Feb. 25, 2017
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Reading along with us in John? Here’s today’s reading:
“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.”… Continue Reading
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I’m enjoying reading through the Gospel of John each day and sharing thoughts on what I’ve read. Since it’s one chapter per day, it doesn’t take much time to read through it. And because I’m sharing how I’ve been impacted by what I’ve read, I retain the information better which helps me reflect on it throughout the day.
John 7:5 says Jesus’ own brothers did not believe in Him. They obviously believed He was a real person but they did not recognize Him as the Christ – YET! (Acts 1:14)
In John 7:15, the Jews marveled that Jesus could teach but had not studied with them. Jesus gets right to the point in a striking statement “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority (John 7:17). Then He says, “Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” (John 7:19). In other words, they should know better because Moses had given them “the law” but they did not recognize Him as the Christ because although they “knew” the law, their motives were to seek their own glory (John 7:18) and not the glory of God.
What’s interesting here is that even though they didn’t recognize Jesus as the Christ, didn’t follow God’s law, were not seeking God’s will or glory, they were dead center in the middle of God’s will without even knowing it!
The chapter closes with John 7:53 cut short. This is because the earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53 – John 8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.
I read John 7 early this morning, and was struck by several things:
1) John 7:3-5 – The attitude of Jesus’ brothers toward Him at this time. I feel for Jesus here. Things are ramping up, and His brothers are basically mocking Him. What must it have been like to be the Savior, and to be rejected by those who “know” You best? (Although I guess they really didn’t know Him after all…) I better understand now why Jesus said only those who obey God are His mother and brothers (Matthew 12:46-48 and Luke 8:20-21)
2) The fury and what seems to be near-panic of the Jews as people are choosing sides and many are siding with Jesus. Jesus is saying things that are unbelievably provocative. I put myself in the scenes unfolding in Chapter 7, and I’m not certain where I would’ve stood.
3) John 7:37-39 – This wonderful promise Jesus makes again, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink”…only this time, the Scripture says He “stood and cried out”! Oh, the LOVE!! On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stands and cries out loudly that ALL of the soul’s deepest needs, desires, and longings will be met in HIM.
To me, this moment exemplifies Jesus’ immense love for us. He threw it all down right there, in front of His enemies. Boldly. Fearlessly. “Come to ME. Believe in ME.” And many did, to the horror of the Pharisees.
My Lord and my God.
I read this chapter this morning and was struck by the fact that many people were confused about Jesus’ identity saying He couldn’t be the messiah because He is from Galilee and that the messiah would come from the line of David and born in Bethlehem – but these are true of Jesus! I am just amazed by the lack of knowledge and what difference it would have made if they had known, if they made a little more research about Jesus. So the implication for me is that if I am really curious about something, if I really want to grow in my Christian walk, that I should increase my knowledge of God, the Bible and other relevant information.