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John 7:28- Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both
know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he
that sent me is true, whom ye know not.
John 7:29- But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

Lesson Notes:

(John 7:25-26) – Presenting himself in plain sight, the Messiah demonstrates He was never
fearful for His life but was cautious about the lives of others. The audience reacts to His public
boldness and they are surprised that His adversaries do not challenge His presence of the
Messiah in the courtyard just outside of the temple entry. The onlookers ponder whether the
religious rulers indeed know Jesus is the Christ, the anointed Messiah.
The Pharisees that have actively used their influence work against Jesus-Messiah, their
tolerance allowing Him to openly teach during the Holy Feast created perplexity.
(John 7:27) – The commoners among Jews tried to sort out the facts lieu of the silence by their
religious rulers. If Jesus is the Christ, they wanted to understand how it was possible for Him to
be aware of His parental origin; “whence he is”.

Teaching Note: The prophecies about Messiah included the geography of His birthplace in
Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2) His extraordinary characteristics were presented in Isaiah 9:6 and His
presence in the temple was foretold in Malachi 3:1, but there was nothing prophetically spoken
about the Messiah’s parental guardians. The Jews in that day were likely impartial to the
language of Isaiah 53:8 which described the suffering servant as one taken from prison to
judgement with no one knowing His generation (birth parents).

The Jews extracted from this prophecy the belief that the named Messiah-Christ would not
know His parentage (generation) and therefore would be prevented from factually connecting
Himself to the Davidic lineage and would be unaware that He was the deliverer of God’s people
until the moment He was surrendered as a sacrifice.
Jesus presented Himself to the people as a Messiah that was self-aware. Although it
contradicted how some interpreted the prophecy of Isaiah, the fact that the religious leaders
became hesitant to resist Him as Israel prepared to celebrate Yom Kippur, the day of
Atonement, their disposition greatly stirred the debate.

(John 7:28) – The Messiah boldly announces, as He is teaches in the temple, “You know me and
you know whence I am”. He loudly affirms the thoughts they are privately being weighed in
their debates.
He clears up the issue that concerns them explaining how it is possible for Him to make His
claim as the Messiah. He is aware that He is not the first or the only to be born of Davidic
lineage. Many before Him and others after Him could stake the same claim to be Messiah if
they only need to prove their heritage. He is self-ware because He was sent to humanity by
Him that is unknown to them. He does not come on His own.

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