Confused About Jesus
I made a early morning trip to Berthoud to meet with the Executive Director of the Berthoud Chamber of Commerce. It was my first time to be in Berthoud. What is of interest is that my paternal grandmother was born in Berthoud. I will have to check out the local museum and see what I can learn of the history of the town. I’m glad we didn’t get the snow and cold that was anticipated, I still need to have my sprinkler system blown out. I believe this will be the latest in the year this has ever happened.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “When the people heard Jesus’ words, some of them said, “This man really is the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Christ.” Still others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee…” John 7:40,41 NCV
Jesus was an enigma in many ways, to many people. He said things people did not expect. He did things they did not like. When it was recognized that He performed a miracle, the religious leaders were upset because it was on the Sabbath. His words comforted, but more often confronted, challenged and confused. The “coffee”shop discussion on “who is this man?!” was always of interest and always filled with controversy.
The opinion of people in John 7 reminds me of Matthew’s gospel when Jesus turned to His disciples and asked two important questions, “who do men say that I am?” and “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15) It is always challenging when the focus turns from “them” or “they” to “me.”
The Jews of Jesus’ day were familiar with the ministry of John the Baptist and the record of the Old Testament prophets. So, it made sense to at least affirm that Jesus was or is “the” prophet. Yet others were more convinced by not only His word but His miracles and declared Him to be the “Christ” or Messiah.
The last group seems to almost “get it” – but they stumbled because Jesus was from Galilee and a Nazarene. We see their knowledge of the prophecies about the Messiah because they said, “The Scripture says that the Christ will come from David’s family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived.” (John 7:42 NCV) They were so close; they just forgot their internet search to find that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and was tied to David’s lineage.
It seemed like there were those who looked for reasons to not believe. Jesus addressed some of these who struggled with His teachings and said, “…even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” (John 10:38 NIV)
What we observe in Jesus day, we can see in ours. If someone doesn’t want to accept the testimony of Jesus, more “evidence” is usually fruitless. People in Jesus day even with seeing Him, hearing Him and witnessing His miracles, struggled to believe in Him. For many, He “just didn’t fit into their frame of reference.”
How often that is the case today. There are those who refuse to believe because of something the Lord has done or not done that is outside of their context. So people demand more. At times the Lord in His grace provides what is needed for personal belief; at others times He doesn’t; leaving what a person already knows and has experienced for them to consider.
It is interesting how many people remain “confused” about Jesus. It is easier to engage in generalized discussions, than to bring it home to a personal level. But it is on the personal level where Jesus meets each of us. While He taught the multitudes, He healed one person at a time. He took time for a Samaritan woman at a well, He took time for a Pharisee coming to see Him under the cover of night. He took time to release a woman caught in adultery to a new life. He took time for a tax collector names Zacchaeus. To those who wanted to “see” He opened their eyes. To those who refused to believe, He allowed them to stay in their “darkness.”
After the controversy over the healing of a man born blind, Jesus said, “…I came so that the blind would see and so that those who see will become blind.” (John 9:39 NCV)
The bottom line is, some people look for reasons to believe, others look for reasons not to believe. The question then is, “which best describes you?”