4th week in Lent, Friday – 27th March 2020 – John 7,1-2.10.25-30
Ignorance of Revelatory Knowledge
The discourse in this section is concerning Jesus himself as Messiah and from where he came. The crowds recognize that Jesus is the Messiah. They are surprised that he is teaching and speaking in public places. They wonder whether the authorities know that he is the Messiah. Indeed, they show their hostility to Christ by expressing the mind of the leaders, who sought to kill him. Jesus answers them boldly and freely. John describes that he cried in the temple as he taught, i.e., he spoke louder than the rest of his discourse. He expressed his earnestness and grief for the hardness of their hearts, as they judged him by his outward appearance. They were totally unaware that he did not come on his own. And so Jesus emphasizes twice that He was sent by the Father. He brings to light their ignorance that these unbelieving Jews lacked the revelatory knowledge of the Father. Their lack of knowledge of God, the Father, is the true reason why they rejected Christ and wanted to kill him.
