JOHN CHAPTER SEVEN

Jesus Teaches at the Feast

John 7:1-9 NAS
1 After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.
2 Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near.
3 Therefore His brothers said to Him, "Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing.
4 "For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."
5 For not even His brothers were believing in Him.
6 So Jesus said* to them, "My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune.
7 "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.
8 "Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come."
             9 Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.

There is a time gap of about seven months from the end of John 6 to the beginning of John chapter 7. We know this because it was the time of Passover in John 6:4, which took place in April, and in chapter seven we see in verse 2 that it is the time of The Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) which took place in October. This could well lead us to believe that Jesus spent those seven months concentrating His teaching on His twelve disciples who had expressed faith in Him at the end of chapter six, and who would be responsible for carrying Jesus’ message to the rest of the world after Jesus returned to Heaven.

Now whatever Jesus was doing during that seven month period, we know from John 7:1 that He was doing it in Galilee and not Judea: “After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him (NAS).” Ever since He had healed the paralytic on the Sabbath Day, Jesus had been the target of Jewish leaders who wanted to kill Him.[fn]

We will see three time divisions in John chapter 7: before the feast (verses 1–10), in the midst of the feast (verses 11–36), and on the last day of the feast (verses 37–52). The responses during each of those periods can be characterized by three words: disbelief, debate, and division.[fn]

By this time Jesus’ teachings and miracles had become widely known throughout the country. His clear presentation of Himself as God, and His offer of eternal life to those who believed in Him, certainly created an assortment of reactions among the people and these reactions give us insight to what was going on in Israel at this time.

First, there was hatred which can be seen in the first seven verses of chapter 7. The Jews were looking for Jesus in order to kill Him and the world hated Him because He did not hesitate to point out how evil they were. The leaders of the people had the responsibility of teaching God’s Word to Israel. Yet these same leaders were teaching the people to hate the very Messiah that God had revealed in His Word.

Second, there was ridicule as we see in verses 3 and 5. Jesus’ own brothers, most likely out of jealousy, rejected the evidence they had either witnessed directly or certainly been told about by Jesus’ closest and most trusted followers, that Jesus was the One the scriptures had promised. In spite of this overwhelming evidence, what was their reaction? They ridiculed and taunted Him.

Third, there was conflict as we see in verse 12.  Some were saying He was a good man while others did not trust Him.

Fourth, there was fear. Even those who were convinced that Jesus was who He claimed to be were afraid to support Him. They were afraid that the religious leaders known as “the Jews,” would have them arrested and punished.

Based on these kinds of reactions you have to wonder what these teachers of the law  were teaching the people. Was God’s Word from the Old Testament allowing God’s people to become a community of love, caring, and sharing? Not at all. The people of God were angry, combative, bitter, and afraid. There must be something wrong with the kind of teaching that produces such behavior. And there was. It was not being taught to the people as it had been written and handed down by God.[fn]

As you may recall, Jesus had just delivered the Bread of Life sermon to those who had come to Capernaum to hear His teaching at the end of John chapter 6.

As a result of what these so-called disciples heard, many of them left deciding not to follow Jesus anymore. They rejected His message for one reason or another deciding He was not offering something they were looking for. The intensity of that rejection carries over into chapter seven where we see Jesus spending His time in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to kill Him. The reference, "The Jews," in John’s gospel always represent Jesus' enemies. In other words, the religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus.

The danger to Jesus becomes increasingly evident as we continue in verses 2-5. In verse 2 we read, "Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near.” The Feast of Booths or Tabernacles was a harvest feast. It was a celebration which took place when all of the harvest had been gathered. The Feast of Tabernacles looked back to Israel’s journey through the wilderness, and looked forward to the promised kingdom of Messiah. The Jews lived in booths made of branches to remind them of God’s care of the nation for nearly forty years.

Leviticus 23:33–44 NLT:
33 And the Lord said to Moses,
34 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. Begin celebrating the Festival of Shelters on the fifteenth day of the appointed month—five days after the Day of Atonement. This festival to the Lord will last for seven days.
35 On the first day of the festival you must proclaim an official day for holy assembly, when you do no ordinary work.
36 For seven days you must present special gifts to the Lord. The eighth day is another holy day on which you present your special gifts to the Lord. This will be a solemn occasion, and no ordinary work may be done that day.
37 (“These are the Lord’s appointed festivals. Celebrate them each year as official days for holy assembly by presenting special gifts to the Lord—burnt offerings, grain offerings, sacrifices, and liquid offerings—each on its proper day
38 These festivals must be observed in addition to the Lord’s regular Sabbath days, and the offerings are in addition to your personal gifts, the offerings you give to fulfill your vows, and the voluntary offerings you present to the Lord.)
39 “Remember that this seven-day festival to the Lord—the Festival of Shelters—begins on the fifteenth day of the appointed month, after you have harvested all the produce of the land. The first day and the eighth day of the festival will be days of complete rest.
40 On the first day gather branches from magnificent trees —palm fronds, boughs from leafy trees, and willows that grow by the streams. Then celebrate with joy before the Lord your God for seven days.
41 You must observe this festival to the Lord for seven days every year. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed in the appointed month from generation to generation.
42 For seven days you must live outside in little shelters. All native-born Israelites must live in shelters.
43 This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

It was a joyous and happy time and for that reason it was very well attended. It was one of the three festivals each year which characterized different periods in their history and that required the attendance of every Jewish male who lived within twenty miles of Jerusalem. These three festivals included:

1.  The Feast of the Passover, in commemoration of their departure from Egypt.
2.  The Feast of Pentecost, in commemoration of the giving of the law upon
Mount Sinai.
3.  The Feast of Tabernacles, in commemoration of their wandering forty years 
in the wilderness.

Now as Jesus’ brothers were preparing to go to the festival in Jerusalem they started giving Jesus what appears to be a full dose of sarcasm and ridicule. You know how brothers can be, and by what we read in verse 5 it appears obvious that they did not as yet accept Him to be the Messiah either. So in verses 3-5 we read:

3 Therefore His brothers said to Him, "Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing.
4 "For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."
5 For not even His brothers were believing in Him. (NAS)

Jesus’ brothers, born to Mary and Joseph after Jesus’ birth, were at this time unbelievers. They convincingly argued that the question of who Jesus was could not be settled in Galilee because Jerusalem was the religious capital of the nation. The popular Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem would be the right time for Jesus to show Himself as the Messiah. If He was willing to display His powers during this well-attended celebration feast, He might be able to get back many of the disciples that had left Him at the end of chapter six. Jesus' brothers in effect said to him, "You ought to get on up to Judea so that you can show all of the Jews attending this festival your powers and miracle working abilities. Then they will all know you are who you say you are.” They were probably encouraging Jesus to do these things because they thought he would make a fool of Himself. Siblings can be pretty mean-spirited sometimes and Jesus’ brothers were no different apparently. They went on to tell Jesus that no one who wants to become a public figure can keep his abilities a secret and that since He is able to do these things, He should show abilities to the world. If He really was what He claimed to be, they reasoned, He should publicly demonstrate it. But Jesus knew that God’s way for Him to reveal His deity was a public display on a cross of humiliation. John explains further that even His own brothers did not believe in Him.

So what does Jesus have here? First, the Jews want to kill Him. Many of the people rejected His message at Capernaum. His own flesh and blood did not believe Him and were urging Him to go to the celebration at the risk of His life. But did such discouragement alter Jesus’ resolve to follow His Father’s plan? Not on your life.

Jesus’ reply in verse 6 reveals why He chooses to remain behind for a few days: “So Jesus said to them, ‘My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune.’” Notice the word Jesus uses for "time"  (kadiros),  a word that here, as often, carries the idea of opportunity.[fn] Jesus is telling them that the opportune time had not yet come, though that time would come soon (John 7:10). He was simply saying that the right moment had not arrived, and He was waiting for that moment.

Jesus tried to explain to them that His time and place were not the same as what they considered to be the proper time and place. They could come and go as they pleased and for them any time was right. But Jesus knew He must always obey His Father, so His time and place were dictated by His Father. It was not yet time for His public demonstration on the Cross. In fact in John’s gospel he comments several times that Jesus’ time had not yet come.[fn] Then in Jesus’ prayer just before He went to the Cross, He began, “Father, the time has come.”[fn]

The world was not a dangerous place for the brothers of Jesus because they were part of it. But the world hated Jesus because He was not part of it and had come into it as Light pointing out its sin and rebellion against God. The world has its own way of establishing its values and Christ was in no way reluctant to let them know that their ways were evil.

John 7:7-9 NAS:
7 "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.
8 "Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come."
9 Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.
Jesus tells them that His time for showing Himself to the world as the Son of God has not yet come. He knows the Father will reveal that time to Him soon. But He tells them that
it does not really matter when they go up. The world does not hate them because they are a part of it. And in addition the future of the world does not depend on what happens to them or when. So it really does not matter when they go up to the feast. However, it means a great deal that Jesus Himself stick to His Father’s schedule because everything that takes place in the world, past, present, and future depends on adhering perfectly to God’s schedule. So Jesus must be careful about where He goes and when He goes there because the world hates Him for what He says about their evil behavior. Therefore Jesus tells them, “You go to the feast as soon as it suits you; I will follow at just the right moment.” So Jesus' brothers went up to Jerusalem, but Jesus stayed behind.

 

Self-Interest Blinds The Truth
John 7:10-36

Remember the childhood game of “Hide and Seek?” If you are a parent or a grandparent, it may not be that long since you last played it. In the passage we are about to look at in John seven it seems that the various people, or players, fall into one of the two categories: Hiding or Seeking. Let us read John 7:10-31 NAS:

10 But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret.
11 So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, "Where is He?"
12 There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, "He is a good man"; others were saying, "No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray."
13 Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
14 But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach.
15 The Jews then were astonished, saying, "How has this man become learned, having never been educated?"
16 So Jesus answered them and said, "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.
17 "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.
18 "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
19 "Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?"
20 The crowd answered, "You have a demon! Who seeks to kill You?"
21 Jesus answered them, "I did one deed, and you all marvel.
22 "For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man.
23 "If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath?
24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
25 So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill?
26 "Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they?
27 "However, we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from."
28 Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, "You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.
29 "I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me."
30 So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
31 But many of the crowd believed in Him; and they were saying, "When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He?"

Jesus Himself seems to be wanting to hide in the first part of this passage. Note that in verse 10 He secretly goes to the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem.

We will find there are two groups of seekers. The first group is one we encounter in verse 11: The Jewish leaders. They were looking for Jesus at the Feast. They expected Him to be there, but could not find Him.

John 7:10-11 NAS:
10 But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret.
11 So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, "Where is He?"

Jesus knew that the Jewish leaders were probably waiting for Him at the feast in order to seize and kill Him. They undoubtedly figured that He would come to the feast where there would be huge crowds to which He could preach. They may well have posted lookouts along the roads leading to Jerusalem as well as all around the city to spot Jesus even before He arrived at the feast. They also probably expected Jesus to be traveling with a group of His followers which would make Him even more obvious as He approached. So Jesus waited a few days and then headed up to the feast, shall we say by the back roads so He could enter Jerusalem undetected.

John 7:12-13 NAS:
12 There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, "He is a good man"; others were saying, "No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray."
13Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

The people that had come to the city for the feast were very much divided as to how they felt about Jesus. Some were saying He was a good man and others were saying that He was nothing more than a liar. Those that either believed what they had heard about Him or were at least leaning in that direction were reluctant to speak openly about it because they feared punishment by the Jewish leaders. They were hiding their belief from the Jewish leaders. The truth about Jesus is that He is one of two things. He is either the Son of God or He is a liar. He cannot be anything else. It was true then and it is true today.

John 7:14-18 NAS:
14 But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach.
15 The Jews then were astonished, saying, "How has this man become learned, having never been educated?"
16 So Jesus answered them and said, "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.
17 "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.
18 "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Most people going to this feast would arrive in time to spend the entire week celebrating. So the Jewish leaders probably expected Jesus to arrive on the first day. When they did not find Him and heard nothing about Him for the first two or three days of the festival they probably relaxed their guard thinking that perhaps He decided not to come. This would have made it even easier for Jesus to enter the city undetected. Jesus went immediately to the Temple and began to teach. The seekers, those Jewish leaders who were seeking to kill Him, had not found Him, so He makes it easier for them. Jesus goes directly into the Temple which would at this time be filled with large crowds as well as many of the Jewish leaders. Jesus knew that many of the people would accept His teaching and the Jewish leaders would be reluctant to arrest Him at that time for fear of angering the crowds. Then as Jesus is teaching we see that this first group of seekers is astonished at the wisdom of His teaching.

When the people heard His message they were shocked that someone without a formal education could know so much. That in itself should have told them something about how special a person Jesus was. He had no formal education and yet He seemed to have wisdom, knowledge, and authority far superior to the religious leaders, scribes, and teachers of the Law. Matthew wrote in Matthew 7:28, 29 NAS: “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:  For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

Churches today expect their pastors to have a doctoral degree, or at least a masters degree, or they will not even consider hiring them. As a matter of fact, if Jesus were to send His résumé  to most churches today, they would probably send Him back a polite letter wishing Him well but saying that His qualifications did not match what they were looking for. Just imagine what Jesus’ résumé would look like:

Most churches do not have people who are qualified to hire the most effective pastor. Many of the candidates with doctorates degrees obtained those degrees from liberal universities that teach false doctrine. The most important qualification to pastor a church is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and a thorough understanding of the Bible, along with a sincere belief that it is the authoritative Word of God to be used in determining one’s actions and behavior.

Jesus had the ability to teach with both wisdom and authority because He knew He was sent by God to be the fulfillment of all that was taught and predicted in the Old Testament. And that is exactly what He explained to those He had been teaching. He was not teaching just what He believed but what He had been told to teach by God, His Father. Anyone who attempts to convince others of what He or she personally believes may be selfishly attempting to use other people for their own personal gain, not really caring about those people.

Jesus did not in any way seek honor for Himself. Jesus is saying that if they know and believe the truth of their own Old Testament that was given to them by God, and they are trying to live in accordance with God’s will as specified in that Old Testament writing, then they will know that everything that Jesus is saying is from God. Jesus is not teaching anything that is not in some way connected to God’s will for the people, nor is there anything in His teaching that benefits Him over the good of the people. As a matter of fact, exactly the opposite is true. Everything that Jesus teaches is for the greatest possible benefit for each and every person without there being anything of material benefit to Him.

Thus it would seem perfectly logical to accept such teaching. Why would anyone reject the teaching of Someone who could promise them eternal life in Heaven while promising that God would be with them and care for them every minute of every day in this life? Jesus was not teaching such things for His own glory but to the glory of God. Everything Jesus taught was directed back to God. Nothing He did was for His own benefit, but for the benefit of others and for all the glory to go to God. Yet in verse 19 He states that this first group of seekers, the Jewish leaders, were seeking Him to kill Him. Why in the world would anyone want to kill Him? Someone would want to kill Him if His teaching interfered with or threatened their own power and wealth. Who then could be more threatened than the Jewish leaders? If the people believed Jesus’ teaching, that would be the end of the leaders’ wealth, power, and control over the people. It may well be that their true reason for wanting to kill Him was that He was a threat to their deceptive practices. They were the equivalent of the politicians we have today. If an honest God-fearing person were to come along today and expose their deceptive practices, they would find some way of destroying him/her in order to preserve their own wealth and power. They would not give a lick about the fact that everything this person had said was for the good of the people, and they would convince the people that this person was a liar and a fraud.

John 7:19-24 NAS:
19 "Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?"
20 The crowd answered, "You have a demon! Who seeks to kill You?"
21 Jesus answered them, "I did one deed, and you all marvel.
22 "For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man.
23 "If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath?
24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."

Jesus’ teaching was perfect. The people would very likely have accepted it if it had not been for the Jewish leaders filling their heads with all kinds of lies about Him.

Jesus had boldly announced to the crowd that the Jewish leaders wanted to kill Him because He had violated the Sabbath by healing a crippled man and then claimed to be God. We looked at that scene back in chapter 5, verses 9-18, if you would like to refresh your memory.

In John 7:19 Jesus reminded the Jews that they themselves broke the Sabbath laws given them by Moses when they had their sons circumcised on the Sabbath, so what was wrong with His healing a crippled man on the Sabbath? “Why would you want to kill me for doing the same type of thing that you do?”

The crowd to whom Jesus was speaking apparently did not know that their leaders were out to kill Jesus, so they challenged what He said about their trying to kill Him, and their reply suggested that Jesus must be demon-possessed to think such a thing.

When Jesus said that none of them kept the Law, the context of the passage suggests that they did not understand the true purpose of the Law.  Even though they claimed the Law was the central focus of their lives, they only used it as a means of getting the things they wanted. Jesus saw through their shallow claims to honor the Law by asking them how they can honor and respect the Law while at the same time wanting to kill Him. The Law commands the people not to kill (murder) in Exodus 20:13: "You shall not murder.”

Apparently even though they knew the commandment not to commit murder, they conveniently chose not to recognize they would be breaking that commandment if they killed Jesus. That is so typical of people in a sinful world. They overlook what they know to be the right thing to do when it interferes with what they want.

Jesus answered this charge of demon-possession by pointing out how ridiculous it was for them to twist the Law around to allow circumcision on the Sabbath but not healing. Basically they were claiming that Jewish interpretation allowed circumcising on the Sabbath, in spite of the law against work, because it perfected the child. But at the same time they were claiming that the Law did not allow healing on the Sabbath which in effect did basically the same thing. Jesus showed both love and mercy on the Sabbath by performing work that healed a suffering paralytic. Jesus told them that they did not understand the spirit of the law and why it was given.

The most difficult thing in the world is to teach the truth to anyone who already has set, pre-conceived ideas about something. In other words, “Don’t confuse me with the facts, my mind is already made up.” It was true in Jesus’ day and it is true today. If someone wants to believe that the gods of all the religions are basically the same god and there are several different ways of getting to Heaven, the chances are one in a million that the truth you tell them will be accepted and that their minds will be changed. It is simply the nature of sin to dig in and be entrenched in what one wants rather than embrace what is good or true. But if you go ahead and speak this truth in love, no matter how a person responds, you will plant the seed in the mind of such a person. Then the Holy Spirit can water and grow it over a period of time. And one day the seed you planted may grow into a full-fledged follower of Jesus Christ. In John 7:24 Jesus calls them to a sincere attempt to find the truth when He tells them to look beneath the surface when they are evaluating something. He tells them to use good judgment so they might evaluate a matter correctly. The next few verses express Jesus’ feelings in regard to this matter.

John 7:25-31 NAS:
25 So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill?
26 "Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they?
27 "However, we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from."
28 Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, "You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.
29 "I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me."
30 So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
31 But many of the crowd believed in Him; and they were saying, "When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He?"

The people began speaking among themselves foolishly, most likely reflecting the things they had heard from their leaders. “Isn’t this the guy whom our leaders want to kill? If it is, how can He be getting away with speaking here in public right under the noses of our leaders? Could it possibly be that they may actually believe He is the Messiah? But that couldn’t be because we don’t know where the Christ will come from and we know that this man, Jesus, comes from Nazareth.” They were able to justify what they wanted to believe by utilizing information they believed to be true, but really was only partially true.

Then Jesus raises His voice to emphasize again what He is trying to get them to understand. He tells them that in spite of what they believe He is the real thing because He is bringing a message from God and not from Himself, and that if they knew the true God of the Old Testament they would recognize that Jesus’ message was from God and therefore true. But because they do not know God, they are unable to recognize His truth when they hear it. This angered many in the crowd and they tried to seize Him but God protected Him because it was not yet His time to be crucified.

However, we also meet the second group of seekers here. This group of seekers are those who believe and want to know Jesus better. They are the ones in the crowd who believed what He had to say because they could understand He was from God and they had either seen first-hand or heard of the miracles He had done. They had seen and heard enough to bring them to faith.

John 7:32-36 (NAS):
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him.
33 Therefore Jesus said, "For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me.
34 "You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come."
35 The Jews then said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him? He is not intending to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He?
36 "What is this statement that He said, 'You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come'?"

Finally the Jewish leaders realize that Jesus is right in the middle of the city, at the Temple, teaching the people and they have probably been advised by their spies that many of the people are believing Him. So they send the Temple police to arrest Him.

Verse 32 reveals the frustration of the chief priests and the Pharisees who were united in their opposition of Jesus. Seeing these Temple police coming to arrest Him did not bother Jesus at all because He knew they could not capture Him until the designated time according to God‘s plan. Jesus calmly stood in front of them and stated that He would continue to be with them for a little while. He had already proven His ability to control them on several previous occasions. I am quite surprised that the crowds and even the Jewish leaders were not awed by the fact that on so many different occasions Jesus could not be arrested or in any way harmed. They did not know that could not happen until the time God had designated. It could not happen before the time that God had established for Jesus’ crucifixion, so they must have thought it odd that they could not capture Him even when they had Him surrounded. Jesus could have absolute control over an angry mob who would have, if He was not protected by God, the ability to tear Him limb from limb.

Could anyone but God have such power? Based on earlier verses, imagine that Jesus arrived on the third or fourth day of this seven-day feast (verse 14). So they probably first tried to arrest Him the same day He arrived (verse 30), and yet by the last day of the feast (verse 37) the Temple police still could not bring themselves to arrest Him. Jesus knew all along they could not arrest Him at that particular time, because it was before the time that God had established for His crucifixion. This proves the statement Jesus made in Gethsemane six months later, when He finally allowed Himself to be arrested, that He could have called thousands of angels to His defense any time He chose to do so.[fn] It also proves God’s timing is what really controls the events in this world.

In Verse 35 where the Jews are speculating about the meaning of Jesus’ words that one day they would look for Him and not be able to find Him, the Greek text reads literally, “the dispersion of the Greeks.” The Greeks were themselves widely dispersed following Alexander’s conquest, for they could be found throughout the Roman Empire, and indeed, beyond its bounds as far away as the borders of India. John 12:20 indicates that some Greeks had been converted to Judaism, so it seems that with this as a precedent the Jews saw Greeks as the most likely Gentiles to accept Jesus’ Gospel of the Kingdom. As it turned out this was an accurate prediction. Moreover, this said a great deal about what the Jews could foresee as Jesus‘ potential influence in the world, for it admitted that Jesus was the One who could do that distinctly messianic act of peacefully bringing Gentile nations under the influence of God’s kingdom, something which no Jew had been able to achieve in their national history. But this group of seekers missed the real point that Jesus was making.

Of course, when Jesus said He would go to Him who sent Him (verse 33), He was talking of His coming ascension, which is the ultimate proof that He did indeed come from the Father.[fn]

So which side are you on in this drama of Hide or Seek? Are you in one or the other group of seekers? Are you a rejecter or someone who wants to know Jesus better? Or are you hiding from Christ and thinking He is hiding from you? Remember, when Jesus told the leaders that one day they would seek Him and not find Him, He was talking to those who rejected Him, those Jewish leaders who did not really want to know Him.

The Bible tells us, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8 NAS). God also says in many places throughout the Bible that if we truly seek Him, we will truly find Him. God does not hide from anyone who really wants to know Him. For example, Jeremiah 29:13 (NAS) “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

This reminds me of a poem written many years ago entitled The Hound of Heaven. It was written by Francis Thompson who lived in England between 1859 - 1907. He was considered by himself and others to be a failure for a long period in his life. He was also described by some as a “tortured soul.” He had been a one-time opium addict and he eventually died of tuberculosis. Later in his life he began writing poetry, one of which is a rather lengthy one entitled “The Hound of Heaven.” It is too long to quote here completely, but it begins:

“I fled Him [meaning God], down the nights and down the days;
   I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
   Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him. . . ”

The gist of the remainder of the poem is that no matter where he ran, or where he hid, though he sought contentment in all that Nature has to offer, though he spent a life indulging himself, it all left emptiness and a bitter taste. But then he hears a voice, God’s voice, pointing out that what he had been seeking can be found in God’s arms. God gives him an invitation:

“Rise, clasp My hand, and come."       
. . . . "Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest,
       I am He Whom thou seekest!”

The “Hound of Heaven” wants you to rest in His arms as well. Give up your game of Hide or Seek today and let yourself be found by Him who loves you more than anyone
else ever can.

 

Jesus Offers Salvation To The Jews
John7:37-52 NAS:

I would like to tell you a story about an atheist who was driven from a very early age to become a success in life. In fact, I believe I could even say that he not only wanted to be successful, but he also wanted to be more successful than anyone else. He felt that if he could not become the best at everything he did people would have no respect for him. As a young man he was blessed with natural athletic ability which helped him to achieve a certain popularity in both high school and college. This was very satisfying to him in many ways because it made him feel like people truly respected him and valued his abilities. But inside he felt very much alone and worried constantly about keeping up his image so that he would not lose the popularity and respect he had attained. He felt that if people knew what he was really like, they probably would not want anything to do with him. He was very much like an actor on a stage wearing a mask of confidence. But when he was alone with himself he felt very uncomfortable about the emptiness he felt inside. He searched and searched to find whatever it was that could fill that emptiness and satisfy these inner longings, but he could not find it.

After he graduated from college and entered the work force, he thought the answer would come if he became very successful in business which would lead to wealth so that he could have whatever he wanted and truly be happy. He plunged into the corporate world and made rapid advancements. Although he had still not found what he was looking for after this initial success, he was convinced that more success and more money would eventually get him to where he wanted to be. It never happened. In fact the more money he made and the more responsibility he was given as he became ever more successful, the more miserable he became.

He had no interest in God. In fact he thought Christians were little more than weaklings who needed the crutch of religion in order to exist. He felt they had no backbone and he actually found them to be rather pathetic. If anyone ever brought up the subject of God, he was the first one to tell them that God was a fantasy made up by people that did not have the strength or courage to take care of themselves. In fact on one occasion he made the statement: “If there’s a God, why isn’t He man enough to come down here right now and show Himself to me?”

Then came the day when he made his move to really grab hold of the gold ring, a business venture that would set him up financially for life. He was confident in his ability to pull it off and charged full steam ahead. Things went very well initially, but then there was a turning point. A few miscalculations and the whole structure came tumbling down around him. He lost everything: house, cars, summer home, boat, a number of other material possessions, and of course all of his savings. He was devastated and broke. He began isolating himself from the people in his life and became increasingly depressed.

Why do I tell you this story? Because I believe to one degree or another it represents the story of most people who reject the truth of God as presented in the Bible, or refuse even to ever open a Bible. As children we grow up in an environment that is primarily influenced by parents or guardians who create a foundation for our values. Some of us are given a solid foundation in which we are nurtured by parents who know and serve Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That foundation provides the strength on which to build a similar life in which we may find peace, joy, and contentment even in times of trial. They also have the assurance that eventually they will be with Christ in Heaven for eternity. Such people are emotionally and spiritually mature and capable of contributing in a positive way to their community.

Then we have those who are raised by parents or guardians who do not have a relationship with Christ. Their early years may have been spent in a home where they were taught that god can be whoever their value system defines him to be, and that all religions are basically the same. They may have been taught that the Bible is a book just like any other book written by people.

Some of you may have been raised in homes where there was constant arguing. Perhaps one parent was even physically abusive toward the other parent or even toward you as a child. There may have been sexual abuse of some kind in the home. What about verbal abuse such as swearing at you or telling you that you are no good or will not amount to anything. Such children grow up with a very bad self image as well as various emotional disorders, some severe.

As children enter school, some are in wholesome environments and develop good, satisfying relationships with fellow students and close friends. These are usually the same children who come from emotionally secure homes. Those that come from emotionally disturbed homes have a tendency to hook up with friends who have similar backgrounds. Some are looking to just have fun and seek to find it in television, movies, and video games. As they get older they may get involved in more destructive behavior which they have been led to believe, by the example of their parents, friends, and the general culture, to be fun. Such things as drugs, alcohol, sex outside of marriage, and so many other life-destroying lifestyles..

We believe that is the way our culture functions today and I do not believe it was much different back at the time Jesus attended the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem as told in this chapter of John which we are studying.

People throughout history who may have come from such dysfunctional homes and dysfunctional relationships have in some way experienced hurt. Hurt is a very difficult emotion to deal with. Even a little bit of hurt in our lives can affect how we relate to other people and how we relate to God. More severe hurt often results in anger or rage, seriously limiting one’s ability to establish and maintain healthy relationships and find any satisfaction with their lives. Such people will quite often not be able to trust others and that inability to trust can carry over into how they feel about a God who could allow such things to happen to them.

Now we suggest to you that all these various backgrounds were represented by the people who were attending this feast in John chapter seven. So when Jesus began to teach the people about the love of God and the promise of eternal life through faith in Him, people of various backgrounds would respond to Jesus teaching in various ways. Some, like our atheist friend, because of their backgrounds would not accept His teaching because they simply did not want to hear anything that would interfere with their self-serving desires. If they were herdsmen, shepherds, shopkeepers, land barons, religious leaders, or stonecutters, because of their backgrounds and goals they established early on in life, they may have been focused on those things they wanted and a god who would tolerate what they wanted out of life, not a god who set the standards and expected them to be obeyed.

Others of course who knew their Old Testament and could easily relate to a loving God, might well accept Jesus’ teaching. There would be of course, both then and now, a small number in each background that would respond exactly the opposite for whatever reason. But on the whole what we have described would be fairly typical. And no matter how well Jesus countered all their arguments, if they wanted what they wanted and did not want change, they would not change their minds no matter what Jesus said or did. Neither wisdom nor miracles will be enough to change the mind of a committed fool, and Jesus will not force any one to believe Him. It has to be a desire that comes from the heart of a person who wants to be changed and wants that change to come as a result of a relationship with Jesus.

Now for all of those who rejected this message at the feast, is their opportunity for salvation gone forever? No, because what Jesus has done here is plant the seed of wisdom in all those who heard Him. As they leave the feast and go on with their lives, situations or other people may come along and water that seed and it may begin to grow. That is what happened to our atheist. After losing everything and even considering suicide, he got down on his knees one night in complete despair and he called out to God for help. Here was a man who claimed he did not believe in God, but inside of Him there was that awareness that God puts in each of us that He exists. This atheist prayed, “God, if you’re there, I need you, please help me!” That prayer was the beginning of a new life. You see God is waiting for you to ask Him into your life. He will not begin to change your life and deal with your pain until you ask Him.

It took a couple of years for our atheist to come to faith in Christ, but His salvation began to take shape the day after his prayer. God took him to a church where he began to learn God’s Word from the Bible and establish relationships with solid believers. Soon He was reading his Bible two to three hours per day. He was getting involved in various service ministries and he began to understand the importance of prayer in his relationship with Christ.

We would ask that you keep these things in mind as we now turn to John chapter seven, verse 37. By the way, if you are wondering what happened to the atheist in our story, he is the one writing these words that you are now reading.

John 7:37 NAS:
37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

In the Old Testament water is associated with ritual cleansing from defilement and with blessing. Isaiah 44:3 speaks of a future outpouring of God’s Spirit as pouring “water on the thirsty land.” This is surely the image Jesus alludes to here as He promises to pour out the Holy Spirit as the source of “living (e.g., running, fresh water; a spring or stream) water” for those who believe in Him.[fn]

In addition the Feast of Tabernacles reproduced a certain ritual on each day of the feast that involved a procession from the temple to the Gihon Spring. A priest would fill a gold pitcher with water while the choir sang Isaiah 12:3:[fn]

Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.   (NAS)

Then they returned to the altar and poured out the water. This ritual was intended to be a reminder of the water that God provided from the rock during the time they were wandering in the wilderness:[fn]

Numbers 20:8-11 NAS:
8 "Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink."
9 So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him;
10 and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, "Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?"
11 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank.

Psalm 78:15-16 NAS:
15 He split the rocks in the wilderness
And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.
16 He brought forth streams also from the rock
And caused waters to run down like rivers.

As this ritual was being played out, Jesus cries out in a loud voice to emphasize the importance of what He is saying. His offer, “Come to Me and drink,” was an offer of salvation. Remember what Jesus said back in John 4:14? [fn]

“Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."   (NAS)

This verse is indeed the focal point of John chapter seven. On the very last day of the feast Jesus raises His voice making a final plea before the crowds head home. He shouts out to them one final appeal to be reconciled to God, to quench the thirst of their parched souls. “Thirst” in the Bible is representative of an eagerness to satisfy one’s desires. Thirst can result in a very uncomfortable feeling, but Jesus can remove it. There are many different types of thirst that can haunt us. We can have a thirst for power, money, pleasure, knowledge, and many other things, but Jesus can remove it. Through no effort of our own, Jesus can satisfy all of our desires when we confess our sins and invite Him to be our Savior and guide our lives. Even the sinful thirsts can be removed when we come to Jesus and ask for His care. Remember two of the verses we have already looked at:

Jeremiah 29:13 (NAS):
“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”   

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8 NAS).

Draw near to God and He will allow you to drink deeply from the well of His loving healing power. There is nothing that God cannot do; there is no situation that God cannot handle; and there is no way He will ever break His promises. You simply have to trust and pray with faith that God will answer, and He will, in His time. Any sinner, no matter how vile their sins or how numerous, if they seek Christ, He will relieve their thirst and give them a new life.

Jesus’ offer of salvation brings peace to a troubled and guilty conscience, wisdom and peace to a troubled and tormented mind, peace and love to a breaking heart, and the assurance of salvation and eternal life to a worried spirit.

John 7:38 NAS:
38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"

Whenever we see the reference to “Living water” in the Bible it refers to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This verse could be paraphrased to say:

“Anyone who turns to Me, confesses their sin, is truly repentant for their sin, believes that my death paid for their sins, and asks forgiveness based on their faith in me will be forgiven and given the gift of eternal life in Heaven. As a confirmation of that personal relationship with Me the Holy Spirit will come to live within them and provide them with all the power of God to overcome sin when they call upon Him for help. In addition He will pour out blessings upon them even when they are going through difficult times. Any such believer who possesses the Holy Spirit need not fear anything the world can do to them because my hand of protection will be over them always.”  

John 7:39 NAS:            
39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Although the Holy Spirit had not been given to such believers, His coming was expected  very soon, as soon as Jesus death, resurrection, and ascension occurred. Continuing in verses 40-42 NAS:

40 Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, "This certainly is the Prophet."
41 Others were saying, "This is the Christ." Still others were saying, "Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?
42 "Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"

The crowd was obviously favorably impressed with Jesus’ teaching, many to the point of believing He was the Christ. But many of them thought that Jesus came from Galilee because He grew up in the town of Nazareth. The truth is that He was born in Bethlehem as the prophecies had predicted (Micah 5:2). Jesus credentials satisfied all the prophecies of His coming which were foretold in the Old Testament. Here is a list of them if you would like to validate that claim:

1.    As the Son of God. Ps 2:7.
a.   Fulfilled. Lu 1:32,35.
2.    As the seed of the woman. Ge 3:15.
a.   Fulfilled. Ga 4:4.
3.    As the seed of Abraham. Ge 17:7; 22:18.
a.   Fulfilled. Ga 3:16.
4.    As the seed of Isaac. Ge 21:12.
a.   Fulfilled. Heb 11:17-19.
5.    As the seed of David. Ps 132:11; Jer 23:5.
a.   Fulfilled. Ac 13:23; Ro 1:3.
6.    His coming at a set time. Ge 49:10; Da 9:24,25.
a.   Fulfilled. Lu 2:1.
7.    His being born a virgin. Isa 7:14.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 1:22,23; Lu 2:7.
8.    His being called Immanuel. Isa 7:14.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 1:22,23.
9.    His being born in Bethlehem of Judea. Mic 5:2.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 2:1; Lu 2:4-6.
10.  Great persons coming to adore him. Ps 72:10.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 2:1-11.
11.  The slaying of the children of Bethlehem. Jer 31:15.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 2:16-18.
12.  His being called out of Egypt. Ho 11:1.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 2:15.
13.  His being preceded by John the Baptist. Isa 40:3; Mal 3:1.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 3:1,3; Lu 1:17.
14.  His being anointed with the Spirit. Ps 45:7; Isa 11:2; 61:1.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 3:16; Joh 3:34; Ac 10:38.
15.  His being a Prophet like to Moses. De 18:15-18.
a.   Fulfilled. Ac 3:20-22.
16.  His being a Priest after the order of Melchizedek. Ps 110:4.
a.   Fulfilled. Heb 5:5,6.
17.  His entering on his public ministry. Isa 61:1,2.
a.   Fulfilled. Lu 4:16-21,43.
18.  His ministry commencing in Galilee. Isa 9:1,2.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 4:12-16,23.
19.  His entering publicly into Jerusalem. Zec 9:9.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 21:1-5.
20.  His coming into the temple. Hag 2:7,9; Mal 3:1.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 21:12; Lu 2:27-32; Joh 2:13-16.
21.  His poverty. Isa 53:2.
a.   Fulfilled. Mr 6:3; Lu 9:58.
22.  His meekness and want of ostentatious. Isa 42:2.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 12:15,16,19.
23.  His tenderness and compassion. Isa 40:11; 42:3.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 12:15,20; Heb 4:15.
24.  His being without guile. Isa 53:9.
a.   Fulfilled. 1Pe 2:22.
25.  His zeal. Ps 69:9.
a.   Fulfilled. Joh 2:17.
26.  His preaching by parables. Ps 78:2.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 13:34,35.
27.  His working miracles. Isa 35:5,6.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 11:4-6; Joh 11:47.
28.  His bearing reproach. Ps 22:6; 69:7,9,20.
a.   Fulfilled. Ro 15:3.
29.  His being rejected by his brethren. Ps 69:8; Isa 63:3.
a.   Fulfilled. Joh 1:11; 7:3.
30.  His being a stone of stumbling to the Jews. Isa 8:14.
a.   Fulfilled. Ro 9:32; 1Pe 2:8.
31.  His being hated by the Jews. Ps 69:4; Isa 49:7.
a.   Fulfilled. Joh 15:24,25.
32.  His being rejected by the Jewish rulers. Ps 118:22.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 21:42; Joh 7:48.
33.  That the Jews and Gentiles should combine against Him. Ps 2:1,2.
a.   Fulfilled. Lu 23:12; Ac 4:27.
34.  His being betrayed by a friend. Ps 41:9; 55:12-14.
a.   Fulfilled. Joh 13:18,21.
35.  His disciples forsaking him. Zec 13:7.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 26:31,56.
36.  His being sold for thirty pieces silver. Zec 11:12.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 26:15.
37.  His price being given for the potter’s field. Zec 11:13.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 27:7.
38.  The intensity of his sufferings. Ps 22:14,15.
a.   Fulfilled. Lu 22:42,44.
39.  His sufferings being for others. Isa 53:4-6,12; Da 9:26.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 20:28.
40.  His patience and silence under suffering. Isa 53:7.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 26:63; 27:12-14.
41.  His being smitten on the cheek. Mic 5:1.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 27:30.
42.  His visage being marred. Isa 52:14; 53:3.
a.   Fulfilled. Joh 19:5.
43.  His being spit on and scourged. Isa 50:6.
a.   Fulfilled. Mr 14:65; Joh 19:1.
44.  His hands and feet being nailed to the cross. Ps 22:16.
a.   Fulfilled. Joh 19:18; 20:25.
45.  His being forsaken by God. Ps 22:1.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 27:46.
46.  His being mocked. Ps 22:7,8.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 27:39-44.
47.  Gall and vinegar being given him to drink. Ps 69:21.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 27:34.
48.  His garments being parted, and lots cast for his vesture. Ps 22:18.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 27:35.
49.  His being numbered with the transgressors. Isa 53:12.
a.   Fulfilled. Mr 15:28.
50.  His intercession for His murderers. Isa 53:12.
a.   Fulfilled. Lu 23:34.
51.  His Death. Isa 53:12.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 27:50.
52.  That a bone of him should not be broken. Ex 12:46; Ps 34:20.
a.   Fulfilled. Joh 19:33,36.
53.  His being pierced. Zec 12:10.
a.   Fulfilled. Joh 19:34,37.
54.  His being buried with the rich. Isa 53:9.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 27:57-60.
55.  His flesh not seeing corruption. Ps 16:10.
a.   Fulfilled. Ac 2:31.
56.  His resurrection. Ps 16:10; Isa 26:19.
a.   Fulfilled. Lu 24:6,31,34.
57.  His ascension. Ps 68:18.
a.   Fulfilled. Lu 24:51; Ac 1:9.
58.  His sitting on the right hand of God. Ps 110:1.
a.   Fulfilled. Heb 1:3.
59.  His exercising the priestly office in heaven. Zec 6:13.
a.   Fulfilled. Ro 8:34.
60.  His being the chief corner-stone of the Church. Isa 28:16.
a.   Fulfilled. 1Pe 2:6,7.
61.  His being King in Zion. Ps 2:6.
a.   Fulfilled. Lu 1:32; Joh 18:33-37.
62.  The conversion of the Gentiles to him. Isa 11:10; 42:1.
a.   Fulfilled. Mt 1:17,21; Joh 10:16; Ac 10:45,47.
63.  His righteous government. Ps 45:6,7.
a.   Fulfilled. Joh 5:30; Re 19:11.
64.  His universal dominion. Ps 72:8; Da 7:14.
a.   Fulfilled. Php 2:9,11.
65.  The perpetuity of his kingdom. Isa 9:7; Da 7:14.
a.   Fulfilled. Lu 1:32,33.[fn]

John 7:43-44 NAS:
43 So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him.
44 Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

You may remember that we covered this phenomenon a little earlier. Whenever crowds or officials or political leaders or the Jewish religious leaders tried to arrest or seize Jesus, they simply could not do it because God protected Him and would continue to protect Him until just the right time that He had established for Jesus to be crucified.

Because many of the people held a favorable opinion of Jesus even though they did not personally commit themselves to His teaching, these members of the Sanhedrin needed to be careful how they handled this situation because the divided feelings of the crowd could have erupted into a riot.

John 7:45-47 NAS:
45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring Him?"
46 The officers answered, "Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks."
47 The Pharisees then answered them, "You have not also been led astray, have you?
48 "No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he?

The chief priests and Pharisees wanted to know why the Temple police had not arrested Jesus. They could only reply that they, like the crowd, were hypnotized by the power and authority in Jesus demeanor, and could not bring themselves to arrest Him. The Jewish leaders replied, “Have you too believed this man’s lies? He has made fools of you. You don’t see any of your leaders believing these outrageous claims this impostor is making, do you?” It seems quite likely that if you combine the popularity of Jesus with the people and that fact that He was so impressive that the Temple police would not arrest Him, the members of the Sanhedrin must have felt more than just a twinge of jealousy over Jesus‘ influence.

John 7:49-53 NAS:
49 "But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed."

The Pharisees explained that Jesus’ popularity among the people was the result of their ignorance in recognizing Jesus as a deceiver. The common people, according to the Pharisees, did not know the Law and because they did not know it, they could not obey it, and since they did not obey it, they were under God’s curse according to Deuteronomy 28:15 which says:

"But it shall come about, if you do not obey the LORD your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you”  

The reality here of course is that these religious leaders are the ones who would come under God’s wrath for rejecting the Savior that He sent them. Continuing in verses 50-53:

50 Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them,
51 "Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?"
52 They answered him, "You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee."
53 Everyone went to his home.

You may recall that we met Nicodemus back in chapter three, where he had accepted Jesus message as true. So here we see Him step up to give Jesus an opportunity to be heard by the Sanhedrin, which of course was the highest governing board among the Jews. The Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 1:16-17) and Rabbinic law stipulated that a person accused of a crime should get a fair hearing. Nicodemus calls them on a basic matter of legal procedure accepted by Moses and all Jewish interpreters.[fn]

Nicodemus was a fair-minded man who did not want the Sanhedrin to make a false or hasty judgment. He had personally spoken with Jesus and knew He was from God.[fn] They answered Him sarcastically by suggesting that only another fool from Galilee could suggest that this Jesus from Galilee was the real thing. They told him to go and do some research of their historic documents so that He would see clearly that the Messiah would not come from Galilee. Perhaps they themselves should have gone and done some research. If they had, they would have discovered that Jesus was not born in Galilee but in Bethlehem in Judea.

So once again we see that those who hold positions of authority as well as many of the common people reject Jesus because they do not want anyone interfering with their misguided feelings of what is best for them. They want their own way because that is the way they think they will be somebody, and they are willing to sacrifice eternity in Heaven for a few short years here of having their own way. It is tragic but that is what can happen to people who reject God to follow what they consider to be right for them. We hope none of you will make that same mistake.

Isaiah

John

Romans

1 Peter


© Ron Teed - Used by permission. All rights Reserved.