John Ch.7
Ch.7
After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him.
2 Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand.
3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing.
4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.”
5 For not even his brothers believed in him.
Rejected by his brothers:
There exists no middle ground here: We cannot serve both Jesus and the world: to love one is to hate the other: In rejecting Jesus, his brothers are, without realizing it, rejecting God and embracing the world. Jesus will verify this by what he says next:
6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.
Jesus is not hiding…Jesus is not afraid: His time has simply not yet come: Until it does, he will continue his ministry in relative obscurity, only partly and sporadically unveiling his identity, whenever willed to do so by his Father. He was not moved by Satan’s temptation in the desert; he is equally not moved by his brother’s goading him here. He does not need to prove himself to men - ch.5:30-47 (see also Matthew 10:37)
Compare this to Esther: set aside by the Lord - and not even realizing why - or that her time had now fully come (see Esther 4:14b)
7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.
As Jesus continues to dialogue with his brothers, we cannot help but to compare this statement to Jesus’s final words to his disciples in Ch.15:18-20: “If the world hates you, remember it hated me first.” His is in effect, telling them that the world WILL hate them: Why ? Because they belong no longer to this world, but to Him.
After Jesus’s ascension, when his brothers also become disciples, they too will recognize and understand this for themselves: To be friends with this world is to be an enemy of God. But “their time has not yet come.”But “their time has not yet come.”
8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.”
9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
“The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.” (vs7)
This is the entire heart of the matter: bringing sinners out of hiding…exposing darkness with light…lies with Truth; evil with good; and separating the two sides - because one of them is under God’s judgment; They can no longer continue to co-exist. It is not our goal and calling to be friends with this world, but rather to snatch people from it.
We can safely assume that this gentle rebuke of Jesus’s, could not have been easy for his brothers to hear. But Jesus can, and will only ever speak the Truth, so that people may be convicted of their sin and turn back to God - because it is only the truth that sets us free (see Ch.8:32).
10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private.
Jesus, throughout his time of ministry, never failed to go up to Jerusalem to attend a feast Because he never failed to keep the Law of God - to the last jot and tittle.
11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?”
12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.”
vs 10-13 With all the murmuring and speculating, Jesus wisely and deliberately remains hidden…
Because he knows who are his - ch.6:43-45
13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
This tells us the condition of the nation at this time: A people who’s ancestors had been taught to fear the Lord…whose entire heritage had been brought through generations of men and women who feared the Lord…now were living in fear of the very people who were supposed to be their guides and teachers: They feared being thrown out if the synagogue…being ostracized by the community…rejected by their peers: They were living to obey the rules of men (the traditions of the elders*), rather than the Law of God; so much so that their view of God was now entirely distorted. No wonder so few of them were able to recognize him when he came. Jesus will confront this issue head on in Matthew ch.23.
14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching.
Why did Jesus choose that time? Maybe because the crowds were now deeply immersed into the festival, so it was easy for Jesus to discretely step in and immerse himself with them. With everyone’s attention now on the oracles of the LORD, their minds and hearts would have been more open to receive what he - the LORD - is about to teach them.
15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?”
In other words “How is he able to teach like this when he is not one of them? (Alluding to the teachers of the Law and Pharisees)
16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.
Jesus is claiming direct authority from God Himself- and thereby directing his opposers back to the Scriptures, which are inspired by God.
He is also making a contrast between himself and the Pharisees - whose teaching for the most part is their own, not the Lord’s and therefore contrary to the Scriptures.
17 If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.
Think on the words from Jeremiah 29:13-14a.
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
I will be found by you, declares the Lord,
If we are truly seeking the Lord, we will not be seeking anything of man: It is clear from the attitude of the Jewish leaders that they were not seeking the Lord’s glory - only their own. (Matthew 5:6)
18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.
Whose glory is Jesus seeking? The one who sent him and on whose behalf he has come: God the Father. Jesus is the representative of the threefold Godhead on Earth; therefore everything he thinks, says and does is good, perfect and true. Contrast this to the Pharisees, whose motives and intentions Jesus is about to reveal in this next verse.
19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?”
Which brings us back to verse the first verse of this chapter: Jesus knew: He knows the thoughts and intentions of every man.
20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?”
This harsh accusation the crowd fires back at Jesus, is only a reaction to the truth Jesus has just revealed concerning the hidden intent in their hearts.
21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it.
22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.
23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well?
(Remember Ch.5:1-18? Jesus is likely referring to this event - and its repercussions, which are clearly still fresh in the minds of the Pharisees.)
24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” (1Samuel 16:6-7)
Jesus will confront the teachers of the Law concerning their hypocrisy on numerous occasions, which are recorded throughout the Gospels. What does their hypocrisy show us? That in their hearts these “teachers of the Law” were not truly serving God, but only themselves. Whatever sort of law they were teaching the people, it was not the Law of God.
25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill?
26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?
Clearly and without a doubt, some of them do!
27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.”
Really?
We know from the Scriptures that this is simply not true:
Micah 5:
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
When we read this powerful prophecy from Micah, 700 years earlier, we realize how misguided and misled these people are. Who has misled them? The Pharisees? It seems so - with their “teachings of men”…which are constantly changing and evolving. Yet we know the Word of God does not change, as surely as God Himself does not. And it is from out of this knowledge that we, the redeemed of the Lord, can rest, secure and confident.
28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.
What does Jesus mean by this? It could be a response to their previous comment: “But we know where this man comes from…” (the son of Joseph…the Carpenter…from Nazareth - see ch.6:42)
Or:
He could also be addressing the fact that some of these learned men know within their hearts, that he truly has come from God…and are set, not only to reject him…but to kill him!
“He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.” (vs.28b)
Whether this rejection is deliberate or not, if they do not know/recognize Jesus, they will not know/recognize the One who sent Him
We can see a pattern emerging here: If they did not listen to John the Baptist, (who came to get the people ready to receive Jesus), they will not listen to - or be able to recognize Jesus; If they do not recognize or receive Jesus, they will not be able to receive the One who sent him: the Father in Heaven.
29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”
Once again, Jesus is claiming to know God…to have come from God…to be in effect, equal with God! Anyone with any knowledge at all, must surely know that at the most, he is the Messiah; and at the least, he is no ordinary man; which is why he has now become a huge threat to this establishment, whose only concern is that the people look to them…and obey them!
30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
Would they follow Jesus just because of the signs…or is something else required?
A change of heart..
It cannot be unstated here, how absolutely vital John the Baptist’s ministry was: Because he came to prepare the hearts…awaken the consciences of the people for the coming of the Lord:32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.
33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me.
34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.”
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees in ch.2:18-19. But now, for the first time, Jesus is describing his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, in a much more basic and literal way.
And still the Pharisees - and those who follow them - will neither understand or receive what he is saying.
35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?
36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
Compare this statement to the beautiful and compassionate dialogue between Jesus and his disciples in ch.13:36 ~ hours before his arrest and moments before he tells of Peter’s denial:
Here, Jesus will say exactly the same thing to his disciples as he said to the Pharisees - but with one vitally important addition:
Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”
This is Jesus’s promise to us: The blessed assurance that we all as disciples of Jesus have, even though like Simon Peter, we will fall and fail along the Way.
Living Water
On the last day, that great day of the feast:
“The Feast of Tabernacles lasted altogether eight days. For the first seven, the people would dwell in booths outside - and water from the Pool of Siloam would be carried in golden pitchers up to the temple, where it was then poured out upon the Altar. Throughout this time, Israel would be reminded of how God miraculously both dwelt among and provided for, their ancestors in the desert. On the eighth day - the greatest day however, all of this would stop, the people would return to their homes and enjoy a high Sabbath rest: This eighth day is the greatest day because it symbolizes Israel’s entering into the promised land;
and also points towards the ultimate great Day of the Lord in Revelation ch. 21&22, where the Lord will fully and truly dwell among us…where we will see the fulfillment of Jesus’s words from the cross: “It is finished”…and where we will all finally enter into his divine and eternal rest: This final day of this final feast marks the fulfillment of all the others.
How fitting then, that on this last and greatest day, this should happen:
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
38 Whoever believes in me, as
the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
(See: Zechariah 13:1, 14:8; Isaiah 44:3, 55:1)
39 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 Jesus was not yet glorified.
Because on the eighth day, no water flowed: It did not need to: Jesus has become our living water.
Jesus is the answer - and the fulfillment of every feast - and every sacrifice!
40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.”
41 Others said, “This is the Christ.”
Is he the Prophet..? Is he the Christ..? They are so blinded by false information: They cannot recognize that he is both - and so much more!
vs.41 continued:
But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee?
42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”
43 So there was a division among the people over him.
Think back to the words of before: “When Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” (vs. 27)
We can see now why there was so much division, even among those claiming to be wise in the Scriptures; and as a consequence, so much confusion amongst the people: For some say “he is from here…” and others say “from over there..” and still more from “we don’t know where…”
They are chasing the wind - because there has been nobody to guide them;
or, to put it in more familiar terms: They are like sheep without a shepherd (see Matthew 9:36)
44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
From this chapter it has become apparent , that the Pharisees and teachers of the Law - those supposed to be the shepherds of the people - have not been shepherding/teaching the people accurately. See Isaiah 9:1-7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Proverbs 9:10
The teachers of the Law are claiming to be wise in the eyes of the people; but they do not fear the Lord: Their wisdom is not of God, but of their own making and is therefore worthless.
They have failed as shepherds of the flock: How do we know? Because most of the flock in their charge have failed to recognize the coming of the Lord - because they were not looking for him.
45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?”
46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”
Even the officers of the temple know that Jesus of Nazareth is no ordinary teacher; he is no ordinary man! It is the Lord himself who is staying their hands.
47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived?
48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?
49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”
This again reveals the tragic condition of their hearts. They who were supposed to be leading people into the truth of the Lord, have sought to gain only power and control for themselves. They are both enraged and afraid that the crowds - who have been so long under their control - are being swayed and influenced by one who appears more powerful than themselves: One who is from - of all places - Galilee..! (See Isaiah 9:1-2)
50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them,
51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”
52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
…Except that is, for Elijah (of Thisbe), Jonah (of Gathhepher) and also possibly Nahum and Hosea.
The bias of the Sanhedrin against people from Galilee (which is a bias against Jesus really) has clouded their judgment to such a degree that they can’t even establish these facts correctly. They are supposed to be the teachers of the Law. The question is: Whose Law are they teaching? The Lord’s…or their own?
“Are you from Galilee too?” We do not know how Nicodemus responded to this retort: But his courageous stand amongst his fellow teachers shows how far the influence of “the Word made flesh” has spread…even into the “hallowed halls” of the Sanhedrin itself.
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