John 7 tells the story of Jesus at the Festival of Booths with the rest of the Jews. The Festival of Booths recounts the time that Israel wandered in the desert, living in tents and trusting in YHWH for everything. The whole point was to remember their faith, to recall the way YHWH came through for them, and to look ahead to the day when he would provide the permanent solution to their wanderings in the person of the Messiah. If you get this, then you get the irony of the passage: the Messiah is standing right there in front of them, and all they can do is doubt based on a misunderstanding of his birthplace (Jesus grew up in Galilee, but he was born in Bethlehem...see the first few chapters of Matthew and Luke).I'd like to feel self-righteous about this, except that I do the same thing all the time. Jesus stands right in front of me all the time, his works plain to see, and all I can think to do is ask questions based on the data I *don't* have. He wants to guide and bless me, while I want to "know" him by the proper application of the scientific method. He can't be known that way - no one can. He can only be known through relationship, and that starts by taking him at his word and experiencing his being.
We must love our Lord as he presents himself to us and not by building constructs, boxes into which we place his various attributes, filing them away into neat, distinct compartments. We cannot know our Savior by the study and correct application of doctrine; we must take him as he reveals himself to us, first in scripture, then by practice.
Relationship is the goal. If Jesus has become a bug, ready to be pinned to a board, STOP. Something is wrong.
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