Who are you? So many of us struggle to identify ourselves. We find ourselves not fully identifying with one group or another, because unlike what we see portrayed in media, most of us don’t perfectly fit into the boxes society tries to assign us. Unfortunately, when people learn a couple things about us, they may ultimately try to place us into categories that may not accurately represent our personalities. Only those closest to us truly can ascertain the nuances in our character that offer a more refined picture of us. Similarly, as we approach faith, we are filled with many notions about Jesus from the people around us. If someone led us to faith in Christ, their beliefs and doctrines will shade how we believe. Similarly, when we read a book or hear a sermon, they will influence the way we believe. However, as we grow in faith, we need to draw closer to Jesus, and although the books and sermons influence our thinking, Jesus and the Holy Spirit draw us closer and are paramount to our faith walk and journey. The people of Jerusalem were caught between what the religious leaders said about Jesus and what they witnessed with their own eyes. They found themselves questioning what was happening around them, and into this confusion Jesus speaks and addresses the uncertainty.
25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 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? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 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. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 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 Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), John 7:25-31.
The divinity of Jesus is key to our understanding of His mission and what that means for our world. The Jerusalemites failed to grasp the true nature of Jesus’ claims and mission, they interpreted His words through pre-conceived notions about the Messiah. Through the teaching of the Pharisees, they were blinded and earthbound by ignorance, prejudices, and incapacity to think in the spiritual terms Jesus speaks. There was a prevalent misinterpretation of Malachi 3:1 and portions of Isaiah 53 that the Messiah would appear out of nowhere. This created a belief that no man would know where the Messiah would come from. Their logic is this: Since they know Jesus is from Nazareth, He cannot possibly be the Messiah. However, Jesus proclaims that His mission is staked in history because He comes forth from God. Thus the Messiah’s mission begins with God in heaven, which is the ultimate difference between the sending of prophets and Jesus. The man of Nazareth is from heaven, illustrating the mystery of the Incarnation. Jesus’s works are the Father’s, thus proving His divine mission. Jesus further asserts that God sent him and His knowledge of the Father shows an intimacy that could only have divine origin. Through this connection Jesus highlights the ignorance of those questioning Him, suggesting they do not know God. We mustn’t fall into the trap of ignorance of Christ’s mission. There are signs all around us of the glory of God, but we cannot be trapped in misinterpreting those signs because we are not in tune with our relationship with God. Like in Jerusalem, many people believe in Jesus because of the witnessed miracles. However, if we cling more to anything than the words and deeds of Jesus, then we stand in God’s way instead of participating in the mission.
However, God’s will cannot be thwarted, but it must inspire followers to have confidence in aligning with Christ in the face of the world’s powers. The religious authorities were enraged by Jesus’ claims, as they tried to seize Him, but they ultimately were unable to succeed because God’s established time had yet to arrive. This highlights God’s sovereignty and the predetermined timing of events in Jesus’ life and evidences the invincibility of God’s promises and plans. The Proverbs remind us that “There is no wisdom, understanding, or counsel against the Lord” (Prov. 21:30). God had decreed that the Savior should be betrayed by a familiar friend and sold for thirty pieces of silver, thus these men couldn’t seize Him. They could no more arrest Christ than they could stop the sun from shining. Even when Jesus’ words and deeds divided the people, as some rejected Him outright, while others began to believe, God was working to bring all of those that were going to accept Christ. Therefore, when the Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring, they still desired to take Jesus to limit His effect in Jerusalem and throughout Israel, but God’s plan prevailed. Therefore, we must courageously deliver the gospel message regardless of who is listening. Even when the gospel meets opposition, good can still be done. Faithful followers of God’s truths should expect to be hated and persecuted by those who feel tormented by their testimony, just as His first followers also experienced the pressures and hostility. Though opposition and persecution may arise, but God’s plan will prevail.
With this in mind, as Christ’s followers, we must be wise in judging what we follow and adopt. Our thoughts must align with Jesus, not the strong, powerful, or popular. Although the inhabitants of Jerusalem knew of the plot to kill Jesus, they questioned why the rulers weren’t acting on it, wondering if the rulers knew Jesus was the Christ. However, they dismissed this possibility because they held onto the taught interpretation that since they knew where Jesus came from, and assuming the Messiah would appear without known origins. This demonstrates a reliance on popular belief rather than openness to the truth. Jesus urges people to stop judging according to appearances and instead judge with the mind granted them by the Almighty. The challenge of Jesus’ claim to be the bearer of God’s revelation requires an answer from everyone. Where are we looking for answers? The problem lies in their reliance upon the interpretations of the religious elites instead of examining the heart of scripture. Truth about God requires a relationship with Christ. Although many voices will try to tell us how we should interpret or discern the scriptures or the movement of the Spirit, we must rely upon faith to guide us, because knowing where Christ is from requires faith and spiritual discernment, not just knowledge of earthly origins. Today, it’s a reminder to seek a deeper, spiritual understanding of faith rather than relying solely on superficial knowledge or traditions.
At the heart of our following of Christ is an understanding of Jesus’s divine origin. This helps us grasp that His mission and its implications for the world are salvic at their core. This mission distinguishes Jesus from the prophets before because they illuminate a calling that could only be carried out by an Incarnate God. Many of us fail to recognize Jesus’s true nature due to preconceived notions, ignorance, prejudice, and an inability to think spiritually. A reliance on literal interpretations and popular beliefs causes people to misinterpret scripture and Jesus’s claims. While these misinterpretations or reliance upon false narratives might seem to thwart God’s plan, God’s purpose for Jesus’ life is sovereign and invincible. Attempts to hinder it are futile, as demonstrated by the authorities’ inability to seize Jesus until the timing of God was fulfilled. Therefore, our understanding of Jesus begins with relying on faith and spiritual discernment, not relying on earthly knowledge or popular interpretations. Unfortunately, people will consistently attempt to use skewed teaching to lead us astray or even strike at us. Still, our faith will consistently guide us toward the truth and a life led by Jesus, guiding us continually to asking the question, “What does Jesus say?”
Horizon Community Church 