Read John 7:37–8:1
Jesus stands up on the last day of the feast and declares, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink” (7:37). This bold claim of Jesus offering living water was met with divided responses. The crowd and the Pharisees, certain in their own reasoning, quickly concluded that Jesus couldn’t be the Messiah. They gave four reasons for this: 1) The Messiah can’t come from Galilee, 2) Jesus wasn’t from Bethlehem, 3) No ruler or Pharisee believed in Him, and 4) No prophet arises from Galilee.
On the surface, these seem like strong arguments, but a closer look shows how flawed they are. Three of these reasons are factually incorrect, and the fourth is irrelevant. First, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, even
though He was raised in Galilee. Second, prophets like Jonah did come from Galilee, showing the Pharisees’
ignorance of Scripture. Lastly, whether rulers or Pharisees believed in Him had no bearing on the truth of who He was. Despite being wrong on every point, the Pharisees remained confident in their judgment.
This raises a timeless question: How can we be so confident in what we believe to be true, and yet be so wrong? A quote from Mark Twain captures this perfectly: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” The Pharisees were certain of their conclusions, yet they were blind to the truth standing before them. Their confidence was misplaced, rooted in pride and tradition rather than in a sincere search for truth.
Jesus’ invitation is clear: Investigate and you will see. He invites us to seek the truth for ourselves, to look beyond assumptions and cultural biases. When we honestly investigate who Jesus is, we find that He is indeed the Messiah, the living water, and the Savior of the world. The challenge for us today is to humble ourselves, ask questions, and seek the truth in Christ with an open heart, just as Nicodemus did. Only then will we truly see.
Begin praying with Psalm 63:1:
“God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you.
I thirst for you;
my body faints for you
in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.”