John 7:14–36 (NKJV)
14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15 And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”
John 7:14-24
16 Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. 19 Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”
20 The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”
21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
The people questioned the authority of Jesus as He taught in the temple. The leaders challenged His ability to know truth because He had not been to their school to learn. Jesus identified the source of the truth He spoke as the One Who sent Him, or the Father. He then asked the leader why they wanted to kill Him, to which they replied that He was crazy. He then reminded them of the anger they had toward Him just after His recent healing of the man at the Pool of Bethesda.
25 Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? 26 But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ? 27 However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”
John 7:25-30
28 Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. 29 But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”
30 Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. 31 And many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”
There is a stark contrast in the subsequent reaction to Jesus. Some admit that the Sanhedrin sought to kill Jesus, while others believed in Him as a result of His authoritative teaching. Many tried to figure Jesus out, determining that He could not be the Messiah for various reasons. In the end, though, knowing everything about Jesus is impossible. We are too finite to know all about Him, but by grace we can know Him. His opponents sought to take Him to the Sanhedrin, but they could not touch Him.
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him. 33 Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. 34 You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.”
John 7:32-36
35 Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”
Once the stir began, the Pharisees felt that the time was right to take Jesus. However, He rebuffed those who would take Him, and again was not placed in custody. He was untouchable! He knew the timing of God and He was not thwarted from the plan for His life. They tried, but did not understand Him, so they were not able to touch Him on a mental level. They could not touch Him physically, for their actions were out of the will of God. They did not connect with Him spiritually, for the other factors got in the way of faith. What is keeping you from touching Jesus today? He is here, holy and righteous and full of grace. Do not let your mind or your emotions get in the way of a real relationship with Christ. Don’t make Him untouchable.
Artwork from https://img.heartlight.org/cards/g/john7_30-31.jpg
LIVE@5 – February 7 (Mon), 2022
Devoted To You 
