John 7:14-18 – But when it was now the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple area, and began to teach. 15 The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, not having been educated?” 16 So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not My own, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is of God, or I am speaking from Myself. 18 The one who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
“But when it was now the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple area, and began to teach.” As we have already seen His brothers were urging, or perhaps taunting Jesus to go to the festivities of the Festival of the Booths. They were saying that if He wanted to be known to the world then He ought to go where everybody (a gathering of the Jews) would be. But Jesus was not the master of His life, it was the Father. Jesus submitted His life to the Father’s control. He did not go where He was eventually to go until the Father said for Him to go. If Jesus had to wait days for the Father to tell Him the right time, or minutes. He wasn’t going to go regardless of who might urge Him to do otherwise. Oh how wonderful to be so attuned the leading hand of the Lord. After His brothers had left for the festivities, the Father soon afterward led Jesus to likewise go.
His brothers insinuated that Jesus had been shying away from the crowd. We see in this verse that He had no such motivation. When He got to the feast He went up in the temple area and began to preach. Now was the time teach, at the Father’s leading, not at His brothers taunting. Just as we are called to listen for the Lord’s leading and obey it, rather than the will of other people. We should be so attuned to the Spirit that we know what it is to be led by Him.
“The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, not having been educated? 16 So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not My own, but His who sent Me.” It is good to learn at feet of good teachers and preachers. The Lord God has ordained these positions. We must hear what they teach us. Yet, first and foremost, is to receive the Word from God, from the Spirit. Let men be used of God, but practice sitting at the feet of God and hearing Him instruct in very personal ways.
I’ve told this story to people and listened to their responses which tell a lot about those they have been taught by. Once there was a young man who had always desired to work on a ship that sailed the seas. He loved the oceans and he wanted to see the world. Finally he was hired on to a cruise ship as a person who cleaned the floors of the ship. On his first day he worked hard all day on a hot day. In the evening when his shift had ended, when the moon was high in the sky, he came out onto the deck and leaned on the rail as he admired the vast ocean, the moons reflection upon it, and the moon so serenely in the sky. Soon a man who was older than the young man came upon the young man and aske the young man if he would mind some company. The young man said He would welcome the company. Soon the conversation turned to the Gospel. Afterward the young man asked, in utter humility, Jesus to be His Savior and Master. The young man went to bed elated as he was savoring His new life with Jesus.
After sleeping for a while, the young man was startled out of his sleep by a violent shaking of the ship. The ship had struck something and was taking on water fast. The young man rushed to assist the crew in getting all on board safely onto evacuation boats. Finally, just as the ship was about to go down the young man put on a life vest and jumped into the water. He noticed that the voices of the rest of the people from the ship seemed to grow more faint. The exhausted young man fell asleep. He woke up to find himself on the sands of a small island. He searched the island but found no other survivors. He kept watch to see if any would soon also wash up on the sands. None did. Soon he searched the island and found a small freshwater stream and a small amount of food to keep one, or a maybe a few people alive.
No one else ever came to the island. No rescue craft ever came close to where he was stranded. This young man truly had fallen in love with the Lord on that fateful day. Every morning he woke talking to the Lord and He talked to the Lord every day. He didn’t care if some might think Him crazy, but He had conversations with Jesus every day, all day. He increasing became to know Jesus in a very personal way. The young man was never rescued from the island but became and old man and his life on earth transpired and he went to be with Jesus forever.
One thing is, that He did not have a Bible. He only knew scant verses that the older man had told him when the Gospel was related to him. So the question is, did that man go to Heaven?
If one says no because He didn’t have the Bible to study, one can see the control of doctrine in one’s life. If one says yes, it relates an intimate and personal relationship with Jesus. We can be told about someone, and we can read trust facts about someone, but we don’t know that one unless we personally know Him.
The Jewish authorities wondered how Jesus, who had not been to any of their seminaries could know the meaning of scripture so well. It is clear that Jesus knew the scripture because He knew God. For those who depend on man’s instruction, and who rely upon it, that is hard to accept. But those who know revelation that comes from God, it is easy to understand.
“If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is of God, or I am speaking from Myself. 18 The one who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” Saints who are taught of the Holy Spirit, and led by Him, will know depths of the Word and humbly admit the understanding of scripture comes not from the intellect of man, but of the gracious gifting of God.
Family and friends we must know and cling to the meaning of Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” Lean on Jesus, He is always with you. Trust Him and not yourself, He loves you even more than you love yourself! Please the Father by honoring Jesus and the love of God will rest upon you. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 – The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.