John - Chapter 7
THE FEAST OF THE TABERNACLES
CHRIST TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE
JOHN 7
(1-13)
The Lord's ministry in Galilee was now over but He remained there because the leaders in Judea sought to kill Him. The annual Feast of the Tabernacles was at hand and the brethren of Jesus were anxious for Him to go to this feast. They were urging His visit there to display publicly His miracle powers.
Jesus tells His brethren to go ahead without Him with the excuse that his time had not yet come. But shortly thereafter He also does travel to the feast in Jerusalem, but we are told that He goes in secret. The Jews who wished to kill Him sought him, but were unable to find Him. Then we are told that Jesus went to the Temple to teach. There appears to be some contradictions here so we should examine them to understand them better as we proceed in John's gospel.
Several questions arise:
Who are His brethren?
Did they believe in Him?
Why did He refuse to go to the feast with them?
Why did He go, after saying His time had not yet come?
Why go in secret?
After all that had happened, why go openly to the temple to teach?
These Jews who sought to kill Jesus were the religious leaders in the temple. Some added information will be given to us in the next lessons to shed light on their true feelings about Jesus:
8:48 They will accuse Jesus of being a Samaritan who has a demon.
9:22 They will cast out of the temple the blind man who had been healed by Jesus.
10:31 They will take up stones to actually stone Jesus to death.
18:12 The officers of the Jews were the ones who seized Jesus and bound Him.
19:38 Because of “fear of the Jews”, Joseph of Arimathaea goes in secret to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.
11:53 We will shortly see that “they took counsel together to put him to death. Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews”.
The hatred and jealousy that these hypocrites feel is clear.
The feast mentioned was one of several commanded by God to be attended by all males and the command is delivered in Deut 16:16. In the OT we see only twice that the feast noted is observed (1 Kings 8 to dedicate the Temple under Solomon) & Neh 8:13-18 on the occasion of the Jewish remnant settling back into Palestine after their captivity.
These brethren were thought to be the additional sons of Mary & Joseph, likely to include James. They were blind to His glory and did not believe. We know that James himself came to faith only after the resurrection. These men were not pleased with the reception Jesus had found in Galilee and were suggesting He leave and take His miracles to Jerusalem. The feast was near and the city would be full. They say to Jesus, “... If thou do these things, show thyself to the world...”. So they were goading Jesus to make himself the center of attention and were good examples of the “pride of life” sin we are taught in 1 John 2:16. Verse 5 today clearly tells us “... neither did his brethren believe in him...”
Jesus tells them His time is not yet come but their time is always ready. He knew they were always ready for attention and the eyes of men to be on them. We notice that Jesus did not say He was not going to the feast, only that He was not going with them. The phrase “my time” should not be confused with “my hour” which Jesus uses to note His ending of His mortal life. So He does indeed go, but goes alone and “in secret” means in private, making no grand entrance. Jesus was still in mortal flesh and he was sure to obey the command of His Father to attend the feast as it was written.
We see in verses 12 & 13 that some said Jesus was a good man but others said that Nay, he deceiveth the people. As a final note we are told that “... no man spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews...”. How awful was the misunderstanding of these people. It seems right to recall Proverbs 29:25, “... The fear of man bringeth a snare...”.
(14-53)
Now in the middle of the feast, Jesus enters the temple and teaches. Remember that twice before the actual temple was discussed. Once when Jesus cleared it and then again when He healed there. But now he chooses to teach there.
We are not given the subject of this teaching but it must have been a wonder surely because we are taught in verse 15 that the Jews marvelled and wondered how he could teach with such authority as He was not an educated man (as they considered education to be of man's schooling). Jesus answers their confusion by telling then He teaches not His own doctrine but that of him who sent Jesus. Jesus is not speaking here as one third of the Godhead, but as the incarnate Son in human form, showing himself to be the servant of Jehovah.
As He sends stronger words toward these leaders, he asks them why if Moses gave them the law, did they seek to break the law by trying to kill Him? Now the tables are turned as the debate goes against them (could it turn any other way?). They know the letter of the law but not the obedience to the law. Their murderous intent was all because He had healed a man on the Sabbath.
So now they revert to form and accuse Him of having a devil (verse 20).
Jesus scorns them by saying He had done one work and they marvel. He reminds them that Moses gave them the law of circumcision which is always done on the 8th day, even if that day is a Sabbath day. Which is worse, cutting away flesh or healing flesh on the Sabbath? Jesus uses the law of Moses against them who hold Moses so dear.
Verse 30 says they tried to take Him by force but no man laid hands on Him as His hour had not yet come (note it was His hour not His time). Why was His hour not yet come?
Not until the 69th week of Daniel's prophecy had run it's course could the Messiah be “cut off”. All the hatred of men or the evil workings of Satan and all his demons could not bring the death of the Son one minute sooner. Until the very minute that God had ordained for the perfect sacrifice to be made and the Son willingly gave up His spirit, He was immortal.
On the last day of the feast, Jesus provides His most sacred words concerning the salvation of all then and since that day in our verses 37-38:
“If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”.
It is likely that Jesus, as in other moments, quoted Isaiah as we see words to this effect in 58:11: “And thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not”. In 3:5 He had spoken of being born of water and spirit, and in 4:14 He spoke of the water of everlasting life. Water was a common symbol used by Christ.
Verse 39 tells us that He spoke of the Holy Spirit to come.
Verse 40 tells us that many said He was a prophet.
Verse 41 tells us that others said He was the Christ.
Verse 43 shows there was a division in the people because of Him.
Verse 44 tells us that some would take Him but no man laid hands on Him.
When the temple officers who were supposed to seize Him reported back empty handed they were harshly rebuked and questioned as to why they had not taken Him.
The officers answered “never man spake like this man”. (verse 46) Instead of arresting Him , they were arrested by his teaching. We should note here as we close that this moment brings strong focus on the beginning of John's gospel. It was not miracles worked that stayed the hands of these officers, but it was the WORD that turned them from their evil mission.
Now we see Nicodemus enter the story once more. As a member of the Sanhedrin he makes a plea for fairness. His appearance at this point and his plea are likely shown to contrast the hard hearts of the other temple leaders. Nicodemus requests an official hearing for Jesus. The irony of this moment is that OT law requires such a hearing to investigate those accused fairly (Deut 1:16 & 17:9). Since no hearing results we see these leaders who are supposed to be the examples of obedience to every part of the law ignoring the requirements of the law.
Now to shift the discussion they scorn Nicodemus by asking him if he also was from Galilee, where no prophets rise. Once more they ignore the facts as scripture teaches that prophets have risen from Galilee, Jonah (2 Kings 14:25, Elijah 1 Kings 17:1, & Nahum Nahum 1:1).
These so called religious leaders strictly obeserve the law when it is to their advantage and ignore it when it is not.
Verse 53 teaches that now every man went to his own house. They left and went away from Jesus Christ once more.
