Read John 7:25-29. Circle the words that stand out to you. What is the Lord saying to you?
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.”
Digging Deeper
How well do your friends really know you? They probably know where you are from, your occupation, your marital status, your likes and dislikes. But do any of your friends know about your dad and mom, what they do or did for a living, their likes and dislikes? Not likely. It’s interesting while we say our friends know us, they don’t know the that the people, our parents who probably influenced us the most.
The word, know, is used six times in the passage. There were some in the crowd who knew Jesus for they came from His hometown or others knew Him for they have seen Him preaching by the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was a public figure as his own brothers attributed this to Him. The people saw the works of Jesus and heard His words, but did they really know Him?
John records these words, “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.”
When people look at you and me, they know our appearance, our occupation and perhaps even our likes and dislikes, but most of our neighbors and coworkers do not know our Heavenly Father. They don’t know that we are here on earth with a mission to share Jesus and to live in Him. They think that we are here just like them trying to fulfill our dreams of a life of luxury and ease. They really don’t know us nor our Heavenly Father.
So let’s ask ourselves, “What impression are we leaving with our family, friends, coworkers, and even strangers?” Are we like them or are we different from them? Do they know that you are a follower of Christ? Do they know anything about your Heavenly Father, the One who should influence us the most? Let’s not keep our true self a secret nor hide our Heavenly Father from others. It should be our greatest joy to share who we are in Christ and our Heavenly Father with others.
-Kingston