During His earthly ministry, there were many different reactions to Christ and His claims. Some were convinced, some contrary, some confused, and others hostile. Not much has changed today.

Where are you and what is your attitude toward Him? Do you say you believe without trusting Him personally or without putting “feet” to your faith? Do questions about other religions or science confuse you? Or are you convinced He is who He said He was and live your life accordingly?

Even as professing believers, we can fall into some of these attitudes. We can trust in Christ for our salvation, but be contrary about obedience in certain areas or refuse to trust the Bible wholeheartedly. Or we can be confused because He isn’t working in our lives the way we want. We can believe He isn’t answering our prayers. Could it be that we have a wrong understanding of God and how He works in our lives? I hope you’ll read today’s post and evaluate where you are.

Today’s Readings:

2 Samuel 17 & 18
Psalm 66.16-20
Proverbs 16.31-32
John 7.28-53

5 Reactions to the Claims of Christ

John 7.28-53:

The Contrary

John MacArthur points out in his Daily Bible that this passage “catalogues the different reactions of people to Jesus’ claims.” We still see the same categories today.

First, there are those who are “contrary.”

These are the ones who find something wrong with everything.

But some said, ‘Will the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?’ (vv. 41b-42).

“Contrary” people are still around. “All the pastor wants is your money.” “Churches are full of hypocrites.” “The Bible was just written by a bunch of men.” And the list goes on.

The Hostile

Second, there are the “hostile.”

We’ve all met them. They are not happy to simply say they don’t believe in Jesus Christ, they are prepared to go on the attack where the things of God are concerned.

Now some of them wanted to take Him … (v. 44).

There is a move today in our country, and it’s growing stronger, to make speaking biblical truth a crime. There are those, for instance, who would love to see anyone who speaks out against the LGBTQ+ movement or abortion arrested for what they call hate crimes.

The Confused

Third, there are the “confused.”

Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, ‘Why have you not brought Him?’ The officers answered, ‘No man ever spoke like this Man!’ (vv. 45-46).

These men had been sent to arrest him, but when they went they knew there was something different about him. The Pharisees challenged them by saying, “Are you also deceived?”

Many people today are confused. They know just enough about Christ to think there might be something there but they have not made the choice to believe. They often fear man more than God and may be afraid to even seek out the truth because of what people will think.

Proverbs 29.25 says:

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.

Or they’ve heard questions about other religions:

“Don’t all roads lead to God?”

“How could all those Muslims be wrong?”

Or they’ve tried to use human reasoning:

“How is it fair that an evil person could get saved on his deathbed?”

“How can the miracles in the Bible be true?”

“But science says …”

“Why would the Bible condemn someone who’s gay when they say they’re born that way?”

But I would say this is a shrinking group, at least in our nation because the devil has succeeded in shutting out Christian voices from most schools and universities where young people are forming their ideas about life. Instead, much of the younger generation has been indoctrinated with secular thinking that denigrates Christ and Christianity. May God raise up an army of young people who are bold in their faith and willing to share Christ with those they know just as He raised up believers in the first century who turned the known world upside down (Acts 17.6).

The Religious

Then there is the fourth group, the “religious authorities,” we might call them the “religious establishment.” These people are often more concerned about maintaining their position and authority than with being true followers of Christ or in seeking biblical truth. These people respond in the complete opposite way from John the Baptist, who said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3.30).

Many in the religious establishment today are busy trying to stay “relevant.” For years some have ignored the first few chapters of Genesis in favor of a more “enlightened, scientific” view of creation. Others have “evolved” in their views about homosexuality and other politically hot issues. Still others refuse to discuss these subjects at all, preferring to teach more palatable things, some lifted out of context like false advertising claims.

Sadly, these religious people can have a profound effect on others. They may put pressure on friends and family members not to leave their religious “tradition,” even though their church has actually left them and any semblance of biblical truth.

Those who refuse to address the more challenging issues in Scripture draw in seekers who want a better life and a kinder more tolerant version of Christianity. They follow Christ for what they believe He’ll do for them, just as the crowds did in Jesus’ day (Jn. 6). But when He doesn’t deliver in the way and with what they want (a child dies, they get cancer or lose a job), many walk away from God altogether. They walk away because they’ve never been taught how God uses tests and trials, how to trust in His sovereignty and loving care, and how to stand when things don’t make sense to them.

The Convinced

Then there are those who are “convinced.”

They are convinced of the truthfulness of His claims. These are faithful followers of Christ.

Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, ‘Truly this is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Christ’ (vv. 40-41a).

Part of the meaning of the words “faith” and “faithful” includes the idea of “unquestioning belief or loyalty.” The convinced are loyal to Christ.

So, where are you? Are you trusting in Him completely? Do you take Him at His Word and allow Him to be God? If you’re not where you believe God wants you to be, get into your Bible. Pray for wisdom and discernment. He is faithful to answer those who genuinely seek Him.

Today’s Other Readings:

2 Samuel 17 & 18:

A Man’s Pride Will Bring Him Low

Here we have the death of Absalom as God puts down the rebellion against David. Absalom got his head caught in a great oak tree as he passed under it on his mule. Many believe that it was his beautiful flowing hair that got caught in the tree. His hair had been a source of great pride to him. So much so that when he was forced to cut it once a year, he weighed what he cut off (2 Sam. 14.26).

Proverbs 29.23 says:

A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.

But his hair was only an outward manifestation of a bigger issue with pride. It was pride that made him think he could take matters into his own hands by killing his half-brother Ammon and then rebelling against his father. And while David certainly had at least partial responsibility for the state of affairs that led to this rebellion and heartache, David ultimately trusted in God’s sovereignty and relied upon Him to work it out as He saw fit.

Psalm 66.16-20:

How Unconfessed Sin Affects Your Prayers

Verse 18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.”

Sin that is not confessed and repented of, will hinder our prayers! It’s not enough to “admit” we have sinned. Repentance means a change of heart that leads to a change in actions!

Proverbs 16.31-32:

A Crown of Glory

Verse 31:

The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,
If it is found in the way of righteousness.”

The cosmetic industry, aided by our obsession with youth, has convinced us that growing older is a thing to be disdained. But the Bible paints a different picture, one of reverence for wisdom and maturity.

Instead of obsessing over each gray hair, we should be asking ourselves, “Am I growing in ‘the way of righteousness’?” Is my spiritual maturity keeping up with my physical maturity?

Not Just in Old Age

And we aren’t to wait until we’re older to seek wisdom and maturity. The writer of Hebrews rebuked his readers for not growing:

¹² For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. ¹⁴ But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Heb. 5.12-14).

Slow to Anger

Verse 32 has a lot to tell us, as well.

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”

Proverbs 25.28 says:

Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.

In the ancient world, there was no “9-1-1” to call, so people would build walls around their cities where they could dwell with greater safety. These two proverbs taken together teach us that when we give in to our emotions and let them rule our lives, we are open to an enemy coming in and conquering us just like a city whose walls are broken down.

Enemies like sinful anger, unforgiveness, and bitterness can do more destruction than any human enemy could. On the other hand, one who controls the passion of anger and other strong emotions and deals with them biblically has greater strength than any military leader.

What About You? What is Your Attitude About Christ?

So where are you? If you are part of the “convinced,” how well is your life reflecting that fact? Are you demonstrating unquestioning belief in and unswerving loyalty to your King? Or do you do so only at church where it’s convenient and won’t upset anyone?

Or are you confused, contrary, or even hostile to the things of God?

Coming Up:

In the coming days, we’ll talk about God’s love for unborn babies and their parents, how God uses the sins of others for our good, and the rewards of serving God in our homes. We’ll also discuss the question: Are you living in the power of the Holy Spirit?

I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You can also check out our new sister site Joyful Marriage Ministries. 

If you were blessed, please share this post on your favorite social media platform. You can use the links at the bottom.

Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥

You might also enjoy this short series:

How Psychology Affects the Spread of the Gospel – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer. 

I recently read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.