John 7:40-44
The Identity of Jesus
John 7:40-44 MKJV
Then when they heard the Word, many of the people said, Truly this is
the Prophet. (41) Others said, “this is
the Chris but others said, Does the Christ come out of Galilee? (42) Has the Scripture not said that Christ
comes from the seed of David and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David
was? (43) So a division occurred in the
crowd because of Him. (44) And some of
them desired to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
Two
groups are found in the crowd – those that “heard the Word” (v 40) and cried
out that He was the Prophet or the Christ (v. 40-41); and those who “judged the
Word” by coming up with theological, quibbles about Jesus’ birthplace and
dividing the crowd (v. 41-44).
The
Jews knew that Jesus was someone of spiritual authority so they tried to find
the appropriate spiritual category to place Him in – Elijah (the prophet), the
Christ/Messiah, a madman with a demon (John 7:20), a presumptuous untaught
Teacher (John 7:15) or just an ambitious “somebody” (John 7:1-5).
They
used their theology to try and work out who Jesus was – and thinking He was
from Nazareth, and that the Christ would be from Bethlehem, they got it wrong!
And yet a simple question would have solved the conundrum. Their failure to ask
the obvious question “Sir, where were you born?” shows they were not seekers
but in fact were “judges”.
Often
a move of God is “judged” for how it fits in to preconceived notions, rather
than “sought out” and properly evaluated for what God is (or is not) doing
through it.
Back
to our two groups: those who “heard the
Word” and those who “judged the Word”. We can take two stances in the spiritual
life:
a) that of listening and watching for every move of God through the Spirit.
This group humbly learns and grows and hears God; and,
b) that of listening and watching for every mistake of man and for every
supposed theological error. This group simply confirms their own prior beliefs
and superiority.
While
spiritual discernment is necessary it is not primary. Seeking God is primary
and then as we find things we can test them (which makes discernment
secondary), but we test them looking for what God may be saying in them and
eager to learn. Seek and ye shall find, yet when we find we can “test the
spirits” to see whether they are of God (1 John 4:1-3)
But
the Jewish critics put their own system and ideas and notions in primary
position and evaluated Jesus’ ministry expecting Him to conform. There was a
great lack of true seeking and genuine openness to the Truth, especially Truth
that brought change.
However
those who “heard the Word” got it but did not know quite what to make of it.
Was Jesus the Christ or the Prophet? They believed but were not sure just what
it was they believed, or rather had personally encountered in Jesus Christ.
Jesus
had just taught them about Living Water and this resonated as deeply then as it
does today – perhaps more so in such a dry and thirsty land. It seems that the
crowd split into “Yes, its available” and “No, I don’t think so” groups.
Between those who discerned God’s voice in Jesus’ proclamation on the last day
of the Feast of Tabernacles, and those who only heard the voice of their own
skepticism, opinions and doubts.
The
good news about the availability of the Holy Spirit tends to split people into
two groups, between those who “get” the Promise of joy and life and abundant
living – and those who sit back with low expectations and think the whole thing
is a religious fraud (or even of the Devil).
John
spends so much time recording the crowd’s reactions – because they are our
reactions, and the reactions of common humanity down the ages. We do not just
believe automatically, we question and doubt and raise objections, and
sometimes that can be good, but mostly it just gets in the way. It seems that
God wants us to err on the side of faith; indeed history tells us that trust is
the path to growth. Few great saints have become spiritually great by being
highly analytical or distrustful! Indeed most great saints have been accused of
almost childish gullibility.
The
Kingdom of God does not belong to the paranoid – but it does belong to the
child-like, the meek, the trusting and the receptive. Wisdom is child-like, but
not immature or childish. In fact God has been described as the Eternal Child –
which is shocking at first but which bears some thought.
Jesus
did not justify His provocative comments, or explain all the nuances behind
them, He simply let them fall and let them be interpreted however they may.
Jesus knew that the bulk of people would misinterpret Him, but that those who
were seeking would find and those who were just sitting back and judging would
be offended and would stumble.
That is why the apostle Peter wrote: 1 Peter 2:7-8
MKJV Therefore to you who believe is
the honor. But to those who are disobedient, He is the Stone which the builders
rejected; this One came to be the Head of the corner, (8) and a Stone-of-stumbling and a
Rock-of-offense to those disobeying, who stumble at the Word, to which they
also were appointed.
So Jesus is both the Giver of Living Water – and the Rock
of Offense!
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