While studying chapter 7, a few themes resonated with me: doubt, fear, turmoil. How many of us have experienced one of these in the last day, week, or month?
We have already seen earlier in John how things have started to get ugly. The rule-followers are angry that Jesus healed on their day of rest, people are questioning if Jesus is who He says he is based on the earthly family he was born into, and disciples turned their backs on Him when having faith felt impossible.
In chapter 7 verse 5 we learn, “For even His brothers didn’t believe in Him”. When I read this verse, I felt both frustration and sadness. How could the people with eyewitness accounts of His miracles not trust Him? They physically experienced them!! However, if I think about my own life I am in the same boat as Jesus’ brothers. God shows up in my life constantly, yet I so quickly doubt him when the boat starts to sink, I feel like a prayer is unanswered, or I feel like a situation didn’t turn out the way it was “supposed to”. I am no better than the confidants who walked with Jesus in those dirty sandals. Some may argue, “Well we have a harder time trusting because we just have this book of words and stories.” Spoiler alert: this book of words and stories is God’s word written specifically for you, me, the entire world. While Jesus disciples at the time saw what was happening as Jesus walked the earth, we have the upper hand because we know the whole story. We can skip right to the end and see He is who he says he is. Yet, we still doubt Him, don’t we?
As you read this, don’t be ashamed because you also experience doubt and fear when it comes to trusting Jesus. Because Jesus left Heaven and took on flesh to be a person like you and me, He understands all of the emotions you feel on a daily basis, and He wants you to bring it all to Him, even if it’s doubt or mistrust in His word or plan for your life. Jesus was a wild card people weren't expecting, and He always had a trick (a.k.a. miracle) up His sleeve. It makes sense that in the midst of such amazing work people were apprehensive and waiting for the shoe to drop given that Jesus made them question everything about their beliefs thus far.
Maybe you are getting your toes wet with this Jesus thing, which means as you learn more about His love for you, your belief system is going to be challenged. The beliefs by which you have shaped your life, which may not necessarily be wrong, are going to be proven unnecessary and fallible. If you are like me, you’ve spent a lot of time trying to drink the tap water and crusty bread to maintain an abundant life. It’s okay to have questions about Jesus and not fully trust everything set before you in His word.
It’s like learning how to dance. Let’s use me for example: classic white girl with no rhythm. I twisted my ankle trying to learn the Soulja Boy dance off of Youtube, so the Waltz is not going to come easily. Maybe you are still learning the rhythm of following Jesus. Don’t let yourself give up when it gets hard or you feel like your faith isn’t strong enough. Take it one step at a time, put one foot in front of the other, and before you know it, you’ve learned the dance.
Chapter 7 highlights the fact that following Jesus can be lonely sometimes.
Verse 13 says, “But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.”
As we live our lives pursuing Him, there will be times we are isolated because our lives just don’t make sense to the people around us. In this moments, cling to Him! Chapter 7 also reminds me of the ease with which God handles the big, chaotic things in our lives. Jesus stays cool as a cucumber as everyone around Him is experiencing chaos, fear, and doubt. His faith in His father’s plan did not waver, and he trusted God’s plan was better.
- Are there areas of your life where you need to hear the words, “It’s not time yet”?
- What is one step you can take today to learn the dance that is trusting Jesus?
Today's Contributing Author: Kendra Murray
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