So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill? And look, He is speaking openly, and they are saying nothing to Him. Do the rulers truly know that this is the Christ? However, we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.” Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, “You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me.” So they were seeking to seize Him; yet no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. But many of the crowd believed in Him; and they were saying, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than this man did?”
John 7:25-39
The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him. Therefore Jesus said, “For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.” The Jews then said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him? Is He intending to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What is this statement that He said, ‘You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come’?”
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Introduction
How easy is it to let our expectations color our experience of truth? Consider putting on a movie that was thought to be a comedy but turns out to be a thriller. Even as one who enjoys thrillers, the movie is disappointing because it was not funny. This is the experience the people had with the Lord when He entered into Jerusalem on this occasion of the feast of booths.
They were primed to think He was the promised messiah, but something held them back. That is because Judaism in those days had strong disagreements regarding the timing, actions, and nature of the messiah. Some, like the Essenes, acknowledged His divinity. Others, from the camp of the Pharisees, believed the messiah would be simply human. These varied expectations inevitably would disagree with the reality since conflicting opinions are mutually exclusive by nature. None of them got everything wrong, but also none got everything right.
The disinformation campaign
Verse 27 tells us the people believed that simply knowing Jesus was from Galilee (or Bethlehem) was enough to think He was not the messiah. That is because “whenever the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.” But this teaching is found nowhere in the Torah. Nowhere in the writings. And nowhere in the prophets. It is a teaching that arose among the Jews of the region independent of the scriptures.
But because it was a prevalent teaching, it was treated as though it came from the scriptures. This happened all the time. Luke 11 (or Mark 7, Matthew 15) gives a strong example of this as the Pharisees confront Jesus regarding the washing of hands before eating bread. They believe it was a command from Moses, but it is found nowhere in scripture. Likewise the people expected no one would know where the messiah would come from. This teaching of men became, in their minds, equivalent with scripture.
Have you ever stopped to consider what teachings you hold onto might fall into this category? Maybe it is a teaching about baptism, the Lord’s Supper, or miraculous gifts. These are all topics on which Christians vehemently disagree, with each turning to the Bible and claiming scriptural authority over the matter, considering it closed. I am reminded of a claim James White once made, which is that “if you do not believe your faith is informed by a tradition, you are simply blind to your tradition.”
A spring of living water
In classic style, Jesus takes their expectation of not knowing where the messiah is from and doubles down that He was sent from the Father. He came from heaven to earth to save mankind, and He would return. Telling the people He would go back, He informed those who would not believe that they would then also be unable to follow Him. Only those who believe in the Savior can go with Him into eternity. All others are left to stay where they are, slaves to sin and death.
But for those willing to simply believe the scriptures for what they say, regardless of what their traditions taught, would be given the kind of life that does not start only at the resurrection. After leaving their presence for a while and returning on the final day of the feast, Jesus brings a new but related teaching: all those who are thirsty should come to Him where they will receive rivers of living water flowing from within.
Thankfully John interprets this for us by directly telling us Jesus was teaching about the Holy Spirit who would only come after Christ’s glorification at His ascension into heaven. Those who come after Him in belief follow in His footsteps. If you have faith in Christ, then you will do the works of Christ – just as He told the Pharisees regarding the sons of Abraham doing the works of Abraham (John 8:39). And praise the Lord, He does not leave us to attempt to accomplish this on our own.
Those who thirst for righteousness only need to seek Jesus and they will be quenched. The Spirit is sent to them, and He produces righteousness in them. Those who believe are saved, and it is by the mighty hand of God this is accomplished.
May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.
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