John 7:25-36
Where I Am Going
Read the passage
25Then some of the people of Jerusalem began to say, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?
26Yet here He is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying anything to Him. Have the rulers truly recognized that this is the Christ?
27But we know where this man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from.”
28Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “You know Me, and you know where I am from. I have not come of My own accord, but He who sent Me is true. You do not know Him,
29but I know Him, because I am from Him and He sent Me.”
30So they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
31Many in the crowd, however, believed in Him and said, “When the Christ comes, will He perform more signs than this man?”
32When the Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about Jesus, they and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Him.
33So Jesus said, “I am with you only a little while longer, and then I am going to the One who sent Me.
34You will look for Me, but you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.”
35At this, the Jews said to one another, “Where does He intend to go that we will not find Him? Will He go where the Jews are dispersed among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?
36What does He mean by saying, ‘You will look for Me, but you will not find Me,’ and, ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Some people in Jerusalem are puzzled. They know there is a plot to kill Jesus, yet He is teaching openly. Have the rulers concluded that He is the Christ? Then they raise an objection of their own: they think they know where Jesus comes from and assume the Messiah's origin will be unknown.
Jesus directs them beyond what they know of His earthly home. He has not come on His own; the Father sent Him. Jesus knows the Father whom His opponents do not know. Knowing where someone grew up is not enough to answer the question Jesus puts before them: will they receive Him as the One God has sent?
Some try to seize Him, but no one lays a hand on Him because His hour has not yet come. Many others believe in Him, asking whether the Christ could perform more signs than Jesus has. The crowd is divided. When the Pharisees hear the discussion, they and the chief priests send officers to arrest Him.
Jesus says He will remain only a little longer before going to the One who sent Him. His listeners wonder whether He means traveling among Jews who live with the Greeks. They are thinking of another destination on a map; He is speaking of returning to the Father. His warning that they will seek Him and not find Him makes their response now a serious matter. Hearing Him today is an opportunity to believe, not just a subject for more speculation.
Questions
1 Why do some people wonder whether the rulers think Jesus is the Christ?
AnswerThey know people want to kill Him, yet He is speaking publicly without being stopped. They wonder whether the rulers have changed their minds about Him.
2 Where does Jesus say He is going?
AnswerHe says He is going to the One who sent Him: the Father. He warns His hearers that they will look for Him without finding Him and cannot come where He is.
3 How do His listeners misunderstand that destination?
AnswerThey wonder whether He plans to travel among Jews living with the Greeks and teach the Greeks. They understand His words as a journey to another place rather than a return to the Father.
4 What can we do when we do not understand something Jesus says?
AnswerSay what is confusing, read His words in context, and ask for help. We can bring honest questions to Him without assuming our first explanation must be right.
What This Means for Us
Familiarity can make us stop listening. We may recognize a story about Jesus so quickly that we never consider what He says about Himself. These listeners know His earthly background but need to hear His claim that the Father sent Him.
When reading together, pause over a statement about who Jesus is. Let each person say what it means and what remains difficult. Return to the passage for an answer before filling the silence with a confident guess. The purpose is to know and trust Him, not simply to finish the discussion.
Prayer
Father, thank You for sending Your Son. Keep familiarity from closing our ears to Him. Help us receive what Jesus says about You and give us faith that goes deeper than recognizing His name. Amen.