Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles

Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles:
A Communion Meditation

(or, How To Deal With Irritating People)
Jn 7:1-13

Introduction:
My inspiration for preaching comes from 2 Timothy 3:16. It says that all scripture is inspired by God and useful for reproof, correction and instruction that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. The Puritans described preaching as wounding and healing. The sermon is a bit like a surgeon’s scalpel; the very thing that tears our flesh is meant to bring healing. Likewise, the rebuke and correction that comes from the preaching of the word is meant to bring us healing and unity so that we may be equipped for every good work.

This morning I want us to look at the first 13 verses of John 7 and see how we can be wounded and then healed by this inspired text and thereby made complete and equipped for every good work. Let’s read John 7:1-13…

I want to use 2 Timothy 3:16 to outline my message this morning. First I will explain some key items in this narrative- that’s the instruction. Then I’ll bring us under the surgeon’s knife for some much needed wounding. This is hopefully not me correcting you, but rather, us being corrected by the Word. Richard Baxter warns pastors who preach to others and not first to themselves saying,

…that we should preach so many sermons of damnation, and yet fall into it? And
all because we preached so many sermons of Christ, while we neglected him; of
the Spirit, while we resisted him; of faith, while we did not ourselves believe;
of repentance and conversion, while we continued in an impenitent and
unconverted state; and of a heavenly life, while we remained carnal and earthly
ourselves[1]

What horror for me to warn you of the Holiness of God, while all laying wrath for myself. That is why preaching is such a perilous thing. And I yet I am compelled because the Word of the Lord is a fire within me and I am weary from holding it in- indeed I cannot. I would rather preach badly the counsel of God then preach eloquently the wisdom of man! My hope is that you would rather desire the bitter sweet Word of God then that your ears would itch for things that please them.

Finally, the third part of my message will be to heal by pointing to the grace of God so that we can be equipped to apply this instruction and reproof for the good works that must accompany our faith.

I. Instruction
I just want to point out a few items this morning. I am only laying out the foundation for this chapter, which we will be spending the next couple of weeks going through. Notice that verse 1 says “after these things….” ‘These things’ are the things that preceded in chapter 6; namely, the very public miracle of the feeding of the five thousand and the consequent rejection of Jesus by his disciples. Why did so many reject Jesus? Because he said he was the bread of life (6:48); they were offended by him (v. 61)- and in 6:66 it says that from that time, many of his disciples went back and walked with him no more. As happens so often with the truth, they were wounded, but they never allowed him to heal them. Nevertheless, the twelve whom Jesus had chosen remained with him. When asked, Peter said, “where else shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (6:68).

Jesuswas in Galilee because he would not take gratuitous and flippant chances with the mission he had been given by His Father. When Satan took him to the pinnacle of the temple and tempted him to jump, saying the “angels will catch you” (Lk 4:9-12), Jesus refused. He rebuked Satan saying, “you shall not tempt the Lord your God.” Jesus could walk on water, yet he did not cave to Satan’s dare even though he could have.

Likewise, when his brothers taunted him to go to Jerusalem to receive fame (no doubt because of the accompanying fame it would bring them) he did not yield. Their words were the words of Satan, if ye be the Son of God, manifest yourself to the world. Display your glory.

The Jews sought to kill Jesus. It is implied by the Greek that they craved his death; they meditated upon it and were planning how they might ensnare him. They were expecting him to come to the feast. The people described here as the ‘Jews’ is not inclusive of all Israel, it is a reference to the religious leaders of the Jews. Do you ever wonder what would have happened if The Jews had not rejected Jesus? Could there have been an atoning sacrifice without the rejection of the Messiah?

One final point of instruction (though there is more I could say); that Jesus refused to go up publicly with his brothers did not mean that he did not plan to go. According to Deuteronomy 16:16, even though there were 7 Feasts ordained for Israel, there were three that every Israelite male must attend: the Feast of Unleavened Bread (which was connected the Passover), the Feast of Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles.

Jesus was Jew, born of a woman, born under the Law. He would certainly go up, but not to appease the vanity of his brothers. His time simply had not come. Rather then travel with a caravan of pilgrims whose arrival would certainly have been very public, Jesus chose to travel the back roads with a small group of disciples.

II. Wounding
Let me move on to the correction. I am about to make an incision without any anesthetic so please don’t be angry with me if it hurts. However, if it doesn’t hurt… if it does not prick your conscience, be very concerned. Examine yourself to see whether you are truly of the faith if you are not cut by the correction of the word.

Look at verse 4: “If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For even His brothers did not believe in Him” (4b-5). Their taunt reveals their heart. It was not that they doubted the works; they were worldly men, in darkness. Their whole lives had been spent in the very family of the Lord. No human except his mother and father had a more intimate knowledge of the incarnate deity, and yet they refused to come into the light; they abstained from the living water; they declined to eat the bread of life because the wind had not blown upon them. Nor did they have eyes to see the God whom, by going up to Jerusalem, they pretended to worship while all the while he was in their presence and they denied him. AW Pink writes,
Ah! how ignorant they were of the mind of God and the purpose of His Son’s mission! It was "the pride of life" (1 John 2:16) displaying itself. And how much of this same "pride of life" we see today, even among those who profess to be followers of that One whom the world crucified! [2]

These brothers reveal the hardness of the heart that is caught up in the all the trappings of external religion. They come to church and sing and bow their heads to pray, but their hearts of far from God. Has God given you a talent that you have buried? Has he invited you to a wedding and you refuse to go? Has he come for the rent and you refuse to pay? Do you despise the grace of God towards people you consider worthless. Would you prefer God bring judgment upon people who harm you while you excuse yourself for the greater harm you have caused others? Is Sunday morning all about doing your religious duty, but the rest of the week is as godless as that of the atheist? When was the last time you opened the Bible and spent some meaningful time in prayer? Did you honor God with your lips this morning, while all the while your heart was far from Him? Are you planning to come to this table thinking you are coming to God while all the while you have resisted him in your heart? That wounds me. Does it you?

III. Healing
Here’s the equipping: Cast down your idols. Lay aside every hindrance and sin that so easily entangles you. Pray, beg God to give you the power to resist the flesh; beseech his Spirit to crash upon you that he would create in you religious affections like breathing life on dry bones. Fight to enjoy God more then any other pleasure. Maybe you’re thinking, “How can you judge me pastor, you don’t know what my walk is like with the Lord. You don’t know my heart.” I know, because I know my own rebellious and idolatrous heart and I know because we share the same condition. The good that we should do, that we do not! And the Evil that we should not do, that we do!

Oh what wretched men and women we are who are still captive by the Law of Sin. But thanks be to God that there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Are you in Christ Jesus?

Before you come to this table this morning, ask God to forgive you that you have not drunken deep in the living water he provides; that you have not sustained yourself as you should on his flesh and his blood. Ask him to come with you to this table, or do not come. For if you come without Him, it is a pretense- meaningless idolatry. If any man thirsts, let him come to Jesus and drink. Come thirsty.

HALLELUJAH! WHAT A SAVOIR
HALLELUJAH WHAT A FRIEND
SAVING HELPING KEEPING LOVING
HE IS WITH ME TO THE END
JESUS WHAT A STRENGTH IN WEEKNESS
LET ME HIDE MYSELF IN HIM
TEMPTED TRIED AND SOMETIMES FAILING
HE MY STRENGTH MY VICTORY WIN

NOTES
[1]Baxter, R. The Reformed Pastor. Baxter, Richard.
[2]Arthur W. Pink. Exposition of the Gospel of John. Joseph Kreifels.