John 7:40-43 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? So there was a division among the people because of him.

Here is a diversity of opinion. Each one had a reason for believing what they believed. Even if they were not sure, they wanted to be right of a truth. Christ came to unify His people and is not responsible for the division that occurred, at least not here at this time.

What do you know of the people in this place and of this time? What have you been taught? What do you remember? Who taught you and under what authority? Would any of these people be any different than us considering the diversity of culture in this region?

Of a truth, Jesus was an outsider everywhere He went. All you have to do is follow His earthly path and note a sojourner of the first order. Born in Bethlehem but did not live there. Moved to Egypt, but never took up citizenship. Moved to Nazareth but was an outsider because He was a Jew in a gentile majority. Lived in Capernaum and not many, if any, even remember it.

Matthew 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Of a truth Jesus had no place to call His home, owned no land, nor house, nor material goods. Yet in spite of all that He had a Kingdom because of who He was of a truth.

Exodus 13:17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:

God knows the nature of man and how easily he is turned, like a pancake, at the first sign of heat. I did not come to this issue of repentance easily nor on my own.

Psalm 62:1 Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.

Preaching that repentance leads to salvation is misleading when the turning becomes the focal point. God led the captivity away from the land of promise, which was close at hand, because they were not prepared to enter.

“The principal idea is not personal relation to sin, either in its experience of grief or in turning from an evil course. Yet the results of sin are manifest in its use. God’s heart is grieved at man’s iniquity, and in love He bestows His grace, or in justice He terminates His mercy. It indicates the aroused emotions of God which prompt Him to a different course of dealing with the people.” Quoted from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Salvation belongs to God and is His and His alone. In repentance, God decides the course of action required to bring man in line with His will. When we follow Jesus we do not get to choose what course to follow after the turning. We need only to walk in it and not reject the course set before us.

Salvation by repentance is misleading when it ignores what is seen upon turning.

Pancakes merely turn, they see nothing.