Well, it's good to see you all out this evening. I have to hand it to you prayerly. She took a fall. Was it school? We were in Greenville. She fell in the...getting out of the bathroom. In the hotel. Oh, okay. And hit her head on the... She took a fall and hit her head pretty good. She's had a concussion and she's trying to have an EC spell so they're taking her back to the doctor to see what's going on. So remember her in your prayers. Those concussions can be dangerous. Any other prayer requests? And number 514, we're marching to Zion. Come ye back, O Lord, and let our joys be known. we're marching let those We'll never kneel and cry. The children of the heavenly King, The children of the heavenly King, May speak their joys abroad, May speak their joys abroad. We're marching to Zion. Beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion. The beautiful city of God. The hill of Zion yields a thousand sacred streets. Before we reach the heavenly fields. Before we reach the heavenly fields. And walk the golden streets. And walk the golden streets. We're marching to Zion. Beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching up to Zion. we're marching through Number sixty-one. Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus Christ! Rolling as to hide the ocean, it pours over me. Underneath me, all around me, is the current of my love. Living onward, living onward, My voice rests above! Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus brings His praise up shore to shore! How He loveth, ever loveth, Jesus, never, nevermore! How He watches o'er His loved ones, like to call them all His own! How more than He, in curse He does, watches over them! from the throne. Oh, the deep, deep blood of Jesus, pure, unfailing, blood of patience, For the deep, deep love of Jesus is a heaven of heavens to me. And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee. Harry Miles turned to John chapter 7. Well, look at verses 25 through 36 tonight. Then said some of them in Jerusalem, is this not he whom they seek to kill? But lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? Howbeit we know this man as he is, and when Christ cometh, Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, you both know me, and you know which I am. I'm not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him, for I am from him, and he has sent me. Then they sought to take him, but no man laid on him, because his idol was not yet come. And many of the people believed on him and said, when Christ come us, shall he do more miracles than these which this man has done? And the Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. Then said Jesus unto them, yet a little while I am with you. And then I go unto him that sent me, ye shall seek me and shall not find me. For where I am, thither ye cannot come. Then said the Jews among themselves, whither will he go? And we shall not find him. Will he go and be dispersed among the Gentiles and teach the Gentiles? What manner of saying is this, that he said, you shall see me and shall not find me. Where I am, thither you cannot come. Let us pray. Our Father, great and glorious God, ruler of the universe, who reigns in absolute sovereign power and will over all things. You who do as you please in heaven and earth and all the deep places, even under the sea, we bow to your greatness and your glory this hour, knowing that as we stand here, sinners saved by grace, that we have nothing to offer you save our thanksgiving and praise. All things belong to you, you the author and finisher of faith, We thank you, Father, that in this time in our life, you sent someone to preach the gospel to us and give us ears to hear and eyes to see and a heart to receive and a mind to believe and understand. We continue every day to be astonished at your grace, knowing full well that we deserve nothing from you but wrath. We thank you, Father. for your kindness and your pity for such creatures as we are. We thank you, Father, that you know our friend and remember that we are dust. And even so, you remember our sins no more because of the Word of Christ. Father, we pray tonight as we're gathered here that you might be pleased to meet with us. We pray for those who are sick, especially remember Hannah, Dr. Shapiro will find out the cause of these disease spells. Continue to pray for Randy Devin's brother. Pray that you be merciful to him. Ease his suffering. For the others who requested prayer, Lord, we ask your help for them. And Father, tonight, it would be our desire as we gather here to worship you. to offer praise and thanksgiving for all you've done. We thank you for opening up this word to us, giving Christ the key of knowledge to us. You might understand the scripture. Help us tonight. We pray in Christ's name and for his glory. Amen. And that this discourse that takes place Here in this passage of scripture, among the unbelievers, and the Lord occurs after the Lord had unequivocally proved that these who want to hold men under the strict rules of the law do not themselves keep the law. They were raised Jews, born into the Jewish traditions and religion. They knew nothing else. And over a period of time, they kept the feast, they went to them, they observed the feast. But in all probability, like most things, it didn't mean a lot to them by this time. Remember before the Lord came, 400 years had passed by. Whether or not they kept the feasts during that time, I don't know. But we know by the time our Lord Jesus Christ had come, the Pharisees were in great power. And so in all probability, they were required to attend these feasts if at all possible. And they believed, like most men believe, who are religious, that they're safe and they're secure. And our Lord has just turned over their table. He's messed up their lives by saying, you say you keep the law, and you do keep the law most of the time. We know you don't kill people, you don't steal, you don't commit adultery, though many of them did. But he said, you say you keep the law, but if the child is born eight days before the Sabbath, The law says to circumcise him on the eighth day. You circumcise a child on the eighth day. You break the Sabbath at the same time believing you're keeping the Sabbath. And you get it in my case because I healed a man on the Sabbath day. So he showed that they were hypocritical in their thinking. And they knew that according to their understanding of the law that Jesus, because he had healed the man on the Sabbath day, was doomed to die. Under the law, he had sinned, he had done some work on the Sabbath day, and therefore he had to die. That was the law. That was the way it was written. So observe the Sabbath day on pain of death. Verses 25 and 26 reveal that those who hate Christ were in a dilemma. It says this, then said some of them in Jerusalem, is not this he whom they seek to kill? Now remember he's in the temple now, he's teaching in the temple. Then said some of them in Jerusalem, is not this he whom they seek to kill? Below, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing to him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? They knew that Christ walked under the sentence of death. Those who saw His death, for some reason that they couldn't figure out, continued to listen to His words. Remember, this starts way back in chapter 6, when He healed a man on the Sabbath day. This conversation has been going on ever since. Now, had the law been executed properly at the time, He would have been killed right then. But he's been talking a whole lot, and they continue to listen to him, even though they say he should die. And that's a dilemma to them. How come we ain't killed this guy? When he's broke the Sabbath day, these people are still listening to him. And they ask the question, in verse 25 or verse 26, do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? It's evident that even the spiteful rulers could not reconcile his words with his works. And their lack of judicial action reveals suspicions that he might indeed be the Christ. This has been a question they've asked since meeting him in the first place. They have an answer in verse 27. It says, how be it? We know this man whence he is. But when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is." Now, this is a strange statement that they make. First, in order to discount his claims, they assert that they know where he is. And from the subtext, it is that it does not line up with Scripture. So with this statement, they sort of say something and deny what they say in the same sentence. They knew he was from Nazareth. They knew he was from Nazareth. He was the son of Joseph. They've said that before. and consequently they're saying that nowhere in scriptures he declared to be the Messiah because that's the subtext of what they're saying. When they say this, how be it we know whence this man comes, from whence he is, but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth from whence he is. So they are using the subtext of the scripture to say this can't be the Christ, which is kind of strange because that wasn't to do it. And then they go to the scripture. And they lie about the scriptures. After saying that they knew he couldn't be the Messiah because of the scriptures, because of the scriptural account of no such thing, they say that no one knows where Christ comes from. That's a lie. They knew where Christ comes from. This is a lie. And they know it. They proved it. They did by their previous statement. The scripture is clear that where the Messiah came from. The Pharisees knew it. Go back over to Matthew chapter 2. Matthew chapter 2 verses 4 through 6 and when they gathered all the chief priests and scribes and people together Demanded of them where Christ should be born And they said in him in Bethlehem of Judea For it is written by the prophet that is Micah and now Bethlehem in the land of Judah are at least among all the princes of Judah and Well, how do these shall become a governor that shall rule my people of Israel? So the Pharisees, when they and the scribes, who were the ones that studied the Bible, got together and they said, where is Jesus Christ supposed to be born? Now remember, this is some 30 years after his birth. He's only been one record of it in Luke where he went and talked to people, but I'll be sure he did talk to a lot of other people during his time, but that is recorded when he talked to the priest when he was 12 years old. But these understood that what Christ was to be born was in Jerusalem. I mean, excuse me, Bethlehem over in chapter 7 where we're at in verse 42. Had not the scripture said that Christ cometh of the seed of David and out of the town of Bethlehem where David was? But they were so that's understood now that They didn't have Matthew, and they didn't have John at the time But they did have the prophet Micah And if you go to Micah chapter 5 in verse 2 it says but thou Bethlehem So thou be little among the thousands of Judah Yet out of thee shall come forth unto thee that is the ruler in Israel whose goings have been from old to And from everlasting, this is the everlasting Messiah. He's as old as God is old. That's how old God is. He's always been here is what that's saying. So they had that scripture. That was a particular promise of the Messiah, and they had that scripture. They didn't have Matthew. They didn't have John. That was recorded later. But the Pharisees quoted Micah. Like I said, they didn't have them in the gospels. So they quoted Micah saying, out of Bethlehem of Judea should come a ruler of Israel, a governor and a ruler of Israel. So they understood that. So what they're saying is an odd question. How be it we know this man whence he is? How be it we know this man whence he is? But when Christ comes, no man knows whence he is. Yes, they do. They do. What they're doing is they're lying. They're lying. And it goes on. In verse 28 and 29, our Lord declares that they indeed know who He is and where He came from. He says, in the temple as he taught them to say it. So he was teaching them and these men were over here murmuring and talking about him and he heard their thoughts, read their minds, read their hearts, I don't know how it worked, but he knew what they were saying. He says, you both know me and you know which I am. And I am come, I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not." Now, Edward declares that they indeed know who he is and where he came from. Now, what's he talking about? He's speaking of the fact that they indeed know he come from Nazareth. They're speaking in the only realm they can speak in. They can speak in the only classification they can speak in, and that is the natural realm. They can't talk about spiritual things because they've already proved themselves to be unbelievers. They're not talking about spiritual things. They're talking about the natural thing. Remember, they're still under the old covenant. All of it has to do with stuff that belongs down here on earth and nothing that really belongs in heaven. They knew he was Jesus from Nazareth. Jesus from Nazareth. Nazareth was felt about most people like the price in the city people think about you. In Nazareth they didn't count anything in Nazareth that would be of any value. And if you've ever been, I don't know how it is now, I don't go to Bronson City where I used to be. That's the way I first came here. If you're from Cherokee, you're from Cherokee. You're a white person, you're from Cherokee. Boy, you live big, got old, my son. Got old, my son. He was dead a few years, you know. He's from Nazareth, they knew he was from Cherokee. Their knowledge was natural and current, and knew nothing of his Bethlehem birth or his time in Egypt. They didn't know of the great wonders of counting Matthew and Luke, of the shepherds being in the field by night, and the angels of the Lord came and said, Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, and goodwill toward men. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. The first time it was spoken of our Lord being numbered with the transgressors in present day or in the gospel age was when he was taken to Bethlehem for tax purposes. That Caesar Augustus sent out that all the world should be taxed and part of that tax was a census. And so Mary and Joseph came, and the baby was born in Bethlehem, and he was counted, and he was numbered among the transgressors right early on in his life. In fact, when he was born, he was numbered with them. They didn't know anything about Bethlehem. They knew what the Bible said, but 30 years has passed. 30 years of doing eight feasts a year. 30 years. Not doing anything on Saturday, 30 years. Believing they were keeping the law, 30 years has passed. Still there, God's people yell. I know people, I know people who've been under the gospel for 30 years still don't believe. I know the people who've heard the gospel for over 30 years and still don't believe. Know it like the back of their hand, like these people do their best. But they don't have Christ. They don't have Christ. They didn't know anything about Herod passing that law that a child being born under two years old was to be killed, was to be slain. And so Mary and Joseph took Christ to Egypt until he was six years old. That was prophesied in the Old Testament that he would grow up in Egypt. And at six years old he came back after Herod had died. They could not know that he came from heaven. They couldn't know. They could speculate, as some did, that they could not know that He came from heaven, that He was sent from God the Father on a mission of mercy and grace to save His people from their sins. They did not know because they didn't know God. Our Lord said that to them. He says, but I know Him, in verse 29. Or verse 28, he says, and then cried, Jesus, you both know me and know which I came. You know I'm from Nazareth, but I'm not come of myself. But he sent me, he that sent me is true, whom you know not. Why do you think that's happened to those religious folks? You said, we're God's chosen people, you know that? We're the elect of God, we're the only nation God's ever dealt with. He's given us the priesthood, He's given us the word, He's given us the oracles, He's given us the sacrifices. He's given us all these things. You tell us we don't know Him, you don't know God. You know where I come from, you know I'm a Nazarene. But you don't know God. Tell you what, that's a good way to get somebody upset, isn't it? In the midst of the feast, these people were celebrating of a God they did not know. Why? Our Lord said it was Nicodemus who also felt he might be the Messiah because he was doing all these great things. At least he knew he'd come from God. He said, you can't know anything unless you're born again. And they weren't. That's how men know. It's the only way they know. If they're born from God. You see, religion without Christ. Regardless of how it is. Religion without Jesus Christ. And when I say without Christ, I mean not just the mention of His name. Religion without the knowledge and the preaching of the fact that Jesus Christ is all salvation. Any religion that doesn't do that, doesn't know God. It's that simple. Martin used to say, if I'm going to introduce you to the true and living God, I'm going to have to kill your God first. He got to go. He got to go. After these words, the Jews having been offended by the accusation that they, the chosen nation, did not know God, sought to capture the Lord Jesus Christ as his enemy. Verse 30, and they sought to take him, but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. They couldn't take him, because his capture was yet to come. In chapter 18, he'll actually give himself over to men. They try to capture him. He says, whom do you seek? And they say Jesus or Matthew. They go, I am, I'm he. And they follow way backwards. With just words he knocked down the priest and the warriors and the scribes and the people that came to catch him and knocked them flat on their back with just words. Now you think they're going to take him? You think they're going to arrest him and all he has to do is speak? And whom do you seek? Jesus of Nazareth. He said, I am here this time. He said, you can take me, but you can't have my disciples. Can't have them. So the prophecy will be fulfilled that all that thou has given me, I should lose nothing. I should lose nothing. These folks wanted to take Christ. But it was not time for him to be taken, not according to purpose. And many of the people, it says, believed on him in verse 31. And many people believed on him and said, when Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these, which this man did? There's no way that the Messiah's going to do any more than this man's doing. That's what they're saying. The way it's worded here in English, it's a little hard to understand sometimes. They believed that he was the Christ because of the miracles that he did, knowing that the scriptures declared that he would do more and greater miracles. Oh, and Isaiah chapter 35, the promise of the Messiah. Verse 4 says, saying to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not, behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense, he will come and save you. And then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as in heart and the tongue of the dumb sing, for in the wilderness shall waters break forth and streams in the desert. It sounds kind of like what he's going to say in our next lesson. The Lord Jesus Christ. John the Baptist was sent to the Jews to tell him of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord said in Matthew chapter 11 to his disciples, go tell John of these miracles that I do. You go tell him so he'll understand because John was in prison and John said, is this really the Christ? And he said, you go tell John the miracles I do, he'll understand. He'll understand. And he did. And over and over again in scripture, our Lord pointed to the works that he did as proof of who he was. And you know the works he did, he did in order that men might listen to the words he said. Back over in John chapter 5, In verse 36 he says, but I have a greater witness than that of John. For the works which the Father has given me to finish, the same works I do, and they bear witness in me that the Father has sent me. That the Father has sent me. Then over in John chapter 10, verse 37, 38. He says this, I know that ye are of Abraham's seed, but ye seek to kill me because because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my father, and ye do that which ye have seen with your father." They saw the works that he did. Now that's John chapter 8, wasn't it? Remember John chapter 10, verse 37 through 38. It says, if I do not the works of my father, believe me not. But if I do, though you believe not me, believe the works. that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him." He pointed to these miracles. But we also know that many men followed him because of the miracles he did. We know that's the case. Remember in John chapter 6 when he fed the thousands. Five thousand people with oaks and fishes. There's nothing all over. They want to make him king. He wasn't about to let that happen. But when they finally did find him, he says, you follow me. You believe me because you've seen the miracles that I did. So we may put these people in that category, but it does say that many believed on him. Many believed on him because of his ability to perform miracles. And as far as he's heard these murmurings going on, they were saying this was probably Christ. Remember what it says about the Bible, what it says in the Bible, where Christ is going to open the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf, and the legs are going to leap like a young deer. Remember when he said that? This must be the Messiah. He's already done great, wondrous works. The Pharisees heard of murmuring. In verse 32 it says, the Pharisees heard the people murmuring. The Pharisees and the pre-chief priests sent officers to take him or to arrest him. Our Lord told these Ursats captors that he would be with them for a while, but would go away and back to where he came from. He spoke of his death and his burial and his resurrection and his ascension to the right hand of the Father, having redeemed his elect. It says in verse 33, Jesus said, a little while, a little while I'm with you. Then I go unto him that sent me. He shall seek me and shall not find me. And where I am, thither you cannot come. And the Jews said among themselves, whither will he go? And that wheeze you'll all find. Will he go to the dispersed among the Gentiles? and teach the gentiles? Teach the gentiles? They knew nothing of this. They knew nothing of this work. They didn't know what he was talking about. In fact, the disciples had trouble with this idea too. Every time our Lord Jesus Christ told his disciples that he's going to ruse them and they're going to manhandle him, they're going to hurt him and he's going to die. They said, no, that can't be right. That can't be right. And unbelievers could never get a hold of him. They knew nothing of this, and they conjectured that he might, meant that he was going to the Jews scattered among the Gentile nations, and even teach the heathen Gentiles. It says, what manner of saying, he says, you shall seek me and shall not find me, will he go to the dispersed among the Gentiles and teach? The Gentiles? Remember how Peter described the people he preached to in 1 Peter 1? Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to the stranger. scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. Every one of that's a Gentile nation. Every one of them. Would he go under the dispersal? They had no idea, having been the elect nation that the gospel was preached to all nations. They didn't think that was going to happen. over in Isaiah chapter 11 it says out of the root of David God's going to raise up an infant and the Gentiles shall seek him this is Isaiah chapter 11 and the Gentiles shall seek him and great shall be the rest the Gentiles shall seek him our Lord said to his disciples go to Judea and Israel and preach the gospel he didn't say that did he? go ye into all the world and preach the gospel and world world men every nation, and especially the Gentile nations, and preach the gospel, teaching them to observe all things I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the earth. This is pretty well expressed in clear terms in Acts chapter 13. Early in the church, Paul is said Antioch preaching the gospel and he says in verse 38 Acts 13 be it known unto you brethren that through this man that is Jesus Christ is preached unto you the forgiveness of sin not your repentance not your faith but through him you have forgiveness of sin and by him all that believe are justified. They stand before God without any law being broken. They are justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken in the prophets. Behold, you despisers, and wander and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you. And what's he talking about? He's talking about the work of salvation through the preaching of the gospel. It's a wonder. These people were chosen of God. They believed they were God's children. They believed they were God's people. You couldn't tell them otherwise, but he says, I'm going to do something you ain't never going to get. I'm going to save my people by the blood of Jesus Christ alone. And when the Jews were going out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews of religious proselytes, all of Paul and Barnabas, who speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. On the Sabbath day, that's Saturday. Well, on the first day of the week when the church normally meets, he's preaching on a Saturday. And when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming, saying, these men are lying to you. Don't listen to them. They're lying to you. Then Paul abominably waxed cold, or bold, rather, and said, It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you, Jews. It came to His own and His own received it not, but as many as received and gave you power to become sons of God. Be spoken to you, but see ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life. We're going to turn this gospel to the Gentiles. That's you and me. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee as a light of the Gentiles. That's in Isaiah 49. Set thee as a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvations unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. Believed. You reckon they said He's going to go to the Gentiles? Teach the Gentiles? When He said He would no longer be with us? Well, that wasn't what He was talking about. But like so many of the people who ridiculed the Lord Jesus Christ, in their ridicule they actually told the truth about Him. He saved others, himself he cannot save. That's the truth. They said it was mockery. He had the devil. Indeed he does. The devil is his aid. He controls the devil. What they said about him was mockery, but it was the truth. They just didn't know the truth. God bless you.