John 7:33-36

Hello everyone. It’s a late evening here. Faithful readers of the blog can easily guess why. That’s right. It was a Smallville night and we had a really great episode tonight with some great biblical imagery and the whole thing really raises a whole lot of questions. Questions mainly on moral systems. That is for another night though. 

I wish to thank Donald for his comment and let me state clearly also that I am not against anyone else doing further research. My blog is not supposed to be the end-all. I simply intend it to be something that gets people more informed and started on their own journeys. If you find something great that you think needs to be shared, feel free to share it here in the comments. Also, feel free to start your own blog. The world can be blessed by Christians blogging and I recommend the book that got me started on the journey. Hugh Hewitt’s book “Blog.”

For those who are just joining us, we’re going through the Bible wanting to come to a deeper understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity. Tonight, we’re in the gospel of John. As the title indicates, we’re in John 7:33-36. Let’s look at the verses:

³³Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. ³⁴You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

 ³⁵The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? ³⁶What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”

Jesus’s words follow on the order of the leaders to have him arrested. Thus, he starts speaking about his death which will lead to his resurrection and ascension and that he is going back to the Father. He does not meantion the Father here, but he has said earlier that the Father sent him. He also tells them that where he goes, they will not be able to find him. 

Some of the Jews thought of the Jews in the diaspora. When Babylon conquered Judah, the Jews were dispersed and many taken to Babylon. By the time of Christ, there were Jewish populations all throughout the Roman Empire. Alexandria was one of the noted cities with a heavy Jewish population. Yet Christ could not have meant that for any Jew could have traveled to a city in the empire and found Christ.

We know that he meant his Father. Why could they not find him? Because they were not of his flock. They did not know him and thus could not know the Father. It isn’t the loss of Jesus when people do not come to him. It is their loss. When the Jews try to destroy Jesus, they are only destroying their own hope. In killing him, people ultimately kill themselves.

Recently a saw a sign someone was carrying somewhere that said “If Jesus returns, kill him again.” Completely blasphemous, but such a person is being foolish and killing their own hope. They show the way the culture reacts to Jesus. In an odd way, it’s a rational one. Jesus has spoken of himself as the light that those in darkness do not come to lest their deeds be exposed.

You either accept the light or you dispose of it somehow.

Which are you going to do?