Missing the Person for the Presence

John 7:1-24

Introduction

There are times when it is possible to be surrounded by the signs of something and still completely miss the reality itself.

Speeding through a construction zone… sitting at the dinner table with your family and never truly see one another.

You can sing songs about Christ, talk about theology, attend worship regularly, and still miss Christ Himself.

That is the tragedy unfolding in John 7. The Feast of Booths was one of the great celebrations of Israel, celebrating God dwelling with His people, but the true Tabernacle was there and they could not see Him. The feast celebrated God’s provision in the wilderness, but the Bread of Life stood among them. The feast pointed forward to the coming redemption of God, but the Redeemer Himself was there.

They were looking for the presence while missing the Person. And if we are not careful, we can do the same.

The Feast that Pointed to Christ

“Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand.” The Feast of Booths was one of the 3 great feasts of Israel. Every year the people journeyed up to Jerusalem to celebrate it. For seven days they lived in temporary shelters made from tree branches and leaves.

Jerusalem would have been overflowing with pilgrims. Booths made from branches lined rooftops, streets, and alleys. Families camped together in celebration.

It was a feast of remembrance. God had caused His people to dwell in booths when He brought them out of Egypt and sustained them in the wilderness. He fed them. He guided them. He protected them. He dwelt among them. It was a celebration of God’s presence, provision, & faithfulness.

But like every feast, every sacrifice, every ceremony in the Old Testament, it pointed beyond itself. It pointed to Christ.

John’s Gospel begins by telling us: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Literally: He “tabernacled” among us. Jesus is the true dwelling place of God with man.

The tabernacle pointed to Him. The temple pointed to Him. The Feast of Booths pointed to Him. And yet in John 7 the people celebrate the symbols while rejecting the Savior. That is the great irony of the story.

How Did they Miss Jesus?

They wanted glory without the Cross.

Jesus’ brothers come to Him and urge Him to go publicly to the feast. Listen to their reasoning: “If you do these things, show yourself to the world.”

In other words: “If you want followers, go public.” “If you want influence, make a spectacle.” “If you want people to believe, impress them.”

It is worldly wisdom. Richard Phillips says it was essentially the advice of Madison Avenue: promote yourself, build your platform, create attention. It sounds very modern.

The temptation is still with us. Visibility means blessing. Popularity means truth. Influence means faithfulness. A.W. Pink observed: “The modern methods of evangelistic campaigns and Bible conferences are present-day expressions of ‘Show thyself to the world’.”

But Jesus refuses. Verse 6: “My time has not yet come.” In John’s Gospel, “my time” points toward the cross.

His brothers wanted glory. Jesus came first for humiliation.

They wanted a crown without suffering. Jesus came first to shed His blood for sinners. Augustine: “They were advising Him to put on the crown without first taking up the cross.”

We often want the same thing. We want resurrection without crucifixion. Victory without repentance. Glory without surrender. Triumph without suffering. We want Christ to come according to our expectations.

If Christ had revealed Himself openly in final glory before the cross, there would have been judgment, but no atonement. No sacrifice. No forgiveness. No shelter from wrath. Before the crown must come the cross.

Missing Christ in the Midst of Religion

Verse 11: “The Jews were looking for him at the feast.” Everyone is talking about Jesus. Some said He was good. Others said He was deceiving the people. There was endless discussion about him, but nobody truly saw Him. They preferred a religious festival for fellowship with the Christ of God.

Even His own brothers do not believe in Him. John says plainly in verse 5: “For not even his brothers believed in him.”

They grew up with Him. Lived with Him. Saw His life up close. And still they did not believe.

That is not merely a failure of evidence. It is evidence of the blindness of the human heart.

No amount of exposure to religion can create spiritual life. You can grow up in the church. Memorize catechisms. Know Bible stories. Attend worship every week. And still miss Christ.

People can love: tradition, theology, controversy, church culture, religious activity; while having little heart for Christ Himself. It is possible to love the benefits of Christianity while remaining indifferent to the Christ of Christianity.

They were Judging by Appearances

Midway through the feast Jesus enters the temple and begins teaching. The people marvel: “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?”

Jesus did not fit their expectations: No credentials. No prestige. And yet He taught with authority because His teaching came from the Father.

Jesus says something profound in verse 17: “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God.” The issue is not merely intellectual. It is moral and spiritual.

A heart unwilling to submit to God will never see Christ. Augustine once said that whenever he found himself disagreeing with Scripture, he assumed he was the one who was wrong. That is the posture Jesus describes here. Not: “Will God agree with me?” But: “Will I submit to Him?”

Jesus exposes their hypocrisy. They accuse Him over Sabbath healing while they themselves circumcise on the Sabbath according to the Law. They cared more about appearances than mercy, more about regulations than restoration. So Jesus says: “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

That word is desperately needed today. Because we still judge by appearances. We assume success means God’s blessing, popularity means truth, charisma means spiritual maturity, emotional comfort means faithfulness. But Christ does not call us to superficial judgment. He calls us to righteous judgment shaped by the Word of God.

So how do we avoid missing Christ? How do we learn to see Him?

Stop demanding Christ reveal Himself according to our expectations.

The people wanted spectacle. Jesus came in humility. They wanted political triumph. Jesus came to bear sin. They wanted visible glory. Jesus came first through suffering.

And we often struggle with the same disappointment. We ask: “If God is with me, why is life hard?” “If Christ loves me, why is there suffering?” “If God is present, why does He seem hidden?”

But the glory of Christ is often hidden beneath ordinary means and humble circumstances. He comes through preached Word. Water. Bread and wine. Prayer. The gathered worship of His people. The world says: “Show yourself.” Christ says: “Believe my Word.”

Second, we must understand that Christ is present with His people.

The Feast of Booths celebrated God dwelling among Israel in the wilderness. And now in Christ God has truly come near. Not merely symbolically. Not ceremonially. But personally.

Christ is present with His church. He speaks through His Word, nourishes through His means of grace, strengthens weak believers, sustains weary saints. Not dramatically, but faithfully.

Third, we must learn to trust His provision.

The feast reminded Israel how God sustained them in the wilderness. And Christ still sustains His people now. Not always with worldly success. Not always with still waters. But always with sufficient grace. He gives what we truly need: forgiveness, strength, sanctification, perseverance, life.

Conclusion

The tragedy of John 7 is that people celebrated the signs of God’s presence while rejecting the Son of God standing before them. They searched for God while ignoring Christ.

And beloved, the danger remains. We can become so occupied with religious performance, appearances, preferences, traditions, arguments, expectations; that we fail to behold Christ Himself.

But all the signs point to Him. The feasts pointed to Him. The temple pointed to Him. The sacrifices pointed to Him. The Sabbath pointed to Him. And today: the preaching of the Word points to Him. Baptism points to Him. The Lord’s Supper points to Him.

The question is not whether Christ is present. The question is whether we have eyes to see Him. So do not merely come to the feast. Come to Christ. Do not merely admire religion. Believe upon the Son. Do not judge according to appearances. Look by faith to the One who came first in humility, who went willingly to the cross, who shed His blood for sinners, and who now gathers His people safely home through the wilderness of this world until the final harvest comes.