CHAPTER 7

1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

The reason Jesus spent much time in Galilee was because: "..the Jews sought to kill Him."
((See John 5:18))
And, it was not yet time for Him to be offered on the Cross.

The love of God withdraws from those who refuse it, or seek to stifle it.
Jesus CHOSE to work in a place which others thought was of lesser meaning.
The love of God is displayed to those who RECEIVE Him, regardless of social standing.

2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.
3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.

The "feast of tabernacles" is described in Deuteronomy 16:13-15.

These "brethren," who wanted Jesus to go with them, were relatives, perhaps even his brothers (See Matthew 13:55-56).

Verses 3-5 seem to be a goading statement.
They were trying to get Jesus to accompany THEM to Jerusalem.
But, at that time, they didn't believe He was the Messiah! (See verse 5 above)

In other words, they wanted immediate physical proof of Jesus' Messiahship, shown in public.
What more proof could they need?!?
They had seen Jesus heal the blind, the lame, and even raise the dead!

This smacks of those who would deride Jesus in today's world.
Some will say, "Well, if Jesus is God of love, why are people killed, and why do terrible disasters happen?" The reason those things happen is because of SIN in the world.

Yet all the proof of Jesus being God in flesh has already been shown.
The Bible is quite proof enough!
It has never been proven wrong, not even in one verse!

To those who must SEE to BELIEVE, may I suggest: JUST RECEIVE!

6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.
9 When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

It is ALWAYS "time" for men to go and worship God!
Most of the time, men's worship of God does not cause danger.

But, at that moment, it was NOT "time" Jesus should visit Jerusalem with the company of so many.
For His appearance would bring tumult; and the leaders of Judaism would want to KILL Him!
And, it was not the appropriate "time" in God's plan for Him to die!

So, Jesus remained in Galilee (for awhile) after His "brethren" went to Jerusalem.

10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?
12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.
13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

Later, Jesus DID go to the feast.
Yet, He went quietly, so as not to cause a "stir."

All one had to do to know the leaders sought to kill Jesus was LISTEN.
The leaders were SEEKING Him, so they could slay Him.

Some people, attending the feast, spoke well of Jesus; but others spoke ill of Him.
But their conversations were kept private, because they feared the Jewish leaders would kill THEM if they spoke "openly" about Jesus!

14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

When Jesus arrived, He "went up into the temple, and taught."

See how they derided Him!
"How can He have wisdom, when He never went to an accredited school?" (Verse 15)

LISTEN CLOSELY to Jesus' answer!
"I'm not speaking some doctrine I made up myself, it is the doctrine of God Who sent me!" (Verse 16)
"If a person really knows God, that person will know whether I'm teaching God's truth or not!" (Verse 17)
"A person who is bragging on himself is seeking only to be known of mankind. But a person who seeks only God's glory speaks TRUTH!" (Verse 18)

The evidence of a person's commitment to God is in KNOWING the TRUTH of God!

Jesus' teaching exhibited a profound knowledge and use of God's eternal Word.
Those who really loved God would KNOW!

An honest desire to love God is evidenced in RECIEVING the TRUTH of God.

ANY ordinary person, who truly seeks to love God, can know the TRUTH of God!
Just read, study and learn the BIBLE!

ANY ordinary person, who truly seeks to love God, will speak the TRUTH of God!
Once you KNOW it, SPEAK it!

19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.
23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?
24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Jesus began a statement leading to a point. (Verse 19)
However, He was rudely interrupted by some of the leaders. (verse 20)

It has already been established by John that the leaders "sought to kill Him." (John 5:18)
Jesus wanted that truth PUBLIC!
If the mainstream of the people KNEW there was a plot to kill Him, it would make it more difficult for the leaders to carry out their plan!

If Jesus really DID have "a devil," they would certainly have been wanting to STONE Him!!
But, they were seeking to deny the truth of His statement.

Jesus continued, and spoke about the ONE reason they were plotting to kill Him.
Jesus had healed a lame man on the sabbath day.

So, Jesus stated the fact that Moses gave the law.
And, if the law stated NO WORK on the sabbath day, why did they CIRCUMCISE on the Sabbath?
Is that not the WORK of the Priest?
But, is that not also DEFILING the sabbath?
So, they were just lawbreakers calling someone else a lawbreaker!!

Then, Jesus concluded with "Judge not according to the APPEARANCE, but judge RIGHTEOUS judgment."
That is, don't judge people according to whether they have education in certain accredited schools; and, don't judge people because they do simple things for God's glory on the sabbath day.
INSTEAD, judge without prejudice!
Determine if TRUTH is stated, and FOLLOW it!

25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.
28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.
29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.
30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

Some of the folk who lived in and around Jerusalem believed Jesus to be the Messiah (vs 25 above).
They were suspicious about the leaders who didn't follow up on their desire to kill Jesus (vs 26 above).

But, they also had questions.
One of those questions was, "We thought the Messiah would come quickly and majestically, and no one would know Him physically." (Vs 27 above)
Perhaps some knew that Jesus was born of Mary.
That was quite different from what they had been taught.
The people had been taught by leaders who were substituting "the commandments of men" for true doctrine (See Matthew 15:9)
They had been taught that Messiah would come flying in the clouds on a white horse, and would conquer the world.

Perhaps they had NOT been taught:
Messiah would be born "Seed of a woman" (See Genesis 3:15)
Messiah would actually be born into the world (See Isaiah 9:6)
Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (See Micah 5:2).

When Jesus heard their conversations, He avowed He was indeed Messiah! (vss 28-29 above)
They both knew Him phsyically, and knew also that He came from God!
They could tell by His speech and by His actions.
Those who reject Christ cannot "know" God!

Then, the leaders wanted to "take" Jesus and kill Him!
But, they were, in part, afraid of the people because most believed Jesus to be Messiah.
They were also unable to take Jesus because it was not "time"!
God's plan for this world has a specific time-table known only to HIM.
And, NOTHING happens outside God's specific time-table!

31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?
32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.
34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.
35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?
36 What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

The words "believed on" (verse 31 above) indicate the people came to faith in Jesus.
They believed even "the Christ" (Messiah) would not do greater works than Jesus was doing.

This infuriated the "chief priests" and they sent "officers" (temple guards) to physically arrest Jesus.
But, again, it was not "time!"
And, God prevented a premature arrest.

Jesus knew time was short, and said, "...a little while am I with you."
He also knew, that when time was ended for His physical mission, he would "go unto Him that sent" Him!

When "time" is up for those who reject Christ, and they face eternal God, they will "seek" Christ!
But they will not find Him standing in their defense!
And they will not be able to enter His glorious heaven which is designed only for those who believe and surrender to Him!

The leaders couldn't understand what Jesus meant.
They were so engulfed in the belief that God would not come in a man, they refused to believe He did!
Again, may I refer to an apology.
If I do something wrong to you, and later I come to apologize and ask forgiveness; WHO pays the price?
YOU must pay the price!
For YOU are the one who must decide to forgive!
It is the same with God.
He HAD to come and pay the price for man's sin, so that He could say "I forgive!"

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

On the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, a priest drew water out of the pool of Siloam.
At the time of the morning sacrifice, the priest poured this water upon the sacrifice.
This was done in anticipation of the salvation brought by God into the world.
"Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." (Isa 12:3)

It was at this time, Jesus stood and cried loudly, "If any man thirst, let him come unto ME, and drink."
The salvation brought by God into the world came by Jesus Christ!
He is the One Who holds the "well" of salvation!

John says (verse 39 above) that Jesus was speaking of God's Holy Spirit.
Each person who surrenders to Jesus as Lord receives God's Holy Spirit.
It is with JOY that the saved draw living strength from God's Holy Spirit!

40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
43 So there was a division among the people because of him.

"Many" of the people BELIEVED Jesus because of His timely statement.
LIVING WATER can ONLY come from Messiah!

Yet, some could not believe because they didn't know He was born in Bethlehem. They thought He had always been in Galilee.
Many people today don't believe because they do not know that thousands of years of prophecy were fulfilled in Christ Jesus.

44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.
45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?
46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?
48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?
49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

The temple guards were supposed to arrest Jesus, but didn't.
They explained to the chief priests and Pharisees that no other man had ever spoken like Jesus.
He Who is the Author of the Word, spoke with the authority of the Word.

The Parisees couldn't believe it!
They asked, "Are ye ALSO deceived?"
"Why, NONE of the PHARISEES" have believed on Him!!"
"It is only the people who are ignorant of the law that believe on Him!"

The Pharisess purported a great knowledge of the Word of God.
But in their own imaginations, they had created a messiah that was NOT of the Word!
"Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,... (Rom 1:22)

It is not a knowledge of the law that makes one wise;
It is the knowledge of Him Who WROTE the law that makes one wise!

50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)
51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?
52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
53 And every man went unto his own house.

Remember Nicodemus? (See the discussion on John, Chap. 3.)
Nicodemus was a PHARISEE!!
All those leaders KNEW Nicodemus.
Yet, they hurled heretical accusations at him!
It was a question of: Not only must you believe, you must believe like I (or we) believe!
There's far too much of that going on in churches today!!

Those Pharisees were ignorant of the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
They would CONDEMN Jesus before they would research the facts about Him!
There's far too much of THAT going on the world today!!

There is ample proof in the Bible that Jesus is God in flesh Who came to offer the world salvation!
One shouldn't refuse the God of the Bible without reading His Word!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.