Eugene International Church of Christ

Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. John 7:14-18

When I was young, I certainly hoped that I too could have “such learning without having studied!” What student does not dream of following Jesus meaning not having to study? Fortunately, for our character’s sake, the Son of God spoke the very words of the Father, not his own. Jesus’ teaching was amazing, and yet because of how challenging it is there is the temptation to question its authority. Jesus makes a powerful point in this verse - “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” We live in a society that makes a lot of excuses and often seeks to shift the blame. Instead of seeking to know, we end up seeking ways to justify greed, selfishness, impurity or worldliness. One of the most tasty excuses made about following God’s word today is “I don’t know.”
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