Who Do you Say Jesus Is?

John 7:40-52

As whispers of His miracles flooded the streets, many began questioning who this “Jesus” really was. Some said a prophet, some said Messiah. Others questioned if He could meet the prerequisites outlined in the Old Testament for the coming Messiah. Even after seeing Jesus proclaim good news to the poor, restore the sight of the blind, and deliver the oppressed, many still struggled to believe.

They had already seen Jesus do so much, but even this was not enough for them. What more did they need?

This story reminds us how useless knowledge is if it is not accompanied by grace in the heart. For instance, some of the people in this passage understood that according to prophecy, the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem and a descendant of King David. If only they knew! Because of scripture, we know that Jesus was, in fact, born in Bethlehem and came from the lineage of David (Matthew 1:1, 2:1). But even if they did know these things, would they have been convinced that Jesus was the Savior that they had been waiting for?

Nicodemus from John 3 appears again. In verse fifty of this chapter, Nicodemus defends Jesus, posing an important question regarding the Jewish law at the expense of his personal reputation. Though we do not know him to be a direct follower of Jesus at this point in the story, this moment reminds us that God can work on a sinner’s heart in His own timing.

On the other side, there must have been people who believed Jesus was the Messiah who did not know all the details regarding his birthplace and bloodline. And yet, they still believed.

Understanding deep theology and the traditions of religion is not a bad thing. In fact, we should value God’s word so much that we are drawn to learn more about these things. But unless someone knows our Lord Jesus Christ in the depths of their heart to be their own personal Savior, none of those things matter.

Who do you say He is?

Are you drawn towards the person of Jesus? Do you ever find yourself questioning if He really is who He says He is? When this happens, Jesus invites us close to His heart. No matter where you are in your spiritual walk with Jesus, he wants you to truly know him. More than that, he wants you to know the depth of his love that was shown ultimately in His sacrifice for you on the cross.

Lean in today, and find assurance in knowing that He is the long-awaited Messiah.