Facts

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:

14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15 The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”

20 “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”

21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

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.”

28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”

30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

33 Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36 What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”

37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”

41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” 43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.

47 “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”

50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.” (John 7:14-52, NIV)

REFLECTIONS:

In today’s passage we read about the general confusion that surrounded Jesus as he taught and performed miracles in Jerusalem.  One point of confusion was that it appeared to the common man on the street that Jesus must be the Christ but the religious leaders they relied on for guidance had yet to announce Jesus as such.  Instead, it seems that it was common knowledge that the leaders were plotting to kill Jesus.  Another major point brought up in this passage is a problem with facts and prophecy.  This is something I can relate to in my own life on an almost daily basis.

I often lean on my own understanding of the facts to make a judgment about all manner of things in life.  That’s ok to a certain point; but, when it comes to people and prophecy, our understanding of basic facts are often wrong.  We often lean on our own understanding rather than seeking to purposefully be lead by the Spirit and God’s perfect understanding. Some on the street in Jerusalem believed that no one would know where the Christ comes from (verse 27).  These people seemed to have no knowledge about scripture.  Others who quote scripture in verse 42 say Jesus can’t be the Christ because he’s from Galilee and everybody knows the Christ will come from Bethlehem.  If people would have taken time to get their understanding of the facts straight they would realize the fallacy or their own reasoning.  The fact that Jesus was from Galilee is true; but it’s also true that his home town was Bethlehem, because that’s how God rolls.  How often do we think we have all the facts about an issue or person and can make an informed decision that is correct? 

Authority is the other big issue in these passages.  How often do you rely on experts and what they say to find your understanding?  We see in verse 26 the people start to ask if the rulers know Jesus is the Christ.  Verses 47-49 make it clear what their official stance on Jesus is.  They make an “experts agree” statement about why obviously Jesus isn’t the Christ.  Authorities who claim the mantle of expert are still just men and without the leading of the Holy Spirit they can unintentionally mislead people.  Today you can find many who are experts in the scriptures.  Some study prophecy and try, by their own understanding, to make prophecy fit neatly into the framework of current events.  Let the passage for today be your guide and don’t let experts come between you and the life that Jesus through scripture and the Holy Spirit has called you to live.  Love your neighbor, love your enemy, and fear not.  God has perfect knowledge of all things and he alone is able to give us a proper understanding of people, scripture, and events.

PRAYER:

Father, thank you for the times we find ourselves in.  We are surrounded by a sea of increasing knowledge and understanding.  Move us to have your heart and vision for the world around us and the souls in it.  Grow us in your knowledge, wisdom and understanding.   We ask in the name of your perfect Son Jesus.  Don’t refuse us.         

WHO AM I?

My name is Paul Babb.  If you ask me where I’m from I would say Longview Texas.  Like Jesus what I consider my home town isn’t the place I was born.  I was born in Paris.  Not the one with the Eiffel Tower but the one with a statue of Jesus wearing cowboy boots under his robe.