Who is Jesus?

In other gospel passages, Jesus asked his disciples “who do you say I am?” Even though Jesus didn’t ask the question in this passage, it’s almost implied as an undercurrent. Throughout his earthly ministry, those who encountered Jesus wrestled with who he was, how he affected their lives, and how they would respond as a result.

Read John 7:45-49.

• The priests and Pharisees expected the Sanhedrin attendants¹ to bring Jesus to them.
• Their tone might sound as if they believed they knew God and what was on his mind.

“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

• The guards didn’t bring Jesus to the Pharisees because they believed his teaching sounded different than other teachers.
• The Pharisees believed Jesus taught false, deceptive information that mislead people into forming wrong judgments.²

“They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm” (1 Timothy 1:7).

• The Pharisees continued their argument stating they didn’t believe Jesus’ teaching was true.
• They considered themselves the authority on such things because they taught and upheld the Law.
• It seems reasonable to reflect here on Paul’s description of the Law’s true role, since John’s account is in the context of a discussion that considered Jesus as the Messiah.

“For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering” (Romans 8:3).

• As self-proclaimed “scholars” of the law, the Pharisees claimed the multitude didn’t understand the Law and were under a curse, doomed to punishment.³
• Obviously, the Pharisees themselves didn’t comprehend Jesus’ message.

“Cursed is anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out” (Deuteronomy 27:26).

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

*How do you read the Pharisees’ tone? curious? upset?

*How can we test and know false teachers?

*How does Jesus change our relationship to the Law?

*Why might the crowd deserve (or not) such a curse?

Read John 7:50-52[53].

• John reminded his readers of Nicodemus’ history with Jesus.

“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him” (John 3:1-2).

• I’m surprised John didn’t mention Nicodemus’ credentials again to add validity when Nicodemus reminded the Pharisees of the proper legal procedure.
• He referred to the right to a trial that would investigate a matter before condemning a wrong doer.⁴
• Any writers reading this post will appreciate John’s narrative technique as he foreshadowed Jesus’ unlawful trial to come.
• As a final retort, the Pharisees circled back to their original argument: since Jesus came from Galilee, he could not possibly be the prophet sent from God.
• The Pharisees assumed “in all of Scripture, no prophets ever came out of Galilee.” Nicodemus suggested they listen to Jesus before accusing him of false teaching. The Pharisees [intentionally?] overlooked Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem and focused on the fact most of Jesus’ followers were from Galilee. If they’d searched the Scriptures as they suggested to Nicodemus, they would have remembered Jonah,⁵“the prophet from Gath Hepher” (2 Kings 14:25) [Galilee⁶].

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him” (Deuteronomy 18:15).

*What is your history with Jesus and how does it affect your perceptions in daily life?

*What might be the significance of Jesus’ unlawful trial?

*In which situations would it be wise to listen to Jesus before (fill in the blank)?

We could sum up the reflection prompts by restating the opening question:

What is our response to Jesus and who He is?

 

1. Spiros Zodhiates Th.D., The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament (AMG Publishers, 1992), 1418.
2. Zodhiates, 1165.
3. Zodhiates, 628.
4. Zodhiates, 372, 889.
5. Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D., Editor, The Complete Word Study New Testament King James Version (AMG Publishers, 1991), 329-330.
6. Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/topical/g/gath-hepher.htm.