Passion Week – Quest for Truth

Passover Week was always a busy time for the Jewish people as they made detailed preparations for the festival.  However, the events of the prior years most likely added uncertainty and, perhaps, even anxiety to the preparations.

The crowds in Jerusalem would have been large as people traveled from surrounding places to celebrate Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Many of them had probably seen some of the miracles Jesus had performed, and almost everyone had heard how He had raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1- 44).  It’s no wonder then that they talked among themselves, wondering if Jesus would show up for the Feast.

The crowd would have included a wide variety of people. If the blind man Jesus healed was present, he was most likely continuing to testify that Jesus was from God (John 9:33).  Then, there were those who were undecided.  Some thought He was demon-possessed or mad or both, while others weren’t sure.  They were convinced that no one who was demon-possessed could open the eyes of the blind, but beyond that, they weren’t sure of who He was (John 10:19-21). Finally, some believed (John10:42). 

The Pharisees were in a group all by themselves.  They didn’t care who Jesus was.  They just realized that if He were allowed to continue with His miracles, He would stir unrest among the people, threatening their uneasy peace with the Romans (John 11:47-48). 

I can’t help but wonder how many discussions took place in Jewish households that week as the people searched for the truth.

Read: John 9:1 – 34, John 10:19 – 42, & John 11:45 – 53.

Food for Thought:

1. Have you ever considered how you might have responded if you had been there to see Jesus’ miracles? Do you think He still performs miracles today? If so, how do you respond when you witness them? If not, why not?
2. Do you know someone who is undecided about who Christ is? If so, what can you do to help them see the Truth?
3. Why do you think the Pharisees did not even consider who Jesus might have been? What do you think blinded them from the Truth?  What blinds us today?

For a fictional look at some of the “quests for truth”, read Chapter 2 of The Shepherd’s Quest, by Elaine C. Duncan, available on Amazon.