“The tragedy of the motif of misunderstanding doesn’t end with the book of John. We misunderstand Jesus sometimes, too.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 17, 2026
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26, NIV
Have you ever felt misunderstood? You tell someone something, maybe something really important, and they don’t get it at all?
You’re in good company, because, for Jesus, this was a pattern with just about everybody. John shows this pattern better than any other Gospel writer – 18 times! Some scholars call it the “motif of understanding.”
Part of the problem is just Jesus’ choice of words. In fact, it’s pretty clear He often used metaphors or words with more than one meaning, so that some would understand Him and others wouldn’t.
People were constantly misunderstanding Jesus.
In John 3, Jesus has just told Nicodemus he needs to be born again. “How can anyone be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” This great teacher of Israel doesn’t get it. Musician and Bible teacher Michael Card says of Nicodemus, “He doesn’t kinda not get it; he wayyy doesn’t get it.”
When Jesus offers living water to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, she points out that He doesn’t have a bucket! But when Jesus tells her directly who He is, she believes. I think Nicodemus came to understand, too.
About half the time, John explains what Jesus really means. In Chapter 21, Jesus is talking to another disciple about John, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” So, a rumor spreads that John would never die. John corrects: “Jesus did not say to him that he would not die.”
Not everyone who misunderstood comes to eventually understand. A group of people who’d just witnessed the miracle of Jesus feeding a massive crowd with a young boy’s lunch follows Jesus across the Sea of Galilee to find out how He works His miracles (John 6:29). Jesus says, “This is the work of God – that you believe in the one he has sent.”
Jesus is asking them to believe in Him. But instead of deciding to follow Him, they ask for another miracle. This group doesn’t seem to want to understand.
“I am the bread of life,” he tells them, and again, instead of trying to understand, they grumble amongst themselves, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know?”
“I am the bread of life,” he tells them, continuing with explanations of Scripture they should see is now being fulfilled. He’s offering them a chance to take the gift He’s offering – a never-ending life nourished and sustained by Him (John 6:50-51). But the more he explains, the further they seem to get from comprehension. Verses 60 and 66 say he lost not only that crowd, but also many disciples that day.
What could they have done differently to understand what Jesus was telling them? The answer is important, because this tragedy of the motif of misunderstanding doesn’t end with the book of John. We misunderstand Jesus sometimes, too. Or worse, we assume we already know what he says or means in a passage of Scripture, so we read with our ears closed. Or we get to a tough part, and we read right over it instead of stopping.
So, what should they have done? And what should we do to make sure we’re not misunderstanding Jesus?
Ask Him. And ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand.
* If you want to learn more about the “motif of misunderstanding” in John, you can just Google the phrase.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you care about us, and there are things You deeply want us to understand. Let us never be like those who have ears but cannot hear. Let us be open to expanding our knowledge of Your Word. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of our heart. Father, give us the wisdom and understanding we lack, so we can come to Jesus with open ears, open hands, and open hearts and receive everything You have for us.
Related Reading
John 3:1-21, John 6, John 13:7
Worship Resource
Keith and Kristyn Getty: Speak O Lord
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