This verse from John 7:28 is a complex and layered statement by Jesus during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. Let's break it down:
"Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and saying...": This highlights the public and forceful nature of Jesus' statement. He wasn't speaking in hushed tones; He was proclaiming this message openly and with authority. The setting, the Temple in Jerusalem, is also significant, as it was the center of Jewish religious life.
"You both know me, and know where I am from.": On a superficial level, the crowd likely knew Jesus as a man from Nazareth (Galilee), the son of Joseph, and perhaps familiar with His family. Jesus is acknowledging their basic, human-level understanding of Him. However, it's also laced with irony. He's implying that their knowledge is incomplete and superficial. He is challenging their presumption to know Him.
"I have not come of myself...": This is a crucial point. Jesus is asserting that He didn't initiate His own mission. He's not acting independently or out of personal ambition. His coming has a divine origin and purpose.
"...but he who sent me is true, whom you don’t know.": This points directly to God the Father. Jesus identifies the Father as the one who commissioned Him, emphasizing the Father's truthfulness and authority. However, He accuses the people of not knowing the Father. This is a stinging rebuke. Despite their religious practices and claims of knowing God, Jesus says they are ignorant of God's true nature and character. They claim to know God, but they have failed to recognize His Son.
In summary, the verse conveys the following key ideas:
Divine Origin: Jesus emphasizes that His authority and mission come from God the Father.
Misunderstanding: Jesus highlights the limited and flawed understanding the crowd has of His identity and purpose. They know Him physically, but not spiritually.
Ignorance of God: Jesus accuses the people of not truly knowing God, despite their religious claims. Their rejection of Him is evidence of their misunderstanding of God's will.
Authority: Jesus speaks with confidence and authority, proclaiming a truth that challenges the established religious leaders and beliefs.
Revelation: Jesus implicitly claims to be the revealer of the Father. By knowing Jesus, one can come to know the Father.
This verse is a powerful example of Jesus' self-awareness of His divine mission and His bold challenge to those who claimed to know God but failed to recognize Him. It sets the stage for the growing conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities, leading to the events of the Passion.
This verse from John 7:28 is a complex and layered statement by Jesus during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. Let's break it down:
"Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and saying...": This highlights the public and forceful nature of Jesus' statement. He wasn't speaking in hushed tones; He was proclaiming this message openly and with authority. The setting, the Temple in Jerusalem, is also significant, as it was the center of Jewish religious life.
"You both know me, and know where I am from.": On a superficial level, the crowd likely knew Jesus as a man from Nazareth (Galilee), the son of Joseph, and perhaps familiar with His family. Jesus is acknowledging their basic, human-level understanding of Him. However, it's also laced with irony. He's implying that their knowledge is incomplete and superficial. He is challenging their presumption to know Him.
"I have not come of myself...": This is a crucial point. Jesus is asserting that He didn't initiate His own mission. He's not acting independently or out of personal ambition. His coming has a divine origin and purpose.
"...but he who sent me is true, whom you don’t know.": This points directly to God the Father. Jesus identifies the Father as the one who commissioned Him, emphasizing the Father's truthfulness and authority. However, He accuses the people of not knowing the Father. This is a stinging rebuke. Despite their religious practices and claims of knowing God, Jesus says they are ignorant of God's true nature and character. They claim to know God, but they have failed to recognize His Son.
In summary, the verse conveys the following key ideas:
Divine Origin: Jesus emphasizes that His authority and mission come from God the Father.
Misunderstanding: Jesus highlights the limited and flawed understanding the crowd has of His identity and purpose. They know Him physically, but not spiritually.
Ignorance of God: Jesus accuses the people of not truly knowing God, despite their religious claims. Their rejection of Him is evidence of their misunderstanding of God's will.
Authority: Jesus speaks with confidence and authority, proclaiming a truth that challenges the established religious leaders and beliefs.
Revelation: Jesus implicitly claims to be the revealer of the Father. By knowing Jesus, one can come to know the Father.
This verse is a powerful example of Jesus' self-awareness of His divine mission and His bold challenge to those who claimed to know God but failed to recognize Him. It sets the stage for the growing conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities, leading to the events of the Passion.
