Why Reading the Bible Matters: What John 7 Teaches Us About Discernment and Truth
I’ve been sitting in the Book of John for the past month, and when I reached John 7, something stood out to me in a way it never had before. This chapter captures a moment when people were trying to figure out whether Jesus really was the Son of God. By this point, Jesus had already fed the five thousand, walked on water, and healed the paralysed man at the pool of Bethesda. His miracles and His teaching were undeniable — and because of that, the Pharisees were desperate to silence Him.
In John 7, Jesus goes to the Temple and teaches openly. He tells the crowd, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me” (v.16). Some people begin wondering if He truly is the Messiah:
• “But we know where this man comes from…” (v.27)
• “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?” (v.31)
And then comes the verse that stopped me:
“Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem…?”
John 7:42
This is the turning point.
The Pharisees were trying to discredit Jesus — but they ran into a problem: the people who actually knew the Scriptures couldn’t be fooled.
They knew what God had already said about the Messiah.
They knew the prophecies.
They knew the signs.
And Jesus was fulfilling them.
Isaiah 35:5–6 had foretold that the Messiah would open blind eyes, unstop deaf ears, make the lame leap, and loosen mute tongues. That is exactly what Jesus was doing. In John 9, He heals a man born blind. In John 5, a man who had been paralysed for decades gets up and walks. The Scriptures were unfolding in front of them.
Old Testament Prophecies About the Messiah
• Isaiah 35:5–6 — The Messiah heals the blind, deaf, lame, and mute.
• Micah 5:2 — The Messiah will come from Bethlehem.
• 2 Samuel 7:12–16 — God promises a descendant of David who will reign forever.
• Isaiah 9:6–7 — A child from David’s line who will rule with justice and peace.
• Isaiah 53 — The suffering servant who bears the sins of many
What this teaches us today
This chapter reminded me of something simple but essential: if we don’t know the Word, we can be deceived.
• The enemy can twist God’s character if we don’t know what God has actually said.
• People who act like the Pharisees today — manipulating Scripture, misusing authority, or preaching a different gospel — can’t mislead you if you’re grounded in the truth.
• You won’t mistake God for another “deity,” another ideology, or another voice, because you recognise His words and His ways.
The Pharisees had power, influence, and religious status — but they couldn’t overpower Scripture.
And they couldn’t deceive the people who knew Scripture.
Staying Rooted in Scripture
John 7 captures a moment when people were wrestling with the identity of Jesus. Some were convinced by His miracles. Others were confused by rumours, assumptions, and the Pharisees’ attempts to discredit Him. But one group stood firm: those who knew the Scriptures. They recognised that Jesus was fulfilling what God had already spoken.
This is the heart of the chapter — and the heart of why reading the Bible matters for us today.
Where to Read This in the Bible
New Testament Passages
These passages give the full context of the debate happening in John 7:
• John 7:25–52 — The crowd questions whether Jesus is the Messiah.
• John 5:1–15 — Jesus heals the paralysed man at the pool of Bethesda.
• John 6:1–14 — Jesus feeds the five thousand.
• John 6:16–21 — Jesus walks on water.
• John 9:1–12 — Jesus heals the man born blind.
These miracles are the very signs people were discussing in John 7.
What does this mean for us?
Reading the Bible isn’t just a spiritual habit.
It’s protection.
It’s clarity.
It’s how we recognise Jesus, recognise truth, and recognise lies.
The people in John 7 weren’t confused because they knew what God had already spoken.
And the same is true for us today.
Father, thank You for giving us Your Word — a steady light when everything around us feels uncertain. Teach us to recognise Your voice the way the people in John 7 recognised the truth about Jesus. Give us a hunger to know Scripture, not just so we can gain knowledge, but so our hearts can stay anchored in who You are. Protect us from confusion, from deception, and from anything that pulls us away from Your truth. Help us to love Your Word, trust Your Word, and walk in the freedom that comes from knowing it.
Amen.
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