Wednesday 15 July 2026

Psalm 74:12-17

Background
Jesus is in Jerusalem at the Feast of the Tabernacles and is speaking publicly. The people knew that the religious authorities wanted to kill him, and so they were baffled that he was permitted to speak openly without facing arrest. They wondered if this indicated that some of their religious leaders thought he might be the Messiah.

Most scholars say that the inaction of the chief priests and Pharisees stemmed from a fear that Jesus’ supporters might trigger a riot if an attempt was made to arrest him within the people-packed Temple. Any sign of civil unrest would result in an immediate and brutal intervention by the Romans, who kept a tight watch on what was happening in the Temple from the adjacent Antonia Fortress.

The fact that Jesus was known to be just a Galilean from Nazareth meant some found it hard to accept he could be the Messiah. Galilee was seen as a religiously suspect area, not least because it was bordered by the Phoenician client-state of Tyre and Sidon to the north and northwest, the autonomous Hellenistic cities of the Decapolis to the east, and the Roman province of Samaria to the south. Some of the towns in Galilee, such as Sepphoris and Tiberius, were viewed as centres of paganism. Jesus’s response was to say that knowing his background did not mean they could determine whether he had divine authority, and he tells them he knew God in ways they did not.

When the religious authorities belatedly decide that they will seek to arrest Jesus, John states that God prevents the attempt from being successful because Jesus still has work to do. The word ‘hour’ in verse 30 refers to the specific, divinely appointed time for Jesus’ crucifixion. John also says that many in the crowd put their faith in Jesus, noting that the miracles and signs he performed were exactly what would be expected of the Messiah.

To Ponder:

• The crowd allowed their preconceived ideas about the Messiah to block them from recognising Jesus. What personal biases or expectations might block us from seeing God at work today?
• In what ways does Jesus show his knowledge of God?
• Do you think the phrase ‘his hour had not yet come’ demonstrates God’s complete control over Jesus’ life and ministry?
• Some of the crowd base their faith on miracles and signs. How do you choose what evidence to base your own faith on?

Prayer
Lord, this passage reminds me that you have a plan and that we sometimes need to be patient and trust your timing. Teach me to trust that you are working behind the scenes, even when I see no progress. Guard my mouth from complaining and my heart from resentment while I wait. Amen. 

Bible notes author: Gary Best
Gary was headmaster of Kingswood School from 1987 to 2008 and volunteer warden of the New Room in Bristol from 2009 to 2019. He has published over 20 books, including The Christian Alphabet, a study book for home groups.