Stop Judging By Appearances

Jesus is facing the hostility of the religious leaders and the unbelief of his brothers. The Jewish leaders were no longer simply annoyed by Jesus; they were actively looking for a way to kill him. Jesus seems to have understood this. What is unclear is whether his brothers also knew this when they encouraged him to go to Judea – the place where the opposition was the strongest. Later in chapter seven, he will discuss whether it was appropriate for him to heal on the Sabbath. Whether it’s opposition or unbelief, Jesus understands one of the reasons why is that people tend to judge someone (or the truth) by “mere appearances.” It is easy to discount or dismiss something or someone if it doesn’t appear to be the way we think it should be.

Passage: John 7:1-24