Trust and Obey

Text: John 7:30-53

Theme: At the end of the day, we trust and obey.

Key verses: “Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. ‘After all,’ they said, ‘would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?’ When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple Guards to arrest Jesus. But Jesus told them, ‘I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me. You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.’ The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement” (v. 30-35a). “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, ‘Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ (v. 37-38). “When the crowds heard him say this… (v. 40a), “…the crowd was divided about him. Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him. When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, ‘Why didn’t you bring him in?’ ‘We have never heard anyone speak like this!’ the guards responded” (v. 43-46). “Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. ‘Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing? he asked. They replied, ‘Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes from Galilee!’ Then the meeting broke up, and everybody went home” (v. 50-53).

What I believe God said to me: Dwayne, this is the critical missing piece in this ongoing saga between human caution and divine will. On the one hand, you’ve seen how Jesus was careful and smart about when and how he made his appearances. But now, you are seeing a different side, and an ultimately more important perspective of Jesus’ actions. Jesus knew his mission. He had come to seek and save those who are lost. He had to be about my business–that was his purpose and he would nothing stand in the way of that. His “time” was ultimately determined and protected by his divinity, not by his humanity. He trusted me, his Father, to guide his steps. He loved not his life unto the death—or, to put in more modern language, Jesus did not love his life so much that he was afraid to die. It’s worth noting three instances in John 7 that illustrate divinity over humanity. 1) When the leaders tried to arrest Jesus, no one laid a hand on him. The only reason given was that his time had not yet come. It doesn’t say he snuck away or hid. It doesn’t say he did anything on his own, and yet, he wasn’t arrested and the timeline of his death was still in tact. That’s my divine intervention alone. That was me working behind the scenes with no precautions on Jesus’ side. 2) When the Pharisees sent Temple Guards to arrest Jesus, he just kept talking and teaching and doing what he did best–drawing people to himself and to the Truth. Later, it’s revealed why those soldiers didn’t arrest him. They said, “We have never heard anyone speak like this!” Don’t miss that: Had Jesus been afraid or overly protective of his fate—Had he not spoken out in the face of danger—then the guards might not have heard him speak, and they might have gone ahead and arrested him. It was his obedience to his calling that kept them at bay. This is his human obedience working in tandem with my divine sovereignty. 3) Nicodemus spoke up in defense of Jesus to the Pharisee leaders. Why did he do that? No doubt it was because of his encounter with Jesus on an earlier evening when he met with him alone. What if Jesus hadn’t met with him? Would Nicodemus have been so quick and bold to stand up for him before those Pharisees in this moment? Probably not. This is vital to understand. Jesus took a risk when he met with Nicodemus at night. Nicodemus could have twisted his words, or he could have reported Jesus to the Pharisees. In fact, Nicodemus could have been laying a trap to arrest Jesus. But none of that phased Jesus. He did then with Nicodemus in that one-on-one meeting what he was doing now in the Temple: He was sharing the Gospel and speaking the Truth of God to those who needed to hear it. The point is, Jesus walked in obedience each and every day. He didn’t just start being obedient the week of the Passover. He was living out his purpose when he met with Nicodemus, and that obedience later led to this moment of intercession for him to the Pharisee leaders. And it was by a most unlikely source: Nicodemus, who was himself a Pharisee. That is human obedience by Jesus paying the way to divine intervention through another human. You see, I work in many mysterious ways. You should walk with me, live for me, and speak of me both cautiously and obediently everyday. But at the end of the day, what I expect most is your faithfulness to fulfill my calling in your life. Obey me despite the risks, and trust me despite the potential outcomes. That is your mission.

What I said to God: Wow, I so needed this today. Thank You for reminding me of my ultimate responsibility–not to protect myself or my welfare, but to listen and obey. I know there’s no other way to be happy and fulfilled in Jesus, but to trust and obey.