Photo by Justine, 2009, zoo trip

Introduction
John sticks to his guns or his pattern: he presents the evidence of Christ, that we may believe, that we may have eternal life. However, not everyone believes. So what does unbelief look like?

The Big Idea: unbelief finds it’s expression in forcing Jesus into a story of our own choosing, rejecting the authority of Gods word, and failing to worship Jesus as God.

Point one. Let Jesus write his own story.
Vs 22-26. The occasion of this is the feast of dedication. A time contemporary Jews celebrate Haunika. They are commemorating the Macabees kicking out the ruling gentiles from the temple they are defiling. It is somewhat like our fourth of July celebration. They are interested to find out if jesus is this king that will kick out the Romans, giving victory over foreigners like the macabean king. They are not looking for him to fulfill all of Gods redemptive history and deliver his people from their sins. They want Jesus to fit in the story they a writing.

“The Jews require that Jesus either accept or decline a place already prepared for him in their theology. But Jesus cannot take any place in a true theology except the determinative one.” – Lesslie Newbigin

Today we say things like, I don’t like to think of Jesus in that way. However, Jesus is not like a buffet line where we can take what we want and leave the rest. We must take him as he reveals himself as the Christ, he is God.

Point two. We need to hear and obey the sovereign voice of Jesus
V26. If we hear and obey Jesus it is because we are his sheep. V29 the sheep the father gives Jesus and will never lose is a promise based on God’s great character not our actions. Jesus can speak for God because Jesus and the father are one.

Point three. We need to worship Jesus as God.
The Jews wanted a political savior from Rome, not a man who says he is God and God’s son. In vs 34 Jesus quotes Psalm 82. This is his argument: Jesus is beating them at their own game. The pharisees like to play word games and use scripture. He is saying if I can do things that only God can do, ie feed the five thousand, heal people, etc., then I am God.

Application. Do we worship him as God? Is your life characterized by belief in Christ or unbelief about him. Jesus invites you to receive eternal life from him, vs 27, hear him, and obey him. Is your life characterized by belief or unbeIef.