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The Gospel of John, The Period of Conflict, Jesus Urged to Go to the Feast of Tabernacles, Part IV, John 7:14-15 - Lesson 51
Read Verses John 7:14-19
John 7:14 (KJV) Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. John 7:15 (KJV) And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
This is the fourth time that his voice is heard in the temple.
When he was twelve years of age, when he drove out the moneychangers, when he delivered his first discourse, and now six months before his death.
Most likely his teaching related to the feast of Tabernacles.
The feast of Tabernacles lasted one week, with an eighth day called the "great day of the feast".
The word spread throughout the city, the prophet is teaching in the temple!
The temple, mind you, without fear of the authorities!
Notice what impresses the Jews most.
They were not convicted by the truth that he preached, they were not pricked by the claims of God on their lives, it was not the discourse that they heard, but they concentrated on how could such a man know anything.
How could this man, probably dressed in peasant's clothing, nothing fancy, no colorful and long flowing robes, how could he teach, never having learned at our schools, our accredited and approved centers of learning.
People can't know anything unless we teach them, can they?
Jesus may of had a country accent, being from Galilee, didn't use the refined language, the big impressive academic words, the colorful phrases.
He was just a village boy from Nazareth.
He was not a product of any of the top rabbinical schools.
He had no credentials from any of the lettered teachers of Jerusalem.
How could he know anything if we didn't teach it to them, they intimated?
How could he say such things without impressive degrees and letters behind his name?
He did not mimic the styles of the famous teaching rabbi's of Jerusalem.
He did not preach their accepted interpretations, he did not use their methods.
He obviously was not ordained and authorized to preach, and here he was speaking with power and mastery of the Scriptures.
How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
How they elevated their education and their schools of education.
How they worshipped their schools and institutions of learning and their professors.
How they lifted up style and method instead of the content of the message.
How their pride shows in this question.
How could they say that Jesus had never learned?
Here he was amazing them with his preaching ability.
And they had not taught him.
Impossible of course! Must be a trick!
It never occurred to them that he was taught of God!
Can't God anoint the lips of men, the lips that he made, can't he anoint them with the word of truth?
What about the son of Jesse that came from the pastures of sheep, what about the herdsman of Tekoa that our Pastor has been preaching about, what about the fishermen of Galilee that the Lord told to follow him?
Don't get so cocky about your education.
Don't be filled with pride when you think of your learning and the institutions of your learning.
Our Father does not need our fine education to carry out his work.
All he needs is a vessel.
In fact he desires an empty vessel, a vessel open to his filling.
He can fill it with what ever he wants, to carry out his will.
We must be cautious in our loyalties to persons, institutions and organizations.
We must be cautious when it comes to our loyalties to our alma mater.
We must be open to the Lord's direction each day and test the persons, institutions and organizations against God's Word.
See how they measure up.
Loyalties to institutions and organizations are not absolute.
Only loyalty to Jesus Christ is absolute.
The Jews were not loyal to God.
They were loyal to their system, their institutions and organizations.
They were loyal to their false interpretation of the Law.
They cared not for truth.
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