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The Series - Jesus, Unique & Unequaled Teacher (36/TBD)

Focus Text: John 6.43-46

“Jesus therefore answered and said to them, ‘Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.’” (John 6.43-46).

There are two great affirmations in the focus text that demand our attention. First, note that Jesus taught that anyone who came to Him had been taught of the Father (i.e. been drawn of the Father). Applied to the current situation then, a situation where some believed in Him and some did not, the clear implication is that all those who believed in Him had been taught of the Father. In other words, all believers in Jesus received their doctrine from God the Father. Secondly, note that Jesus affirmed that “...everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” To state this in a negative fashion, Jesus was saying, “If anyone does not come to me, He has not been taught of the Father!” This implication is one which struck at the very heart of the critics of Jesus. The clear truth taught here is that those who refused to believe in Jesus were getting their doctrine from some source other than God the Father! If one puts these two statements together, Jesus absolutely floored His opponents with these truths: If you believe in me, your doctrine is of God; if you do not believe in me, your doctrine is of men and not of God!

In a culture such as ours, a culture that struggles to be politically correct, these truths do not sit well with the masses. They scramble to find a way to “accommodate” these truths while continuing to embrace the culture. However, one has a choice in this matter; he can either choose to believe Jesus, or he can choose to believe the culture. However, mark it well; a person cannot do both! The culture that refuses to acknowledge Jesus as the exclusive Savior of the world is a culture that only pays lip service to Jesus (if they pay any service at all). Likewise, it is a culture that of necessity rejects the truthfulness and authority of Scripture. It is no wonder that so many professed believers in our society who strive to be politically correct have abdicated the right position when it comes to the Bible and its teachings. They simply can’t embrace Jesus and the culture at the same time!

Just to put one final nail in the coffin of His opposition, Jesus stated, “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.” They (the multitudes) had seen the miracles of Jesus; they were a matter of public record. This man who had worked these miracles among them was now professing something that NO ONE ELSE could profess. They could claim to have Moses to their father, but Jesus could successfully claim to have God to His Father! He furthermore professed to have seen Him and come from Him! Even if their claim to have Moses to their father could be substantiated (which it couldn’t) it was nothing to compare to the claim to have God to His (Jesus’) Father!

When the culture demands a choice (such as the one noted in this message), choose truth! God will reward the faithful in due season and political correctness will matter not one whit!

Questions:

1. How many who came to Jesus were drawn by the Father?

2. How many people who hear the Father come to Jesus?

3. Given the two situations above (questions 1 & 2) how many people who do not believe Jesus actually believe God?

4. Does the culture determine right and wrong? If not, what role should culture have in our lives?

"Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life" from Tom Kelley

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