本章的背景發生在耶路撒冷，猶太人過住棚節時。讀完這章聖經，你一定會對耶穌在公眾場合引起的不安產生有趣的印象：祂真是個製造騷動的人物。

        例如，眾人只因祂教導的能力就大為希奇：「這個人沒有學過，怎麼明白書呢﹖」（15節）。有些人則言之鑿鑿的說祂是被鬼附著了（20節），其他人難以相信祂怎能消遙法外：「這不是他們想要殺的人嗎﹖你看他還明明的講道，他們也不向他說什麼。」所以有些人推斷或許祂就是祂自己宣稱的那一位：「難道官長真知道這是基督嗎﹖」（25~26節）

        還有些人試著去了解耶穌所說的話，但結果只讓他們更加困惑：「這人要往哪裡去，叫我們找不著呢﹖難道他要往散住希臘中的猶太人那裡去教訓希臘人嗎﹖他說：『你們要找我，卻找不著，我所在的地方，你們不能到』，這話是什麼意思呢﹖」

        所以，有些人認為耶穌是個先知，有些人認為祂是基督，但也仍有些人視祂為危險的革命分子，愈早除掉愈好。但不論對耶穌的意見為何，你都不能採取中立態度──不論過去和現在，你都必須決定贊成祂或反對祂──「眾人因著耶穌起了紛爭」（43節）。

        即使是聖殿的差役和法利賽人對耶穌的意見也不一樣。當有人說耶穌可信，法利賽人就認定他們什麼也不懂：「官長或是法利賽人豈有信他的呢﹖沒有！但這些不明白律法的百姓是被咒詛的！」（48~49節）

        百姓中只有一個聲音是清楚的，混亂中只有一個人的話是響亮的：尼哥底母。尼哥底母經過那夜與耶穌交談後，他就歸信了主（雖然當時還是祕密的信），他也敢於公開的支持耶穌（50~51節）。

        耶穌今天仍在製造騷動，祂使人起紛爭。祂要人作一個明確的決定──沒有中立的餘地。你要不是接受祂，就是拒絕祂。祂不讓我們躊躇不決。

        上帝啊，我們祈求主耶穌被全世界的人認識。求您賜給我們人類所能擁有的最偉大特權，就是被基督的靈充滿，使祂透過我們啟示祂自己。奉主耶穌基督聖名，阿們！

English

        The setting for this chapter is Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles. As you read it, you get a fascinating insight into the uproar surrounding Jesus in the public sector: He really rocked the boat.

        For instance, He was an amazement to people simply in terms of His ability as a teacher – “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” they asked (v.15). Some were sure He was demon-possessed (v.20); others couldn’t believe how immune He was to arrest, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him.” So, some reasoned maybe He is who He says He is, “Have the authorities really concluded that He is the Christ?” (vv.25, 26).

        Then there were those who tried to figure out Jesus’ teaching, but succeeded only in becoming more confused. “Where does this man intend to go, that we cannot find Him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What does he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘where I am, you cannot come’?”

        So some thought Jesus a prophet; others the Christ. Still others saw Him as a dangerous revolutionary, the sooner dead the better. But whatever your opinion of Jesus, you couldn’t stay neutral anymore then than today – “the people were divided because of Jesus” (v.43).

        Even the temple guards and the Pharisees were divided, and the Pharisees attributed any credence imputed to Jesus as nothing more then ignorance, “Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law – there is a curse on them” (vv.48, 49).

        There was only one clear voice in this “mob”, only one clarion note in the chaos: the man Nicodemus. After his talk with Jesus by night, he had become a believer (albeit secret, at this point), and he was prepared to publicly give Jesus the benefit of the doubt (vv.50, 51)

        Jesus still rocks the boat today. He is divisive. He’s an either/or kind of person – there’s no middle ground. You either accept Him or reject Him. He refuses to let us “halt between two opinions”.

        Lord God, we pray that Jesus will be revealed to the whole world and please grant us the greatest opportunity human beings can ever have, the opportunity to be so filled with the Spirit of Christ that He is revealed through us.