Psalm 75, 76; Jer. 5:20-31; Rom. 3:19-31; John 7:1-13
The Lord is lord of all creation, He rules over creation and it obeys His will, as it always has done. The only problem in creation is us, those who were created in His image, given the ability to reason but also the ability to interact directly with our creator. We were perhaps given something we are incapable of handling, an ability to choose autonomy. The thing that sets us apart in all creation is the thing that sets us apart in all creation. We were given the ability to choose to obey and we chose to disobey and now we have no way to put the genie back into the bottle. We need a savior, we cannot restore ourselves to God and we cannot obey unless we receive the Holy Spirit that wills to obey and to live the life God has for us. These people are His chosen ones and yet they are choosing now and not choosing the one who loved them, delivered them from slavery, gave them His Word, promises them forgiveness and love.
Why does Jesus go up to the feast after He has told His brothers that He wasn’t going? This scene is similar to John 2 when Mary encourages Jesus to do something about the shortage of wine at the wedding feast in Cana. Jesus does not move at the impulse and direction of anyone other than the Father. The brothers here suggest a motives for going that has nothing to do with God’s agenda, that His disciples may see the works He is doing and that He would seek fame. The works Jesus did were purposeful, they pointed to the Father whom He represented, and they were not for His own fame. He was not simply a miracle-worker, He was a savior and not only did each work point to its source, it moved towards something. For whatever reason we skipped chapter 6 in John where Jesus feeds the multitude one day and the next they too press Him to do their bidding. When He refuses and speaks of eating His flesh and drinking His blood they reject Him. He is not here licking His wounds from that day, He is obedient to the will of the Father. Sometimes we have to get away and stop listening to others in order to know what the Father would have us do.
The Gospel in clear and unambiguous terms, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and therefore need a savior, Jesus lived a sinless, righteous life and His death is the atonement for the sins of the whole world. If we believe He was a righteous man and that perfect righteousness is the only acceptable sacrifice to God and we have faith that the Father accepted that sacrifice on our behalf then we will receive forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. It is all about His righteousness, God’s acceptance of Him, and our faith in Him, nothing more, nothing less.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
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