Knowing Him

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

KNOWING HIM

John 7:25-36

25 At that point, some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from." 28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me."  30 At this, they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?" 32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. 33 Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come."  35 The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36 What did he mean when he said, 'You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and 'Where I am, you cannot come'?" 

NIV

It is always the people who doubt that Jesus is the Christ that will not be able to find him and will not be able to go to where he is, which is heaven. A person has to believe and that belief or faith in Jesus has to be without reservations. We are not sure why the people in the temple courts that heard the teaching of Jesus thought the Messiah would simply show up out of nowhere. From other portions of the text we have to conclude they are aware Jesus is from Nazareth and was a child of Joseph and Mary. Was it forgotten about his miraculous arrival? Do everyone forget about how the sky was filled with angels singing “Glory to God in the Highest”? Again it is people seeing with physical eyes rather than spiritual eyes. It seems it is the same today. Although many people say they believe Jesus was, and there it is, was, past tense, the Son of God. Some might even say he is the Son of God, but not really accepting him as their Lord and Savior, not truly living by faith. There are still people who think being a good person will gain them entrance into heaven. Even some Christians, people who confess Jesus as Lord and Savior still look to their “Good works” as a requirement for entrance into the kingdom of God. Why is there so much confusion about who Jesus is, where he came from and what he did and where he went to and what he is doing right now and why he will do at some time in the future of mankind? Maybe it is just too simple just to have faith. It seems some think it is Jesus plus works. We believe that Jesus is who he says he is and that is just the way it is. We know where he came from although we actually have no personal experience with heaven, having not ever been there at this point. We have no personal knowledge of where was the beginning of what we know as time. Jesus was always there, wherever there is, and there was nothing made that he did not make, which means Jesus was involved in the whole of creation. So in some sense, we do not know where he came from, although we know he came from heaven, or from where the Father is. But again that is the difference of seeing with physical or spiritual eyes. Even having been to the Holy Land and visiting the various places we know Jesus was, all we can do is have faith it all really happened as it did. We have to believe the witness of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and that they were inspired by God to record all about Jesus. We have to have faith that Paul had a real encounter with Jesus and was inspired to do and write all he did, along with James and Peter. Faith is all-important in the life of us believers. Yet, we personally have had so much proof God is real and true. He has done so many things in our life we cannot account for in the physical realm but have to give him all the glory and honor. We have had events in our life which we have had no ability to achieve on our own. We have no doubt that where Jesus is we will be able to go, he is coming back for us. We know Jesus.