Read John 7:30-44. Circle the words that stand out to you. What is the Lord saying to you?
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.
Digging Deeper
Questions and contemplation. Who is Jesus? For some people, Jesus is a myth and fable. For others, Jesus is just a good person, maybe even a prophet. There are those who will deny that He is the Messiah, while others will declare that He is the Messiah.
Proof. What proof did Jesus give about Himself? The proof that Jesus cites is the healing of the lame man. No one could dispute this for the people have seen him on many occasions by the pool. Even the Pharisees after their investigation don’t dispute the healing of the lame man for his parents acknowledged that he was born lame. Moreover, there were those in the crowd who saw and ate the multiplying of the bread and fishes. But the people were divided in their opinion of who Jesus was as being a prophet or the Messiah.
The religious leaders and the people knew enough about Scripture that the Messiah does not come from Galilee but would be a descendant of David and come from the town of Bethlehem. Everyone assumed that since they saw Jesus being raised in Nazareth that He was born there. His own siblings may have thought that as well unless Joseph and Mary told them about their miraculous revelation and journey.
The dispute is not so much about Jesus’ birth place, but His claim of who He is and who sent Him. “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” (NIV).
Questions abound with Jesus’ words: Who is this man that claims that He was sent here and sent from where? Who is He that He knows who the person who sent Him, but they don’t know him. Who is this man that claims that the person who believes in Him will have rivers of living water flowing from within him/her? What is this living water? Was Jesus prophesying about the rivers of living water or is He is saying that He is the source for the living water?
Jesus was a controversial person and His statements were even more questionable. What was the solution? How will one determine whether Jesus was speaking the truth or falsehood? The Jewish leaders wanted to interrogate Him some more. What proof would you require to believe His highly controversial declarations or would you dismiss His statements? There is no middle ground with Jesus’ words, a line is drawn in the sand. Is He the Messiah, a prophet, or a fraud? Who is Jesus to you?
-Kingston