John 10:24

No sooner does Jesus walk into the room, than he is quickly surrounded by a host of inquisitive Jews. “Well, Jesus,” they begin. “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, just tell us! Don’t beat around the bush."  John 10:24 EFP 

What a strange description of events. First of all, the Jewish contingent is never more than a stone’s throw away from anything Jesus is doing. They are following him like a pack of hyenas on the prowl, waiting to pounce on him if he dares make a mistake.  This day is no exception. It’s interesting to note they are some of his most faithful congregants. They rarely miss a sermon or a miracle. They are ever-present. Many of them are doing the right thing for all the wrong reasons. Which leads to the second strange setting.

Why do they ask the question they ask? Are they baiting Jesus? More than likely. But it does seem more than a bit disingenuous to ask this question. Jesus has not been coy about his saving mission, his intimate connection with God, or even his intuitive understanding of their misguided actions against him.

But they ask, “Tell us who you are…plainly!” I sense it does not matter what he says, they are only interested in confirming what they already believe about Jesus. He is a madman. He is a demon-led law-breaker. He is a threat to the religious establishment. Yet, in a moment of introspection, I can see myself in them. How many times over the years have I gone to the Scriptures, have I prayed, and even immersed myself in the things of God without truly being open to the leading of the one I was “seeking.” It is possible for me to be surrounded by religion and religiosity and yet to be totally inoculated against any effect from any of the claims of Jesus on my life. Spiritual callouses can easily develop in my heart towards the voice of the shepherd of my soul. Keep my heart sensitive to your voice. Continue to excise those things that deaden the impact of your Spirit in my life.