Sermon Tone Analysis

Feast of the tabernacles

The background helps us to understand the spiritual significance of some of the things in our passage tonight.

I wanted to share some background information about this feast, by the way, this is one of the three feasts that men must pilgrim to Jerusalem each year.

(Insert Feast of Tabernacles picture here)

It is sometimes call feast of tabernacles, booths or even Sukkot

It is held 7th month, starting 15th day, this is month of Tishri (about Sept/Oct)

It happens five-days after the day of Atonement, and the completion of the fall harvest

You can find the establishment of it in Deu23, and more details in Deu16:13-16; Exo23:16.

The purpose was to remember God’s provision for Israel while in the wilderness for the 40-years.

The feast lasts for eight days, starting with a special Sabbaths (rests) during it.

For seven days there is a golden pitcher of water carried from the pool of Siloam to the alter at the temple and poured out as a reminder of God’s provision to a thirsty Israel.

On the eighth day there was no pouring of water, only prayers for water.

And it was to remind them of entering the promised land.

So, we have come from the challenge from the unbelieving brothers (7:3-5); Jesus response it is not his time (7:8); To the people, Jews (leaders) and others looking for him (7:11-13) to Jesus coming undercover (v.10).

This is where we will pick up tonight and see how far we get.

The passage is long (7:14-39) but will break it down in sections.

The Jews (7:14-18)

The people (7:19-24)

The locals (7:25-29)

The officers (7:30-36)

The invitation (7:37-39)

Not sure how far we will get, but let’s get started.

The Jews

Let me define “the Jews” this will be the local Jewish leadership.

Those involved in temple ministry.

This includes Pharisees, Chief Priests, Sadducees as well as scribes.

The leadership did not agree theologically (i.e.

resurrection) but they did agree that they wanted to due away with Jesus.

So, now let’s look at the first part of our passage.

Any general observations?

Any words you think need to be defined?

Who are the main characters?

When did Jesus go up to the feast?

What did He do when he got to the temple (v.14)?

How did the Jews feel when Jesus started teaching, and why (v.15)?

According to Jesus where did the teaching/doctrine come from (v.16)?

What is the proof of someone knowing the teaching was from God (v.17)?

Who does the One who is true and has no unrighteousness seek glory for (v.18)

Jesus avoided a grand entrance, but did not shirk away from being bold in the teaching and proclaiming the truth

The Jews (leaders) had issue with Him at first because he was not trained like they were, how could he know the things he did without proper training?

Alford said “If they could have condemned Jesus on some false doctrine or wrong understanding of Scripture, they would have.

Since they could not, they attack the credentials of Jesus.”

Jesus did not point to His credentials, but to the doctrine.

They hoped to disprove his doctrine, for who would believe and follow a liar.

But they were amazed, astonished (v.15) at what He taught.

Jesus tells them the doctrine, the teaching is not His own, but His who sent Him (v.16).

Clarke says “Our blessed Lord, in the character of Messiah, might as well say, My doctrine is not mine, as an ambassador might say, I speak not my own words, but his who sent me: And he speaks these words to draw the attention of the Jews from the teaching of man to the teaching of God.”

Jesus while an eloquent and gifted speaker was not self-taught, He was God taught.

it was not His doctrine, but the doctrine of the One who sent Him.

He claimed the only authority He had was from the Father.

Remember He is 100% in submission to the Father and only does what the Father tells him or He sees the Father do.

What does it mean “if anyone” wills to do His will (7:17)?

“Spiritual understanding is not produced solely by learning facts or procedures, but rather it depends on obedience to known truth.”

Now focus on (v.18) whose glory does Jesus seek?

Jesus contrasts Himself with the one who speaks for himself, the one who seeks his own glory.

Jesus, well He was different

Jesus sough the glory of God

Jesus is true

Jesus has no unrighteousness

I guess Jesus gave us two good measures of a true, good teacher.

Does the teaching come from God, through God’s revealed word?

Does the teaching, the work give the glory to God?

(Transition) -This now leads to the people.

Remember this is time for feast and there are people in from everywhere.

These people are the out of town people.

The People

May we look together at this next section?

Any general observations?

Who is Jesus addressing, and how do you know (v.19-20)?

OK, challenging question, what deed had Jesus done that He references in (v.21)?

Fed the 5000 (Jn6:11-14)

Or, if you look at (v.22) then that can’t be it, it must be the man in (Jn5:5-10)

What example does Jesus give about doing good on the Sabbath and why (vv.22-23)?

Circumcision then related it to the Sabbath

What does Jesus tell them to judge by (v.24)?

Judge with righteous judgment.

What do you think righteous judgment means?

OK, we have that gleaning done, at least for this section, Jesus states the obvious, that the law was given to the people through Moses, but none of them carry out the Law, but they are claiming Jesus violated the law by healing on the Sabbath (5:16) - man at the pool of Bethesda.

He uses the command of circumcision that is to happen on the 8th day (Lev12:3), and they would do that on the Sabbath, but to make a man whole is violating the Sabbath?

Commentator Trapp says “If you may wound a man on the sabbath-day, may not I heal one?

Now we get to (7:24) about judging, and the Jews were judging Jesus as a sinner because He healed someone on the Sabbath, and them as righteous for not working on the Sabbath.

They were going by an appearance of sin, not by the truth of doing good.

(Transition) this now leads to the response from the locals, the people of Jerusalem.

The Locals

Remember it is feast time, there were many people there.

John is now turning his focus to the locals, to those living in Jerusalem, not the leadership but the people.

Make some general observations of this passage.

Who is speaking (v.25)?

What are they speaking about (v.26) and about who?

Who is the “we” (v.27);

where do they think Jesus is from?

How, in what manner does Jesus reply (v.28)?

In (v.29) Jesus confirms something He said before (6:57, 44); who is the One who sent Him?

The people in Jerusalem knew that the leaders wanted to kill Jesus, but the crowd from out of town (7:20).

The people are astonished that Jesus is speaking publically, boldly; and the Jews (leaders) were not stopping him, or saying anything to him (7:26).

Jesus was never intimidated by the religious leaders, in fact He often challenged them and their traditions, (i.e.

sabbath and the example we just looked at).

The phrase “no one knows” is not out of the ordinary, they expected the Messiah to show up suddenly

So, them thinking the Messiah would come from a place no one knows is not far off, they were staying consistent, but here consistently wrong.

Barclay said: “Popular belief held that the Messiah would appear.