Pondering John 7:1-24

You can click HERE  to read the passage.

I have several random thoughts about this passage…

Random Thought #1

I noticed that there are a lot of differing views mentioned here about who people think Jesus is:

• Jesus’ brothers considered him nothing more than a show off. (vs 3-5)
• Some Jews considered Him to be a good man (vs.11-12)
• Others thought He was a heretic – leading people astray (v.12)
• Some thought he was a brilliant scholar (vs.14-15)
• Some thought He was demon possessed (v.20)

I’ve always liked what C.S. Lewis had to say in this regard:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Random Thought #2

I found it interesting that when Jesus was encouraged by His brothers to go to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles He replied in verse 8, “I am not going up to this feast for my time has not yet fully come.” But by verse 10 He evidently thought that His time had come because He decided that He would  go to the feast. Now, Jesus was very tuned in to to the leading of the Spirit of God. And evidently after He had talked to His brothers He got the cue from God that it was time to go.

Here is my takeaway – I need to make sure that I am as tuned in to the Spirit’s leading as possible because sometimes there is only a very subtle difference between “Yes”, “No”, and “Wait.” And just because God says “wait” to something I am praying about does not  necessarily mean that the wait will be a lengthy wait. The key is to be led by the Spirit day in and day out and respond as He leads – when He leads.

Random Thought #3

In verse 17 Jesus says, “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” Here is my experience with Christianity: It works! Someone once asked me that if I found out that Christianity was just a big hoax what would I do. My response was that I would live according to the Scriptures anyway. Why? Because it is great way to live. I have found satisfaction for my soul. I have learned how to forgive. I have purpose in life. They have taught me to be a better husband, father, employee, friend. I wake up each morning with gladness in my heart. I live everyday with hope for the future. And on and on and on. I have chosen to do God’s will and I have not been disappointed.

“Father, today would You fill me with Your Spirit that I might be led moment by moment to go where You want me to, to say what You want me to, and to do what You want me to.”

Next Week’s Passage: John 7:25-53