Various Reactions of the People
to the Lord’s Teaching
John 7:40-53

LESSON 36

background notes

doctrinal / teaching points
1. The claims of Christ divide people.

2. Religious prejudice is blind.

 

practical application
What kind of report does the unbeliever give about us?

 

questions
1. Who is meant by “the Prophet” in John 7:40?

2. Do the claims of Christ unite or divide people?

3. What did people fail to do concerning the credentials of Christ?

4. Did Jesus come to give peace?

5. The ecumenical movement is a good thing. Right?

6. What is meant by the doctrinal point, “Religious prejudice is blind?”

answers
1. The one referred to in Deuteronomy 18:15,18 – the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. They divide people. Three times in the gospel of John, we read about divisions in the people because of Christ. See John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19.

3. They failed to check them out concerning Jesus’ birthplace and lineage.

4. No. See Luke 12:51-53.

5. Wrong. It is unbiblical because it waters down the claims of Christ. Unity is at the expense of truth.

6. People who will not believe are blind against evidence and reason. For example, the religious leaders said, “Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?” They were implying that none had, but Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea believed, and so did other rulers (John 12:42). Also, they said that no prophet had come from Galilee, but Jonah was a prophet from Galilee. In other words, they had their presuppositions, and they would not be persuaded, even by evidence and reason.

 

discuss / consider
1.  The temple guards reported to the chief priests and Pharisees, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”  These unbelievers could not find a single flaw in the character or teachings of Jesus. How about you? Is your character and speech such that unbelievers must acknowledge that you are different? That you have been with Jesus? Do you have spiritual insight? Do you care? Do you really mean and act upon what you say? What kind of a report do unbelievers have concerning you?

2.  What kind of a report do fellow believers have about you?  Is this a different issue that with unbelievers?

 

challenge
Have you ever put on blinders to evidence and reason?

memorize

“No man ever spoke like this Man!”  John 7:46

“Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”  John 7:51