Jesus & the Festival of Booths

Introduction

The last time we were in the book of John, Jesus’ bothers had come and taunted Him to go to Jerusalem to the Festival of Tabernacles or Festival of Booths.

They wanted Jesus to go to Jerusalem and prove to the people that He was who He said He was, even though they really don’t believe Jesus is the Messiah.

In verse 9 of John chapter 7 tells us:

John 7:9 NIV

After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.

To really understand what is going on, we need to understand what the Festival of Booths or Tabernacles was all about.

The Feast of Booths was a week-long festival celebrated from the 15th to the 21st day of the seventh month (Tishri).

It was one of the three annual pilgrimage festivals where every Jewish male was required to appear in Jerusalem.

The festival’s name comes from the requirement for Israelites to live in booths (or tents) made of tree branches to commemorate the wilderness wanderings during the Exodus.

The week was intended to be a joyful celebration of thanksgiving for the harvest, with a deeper spiritual lesson that all good things are gifts from God and cannot be taken for granted.

Living in temporary shelters helped recall the sense of national community experienced during the Exodus.

Elaborate sacrifices were offered throughout the week, with the number of bulls decreasing each day, and a special solemn assembly on the eighth day.

The festival was consistently observed throughout Jewish history, including during the times of Solomon, Hezekiah, and after the Exile.

Interestingly, the prophet Zechariah prophesied an eschatological celebration where Gentiles would join Israel in observing the feast, symbolizing their identification with Israel’s deliverance.

Today we want to pick up the story in John chapter 7. So, if you have your Bibles, turn with me to John 7 and we’ll begin reading with verse 14.

John 7:14 NIV

Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.

Jesus Goes to Temple

Remember what we just said, “Every male was required to go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival.” Jesus waited to go to the festival of booths or tabernacles, but He did go. He just waited until halfway through the festival before he went into the temple (v. 14a).

Once Jesus was in the temple courts, He began to teach (v. 14b).

John 7:15 NIV

The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

The Jews (Judean Jews) that were there were amazed at His teachings (v. 15a).

They began to ask, “How did this man get so smart, without going to school?” (v. 15b)

It was not unusual for Jewish men to read and write. But it was unusual for Jesus to have such deep understanding of religious mattes (cf. Matt. 7:28-29; Mark 1:22).

They knew He had not studied under any of the significant rabbis of the day. The custom of the day was for a student to sit at the feet of a great teacher, and gain an education. Then the student would become the teacher of his own group. Jesus had not done any of that.

In essence they are questioning the authority of Jesus to teach.

John 7:16 NIV

Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.

Jesus’ answer

Jesus says his teaching was not his own (v. 16a). In this statement, Jesus is acknowledging the authority of another.

Jesus says that he it teaching the message of “the one who sent me” (v. 16b).

John 7:17 NIV

Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

Anyone who would choose to do the will of God will discover whether or not his teaching comes from God (v. 17).

John 7:18 NIV

Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.

Two kinds of teachers:

Those that speak using their own authority teaches for their own personal gain (v. 18a).

But the person who really wants to glorify the one who sent them to teach--that person:

Is a man full of truth (v. 18b)

And there is nothing false in him (v. 18c).

The Example of Moses

John 7:19 NIV

Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”

Rhetorical question: Moses gave you the law, right? (v. 19a).

Yet no one, not even one of them kept the law (v. 19b).

The proof of this was seen in the fact that they were trying to kill Jesus (v. 19c).

The People’s Response

John 7:20 NIV

“You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”

First they accuse Jesus of being demon possessed.

After all they are not seeing any one who is actively trying to kill him. So how could he suggest that someone was trying to kill him?

John 7:21 NIV

Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed.

Jesus Continues His Defense

The people had just challenged Jesus’ accusation that someone was trying to kill him (cf. v. 19). Now Jesus is going to expose the plot (v. 21a).

Jesus points back to the healing at the Pool of Bethesda (cf. 5:2-9) and says that He did one miracle and with that one miracle He amazed all of the people (v. 21b).

John 7:22 NIV

Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath.

Yet because of the law of Moses you circumcise the boy on the Sabbath (v. 22a). This would/should have been considered to be work and thus forbidden to do on the Sabbath.

Jesus reminds them that it really wasn’t the law of Moses, but rather circumcision goes all the way back to the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (v. 22b).

John 7:23 NIV

Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath?

If they could break the the law of Moses to circumcise on the Sabbath, why are they so angry with Jesus because he healed the man’s entire body on the Sabbath (v. 23).

John 7:24 NIV

Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

Jesus tells them to stop judging by appearances (v. 24a).

Instead they should judge correctly (Gk. correctly, rightly, fairly, justly, conforming to the standard) (v. 24b).

The People’s Response

John 7:25 NIV

At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?

The people began to ask questions about Jesus.

Isn’t this the man the religious leaders are trying to kill? (v. 25)

John 7:26 NIV

Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah?

He is right here speaking publicly (v. 26a). In essence they can’t believe that Jesus is actually teaching out in the open.

The fact that he was there openly teaching raised a question (v. 26b). Do the authorities really believe Jesus is the Messiah?

John 7:27 NIV

But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

They find it hard to believe because they thought that when the Messiah appeared, no one would know where he came from (he would just appear on the scene) (v. 27a). For the modern reader, this may be hard to understand.

One possible explanation is that the people knew Jesus grew up in Nazareth, and also believed He was born in Nazareth, and they knew the Messiah would come from Bethlehem (cf. Mic. 5:2). Since they believed they knew all about Jesus and His origins, there was no way he could be the Messiah.

A second possibility is that some held the view that no one will know where he comes from. This view reflects the idea that the origin of the Messiah is a mystery. In the Talmud (b. Sanhedrin 97a) Rabbi Zera taught: “Three come unawares: Messiah, a found article, and a scorpion.” Apparently OT prophetic passages like Mal 3:1 and Dan 9:25 were interpreted by some as showing the sudden appearance of Messiah. It appears that this was not a universal view since Herod called for the scribes to find out from where the Messiah should come (cf. Matt. 2).

It seems to me that the first one is the better view. However, from extra-Biblical texts that describe the Jewish “traditions” one could build a strong argument for the second view.

KEY: Since they believed they knew Jesus’ history—where He was born, and where He grew up, as well as knowing His family connections—there was NO WAY He could have been the messiah (v. 27).

John 7:28 NIV

Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him,

John gives us another marker. Jesus is still teaching in the temple courts--so the scene has not changed (v. 28a).

Jesus acknowledges that they know His earthly origins (somewhat) (v. 28b).

They knew facts about Him.

They knew where His “home town” was.

What the people didn’t know was where Jesus’ authority came from, or who sent Him (v. 28c).

John 7:29 NIV

but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”

But Jesus knew who sent Him and He knew (personally) who sent Him (v. 29). Jesus is claiming that He personally knows God! And the religious leaders know that was what He was claiming (look at verse 30).

John 7:30 NIV

At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.

Three Responses

Seize Jesus (v. 30)

Some in the crowd tried to “seize” (Gk. seize, take into custody, apprehend, arrest, catch, capture) Jesus (v. 30a).

But no one could lay a hand on, or grab hold of Him (v. 30b).

They were unable to arrest Him, because it wasn’t His time (v. 30c).

Many Believed (v. 31)

John 7:31 NIV

Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”

Many in the crowd “believed” in Jesus (v. 31a).

They believed based on :

When the Messiah comes He will preform miraculous signs (v. 31b).

Even more signs that this man (Jesus) preformed—they were wanting more (v. 31b). This could be taken as: “No one could preform more miracles than this man did.”

The Pharisees (v. 32)

John 7:32 NIV

The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

First of all the Pharisees heard the crowd whispering—they heard all that the crowd was saying about Jesus (v. 32a).

So they sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus (v. 32b).

NOTE: The religious leaders want to silence Jesus once and for all! They really want to remove the threat to their power.

John 7:33 NIV

Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me.

Jesus’ Responds to Their Attitudes

I will only be on this earth for a little while (v. 33a)!

Then I’m going to leave, and go back to the one who sent me (v. 33b).

John 7:34 NIV

You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

You will look for me (v. 34a).

But you will NOT be able to find me (v. 34b).

KEY—Where Jesus was going (back to the Father) (v. 34c).

The People’s Response

John 7:35 NIV

The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?

They had no clue what Jesus was really saying. So they began to talk amongst themselves about it.

They even ask, “Where could he possibly go that we couldn’t find him?” (v. 35a)

Then they aske if Jesus would dare to go among the Jews that were scattered out in Greek territories—surely he wouldn’t go there to preach and teach! (v. 35b)

John 7:36 NIV

What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”

They began to aske each other, “What does he mean, when he said, ‘you will look for me but not fine me?’” (v. 36a)

And they asked, “exactly what does he mean we can’t go where he’s going?” (v. 36b)

Jesus’ Announcement!

John 7:37 NIV

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.

John gives us a time marker—it is the last and greatest day of the festival (cf. Lev. 23:36) (v. 37a).

So most likely it was on the 8th day of the festival when there was a great banquet, and no work was done on that day.

During the festival—banquet—Jesus stood up and began to speak (v. 37b).

Jesus called the people to himself (v. 37c-38):

Is anyone thirsty? They should come and drink from Jesus (v. 37c).

John 7:38 NIV

Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Whoever believes in Jesus is promised “rivers of living water” that will well up from inside of them (v. 38).

John 7:39 NIV

By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

John explains what Jesus was actually saying (v. 39a). Jesus is promising that the Spirit of God will well up from inside each believer.

This was a promise that given, but did not happen until the day of Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:1-21) (v. 39b).

John clarifies that up until this time in Jesus’ ministry the Holy Spirit had not yet been given out to His followers. In fact, to make sure we understand that it would not happen while Jesus was present on earth, John tells us that the Spirit had not yet come because Jesus had not yet been glorified (cf. Jn. 12:23; 13:31-32) (v. 39c).

The Great Argument About Jesus

Jesus the Prophet

John 7:40 NIV

On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”

When the people heard the words of Jesus some declared that he must be a Prophet (cf. Matt. 21:11) (v. 40).

The word prophet referred to someone who was a spokesman for God. It was a term of reverence but not the same as being the Messiah.

Jesus the Messiah

John 7:41 NIV

Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee?

Some of the crowd actually believed that Jesus was the Messiah, or the anointed one from God--the promised one that was sent by God (v. 41a). They believed the Messiah would save Israel from the oppression of foreign governments.

The argument

The argument arose because Jesus was known to be Galilean (v. 41b).

John 7:42 NIV

Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?”

According to their understanding of the Old Testament Scripture, the Messiah had to come from Bethlehem (the town or city of David) (v. 42).

According to their understanding and deductive reasoning, Jesus could not possibly be the Messiah because they understood that He was from Galilee!

John 7:43 NIV

Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.

So the people became divided because of Jesus (v. 43).

John 7:44 NIV

Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

There were even some that wanted to seize Jesus (v. 44a).

In fact, the religious leaders had sent the temple guards to bring Jesus to them, but they could do it (cf. Jn. 7:45-49). Now we will look at this development next week!

But the key for us today is that NO One laid a hand on Jesus (cf. v. 30) (v. 44b).

So What?

There are three things that we learn from this passage.

First, we learn that like Jesus, our message is not our own!

You and I have been given the Good News—or the Gospel message.

God wants to have a relationship with us as humans!

So He provided a way.

He sent His One and only Son to earth.

So, Jesus came to earth.

Lived a life without sin.

Was falsely accused and sentenced to death.

Endured crucifixion on the cross.

Died!

Was buried.

And rose again on the third day!

And is now seated at the right hand of God the Father!

And all you and I have to do is to place our faith and trust in Jesus to put us into a right relationship with God the Father.

That is the greatest news ever—and it is not my message, but the message that Jesus has given you and me to share with everyone we meet.

That means that Like Jesus, our message is NOT our own!

The Second thing we walk away with is that there are two kinds of teachers:

First, there are those teachers that speak on their own authority. These teachers are teaching for their own personal gain:

For some “gain” is financial!

For others “gain” is power or influence!

For still others it is a combination of both financial and power!

The second type of teacher seeks to glorify the one true God!

The question for each of us is what kind of teacher am I?

The Third thing we learn is that if you and I seek to glorify God we will be misunderstood!

You may be misunderstood by those who do not follow Jesus! Many in the world today do not like our message, because it is the message of truth that comes from almighty God!

But you may also be misunderstood by other followers of Jesus. Believe it or not, sometimes those who follow Jesus don’t always agree with us.