Say What?

Scripture Verses that Caught My Attention Today: (SEVERAL VERSES TODAY)

John 7:1 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him.

John 7:8-10 Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee. 10 But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but as it were in secret.

John 8:13-18 Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. 18 I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.”

John 8:58-59 Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Observations: I chuckled at verse 7:1—it’s a very human portrait of Jesus—naturally he wouldn’t want to go where people wanted to kill him! I can relate with that kind of Jesus!

But then in 7:8-10 I’m struck by a Jesus who says one thing (I’m not going to the festival) but does another (then he also went [to the festival]). Hmmm.

John 8:13-18 is an example of the bizarre—it’s a circular reasoning that, frankly, we would never accept in the court of law today. If Jesus really talked like this, it would be little wonder that he found himself in a heap of earthly trouble.

In John 8:58-59 it’s striking that this one who has been around since ‘before Abraham’ and who knows when his time has ‘not yet come’ nevertheless, apparently, has to resort to ‘hiding.’ Hmmm.

Application: I’m not really sure how to ‘apply’ all of this in daily life. In some ways the one we proclaim as Savior and Lord is so simple—he came, he died, he rose again. In other ways he is complicated beyond measure. If it’s true that John was the last of the Gospels written and that it was written maybe 70 or so years after Jesus rose from the dead, then this would make some sense—at least the parts where Jesus seems to know everything all the time. Seventy years of hindsight when considering the Savior of the World would naturally lead to a portrayal of an all-knowing/always-right Jesus. Yet sprinkled therein are those little human bits and pieces. Things like Jesus not ‘wishing’ to go where people want to kill him or Jesus going into ‘hiding,’ etc. it’s surprising, in a way, that John would include such human details.

But then again, maybe John is a bit like me (or vice-versa), intent on making sense of this crucified and risen one even though, personally, both John and I are years removed from the earthly Jesus and the actual events of his life, death, and resurrection.

Prayer: Lord, you both puzzle and inspire, confuse and make clear. I pray that my confusion on some aspects of your sayings and actions will keep my humble while your more clearly profound involvement in our world will always lift me up. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(readings today included John 7-8)