19 Again the Jews were divided because of these words. ²⁰Many of them were saying, ‘He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?’ ²¹Others were saying, ‘These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?’ <!– 22 –>

Jesus Is Rejected by the Jews

22 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. ²⁴So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah,^* tell us plainly.’ ²⁵Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; ²⁶but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. ²⁷My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.^{* 30}The Father and I are one.’

The Jewish people are depicted by John as wanting a declaration of messiahship from Jesus, as if by it he would become a kind of official messiah candidate, making his pitch to the public for recognition. Perhaps he could get a campaign manager and staff.

Jesus rejects all demagoguery: he will be known by his usual words and deeds by those whom God will give him as followers. The sheep know the shepherd; and the shepherd is the one who has the gift of true and everlasting life. He can be trusted with his followers’ lives.

The church panics when its membership drops. Certainly it shouild ask itself if it’s still preaching the gospel and living by it. But it must never make a case for Jesus Christ in worldly terms as he does  not give any worldly satisfactions. Eternal life is not a marketable commodity. But those who are seeking it will know when they find it, or better, when it finds them.