Was Jesus Demon-Possessed?

If you were here last Sunday, Jesus was sarcastically encouraged by His brothers to go into Jerusalem to do some signs to show all the people that He really was the Savior of the world.  Also, it is probably sometime in October, and the Feats of the Tabernacles or Booths was taking place with thousands of orthodox Jews in Jerusalem. 

 

I also mentioned to you last week the well-known theory of the British, Christian author CS Lewis.  In “Mere Christianity,” he reminded us that when it comes to what a person does with Jesus, there are only three options.  You must conclude that He was a liar, a lunatic, or Lord.

 

Most honest observers conclude that Jesus wasn’t a liar.  That is not characteristic a great moral teacher like all world religions teach. 

 

Today, we look at that second option.  Was Jesus a lunatic?  Many of these first-century Jews drew this conclusion as noted in John 7:20, “You have a demon.”

 

However, were they correct?  Did Jesus have a demon?  In today’s text, we will answer that question.

 

 

Exposition of John 7:14-15

14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15 And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”

 

Again, verse 14 reminds us that Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Tabernacles.  He had also gone into the temple to teach, and the Jews were amazed at His teaching. 

 

They wondered how in the world He could teach with such authority having never been educated.  He knew God’s word backward and forward.

 

 

1. Jesus was God-sent, John 7:16-17.

16 Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

 

In verse 16, Jesus answered their question by essentially saying that He was God-sent.  Consequently, what He was teaching was from God.  It was God’s teaching. 

 

We can know this is true because Jesus didn’t seek to do His will or seek His own glory.  He sought God’s will and sought God’s glory.

 

Let me ask you this morning.  In the way your make decisions, can others recognize that you have screened your options according to God’s word? 

 

Think back to last week.  Whose timetable is more important in your life?  Is it yours or God’s? 

 

When you are making decisions, do you go to God’s word?  For example, when it comes to your relationships, whether they are marital, dating, personal, or business, are you unequally yoked with an unbeliever?

 

God’s word is abundantly clear.  Believers are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers?  See 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

 

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them.  I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”  17 Therefore, “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord.  Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”  18 “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”

 

Adults and students, your best friends ought not be lost people.  Adults, your primary business partners ought not be lost people.  Students, your boyfriend or girlfriend ought not be a lost person.

 

If you are unequally yoked, you are not screening your decisions according to God’s word, and while we want to be evangelistic in our relationships, more often than not, if we are unequally yoked, lost people usually bring us down in our behavior rather than bringing them up.

 

Jesus was God-sent, and all of His decisions were screened according to what God wants and according to God’s word.

 

 

2. Jesus was God-spoken, John 7:18.

18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.

 

Not only was Jesus God-sent, He was also God-spoke.  I mean all that He said was from God. 

 

Jesus didn’t speak His own words.  He spoke the very words of God. 

 

How do we know what the words of God are?  We have them right here.

 

Does that mean that is all that God spoke?  It doesn’t necessarily, but this is all that God thought we needed. 

 

Some argue that we cannot keep boxed up through His word.  I have news for you.  The Bible is the word that God created for Himself, and again, it is all that we need.

 

Are you speaking God’s word?  Are you speaking God’s word to your spouse?  Are you speaking God’s word at your job?  Are you speaking God’s word this summer at the lake and the ballfield and on the golf course?  See Psalm 19:14.

 

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

 

Ephesians 4:29, 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

 

Luke 6:45, 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

 

Jesus was God-sent, and He was God-spoken.

 

 

3. Jesus was God-sanctified, John 7:19-24.

19 Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”  20 The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”  21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

 

In verse 19, Jesus accused the Jews of being out to kill Him, and they were.  However, they denied it, and tried to make Him out to look like a crazy man as they said, “You have a demon!”

 

In verse 21, Jesus pointed back to the straw that broke the camel’s back for them and what they thought about Jesus when He healed the lame man in John 5. 

 

Do you remember that?  In John 5, Jesus healed the paralytic who could never make his way into the pool of water outside of the Sheep’s Gate.  He had been lame for 38 years, and Jesus healed him.  However, it was on the Sabbath, and they Jews went ballistic.

 

Why?  Jesus challenged how they were sanctified.  They were guilty of legalism.  They had raised their traditions and their preferences to the level of authority that should only be true of God’s word. 

 

When the Bible talks about legalism, there are two types.  There is legalism as it relates to salvation.  We have that today when we say that something else is necessary to be saved in addition to faith and repentance. 

 

These Jews said that circumcision was necessary for salvation and not just faith and repentance.  Today, there are some churches that say that baptism is necessary for salvation.  That is legalism.

 

In this text, we see the legalism that is related to sanctification.  These Jews said with their actions that observing the Sabbath was necessary to be sanctified or more like Jesus.

 

In days gone by, many of you were taught that the way a woman dresses makes her more sanctified.  Therefore, women were taught not to wear pants to church or not to wear make-up.  Men were taught they couldn’t have facial hair if they wanted to be sanctified.

 

Today, we say that a Christian can’t have piercings or be tattooed or never drink alcohol.  If they do, they aren’t sanctified and living like Jesus.

 

Let me be clear, I don’t wear piercings and I don’t have any tattoos and I don’t drink alcohol ever.  However, if I say that God’s word forbids such, I am being legalistic.  These are my preferences, and they are informed by God’s word, but those actions aren’t forbidden in God’s word. 

 

Jesus was God-sent, His words were God-spoken, and He taught that only what is explicit in God’s word sanctifies. 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

So now we come back to our original question?  Was Jesus Demon-Possessed?  Was He a lunatic?

 

He was not demon-possessed.  He was not a lunatic, and He was not a liar.

 

Therefore, if He was not a liar and He was not a lunatic, then He must be Lord.  Is He Lord of your life?

 

If He is not, will you receive Him today as Lord and Savior?  If He is Lord of your life, make sure that you are screen your decisions according to God’s word and speaking God’s word and letting God’s word sanctify you rather than traditions and personal preferences.