Sermon Tone Analysis

The people with the hardest job in America - the team that cleans up after President Trump’s social media post.

I can only imagine the conversations that go on behind closed doors attempting to recover from the blustering, inappropriate, and often immoral posts.

Shortly, we will find that Jesus was a poor salesman.

But we are going to take the long route to arrive at that reality.

Shortly, we will find that Jesus was a poor salesman.

But we are going to take the long route to arrive at that reality.

Shortly, we will find that Jesus was a poor salesman.

But we are going to take the long route to arrive at that reality.

The broad context leading to

The events of chapter 7 follow chapter 6 by about 6 months.

As well, chapters 7-10 precede the events of Jesus’ Passion Week by about 6-7 months.

As a result, these 3 ½ chapters find themselves somewhat isolated chronologically both in John’s Gospel and in contrast to the synoptic Gospels.

In attempting to understand John’s intent in chapters 7-10, I noticed that only John wrote about this week (or two) of interaction surrounding the Feast of Tabernacles.

And even more specifically, I desired to understand why John included the interaction between Jesus and his unbelieving brothers in .

Only in John.

John alone writes of this interaction and the following narrative about the Feast of Tabernacles.

In contrast, the synoptic gospels focus their attention on three primary stages of Jesus life and ministry, (1) Jesus’ birth, (2) Jesus’ Galilean ministry, and (3) Jesus’ passion week.

On the other hand, John includes a lot of information in his gospel that is not included in the synoptic gospels.

Why?

John’s Purpose.

To answer that question, we must be reminded of John’s purpose in writing his gospel.

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” ().

John’s goal is to prove Jesus is the Messiah and that in believing we will have life.

Next question.

How does he go about proving Jesus is the Messiah?

He proves Jesus is the Messiah by means of 21 proofs – 7 signs, 7 witnesses, and 7 “I Am” statements.

The Seven signs.

(1) Turning water into wine in Cana (2:1-11).

(2) Healing an official’s son in Capernaum (4:46-54).

(3) Healing an invalid at the Pool of Bethesda (or Bethsaida) in Jerusalem (5:1-18).

(4) Feeding the 5,000 near the Sea of Galilee (6:5-14).

(5) Walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee (6:16-21).

(6) Healing a blind man in Jerusalem (9:1-7).

(7) Raising dead Lazarus in Bethany (11:1-45)

The Seven Witnesses.

(1) John the Baptist, “This is the Chosen One [literally, “Son”] of God” (1:34).

(2) Nathaniel, “You are the Son of God” (1:49).

(3) Peter, “You are the Holy One of God!” (6:69).

(4) Martha, “You are the Christ, the Son of God” (11:27).

(5) Thomas, “My Lord and my God!” (20:28).

(6) John, “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (20:31).

(7) Jesus, “I am the Son of God” (10:36; see also 4:26; 8:58).

The Seven “I Am” Statements.

(1) “I am the bread of life” (6:35).

(2) “I am the light of the world” (8:12).

(3) “I am the door for the sheep” (10:7; cf.

v. 9).

(4) “I am the good shepherd” (10:11, 14).

(5) “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25).

(6) “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (14:6).

(7) “I am the true vine” (15:1; cf.

v. 5).

Reason for including this section.

John includes chapters 7-10 due to the Feast of Tabernacles including 4 of his proofs.

One of the signs (healing of the blind man) and three of the “I Am” statements (Light of the World, the Door, and the Good Shepherd) can be found within these four chapters.

Context of Chapters 7-10

Brief transition.

John writes, “After this, Jesus went about in Galilee,” and this brief sentence summarizes 6 months of Jesus’ ministry.

Feast of Tabernacles.

The next 3 ½ chapters unfold the drama of Jesus’ visit to Jerusalem during the Fall of 29 AD.

Likely these chapters summarize a week (or two) as Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles.

The Feast of Tabernacles commemorates the Israelites wilderness wanderings in which God shepherded his people through the wilderness, provided water and food for them, and led them with a pillar of fire.

The Jews celebrated this festival by living in sukkahs (booths or tents) in similar fashion to their wilderness wanderings.

As well, the celebration included a daily water “libation” (Mishna, Sukkah, 4:9) and a lamp-lighting rite which was commemorative of God leading the people with a pillar of fire.

Lexham Bible Dictionary.

The Feast of Tabernacles commemorates the period of the wilderness wanderings directly following the exodus from Egypt.

It lasted seven days, beginning on the 15th of Tishri.

It is also called the Feast of Ingathering, since it gathered the people together after the harvesting season and was the final pilgrim feast of Israel.[1]

Carson.

People living in rural areas built makeshift structures of light branches and leaves to live in for the week (hence ‘booths’ or ‘tabernacles’; cf.

); town dwellers put up similar structures on their flat roofs or in their courtyards.

The Feast was known for a water-drawing rite and a lamp-lighting rite to which Jesus quite clearly refers (cf.

7:37ff.; 8:12).[2]

Water Drawing.

The water-drawing ceremony was added to the Feast of Tabernacles to memorialize God’s provision of water in the wilderness and also to petition His ongoing provision of water for the harvest.[3]

Illumination Ceremony.

Babylonian Talmud (Sukkot 5:2-3) And there were golden candleholders there, with four gold bowls on their tops, and four ladders for each candlestick.

And four young priests with jars of oil containing a hundred and twenty logs, [would climb up the ladders and] pour [the oil] into each bowl.

Out of the worn-out undergarments and girdles of the priests they made wicks, and with them they lit the candlesticks.

And there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem which was not lit up from the light of bet hashshoebah.[4]

Brickner.

the illumination ceremony was a symbol of an ever-present God who, during the wilderness wanderings, graced the Israelites with His provision and presence through the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.

The Light stood for the Shekinah Glory of God. . . .

When Jesus stood in the Temple claiming to be the Light of the World, He was making a radical statement. . . .

To stand in the middle of the Temple in conjunction with the Feast of Tabernacles and say, “I am the Light” was like saying, “I am the Shekinah, I am the pillar of fire.”

It’s hard to imagine a more graphic claim to deity.[5]

Jesus connects each of these various elements to himself during the Feast.

He is the Good Shepherd (10:11).

He is the light of the world (8:12).

And, he provides living water (7:37-38).

We will take several weeks to walk through the events of these four chapters.

But, let’s now consider, in more depth, chapter 7:1-13.

Immediate Context of

Connecting the immediately preceding context.

The connection to the preceding chapter seems mostly thematic.

(1) The lack of belief on his brother’s part furthers the theme of abandonment discussed in chapter 6.

The masses had left him.

Even many of his disciples had left him.

As well, only five verses into chapter 7, we come to realize that even his biological brothers don’t believe in him.

(2) The backdrop of chapter 6 and the mass abandonment seem to be the impetus for Jesus’ brothers pragmatic desire for him to go to Jerusalem.