How does John 7:29 affirm Jesus' divine authority and mission from God? Setting the Scene • John 7 finds Jesus teaching publicly at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. • Religious leaders are questioning His credentials and authority (John 7:15, 20). • Into that tension Jesus declares, “But I know Him, because I am from Him and He sent Me.” (John 7:29). The Claim: “I Know Him” • “Know” (Greek ginōskō) speaks of intimate, firsthand knowledge—far beyond hearsay. • Jesus claims unique, direct acquaintance with the Father, echoing John 1:18: “the one and only Son, who is Himself God … has made Him known.” • This sets Jesus apart from every prophet who merely received revelations; He knows God as One who shares His very nature (John 10:30). The Claim: “I Am From Him” • “From” points to origin and pre-existence. • Jesus is not merely a messenger who began in Bethlehem; He existed with the Father before the world began (John 1:1-2; 17:5). • The statement affirms divine essence: coming “from” God implies sharing God’s own life and authority (John 8:42). The Claim: “He Sent Me” • “Sent” (Greek apostellō) carries the idea of official commissioning with full authority of the sender. • Old-Testament backdrop: God sent prophets (Jeremiah 1:7; Isaiah 6:8), but here God sends His own Son (John 3:17). • Repetition throughout John’s Gospel—over thirty times—underscores that Jesus’ mission is God-initiated and God-authorized (John 6:38; 12:49-50; 17:18). How This Affirms Divine Authority • Direct Knowledge → Jesus speaks with inherent authority, not borrowed (Matthew 7:28-29). • Divine Origin → His teachings and miracles carry the weight of God’s own presence (John 5:19-23). • Divine Commission → Rejecting Jesus equals rejecting the One who sent Him (John 13:20). How This Affirms Jesus’ Mission • Salvation Focused: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:17). • Revealing the Father: Jesus’ life and words display God’s character so we might “see” the Father in the Son (John 14:9). • Culminating at the Cross: the One sent from God fulfills Isaiah 53 by laying down His life, then rises, proving the mission accomplished (John 19:30; 20:21). Key Takeaways for Today • Confidence: Jesus’ authority rests on His eternal relationship with the Father; we can trust every word He speaks. • Clarity: The Gospel is God’s initiative—our salvation was planned and executed by the Father through the Son. • Commitment: To follow Jesus is to align with the very purposes of God, because the One who “sent” Him now sends us (John 20:21). |
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