Know Jesus, Know Peace! – 4th Week of Lent- Friday- John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

So here is a twenty first century observation that has not changed since Jesus first uttered these words. “You know me and also know where I am from. But the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.” In short Jesus is telling us that we know ABOUT HIM (hopefully) but OF HIM OR THE FATHER, PERHAPS WE KNOW NOTHING.

Jesus never minced words and perhaps because we live in a ‘positively affirmed’ society we don’t like ‘negative stokes’. Should we spiritually spare the rod and spoil the child? Not so for the Lord! When the Jews needed to be confronted, He did not hold back. So, have we exalted the notion of the ‘sweet heart of Jesus’ and smothered the reality of Jesus in the temple, whip in hand; and for that matter done the same with today’s text?

Let me place today’s text in context. The first thing you will notice is that verses 3-9 and 11- 24 are not included. So let me fill you in. Jesus has left Jerusalem for Galilee as the Jews sought to kill Him. From the text, it seems clear, that they were seeking ‘any’ opportunity to kill Him. We are told that the eight day long Jewish festival of Tabernacles was near. It is here that our saga of ‘knowing’ and ‘unknowing’ begins.

It is clear that ‘His brothers’ know ‘about Him’ but don’t ‘know him’. The brothers of Jesus want Him to go to Jerusalem so that His ‘works may be seen’. Clearly they wanted to bask in His glory and popularity, something akin to the secular world’s demands. Scripture tells us that sadly even His brothers did not believe Him (verse 5).

When Jesus does join the festivities in Jerusalem, He does so privately, for He seeks not His glory. We are told He arrives somewhere in the middle of the festival and bang smack in a divided opinion of Him. Some were ‘complaining about Him’, some said He was ‘a good man’, some more called Him ‘a deceiver’; a word which translates as ‘satan’.

To discredit Him, (and this brings us to the main portion of today’s text) the Jews seek to ‘expose’ His lineage. They want to reveal what they ‘know about him’! “They know the physical location of His hometown and they know ‘about Him’ yet they don’t know Him or the Father” and He states this plainly.