Jesus: A supernatural hero
There's an important truth that I want us to ponder today: Jesus' supernatural origin means He has a supernatural conclusion.
If you take a look with me at John 7:25-52, you'll see that Jesus begins really circling around the reality of his origin. Being a man, he has a birthplace (Bethlehem) and a hometown (Nazareth, near Galilee).
As God, he is sent from the Father. He is the only begotten Son. The crowds do not consider the divine origins of Jesus, only contemplating his earthly beginnings. However, even then, many miss the prophetic connections between the Messiah and Jesus that would have been known to anyone who inquired.
Micah 4 speaks to his Davidic lineage, with the small town of Bethlehem being where the Davidic line could be traced. Isaiah 7-11 connects the dots, with difficulty, between the virgin birth, the Messiah's ministry in Galilee and the "branch" that will possess the Spirit of God.
The book of John challenges you to either accept or reject Jesus without the ability to pick and choose pieces. For Jesus to be considered a man of great wisdom, you must consider his supernatural origins. If His authority begins supernaturally, then to follow after his voice will lead you to a supernatural end.
If His life does not end because He is life itself, then when you follow Him, you share in all that He is. Consider this when you take stock of what you desire to hold onto in this life. Consider all that does end in comparison to what Jesus offers that does not: Himself. His love. His mercy and grace. His truth. His judgment. His rule and reign.
From Isaiah 7:37-39, Jesus reminds his disciples that he is the spring of living water. This is the call of Isaiah 55 to drink without cost as well as a repetition of the John 4 conversation with the woman at the well.
When Jesus repeats his teaching, he elevates its importance. He is beating a drum of aquatic metaphors in the Scriptures. Jeremiah 2 has God declaring Himself the living spring in contrast to leaky stock tanks on which you cannot depend.
Living springs do not run out of water; instead, they replenish and refill even when used heavily. Their roots go deep into the Earth. Jesus beckons us to drink deeply and not worry about rationing, meaning that no matter how drought-stricken your life becomes, God's word remains that which fills. You can depend on its life-giving properties.
In the middle of this teaching, you see a moment where people are being swayed by His words, almost on the brink of belief. The guards don't want to touch him because they are drawn in.
This is the effect that our Great Teacher has upon people — he is gravitational and magnetic in the way he confronts falsehoods and delivers truth. He speaks authoritatively and consistently.
Who else confronts falsehoods, upholds the best of the wisdom passed down through the ages, promises mercy to the humble, and stands as a supernatural authority that can actually see through the brokenness found in surrounding society? Who else deserves as much trust as Jesus?
Sean Dougherty is senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Kearney.
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