14 Who is Jesus? (John 7)

John 7 gives us a front-row seat to the question, “Who is Jesus?” This episode walks through the Feast of Booths and shows how different people respond to Jesus: some are curious, some are hostile, some are confused, and a few, like Nicodemus, are quietly moving toward faith. Along the way, we see how our own hearts, desires, and assumptions shape the way we answer that same question today. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Jesus stays in Galilee at first and then goes to Jerusalem in secret, and what this reveals about God’s timing and plan. 
• The unbelief of Jesus’ own brothers, who treat him like an aspiring celebrity instead of the Messiah, and what that shows us about misunderstanding spiritual greatness. 
• Jesus’ claim that the world hates him because he exposes its evil, and how that confronts our tendency to reshape Jesus into someone who never challenges us. 
• How Jesus’ powerful teaching forces people to decide whether he speaks from God or is just promoting himself, and why our willingness to do God’s will affects what we are able to believe. 
• The controversy over Sabbath keeping, how Jesus uses circumcision to expose the leaders’ legalism, and what it means to “judge with right judgment” instead of by appearances. 
• Jesus’ dramatic invitation on the last day of the feast: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink,” and how John explains this as the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit. 
• Practical ways this passage helps us think about our own spiritual growth, the danger of measuring people by “approved lists,” and the long, sometimes messy path of learning to trust Jesus. 

By the end of this episode, you will see more clearly how your response to Jesus is shaped by what you most want, not just by what you know. You will come away better able to recognize legalism in your own thinking, more patient with the slow process of growth in yourself and others, and more eager to come to Jesus as the one who truly satisfies your deepest thirst.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available now wherever books are sold.