Amidst all the chatters and noises, can we hear the voice of Jesus, telling us who He is and calling us to follow Him?
Every so often, someone stirs up a sensation, and everyone talks about him/her. Everyone wonders who he/she is, whether what he/she is doing is legit or just a fraud. Some people are in awe of them and want to find out more, while others reject and dismiss them.
John chapter 7 contains many such commotions - some marvelled at who Jesus is, while others rejected and despised Him.
The Noise, Commotions, and Clatters
Right from the start, this chapter mentions those who rejected and scorned Jesus. The Jews sought to kill Jesus (John 7:1); The brothers of Jesus mocked Him (John 7:3-5). Even among His own family, Jesus faced rejection.
At the feast of Tabernacles, there was a commotion concerning Jesus - some said "He was good" while others said "He deceives the people" (John 7:10-12). There were a lot of mutterings and chatters among the crowd, yet no one said anything aloud for fear of the Jews who sought to kill Jesus (John 7:13).
Afterwards, Jesus secretly went up to the feast and began to teach, stirring up yet another commotion.
Some of the Jews heard and marvelled, given that Jesus had never studied and was the son of a carpenter (John 7:14-15). Others accused him of having a demon (John 7:20).
Some from Jerusalem saw that Jesus spoke boldly, and thought perhaps that Jesus was the Christ, although it's clear that they were not fully convinced yet that Jesus is their Messiah (John 7:26-27, 31). Upon hearing the commotion among the crowd, the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest Jesus (John 7:32).
On the last day of the feast, Jesus stood and proclaimed Himself (John 7:37-38). Again, this stirred up a commotion (John 7:43-44).
Many saw and said He was the Prophet, others said He was the Christ (John 7:40-41). At the same time, others questioned the fact that Jesus was from Galilee, not realising that He was born in Bethlehem (John 7:42).
Before the chapter concludes, we see another commotion in this chapter for the last time. The officers who were tasked with capturing Jesus came back empty-handed, in awe of the words of Jesus (John 7:45-46). The Pharisees were clearly upset, claiming they and the crowd were deceived (John 7:47-49).
Nicodemus then stood up for Jesus, but again the Pharisees mocked him (John 7:50-52). Looking down on the region of Galilee, the Pharisees claimed that no prophet had risen out of Galilee, because just like the crowd in verse 42, they did not realise Jesus was in fact born in Bethlehem. Even then, what they said is untrue. Comparing 2 Kings 14:25 with Joshua 19:13 tells us that the prophet Jonah was, in fact, from Galilee!
The Voice of Jesus
Yet, sometimes when there is too much commotion, we struggle to come to the crux of the matter. When there is too much noise, we struggle to come to the truth.
But if we listen closely enough, amidst all the clatter and noise from the crowds, we can hear the voice of Jesus telling us who He is.
Jesus comes from the Father and is sent by the Father (John 7:28-29). The Jews were focused on the fact that Jesus came from Galilee and were hence confident that He could not be the Christ. Yet, Jesus emphasises that He comes from above.
And in a little while, Jesus will return to the Father and can no longer be found (John 8:33-36).
Jesus also tells us that His doctrine is not His own but rather the Father's. He speaks not on His authority but on the Father's authority. He sought not His own glory, but the glory of the Father (John 7:16-18).
Most importantly, beyond telling us who He is, Jesus calls out to us to come to Him. For those who believe in Him and come to Him, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water, referring to the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39).
Cross-referencing to Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 22, we can see that such rivers of living water brings life and healing. Indeed, being filled with the Holy Spirit brings great benefit not just to ourselves, but these rivers of living water will flow out of our hearts and benefit those around us as well.
Today, can we filter out all the noise in the crowd and hear this voice of Jesus calling us to come to Him?
When we come to Jesus, Jesus promises to come to us to - by dwelling in us through the promised Holy Spirit.
May we filter out all the noise and distractions in the world and come to Jesus, that we may be filled with the Holy Spirit and live a life which transcends the noise and chaos of this world.