The threats from the religious leaders did not deter Jesus from speaking the truth and even the crowd recognized that He spoke with authority and boldness (7:25-26); however, they still did not know the true identity of Jesus (7:27). Because many Jews thought that the Messiah would be unidentifiable until His public appearance, they only saw Jesus as a simple carpenter from Galilee who was like any other man. Jesus knew their unbelief so He declared, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me” (7:28-29). When Jesus exposed that His listeners did not know Him because they did not know God, they attempted to arrest Him but it was not yet God’s will that Jesus be taken (7:30). As a result of Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah, many believed asking, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?” (7:31) This was not a statement of a future Messiah, but one claiming that no one else would come and do greater things than Jesus had already demonstrated. These were genuine believers.
The Pharisees and chief priests observed that some had believed in Jesus, so in order to avoid more “deception” they sent officers to arrest Him (7:32). Instead of fearing an arrest, Jesus continued to teach saying, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come (7:33-34). Of course Jesus was revealing that although He would be put to death, He would resurrect and ascend to be with His Father, but the Jews still misunderstood Jesus’ sayings so they questioned whether He could really go to a place where they could not find Him (7:35-36).
On the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus invites people to receive Him as the One who can give eternal life, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (7:37-38). Jesus was unapologetically declaring Himself as the only One who could provide eternal life. Furthermore, “He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified [His ascension]” (7:39). This living water Jesus spoke of was the Holy Spirit, who would soon indwell every individual who would believe in Jesus (Acts 2:1-4). The people listening were still uncertain of Jesus’ identity (7:40-44).
At this point, the temple officers became a little fearful of arresting Jesus because many people still had a favorable opinion of Him so they returned to the chief priests and Pharisees without Jesus in custody (7:45). The Pharisees accused the officers of being deceived and reminded them that no ruler or Pharisee had believed on Him, but only common people (7:46-49). Nicodemus, a Pharisee who had spoken to Jesus several months earlier, asked, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?” (7:50-51) The Pharisees responded to Nicodemus saying, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee” (7:52). Instead of examining the truth, the religious leaders had determined that they would not accept Jesus as the Messiah, no matter what miracles He performed or who He claimed to be. Their refusal to open their heart to the truth meant that they would remain separated from God, without hope. Many in this generation also refuse to examine the claims of Jesus Christ to see if He is true and can offer the hope of eternal life.
Dear God, instead of allowing people to reject the claims of Jesus Christ, may You open their heart to the truth so that they might also have the hope of eternal life.
