TITLE
John 7:40-53 – Truth Divides
EXPLANATION
The account of the Feast of Booths continues by
showcasing the sharp divisions among the people, and even the leaders, over
whether Jesus was really the Messiah or not.
Some of the people recognized Jesus’s words as truth. Even the Jewish soldiers who had been sent to
arrest Him could tell that He spoke in a way that no one else had ever
spoken.
However, at the same time, other people continued to
disbelieve. Some of the people even had
objections based on the Hebrew Scriptures.
They correctly pointed out that Jesus, according to prophecy, had to
come from Bethlehem, in the region of Judea, rather than from Galilee. For their part, the chief priests and
Pharisees attempted to ridicule those who believed in Jesus. They set themselves up as supposed paradigms
of righteousness, implying that if they did not believe in Him then no one else
should.
APPLICATION
This passage illustrates another principle of
belief. Namely, it is not easy. The reason, in this case, is because
authentic belief in God will always face stiff opposition from a rebellious
ungodly world and the people who are enslaved to their satanic mindset. The Bible clearly teaches that God, having
once enabled faith in our hearts, will ultimately give us victory over such
antagonism. However, it is perfectly
legitimate to recognize that there will be hurdles along the way. If we anticipate the difficulty that we will
undoubtedly face, it is less likely that we will suffer acute discouragement
when the time comes.
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