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Thursday, April 18th, 2024
the Third Week after Easter

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Bible Commentaries
John 7

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Verses 1-39

INTRO:
1. Water, the most important liquid in the world. Without water, there would be no life.
  1. The abundance of water on Earth's surface is a unique feature that distinguishes the Blue Planet from others in the Solar System.
    1. Liquid water is not known to exist on any other planet's surface.
  2. This source of life makes up about three fourths of the human body.
    1. The body needs about 3 quarts of water a day to operate efficiently. It helps break up and soften food. The blood, which is 90% H2O carries nutrients to the cells. As a cooling agent, water regulates our temperature through perspiration. And without its lubricating properties, our joints and muscles would grind and creak like unused parts of some old rusty machinery. Even our brain is 80% water.
    2. I’m working on a water add: “If you want to be stupid sooner, don’t hydrate!”
2. Water, the most important liquid in the world. Without water, there would be no life.
LIFE WATER!
1. THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES! (1-9)
2. (1,2) Feast of Tabernacles - occurs in Fall (also called Succoth/booths) Lev.23:33-43
  1. Think of it as a National Campout! [It commemorated the days when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness & lived in tents/booths]
  2. Daily, during this 7 day feast, water was drawn from the Pool of Siloam. A priest, accompanied by a procession of people & musicians, would go & fill a golden pitcher from the pool. It was carried back through the Water Gate, while the people recited Is.12:3 “with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” The water was carried up to the Temple altar & poured out as an offering to God. It was designed to represented 3 things:
    1. [1] A memorial of the water provided for their fathers in the desert.
      1. A symbol of the forthcoming latter rain.
      2. A reminder of the water which sprang from the rock while in the wilderness. (Manners & Customs; John 7:37 & William Barclay; Vol.1, pg.249.)
    2. Remember this for the end of the message!
3. (3-5) They try to double-dog-dare Him to go down! [Anybody have older brother's...ok then!]
4. (10) Jesus lived on a divine timetable…& so should we.
  1. Ps.31:14,15 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand;
  2. Job 14:5 (speaking of man) his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.
  3. The world does not understand this & will often give you advice contrary to God’s will.
  4. Live on God’s schedule & you will always have God’s help. (Warren Wiersbe)
5. CONFUSION & UNBELIEF! (10-24)
6. This discussion reveals the confusion & unbelief of the people.
  1. Some were for Him because of His miracles; Some were opposed to Him because he broke the Sabbath laws; Some waited to see what their leaders would do; & the leaders wanted to kill Him. (Warren Wiersbe; With the Word; John 7)
  2. Some felt He was a good man, others a deceiver; Some felt He was demon-possessed, others an ordinary man; Some felt He was a prophet, others the Messiah.
7. Jesus teaches: that His mission & message originated from God; that people in His audience do not keep the law of Moses; some want to kill Him right now; that both healing & circumcising on the Sabbath are permitted by the law; that He will soon leave but they wont be able to find Him.
8. COULD THIS BE THE CHRIST? (25-31)
9. (26) It would be like Martin Luther speaking in Vatican Square & the Pope nor the Papal Swiss Guard saying anything!
10. (28b,29a) You do not know Him,...I know Him!
11. YOU CANNOT COME! (32-36)
12. (34) Contrast ch.14:3 Where I am, there you may be also!
13. THE OFFER! (37-39)
14. Remember the daily ritual we talked about in the beginning? The pouring out of water in the Temple.
  1. When we read passages out of the Old or New Testaments, we must always remember that our Bible stories are about desert people. Desert people are intimately bound by life-giving, life-sustaining water.
  2. Jesus finds His spring board...and dives right into His water analogy!
15. Water, the most important liquid in the world. Without water, there would be no life.
  1. We now have over 3,200 brands of bottled water, from more than 130 countries. Yet, 1 billion people on our planet don’t have access to clean drinking water (that’s about 1 in 6 of us).
  2. We have the most trendy, “imported, glacial, steamdistilled, and filter-pure waters” that now fill our grocery aisles, yet most North American go around in a constant state of dehydration.
    1. Our massive consumption of tobacco, alcohol, caffeinated and sugared drinks, along with enormous quantities of salted and processed foods, all suck the moisture right out of our eyeballs, brains, and bones.
      1. We're standing up to our waist in soft drink cans & are dying of thirst.
16. But, the cells of our bodies aren't the only parts of us that are parched!
  1. Even more dry is the state of our souls. Instead of pouring in living water to cure our dehydration however, we grasp out at a huge variety of the worlds crackers. Crackers? [I’m so thirsty...eat a cracker!]
17. Q: How many crackers will quench your thirst? (no amount, yet we keep trying!)
  1. This world won’t quench your thirst; your boyfriend won’t quench your thirst; Travel won’t quench your thirst; Fine Food won’t quench your thirst; Prestige won’t quench your thirst; a New Car won’t quench your thirst; Moving in with her won’t quench your thirst; pornography won’t quench your thirst; Leaving your husband won’t quench your thirst; No amount of dollars will quench your thirst; No amount of experiences will quench your thirst; No amount of goals will quench your thirst.
18. No amount of this worlds crackers will quench your physical thirst or fully satisfy you.
  1. Because you were created w/a yearning for relationship w/your Heavenly Father - Only the Holy Spirit can satisfy & meet that need.
19. Life has made you thirsty! Maybe you notice it when you lay your head on your pillow at night, & stare at the ceiling. When the music of the day has stopped.
  1. You’re thirsty because of decisions you’ve made.
  2. You’re thirsty because of decisions others have made.
  3. Only the Holy Spirit can quench your thirst! - Your spiritual thirst; your marital thirst; your business thirst.
20. And when you drink, your heart shall not be a sponge to absorb, nor a pitcher to contain, but a conduit in which the Spirit’s love flows right through us. (i.e. Holes in silver basin)
21. Water for drinking, pictures the Holy Spirit who is given to those who trust Christ.
  1. Get it? The H.S. is our spiritual life water!
  2. Life is a key theme throughout John’s gospel(nearly 50 x’s): Jesus is the life (14:6); Jesus is the light of life(1:4); bread of life(6:48); water of life(here).
  3. Living water = Life Water!
22. Believers are you thirsty? From what wells have you been drinking? Have you been back to tasting the worlds Saltines again?
  1. Believers, you can find your thirst quenched only by drinking from Christ!
  2. Jesus offers streams of living water to His children that are thirsty!
23. Friends, have you recognized your thirst for relationship w/God this morning?
  1. You can find your thirst quenched only by coming & drinking from Christ!
  2. Jesus offers streams of living water to all those who are thirsty!
24. The Water of Life: Its source is in God; Its flow is from Christ; Its channels is through believers; Its receivers are simply thirsty.
  1. Is.55:1 Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters.
  2. Rev.22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely!
    1. Will you come & drink?

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Verses 40-53

INTRO:
1. Mother’s Day: Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly.
  1. Milton Berle used to say, “If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?”
2. I thought long & hard about whether to stay in our text of John this morning on Mothers Day. Why? Well, because it is on the woman caught in adultery.
  1. This little story captures magnificently both the gracious, forgiving spirit of Jesus & His firm call to the transformation life.
  2. I believe in our text is the most precious & sensitive statements & show of love spoken/displayed to any woman in the bible. So I thought, I should!!!
  3. Ask, Why did Jesus treat her so gently?
3. WHO IS HE? (7:40-52)
  1. Pretty straight forward text.
  2. (51) Nicodemus defending Christ’s legal privileges.
    1. In Jn.3 Nicodemus experienced the darkness of confusion; (Warren Wiersbe)
    2. In Jn.8(here) the dawn of conviction;
    3. In Jn.19 we’ll see him in the daylight of confession (openly identifying himself w/Christ)

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Copyright Statement
These files are the property of Brian Bell.
Text Courtesy of Calvary Chapel of Murrieta. Used by Permission.

Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on John 7". "Bell's Commentary". https://studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/john-7.html. 2017.

Bible CommentariesJohn 7

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 1-39

Verses 40-53

Bible Commentaries
John 7