John 7:25-36 God’s Grace is for All
²⁵ At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? ²⁶ Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? ²⁷ But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”
²⁸ Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, ²⁹ but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”
³⁰ At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. ³¹ Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”
³² The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
³³ Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. ³⁴ You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”
³⁵ The 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? ³⁶ What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”

Words to Live By: 
Jesus teaches that when He dies, He will return to His Father and become inaccessible to His enemies. Yet, He remains gracious toward all. The “window of opportunity” for the Gospel will soon close, both for the individual and for the world. But God now graciously extends the time for the Gospel’s proclamation that many others may hear and be saved (2Pt 3:9).

Living God’s Word: 
The mention of Greeks in this passage ought to catch the attention of those who are not Jewish. John’s readers appreciated the startling and hopeful nature of Jesus’ words. To appreciate the impact, we must remember that the Jewish people perceived anyone who was non-Jewish as totally isolated from God. They regarded the Greeks or Gentiles as pagans and infidels, cut off from God, without hope. But Jesus’ message promises rivers of living water to “anyone” who is thirsty. If we have believed in Jesus, we have discovered that God’s grace extended even to us!

Making it REAL in your life:
Are there times in your life you feel distant from God? What helps you to be reminded God’s grace has been extended to you?

Prayer:
Make me alert, O God, to seize every opportunity to share Jesus’ saving love. Amen.