DAY #155: John 7:14-36

When the Jewish leaders heard Jesus, they were surprised at His knowledge, having never been trained as a rabbi in their schools. In other words, Jesus had no official human certification. He spoke with authority without relying on license or degree to legitimize his teaching. From what follows this statement about the amazement of the crowd, we understand that the unrest among the people about Jesus’ identity continued to develop. After the crowd’s initial amazement, they grew restless over the issues of Jesus’ identity and began to take sides.

Because Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath and then directly implied his own equality with God, his Father, the Jewish religious leaders wanted to kill him for Sabbath-breaking and blasphemy. The Pharisees tried to achieve holiness by meticulously keeping the rules that they had added to God’s laws. Jesus’ accusation that they didn’t obey the law of Moses stung them deeply. In spite of their pompous pride in their accomplishments and their rules, they did not measure up, for they were living far below what the law of Moses required.

We cannot know how widely spread the plot against Jesus was. But verse 25 records the fact that a certain “they” were trying to kill him, and their intentions were widely known. At this point, the crowd wanted to know whether Jesus could identify the people behind the plot. But this crowd also blasphemed against Jesus by charging him with being demon possessed. Mark records an earlier incident (Mark 3:22-30) when a similar charge was leveled against Jesus. It was a particularly effective tactic on the part of the religious leaders to admit the spirituality of Jesus, but then define it as evil. This time Jesus did not even bother refuting the obvious dishonesty of the allegations.

While the religious leaders allowed certain exceptions to Sabbath laws, they allowed none to Jesus, who simply showed mercy to those who needed healing. He demonstrated from their own practices that they would overrule a law when two ceremonial laws came into conflict. But the Jewish leaders were so engrossed with their regulations about Sabbath-keeping that they failed to see the true intent of Jesus’ actions. Their superficial but tenacious adherence to their own traditions would cause them to miss the Messiah, to whom their Scriptures pointed.

This was too much for the leaders who tried to arrest him. This was the first spontaneous attempt to restrain Jesus. A little later there was an official attempt described in verse 32. But Jesus could not be detained, for his time had not yet come. The verse between the two attempted arrests says that many believed. There was turmoil in the crowd about Jesus’ true identity. People were taking sides. Some people believed and others did not. For a while there had been general confusion. But the confusion was resolving into belief and unbelief. Those who believed Jesus concluded that he had presented the true credentials of the Messiah.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

How is it that evil, like that which resided in the hearts of the Pharisees, comes forth in a persons life? How are capable of such despicable, ungodly, unrighteous acts and then justifying our behavior? I understand how evil like this is possible, because of the great evil one - Lucifer. But for those who know the truth, know Christ as their savior, know the scriptures - how is evil like this possible?

My own personal sense is that just because we know what is right and read what is right and listen to what is right - it does not guarantee we will live right and do what is right. That is what personal application of God's word is so very key, every day of our lives.

Somewhere along the line these religious leaders died inside. the light switch went off. Their hard grew cold to the things of God and the truths of God's word. Oh Lord, protect me from this. Protect my family from this. Protect our people from this sick attitude. Lord, give us a receptive heart to Your word and to Your Holy Spirirt.

"So, as the Holy Spirit says: 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert...'" Hebrews 3:7-8 (NIV)