14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15 The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”
16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17 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. 18 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. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”
20 “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”
21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22 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. 23 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? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”
25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?
Personal Reflection and Discussion
1, Who was your favorite teacher? Why? Who have you learned the most from in life that wasn’t a teacher, pastor, or family member?
2. Jesus does end up going to the Feast. What do you think was His purpose or agenda?
3. “Without having studied” probably was said because Jesus didn’t have formal instruction under a rabbi. He had never been the disciple of a recognized Jewish leader. Why could this have added fuel to the Pharisee fire? How could this have been further proof that He was the Messiah?
4. What is your understanding of v. 17? (See Mt. 11:19; Luke 7:35)
5. What do you think was the point of Jesus’ argument in vs. 22-25?
6. Skeptics see Jesus as self-seeking. How can vs. 23, Romans 5:8, and Luke 22:42 help others to reconsider? What other experiences in Jesus’ life can also disprove this belief?
7. When and how are you tempted to judge by appearances?
8. What has God taught you through this study so far simply by reading through John?
Prayer
Jesus, Your teaching was not Your own; how much more important is it that my teaching not be my own? Help me to speak and teach only Your truth rather than my bias.
How much of Your truth have I or has society colored and shaped to fit our biases and preconceived ideas? Shed Your light on my thinking in order that I understand Your truth and teach it truthfully.
Greek Word of the Day
English Word: falsehood | Transliterated Word: adikia (ad-ee-kee-ah)
Injustice, dishonest, evil, iniquity injustice, wrongdoing, especially in this case in the sense of fraud, deceit, guile
English Word: know | Transliterated Word: ginosko
A prolonged form of a primary verb, to know. To be known or distinguished
Family Engagement Activity
Today, share with your kids what you have learned specifically from your mom, dad, grandparents, and God. Make sure you get to the God part. What have you learned about God from these key people? Then share with them the importance of God giving HIS knowledge to us!
OR
Have each person make a list of 20 things they have learned, whether it be a skill (how to use a skill saw, change a tire, bake pies) or knowledge of a particular subject matter (how to multiply, all you know about God, your wealth of knowledge about koala bears); and also list who they learned it from. Be sure to fill the list with several names (teachers, pastors, parents, friends, God). Make sure that one of the names is God (maybe you learned something in scripture) and then play a game! Have family members read aloud, one at a time, one learning from their list. The first family member to guess who taught that particular skill or learning gets a point! You can have them race to a buzzer or you can give them clues if they are incorrectly guessing. Then share with them the importance of God giving HIS knowledge to us!
OR
Talk about some Christian learnings that AREN’T really scriptural. Talk about the importance of going to the SOURCE! Then share with your family the importance of God giving HIS knowledge to us!
Examples:
- Faith can fix anything
- God brings good luck
- Forgiving means forgetting
- Everything happens for a reason
- A godly home guarantees good kids
Going Activities To Consider
Today, thank your teachers who taught you about Jesus, whether it be from 20 years ago or today! Thank them for sticking to the truth!
OR
Ask a skeptic in your life what things they have heard from Christians that turned them off. Ask them if there were some things that they don’t agree with or that didn’t line up with a God of love.