Sermon Tone Analysis

Geeking Out

Do you geek out?

Spending time investigating/learning about stuff?

Animals - types, bedding, care, and good hunting grounds

Architecture

Art

Cars

Cooking

Crypto currency

Financial news

Knitting or sewing techniques/patterns

News Events

Musical skills

Science

Sports teams

Technology

Theology

And so much more.

There are so many ways that we can Geek out these days.

There are still things like print media - like books, magazines and newspapers.

There are also still the normal news outlets and a plethora of alternative media and cable channels.

But now there are also Youtubers, blogs, podcasts, and so much more.

We can gain as much information as we would like to Geek out on almost any subject.

Today - we’re going to Geek out a little bit on the Bible.

There are a variety of ways to do that.

We could get into the original languages, cultural contexts, and theological nuances - but all of those require extra tools and knowledge.

Today, we are going to Geek out with a resource that is right in front of you - your English Bible.

Whether it’s KJV, ESV, NIV, or NASB - you should be able to do what we’re about to do on your own with what you have.

Now, we are not Geeking out just to be nerdy - we’re Geeking out to understand why certain patterns exist and the outcomes to which they are pointing.

So, today is going to be a little different than usual.

I hope it’s interesting and engaging and instructive for all of us.

So, if you have your copy of Scripture, open it to John 7:14.

If you don’t have a Bible, you’ll find a copy in the pew in front of you.

BTW - this is one of the times when having a paper Bible (rather than electronic) is helpful.

If you remember, a few weeks ago, Pastor Armal started us off with Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths).

I followed up with a look at the woman caught in adultery and then a look at Jesus’ claim to be the light of the world and last week we considered Jesus’ call to abide in his teaching.

Today, we’re going to look back briefly at the structure and themes of chapters 7-8 in order to discern what patterns are there and why.

Now, if you get the midweek email, you know I gave you a bit of homework - to read over this section a few times in order to examine the patterns that are there.

In this first section of the sermon may be a bit of a review if you did your homework.

We’ve mentioned this before, but one of the tools that Biblical authors used in assembling Scripture is something called...

The Chiastic Structure

or Chiasm.

The Lexham Glossary of Theology defines a chiasm as:

A literary structure where parallel elements correspond in an inverted order (i.e., A-B-C-Cʹ-Bʹ-Aʹ).

Part of the point of a chiasm is to use patterns to focus on a central theme.

It seems like they can also be used as a mnemonic device - or something to help us remember.

When we were doing our overview of the book of Lamentations, we noted that the whole book is one big chiasm that points to this high point in the middle of the book.

Here, as we study John 7:14-8:59, we are also going to see a chiastic structure.

The question is - why?

What is John trying to get us to understand and learn by including the structure here?

So, first of all, how would we discern that there is something there, something for us to observe?

How would we know there is a chiasm and does it matter?

Here are a couple of steps that might be helpful.

Observe - look for words or phrases or themes that are repeated - circle them or write them out.

Now, they might not be close together.

In fact the section we’re looking at is a big section - so if we’re not careful and observant, then we would miss it.

Would that be ok?

Most likely - yes.

Bookend - look for things that might book end a section.

Match - see if there is a correlation among the phrases.

Consider the middle

Let’s look at this passage and what pattern emerges.

You’ll notice I put something in your outline that I hope is helpful.

The first step in this process is simply to...

1. Observe

Whether it’s this passage or another, it’s important that we pay attention to patterns, repeated phrases.

I believe the things that are written in the Word of God are written for a reason.

In our observation process, it’s simply important to notice what is being said and what is repeated.

As you study this passage, you’ll notice several themes that get repeated.

Here are a few things that I’ve observed.

kill - Jesus brings up the idea that people are trying to kill him and others have questioned if Jesus would kill himself.

Jesus gets accused of having a demon

Discussion around judgment

Seeking - people will seek Jesus but not be able to find or follow

Bold, but different statements -

Time - not yet there

proximity to the temple - in and out

Once we’ve made some observations, we can consider the beginning and the end or the bookends

2. Bookend

In a chiasm, there should be something on both sides or both ends that give us an indication of the boundaries of the chiasm.

Now, normally, when I am studying and looking to see whether a chiasm exists in a passage, I will either write letters in the margin of my bible or will write letters and corresponding phrases or passages in such a way that they form a sideways V or a greater than sign.

For the purpose of our discussion today, I’m formatting this chiasm in a similar way to how Nasser al’Qahtani did in his analysis of this passage - in the shape of a U.

In the first verse of this section, Jesus enters the temple.

A Jesus enters the temple (7:14)

John 7:14 “About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching.”

Where does Jesus leave the temple?

Well, there is a brief section in the middle that has been inserted, but the primary exodus after the feast is in 8:59...

A’ Jesus exits the temple (8:59)

John 8:59 “So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.”

Now that we have established the beginning and the end, we can begin to match them up to see if there is a pattern.

3. Match

Let’s look at some other themes.

By the way - we’ll likely go through this section rather quickly.

You’ll notice in your outlines that the matching sections are across from each other.

I’ll likely read a few of the verses as well.

This is where having your Bible’s might be helpful.

B Jesus says they seek to kill him (7:19)

John 7:19 “Has not Moses given you the law?

Yet none of you keeps the law.

Why do you seek to kill me?””