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. 9) - 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. 29)
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."
It's interesting to note that most did not know Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem, a sign that He is the true Messiah.
ReplyDeleteThe litmus test Jesus sets for Himself in v. 18 is also telling. He's after God the Father's glory, not His own. As Christians, this should be our motivation as well.
ReplyDeleteGreat insights, Ruth. Thanks!
DeleteI'm with Ruth on this one. Verse 18 popped as I was reading it and struck me as both a Christian and also as someone in ministry. "Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him." It's all about knowing who you are and where you came from, just as we see Christ doing here in this text, and then living out of that identity.
ReplyDeleteI am always amazed by Jesus's quick comebacks. He spoke with such authority and always turned conventional thought upside-down. I'm sure that the Jews were a bit put off by his on-the-spot answers to their questions, which probably annoyed them even further! But I am also amazed by Jesus's patience with their incessant questioning. He was demonstrating his love, even though he knew most would turn away.
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