This seventh chapter of John is telling us about the last Feast of Tabernacles of Jesus’s life and it is telling us about a lot more than He slipped into Jerusalem unannounced and started teaching in the temple. If you have been following these posts you will know that Christ is showing us how things will play out during the tribulation. We are past the middle now which is marked by Christ speaking in the temple and we left off in verse 30 which reads: John 7:30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

Last time I mentioned how we can compare this to the two witnesses and how no one will lay hands on them until their testimony is finished. This time let’s read that with this next verse.

John 7:31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

Clearly we have two groups of people which should call to mind:

Malachi 4:4-6 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. (5) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: (6) And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Christ taught and called out the Pharisees about the law of Moses and what happened? The crowd split. Do you notice how in verse 6 the word father is plural. Do you know why? Because you are either a child of the living God or your of the seed of Satan. That is what the word of God does people. It is a two-edged sword, a sword that divides the sheep from the goats. Do you think that I am making this up about a seed of Satan? When we get to the eight chapter we will cover this in more detail, but this is the words of Christ: John 8:44Ye are ofyourfather the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.

I want to bring a couple more thoughts to mind before we move on. Take a look at the group that believed on him, what did they say? “When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?” This is not like the disciples. Peter loved Jesus. This group appears to only believe because He sounds like He should be the Messiah. It sounds to me more like a group of people that don’t want to get caught out in the rain. Do you think a group like that is going to last? If they had then Christ certainly wouldn’t have been crucified.

There is nothing new under the sun, so ask yourself what is it going to take for the children of God to follow after someone? It’s sad to say, but all it is going to take is someone who sounds like a Messiah and sadly my friends that is exactly what Satan is coming here to do.

John 7:32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.

Same thing happens today friends. You stand up and people will listen because they want to hear truth. There are many good pastors out there, but I’ll have to be honest with you there are a lot of dry churches out there and when a flock starts to hear the sound of the living water you better believe that the Pharisees will come out and start looking for places to put a dam.

John 7:33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, andthenI go unto him that sent me.(34)Ye shall seek me, and shall not findme:and where I am,thitherye cannot come.

We all know that on the surface Christ is telling us that He is going to be crucified, but remember He is also showing us an over lay of the tribulation. What does he say in Matthew 24?

Matthew 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, hereisChrist, or there; believeitnot.

Why? Because if you are not working in the field when He returns

Those that go seeking Christ are not going to find him. Your supposed to stay in the field working. Think about the ten virgins in the very next chapter:

Matthew 25:6-12 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.(7)Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.(8)And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.(9)But the wise answered, saying,Not so;lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.(10)And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.(11)Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.(12)But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

They were not ready and had to go out. They were not in place when the bridegroom came and they couldn’t come to the wedding.

Stop and think about that for a moment. Why else is it you cannot seek to find Jesus? Because the kingdom of God should be within you and if it isn’t nothing on this earth is going to put it there. Not your friends, your job, your family or even a super preacher. Because if you want to have Jesus in your life you need to go to Him and He is sitting on the right hand of the Father. So you have to go to Him.

“Well how do I do that?” you ask. You talk to Him. You get into His word and when something seems to difficult you speak to Him about it. Sure you can speak to others about things and get their input, but ultimately what God wants is a relationship with Him.

John 7:35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

Who are these dispersed they are talking about? The ten northern tribes of Israel that were taken by Assyria and had been dispersed.

John 7:36 What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

Flesh, flesh, flesh, that is all they can think about, but do you notice how none of these guys are asking Him? They are just murmuring amongst themselves. They are not seeking Him out, even to try and understand the truth. At least Nicodemus spoke to Him directly.

The question is will you seek Him out and wait for Him or will you go to where the first person who says that Christ is here or there says to?