Jesus Glorifies God

September 17, 2023 Background Scripture: John 7:14 - 24 Lesson Passage: John 7:14 - 24 In today's lesson, Jesus offered a different perspective on how to evaluate a person's minist1Y. One's ministry can be received from others, it can be of the person's own creation, or it can be received from God. The source of a person's ministry determines how we will direct our praise for what we appreciate about that minist1Yi If we are excited and appreciative about what one teaches or does, we will praise the work and the source. If we believe a person attended an excellent school, and we observe great works from him, then we will praise the school for producing such an amazing student. If we believe a person to be self-taught or gifted from birth, then we will praise their creativity or creative expression. In fact, we will likely label them a genius, or prodigy. If we believe a person's ministry to be the results of a well-known mentor, then we will heap praise on the mentor because of the person's service. In each of these situations, we tend to respond to a person's service or work of excellence by directing praise to what we believe to be the source, or inspiration for such. In essence, this is what we refer to as giving glory to the source for the good works that are produced. Jesus was different from the other Jews. The difference generated much discussion among the Jews—including their religious leaders. There was no doubt among them that Jesus was performing miracles. However, they questioned the source of His ability to do so. Some of the leaders stated that Jesus was using some type of demonic power to do the miracles. One reason they said it was because He worked some miracles on the Sabbath. They argued that Jesus was disobeying God by working on the Sabbath and therefore what He did could not have been of God. The Jewish leaders sought to kill Jesus because He healed a man at the pool of Bethesda on a Sabbath. As a result, Jesus stayed away from Judea and began to minister in the region of Galilee. When one of the three great annual Jewish festivals approached, Jesus' brothers went to Him sarcastically. The Law required all Jewish men to present themselves at the temple in Jerusalem during the three annual festivals. At that time, Jesus' brothers did not believe in Him as being the Son of God. They challenged Him to go to the festival and work His miracles openly so that all the Jews could see and believe in Him. Jesus told them to go to the feast because He was not going yet. They went to the feast and Jesus remained in Galilee. It was a seven-day festival. Jesus went to it on the fourth day, in the middle of the feast. Jesus entered the temple and taught the people. The Jewish scholars were amazed because of His knowledge although He had not attended their school. They asked, where did He receive such knowledge? In other words, where should they direct their praise for such profound teaching? Jesus stated that the One who sent Him gave Him His doctrine. Jesus did not want them to think His doctrine was of His own creation. Then, they would praise Him for it. The praise for Jesus' teaching belonged to God. Jesus used that opportunity to address the Jews' misguided intentions of seeking to kill Him. They intended to kill Him because they didn't understand the Sabbath Law. Jesus pointed out that they obeyed the Law concerning circumcision by sometimes performing it on a Sabbath. Yet, they sought to kill Him for healing a man on a Sabbath. Killing Him would break the Law God gave to Moses for the Jews. They could never judge the Sabbath law righteously when they were so willing to violate the Ten Commandments by seeking to kill Him. They could only judge the Law righteously when they would be willing to obey it themselves. The motivation to do so must come from God. Then they would be willing to give God the glory for His righteousness expressed by His Law. Jesus identified God as the source of His ministry. In doing so, Jesus glorified God through His ministry. Robert C. Hudson September 8, 2023