JOH 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet."
41 Others said, "He is the Christ." Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee?
42 Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?"
43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.
44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.
45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him in?"
46 "No one ever spoke the way this man does," the guards declared.

All throughout the last three plus years of the life of Jesus Christ what we see characterizing His ministry is both miracles and teaching.

And yet, despite this, what is prominent in the response of those who experienced the Lord is what we see in verse forty three of our text; “Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.”

You would think that with such powerful teaching and miraculous signs and wonders that no one would be divided over Jesus. And yet, what this shows us once again is the hardness of man’s heart toward his God and Savior.

This doesn’t mean our Lord’s teachings and miracles were not effective in the lives of people, but only as the Spirit opened their eyes to receive them as coming from the hands of the very Messiah promised in the Scriptures.

JOH 4:49 The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."
50 Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed.
51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living.
52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."
53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed.

A miracle from the hand of Christ was instrumental in the life of this family in bringing them into a saving faith.

And yet, what is really expected of us from God is to believe Him on His word, not necessarily a miracle. And this is exactly what the risen Christ told Thomas.

JOH 20:26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"
27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Those who are blessed, who have not seen the risen Christ and yet believed, would certainly include you and me. We believed the word of God about His Messiah and believing we received life in Christ.

What is interesting about our text is that it is the word of our Lord, not a miracle at this point, that seems to convince some people that Jesus is no ordinary man, but one sent from God.

JOH 7:40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet."
41 Others said, "He is the Christ." Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee?
42 Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?"
43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.

You’ll notice that there are two designations of who this Jesus may be, in the eyes of these Jews. Some think He is the prophet, while others think He is the Christ.

The designation of prophet suggests that Jesus is one who speaks on behalf of God and therefore must be listened to. In fact, it appears that some of the Jews have connected Jesus to the prophet promised by Moses back in the book of Deuteronomy.

DEU 18:15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.

Moses of course was a man whom every Jew admired and loved in the sense that he was instrumental in bringing Israel out of bondage and spoke as the prophet of God as he delivered the law and the promises of God.

And so, to call Jesus the prophet was to admit that He was the one whom Moses spoke of and therefore this was a huge admission by some of the Jews that Jesus was a legitimate representative of the Father that they must listen to. And of course this was the very thing the Jewish leaders didn’t want.

But, if considering Jesus to be the prophet was bad, imagine the shock among the Pharisees and Sadducees when some in the crowd thought that Jesus was the Messiah promised by God.

But of course, you will always have some who won’t believe anything God has to say and doubt and unbelief will always grip many.

JOH 7:41 .... Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee?
42 Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?"

These who questioned the origin of Jesus were making a good biblical argument if in fact Jesus was from Galilee. Their contention is that the word of God made it clear where the Messiah was to come from.

JOH 7:42 Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?

My only question is where were these people when Christ’s origin was called into question previously in this very chapter?

JOH 7:26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ?
27 But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."

Well, obviously someone knew as they understood the Scriptures to say that the Christ would be of the house of David who would be born in Bethlehem.

The point to all of this is that it doesn’t make any difference what the truth is. In fact, some will actually use the truth to stay in the darkness as they try and justify their position against the Christ.

This one group in verse forty one has concluded correctly that the Christ cannot originate from Galilee, but rather Bethlehem, according to the Scriptures. But if you were really interested in such a monumental proposition wouldn’t you find out where Jesus was originally from?

The only thing you would need to do is ask Him. But no one is asking because many of them have already concluded that He is not the Messiah.

People do the same thing today. They will admit that there is a God. They will often admit that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. But when it comes to coming to grips with what the Son of God says concerning Himself as the only way to the Father, all of a sudden people come up with biblical amnesia.

They would rather appear to be biblically informed than to be biblically responsible to the command from their Creator who says, “this is My Son with whom I am well pleased, listen to Him.”

Everyone has their own perspective on what they think God’s will is for mankind as it correlates to a relationship with their Creator. But there is only one correct answer, and there is only one correct response to that truth. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

These people in our text were divided on this whole issue. And people in the world today are just as divided.

It’s amazing how Jesus Christ divides. We usually think of Jesus as the One who unites, and He does, but when man gets into the picture with his mixed up thinking division is not far behind. But didn’t Jesus say this very thing?

LUK 12:51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.
52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.
53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

Jesus does not mean to suggest that His mission was not peace but division. He means that in bringing peace division would be a natural outcome because peace would mean submitting to God and people, by-and-large, are not willing to submit to God, and that is where the division comes in.

Jesus knew the heart of man and how man would react to Him, and though He is the prince of peace that peace only comes from humbling oneself before God. These Jews in our text seemed to be willing to talk about Jesus being the prophet and the Christ, but few of them seemed to be willing to accept Him by faith and become His disciples.

And I might add that this is true in the church as well when it comes to division. And this is why the apostles continually warned the church about such divisions. This is what Paul said.

ACT 20:30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
32 "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Peter also understood the influences of division which came as a result of distorting the truth.

2PE 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them -bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

Back in our text we see that these people were simply talking about the possibility that Jesus was this or that. But just talking about Jesus doesn’t bring you into a relationship with Him. But of course, out and out rejection of Him doesn’t either.

The idea of seizing Jesus here was not to bring Him home and make Him your personal miracle worker. Seizing Him was to take Him by force to do Him harm. And yet, we’re told that this would not happen at this time because His time had not yet come.

But as we come to verse forty five we discover who these people were who were trying to seize Jesus and the one’s behind the plot.

JOH 7:45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him in?"
46 "No one ever spoke the way this man does," the guards declared.

A couple of weeks back I touched on this portion as it related to the verse we saw in JOH 7:32. The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

And you’ll remember that at that time we discussed how the temple guards were well trained and disciplined. They would have been the elite in terms of loyalty and faithfulness to their jobs of both protecting the Sanhedrin and carrying out the orders of the leaders.

The order here was to arrest Jesus. And yet, what do we see? We see these men who made up the temple guard coming back to the chief priests and Pharisees empty handed. Why?

Was it because the crowds over powered them and kept them from reaching Jesus? Was it because Christ’s own half brothers stood in their way as they defended Jesus? Maybe it was because Jesus had always kept that whip that He made out of chords when He drove the merchants out of the temple and threatened to beat these temple guards senseless.

No, it wasn’t any of that. It is something as simple as God’s will being carried out in God’s power, in God’s time.

It was true of Israel when they were being enslaved by Pharaoh. Israel was in no position to rise up in rebellion against Pharaoh and overthrow his rule. But one man could who was sent from God as God would over throw Pharaoh’s grip on Israel.

EXO 6:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country."

It’s so easy to look at our own situations and wonder if God has the ability to deal with our problems or our concerns or our futures. And yet, we need to keep in mind that if He knew us before the creation of the world it stands to reason that every second of our lives is under His scrutiny and control.

There isn’t anything in our lives that doesn’t first go through the hands of a loving God who only desires that we grow in our love and obedience for Him. This is what Paul meant when he wrote to the Romans.

ROM 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Whether it is the purpose for a nation, or the purpose God has for our personal lives, there is nothing that will thwart His sovereign will in our lives. This is precisely what God told Isaiah.

ISA 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

PSA 33:11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

This doesn’t mean we don’t get in the way of what God desires for us at any given time, it only means that in the final analysis God will work out His will in our lives to His glory. This is why we don’t lose heart when the world seems to be caving in on us, or lose heart when we don’t see things happening according to our timetable.

God is in control and we need to let Him be in control as we submit to His will and His timetable. And that is where faith and waiting go hand in hand as it did with David on several occasions.

PSA 5:3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

PSA 33:20 We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

PSA 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret - it leads only to evil.

God’s timetable would not be upset with mere men trying to arrest Jesus before His time. In fact, I believe God’s sense of humor is obvious here in our text.

These soldiers of the temple guard go up to arrest Jesus and He does nothing; He doesn’t have to. He simply continues to teach the people. And in that sense He laughs at their feeble attempt to change God’s will for Christ. It’s like what David records for us.

PSA 37:13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16 Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.

PSA 2:2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One.
3 "Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters."
4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.

And when the enemy comes against us as we go forward in the battle for Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we see the enemy making threats and hurling accusations and generally going ballistic over our desire to love and serve Christ, the Lord just laughs at such opposition. And He simply reminds us once more, “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”

And what He pleases to do in the lives of all of His people is to conform us into the image of Christ, and to use us in advancing His kingdom as we submit to Him and encourage each other towards love and good deeds in Christ.

This poor temple guard didn’t have a chance. They come on to the scene dressed in their official looking clothes. Everybody knew who they were and with purposeful looks on their faces they begin to get closer to Jesus as they surround Him on all sides. After all they don’t want Him to escape.

But in surrounding Him Jesus has them right where He wants them; in earshot of what He is teaching. And as they wait for the right moment they begin to listen to His words. But instead of giving the signal to move in the leader of the guard holds back.

They’re all in the right position and they are all waiting in anticipation to carry out their orders, but none of them move. In fact, the only thing that moves is their hearts which the Holy Spirit was speaking to, not necessarily unto salvation, but certainly unto restraining them as they were not allowed to go a step further.

The power of the word of God as Jesus spoke was not unlike the power of the word when Christ called the universe into existence. What could come against it? Nothing. And the more these men listened to Jesus the less they were compelled to act on their orders. They now stood there with their mouths open.

Eventually the signal was given by the officer in charge; but it was not an order to attack but to retreat. And I’m sure as they made their way back to the Jewish leaders they must have talked among themselves and asked, what in the world happened back there?

And I’m sure some said, I haven’t got a clue, but one thing I know; we don’t have a prisoner. And the other thing I know is that the leaders are going to be furious with us. But just like witnesses of a car accident these soldiers can only give the facts of what they know as they convey what happened when asked by the Pharisees, "Why didn't you bring him in?"

MAT 7:28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

The temple guard was basically saying to these chief priests and Pharisees, this Jesus doesn’t teach like you guys, He actually has something to say as it relates to our God and His will for our lives.

It was the very word of God that stopped them from arresting Jesus. But it wasn’t mere words, it was the power of God as Jesus spoke. And it is the power of God that we rest in as believers of Christ as we speak on His behalf. This is why Paul can say, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

But of course if God is for us then why do we so often act as if He’s not? Well, because we so often lack the trust in our God whose power created the heavens and the earth and whose will is to be high and lifted up in our lives.

We need to join the temple guard in saying, "No one ever spoke the way this man does..."

Are we the kind of people in Christ who love His word? Are we the kind of people in Christ who are willing to follow Him as we are doers of His word? Do we marvel at His wisdom and purpose and love and compassion and mercy as it is revealed in His word?

The temple guard was forced to lay aside their own wills as they listened to Christ instead of arresting Him.

Are we willing to lay aside our own wills and purpose, and do the very thing Christ wants? Are we amazed at not just what Jesus has said to us, but are we amazed at His grace extended to us and the forgiveness He promises us by faith in Him alone?

And in that amazement are we grateful for the life we have in Christ and do we show our thankfulness with lives of love and obedience as we seek His will, not ours?

We don’t want to be like the crowds in our text who merely talked about Jesus as being this or that, or even like the temple guard who, though they didn’t arrest Jesus, weren’t willing to change sides and pursue the Lord instead of going back to the one’s who represent the law and death.

We want to be like those who stand in awe of Christ as Lord and Savior and like Thomas, who we mentioned in the beginning of this study, can bow before Christ and say, my Lord and my God.

With that attitude we will never go wrong and we will never take our eyes off of the prize who is Christ Himself.

No one ever spoke like this man and no one ever loved us like Him. May we love Him with all our hearts, souls and minds.

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