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Jesus, the Messiah: Have you ever wondered what Jesus was doing in your life? Messiah (Christ in Greek) is a title meaning anointed/chosen one. But if Jesus is the Messiah, what was he anointed/chosen to do? We must be careful not to shrink the purpose of Jesus. Instead, let us hear the invitation of the Messiah, who offers nothing less than his Spirit and real, everlasting life in his kingdom. Recorded on Oct 29, 2023, on John 7:25-52 by Pastor David Parks. Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe. Sermon Transcript So all year, we’re going through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’ll finish John chapter 7, considering what it means for Jesus to be the Christ, the Messiah. I think a lot of people think that Christ is Jesus’ last name, like Mary and Joseph Christ and Jesus Christ. But I wonder how old I was when I learned that Christ is a title, not his last name. It’s a title that means anointed one or the chosen, Christ in Greek and Messiah in Hebrew. But anointed/chosen to do what, exactly? Well, that is very much John’s point in this passage. Just who was Jesus, and what was his mission? Why was he sent from heaven? What did he come to accomplish? Have you ever thought about that in your life today? What is he trying to accomplish in your life? What is Jesus trying to do? I’ve definitely had times of anger/pain/fear when I’ve cried out to the Lord to get some answers as to what was happening. “Jesus who are you and what are you doing here?” Have you ever felt that way? It was no different in Jesus’ day. People were divided over who he was and what he was supposed to accomplish as the Messiah. And yet Jesus knew who he was; he knew what he came to do as the Messiah, and he extends an open invitation to all, even today. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 7:25. John 7:25–27 (NIV), “25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.” Ok, let’s pause here for a little context. So last week, we saw Jesus, the great Teacher, who came to the Festival of Tabernacles in Jerusalem and was teaching in the Temple courts. His teaching was amazing because of its authority and power. It was helpful and encouraging, but it also offered a correction and sometimes even a rebuke. It was like nothing they’d ever heard. And they were baffled because Jesus hadn’t been formally trained. They just didn’t understand. So here, we’re still in the Temple courts with this mix of the crowd there for the Festival and the religious leadership who were plotting against Jesus. The crowd knows the leaders aren’t a fan of Jesus, it appears from this that they even knew they were trying to kill him. So they’re confused as to why the leaders seemed to be allowing him to teach publicly here. Had they changed their minds about Jesus? Did they now think he really was the Messiah? But they’re not sure because John says that they thought that when the Messiah came, no one would know where he was from. Why did they think this? Probably because of OT passages like Daniel 7:13–14 (NIV), “13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,