The Gospel of John: John 7.25-36

Read and meditate on John 7.25-36.
The Feast of Tabernacles commemorated the sovereign provision of God for His people, especially during the sojourn in the wilderness, when they dwelt in tents. God had saved them then, saved them often in the past, and was saving them now – and eternally – by the coming of Jesus Christ. The Feast of Tabernacles provided the perfect setting for driving that truth home.

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.” ²⁸Then Jesus cried, “You all know Me,
and you know where I come from. On My own
I have not come, and none of you has known
Him Who sent Me, but He is true, ²⁹and I
know Him, for I am come from Him, and by
Him I was sent.” ³⁰They sought to take Him when
He said these things; however, none of them
dared lay a hand on Him, because His hour
had not yet come. ³¹And many in that hour
believed in Him and said, “When Christ comes, will
He do more signs than this Man has?” ³²And still,
the people argued about Him. So when
the Pharisees and priests heard this, they sent
some officers to take Him. ³³Jesus then
explained, “I shall return to Him Who sent
Me after I have been with you for yet
a little longer. ³⁴You will try to get
with Me, but where I am you cannot come.”
³⁵The Jews then asked, “Where is He going from
us, that we may not find Him? Will He go
to those who dwell among the Greeks, and show
Himself to them, and teach the Greeks? ³⁶What can
He mean by saying to us, ‘Where I am
you cannot come, though you will seek Me?’” 

- John 7.25-36

Reflect
1.  What would it look like in your community if people were as abuzz and curious about Jesus as they were in Jerusalem in John 7? What is your church’s role in stirring up the air in your community for Jesus? How’s that going? Complete this prayer: Why is it so hard for us to be Your witnesses, Lord? Our community needs to hear the Good News, and You have appointed us Your people to…

2.  Some people will always resist Jesus because they see Him as a threat. What do they fear He is going to do to them, take from them, or keep from them? Help me to understand why people resist You, Lord, so that…

3.  Others will hesitate to believe in Jesus because they’ve only heard the signs accompanying His salvation, but never really seen them. Meditate on 1 Peter 3.15. How do you expect that hope to become visible in your life? Fill me with hope, Lord, and let others see in me…

4.  Still others will resist believing the Gospel because they just can’t fit it into their intellectual categories. If they can’t make sense of Jesus within their own frame of reference, they will hold off believing in Him. What do we need to say to these folks? Lord, not everything You teach can be understood by reason alone. But still, it is my responsibility to make the Gospel clear, while I can trust You to…

5.  Jesus is making the most of this situation in Jerusalem, unsettling the settled, attracting those who believe, and asserting His authority over all the worn-out traditions and philosophies of men. What will it take for His people to continue this work in our own day? Bring together into one prayer the prayers you composed for questions 1-4.

Summary
“Now the power appears that was thought to be timidity: he spoke publicly at the feast, so much so that the multitude marveled.… They knew the fierceness with which he had been sought for. They marveled at the power by which he was not taken.” Augustine (354-430 AD)

Where the Gospel is lived and proclaimed, the power of God is at work. But to what ends? How should we expect to see the power of God at work in our community, when we are faithful in showing and telling the Good News?

Closing Prayer
Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
The LORD has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
Sing to the Lord with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm,
With trumpets and the sound of a horn;
Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King.
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together before the LORD,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with equity.

Psalm 98.1-9

Psalm 98 (Duke Street: Come, Let Us Sing unto the Lord)
Come, let us sing unto the Lord new songs of praise with one accord!
Wonderful things our God has done: Jesus has our salvation won!

Now is God’s saving mercy known; His glory to the world is shown.
Faithful and kind is God our Lord; earth has the Name of Jesus heard.

Raise to the Lord your loudest voice! Break forth and sing! Rejoice! Rejoice       
Praise, praise to You our God and King, with all our hearts and strength we bring!

Now let the whole creation ‘round burst into song with joyous sound!
Jesus will come to judge the earth; let all proclaim His matchless worth!

T. M. Moore

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.

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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.