The Passage
This week we will study John 7:25-36. So let’s read the passage, “Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?” The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?””
Who was in Control?
In John 7:25-36, we see that Jesus is still talking to the Jews in the temple at the Feast of the Booths. We see that some may have just entered the temple or had possibly missed what Jesus had just said or maybe they were the same people and decided to admit that they knew that the Jews were seeking to kill Him. What confused them was that He was speaking openingly and yet the Jewish leaders said nothing to Him. This just proves the point of something I have been saying, that God would have to give them authority for them to be able to even touch Jesus, much less kill Him. We see the crowd questioned whether the authorities could really know that He is the Christ. Many think that this was the crowd trying to incite the religious leaders, which is definitely a possibility when you consider that they are in the temple, which is the religious leaders’ domain. But I also think it may be that they were wondering whether the authorities knew that He was the Christ.
Many Believed in Him
Again, Jesus does not address the issue of the people believing that no one would know where the Christ was to come from. Jesus continued by saying that yes, they knew where He came from, but He did not come of His own accord and that the One who sent Him, they did not know. Jesus says, “I know Him, for I come from Him, and He sent Me”. Many marveled at Jesus, asking when the Christ comes will He do more signs than this Man has done? These things incited the Jewish leaders, just like they did everytime, so they sent their guards to arrest Him. But, no one laid a hand on Him for His hour had not yet come. God was in control the whole time and no one realized, even if they wanted to, they could not have laid a hand on Jesus. This, along with the signs and the way He spoke with authority, caused many to believe in Him. Today I want you to do the same, I want to invite you to believe in Him and make Him Lord and Savior of your life. Because we are all sinners and we all need a Savior. There is no one that can fulfill that need, other than Jesus, so will you let Him. Because He will not force Himself on anyone, but without Him, we all have to face the penalty for our sins. Which is death, specifically, the second death, which is to be separated from Him forever in Hell. But, if you accept Him, He will take your penalty because He died for you, so that you can live forever with Him. So, if you would like to live forever with Him, all you have to do is to admit that you are a sinner, repent of your sins (repent means turn away), believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and God raised Him from the dead, then confess Him as Lord and Savior of your life (Romans 10:9).
Is this the Christ?
Jesus knew that the guards were there to arrest Him and that before long His time would come. Jesus then said He would only be with them for a little while longer, then He would go to Him who sent Him. He said, they would seek Him and they would not find Him. Where He was, they could not come. Jesus would soon go to Heaven and the authorities would seek to silence Him, but that is when the message of Jesus would start to disperse everywhere. They would not be successful in silencing Him, because no man can silence Jesus, so many have tried, but it is like throwing gasoline on a fire. Jesus’ message will not be stopped, because He has commissioned all Christians to spread the gospel. Jesus said that where He was going they could not come, this confused the Jews. They continued by saying, “Where does this Man intend to go that we will not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?” They were close, except it would not be Him that went to the Dispersion among the Gentiles, and taught them, it would be His disciples and the Holy Spirit. Jesus was going to sit at the right hand of the Father. After He completed God’s plan to conquer sin and death, which took away the sting of death forever for those who trust Him. So this week, know that we are to share the gospel with all the world, teaching and disciplining them. Also, know that the Jews were given the power to kill Jesus and He did die for you because that is how much He loves you. We should not fear the world, but trust Jesus and keep sharing the gospel.
Check out the other blogs in this series A Study through the Gospel of John