We continue our study of the Gospel of John. Picking up at verse 10 of Chapter 7, we read the words of the Apostle inspired by the Holy Spirit. He wrote:
“However, after His brothers had left for the festival, He went also, not publicly, but in secret. Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, “Where is He?”
Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about Him. Some said, ‘He is a good man.’ Others replied, ‘No, He deceives the people.’ But no one would say anything publicly about Him for fear of the leaders. Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews there were amazed and asked, ‘How did this man get such learning without having been taught?’ Jesus answered, ‘My teaching is not my own. It comes from the One who sent Me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth, there is nothing false about him.” John 7: 10-18
We are not told clearly why the Lord did not want His brothers to know He was going to this festival -we can only surmise. Nevertheless, He went in secret.
By this time in His short earthly Ministry, because of the miracles He had performed and His new Teaching, He was the talk of the Jews. Some said He was a good man. Some said He was a liar, and deceiver. Some were amazed at His teaching, and could not understand how He could be so learned without being a trained Rabbi. Regardless, the people would not even discuss Him with their Religious Leaders for the Leaders hated Him, and had made it very clear they did not want any one following Jesus – they were jealous, and position conscious. They had made threats of excommunication from the synagogue who might publicly support Him. To a Jew this was severe punishment.
Sometimes, and getting progressively worse it seems, we as Christians are faced with criticism by those who hate the name of Jesus Christ. Of course we know where this comes from. They do not mind if we say the name of Buddha, or Mohammed, or Moses, but the name of Jesus seems to bring out hostility in some, and they say they are offended when we say it. Some Christians hesitate to end their prayers in public “in the name of Jesus”, or to include His name in the prayer for fear they will offend someone. May we never fear to proclaim His name. May we never fear to publicly support Him.
May we hear the words of Jesus who said, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the One who sent me.” Our aim is not to offend, but simply to allow the power and truth of the Word, as He taught us, to cover our prayer and the one or ones we are praying for. May we never forget this truth: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who did believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1: 1,3,11,12.
As a child of God, we do not speak on our own, or to seek personal glory. We seek the glory of the One who was sent to us; the One who sends us, to tell the Good News of the Covenant of Grace and Love, and the power that is in His name. He IS Truth.