Read: John 7:1-17

Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” (v. 12 NIV)

We are introduced to these preliminaries in the words of Jesus in a chapter where hardly anybody knows Christ. He is surrounded by people who know some things about him but who don’t really know him. That included his own half-brothers, who, according to verse 5, did not yet believe in him. And there was the mob that thronged him like a rock star but didn’t agree if he was a good man or a deceiver. Others said he was demon possessed (John 7:20), while still others thought he might be Moses or (gasp) even the Messiah. Lurking in the background were the Jewish leaders who wanted to kill him.

In such an atmosphere of curiosity and confusion, enthusiasm and envy, skepticism and hostility (much like we live in today), how can anyone really know Jesus? In verse 15, Jesus’ enemies challenge his education, his credentials, and his authority, saying, in effect, “Who does he think he is?”

That’s when Jesus spoke these profound words about the first preliminary. “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own” (v. 17). Who do I think I am? You will never know unless you choose to do God’s will. You can’t grow into a more intimate knowledge of Christ, unless you are willing to do whatever God wills.

Prayer:

“Have thine own way, Lord!” (Pollard). Amen.

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