GOSPEL REFLECTION, FRIDAY, 4TH WEEK IN LENT, 20 MARCH 2026

John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30.  One of the ways John presents his gospel is to highlight Jesus at the various festivals of the Jewish year.  In this case it is the Festival of Tabernacles (or Booths) which took place at harvest time.  All Jewish men within fifteen miles of Jerusalem were obliged to attend, although people from much further attended too.  Because Jesus was by now under considerable pressure from the religious authorities.  He was now at serious risk, so he declined to go up to Jerusalem with the others but did so inconspicuously by himself a bit later.  People knew that by now the authorities had decided he must be killed, so they were surprised to see him among the crowds.  The authorities and the ordinary people now held a variety of opinions as to who Jesus really was.  Some said he was a prophet some said The Messiah, some said he was a fake.  Some questioned where he got his wisdom, some were surprised at the attitudes of the authorities towards him.  They have by now seen many signs indicating he was Messiah, but many refused to accept that.   No doubt some thought he might be a madman.   The mood of the crowd is edgy and bad-tempered. 

Yet here Jesus is, preaching openly, telling them ‘you must know where I come from by now, don’t you’ (v.28)?  He told them that he had not come by his own will but had been sent by the Father.   There was a move to arrest him but that did not happen yet because ‘his hour had not yet come.’ (v.30).  But many people did believe in him, had faith in him, and trusted him.  Others did not.  The question of who Jesus was recurred throughout the gospels.  It depends on what we have come to believe.  Like so many of the people of Jesus time are we still confused and indecisive?  Where do we stand?  Do we have faith in him?  Lent is a good time to clarify yet again what we believe and whether we have trusting faith that Jesus is Messiah.