John 7:25-44
Division Over Who Jesus Is
25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”
28 Then 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 authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”
30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
33 Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”
35 The 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? 36 What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By 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.
40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”
41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.”
Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” 43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.
In John 7:25-44, we find Jesus teaching amidst a divided crowd during a great festival...There was confusion and searching among the people regarding His identity and origin, with some trying to seize Him while others wondered if He was the Messiah or the Prophet...This scene of seeking and misunderstanding resonates as we consider C.S. Lewis's statement that "The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts"...His powerful metaphor suggests that teaching is less about imposing overwhelming information and more about bringing life and nourishment to dry and barren places...Like the crowd in John 7, students' hearts and minds can be in a state of searching or even confusion, longing for truth and meaning amidst the complexities of the world...Jesus declared His Authority came from the Father who sent Him (John 7:28-29), presenting Himself as the true source of what they were seeking...Viewed through a biblical lens grounded in this passage, the educator's role reflects this – bringing truth and life, pointing towards the Ultimate Source, into this state of human searching and potential division...
Jesus seen as the Living Water, providing the necessary spiritual nourishment for our souls to thrive...C.S. Lewis must have believed this and his statement on education was that "The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts,"...Lewis' powerful metaphor is that the role of teaching, particularly when viewed through a biblical lens helps us reflect on God...The user's interpretation beautifully expands on this, moving beyond mere intellectual instruction ("cutting down jungles" of overwhelming information) to the vital work of bringing life and nourishment ("irrigating deserts") to the hearts and minds of students...This perspective resonates deeply with scripture, revealing the educator's task as a partnership with God, the Ultimate Source of Life and Truth...
The image of a dry, barren desert longing for water is a powerful one often used in the Bible to describe spiritual emptiness or need...The user applies this to the student's state, suggesting their hearts and minds can feel barren...This longing for life and growth finds its ultimate answer in God...Just as God promised through the Great Prophet Isaiah to "give waters in the wilderness and streams in the desert" (Isaiah 43:19-20), He promises to nourish dry places, pouring out His Spirit and blessings...This Divine act of irrigation brings life where there was none...As educators who are followers of Jesus are called to be instruments in this Divine Work, reflecting God's LOVE and compassion to their students... Jesus Himself spoke of being the Source of Living Water, saying, "Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again...The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water springing up into eternal life" (John 4:14)... He later cried out, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink...Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'" (John 7:37-38)...This Living Water, which John explains refers to the Spirit, is what truly irrigates the deserts of the soul, bringing spiritual life and growth...
Lewis believed as educators, there are privileged to partner with God the Father and Jesus Christ in this life-giving process...Their job isn't merely to impart facts, but to be channels of that Living Water, bringing hope and facilitating growth...Every act of kindness, encouragement, patience, and grace we extend to a student can be like drops of water in their desert...A simple smile, a sincere compliment, understanding when a student is struggling, or even holding them accountable in a way that reflects tough love – these are all ways we can mirror the compassion and the Truth of Jesus...Jesus demonstrated the ultimate acts of LOVE and sacrifice, becoming the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), so that we might have abundant life...Our Father in heaven "makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:45), showing His Universal Grace...As educators, we are called to embody this grace and truth in our interactions...
The task of education and involved with helping others is indeed a blessing – to be used by God as partners in irrigating deserts to help find the Living Water...It means recognizing that the true growth and transformation in a student's life ultimately come from God, but that He chooses to use us, His servants, as the streams and channels through which His life-giving LOVE and Truth can flow...It is a role that requires us to be filled with the Spirit, drawing from the well of God's LOVE ourselves, so that we can pour out that LOVE into the lives of those we teach...Embracing this role means seeing each student not as an empty vessel to be filled, but as a potential garden in a desert, waiting for the life-giving water that we, in partnership with the Divine Gardener, can help provide...
The task of education, viewed as helping others find the Living Water, is indeed a profound blessing and a partnership with God...It means recognizing that the true, lasting growth and spiritual irrigation come from God Alone, often through the Holy Spirit, which John explains is the "Living Water" Jesus promised (John 7:39)...Given after Jesus was glorified, the Spirit is the Ultimate Source of Life that resolves the deep spiritual thirst (John 7:37) and the searching and divisions described earlier in the passage (John 7:25-36, 43)...As educators partnering with the Divine Gardener, we are called to be channels, guiding students towards this Ultimate Source of Life, not simply providing temporary fixes...Embracing this role means seeing each student as having a fundamental thirst that only the Living Water from Jesus can truly satisfy...It is a role of pointing beyond ourselves to the One who gives eternal life, fulfilling the longing of the desert heart and bringing flourishing where there was barrenness, reflecting the Divine LOVE of the Father and Son...