Episode 5: Jesus the Promised Presence (John 7:1-52)

With yet more mind-blowing references to the Old Testament, Jesus is making it very clear to all those around him just who he is and why he has come. Come and join us for this next part of John’s gospel, as we marvel at what he is promising to all who believe.

• Questions to Dig into over a Cup of Tea

  How does the context in this chapter help grow our view of Jesus here?

  How does this chapter help us to see the everyday significance of God dwelling with us by his spirit?

  Where do you need to be reminded of this truth this coming week?

• Sponsorship Details

  This episode is sponsored by Crossway.

  Crossway is a not-for-profit ministry, publishing gospel-centred, Bible-based content that honours our Saviour and serves his church. For information, click here.

• Episode Transcript

  The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy.

  Sarah: We're thankful to Crossway, who are sponsoring this season. Ten questions every teen should ask and answer about Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin is a book aimed at teenagers and yet I got so much out of reading it myself. It's a helpful taste of apologetics, being reminded of why the Christian faith holds up against scrutiny, spoken at a level that teenagers will be able to engage with and understand for themselves. It's winsome, it's compassionate and it's thorough. I think it would be a great book to read together as a family and discuss it or something to give to teenagers. You know, pick up your copy wherever books are sold.

  Felicity: Welcome to two sisters and a cup of tea. My name is Felicity, I'm here in the States. This is my sister Sarah. She's in the UK and we are really excited to be jumping into John Chapter seven as we continue in this season. Sarah, tell us your best thirst quenching cup of tea.

  Sarah: Oh, best thirst quenching cup of tea. I don't think anything beats a Yorkshire tea when you really, really feel like a cup of tea. Like in that moment, I guess another question would be like, when is that moment? When is the best cup of tea served? I mean, what would you say?

  Felicity: Well, I feel like on a daily occurrence, I genuinely look forward to my morning cup of tea just before everyone else is awake. The kind of quiet circumstance for it. But there is also just that as a woman who has given birth in England, the tea and toast after that the midwives bring you, I mean, that's the win. I just don't think it can be beaten. I mean, have you got a competitor for it?

  Sarah: I'm not even going to try, no. Well, we are reading another long passage today. We're into the whole of chapter Seven, but we hope as we then read it and as we talk about it, that will become clear as to why we really are taking all of this chapter together. So I'm going to go for it. I'm going to read chapter seven, verses one to 52. After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. But when the Jewish festival of Tabernacles was near, Jesus's brothers said to him, leave Galilee and go to Judea so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you're doing these things, show yourself to the world. For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Therefore, Jesus told them, my time is not yet here for you. Any time will do. The world cannot hate you. But it hates me because I testified that its works are evil. You go to the festival. I'm not going up to this festival because my time has not yet fully come. After he'd said these things, he stayed in Galilee. However, after his brothers had left the festival, he went also not publicly, but in secret. Now, at the festival, the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, where is he? Among the crowds, there were as widespread whispering about him. Some said, he's a good man. Others replied, no, he deceives the people. But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders. Not until halfway through the festival. Did Jesus go up to the Temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews there were amazed and asked, how did this man get such learning without having been taught? Jesus answered, my teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God. Will find out whether my teaching comes from God. Or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory. But he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth. There is nothing false about him. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law? Why are you trying to kill me? You are demon possessed. The crowd answered, who's trying to kill you? Jesus said to them, I did one miracle, and you are all amazed yet. Because Moses gave you circumcision. Though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs. You circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. Now, if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath. So that the law of Moses may not be broken. Why are you angry with me for healing a man's whole body on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly. At that point, some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, isn't this the man they're trying to kill? Here he is speaking publicly, and they're not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he's the Messiah? But we know where this man is from. When the Messiah comes, no one will know where he's from. Then Jesus, still teaching in the Temple courts, cried out, yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I'm not here on my own authority. But he who has sent me is true. You did not know him, but I know him because I am from him. And he sent me at this. They tried to seize him but no one laid a hand on him. Because his hour had not yet come. Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, when the Messiah comes. Will he perform more signs than this man? The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. Jesus said, I'm with you for only a short time. And then I'm going to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me. And where I am, you cannot come. The Jews said to one another, where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live. Scattered amongst the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What did he mean when he said, you'll look for me, but you will not find me. And where I am, you cannot come. On the last and greatest day of the festival. Jesus stood and said in a loud voice. Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said. Rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit. Whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time, the spirit had not yet been given. Since Jesus had not yet been glorified. On hearing his words, some of the people said, surely this man is the Prophet. Others said, he's the Messiah. Still others asked, how can the Messiah come from Galilee? Does not scripture say that the Messiah will come from David's descendants. And from Bethlehem, the town where David lived? Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. Finally, the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees. Who asked them, why didn't you bring him in? No one ever spoke the way this man does. The guards replied, you mean he's deceived you also? The Pharisees retorted. Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in him? No, but this mob that knows nothing of the law. There is a curse on them. Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier. And who was one of their own number. Asked, does our law condemn a man without first hearing him? To find out what he's been doing? They replied, are you from Galilee too? Look into it and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.

  Felicity: Thank you, Sarah. A long chapter, as you say. But there's so much going on in here. And clearly from the start. We have the question of Jesus'identity, his kind of forefront. We have his brothers not really getting who he is. We have obviously, the Jewish leaders, they're beginning to just make more of an appearance. We feel the tension kind of building on that, knowing what is to come. John makes it very clear as to what kind of time of year it is here. So if we're just going to jump straight into verse two there. The Jewish festival of Tabernacles was near. Now, both you and I have had a bit of a revelation this week as to what's going on with this kind of backdrop. So do you want to help us understand a bit of that before we kind of get into the nitty gritty?

  Sarah: Yes. So the festival of Tabernacles was an Old Testament festival that was celebrating, firstly, God's provision through harvest time and all that God provided. Secondly, it was celebrating God's presence with them through the wilderness. And the Tabernacle was the temporary temple before the temple was built. So we've got this kind of theme of God's presence and God's provision being celebrated. This is the time of year where it was happening. And so just take that and kind of step, one step kind of out again and see the connection between what we saw last week with Jesus saying that he is the bread of life, he is the harvest, he's providing all that you need in him. So the celebration of the harvest. And then you take this theme of the Tabernacle through and you just kind of try and track that a little bit through chapter seven and you see that. So we've got John mentioning that it's the festival of the Tabernacles. You've got them going up to this festival. You've got it mentioned again, and then you've got Jesus in verse 14 going up to the temple where God is present. Well, that's kind of. It symbolized God's presence and Jesus is choosing to teach there. You've then got another mention of it as the crowds continue to gather around there. And then on verse 37, you've kind of got this culmination of Jesus. Well, Felicity, you take over. What's the culmination? What's going on here?

  Felicity: Well, here we have so Jesus in the temple. It's this festival of Tabernacles that you've just been talking about, and particularly in relation to his presence, because he's in the temple. Temples are all about God being with his people. And we have Jesus saying in verse 37 and 38, let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me. As scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit whom those who believed in him were later to receive. This is it, God dwelling with his people through the Holy Spirit. And it is through Jesus that this living water of the Holy Spirit is given. And so what Jesus is declaring here, it's not really about water, it's about the Spirit. It's about God's presence with his people. I love the image of the living water because that is unendingly present. Like living water flows and flows and flows. It's a river. It's not a stagnant pool. It doesn't kind of dry out. And it's lively water. It's not like water that just kind of sits still and does not a puddle. It's not a. Exactly, exactly. The spirit is active. He is with us and he is active, and that is what it is. As we believe in Jesus, we have the living water and so we will never thirst again. He provides, like you were saying, and he also does so much more, so much more.

  Sarah: And I think what's been, I think we genuinely like, just as we were talking about this before we pressed record, we all get, we were getting so.

  Felicity: Excited about it together.

  Sarah: But just the fact that drawing out the context really has made a difference to us, seeing the depth of what he's saying, that actually this is tracking all the way back to Genesis again in terms of God walking with his people, dwelling with his people, and that promise through the Old Testament that he will do that one day and it will be certain and it is fulfilled. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of this whole festival. This whole festival was something that was going to look forward to God dwelling with his people. And here he is declaring it in the temple and saying, I am it. Look at me. This is God in the right beginning of John's Gospel, isn't it? And he tabernacled with us, with the people, and just that. Yeah, it's here for everyone to see. But then, isn't it then so striking that we get this kind of momentum gathering through this chapter of the leaders hardening even more? And the kind of mention of killing him is in verse one. The first mention of killing him was back in chapter five, so this is the second mention in the Gospel so far. But we get this kind of gradual momentum building and building of the hardening of their hearts, and they're kind of wanting to seize him, arrest him, kill him, and find ways and to kind of undermine any belief that people might have, saying, could you possibly, how could you possibly think that this was the man, even to the point of Nicodemus right at the end, who tries to chip in, kind of like, surely he should stand. It's a really kind of heartening little moment for Nicodemus, isn't it? And yet he's kind of completely slated, slammed down, isn't he, at the end?

  Felicity: Yeah. It's so ironic. John is full of irony, I think. So. Verse 52. Look into it and you'll find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee. Well, that is just not true. Like Isaiah speaks, there's Messiah coming out of Galilee. So it's just kind of. But I feel like this Jewish calendar, this festival, is a bookmark so that everyone would know what to be looking for. It's like the greatest irony of all, isn't it? They are in the midst of this great celebration. It's like what they do every year. God has kind of put this in place so that they would be looking for exactly this. It's right in front of them and they're trying to tear him down. It's so how the gospel is, isn't it? There's a usurping of power. There's a usurping of just every other means of provision as Jesus declares himself to be this living water, to be the bread of life. And with that usurping, with that kind of, what's the word? Sort of superiority or kind of overarching authority. We don't like that, do we? Like hearts, don't like to be kind of knocked off the throne in that sense.

  Sarah: Yeah. But it's interesting because he's doing it with a real humility as well, isn't he? He's not seeking for this glory. And he's very adamant at the beginning when his brothers are kind of saying, go on, put yourself out there. Show yourself to the world. He's like, no, that's not the way, is it? This is kind of tussle between kind of public, this public figure kind of persona and actually just what he is desiring to do. But when he does speak out, he's doing it with complete sincerity, isn't he? Like, I'm speaking God's words and I'm speaking because I've come from the Father and he's speaking the truth, isn't he? And so it's just really interesting. It's been really interesting to see, in light of what we were seeing last week about the kind of trajectory of people not believing and many turning away from him, just seeing. Even his own brothers didn't believe in him at this point. And just actually, you can live alongside Jesus like this and still not have the gift of faith. And I think that's kind of encouraging. I think it's helpful to see that, isn't it? And to helpful to kind of realize that. That actually, as we hold out Jesus to others, we can trust God to do his work. And some people will harden and some people will soften, and we cannot control that. But we can continue to hold out Jesus and show the glory of who he says he is to others.

  Felicity: And I think to trust that he is sufficient, you can't get a more sufficient picture than what we've had last week and this week with bread of life and he's living waters. That is all that we need and that's all that our friends need. Because I find it tempting when someone says, I'm just not interested to kind of just try and make him sound better or kind of somehow present him in a better way. But actually he is sufficient as he presents himself here and to trust that, and to trust that the Lord is doing his work in that.

  Sarah: So, Sarah, how is it then?

  Felicity: So we've been, if you had heard us before, there was definitely our voices went up to a higher pitch level with excitement. But aside from the kind of wow factor like that, where is it kind of when we hit the ground, how does this change the way that we walk out of here or the way that we're going about life?

  Sarah: As a result, God is present in me. His Holy Spirit dwells in me, and that is all his gift. And that is astounding that his living waters flow and that I can come and I can keep coming. This has actually taken me to revelation, actually right at the end of revelation, where John writes, the Spirit and the bride say, come, and let the one who hears say, come. Let the one who is thirsty come, and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. And just that repetition of come that we had last week from Jesus and the reminder that this is a free gift and that by his grace, I have God's spirit living and dwelling inside me and inside every one of us who trust in Jesus and just letting that just sit and astound me afresh and that this really is the kind of culmination of his purposes throughout all of history. This is what he was aiming for, that his spirit would dwell in people on this earth and that will remain forever into eternity. And that just been filling my heart with joy. How about you?

  Felicity: No, I think that's right. And with that, then as I go about my everyday life, trusting that these kind of mind blowing truths here are true. As I walk to pick my kids up from school, as I'm in the throes of cooking dinner or whatever it may be, I have the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is in me and is living in me and is active in me. And so that's just empowering, isn't it's confidence building. It's not just that I'm kind of in my own strength, but that God is at work even through the mundane realities of life. I have God with me. That is a truth that I just need to chew on more and more, I think, because we're told that so many times throughout Scripture, aren't we?

  Sarah: Yeah. And to encourage one another of the gift that is. I love the festivals here and I feel like, why don't we celebrate this more? And what does that look like to do that? And maybe that is kind of Pentecostal and celebrating that more, but just actually thinking intentionally, how can I encourage my sisters in Christ this week that God's spirit dwells in them? What a gift that we have. And just to kind of keep thinking about what is it like to intentionally celebrate this truth and this reality? Yeah, so much.

  Felicity: So much, so much. And definitely the start of thinking about it, isn't it? I feel like this is something we're going to be coming back around to again and. Yeah.

  Sarah: Shall I pray?

  Felicity: Yes, please do.

  Sarah: Yeah. Heavenly Father, we just thank you. We thank you for all that you've shown us in this passage of scripture. We thank you that Jesus is the culmination of so much. We thank you that this picture of your spirit, of living water and the way that you give that to anyone who trusts in you. We just praise you for your abundant generosity. We praise you for the big picture of salvation and of your presence with your people and how that has been stemmed through history. And we see the culmination of that with Jesus giving it now. And we just praise you for all these things, Lord, and we just pray, please help us to go into this week excited to remember the gift of your spirit within us, Lord, help us to remember the extraordinary reality of Jesus tabernacling with his people. And we just pray, please, Lord, help us to continue to grow our appetites to see more of Jesus in the pages of John's Gospel. To the praise of your name we pray. Amen.

  Felicity: Amen. Well, I just feel like my. I just want more of John's Gospel, which is great, because next week we are jumping into chapter eight and we are excited to welcome Courtney Doctor, a Bible teacher, to come and help us and get into that chapter. So we will see you or you will hear us next Friday. We look forward to that.

  Sarah: See you then.

  Felicity: Bye bye.

  Sarah: This season is sponsored by Crossway.

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