Tuesday, January 10, 2017

John 7: Comings And Goings

Maybe this is just the way my goofy mind works, but I see this as a chapter full of comings and goings.

Is Jesus going to the Feast of Tabernacles?  No (vs. 8) - wait, Yes! (vs. 10)

The crowd seems obsessed with where Jesus came from. (vs. 27) Oh, He's from Galilee?  (vs. 41)  Well, then He must not be the Christ! (vs. 52)  Jesus was apparently from the wrong side of the tracks.

Jesus says that He is going to go back to where He came from (vs. 33)  In fact, where He is going, the crowd cannot come.  (vs. 34)  Where is Jesus going? they wonder.  To the dispersed Jews living among the Gentiles? (vs. 35)

No, Jesus makes it clear that He comes from Someone they don't know (vs. 28)

Yet don't miss the greatest "come" statement in this chapter, however.  ( vs. 37-38) "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 

Certainly this chapter shows that there was a lot of divided opinion about Jesus.  His own brothers did not know what to make of Him (vs. 5).  The temple guards could not arrest Him because no one spoke like Him (vs 46).  The Pharisees were sure Jesus was false prophet, but one of their own number, Nicodemus, sought to defend Him.  The crowd likewise argued back and forth among themselves.  

Two thousand years later, and people still debate just who Jesus is!

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