Jesus. The Bible says after two or three witnesses let every word be established. And Jesus always making our cup run over and always doing more and way beyond what we ever anticipated, Jesus Christ presented himself to over 500 people and listen he did not just come as some kind of a spirit or some kind of a ghost but rather he was in bodily form.

They held him, they touched him and get this, Jesus sat down by the beach and he had fish with them. I don’t know if French fries were around but if they were he probably had some French fries because you can’t have fish without French fries, right?

But all I’m saying is that Jesus ate with them, he interacted with them, he talked to them, and then before their eyes he ascended into heaven. Are his claims unique? Absolutely. No one else makes these kind of claims.

And not only do they not make these claims, they don’t even come close to trying to back up any kind of deity or divinity. See, Jesus makes it very clear. He cuts through the confusion, and it is because he is so bold that people are upset.

Jesus encountered controversy which led to confusion, but it also led to conviction in people’s hearts. Two sides of this conviction I want you to see in verse 30 and verse 31. The Bible says then they sought to take him.

Now this is not the religious leaders. These are the people that are upset at Jesus. But no man laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come. And so Jesus, though he’s in this crowd and they’re getting upset with him, no one laid their hands on him because God is sovereign, God is in control.

And Jesus was not, it was not his time to go to the cross. But I love verse 31, you might want to put a star by it. Many of the people believed on him and said, when Christ comes, will he do more miracles than these which this man has done?

In essence, man, he’s backing up what he’s saying. And they’re saying, look, look at all the things that Jesus has done. And of course, the whole gospel of John is that John is showing us seven different miracles.

As we’re going through the gospel of John on Sunday mornings, we’ve already seen some of those miracles. He turned water into wine, right? He healed a man on the Sabbath day. You remember that, he walked on water, he fed thousands out of a little boy’s lunch.

And Jesus performed these amazing miracles. And the Bible says that there was a group that said, will the Messiah do more miracles than this guy? And the point is no. And the point is that he’s gotta be Christ.

He’s gotta be the one that the prophets have prophesied and proclaimed about. He’s gotta be the one because he’s going around making some bold statements. See, it leads you in a dilemma. C .S. Lewis brings this dilemma so succinctly when he tells us that Jesus was not ambiguous about his identity.

Identity and so you really only have three choices with your understanding of who Jesus is. He is either a liar or a lunatic or Lord You see what you say, well, he’s a good teacher. He’s a moral man.

He had a good cause. He was very religious Seems like he did some great things. He did some social stuff help people out But listen, what kind of a good teacher goes around telling people that he’s God And then if we say well, you know He says he’s God.

I know I grasp that then you have to say well if he is not the Lord then maybe he’s a crazy man Maybe he’s off his rocker. Maybe he’s not really emotionally stable and maybe he really needs some extra help because he’s all messed up up and he’s just a crazy person.

He’s a lunatic and we really can’t trust what a lunatic says, can we? And if you’re not going to choose that he is a liar and if you’re not going to choose that he’s a lunatic, you’re only left with his Lord.

That’s your choices. That’s your options. And so what I’m saying is that in verse 30 and 31, we see the conviction of two hearts. We see the conviction of unbelievers who said they sought to lay hands on him.

They were so angry with Jesus. They were so convicted in their hearts that he was a liar or a lunatic that they wanted him to suffer and be killed. There’s a lot of confusion about the identity of Jesus and sometimes the world tries to paint an image of Jesus and wants us to accept him, but that’s not what we’re to do.

We’re to look into the scriptures and understand who is Christ and who is this Savior that has come to bring salvation to all who believe in Him. Jesus reveals himself in the Bible and you don’t have to look to a dream.

You don’t have to look on to the back of a billboard or even into a grilled cheese sandwich to figure out who Jesus is. Open your Bible and you have the full revelation of Jesus Christ. And one of the things we learn about Christ is that he was controversial and that there were times that he upset people and he told the truth like it is and he did not cut corners, but he came boldly and he came courageous.

graciously giving God’s word, and it is that courage that made Him so controversial. But we’re thankful that we have a Savior who does not go by the whims of culture, or neither does He try to take a pole to determine what He believes, but rather He knows who He is, and that He believes that, and may it encourage all of us to be the same way as we follow our Savior.

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