"Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but He who sent me is true. You do not know Him, but I know Him because I am from Him and He sent me." (John 7:28-29)
Who sent Jesus?
Jesus is clearly stating that the Supreme Being sent him. Jesus is clarifying that he is God's messenger. Isn't this who would say that someone else has sent him?Jesus is responding to murmurs from the crowd that said:
"Isn't this the man they are trying to kill? Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? (John 7:25-27)Jesus is explaining clearly that while his body may be born of a woman they may know, Jesus and his teachings have come from somewhere else: They come from God. Who else is the “Him” and the “He” that Jesus is mentioning here?
Do Bible translators know who Jesus is referring to?
It is disappointing that many translators of the different Bible versions (KJV, NLT, NIV, ESV, CSB, NET, TSV, ASV, DBY, HNV) would not realize that Jesus is speaking of God with these words, as they failed to capitalize “he” and “him” (as added above).This oversight occurs in many instances of Jesus' statements throughout the Bible. Why would translators not capitalize references to God?
The likely reason is that they do not know Who Jesus is referring to when Jesus says, “He sent me.”
Ironically, just as the crowd Jesus is speaking to here does not know who Jesus was referring to, so many institutional translators who have translated these words of Jesus also do not know who Jesus is referring to.
The likely reason is that they do not know Who Jesus is referring to when Jesus says, “He sent me.”
Ironically, just as the crowd Jesus is speaking to here does not know who Jesus was referring to, so many institutional translators who have translated these words of Jesus also do not know who Jesus is referring to.
Why don't they know who sent Jesus?
Many institutions claiming to represent Jesus have muddied the waters with respect to the Supreme Being. Most have embraced the Nicene Creed, which confuses the identity of the Supreme Being (or "Father") with that of Jesus (the "Son").The notion that Jesus is God negates the identity of a separate Supreme Being. The Roman government forced the politically-driven Council of Nicaea in the Fourth Century to create this Nicene doctrine.
The purpose of the Nicene Creed was not to do the will of God as Jesus instructed. The purpose was to produce political power by unifying the various churches under one organization, controlled by the Roman government.
The objective was essentially to control the people, create authority, and attract followers.
This political orientation continues today in the form of the various official churches that compete for parishioners.
Why do they seek authority?
They are seeking authority because they don't have real authority. They are trying to claim it in the form of numbers of followers.Many institutions claiming to represent Jesus have been clamoring for authority for centuries.
We can see this clamor for authority with a simple distinction: Many churches use “First” in their name. We see this all over: “First Baptist Church,” “First Catholic Church,” or “First Assembly of God Church.”
We can see this clamor for authority with a simple distinction: Many churches use “First” in their name. We see this all over: “First Baptist Church,” “First Catholic Church,” or “First Assembly of God Church.”
Why do they insist on naming their churches “First,” even though there were other churches of that denomination built before? Why is being “first” so important?
Did they not hear Jesus' statement that "the first shall be last" (Matt. 20:16)?
Claiming to be “first” is an attempt to establish authority. If someone says they are “first,” they are essentially saying that they have the authority. It is an attempt to establish dominance and seniority among the other choices.
Claiming to be “first” is an attempt to establish authority. If someone says they are “first,” they are essentially saying that they have the authority. It is an attempt to establish dominance and seniority among the other choices.
This is also why the officials of these various sects want to quote their current numbers around the world. They want to be the biggest and the best church - bigger and better than the others.
What this really reveals is that none of these institutions have real authority: The authority granted by the Supreme Being.
What this really reveals is that none of these institutions have real authority: The authority granted by the Supreme Being.
Authority is established by God, as Jesus said in his prayer:
"For You granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those You have given him." (John 17:2)
Sectarian institutions today are primarily political organizations, driven by people who want to see their brand of interpretation as the most popular brand. Why?
Because if they belong to the most popular brand of religion, then they will feel that they are right and the others are wrong.
This is simply a mask for someone who knows deep inside that they do not know who God is. Just as Jesus said to these institutional temple people, who were all uppity about being Jews who honored the Sabbath, “You do not know Him, but I know Him...”
This is simply a mask for someone who knows deep inside that they do not know who God is. Just as Jesus said to these institutional temple people, who were all uppity about being Jews who honored the Sabbath, “You do not know Him, but I know Him...”
Jesus is clearly saying that all those institutional temple officials and their followers do not know God. They might be feeling proud in their ability to judge whether Jesus was breaking the Sabbath by healing someone, but at the end of the day, they did not know Who Jesus was serving and teaching about. So how could they be so judgemental?
“I know Him because I am from Him and He sent me” means that Jesus gives the Supreme Being all the authority. Jesus isn't trying to grab authority for himself.
This is an obvious and clear statement by Jesus that he is God’s messenger. Someone who is sent by another to deliver a message is a messenger. And a messenger is certainly coming from the person sending the message. And what is a messenger?
Did Jesus seek authority?
As we see from Jesus' statement here, he isn't seeking authority. Jesus knows only God has true authority and real authority can only be granted by God.“I know Him because I am from Him and He sent me” means that Jesus gives the Supreme Being all the authority. Jesus isn't trying to grab authority for himself.
This is an obvious and clear statement by Jesus that he is God’s messenger. Someone who is sent by another to deliver a message is a messenger. And a messenger is certainly coming from the person sending the message. And what is a messenger?
A messenger is a servant of the person who dispatches the message. So Jesus is stating clearly that he is a servant of God. He is God’s messenger.
Notice that Jesus says very clearly, “He sent me.” How could it get any clearer than this? Yet so many claim that Jesus is God. How could Jesus be God when he clearly says, “My teaching is not my own.” (John 7:16) and here, "I am not here on my own"? Are these statements not clear enough?
For example, let's say that an employee of the ABC corporation has been dispatched from the CEO to deliver a message to another corporation. How might the employee introduce himself to the other corporation? He would say something like, "I am coming from the CEO of ABC Corporation and I am not here on my own but the CEO has sent me." Why would he take the time to explain this? Because he is explaining that he is being empowered by the CEO to deliver the message.
In the same way, Jesus is explaining that he was sent by God and is empowered by the Supreme Being. He is representing the Supreme Being. He is God's messenger. Is this not clear enough from Jesus' statements?
God owns everything, including the teachings He dispatched through Jesus.
But many don't know the Supreme Being. They live up to Jesus' statement here:
Notice that Jesus says very clearly, “He sent me.” How could it get any clearer than this? Yet so many claim that Jesus is God. How could Jesus be God when he clearly says, “My teaching is not my own.” (John 7:16) and here, "I am not here on my own"? Are these statements not clear enough?
For example, let's say that an employee of the ABC corporation has been dispatched from the CEO to deliver a message to another corporation. How might the employee introduce himself to the other corporation? He would say something like, "I am coming from the CEO of ABC Corporation and I am not here on my own but the CEO has sent me." Why would he take the time to explain this? Because he is explaining that he is being empowered by the CEO to deliver the message.
In the same way, Jesus is explaining that he was sent by God and is empowered by the Supreme Being. He is representing the Supreme Being. He is God's messenger. Is this not clear enough from Jesus' statements?
God owns everything, including the teachings He dispatched through Jesus.
But many don't know the Supreme Being. They live up to Jesus' statement here:
"You do not know Him..."
*Here is the translation of these statements according to the Lost Gospels of Jesus:
Then Jesus spoke loudly from the temple, teaching and saying, “You know me and know where I am from; but I am not here on my own authority, for He who sent me is real – He whom you do not know. I know Him because I am from Him and He sent me.” (John 7:28-29)
