Daily Devotions that Can Make Your Day with Christ

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

TEXT: John 7:37-53

37. On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me,

38. and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’”

39. Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

40. When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, “This is really the prophet.”

41. Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But some asked, “Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he?

42. Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”

43. So there was a division in the crowd because of him.

44. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

45. Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not arrest him?”

46. The police answered, “Never has anyone spoken like this!”

47. Then the Pharisees replied, “Surely you have not been deceived too, have you?

48. Has any one of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?

49. But this crowd, which does not know the law-they are accursed.”

50. Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked,

51. “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?”

52. They replied, “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.”

53. Then each of them went home,

(New Revised Standard Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: JESUS’ GREAT CLAIM DIVIDED OPINIONS

There’s a strong relationship between one’s opinion about a person or thing and his attitude or disposition towards same.

Today, some see Jesus as just one of the prophets in history, some see Him as simply a nice Jewish man while others see Him as an impostor. But many see Him as Christ the Messiah.

Today’s reading gives a picture of Jesus’ great claim on the last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacle as the ‘Giver of living water’ (vs. 37-39). He invited anyone who is thirsty to come unto Him and drink life-giving water.

Again, this claim divided opinions about Him. Listening to Him speak and teach with power and wisdom, those sent to arrest Him came back to those that sent them and declared: “No one ever spoke the way this man does” (vs. 45-47).

Here, Nicodemus, a secret disciple, asked the leaders this rhetorical question: “Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him…?” (vs. 51-53). It was a time to stand up for Jesus and Nicodemus did that here because of his informed opinion about the person of Jesus and His claim.

QUESTION: What’s your opinion about Jesus and has it made you stand up for Him before men?

PRAYER: Let my opinion about Jesus give me courage to always stand up and declare my faith in Him, dear Lord, Amen.