Who Do You Say I Am?

On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.) When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.” So the crowd was divided about him. [John 7.37-43]

There is an important lesson for all here in this passage from John's Gospel.

A lot of people today claim to know God and claim to know Jesus. Such was the case in the context of the passage above. But what is revealed is that the people were arguing over "facts" were, in fact, not facts!

People knew a little about prophecy in that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, but they also thought they knew that Jesus was from Galilee and not Bethlehem. They simply did not know what they thought they knew!

Verses 25-27 of the same chapter reveal this misinformation in advance:

Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.” [John 7.25-27]

Knowledge is funny like that... What one thinks is fact may or may not be fact. Notice they said, "...we know where this man comes from." Yeah... not so much! Who knows where they got the information which was not information whatsoever but instead merely speculation.

Do we know where we have gotten our information about Jesus? Is it hearsay or is it from the Bible? Is it from denominational doctrine or from God's Word? Is it from human reasoning or Divine Truth?

I think it was day before yesterday's OYCB reading where Jesus asked, "Who do you say I am?" (Mark 8 and Matthew 16 & Luke 9). We should all allow ourselves to hear Jesus ask us this very same question as we read these words, "Who do you say I am?" 

Father, help me to know You and to know Jesus (and therefore You) based on the fact of Your Word. May I not be found supposing information about You or likewise speculating information about You. But may I know You as I know Your Word! So be it!