February 24, 2005

Could This Be the Christ?

Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from."

Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."

Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many in the crowd believed in him and were saying, "When the Messiah comes, will he do more signs than this man has done?"

2 comments:

crystal said...

About people recognising Jesus as the messiah/christ ... I read an interesting article, Jesus Through Jewish Eyes: A Rabbi Examines the Life andTeachings of Jesus by Rabbi John Fischer, Ph.D., Th.D, that compares Jesus' teaching style and content to that of other rabbis of the times and concludes that he wasn't that radically different. Maybe that's why the disciples had such trouble figuring out that he was the messiah/christ?

Unknown said...

It seems really important to John that to explain things. Jesus escaped because it wasn't his time yet. Maybe. But for John there's a cover of God's agency over everything.

It's a kind of faith I envy sometimes. But not one I live by -- yet.