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    Jesus's Brothers Disbelieve

    Redeeming Grace Church iconRedeeming Grace Church

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    Well, in saying that, I'd like to invite you this morning to open your Bibles. This is really the compass of Redeeming Grace Church.
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    This is our steering wheel. This is our rudder. It's everything. It's the
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    Word of God. So we're going through the Gospel of John. Today I'd like to speak to you about Jesus' brother's disbelief.
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    And I like to break this up in a two -part series. We're not going to get through the first 13 verses, which this covers all today.
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    I don't believe we're going to. There's a lot here. Not a lot of drama here, though. I was reading
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    R .C. Sproul's commentary on it. He said he had a difficult time in even finding drama in this chapter.
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    But there is much truth here for us to glean on and to learn. So as you open your
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    Bibles with me to the Gospel of John chapter 7, we just finished chapter 6. Very, very deep chapter, wasn't it?
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    And the Word of God has great depth to it. Seventy -one verses in chapter 6 that we looked at, in which we just finished the last
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    Lord's Day. Jesus did a discourse on the bread of life, speaking of himself.
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    And it's basic, very simple, but profound. I pray it was beneficial for you and your spiritual man and your soul to encourage you in.
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    But as we saw in this wonderful chapter as it progressed, it's very apparent that the
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    Jews were rejecting and disbelieving the words of Jesus. I'd like to focus on that, and I want you to think about the words of Jesus.
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    Because really, they loved Jesus' bread that he multiplied. They loved his miracles in which he brought about for the glory of God to teach a lesson.
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    And also they loved his blessings, and they even loved his works. Yet, when it came right down to it, the most important thing, it was his words that they hated.
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    And isn't it so in our world today? Everybody wants the blessings. Everyone wants miracles.
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    Everyone wants, wants, wants, wants. But they never look at the words of Jesus as being the paramount thing.
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    And that's why the Scriptures itself is the most important aspect of our worship service, is the words of God, the word of God itself, the words of Jesus.
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    They hated it. And we see this in the case throughout this gospel.
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    As Jesus sets his face like a flint to go to the cross, the Jews' hatred toward the
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    Messiah actually escalates even more so. And here we are in John 7.
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    We embark on this. We see Jesus is opposed by his family in verse 1 -13, in which we will begin today.
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    And then you see next, then he is opposed at the temple in verses 14 -36.
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    He's opposition, opposition. Then our Lord is opposed by the religious rulers in verses 37 -52.
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    Then in verse 53 -8 -11, we see our
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    Lord is again opposed by his accusers. Now, here in chapter 7 through John chapter 10, chapter 7 through John chapter 10, we have our
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    Lord's third year of ministry. And if this is his third year, you know what's coming.
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    He's almost heading to the cross. His journey to the cross. This is his mission.
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    This is why he was sent from the Father to come here. That was always on his mind.
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    We will see that in today's message. But primarily, he goes to Jerusalem, and this is where he will eventually be crucified under his own people and sinners.
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    But today we will look at and focus on the first nine verses, but I don't think we're going to get through all the nine.
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    But I would like to read the first 13 verses. As we look at our Lord is that he's opposed by his own family members, by his own brothers.
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    And let me read beginning with verse 1 -13. I like to just read it so we can see what we're looking at.
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    And what the Lord has for us to learn from our Lord's rejection from his own family.
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    Hear the word of the living God. Chapter 7, 1 -13. After these things,
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    Jesus walked in Galilee, for he did not want to walk in Judea, because the
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    Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand, and his brothers therefore said to him,
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    Depart from here and go into Judea, that your disciples also may see the works that you are doing.
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    For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly.
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    If you do these things, show yourself to the world. For even his brothers did not believe in him.
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    Then Jesus said to them, My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.
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    The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I testify of it that its works are evil.
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    You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.
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    And when he had said these things to them, he remained in Galilee.
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    But when his brothers had gone up, then he also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
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    Then the Jews sought him at the feast and said, Where is he? And there was much complaining among the people concerning him.
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    Some said he is good, others said no, on the contrary, he deceives the people.
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    However, no one spoke openly of him for the fear of the
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    Jews. Please bow with me in prayer as we look to the Lord and seek his face during this hour of worship.
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    Our Heavenly Father, we praise you, we thank you, and we thank you for your everlasting eternal word.
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    Lord, help us to be never ever to take ever your word for granted.
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    Nothing compares to it in this entire universe. For your word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.
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    Forever settled in heaven, as your word says. Lord, as we begin our study in this wonderful chapter, chapter 7, we thank you for the great privilege,
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    Lord, of entering into the story of Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles. Lord, I do pray that you would open our eyes, the eyes of our hearts, and help us to understand the depth of the message that you have for us.
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    And, Lord, for the promise of eternal life that you give through Christ, which is all important.
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    Lord, I do pray that you would guide us and help us, Lord, to discern your truth by your spirit.
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    Lord, we need the spirit of God. We need your spirit, the true teacher, the one that bears witness with us,
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    Lord, that we are the children of God. To apply these truths to our lives today,
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    Lord, help us. It's just not academic and intellectual.
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    We need transformation, Lord. We need a transformed heart. We thank you for your word that does the work, and we pray for this for your honor and glory.
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    In Jesus' name, amen. John, chapter 7, presents us a rich tapestry of the teachings and the encounters of our
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    Lord showcasing the wisdom, the love, and the power and the authority of Jesus Christ.
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    As we embark in this chapter, we learn the significance of God's timing. There's much we can learn here.
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    We can learn the significance of God's timing. God's timing is always perfect, and it was perfect in the life of Jesus Christ.
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    So that's something we can learn. There's another thing we can learn, too, is the courage to face how
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    God gives us courage through this, and Jesus being the great example for us in the face of opposition.
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    To encourage each and every one of us, because we need this. We need encouragement, but we do need courage to face the opposition that's against the truth.
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    And as you well know, the world is opposed to the truth. The power of prayer is spoken of here in this chapter.
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    Also, as I was looking, we see the authority of Jesus' teachings, the fulfillment found also in the
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    Holy Spirit, the promise that He gives living water, and the importance of wisdom and humility in our interactions with each other.
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    I think this is all important, and we need the Spirit of God to really help us, because we cannot do this in the flesh.
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    We need God to help us. So let us begin, and let's look at verse 1 to 9.
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    We'll probably get to 7. I'll pick it up next Lord's Day as God wills it.
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    But what I have before us, I think, will bless your heart and soul. As the Lord would minister to your heart,
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    Jesus is opposed by His own family. Jesus is opposed by His own family. And there are exhortations that we can see here.
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    But we see that Jesus is rebuked by His own brothers. There's opposition here.
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    So my first point is this. First, we see and observe that Jesus goes up to Jerusalem in secret.
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    We first see and observe that Jesus goes up to Jerusalem in secret, in Galilee, at the
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    Feast of the Tabernacles, as it approaches. And verse 1 says this,
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    After these things, Jesus walked in Galilee. For He did not want to walk in Judea, because the
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    Jews, the ruling authorities, another translation says, sought to kill
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    Him. Sought to kill Him. You see the escalation of how they wanted to kill
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    Him, how they wanted to take Him. There's a lapse of time here, or I should say months, between chapter 6 and chapter 7.
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    This is important for us to see this, because of the time period that's going on here. Because while chapter 6 occurred around the
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    Passover period of time, as you see in chapter 6, verse 4, that mentions the
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    Passover. Now the Passover, the Feast of the Jews, was near. Then we come to chapter 7, occurs at the
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    Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles. So John the Apostle wrote nothing about those months here in his gospel, because his purpose really is not to present the chronology of the life of Jesus, but to portray
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    Him as the Son of the living God, and show us how men reacted, or believed in Him, or disbelieved in Him.
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    And the text says, after these things. What things? Well, the things written to us from the previous chapter, chapter 6.
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    And keep in mind, chapter 6 indicates that Jesus, if you look at the verses very carefully,
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    He only spent two days with the multitude of the 20 ,000 people. This is interesting. Only two days
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    He spent with those 20 ,000 people as He broke the bread, He did the miracle. They rejected
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    Him, they disbelieved Him. There He was, the bread of life, right in front of them.
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    And they still disbelieved. So we see that there's a disbelief, and Jesus only spends two days with the multitude there, and that is spoken of in John 6, 22.
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    Pastor John MacArthur notes this, of the context, but He spent seven months, listen to this, seven months teaching
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    His 12 disciples. See how important it is? Jesus was making disciples, the head of the church in which
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    He gave the command. But He takes these 12, and He pours His life into them.
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    Let me continue His quote. He takes seven months teaching His 12 disciples who believed in Him.
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    This phrase subtly highlights the great importance of discipleship.
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    MacArthur says, For Jesus contracted great lengths of time upon training
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    His future spiritual leaders, end quote. And I think that's so important for us to get that, and I really appreciate
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    MacArthur's insight on that because that is missed quite often. But Jesus takes these 12, 12 apostles, the ones that believed.
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    And if you notice as we came to that portion in chapter 6, it was Simon Peter who was the spokesman, the head apostle, that spoke for the other 11, for all the 12.
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    Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we also come to believe and know that You are the
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    Christ, the Son of the living God. So Jesus pours seven months, only two weeks, with these 20 ,000, the multitudes, seven months into the disciples.
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    Very important for us to see this. After these things, after these things.
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    And that's what it speaks of. That's what it brings to us in chapter 7. And then Jesus walked in Galilee, for He did not want to walk in Judea because, and it tells us, because the
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    Jews, the ruling authority, sought to kill Him. Well, let me give you another comment here, another theologian and is a reformer.
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    John Calvin said this, and I love this. As I was looking into my commentaries,
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    I thought, well, this would be good for the church to hear this. And I love these great men of God.
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    But here is John Calvin. Listen to what he says about verse 1. While Christ avoided dangers,
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    He did not turn aside a hair's breadth from the course of duty.
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    For to what purpose would life be maintained and defended, but that we may serve the
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    Lord? We ought always to take care, therefore, that we do not, for the sake of life, lose the reasons for living, end quote.
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    And that ties into exactly everything what Jesus is doing here. He's on a divine timetable.
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    He is on the Father's timetable, and it's perfect. He avoids certain things, but He's under the supreme authority of God.
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    He's always doing those things which pleases the Father, and He's on that divine timetable. So in a nutshell, what is
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    He doing? He's avoiding the wrong time, and God's perfect providence.
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    And there's nothing to contradict that statement. Jesus is basically avoiding the wrong time, because He's in perfect timing with the
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    Father, and the Father's will. Isn't this wonderful about our Lord? So in other words, it's the sovereign plan of God that dominates here.
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    God's perfect timetable. Jesus is right on schedule to everything that is happening.
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    And we're talking about the perfect Son of God, the Son of Man. We are talking about perfect timing too.
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    Everything about Christ is perfect. Jesus is right on schedule to the
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    Father's timetable and His Son's mission, to Jerusalem, as He sets
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    His face like a flint. And He's got one thing in mind, is to die. To take the sin of the world upon Himself.
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    And to die as the Lamb of God, for He's God's Lamb. And for this reason, Christ came.
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    For He came into the world to seek and save that which is lost. He was to die, to give
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    His life as a ransom for many, on the cross of Calvary to redeem sinners from the wrath of God.
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    That's what He saves us from, folks. And we never need to lose sight of that. He saves us from God's wrath.
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    And that we justly deserve. And we need to understand and we need to tell people in this world, lost and dying world, this is why
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    Christ came. To take that wrath upon Himself and to redeem us.
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    And to save them from the wrath to come. Because God's wrath is abiding on them right now. Verse 2 says,
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    Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. The Feast of Tabernacles, what is this? Well, I'm going to try to summarize this.
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    There's so many commentaries on this that it spans it. I don't want to take up too much time on this, but I'm going to try to put it in a nutshell.
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    The Feast of Tabernacles was one of those important events in the Jewish calendar. And in the
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    Jewish calendar, it came at the time of harvest. It always came at harvest time. And there's a reason it came at harvest.
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    And to celebrate, they celebrated the fact that the Jews lived in temporary shelters.
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    It was a temporary shelter. And this is what they celebrated. Or you could say booths. This is why it's called the
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    Feast of Tabernacles. Or some call it the Feast of the Booths. Shelters, which are only temporary.
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    And they celebrated this time because after they came out of Egypt and God delivered them out of Egypt, this was another celebration that they had.
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    It was a festive, joyful event. God delivered them out of Egypt.
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    It was a joyous holiday for the Jews. And they were always looking forward to the coming day also, and Scripture within the
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    Messiah would reign and save the Jewish nation that would dwell in the land in peace and prosperity.
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    But isn't it ironic? Christ, their Messiah, comes and they reject Him. They oppose
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    Him. And here is all the Jews at this time period, at the harvest, going to celebrate the
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    Feast of Tabernacles. That was at hand. In other words, it's very close. So the
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    Feast was known also for... I think this is really good insight. There's so many aspects on this, but you can look at that in your devotional time.
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    But the Feast of Tabernacles was also known for water drawing. Water drawing.
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    And we see that Jesus makes reference to this. How does He make reference to it?
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    He says, if anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink living water. Living water.
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    There is a fountain. And we see that in verse 37 and verse 38 as the promise of the
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    Holy Spirit on that last day, the great day of the Feast. Jesus stood. And what does
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    He do? He just doesn't teach. He cries out. It's like an invitation.
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    If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me. And he who believes in Me, as the
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    Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. The promise of the
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    Spirit of God. And also Jesus makes reference to the light of the world.
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    That He is, in John 8, 12, I am the light of the world. So we observe that, that Jesus is that, through the
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    Spirit of God, He offers water, everlasting life, the promise of the
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    Holy Spirit. He is that light. So there's the connection of all this.
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    And Jesus' time is perfect as He goes towards the cross.
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    Now this is the furthest thing from the Jewish mind, that the Messiah, they're not even accepting Him as the
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    Messiah, but the Messiah is going to be a crucified Messiah. Well, next we also see, which
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    I believe that's just one aspect of that, as we looked at, that we see, we observe that Jesus goes up to Jerusalem in secret.
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    But also we see and observe the unbelief and the opposition of the brothers of Jesus against Him.
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    Notice verse 3, His brothers therefore said to Him, Well, depart from here and go into Judea, and your disciples also may see the works that you're doing.
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    Well, listen to that. Some people were surprised to read that Jesus even had brothers, but He did.
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    He had four of them. Actually, they're half -brothers. We'll see this. It's very clear from the
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    Scriptures. There's many Scriptures on this. I chose from verse 3 the reference to Matthew 13, 55.
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    Matthew 13, 55 says, and this is what they said of Jesus, Is this not the carpenter's son?
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    We know that there Joseph was a carpenter. Jesus more than likely was along with His father here on this earth, not
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    His real father because His real father is in heaven. But they say,
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    Is this not the carpenter's son? Listen to their doubt about Him. Is not His mother called
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    Mary? They make reference to Mary, and it's interesting they don't make reference to Joseph. It's more than likely that Joseph is already deceased and dead at this time.
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    And His brothers James, Hosea, Simon, Judas.
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    James, we know, is one of the apostles. He's the one that wrote the book of James. And you have
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    Simon, and then you have Judas. Hosea, you don't know.
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    It's another name for Joseph, but there's four half -brothers there with some we don't know much about.
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    But we do know that James wrote the epistle of James, and we also know
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    Judas, as known as Jude. He wrote the book of Jude. He was his half -brothers. But at this point, they're not believing in Him.
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    At this point. They eventually do believe. Down, as you would read in Acts chapter 1, they were there at the day of Pentecost.
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    But at this point, they do not believe. They're half -brothers of Jesus.
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    And, again, because of the virgin birth, Christ being born at the virgin birth, that only
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    Mary is His human mother. And here for a time, even
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    Jesus' own brothers, who are named here in Matthew 13 .55,
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    did not believe in Him. They did not believe. And His own family opposed Mark 3 .21.
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    It's interesting. I chose that as well as a reference. Notice what it says here, the Scriptures. And when
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    His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said,
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    He is out of His mind. They said this about Jesus. And today's interpretation is,
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    He's like a lunatic. He's crazy. He's out of His mind. His own family.
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    Well, it says His own people, but in the Greek expression here used in various ways, it can describe some friends, close acquaintances.
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    In the strictest sense, it means His family, which is probably the best understanding here.
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    Well, what does the Scripture say about Him? Well, that's two Scriptures in the New Testament.
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    What about the Old Testament? Does it say anything about Jesus being rejected and opposed?
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    Absolutely. Listen to this. Isaiah 53 .3 is one that comes to mind most.
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    Very well known, but verse 3 of chapter 53 says, He is despised and rejected by men.
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    Also by His family. A man of sorrows. He's acquainted with grief. And notice what it says about all of us.
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    Actually, it's saying about the Jewish nation, but it's all of us in general. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him.
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    We rejected. He was despised. Again, that word is used twice there.
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    And we did not esteem Him. Despised, rejected, despised. Jesus is despised.
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    We were once there, right? We were rejecting Him, and like the world in darkness, despising
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    Him, rejecting Him for who He is. For who He is.
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    Here the prophet foresees the hatred and the rejection of mankind, and especially the Jewish nation, towards the
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    Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the suffering servant in chapter 53, who suffered not only external abuse, but there's internal grief here that he's despised and rejected.
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    There is grief. There is internal pain in our Lord, in that prophecy.
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    An internal grief to overlook and avoid
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    Christ in responding to Him and coming to Him. People push
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    Jesus away. Notice it's interesting that people in darkness say, They welcome the cults because it appeals to the flesh.
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    They welcome anything that appeals to the flesh. But Jesus deals with the heart problem. What we need the most to be delivered from our sin and the wrath of God.
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    And He deals with that. They hate Him for this. He was despised and we did not esteem
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    Him, Scripture says. Unbelief, rejection, a nation to a crucified
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    Messiah that eventually would come. John 1 .11 says it, doesn't it? He came unto His own things.
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    It could mean His own dominion. And then it says, And His own did not receive Him. That means
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    His own people did not receive Him. The Jewish nation did not receive Him. But it also can mean
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    His own family. His own family despised Him, rejected Him. Now although the
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    Jewish nation, again possessed the Scriptures, they testified of His person and coming, they still did not accept
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    Him as the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel. That He did come, and here
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    He was right in front of them and just manifesting His works and power and teaching of Himself through the miracles.
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    But they didn't get it. They were full of unbelief. They were blinded and had a hard heart.
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    Here's another Scripture in Isaiah. Isaiah 65, 2 and 3 says this, I was sought by those who did not ask for Me.
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    Oh, I love this Scripture because it speaks of the Gentiles that come into the Kingdom of God. But listen to what
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    He says, I was sought by those who did not ask for Me. I was found by those who did not seek
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    Me. And I said, this is the Lord speaking, Here I am, here
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    I am, to a nation that was not called by My name.
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    I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people who walk in a way that is not good according to their own thoughts.
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    Though Israel sought the Lord, they did not, and let me say this, they did that superficially.
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    They were not seeking Him for the right reasons. It was not a genuine seeking after God because they loved
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    God, but they just sought the Lord superficially. And here in the New Testament, we see
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    Paul quoting this in Romans 10, 20. He quotes Isaiah 65, 2 and 3.
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    I was found by those who did not seek Me. Paul quotes it. How important it is to know what the prophets say, the apostles even speak of them and quote them.
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    I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me. How was He made manifest?
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    By those that did not seek Him. How? How? All we could say is sovereign grace. The sovereign grace of God.
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    The sovereign grace of God that comes to us. And that's the way God sought us.
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    We were not seeking Him. He comes to us. And of course He speaks to us through the
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    Word. People say, you know, no man really seeks God. Just always questioning that.
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    I remember R .C. Sproul was answering the question, how can a person seek God? He said, my neighbor says they seek
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    God, but R .C. made a good answer to that question. He said, really they're not seeking
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    God. They're seeking miracles. They're seeking blessings. They're seeking this. But they're really not seeking
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    God because they love God. God is really the seeker and He comes after us.
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    And aren't you glad He does? It's wonderful. Sovereign grace. That's the only one or two words
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    I have for it and you can find many scriptures that back that up. Here's another verse from Jeremiah, the weeping prophet.
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    Jeremiah has so many good verses here, but because of the time frame here,
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    I chose two. Chapter 7, verse 25 and 26. It says this,
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    Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even sent to you all
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    My servants, the prophets, daily. This is God speaking. Daily rising up early and sending them.
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    And in verse 26, Yet they did not obey Me, or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck.
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    That means unbelief, folks. Harden their hearts. Stiffen their neck.
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    And they did worse than their fathers. God was grieved. Then you have another reference in the
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    New Testament concerning the unbelief of the half -brothers. It goes, Matthew chapter 12, verse 46 to 50, says this, and this is a very good one.
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    While he was speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside asking to speak to him.
    32:58
    But he replied to the man who told him, Who is my mother and who is my brothers?
    33:05
    Stretching out his hand. Don't you love that? How God stretches out that picture in the
    33:10
    Old Testament and Jesus Himself in flesh, God in flesh. He stretches out his hand towards his disciples and said,
    33:18
    Here are my mother and my brothers. And then he said, For whoever does the will of my
    33:24
    Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. And by the way, that is not a verse there that emphasizes salvation by works.
    33:31
    It means there's obedience that is the fruit and it comes out of a regenerate heart.
    33:38
    They do the will of God. That is the obedience. That is to obey God and to obey
    33:43
    God's will is everything in Scripture. But it's only to the regenerate they obey.
    33:50
    A couple of things we see here because first of all, Jesus was not repudiating the earthly family and that time is made evident in John 19, 27 and 26 and 27.
    34:08
    When Jesus was dying on the cross, you know the story on Calvary's cross. In verse 26,
    34:14
    Jesus foresaw his mother and disciple whom Jesus loved by and he said to his mother right there while Jesus was hanging on the cross, he says,
    34:24
    Woman, behold your son. In verse 27, he said to the disciple,
    34:30
    Behold your mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own home. Why did
    34:35
    I quote that? Because Jesus is not repudiating that we just cast our own family aside.
    34:42
    No, what he was trying to, what is he doing? So Jesus, there at the cross, he's basically saying that during his death, which
    34:50
    I think this is so powerful and such a lesson for us. Jesus, as he was dying and hanging on a cross and crucified, he was not even thinking of his own self.
    35:01
    He was thinking of his mother and here she was in her older age. Never once Jesus was thinking of himself, but always the needs of others and there his mother, he says,
    35:13
    Behold your son. His own earthly family did matter.
    35:19
    Rather he was, what was he saying about who is my mother, my sisters, my brothers?
    35:26
    He was actually emphasizing the supremacy of the eternal importance of our spiritual relationship within the family of God.
    35:38
    He's not saying abandoning your family. You've got to take care of your family. We know that.
    35:44
    It's very important. There's the household of faith too, right? But it's like a lesson.
    35:51
    It's like a microcosm for us and that's why each home matters. It's like a miniature church, Jonathan Edwards said, but it's also speaking of a spiritual relationship.
    36:01
    That's very important, isn't it? Well, there's much more that could be said about that, but let's move on.
    36:08
    John 7, verse 4. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly.
    36:19
    This is what they say that his brothers are saying to him. We don't know which one, but he had four brothers.
    36:26
    That's speaking here. It doesn't say. And anything in secret while himself seeks to be known openly, if you do these things, show yourself to the world.
    36:37
    Show yourself openly. Listen to this, verse 5. Even his brothers did not believe him after that statement.
    36:45
    Now, I want to make some comments about this statement. It could be that these words from verse 4 were spoken to Jesus in sarcasm.
    36:54
    You see that? Can you hear the sarcasm in that they're basically telling him his relatives seem to imply that the
    37:01
    Lord was looking for something publicly. You're esteeming yourself.
    37:08
    You're going to be somebody. As you say this, you're the Messiah. See, you notice what they're saying sarcastically?
    37:16
    Let me say this. What else was performing all these miracles in Galilee if he did not want to become famous?
    37:22
    In other words, they're saying this is a way you could be publicly known more and more and be famous. I think they were thinking in themselves.
    37:31
    You get that? They were thinking in themselves they were not thinking of Jesus because they would sarcastically say this because they had a hard heart of unbelief.
    37:43
    Now is your big opportunity, Lord. You say you're the Messiah. Here's your big opportunity.
    37:49
    Look at the temptations that's brought even before his own brothers. Like, bypass the cross.
    37:57
    That's implied there. Here's your big opportunity. They basically say, in effect, you have been seeking to become famous.
    38:07
    You should go to Jerusalem for the feast. Hundreds of people. It's going to be a lot of people there.
    38:15
    And you will have a great opportunity to perform many miracles there. This is what they're saying, in effect.
    38:21
    Galilee is a little quiet place on the map. You are practically performing your miracles in secret there.
    38:31
    So why won't you do this and go up to this feast? We know that you want to become well known, don't you?
    38:38
    You make a name for yourself. Then they added this.
    38:46
    If you do these things, show yourself to the world then. Oh, the sarcasm.
    38:52
    Isn't it sad? It almost grieves you just to hear this come from his own brothers. I love
    39:00
    Jesus' reply. We'll see that in a minute. But he so graciously replies to them. But he gives a powerful truth to them.
    39:08
    And it's powerful. Thought here seems to be, like I said, if you really are the Messiah, if you're really doing these things and these miracles, he said, to prove it, why don't you just offer these proofs where they will really count, namely in Judea.
    39:24
    Well, verse 5 says basically what's coming out of their heart. Even his brothers did not believe him.
    39:34
    Even his own family did not believe him. Aren't you there? You and I are there.
    39:40
    We have people in our own family that do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we'll see why in a minute.
    39:48
    Here his brothers had no sincere desire to see him glorified, by the way. They had no sincere desire to see the
    39:55
    Lord in the right intent of their heart. It was sarcastic. It was unbelief.
    40:02
    Here his brothers had no sincere desire for they did not believe him to be the Messiah, the
    40:08
    Son of the living God. Neither were they willing to entrust themselves to him. Again, what they said to Jesus was sarcastic.
    40:16
    A .W. Pink says this concerning this text. And this is a good one about the unbelief towards Jesus.
    40:24
    Pink says, How these words betray their hearts. How these words betray their hearts.
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    They were men of the world. Consequently, they adopted its ways, spoke of its language, and employed its logic.
    40:39
    Show thyself to the world meant accompanying us to Jerusalem. Work some startling miracle before the great crowds who will be assembled there.
    40:50
    And thus, not only make yourself the center of attraction, but convince everybody you are the
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    Messiah. Ah, how great of an ignorance, full of ignorance they were of the mind of God and the purpose of the
    41:05
    Son's mission. And Pink says this, It was the pride of life displaying itself.
    41:15
    The pride of life. End quote. And it goes right along with 1 John 2 .16,
    41:21
    doesn't it? Listen to 1 John 2 .16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life is not of the
    41:34
    Father. Underscore that. Is not of the Father, but is of the world.
    41:40
    And the world system, by the way. We're not talking about the cosmos. We're talking about the system of the world.
    41:46
    And the world is passing away. We need to be reminded of this, beloved. This world is passing away.
    41:53
    This world system has passed away. And the lust thereof. And then it says, But he that does the will of God abides forever again.
    42:01
    Those who do the will of God. Very convincing, isn't it?
    42:08
    And then Jesus' mind and heart. Christ was set on doing the will of His Father.
    42:18
    How do we know this? How do we know that His face was set like a flag? Well, Scripture says it.
    42:24
    And we know about His mission because of the Scriptures. Not because some preacher said it, but yes, the preacher proclaims it.
    42:32
    But what I'm talking to you about is right from the Word of God. And notice next, we read the words of Jesus and His reply to His brothers.
    42:42
    And actually, what He's saying, we're on two different timetables here, Jesus is saying. We're of two different worlds.
    42:50
    Notice in verse 6, His reply. The Lord's reply. Jesus said to them,
    42:56
    Now, underscore that. My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.
    43:07
    Now, let me ask a question. Haven't we heard this before from our Lord? We are reminded in John 2, verse 4.
    43:18
    This recalls the response again that Jesus' mother Mary at the wedding in Canaan. Verse 3, notice what it says.
    43:26
    And when they ran out of wine, remember? The mother of Jesus said to them, They have no wine.
    43:33
    Remember what Jesus said to her? Woman. And that's not meaning disrespect, okay?
    43:39
    You have to study the culture aspect of it. He's not being disrespectful calling His mother woman.
    43:45
    But it was like, actually a respectful way. Who does, I'm sorry, what does your concern have to do with me?
    43:54
    Two different worlds here. She didn't understand this either. Even though it was a prophecy from Simeon that talked about the prophecy of the crucifixion.
    44:03
    They just didn't get it and understand about a crucified Messiah. And this phrase here that He speaks, and He gives the question,
    44:13
    Woman, what does this concern you? What does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.
    44:21
    My hour. My time. Jesus constantly refers to this throughout the
    44:28
    Gospels, especially John. John's Gospel. Of His death and His exaltation.
    44:36
    Notice this. I want to go through them real quick. The Word of God speaks volumes on this. What does it say?
    44:43
    John 7, 30. Therefore they sought to take Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
    44:52
    That's John 7, 30. John 8, 20. These words Jesus spoke in the treasury as He taught the temple.
    44:58
    And no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come. His hour has not yet come.
    45:05
    John 12, 23. But Jesus answered them saying, The hour has come that the
    45:10
    Son of Man should be glorified. Then in John 12, 27. As He goes to the cross, and He's about to go to the cross, and He cries out,
    45:20
    Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour, but for this purpose
    45:30
    I came to this hour. You see how important it is? Verse 28.
    45:36
    Father, glorify Your name. Then a voice from heaven saying, I have both glorified it, and I will glorify it again.
    45:44
    The Father speaks there. Verbally. Because we know this.
    45:49
    In verse 29. Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said it had thundered. Others said an angel had spoken to them.
    46:00
    They could not even recognize the voice of the Father. John 13, 1.
    46:06
    Now before the feast of the Passover. When Jesus knew that His hour had come.
    46:11
    His hour. That He should depart from this world to the Father having loved His own who were in the world.
    46:17
    He loved them to the end. Let me make a comment about that. Because that's so good. He loves His own to the end.
    46:23
    Meaning to perfection. Meaning to perfection of perfect love. With great compassion and common grace for the sinners of the world.
    46:34
    But of His very own. His special. His elect. His own people.
    46:39
    His own sheep. He loves with a special perfect love. Aren't you glad?
    46:47
    To the very end. To the very end. He just doesn't love us once. God's love is constant.
    46:54
    God's love is never changing. God's love is eternal. And no one can stop it. No one can change it.
    46:59
    Because that's the way God is. God is from everlasting to everlasting. His love never changes.
    47:05
    It never cools. It never heats. Like our little affections do. God's love is always the same.
    47:12
    Praise His name. Aren't you glad of that? That it never cools. It never heats.
    47:19
    It's always hot, by the way. It's always red hot. It's always blazing hot to you because He loves you with an everlasting love.
    47:29
    It's a holy love. It's not this compromising love that the world thinks of God.
    47:34
    It's a holy love. It's the love, the things that God loves and the hate, the things that God hates.
    47:44
    John 17, 1. Jesus spoke these words again. He's praying. He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said,
    47:50
    Father, the hour has come. This is right before He goes to the cross. Glorify Your Son that Your Son may glorify
    47:56
    You. The hour, the hour, the time. His crucifixion, His death, His exaltation.
    48:03
    So critical, so important. And here it says, My time has not yet come, but Your time is always ready.
    48:09
    He responds to His unbelieving brothers and He speaks about His time. My time has not yet come at this point in the story.
    48:21
    Christ's time was His crucifixion to Calvary as the Passover lamb, the
    48:27
    Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. Well, there's much more that could be said on that.
    48:33
    Jesus' brothers did not believe in Him. They were of the world, therefore knew nothing of God's eternal purposes or His timetable.
    48:44
    Because of their unbelief, beloved, they did not listen to the
    48:49
    Word, the words of Jesus. They did not recognize
    48:54
    God's eternal perfect timetable. God's is perfect.
    49:02
    They didn't understand that because of their unbelief. They were blind to it. Well, last in conclusion,
    49:10
    I'd like to say, we've got verse 7 to 9, but I don't think we have time to get through it.
    49:16
    Verse 7 says, Jesus says this, He goes on, The world cannot hate you because it hates
    49:21
    Me, because I testify of it. I testify of it that its works are evil.
    49:30
    This is one of the main reasons why the world hates Jesus. This is about as far as we're going to go to today's lesson, but I'm telling you, there's a lot here, folks.
    49:41
    It reminds me of what the Puritan Matthew Henry said, Christ is hated because sin is loved.
    49:47
    That's the truth, isn't it? You know, Matthew Henry just didn't think that up.
    49:52
    He gets this from the Bible. John chapter 3, verse 19 and 20. Jesus says this.
    49:59
    He gets it from the Lord, the Lord of glory. Jesus says this, and this is the judgment or the condemnation, that light has come into the world and people love darkness rather than the light because their deeds or works were evil.
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    For everyone who does wicked things hates the light.
    50:23
    That is the light, Jesus, He's the light. Lest His works or deeds should be exposed, manifest, brought out.
    50:34
    Folks, that's why we confess our sins, don't we? That's why we come to Christ and say, Lord, here I am because He knows our hearts anyway.
    50:41
    You might as well confess it. I remember Corrie Ten Boone said this. She said, you might as well confess it all to God because He knows your hearts,
    50:48
    He knows your mind, He knows everything you think, but He loves you. And He wants to see you repent and restored and He can even grant the repentance and help you in that.
    51:00
    He does not leave us as orphans, does He? He does not leave us to our own trying and trying to muster this up.
    51:07
    He comes alongside us and He helps us. Well, let me give an application, a verdict basically.
    51:17
    It's one on salvation, but I think that wonderful salvation message never gets old, does it? He who believes in me and Him is not condemned.
    51:27
    Verse 18, but he who does not believe has condemned already. Jesus said that. Because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten
    51:37
    Son of God. To believe into the name, to believe His name, is also to believe in Him.
    51:46
    And Him means much more than just mere intellectual acknowledgement.
    51:53
    Because even the demons believe and tremble, right? What does it mean?
    52:00
    So what does it really mean? It means to totally trust. It means to totally rely.
    52:06
    D .L. Moody put it this way, and I got something in the closing here on D .L. Moody, and I think you'll love about his own life in closing.
    52:15
    But Moody says, to trust in God means to throw yourself with all your weight on God.
    52:22
    In other words, you pour all to God. You see David doing this quite often through the
    52:27
    Psalms. He just throws himself at the mercy of God, doesn't he? Psalm 51, Have mercy upon me,
    52:33
    O God. Have mercy. Mercy is throwing yourself on God. Lord, have mercy.
    52:40
    Have compassion on me. I have sinned against you and you alone. David said. It wasn't just against Bathsheba.
    52:47
    He doesn't even mention Bathsheba, does he? But he does say, I have sinned against God and God alone.
    52:54
    And folks, children, everyone here, when we sin, when we do sin, we sin against God. And you know what should hurt us about that?
    53:02
    We grieve God. We grieve Him. But He's willing to restore us.
    53:10
    And it has to come through repentance. That means we must forsake it. We must confess it and forsake it.
    53:17
    So that means to trust in Him. And that also means to completely commit ourselves to the
    53:23
    Lordship of Christ. To commit ourselves to who He is, which results in a complete transformation of life.
    53:31
    John 3, 7. Jesus says, Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. He says that to a religious
    53:37
    Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus. We must be regenerated. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, 17,
    53:44
    Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.
    53:50
    I love that verse. What does that mean? That means two words. Those two key words.
    53:56
    In Christ. Are you in Christ? If you're in Christ, old things have passed away.
    54:03
    All things have become new. It also encompasses forgiveness of sins, forgiveness paid for in Christ's substitutionary death on the cross.
    54:14
    It always goes to the cross. Because that's where Jesus paid the price. I like what
    54:21
    Spurgeon said. You can sum up my theology, Spurgeon said, in four simple words. Jesus died for me.
    54:29
    Jesus died for me. All that theology is summed up.
    54:36
    That's why Paul says, I preach Christ and Christ crucified. I thought I'd give you an example from D .L.
    54:42
    Moody in closing. I'd like to give you two things. I hope I've got enough time for this. Moody, at his conversion, the words he spoke at his conversion, and what
    54:53
    Moody spoke at his death. I want you to hear this. This will bless you. The transformation that this man had.
    55:02
    He only had a third grade education. He was a scholarly man intellectually. He didn't go to seminaries.
    55:09
    And actually, some people say, well, that's the reason why we shouldn't have seminaries and so forth. But no, he felt there was a burden in his soul to have schools to train up disciples and to learn and to prepare themselves.
    55:23
    Seminaries can give us the tools to help us, but it has to be the
    55:28
    Lord doing the ordaining. And the Spirit of God is really the real one that teaches men to preach the call of God.
    55:37
    But listen to D .L. Moody when he came to Christ of the change that he said that took place in his life at a very young age when he was converted to Christ.
    55:49
    And I believe, if I'm not mistaken, I didn't get the whole story on this, but I believe it was during Sunday school he heard the word of God and he heard the gospel.
    55:58
    I remember, he says, the morning on which I came out of my room after I had first trusted Christ, I thought the old sun shone a good deal brighter than I had ever yet before.
    56:10
    I thought that it was just a smiling upon me and as I walked out of the Boston Common and heard the birds singing in the trees and thought that it was still singing a song to me.
    56:22
    Do you know, I tell you, I fell in love with the birds. I never cared for them before, but it seemed to me that I was in love with all of creation that God made and I had not a bitter feeling against any man in the world.
    56:40
    I was ready to take all men in my heart. He said that. It's his exact words on the day of his conversion.
    56:46
    And it's almost like all things become new. Behold, he saw everything from a different perspective.
    56:52
    Everything had its purpose. The sunshine, the birds, that's what he's saying. That's conversion, folks.
    57:00
    This is what Jesus can do from your heart, from the inside out. What about his last words before he died?
    57:08
    This will bless you. I'm not for sure exactly what age he was converted to Christ, but I do know he died and went home to be with the
    57:16
    Lord at the age of 62. This is his words as he laid dying. This is going to bless you.
    57:23
    Excuse me if I get emotional about this because this man was a man of God, simple, simple gospel preacher.
    57:30
    He recognized he was nothing. Matter of fact, he was turned down to be a preacher of the gospel one time because he could not pronounce certain words.
    57:42
    Before board, they rejected him. And God used this man in history.
    57:48
    He says this at his dying deathbed, Earth recedes, heaven opens before me.
    57:56
    If this is death, it's sweet. There is no valley here.
    58:04
    God is calling me, and I must go. His family stood by him while he was dying, and his son said,
    58:12
    No, no, Father, you're dreaming. You're just dreaming. He said,
    58:19
    Ha ha, I'm not dreaming. I'm not dreaming. He says, I've been within the gates, seen the children's faces.
    58:30
    And his last words was this, beloved. How would you like your last words to be like this before you enter it in?
    58:36
    He said, Death is sweet. Folks, that was his homecoming. This is what it is to a child of God.
    58:42
    We don't have to fear death because Jesus took the stinger out of it. He said this,
    58:49
    This is my triumph. This is my coronation day. And it is glorious.
    58:57
    And right there he died. Folks, he lived for Christ Jesus to the max, fully knowing at death where he was going.
    59:06
    He had that assurance that Jesus knew him and that he knew
    59:12
    Jesus. And he served Jesus faithfully. And may we do that. He had that blessed assurance.
    59:19
    And he lived for Jesus until the day he died. And you just heard his last words before he died.
    59:24
    It was glorious. And folks, it can be glorious for each and one of us as well. Because of Jesus.
    59:31
    Because of his death. Because he took the sin. Our sin. My sin.
    59:37
    Your sin. And he took the wrath of God all the way.
    59:44
    He triumphed. Jesus can give that kind of victory, folks.
    59:50
    And it's real. And we need to tell the world. Amen. Are you trusting in Jesus today?
    59:58
    Do you know him? Do you know, as Paul says, Do you know whom you have believed and you persuaded that he is able to keep that which he's committed unto him against that day?
    01:00:09
    Have you trusted in Jesus Christ? Have you thrown yourself fully on him and on his sacrifice that he died for you?
    01:00:18
    Have you repented of your sins? Have you turned from your sins? Have you confessed your sins? Have you turned to Christ and Christ alone?
    01:00:26
    And saying, as David says, I've sinned against you and you alone, O God. I've grieved your heart.
    01:00:32
    And I confess that and I forsake it. And I need your mercy, Lord, upon my heart and soul.
    01:00:40
    Have mercy upon me. Like the man that cried out. The Pharisee was saying all these big prayers. I'm not like that man over there.
    01:00:47
    I'm not like him. I fast and I do this and I do that. And the publican says, Smote his breast.
    01:00:53
    Have mercy upon me. And that's, Jesus said, that man went home justified. It doesn't take big prayers.
    01:01:01
    God knows our heart. Like the thief on the cross. He said, Lord, remember me when you come into paradise.
    01:01:11
    Have you repented? Have you turned from your sins? Have you believed in this wonderful Savior? Have you believed in him?
    01:01:20
    Have you put your faith in Jesus today? And have you yielded complete allegiance to his Lordship as Lord and Savior?
    01:01:31
    This is everything. In life and in death. And all the way to death, we can have a testimony in Jesus Christ and justified by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus Christ that God justifies the ungodly, just as he did for Moody.
    01:01:50
    So if you don't know the Lord today, that's the all -important thing. 2 Corinthians 6 says, where he says,
    01:01:56
    In acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time.
    01:02:05
    Behold, now is the day of salvation. Don't put this off if you have not come to Jesus Christ.
    01:02:11
    It's a passionate plea and an urgent plea for salvation. May we apply that to our own hearts as well.
    01:02:20
    And if you're in Jesus Christ, let's constantly give the gospel to our lost and dying relatives that need
    01:02:27
    Jesus Christ as well. Thank God these unbelieving brothers of Jesus, they did believe eventually.
    01:02:34
    They did come. We know that through the Scriptures. Well, let's pray.
    01:02:40
    Praise his name. Our Father and our God, here we stand, and it's all because of your amazing grace through Jesus Christ your
    01:02:52
    Son for the day of salvation that has come to us, the day of visitation.
    01:02:59
    When Jesus lived for our righteousness and perfect obedience to your law, Lord, he fulfilled it.
    01:03:05
    Thank you, Father, for his substitutionary death that he bled and died.
    01:03:11
    His blood cleanses whiter than snow. Lord, I pray if there's anyone here today that does not know you,
    01:03:17
    I pray that they would come to know you and trust in you and believe in you.
    01:03:26
    Lord, you justify the ungodly. We thank you, Father, not only for the death of Jesus, but we thank you for the burial that Jesus took our sins far away into the depths of the sea of forgiveness and remembered against us no more.
    01:03:41
    Thank you, Father, for the glorious resurrection of our Lord, that his resurrection will be our resurrection.
    01:03:49
    He's the firstborn from the dead, the one gloriously defeated death, hell, and the grave. Lord, we thank you for that.
    01:03:57
    We rejoice in that today for his death, burial, and resurrection. Lord, we pray again for those that don't know you today, and we pray that your blessed
    01:04:08
    Holy Spirit would bring many souls to glory, even those that are here today, this morning.
    01:04:15
    Thank you, Father, for the patience that you give to us, and I know we know one day by your word,
    01:04:21
    Lord, your patience will run out. That's why today is the day of salvation.
    01:04:27
    We do not need to put this off if we have. So, Father, we thank you, and we pray these things for your honor and glory.