Jesus called himself the Son of God – Jn 7:1-2.10.25-30
“But we know where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from” (cf. Jn 7:27)
It was believed that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Cf. Mt 2: 3 et seq.), But there was a widespread opinion among the people that he would live in hiding, some secret place, perhaps even in heaven, until he appeared in Jerusalem. It is difficult to say where this belief arose, which was not entirely false after all: as we know, Jesus lived in hiding until the beginning of his public activity. In Nazareth, no one suspected in the slightest that he was preparing for a mission. As for His roots, Jesus did come down from heaven, but no one knew anything about it either. His mother, Mary, was silent, and Jesus had not yet discovered his true identity. Therefore, the conclusion of the Jews was precisely as follows: " we know where he is from."
We also do not know anything about others, we judge only based on appearances and on the few things that we have learned from outside. That is why our judgments are often wrong. Hence, the Gospel forbids us to judge others.
“I am from him, and he sent me.” (cf. Jn 7:29)
We are surprised at how often Jesus assures us that the Father sent him. We read about it many times in Saint John. "Vocation" and "mission" are typically biblical terms. Prophets, judges, and kings were chosen by God and sent on missions. All this should be done in the case of Him who is the fulfillment of the words of all prophets. When the Greek Fathers speak of the Holy Trinity, they express the mystery in terms of mission. The Father sends the Son, the Son then sends the Holy Spirit. So, all goodness comes from the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, we are called to have access to the Father in the Holy Spirit through the Son. However, the term "mission" should not delude us. In human logic, we send someone where we do not want to go ourselves. God, on the other hand, is with whom he sends. Christ also sent his disciples out into the world with the assurance: "Behold, I am with you" (cf. Mt 28:20). And in Himself, when He says that the Father has sent Him, there is an assurance that He is Emmanuel (God is with us).
The one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true (cf. Jn 7:28)
This statement also seems redundant: whoever believes in God does not need to be reassured that God never cheats. Yet doubting truthfulness is typical of our time, which possesses an overly abstract concept of truth, an almost mathematical concept. It does not matter if the opinions we say have anything to do with life or not. On the other hand, the Hebrew word "truth" (emes, emet) etymologically means a word that has its own weight, a word that can be relied upon.
According to the Bible, the only word you can rely on is from God. God is absolute truth. For this reason, God is often compared to a rock that resists any attack (cf. Ps 31: 4; 62: 3; 89:27; 94:22; 95: 1). The Father, who is the truth, entrusts his mission to the Son who can say of himself: "I am the truth" (cf. Jn 14: 6). Whoever proclaims the story of Christ in the history of the world tells the truth: he speaks a word that people who seek salvation can embrace.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george