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The source of the doctrine of Jesus

Text: John 7 : 11-43

THE SOURCE OF THE DOCTRINE OF JESUS

Were The Jews really interested in knowing the source of the teaching (doctrine) of Jesus? Then it would be wise to heed what He said.

“My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”
John 7:16

Once again, Jesus sought to teach the people about God! The Jews had assumed that they knew God, but they didn’t! If only they had paid attention to the Scriptures that dealt with God’s promise of a Messiah.

Let us take time to consider a prophetic passage that spoke about God’s Hand in the life of The Messiah.

“Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed,
you peoples from afar!
The LORD has called Me from the womb;
From the matrix of My mother He has
made mention of My Name.
And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword.
In the shadows of His hand He has hidden Me,
And made Me a polished shaft;
In His quiver He has hidden Me.”
Isaiah 49:1-2

Why had not Israel learned about Jesus much earlier? If He were the Messiah, why did He remain hidden all these years until now? It was all written in the Scriptures. From the conception of Jesus to His public ministry, it was God who determined everything. It was God who had made the mouth of Jesus like a sharp sword. It was God who had made Jesus into a polished shaft (“arrow”) but He had hidden Jesus from public view until the time was right!

If we were to read Isaiah’s prophecy in greater detail we would see even more truths revealed.

“And now the LORD says,
Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,
To bring Jacob back to Him,
So that all Israel is gathered to Him,
(For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD,
and My God shall be My strength),
Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones
of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.'”
Isaiah 49:5-6

It was the LORD who instructed Jesus. It was the Father who had raised Him up to be His Servant. He would provide salvation not only to The Jews but also to the Gentiles! Quite obviously, the Jews did not understand nor did they believe Him.

ANOTHER WAY OF UNDERSTANDING GOD

The Jews seemed to have experienced great difficulty in understanding the doctrines that Jesus taught. Somehow, there was a mental block and they could not fathom what He was trying to say.

Jesus then offered “another way” of comprehending God. He said,

“If anyone wills (“wishes”) to do His will,
he shall know concerning the doctrine,
whether it is from God, or whether I speak
on My own authority.”
John 7:17

Jesus’ thought on the matter of understanding God was truly profound. Jesus was the Son of a carpenter called Joseph. In carpentry, there would be both the theory and practice. There must be some theory, otherwise the carpenter would labour without much confidence. His theory of carpentry would be borne out in practice.

On the other hand, an apprentice may not be able to fully understand the theory of carpentry. He could still learn a lot about carpentry if he had hands-on experience. His practical knowledge would lead him to understand the mysteries of carpentry just as well as the person who understands theory.

Doctrine may be compared to the word “theory”. There is formal instruction. Jesus was the Master-Teacher. Those who were educated would be at an advantage. Their minds would be able to fathom the logic and the reasoning of Jesus.

However, there were some who did not have the privilege of going to school for more than very basic education. Many in ancient Palestine belonged to this category. As far as The Jews were concerned, Jesus belonged to this second category!

Jesus encouraged His hearers with this important word. They could understand God just as well. If the people really wished with all their hearts (“will”) to do God’s will, then they would discover and comprehend the depth and profundity of the doctrines He had promulgated!

If they really sought to do God’s will, they would soon recognize a kindred spirit in Jesus. He had come to do His Father’s bidding. He had not come on His own authority. He had been sent by God to be His Servant and thus to do His bidding (John 7:16). The bigger question was whether they were really interested in doing God’s will at all!

Jesus knew that His teachings were not easy to comprehend. Nevertheless, His doctrines were not totally incomprehensible either! He did not want His hearers to think that His teachings were only for the intelligentsia. His doctrines were deep and profound, but they could be understood. If only people really desired to know God and loved to do His will, then they would find that they really could understand Jesus! Knowing God always involved two aspects! There was the theory part. There was also the practical application part. Either approach taken sincerely would lead to wisdom.