Continuing on within the book of John, in chapter seven I find myself standing now in the temple courts, looking at Jesus as He teaches. He is passionate as He speaks, having a burning message that must come out. I’ve been following Him since He was on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, when He fed the entire crowd.
As I listen to those around me, some are astonished at this carpenter’s son. I hear doubts being expressed about His claims to be from God, from those who, having watched Him grow up, seem to think He has something to prove. Are they embarrassed by their brother? “Move along, nothing to see here”, this seems to be their sentiment.
But I keep watching. I am fascinated by this man and the way He is gripped by injustice and cries out against it! Now in Jerusalem at the Feast of Booths, He has no fear of the religious leaders, that’s for sure. Even knowing there are those in the crowd who may be thinking He’s a madman, shouting that He has a demon. Things are feeling a bit unruly as some want to stone Him, or at the least arrest Him and put Him into prison. But no one acts on this. Instead they all seem to be caught up in some kind of fascination in wanting to know what He will say next.
People in the crowd keep asking Him who He is. They are loudly debating among themselves about where He is from and how He has been educated, but somehow they keep missing the significance of what He’s saying. It almost appears easier to reject Him rather than to surrender their expectations. It’s like they are looking at Jesus, yet missing what is right in front of them.
I suppose they have already decided what the Messiah should look like. But Jesus clearly carries an authority that the surrounding religious leaders appear to lack. He has nothing to prove to them and almost seems He enjoys speaking with them in riddles, saying they will seek Him but be unable to find Him – and where He’s going they can’t come.
As I continue to watch, I am thinking of the three categories. There are those who make things happen (category one), those who watch them happen (category two), and those who wonder what the heck just happened (category three).
Clearly the Pharisees are in category number three. The Pharisees were experts in the Law, yet they failed to recognize the One to whom the Law pointed. The tragedy of the Pharisees is not that they lacked information. It is that they had so much confidence in their own understanding that they could not recognize God as He stood before them, even when He tells them plainly who He is and who sent Him.
But this crowd doesn’t often seek understanding. I think they are more interested in seeking grounds for rejection, having already made up their minds why not to believe.
Who are you in the crowd as you read through the seventh chapter of John? Are you one that has high expectations of Jesus that He doesn’t seem to be meeting? Are you there expecting to receive something from Him? Or perhaps one who is fascinated, curious, not sure what to think? Maybe one that thinks but doesn’t really know? I am one who believes.
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38
Alabastersky 
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