John 7:25-36 CSB
Some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill? [26] Yet, look, he's speaking publicly and they're saying nothing to him. Can it be true that the authorities know he is the Messiah? [27] But we know where this man is from. When the Messiah comes, nobody will know where he is from." [28] As he was teaching in the temple, Jesus cried out, "You know me and you know where I am from. Yet I have not come on my own, but the one who sent me is true. You don't know him; [29] I know him because I am from him, and he sent me." [30] Then they tried to seize him. Yet no one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come. [31] However, many from the crowd believed in him and said, "When the Messiah comes, he won't perform more signs than this man has done, will he?" [32] The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things about him, and so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent servants to arrest him. [33] Then Jesus said, "I am only with you for a short time. Then I'm going to the one who sent me. [34] You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come." [35] Then the Jews said to one another, "Where does he intend to go that we won't find him? He doesn't intend to go to the Jewish people dispersed among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, does he? [36] What is this remark he made: 'You will look for me, and you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come'?"
Returning Home
Many military service members dream of home as they work long hours, putting their lives on the line for those they love. It is a season of food without taste, bad coffee, and often a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. But then the day comes: the deployment is over, and it is finally time to go home. They look forward to a long hot shower, real food, a cupboard full of specialty coffee, and seeing the faces of those they love.
Jesus lived with this same awareness. He knew He was on earth for such a short time and would soon be returning to His home in Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, His mission complete. That mission was to offer salvation to a lost world, but the question remained: who would truly hear Him?
Even though the religious leaders fought against Jesus daily, trying to turn people away from the source of life, many in the crowd still believed. His words draw you toward Him; they are powerful and filled with truth. The people wondered, “When the Messiah comes, he won’t perform more signs than this man has done, will he?”
Jesus was sent to give life to those who had stumbled into the darkness of sin, removing the shadow of death and showing divine heavenly light to those living in the dark recesses of this world. For those in the crowd, it was the “acceptable time” of the Lord. As the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6: “Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!”
The Bible is full of examples of people rejecting the chance for salvation, only to eagerly seek it once judgment arrives. We see the Ark, sealed shut by the hand of God, with Noah and his family safe inside. As the water pelted the wood and the waves began to lift the vessel from its handmade dock, people desperately beat on the side of the only means of salvation, begging for the door to be opened—but to no avail. They suffered under a terrible judgment because they waited too long.
We see this tragedy again in the history of Jerusalem. Many wanted to seize Jesus to silence Him, but they did not silence the Lord. Because they missed their time, the city faced a horrific end in AD 70. Not one stone was left on top of another in the temple. As the fire spread and the walls crumbled, people ran frantically for their lives, looking for a salvation they could no longer find. They had missed the time of the Messiah.
Today, our loving Father is speaking to us with that same urgency. He is offering His Son for the forgiveness of our sins, paving a way to fellowship and protection. Life is incredibly fragile. I have talked to people one day only to have them pass from this life a few days later. Those who accepted Jesus took advantage of the “time of the Lord”—the gift of eternal life. Those who did not will not get a second chance.
The door is open now, and the opportunity is at hand. Now is the time to hear His voice and ensure your journey ends in the safety of Home.
Reflection Questions
- If you viewed your life on earth as a “short time from home,” how would that change the way you spend your time and the value you place on “returning home” to God?
- The image of people beating on the side of the Ark is haunting. Is there someone in your life you need to invite toward the “open door” of Christ before the season changes?
- Realizing that life can change in an instant, what is one thing you need to say to the Father today while it is still “the day of salvation”?
Prayer
Father,
Thank You for the promise of home. We are grateful that our time in this world, with all its sweat and tears, is only for a short time compared to the eternity You have prepared for us. Help us not to miss the “acceptable time.” Soften the hearts of those who are currently “beating on the outside,” and give us the courage to share Your light while the door is still open.
Amen.
