Jesus arrived in Jerusalem half way through the Feast. But instead of hiding and keeping His identity concealed, He went to the Temple courts and began teaching publically. The religious leaders could not stone Him there, or arrest Him for fear of the crowds. Instead, they all listened and were amazed by His teaching from the Law of Moses. It had such a ring of truth. But how could He have so much knowledge as He was only a carpenter who had never been to any Rabbinic school?
They should have asked the question, "Where does the truth come from?" Truth does not come from human invention but by revelation from God. Although there are many clues to truth which human beings can piece together and share with others (that is the art of science), the whole truth can only come from the One who knows everything. Although He was the Son of God, Jesus did not claim to be independent from Father God; He said that He had submitted to the Father, and gave Him the glory for all the teaching. Of course, there is more to godly teaching than merely transmitting information; it has to be acted upon. People who want to obey God will also realise that it is God who is speaking to them.
When we feel that God is not speaking to us, it is essential to ask, "Have I obeyed what God has told me previously?" When we obey, we also develop a hunger to hear more and we grow in a deeper love for the Lord. When we disobey and do not repent, our spiritual appetite is depressed as we love other things and people more than loving Him. The ultimate blasphemy is to claim to honour God's Word and yet want the Son of God out of our lives. The religious leaders made that mistake: we must not copy them. So ask the Lord to remind you of something He has already told you but you have not yet obeyed. As you choose to obey, your relationship with the Lord will become clear once again.
