Gospel of John 7:1-24
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After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him.
Verse 1 - see also
joh 7:1
Jesus has a choice: whether or not to go to Judea.
And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.
This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
John 5:16, 18
Jesus didn’t go to Jerusalem for the Passover in 6:4. This is the only other big holiday we know of when He didn’t go to Jerusalem.
Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in him.
Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in him.
john 7:2-5
Verse 2 - Normally Jesus did go to Jerusalem for Passover and other holidays. (; ; ; ).
Jesus didn’t go to Jerusalem for the Passover in 6:4. This is the only other big holiday we know of when He didn’t go to Jerusalem.
Verse 3 - There is really nothing wrong with what the brothers of Jesus say.
The old disciples seem to stay with Jesus.
The word “disciple” seems to mean someone who is willing to listen to Jesus - it is not a specific set group of people the way it is used in this Gospel.
Verse 4 - this is parallel to verse 3:21
But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
Clearly Jesus did want people to know about him.
He did not intend to be kept secret.
His brothers have a point.
Verse 5 - His brothers did not believe in him.
This explains why Jesus tells them very little about what he is planning to do.
Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.
Verse 6 - This reminds of when Jesus tells his mother that his time has not yet come, at the wedding in Cana of Galilee.
There are differences
John 7:6-
He never actually tells his mother that he won’t do anything, and she seems to assume that He will do something.
Here he does tell his brothers that he is not going, but then later he does go.
The two situations begin with nearly identical words but end quite differently.
Verse 7 - Jesus acts in accordance with the times set by His Heavenly Father.
Basically Jesus says, “It’s just not the right time”
His Heavenly Father hasn’t directed him to go just yet.
Timing matters because He is under orders from the Father.
For those who aren’t following a mission given to them by someone else, timing isn’t that important - you can do whatever you want when you want.
Jesus is under orders from the Father, and He must do what He is told to do when He is told to do it.
You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”
Verse 8 - It’s just not the right time, right now. But you go ahead.
Verse 8 -
Verse 9 - We don’t know how much time passes while Jesus remains in Galilee, it could be hours or days.
Jesus did not say that He would stay in Galilee forever.
He will only go when the Father dictates that He go.
John 6:
But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
Verse 10 - Jesus quietly goes to Jerusalem and attends the feast.
He goes secretly.
He does not go with great fanfare like His brothers had recommended.
They don’t understand His danger.
Verse 11 - this is more than defiance of his brothers, there really are people who want to kill Jesus.
This is a strategic action so that His ministry can succeed.
Verse 12-13 - Terms for Jesus’ opponents change from “crowd” to “Jews.” Here they are “Jews.”
Terms for Jesus’ opponents change from “crowd” to “Jews.” Here they are “Jews.”
Yet, the crowd is divided in its opinion of Jesus.
And, still, all of them are timid about letting the leadership know what their opinions are.
About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?”
Verse 14 - Jesus goes to the Temple to teach.
John 7:14-
Verse 15 - He possess great understanding, but no one can understand how Jesus got so smart without anyone to teach Him what He knows.
So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.
Verse 16 - Jesus explains, “It’s the one who sent me. I’m just repeating His teaching.”
Verse 17 - those who choose to follow God’s will are able to recognize my teaching as coming from God’s authority.
Verse 18 - Because Jesus speaks under God’s authority He is not seeking personal gain, only to be faithful to God.
If Jesus seeks glory, it is the glory of the one who sent him, God.
John
Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
Verse 19 - Moses gave the law that no one is able to keep.
john 7:16-18
Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well?
Verse 19 - Moses gave the law that no one is able to keep.
Verse 20 - The crowd accuses Jesus of having a demon who is making Him say things.
John 7:19-
Verse 21 - Jesus says, “I did one work”
It’s hard to know exactly what work He is referring to because the people in Judea might not know about his feeding the 5,000.
He might be referring to the man who had been born blind, whom Jesus healed.
Ironically, we know that Jesus has done more than one work.
Jesus says the crowd marvels at His one work that they know about.
Verse 22&23 - Jesus says that Moses gave the Jewish people the practice of circumcision, and they will perform a circumcision on the Sabbath, as Moses instructed.
Jesus healed the blind man on the Sabbath, and they said Jesus violated the Sabbath when he told the man to pick up his mat.
Moses also told them to perform circumcision when it fell on the Sabbath.
Yet, they judged Jesus to be in the wrong.
Verse 24 - Jesus says they have judged Him according to appearances without really thinking things through.
Judge with right judgment.
Do what you know is right in your heart, not looking to see what every body else is going to do.
Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?
-26
Verses 25&26 - The fickle crowd begins to wonder if maybe the authorities really do approve of Jesus’s message.
They’re letting Him speak in public.
But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
Verse 27 - the people say, “We know where He comes from the the origin on the Messiah will be a mystery”
But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
Verse 27 - the people say, “We know where He comes from the the origin on the Messiah will be a mystery”
In fact, they are mistaken. They only think they know where Jesus comes from.
Verse 28 - Jesus says, You know my earthly origin but my Father was the one who decided for me to come this way.
So, if you disapprove, you disapprove of God’s decision.
Jesus claims they don’t really know God at all.
Verse 29 - Jesus claims He knows God, His Heavenly Father, because He came from Heaven where His Father, God dwells.
This is a big claim that Jesus makes.
Can you really accept who Jesus is?
He asks you to repent of your sin.
He asks you to trust Him to save you.
His death on the cross paid for your sin.
His resurrection showed He had victory over the punishment of sin, death.
Can you accept this?
If you don’t, what will you believe?
Who can compare to Jesus?
No greater love.
No greater power.
No other Savior.
If you don’t believe in Him what is left?
Perhaps believing in nothing at all.
Where will believing in nothing get you?
Not to a better place.
More like no place at all.
Verse 30 - So, because Jesus made such a big claim about His true identity, they sought to kill him.
No one could lay a hand on him because his hour had not yet come - but it was coming.
Verse 31 - Many people did believe in Him.
Was it saving faith, or just looking for more miracles?
Very possibly it was a mix of true believers and non-believers who wanted to see a big show.
Is your faith real? Are you seeking Jesus or just something to distract you from your real problems.
Not a solution but a distraction.
Maybe you don’t want to turn everything over to Jesus and let him be in control.
So, you might rather choose what is pointless and useless over what is eternal and can never be taken away.
John 7:32
The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
Verse 32 - The Pharisees send out officers to arrest Jesus.
Verse 33 - Jesus says in a short time He will return to God, who sent Him to earth.
Verse 34 - You won’t be able to find me, and you won’t be able to go where I am going.
Well, not yet anyway.
Verse 35 - The Jews ask each other, and not Jesus, if Jesus is going on a boat to a far away place.
Verse 36 - What does Jesus mean?
They don’t really know Jesus so they can’t understand what He is saying.
If they had known Jesus they would have had more understanding.
Do you know Jesus?
Are you ready to follow Him, wherever He leads you?
It is the only good path to follow.
All other paths lead to destruction.
Will you follow Jesus?