NBBC SS - John 7
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: Let’s just jump right into the passage as it will prompt us to consider some things that we looked at last time.
John 7:1-9 “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.
How does this passage begin?
“After these things”
Have we heard this statement before?
We sure have!
It’s used 10 times in 13 verses the same way to introduce events that have occurred after another.
Thus, we are prompted to ask ourselves, “what things?”
The events of John 6.
Jesus demonstrated to the people through the feeding of the 5000+ that He is Almighty Provider God Who gives confidence in place of fear to those who believe in Jesus as the Holy One of God who also are the recipients of eternal life secured by the Father and guaranteed by the Son.
What is it that occurs after the events of John 6?
Jesus is sticking close to Galilee.
Why would Jesus stick close to Galilee?
Because the Jews were seeking to kill Jesus.
Notice the term “seek”.
What does this term suggest about the Jews in question in relation to Jesus?
Intentionality.
These Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill Jesus.
Can you imagine living your life under the threat of someone wanting to kill you?
We’re prompted to inquire, what is it that would motivate the Jews to kill Jesus?
The phrase “kill” is used for the first time in John 5:18 “18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”
Does anyone recall the circumstances of John 5:18?
Jesus had just healed a man through His powerful, spoken Word.
In John 5:18, there are three reasons listed as to why they wanted to kill Jesus.
They alleged that He was breaking the Sabbath.
They acknowledged that Jesus was calling God His Father.
They recognized that Jesus was making Himself equal with God.
What is it that these three things boil down to as the concern that the Jews had about Jesus?
Authority.
Jesus was demonstrating His divine authority over the Sabbath that then naturally led to concluding Jesus’ authority over all things
Hence, the desire to kill Jesus was an evidence of their rebellion against God’s authority.
Does rebellion against divine authority only have to take on the form of wanting to kill Jesus?
Absolutely not.
You see, while rebellion against God’s authority may manifest itself in a desire to kill Jesus, it takes other, more subtle forms that anyone can be tempted with.
“2 Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near.
What interesting circumstantial information does John the Apostle provide here through the Holy Spirit?
A feast of the Jews was near.
Specifically, the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles/Sukkot (LBD).
This was a feast celebrated near harvest time in Jerusalem.
It included a demonstration of gratitude to the Lord for both His presence with His people and His provision for His people.
In observation of this feast, the people would make for themselves temporary shelters according to the prescription Leviticus 23.
These shelters were to remind them of their wilderness wandering, following the Exodus.
The Jewish historian, Josephus, acknowledges that this feast was the most attended, which may account for the statement that Jesus’ brothers make next.
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.”
Notice the emphasis Jesus’ brothers on Jesus’ works, or what He does.
The term “works” is used once.
The related terms “doing”, “does”, and “do” are employed three times throughout both verses.
What does this suggest about Jesus’ brothers’ attitude towards Jesus’ works?
They take them as legitimate.
That is, they acknowledge the reality of the miraculous that Jesus is performing.
Ultimately, what is it that they are encouraging Jesus to do?
Go where the largest of crowds is going to be and gain exposure (Lenski, Wiersbe).
Get a bigger stage to draw a bigger crowd!
Let’s think about this.
Did Jesus really have any difficulty in drawing a crowd?
John 6:2 is case in point!
What is missing from the statement of the brothers?
Any confession about Who Jesus is.
Therefore, what can we conclude about their perspective on Jesus’ works?
They are focused on what Jesus can do rather than His identity.
They see Jesus more as an entertainer than actually God.
Are there still people attracted to Jesus today based on what He can do?
Unfortunately, yes.
5 For not even His brothers were believing in Him.
What evidence do we have that Jesus’ brothers only saw Jesus for His tangible works rather than His identity?
The brothers were not believing in Him.
Notice the use of “in Him.”
This is about Jesus’ identity; that is, they were not believing that Jesus was Who He said He was.
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.”
What phrase does Jesus repeat in this section of verses?
“My time”
What is it that Jesus could possibly refer to with the phrase “My time?”
Notice how Jesus connects the phrase “My time” with “not yet fully come” in v. 8.
The phrase “fully come” can also be translated as “fill, fulfill, or complete.”
Significantly, it is used most often in the sense of “fulfill” throughout John’s Gospel to give the impression of fulfilling what the Old Testament Scripture said about Jesus.
8 out of 15 uses in John’s Gospel refer to this specifically.
Interestingly, John’s statement about Jesus’ fulfillment of OT Scripture relate to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
Thus, what does Jesus refer to when He says, “My time?”
He is referring to His crucifixion as the sacrifice for our sins as predicted in the Old Testament.
Hence, what is Jesus concerned about?
He is concerned about fulfilling God’s Word.
What’s another way that we can phrase this?
He’s concerned about obeying God’s Word.
Think about the contrast with Jesus’ brothers.
Jesus refers to His crucifixion in terms of being lifted up, which would have the consequence of drawing attention to Himself.
Jesus’ brothers also want to lift up Jesus but so that others would see His works.
Think about it.
Jesus is laser-focused on obeying God’s Word at the expense of drawing a crowd!
What kind of example does that set for us?
Should we not be the same?!
Relatedly, Jesus’ attitude towards obeying God’s Word demonstrates for us that obedience is always worth it, even if it means losing the crowd.
As we consider this passage today, I want to encourage you to look for ways that this conflict surfaces again and again in the passage: public work to draw a crowd.
What we will see is that Jesus will draw a crowd.
However, He will not draw a crowd in the way that we might otherwise expect.
John 7:10-36 “10 But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret.
Does this statement sound odd to any of us?
Jesus had just told His brothers that He would not go to the Feast.
Yet, here He is going to the Feast.
What’s the difference?
Here is the importance of context.
What did Jesus’ brothers want Him to go to the Feast for?
To put on a show.
In what manner is Jesus described as going to the Feast?
In secret, as opposed to ostentatiously to increase His following.
Remember, Jesus’ reason for not going to the Feast in a manner to attract a crowd to His works was because He would eventually die on the cross, pointing others to His sacrifice and the will of the Father.
Hence, Jesus can go to the Feast in secret absolved from any deception because He had indicated to His brothers that He would not go to the Feast with them in promotion of their scheme to garner attention to Jesus’ works.
Thus, there’s no contradiction between Jesus’ Words.
He won’t go to the Feast for the purpose that His brothers intended.
11 So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, “Where is He?”
It’s interesting that we’re told that Jesus was being sought at the Feast.
Since the word “seeking” is not following by “to kill”, there’s possibly a certain amount of encouragement that maybe they’re seeking Jesus to believe in Him in accordance with Peter’s confession at the end of John 6: the Holy One of God.
However, those hopes are dashed as we read the next verse.
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.”
How is the discussion among the crowds described in this verse?
As grumbling.
We’ve seen this term before in our previous passage.
In fact, it’s used 5 times in John’s Gospel.
3 times in John 6, twice in John 7.
Grumbling is a verbal response to an attitude of the heart that is not satisfied with circumstances.
In fact, it’s used across the OT in describing Israel’s attitude towards the Lord following the Exodus.
Ultimately, what is it that the people were grumbling about?
Jesus
What does the nature of the questioning indicate that they were complaining about?
Jesus’ character.
How do these individuals go about this debate?
Are they relying on Scripture to evaluate Jesus’ character?
No!
They’re relying on their reasoning among themselves.
Is it ever safe to rely on reason?
No!
Do these debates still rage today?
Absolutely.
Even today, people are complaining about if Jesus is a good man or a deceiver.
13 Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
How are the discussions about Jesus from the crowd described here?
No one was speaking openly.
In other words, they were having private conversations.
What is it that prompted these individuals to keep their conversation private?
They were afraid of the Jews, or the Jewish religious leaders.
The phrase “fear of the Jews” or the similar phrase “afraid of the Jews” is used 4 times in John’s Gospel.
John 7:13; John 9:22; John 19:38; and John 20:19.
Most of these verses refer to the actions that others took out of their fear of the Jews.
Only one, John 9:22, refers to what the Jews would do that would prompt fear: throw an individual out of the synagogue.
For our purposes, this was a form of ostracism for following after Jesus.
Thus, there was social and religious isolation that was imposed by religious leadership.
This was a way of making life difficult for the people.
14 But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach.
This is not such a far-fetched idea that Jesus would teach.
Deuteronomy prescribes a reading from the Law every 7 years.
Recall also Jesus’ statement in John 6:45 “45 “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.”
So Jesus is acting in accordance with the expectations as set in precedence from the Old Testament.
15 The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?”
What was the emotional response of the Jews?
They were astonished!
This word is used in 6 places across John’s Gospel.
It’s used in such a way as that expectations have been challenged.
What does their question identify about their perspective on Jesus?
Jesus teaches with authority.
Not just anyone teaches this way.
While they recognize the authority of Jesus’ teaching, what is missing from their statement?
A statement of confession about Who Jesus truly is.
Thus, this crowd has yet to believe in Jesus and receive eternal life.
16 So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.
Where does Jesus indicate that He received His teaching content?
From the Father.
This is the One Who sent Jesus.
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.
What topic is Jesus addressing here?
Discernment
The ability to discern God’s truth from those that would teach in a self-serving way.
Notice that Jesus identifies the source of discernment in relation to one’s doing the will of God.
In John 6:40, Jesus proclaims that the Father’s will is to give eternal life to those that have beheld Jesus (that is, His sign miracles) and have believed in Jesus (His true identity).
I believe that when we take John 6:40 in context of Jesus’ statement here about discernment, we understand that those who have received eternal life from Jesus, who have believed in Him, are given the discernment needed to verify whether or not a teaching is truth in God or motivated by self-serving intent.
While not necessarily directly addressed in this passage, the One Who gives this discernment is none other than the Holy Spirit (John 16:13).
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.
What distinction is Jesus making here?
Motive.
Jesus is identifying that actions reveal motives and motives uncover character.
When Jesus identifies that He is both fully true and righteous, what us He saying about Himself?
He is trustworthy!
Notice how this continues the thought Jesus challenged in His brothers.
His brothers wanted Jesus to draw a crowd through works.
Jesus wants to draw attention to God the Father through proclaiming the message received from Father in obedience to the same.
19 “Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”
What is the connection between Jesus’ questions?
The Jews are seeking to kill Jesus because of the Law that, subsequently, the Jews cannot keep themselves.
If Jesus tells the crowd before Him that they have not kept the Law, what is Jesus saying about the crowd?
They’re all sinners!
What is the immediate evidence that they were not keeping the Law?
They sought to kill Jesus.
This intention goes against the 6th commandment.
20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who seeks to kill You?”
What kind of emotion can we imagine that these words were spoken with when we read them?
Explosive anger!
This comes through in the particular use of “You have a demon!”
Notice how the accusation “You have a demon!” leads their question.
In other words, they are being led by emotion!
This emotional reaction comes from Jesus’ probing statement acknowledging their sinfulness.
Can people get emotional when confronted over their sin?
They sure can!
How should one respond when God convicts of sin?
Humility: I’ve displeased the Lord.
Confession and Repentance.
Unfortunately, we do not see either humility, confession or repentance in this passage.
Instead, we see an attempt to shift the focus back to Jesus in accusation.
This is the great tragedy of sin, we seek to pridefully justify ourselves.
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?
What healing on the Sabbath does Jesus refer to?
John 5, the paralytic.
Notice the logic of Jesus’ response.
The crowd justifies the activity of performing circumcision on the Sabbath in order to observe the Law.
However, they break their own standard on non-activity in observance of the same!
24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
This is the point that Jesus is making.
The discernment of the people needs adjusting.
Think about it like this.
How does Jesus summarize the whole Law?
Love God and your neighbor (Mt 22:37-40).
Jesus demonstrates both of these in healing the paralytic on the Sabbath.
He loves God by keeping the Law and doing His will.
He loves His neighbor by compassionately healing the man in question.
The Jews want to kill Jesus, breaking the 6th commandment, all because Jesus showed true love for God and His neighbor in full demonstration of Jesus’ authority over the Sabbath and all things.
This is how sin can so warp our perspective on life, that one would want to kill another over doing what is right.
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?
The word “So” (“therefore” ESV; “At that point” NIV; “Now” NKJV) gives us the impression that what follows is the immediate consequence of the scene that we just considered.
What would be the relationship between their initial question followed by their observation that Jesus speaks and the leaders are mute?
They’re pointing out an incongruity.
The leaders have a perfect opportunity to seize Jesus since He is speaking openly but they refuse to do so.
What we see from the leaders, then, is hesitation to act.
If the leaders are hesitating to act on their intent to kill Jesus, then how does that help us to understand their next question?
They recognize that the religious authorities must still be contemplating Jesus’ identity.
But let’s think about it.
Has Jesus sought to obscure His identity?
No!
Jesus has made clear that He is the Christ in Word and deed.
Therefore, their deliberations point out their heart problem.
They have every reason to believe.
But they choose not to believe.
27 “However, we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from.”
If the religious leaders are deliberating over Jesus’ identity, how does this verse factor into that same theme?
The crowd is also deliberating over Jesus’ identity!
When the people refer to knowing where Jesus is from, what do they mean by this statement?
They mean to identify that Jesus is from Galilee.
However, as we have considered Jesus’ origins in John’s Gospel so far, is that really where Jesus is from?
No!
Jesus is from God the Father, meaning that He has been sent with the Father’s authority to give eternal life to those that believe in Him.
Look how Jesus turns their deliberations on their head!
“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.”
What Jesus is identifying here is that He has identified Himself plainly to the people in revealing His heavenly origin with the authority of the Father.
In other words, Jesus is pointing again to the people’s real problem, it’s not a matter of not enough information but the need for heart transformation.
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?”
Does the phrase “His hour had not yet come” sound familiar?
It’s akin to Jesus’ earlier statement to His brothers: “My time has not yet here” (John 7:6)
Therefore, what does this phrase refer to?
When Jesus would be crucified.
Thus, we have 2 reasons as to why the religious leaders sought to kill him but didn’t: they were still deliberating over Jesus’ identity but also Jesus’ hour to glorify the Father in His crucifixion had yet to arrive.
What is the implied answer to the question of the believing crowd?
No!
No one will perform more signs that what Jesus has in demonstration of His identity as the Christ.
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him.
Think about the scene before us so far.
Jesus is teaching.
The crowds are deliberating.
Now the Pharisees dispatch officers to seize Jesus.
Why?
It’s possible that they see the chaos and are concerned about the end result.
Notice the term “muttering”.
It’s translated elsewhere in this passage as “grumbling.”
John’s Gospel picks up on this a lot!
Apparently, the Jews have not changed over hundreds of years up to this point!
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.”
Who is it that Jesus will be going to?
God the Father.
This is Jesus anticipating His ascension to the Father.
Is there a history of Jesus being sought after His ascension?
Yes!
There was an effort to locate Jesus’ dead body!
Did they find a dead body?
No!
He lives, never to die again!
Why would Jesus make it a point to tell the people that where He is, they cannot come?
Jesus will use a similar statement in John 8.
Therein, Jesus identifies the problem.
Sin.
In other words, Jesus is not saying that you can never come!
Instead, Jesus is saying that you cannot come as you are.
Thus, He is pointing to the need for change in their heart.
“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’?”
We can be tempted to think that the response of the crowd indicates that Jesus obscured His real meaning from the people.
However, there is a positive aspect of their questioning.
Their questioning recognizes that Jesus was speaking of a real place.
Unfortunately, they were so caught up of thinking of a place that they failed to recall Jesus’ qualifier: “I go to Him who sent Me.”
The other sad reality of their deliberations is that they did not recognize their need before Jesus to qualify them to go where He will be with the Father.
John 7:37-53 “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. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
What does Jesus’ statement here sound like?
An invitation!
Jesus wants individuals to believe in Him, to partake of the living water that He offers leading to eternal life!
What a contrast from the attitude of the group from the last section!
Instead of questioning how to go where Jesus was going, there were more concerned about the place.
Here, Jesus identifies that, though they cannot come to God’s Kingdom as they are, they can believe in Jesus to receive new spiritual life.
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.
Who is the source of this abundant, spiritual life that Jesus is referring to?
The Holy Spirit.
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?”
What’s interesting about their question in John 7:42 is that it demonstrates something positive about the crowd.
They know their Bible!
However, is there any indication that someone thought to ask Jesus about His physical heritage?
43 So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him.
What was the result of their discussion?
There was division between the people.
The word translated as “division” is the word from which we get the English word “schism”, meaning split.
It’s used only 3 times in John’s Gospel concerning Jesus, always related to Jesus’ identity but debating either over His works (John 9) or His teaching (John 10).
44 Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him. 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.”
What response do these officers give that prompted them to refrain from taking Jesus into custody?
Jesus’s teaching.
In using the phrase “Never has a man spoken”, what are they indicating about their perspective to Jesus’ teaching?
They were amazed by His teaching.
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? 49 “But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed.”
How do the Pharisees interpret this statement?
Their amazement by Jesus’ teaching has led them to follow Jesus now!
What authority do they appeal to in advising against following Jesus?
None of the Pharisees are following Jesus!
They appeal to their own authority!
This is dangerous!
By implication, what are they charging the crowd with?
Biblical ignorance.
And what are they professing about themselves?
That they know the Law.
This is so ironic since they just appealed to themselves as the standard by which to determine who is right and wrong instead of God’s Word
Is the charge of Biblica ignorance accurate?
No!
The crowd just confessed their own familiarity with God’s Word in referencing the birthplace of the Messiah as Bethlehem and His royal heritage as David’s offspring.
50 Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them,
Hopefully this name sounds familiar as we met him in John 3!
What is meant by the phrase “being one of them?”
Nicodemus is a Pharisee.
Hence, he has the authority to challenge the actions of his fellow Pharisees being one of them.
51 “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?”
What is it that Nicodemus appeals to?
He appeals to God’s Word.
Thus, Nicodemus is setting himself apart from the others by exemplifying their authoritative source of truth.
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.”
Are the other Pharisees really questioning where Nicodemus is from?
No!
They are actually accusing Nicodemus as following Jesus by associating Nicodemus with Galilee.
In their challenge to Nicodemus, what are they charging him with?
Biblical ignorance.
What are they then saying about themselves?
They know God’s Word.
However, the prophet Jonah also came from the Galilee region (2 Kgs 14:25; Jonah 1:1; Borchert, 294).
What we see from the Pharisees here, apart from Nicodemus, is a self-righteous attitude that is ready to condemn others, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.
This is why Jesus died, to save us from our own self-righteousness since it indicates our bankrupt condition related to righteousness.
In the background of all this, Jesus has issues His invitation that, tragically, has fallen on some deaf ears.
Conclusion: In our passage today, Jesus has emphasized for us both the importance and worth associated with obeying God’s Word. We’ve also seen much reliance on reason instead of appealing to the authority of God’s Word that leads to dangerous self-righteousness. Instead, let us humbly receive Jesus’ invitation to believe in Him for the receipt of new spiritual life through the Spirit since we cannot save ourselves from our sin and its consequences.
