Devotions

Jared's Story
Through His Eyes--John 7

I shared this story in my Bible study lesson on John Chapter 7. It explores what it could have been like for a young man, Jared, an aspiring Pharisee. Jared himself is fictional but the accounting of Jesus, the conflicts with the Pharisees, the feast and its traditions are all true. I invite you to enter into Jerusalem and participate in the Feast of the Tabernacles with the throngs of Jews who came to celebrate the annual harvest feast. The event took place 6 months before the crucifixion of Jesus.

Jared’s story

From my earliest memory the Feast of Tabernacles stood out as my favorite of all the Jewish feasts. I loved the activity and excitement that filled the holy city of Jerusalem; but the part I really loved was sleeping in the makeshift tents of leaves and light branches that were erected on the flat roof of our home. As the son of a Pharisee, I was taught the detailed laws and rules for celebrating the feast where our focus was on God and His gift of provision. The feast marked a celebration of thanksgiving for the harvest of grapes and olives each fall. The week offered reunions and parties in addition to daily solemn ceremonial rites of lamp lighting and water-drawing as highlights of the weeklong feast. Each day we moved in procession from the temple to the Pool of Siloam. The people sang Psalms 113 through 118 as they pushed their way along the streets.

In my twenty-first year the Feast of Tabernacles marked a change of direction in my life. That year I recognized the true light and the living water that had been depicted in our Feasts for centuries. Here is my story.

Even before the feast, the tension in our home could be felt. For months, my father, a Pharisee of Pharisees, had been agitated about an itinerant miracle worker and teacher named Jesus. The miracle worker did not command much of my attention for my study of the Torah and Talmud consumed most of my thoughts and time. My studies demanded my focus for I longed to live a life devoted to God as a Pharisee of Pharisees. Still I was not unaware of the stress this man caused my father and his peers. More recently I overheard some talk of having Jesus arrested and killed. Consequently, I assumed the fellow must be evil to the core. Why else would these devoted men of God want him destroyed?

From the beginning of the feast the Jews were watching for him. Much whispering and wondering spread like waves through the crowds. Some proclaimed, “He’s a good man.” Others denied the claim, “No, he deceives the people.” The hushed discussions remained private for the people feared the wrath of Jewish leaders, men like my father. I myself wondered at the commotion caused by this uneducated peasant; but my ignorance of Jesus was about to change.

About half way through the feast most of the people concluded Jesus feared the Jews and had decided to stay away, but suddenly he showed up in the temple courts and began to teach. When I realized he was there I drew close. I imagined myself in debate with the wanderer. My rabbi regularly extolled my growing knowledge of the Torah and other scriptures, giving me an over-rated self-confidence. I could picture myself before all the people proving the deception of this uneducated blasphemer. I would delineate each well thought out point, thereby bringing honor to myself and discrediting Jesus. All would stand in wonder and be amazed at me, the young aspiring Pharisee of Pharisees.

I listened as Jesus taught, trying the find a point to refute, but he did not teach as I expected. In fact, he taught like no one I had ever heard before. His words seemed to pour forth with an undisputed authority. Dumbfounded, I wondered to myself, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” I dared not open my mouth, but others put words to my question.

Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” Jesus paused and looked directly at me before continuing, “He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.” It was as if Jesus knew my thoughts and intentions, but surely he could not have known—or could he?

Jesus turned to the Jewish leaders and said, “Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”

Several in the crowd responded with indignation "You must have a demon, who is trying to kill you?"

I noticed two of my father’s closest peers on the outskirts of the crowd. Their countenance communicated a fury louder than words; however, when Jesus mentioned murder, the color drained from their faces. Obviously Jesus perceived their thoughts as well.

In their desperation to find an accusation of merit, the Pharisees focused on Jesus’ abuse of the Sabbath. Jesus argued his case as the best of the lawyers, leaving his accusers speechless. After listening to Jesus, I recognized the Jew’s charges were groundless. Any thinking man could see Jesus’ only “crime” was showing compassion and kindness on the Sabbath.

Several of the leaders withdrew to confer outside the temple gates. I noticed as they approached a small group of ruffians. This surprised me because I could not imagine these religious leaders having anything to do with the common men. Jesus seemed to ignore them and continued on with his teaching.

Someone in the crowd noticed the Pharisees had stepped away and commented, "Is this the man they are trying to kill? Another whispered, “Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ?”

My head turned and I startled at the thought. Is that what people were saying of Jesus—that he was the Messiah? With confusion some in the crowd wondered aloud, “But we know where this man is from; I’ve heard he is from Nazareth. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.”
My studies told me that this was not a true statement. The scriptures were clear: The Messiah was to come from the house of David; in addition, the prophet Micah stated the Christ would be born in Bethlehem. But isn’t this man from Nazareth of Galilee?

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, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me."

A collective gasp could be heard throughout the crowd. Could Jesus’ claim actually be true? Did he really know God? Did God really send him? Something within drew me to believe it.

The Pharisees returned with the thugs close behind. They proceeded to the temple courts and drew closer to Jesus as he taught the crowd. The leaders smiled knowingly as the men tried to seize him, but amazingly no one laid a hand on him. Jesus was nowhere to be seen.

We looked around but could not find Jesus. I realized that I could never again be ambivalent about this man. I would soon have to make a decision to believe Jesus or follow in the ways of my father. I pondered, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?" Many in the crowd whispered the same thoughts and many proclaimed faith in Jesus. Upon hearing the whispered comments, the enraged Pharisees turned and once again left the temple courtyard.

I startled when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see my father’s stern glare. Come Jared, we’ve got work to do. We have a meeting to attend.

My father forcefully guided me to the home of one of the leaders. He hissed in anger as he hurried along, “ Can you believe the things the people are saying? We must put a stop to this madness.”

We entered the home and I recognized the chief priests and the most respected of the Pharisees. Each one felt it necessary to express his opposition to the man Jesus, creating a general uproar. They soon reached agreement that once again there would be an attempt to arrest him. The temple guards would be sent to seize him. In addition, I was assigned to accompany them as a witness and presumably to help if necessary. Inwardly I resisted, but I lacked courage to speak against these highest of authorities.

The guards and I entered the temple courtyard and Jesus again spoke to the crowd, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come."

One of the guards turned to me and asked, "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? I wondered, what could he mean, 'You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and 'Where I am, you cannot come'?"
Soon Jesus left temple. Personally I felt confused but hungry for more of his teaching. The guards and I held back, waiting for the right time to do what we were sent to do.

The feast of the tabernacles reached its climax on the last day. According to custom the high priest filled a goblet of water at the Pool of Siloam and led the procession back to the temple where he emptied the water in the sight of all. Waving branches of myrtle, willow, and palm the people joyously sang concluding with Psalm 118:
22 The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
23 the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25 O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.
27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

According to tradition, we shook our branches literally to pieces with joyful enthusiasm. After a pause of silence, the sacrifices were to be offered. But this year proved to be different. The familiar voice of Jesus broke the silence and resounded to the farthest corner of the temple courtyard: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet."
Others said, "He is the Christ."
Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee? Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?"

I felt as if scales had fallen from my eyes. It all made sense to me now. Jesus is the Messiah, the capstone, the stone the builders rejected. He is the blessed one who comes in the name of the LORD. The LORD our God has made his light shine upon us, and that light is Jesus the Christ. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. The day our people have been singing about for hundreds of years.

I stood with the temple guards. Speechless, we couldn’t move.
As was true of the whole assembly, we stood divided in our opinions of Jesus. Two of the guards wanted to seize him, but we all stood paralyzed and no one laid a hand on him.

Reluctantly we made our way back to the chief priests and Pharisees.
With obvious disappointment and disgust they asked us, "Why didn't you bring him in?" One guard admitted, "No one ever spoke the way this man does."

"You mean he has deceived you also?" my father retorted. "Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them."

As he spoke one of the Pharisee, Nicodemus, made eye contact with me. I could see in his expression that he did indeed believe in Jesus. I opened my mouth to defend Jesus but Nicodemus spoke first. "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?"

The others turned to him, "Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee." With that the meeting ended and all left for their homes; but I resisted my father’s stern glare and turned back to the temple in search of Jesus…

Bible quotes are from NIV.

by Cyndie Hamley