Day 7

Scripture to Read: John 7:40–52

After Jesus finished speaking, there was a division among the Jews. We read in John 7:40–42, Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.” 41 Others were saying, “This is the Christ.” Still others were saying, “Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” Some of the Jews believed that Jesus was the Prophet that Moses had prophesied would come. However, others were having a problem with Jesus being from Galilee and not from Bethlehem. Of course, those Jews did not know that Jesus had been born in Bethlehem; they only knew Him as growing up in Galilee. The god of this world had caused some of the Jews spiritual blindness (2 Corinthians 4:3–4), just like he continues to do today. Spiritual blindness has kept many over the centuries from coming to know Christ as Lord and Savior. Spiritual blindness always causes division, which was why there was a division among the crowd Jesus spoke with (John 7:43). Jesus had spoken words of Life. Still, many of the Jews missed what He offered, and none of the rulers or Pharisees believed. The chief priests and Pharisees had sent the officers to arrest Jesus, but they had returned without Him. The officers said in John 7:46, “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.” Even their hearts were moved by our Lord. Only Jesus can transform lives.

Challenge & Application

• Why had there been a division among the Jews who had heard Jesus teach, and what caused the division? • How can we help people escape their spiritual blindness and be healed?

Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!

Devotionals from this week

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Day 1

Jesus had gone to Galilee, His home, and not Judea because He knew the religious leaders wanted to kill Him. But we read in John 7:2 that the Feast of Booths was about to take place. The Feast of Booths was the sixth of God's seven annual festival periods and was celebrated for seven days in the fall (during September – October) (Leviticus 23...

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Day 2

Though Jesus stayed in Galilee while His brothers left for Judea, Jesus did not wait long before He also headed to Judea. We read in John 7:10, But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret. Though we may not understand God the Father’s timing in events and circumstances in ou...

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Day 3

Though Jesus had entered Judea in secret, about midway through the week of the Feast of Booths, Jesus went to the temple and began to teach. The Jews were blown away by Jesus’ teaching. We read in John 7:15, The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?” The Jewish leaders knew that Jesus...

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Day 4

From yesterday’s devotion, we know that Jesus began teaching the Jews and declaring to them the truth, for He is the Truth. Today, in John 7:19–24, Jesus challenged the Jews about knowing God’s Law which Moses had given them but that they did not carry out God’s Law. We have a warning from God in James 1:22–24, But prove yourselves doers of t...

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Day 5

The Jews that Jesus spoke to began to wonder why the religious leaders were not involved in capturing Jesus since He was there in Judea. We read in John 7:25–26, So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill? 26 Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. The rulers d...

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Day 6

Though the religious leaders had not been involved yet, they finally started paying attention to what the Jews in the crowd were saying about Jesus. We read in John 7:32, The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him. Jesus continued to teach the Jews and tol...

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Day 7

After Jesus finished speaking, there was a division among the Jews. We read in John 7:40–42, Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.” 41 Others were saying, “This is the Christ.” Still others were saying, “Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He? 42 Has not the...

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