The Gospel of John: John 7.25-36

Read and meditate on John 7.25-27.
We’re now more than two years into Jesus’ public ministry, and people are still confused and uncertain about Him. Two thousand years later, nothing has changed.

²⁵Now some of them began to say, “Is this
not He Whom they intend to kill? ²⁶But do
you see? He speaks, and they say nothing to
Him. Do the rulers know indeed that He
is truly Christ? ²⁷But He from Galilee
is come; when Christ comes, no one knows where He
is from.”

- John 7.25-27

Reflect
1.  The word is out about Jesus: The religious leaders intend to kill Him. The people in Jerusalem clearly understood this. But why did the leaders want to kill Jesus? Do leaders of society and culture today share anything like this attitude? Explain. Complete this prayer: Lord, people today aren’t looking to kill You, just to keep You out of their lives. But You have called me to be Your witness. So I should expect that…

2.  Do you think people today are confused and uncertain about Jesus? Or do they even think about Him at all? What about the people in your Personal Mission Field? I pray for the people to whom You send me each day, Lord, that they…

3.  Jerusalem was abuzz with conversation and controversy about Jesus, because Jesus was actively doing good works and teaching up and down the land. He was unavoidable, as each new bit of news about Him spread throughout the land. Would you say that Jesus is actively doing good works and pressing His claims throughout your community? Explain. We are Your voice, O Lord, and if we want people to be thinking about You, we…

4.  Some people were beginning to wonder whether the rulers understood that Jesus really was the Christ. And yet they wanted to kill Him? Would this have made sense to the people of Jerusalem? Why or why not?

5.  From verse 27, it seems some of the early facts about Jesus had become obscured, and that some people didn’t know their Old Testaments very well (cf. Mic. 5.2). Explain. Bring together into one the prayers you composed for questions 1-4.

Summary
“The Evangelist adds, ‘from Jerusalem,’ for the greatest display of miracles had been there. And there the people were in the worst state, seeing the strongest proofs of his divinity and yet willing to give up all to the judgment of their corrupt rulers. Was it not a great miracle that those who raged for his life, now that they had him in their grasp, all of a sudden became quiet?” John Chrysostom (344-407 AD)

Jesus knew what was going on around Him, how people regarded Him, the questions they had, and the growing rage of those who sought to kill Him. Yet He did not draw back. He was a Man on a mission, and His Personal Mission Field needed what He had to offer. How about your Personal Mission Field?

Closing Prayer
I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works.
Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness.
They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,
And shall sing of Your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
The LORD is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.
All Your works shall praise You, O LORD,
And Your saints shall bless You.
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your power,
To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,
And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.

Psalm 145.1-12

Psalm 145.1-12 (Brother James’ Air: The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want)
I will extol You, God, My King, and ever praise Your Name!
I bless You, Lord, for everything, each day, and e’er the same!
Great are You, Lord, my praise I bring; unsearchable Your fame!

To ev’ry generation we Your wondrous works shall tell.
The splendor of Your majesty we contemplate full well.
We speak of all Your mighty deeds and all Your greatness tell!

Then shall we all the glorious fame of Your great goodness sing –
Your righteousness, Your gracious Name, Your mercy; praise we bring!
Your steadfast love remains the same, mercy our covering.

Your works shall thank You; all Your saints shall bless and praise You, Lord.
Your reign we bless without restraint; Your power fills our words.
Our children we shall educate in all Your splendor, Lord.

T. M. Moore

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Jesus is the Centerpiece of all Scripture, as He Himself explained (Jn. 5.39). But how can we learn to see Him there? How do the primary themes of Scripture revolve around Jesus? Our online course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, shows you how best to get at, get into, and get with the Word of God, so that you can grow more consistently in the Lord. It’s free, and you can study at your own pace. For more information or to register, click here.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.