John 7:32-53 – Today we see all the questions and the debate swirling around whether Yeshua was the Messiah, coming to a head. During the Temple period, on the last day of Sukkot, the High Priest performed an elaborate water ceremony asking God to pour out physical water and the Ruach on the nation.
Yeshua’s decision to stand up at this moment and proclaim himself the source of living water was either the rantings of a madman or the fulfillment of prophecy: “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Yeshua was not yet glorified. – John 7:38-39
There was no doubt that his statement was a bold declaration of his deity. However, it was just vague enough to not draw immediate action by the authorities. To those who were familiar with the prophecies, those who understood the connection between the water ceremony and his declaration – the religious leaders – Yeshua was making it very clear to them that he was the Messiah. But even the people who were not so well-versed in the prophecies knew enough to wonder and question what was going on.
So for those who say that Yeshua never said he was G-d, we have to look at instances like this and like his interaction with the Samaritan woman, read the word to see the reactions of the people at the time, and realize that yes, in so many ways, Yeshua did proclaim his deity. He made bold connections between himself and G-d that the religious leaders considered blasphemous. It WAS blasphemous to make the claims Yeshua made if he wasn’t who he said he was.
Praise the L-rd that we have the blessing of hindsight. There is no ambiguity for us. We know, with the benefit of evidence like we find in John, that Yeshua is the Messiah!
Neshama Women 