Hating Jesus for exposing hearts

John 7:1-18

7 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

What would Jesus do?

You guys heard of the saying WWJD? Nobody says it nowadays but back in the 90s it was the in thing. There were bracelets with WWJD on it. Car decals on WWJD. What would Jesus do. It’s actually quite clever for when you don’t know what to do. Ask yourself what would Jesus do?

But nobody does that anymore. Instead, you know what we do now? It’s not WWJD. It’s WSJD. What should Jesus do? So many times I find myself not asking what would Jesus do, but actually thinking what should Jesus do.

I’ll give you an example: when I pray for ECU, it’s so hard not to say to Jesus, Jesus why don’t you show yourself to more people here? If you really blessed this ministry, more people will hear about you and more people will become Christians. That’s good right? Jesus, you should do that.

Or when I pray for myself: Jesus, why don’t you give me X? Don’t you know I actually really need X? Jesus, you should do that.

See what I mean?

Instead of what would Jesus do, it’s what should Jesus do. And who knows best? Me. We all do this. How do I know? Because even Jesus’ own brothers do the same thing.

Have a look at verse 1-5

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him.

What were the brothers saying? You know Jesus, if you really want to save the world, you should go to Judea. If you do your miracles there in Judea, this thing will grow. Don’t stay in Galilee. Galilee is like ECU. We should go to UWA. Jesus if you just appear today people will believe in you. Jesus if you just did some miracle here at ECU, next week this room will be packed. Let me tell you what you should do Jesus.

See?

But Jesus doesn’t do what they tell him to. Why? Because Jesus knows what we are like. The point of this passage today is this:

The world hates Jesus because He exposes our hearts

Have a look at verses 6-7.

6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.

Imagine this right, if Jesus appeared today and did miracles here at ECU, do you think people will believe and become Christians? If you think they will, then you don’t understand Jesus and you don’t really believe what Jesus says about people. Because Jesus says that people hate him for what he did.

Just picture Jesus today. How will people describe him?

He has never told a single lie. You know how difficult it is to be around someone who is really really that good?

Jesus never compromises or allows injustice to go by unnoticed. You know how politically incorrect that is?

Jesus says that if anyone doesn’t worship Him, they are going to hell. You know how intolerant that is? That’s something ISIS will say.

If Jesus were here, we would hate him because Jesus exposes our hearts. And we are all the same. We don’t like it when someone tells us we’ve done wrong. Right? When I’m at home, lets say something should have been done a certain way and I didn’t. And I get called out on it. I know I should be angry at myself, but 9 out of 10 times, I’m angry at the person who called me out. Even though they have every right and they are in the right. I still don’t like it. If I say I’ll mow the lawn this week, I’ll mow the lawn ok. You don’t have to nag at me every 6 months. I’ll do it.

I get angry at other people even though I’m in the wrong. Why? Because I’m a human being and I love myself. Jesus knows this and that’s why he says the world hates him because we love ourselves. We can’t handle him.

It’s so difficult for us to admit just how much we love ourselves. When an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus arises and we neglect it for fear of rejection, it's not because we are afraid (though we are), but because we love too much. What drives that fear is actually love for ourselves. I love myself more than I love (person who doesn't know Jesus) and here’s the worst part, more than Jesus. So many times when I was faced with a choice of sharing the gospel, putting myself at risk of rejection, versus keeping quiet and not rocking the boat, I chose me. The truth was I loved myself more than Jesus.

Maybe you have been in a similar situation, what would it take for you to speak openly about Jesus? You have a lecture after this. What would it take for you to speak with just 1 person about Jesus? Is it more courage? Is it more determination? No. what we need is for our hearts to change. We must love Jesus and others more than we love ourselves.

That is what Jesus came to do. This is the work that he was concerned about. His brothers think its about doing miracles. People think its about curing cancer or making us successful. But Jesus is concerned about just one thing – our hearts. The world hates Jesus because he exposes our hearts. And what the scan shows is that we have a very very broken heart. That’s why Jesus doesn’t listen to his brothers. Look at verse 6.

6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come…

What time? Time for what? Don’t you know there are kids dying of brain cancer down at Subiaco? Don’t you know I only have $25 in my bank account and rent is due this week? Jesus I think it’s time for you to act.

No. Jesus is talking about the time when he will face the choice between being treated unfairly, charged with a crime he didn’t commit, and be sentenced to death. The choice between that and just saying the word and God will rescue him. Why do you think Jesus never once defended himself?

Why? Because He loves us more than he loves himself. Why didn’t Jesus defend himself? Because to do that would be to love himself more than us. And so Jesus went to the cross and died.

The world hates Jesus because He exposes our hearts.

Jesus loves us even though it cost him his life.