John 7:25-36
Suggested further reading: Luke 1:1-4
We see in these verses the obstinate blindness of the
unbelieving Jews. We find them defending their denial of our Lord's
Messiahship by saying, `We know this man whence he is: but when Christ
cometh no man knoweth whence he is.' And yet in both these
assertions they were wrong!
They were wrong in saying that they `knew whence our
Lord came'. They meant no doubt to say that he was born at
Nazareth and belonged to Nazareth and was therefore a Galilean. Yet
the fact was that our Lord was born at Bethlehem. It is incredible
to suppose that the Jews could not have found this out, if they
had honestly searched and inquired. It is notorious that
pedigrees, genealogies and family histories were most carefully kept by
the Jewish nation. Their ignorance was without excuse.
They were wrong again in saying that no man was to
know whence Christ came. There was a well-known prophecy, with
which their whole nation was familiar, that Christ was to come out of
the town of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:6; John 7:42). It is
absurd to suppose that they had forgotten this prophecy. But
apparently they found it inconvenient to remember it on this occasion.
Men's memories are often sadly dependent on their wills.
They shut their eyes against the plainest facts and doctrines of
Christianity. They pretend to say that they do not understand and
cannot therefore believe the things that we press on their attention as
needful to salvation. But, alas, in nineteen cases out of twenty it is a
wilful ignorance! They do not believe what they do not like to
believe. They will neither read, nor listen, nor search, nor think, nor
enquire honestly after truth. Can anyone wonder if such persons
are ignorant? Faithful and true is that old proverb: `There are none
so blind as those who will not see.'
For meditation: Luke searched out the facts to give
Theophilus certainty. The unbelieving Jews guessed and were wrong. Are
you studious or lazy in the things of God?
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