Who is Jesus to me?

Who Is Jesus to Me?

You can know all the Bible stories, sing all the songs, and tick all the religious boxes—and still completely miss the point. That's the uncomfortable truth at the heart of John chapter 7, where crowds who'd been waiting for the Messiah their whole lives stood face to face with him and couldn't see it.

James Sloan took us through this passage with a question that cuts through the noise: are you God-smart or God-connected? Because, there's a world of difference.

They Knew Where He Was From

The scene opens with a debate raging about Jesus' identity. The people of Jerusalem—a mob of devout Jews—claimed Jesus couldn't possibly be the Christ because they knew where he was from. He was just the carpenter from Nazareth.

Their reasoning came from Old Testament prophecy. Passages like Malachi suggested God's messenger would come suddenly to the temple. The popular belief was that the Messiah would appear out of nowhere, as if he'd been waiting concealed and would one day burst suddenly upon the world.

Jesus didn't fit the script. They knew his hometown. They knew his family. How could this ordinary man be the one they'd been waiting for?

But here's what they missed: they may have known Jesus came from Nazareth, but they didn't understand his origin and his relationship with the Father. If they knew God the Father, then they would know Christ the Son—because the two are one.

Jesus knew exactly where he came from: "I am from him and he sent me."

God-Smart vs God-Connected

James shared something from a parenting course he'd been on about raising kids in the church. It talked about the difference between being God-smart and being God-connected.

"We can teach our kids all the information from the Bible and they can sing all the songs at church, but this doesn't mean they'll feel connected to God. It's a step of faith they have to take for themselves."

The crowds in John 7 had the same problem. They'd seen Jesus' miracles. They'd heard his teaching. They had all the information. But they couldn't allow themselves to believe that this carpenter from Nazareth was the Messiah—the one who could save them.

They were God-smart. They weren't God-connected.

James reflected on his own journey: "Growing up, I heard a lot about Jesus and all the Bible stories, but I didn't have any kind of sense of understanding of what a relationship with God looked or even felt like. It wasn't until later in life that I really felt the presence of God and then all the stories and Bible verses made sense."

What changed? "It wasn't focused on following a religion, but on living a life of faith. Suddenly it felt like an adventure rather than a bunch of rules. It was liberating. It was life-giving. It was life-shaping."

The Living Water

The passage then shifts to the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles—an eight-day Jewish celebration. Throughout the feast, water from the pool of Siloam was carried in a golden pitcher and poured out at the altar, reminding everyone of how God provided water for the thirsty Israelites in the wilderness.

On this final day, Jesus stood up to speak. This was unusual—most rabbis sat down when they taught. Standing would have grabbed everyone's attention.

And what he said was extraordinary: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink."

James unpacked what Jesus was doing here. The invitation was broad—anyone could come, regardless of intelligence, race, gender, nationality, or background. But it was also narrow—"if anyone thirsts." You have to recognise your need first.

"Thirst is not anything in itself. It's a lack of something. It's an emptiness, a crying need. And Jesus is essentially saying to the crowd, there's no more water at the temple, and in the rituals that you followed. I have the water you're looking for."

To come to Jesus and drink means to put your faith in him—to trust in, rely on, and cling to Jesus for both time and eternity.

Not Just Receiving—Overflowing

But Jesus didn't only speak of something coming into a person. He spoke of something flowing out of them as well. It wasn't only a blessing received but a blessing to others—a source of blessing.

James connected this to a passage in Ezekiel where water flows from the temple towards a dry desert land. As it flows, the water gets deeper and deeper. Fresh fish appear. Fruit trees grow on its banks. Everything it touches springs into life.

"For me, that's a reminder of the potential of the church to bring life into our communities as the people of God bless others through their words and their actions."

This is where James finds the joy of living as a Christian: "It's not a constant strive for self-improvement. It's finding your place in God's family and making your contribution to serve those both within and outside of the church."

Anna's Story

To illustrate what this looks like in real life, James shared the story of Anna.

Anna came to Frontline Church about eight years ago looking for help. She'd been given a food bank voucher—she needed supplies for herself and her children after leaving an unhealthy relationship. She didn't know where to look for support.

When she walked through the door, she was greeted by a volunteer called Estelle. Anna described it: "Estelle spoke to me like nobody before about this fantastic and amazing person who loves me no matter what I've done and what I've been through. And she just told me that he wants me to be with him and that he will give me everything I need and care for me and that his name is Jesus."

The church didn't just offer words. They provided practical help—money, food, prayer. Anna remembers: "The best feeling was that people prayed for me, that there is this Jesus, this amazing person who looks after me and my children, and that I don't have to be worried anymore because he will provide for every single thing that I need."

The community allowed her to blossom. She put the past behind her. She learned about God.

Fast forward to the present day, and Anna now works with the homeless in Liverpool and leads a Polish church congregation. She encountered Jesus, and since then her life has been transformed. She found her place in a church family where she could serve and be a blessing to others.

As Anna puts it: "I know it's difficult, but there is Jesus and he loves you. And that puts a smile on people's faces."

Conversation Street

The discussion after James' talk explored some big questions about identity, transformation, and what makes the Christian message different:

You know that Jesus is not a myth by the way he transforms you. What do you think to that?

Anna's story speaks directly to this. Her life was transformed—from needing food bank support to leading a church congregation and serving the homeless. That kind of change is hard to explain away.

C.S. Lewis said about Jesus: "Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse." Why isn't Jesus just a good teacher?

The claims Jesus made about himself in John 7—that he was from God, that he was the source of living water—don't leave room for the "good teacher" option. He forces a decision.

How is the Christian message different from self-help?

James addressed this directly: "It's not a constant strive for self-improvement. It's finding your place in God's family and making your contribution to serve those both within and outside of the church." The difference is relationship, not effort.

How does a warm welcome at church make a difference?

Anna's story answers this. When she walked through the door, Estelle greeted her with kindness and dignity. Nobody judged her. They loved her for who she was. That welcome opened the door for everything that followed.

Your Next Step This Week

1. Ask yourself the question — Are you God-smart or God-connected? Do you know about Jesus, or do you know him?

2. Recognise your thirst — Jesus' invitation is for those who know they need something. What emptiness or longing are you carrying that you've been trying to fill elsewhere?

3. Consider what's flowing out — If you've received from Jesus, what's flowing out to others? Are you finding your place in God's family and making your contribution?

4. Take the step — If you've never committed to following Jesus, James' invitation stands: reach out to someone. He says: "Since I made the decision to commit my life to following Jesus, I've never looked back."

5. Be the welcome — Anna's life changed because someone greeted her with kindness and told her about Jesus. Who might you welcome this week?

The One Who Never Changes

James closed with this: following Jesus has given him a sense of purpose, a church family to journey through life with, and a sense of peace when the world is flipped upside down.

"It means I can trust in God, the one who never changes."

The crowds in John 7 had mixed reactions to Jesus. Some said he was a prophet. Some said he was the Christ. Others wanted to kill him.

Two thousand years later, the question remains: who is Jesus to you?