Religious Confusion

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: John 7:25-36

 

John 7:36

What is this thing that He said, “You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come?”

(NKJV)

 

When we look around us and observe God’s wonderful creation it becomes clear that God is a God of order. The phases of the moon are twenty-eight days. The Earth orbits the Sun once every 365 and ¼ days. Scientists can precisely predict the location of the moon and planets at a future date making it possible to send men to the moon and probes to the other planets. This leads to the question of how there could be religious confusion regarding God’s Word. The answer to this question lies in differing interpretations of the meaning of passages in Scripture, something this text points out. The Pharisees and chief priests were confused by what Jesus said because they did not know who Jesus was.

 

Jesus has performed many miracles and signs, with some done on the Sabbath, causing many Jews to plot to kill Him. However, many who witnessed Jesus’ discourse with the Jews at the Feast of Tabernacles wondered why they did not kill Jesus when He was with them (John 7:25). These Jews also observed the boldness with which Jesus spoke and wondered if the failure of the religious leaders to kill Jesus meant they believed Jesus was the Christ (John 7:26). However, this brought religious confusion because even though Jesus spoke boldly and did many miracles, they knew where Jesus was from and believed one could not know where the Christ was from (John 7:27).

 

As He taught in the Temple, Jesus cried out saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.” (John 7:28). Adding to the confusion Jesus told them He knows God, is from God, and that God sent Him (John 7:29). This enraged the Jews, with them seeking to kill Him, but no one laid a hand upon Him because his time of crucifixion had not come (John 7:30). Many others believed in Jesus wondering that when the Christ came would He do more signs and miracles than Jesus had done (John 7:31).

 

Word of many coming to believe in Jesus caused the Pharisees to send officers to Jesus to take him (John 7:32). Jesus then spoke and added to the confusion by telling them He would be with them for a little while longer and then return to God who sent Him (John 7:33). Jesus then told them that they would seek Him but could not come to where He was going (John 7:34). This added to the confusion of the Jews with them now wondering where Jesus intended to go speculating that He would go to the Greeks to teach them (John 7:35-36).

 

Jesus said He came from God the Father and would return to Him causing confusion among religious leaders wondering if Jesus was the Christ, confused because they knew where He came from. The many signs and miracles done by Jesus were causing many to believe and follow Jesus, threatening the religious power the Pharisees and chief priests had over the people (John 7:31). Especially troubling to these leaders was Jesus' performance of miracles on the Sabbath, viewing this as work which was strictly prohibited during the Sabbath (Leviticus 23:3; Matthew 12:9-14).  Jesus then adds to their confusion by saying He is Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). The Pharisees and chief priests abused the commandment to honor the Sabbath as a day of rest to prohibit any work on that day with Jesus threatening the religious power they had over the people. This is why they plotted to kill Jesus when he did miracles on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:14). Religious confusion prevented the religious leaders and many Jews from knowing who Jesus was and prevented them from following and believing in Him.

 

Many in the Church, and even Church leaders have academic knowledge of the Bible and know who Jesus was but do not have a relationship with Him. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that true worshippers of God worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). While academic knowledge of the Word of God is something one should aspire to achieve, it is dead if not accompanied by a relationship with the author of the Bible. Imagine if you were to have a relationship with your favorite author and could ask them why they wrote what they wrote. This would be especially true if something they wrote was confusing to you.

 

Knowing Jesus as one’s personal savior eliminates religious confusion because we know the author of the Bible and have the Holy Spirit within us to give interpretation (John 16:13). When we have the Holy Spirit within us through a relationship with God through Christ, the Word of God is illuminated in our hearts and the Word becomes a light guiding our lives (Psalm 119:105). The message of the Bible does not need to be confusing for it is simple. We are sinners (Romans 3:23) and live under the death penalty for our sins but Jesus came to give us eternal life (Romans 6:23). The gift of eternal life is free for us but came at a high price, the death of God’s only Son Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:8). To receive this gift one has to confess Jesus as their Lord with their mouth and believe in their heart (Romans 10:9-10).

 

If you believe in your heart that Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the grave but have not made a public confession of this belief, I invite you to pray with me now,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

I invite you to let someone know of your decision or to comment on this post about your decision. I also encourage you to become involved in a Church teaching the Bible and following through with baptism. May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.