Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, "Where is that man?" Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man. Others replied, "No, he deceives the people." -John 7:11, 12
Notice in this passage of Scripture that once the feast began, the people were watching for Jesus and they were asking question such as, “Where is that man?" That question is still being asked. When there is tragedy and problems people often ask, "Where is the Lord in all of this?" We have the answer: The Lord is here with us all along. He has never abandoned us and He never will. Through our darkest hour the Lord is right here with us as He promised.
People will also talk about Christ; who He is and what He has done. Verse 12 shows the people having a dispute about it. Those questions are still being asked and those same statements are still being made. Sometimes even unbelievers will make statements such as, “He is a good man.” I have talked to many people who will tell you that they believe that Jesus was a good man, a good teacher, and a prophet, but they will not receive Him as personal Savior. Jesus was all those things, but He was also the Son of God – our hope of salvation.
Notice also that some were saying that He was deceiving people (V 12). Jesus isn’t the one who deceives; that’s the work of the devil and of lying prophets. This is why we need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, so that we may have spiritual discernment to recognize what is truth and what is falsehood. The devil has a way of wrapping lies and falsehoods in all sorts of stylish and attractive packages. It’s like the apple I had the other day. From the outside it looked pretty good, but when I bit into it I realized it was mushy, tasteless, and had no substance. My dog didn’t even want it. I know because my son tossed one of those apples out into the backyard and my dog sampled it and would not eat it (smart dog).
The false teachings of the world are recognizable to discerning followers of Christ because they lack substance, they stray from the truth, they are born of human will, and they are not in agreement with the Word of God. All we see in Jesus Christ is ultimate and living truth. That’s why Jesus told the woman at the well in John 4 that what He would provide would be like living water that satisfies the deepest longings of the soul – Jesus can meet our need for salvation.
Anytime we get to thinking that we don’t need Jesus we need to think again. We not only need Him, but we are absolutely lost without Him; lost to wander our way through life, groundless and without hope. Jesus Christ is our hope and He is our anchor. In Him we have life and in Him we have salvation.
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