John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
The apostle John records strong opposition to Jesus, including repeated references to threats on his life. (7:1, 25, 30) Some of the Jews could not accept that Jesus was the Messiah because they claimed to know where He came from when they actually believed that no one will know of Christ’s origin. It is an irony, in a sense they knew Jesus and that He had come from Nazareth but in a deeper sense they did not know Jesus or the Father. Jesus mentioned again His dependence on the Father and went on to declare that He had real knowledge of God and that they did not. Both His origin and mission were from God. What struck me in this passage was verse 30, where we find that Jesus’ enemies were powerless against Him until His time came.
How many of you have experienced threats on your life either by illness or some form of danger. I know of someone who has been in and out hospital for the past 2 years. He was always suffering from some form of ailment or other. He hit the panic button many times and so felt that he was dying. It was very difficult to walk with him through those times. As we prayed and cried with him, we felt that God was in control but because he was constantly in a state of fear, he was unable to see God’s sovereignty. The Lord Jesus was so aware of His Father’s will and timing that He was able to continue working despite the threats that He faced on His life. May we not give up in our service for the Lord despite the opposition and hardships we may face.
Reflection:
1. Reflect on a time when you had hit the ‘panic button’ in your life. How was your faith in God affected by such a situation?
2. What can you do in order to prepare for such a situation in the future?
(Meditations contributed by Rhema)