John 7:25-44
Is Jesus the Christ?
25At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill? 26Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ? 27But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."
28Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29but I know him because I am from him and he sent me."
30At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. 31Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?"
32The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
33Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. 34You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come."
35The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36What did he mean when he said, 'You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and 'Where I am, you cannot come'?"
37On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
40On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet."
41Others said, "He is the Christ."
Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee? 42Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?" 43Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 44Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.
The people knew Jesus...They knew His parents were Mary and Joseph...They knew He was from city of Nazareth and from the region of Galilee...Some people thought they would not know where the Messiah would come from, therefore Jesus is not the Messiah...Knowing Him and seeing Him grow up, would have been a reason not to believe He was the Messiah for some...
In the verses, twenty eight and twenty nine, Jesus tells them He the people know Him and where He is from...He is not here on His own...Jesus knows Him, because He sent Him...This probably confused some of the people who knew Him...The One who sent Him was God...Jesus spoke using language and His great ability to speak to confuse His critics...He knew what to say and when to say it...
Some wanted (the religious leaders) to have Him arrested...Many in the crowd put their faith in Him...They had seen the miracles and believed...
Jesus knew He would be with the people only a short time...He told the people this...He also told them, He would go back to the One who sent Him...People could look for Him at that time, but they would not find Him...He added, where I am, you cannot come...Some thought He was talking about leaving and going to teach the Greek Gentiles...
Jesus then tells the people, that whoever believes in Him as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him...Jesus says this in a loud voice, bringing attention to Himself...Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the Psalms use living water as fulfilling the Scripture...We also know that we cannot enter the kingdom of God with being born of the water and Spirit (John 3:5)...
Jesus (on the Spirit flowing within him) is talking about the disciples and some others who would receive the Holy Spirit after He passes away, and the disciples (receive the Spirit) at the Pentecost...Up to this time, they had been not been given the Holy Spirit, because Jesus had not yet been glorified...This comes true and they receive the Holy Spirit and is written about by St. Luke in the Acts, chapter two...
Some people now after hearing Him speak, believed He was a prophet, He was and is the Messiah...Others in the crowd, did not know He was from the lineage of King David and was born in Bethlehem and did not believe (Him or in Him)...
The One hidden from us since the creation of the earth is now here...It would take man and all his faith to understand and to believe He is the One to come...Regardless of whether we know His birthplace, His family, and where He grew up (know and in His day) some will believe, and some will not...Others will be to busy working or doing something that will keep us from Him...His importance just isn't seen by many until later in life, if even then when we more understand we are not immortal...
God's plan was to send us His Son...His Son would teach the Twelve...The Twelve were weak, timid, seemingly uneducated, common men...They would run from Him on the night of His arrest...After He resurrects they gain strength like no one else...They become strong followers again...The receive the Holy Spirit on the Pentecost, and start the Christian movement...The Father and Son live even today...