Index
on John
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by
Lane Rogers
Between chapters 6 and 7 is an
interval of about six months. During this six months Jesus carried
out a fairly private ministry in Galilee. John only makes a brief
mention of this ministry in the first verse of chapter seven. At this
point in our study things begin to move fast. According to some
scholars, there is just about 6 months from where we are now until
the crucifixion. Here are some of the upcoming events:
The Syro-Phoenician Woman's daughter is healed.
Many are healed in Decapolis and four thousand are fed.
The Pharisees demand a sign from Jesus at Magadan.
Peter's great confession and Jesus' first plain prediction of His crucifixion at Caesarea Philippi.
The transfiguration on a high Mountain.
Peter and the question of the temple tax.
The disciples arguing as to who shall be the greatest.
The unknown miracle worker discussed.
Jesus discusses the stumbling blocks.
We need to keep up with
the main theme of the Book of John and that is one of “Signs.”
Remember the seven signs of John.
1. Water to wine in chapter
2. Jesus is the master of quality!
2. Healing the official's son
in chapter 4. Jesus is the master of distance.
3. Healing the
invalid (38 years). Jesus is the master of time.
4. Feeding 5000
(ch. 6). Jesus is the master of quantity.
5. Walking on water
(ch. 6). Jesus is the master of natural law.
6. Healing the man
born blind. Jesus is the master of misfortune.
7. Raising
Lazarus. (ch. 11) Jesus is the master of death.
We have already
reviewed “sign” numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5. We
take an intermission before we review “sign” number six.
John 7 and 8
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Chapters 7 and 8 are bound together by their relation to the "Feast of Tabernacles." (See the Feast of Tabernacles [Booths]Here) For this reason we will treat chapter 7 and 8 as one unit. We will not deal with the story of the Woman caught in adultery (7:53-8:11) since that was inserted at a much later date and is not part of the original Gospel account. Here is a division of chapters 7 and 8 based on the topic of the material. This is somewhat arbitrary and only serves as a guide or overview of our subject matter. Look Here for the Feasts of the Tabernacle And also Here |
7:1-13 Jesus and the
question of attendance at the festival.
7:14-18 Jesus the
teacher: qualified or unqualified?
7:19-24 Jesus and the Law.
7:25-31 The Origin of Jesus.
7:32-36 The impending departure
of Jesus.
7:37-39 Jesus the Source of Living Water.
7:40-44
Divison among the People.
7:45-52 Division among the authorities.
8:12-20 Jesus the light of the world.
8:21-29 Jesus the One
from the World above.
8:30-36 The freedom of Jesus and the
slavery of the Jews.
8:37-40 The real Children of Abraham.
8:41-47 The children of God and the children of the devil.
8:48-58 The priority of Jesus over Abraham and the prophets.
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1After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world." 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come." 9After saying this, he remained in Galilee. 10But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, "Where is he?" 12And 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." 13Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him. |
I.After the miraculous
feeding of the 5000 Jesus taught His disciples semi-privately for
about 6 months. It seems that Jesus realized that if He went to Judea
the Jews seeking to kill Him might force the issue of His death
before the appointed time.
II. We can infer a great deal by
chapter 7 verse 1. It seems that Jesus did not attend the “Passover”
mentioned in 6:4. Some use this example to say that Jesus was not a
“righteous law keeper” but Jesus never claimed that every
law must be kept as we will see later when He taught Peter the lesson
on the Temple tax (Mt. 17:24-27).
III. Verse 2___The feast of
Tabernacles was to be celebrated by every grown male (here)
and (here)
on the 15th day of the 7th month. This is our
October. As noted in our other outlines, it is also called the “Feast
of Tents, The Feast of In gathering, The Festival of YHWH, or simply
the festival" (Ex. 23:26; Lev. 23:33-44; Num. 29). The trumpets
were blown each day of the feast; there was a ceremony of the
outpouring of water drawn from the pool of Siloam to commemorate the
miraculous water from the rock at Meribah (this Rock was Jesus) a
looking forward to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit by YHWH. There
was also the great candelabras that lite the entire city at night.
Four of them so large that ladders were required to reach them. Great
themes that Jesus taught during this celebration were “Jesus
the living Water, Jesus the Light of the World and the Coming of the
Holy Spirit.” There would have been over One million Jews in
town for this celebration. The smoke coming from the great altar at
the Temple where hundreds of animals were being offered truly must
have been a sight.
IV. Verses 3-5___It is here that we confront
one of the greatest proofs in the Bible for the resurrection of
Jesus. The brothers of the Lord, James, Joseph, Simon and Judas, (the
Mother of Jesus had other children cf. Mt. 13:55-56; 12: 46-50; Mk.
3:31, 6:3; Lk. 8:19; Jn. 2:12); advise Jesus to go to the Feast and
do His miraculous works there. They saw Him as a Miracle worker, but
not the Saviour of mankind. They did not believe He was the
Messiah even though they plainly knew of His
miracles. Now, here is the question that must be asked: How do we
go from brothers who do not believe in Jesus as the Saviour of
mankind to leaders of the church and martyrs who died for what they
believed? James was later killed for his beliefs and was the leader
of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15) and one who the Lord appeared to
after the resurrection! Judas (probably Jude) even wrote a letter in
the New Testament. What event took place that made the difference?
The resurrection of Christ” is the only possible explanation.
They witnessed it with their own eyes. V. Verse 6, 7 8__Jesus knew
the moment when it came (Jn.17:1) His brothers were friends of the
world for the world did not hate them (Jas. 4:4). Jesus dismisses the
brothers and tells them to go to the feast.
VI. Verse
8-10___Liberals have often used these verses as an example of a
mistake in the Bible but not so. Notice, in verse 8 Jesus says I am
not going to Feast but in verse 10 Jesus goes to the Feast. The
context of verse 8 demands that it should read “I go not up to
the Feast yet.” Modern manuscript discoveries have proved this
interpretation (it should read hupo instead of ouk)
VII___Verses 11-13___It should be plain from John 5:18 and
7:25 the reason for Jesus' secrecy. The Jewish official's were
dispatching officers to arrest Him. His brothers had departed so He
beckons the 12 to follow.
Jesus takes a road back through Samaria
that would not have been traveled by Jews going to the festival. We
will soon find Jesus teaching publicly in the Temple. Why this change
from being in secret to being in the open? Verses 12 and 13 tell us
that some people liked or worshiped Jesus. When Jesus makes it to the
Temple He is surrounded by well wishers making it harder for the
Jewish officials to pull off their stunt.
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14About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15The Jews therefore marveled, saying, "How is it that this man has learning when he has never studied?" 16So Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 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. 18The 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. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?" 20The crowd answered, "You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?" 21Jesus answered them, "I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23If 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? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment." |
A. In verse 14 we are
told that Jesus did not appear at the Feast until it was about half
over. According to Luke, prior to this Jesus spent some time in
Samaria (Lk. 9:51).
B. In verse 15 we find the attitude of the
Jews expressed. They “marveled” at the way Jesus spoke
since He was never educated. Of course, Jesus did have an education
called the Holy Spirit. However the point is well made. The sudden
inspiration methodology was not accepted in the days of Jesus and
should not be accepted now. Even the Jews knew one had to have some
kind of education! But the sudden inspiration crowd of the world
thinks they are superior to Jesus. They don't need the Holy Spirit as
Jesus had, they don't need the theological schools of the Rabbis,
these people just wake up one morning and get after it.
C. In
Verse 16__we find that we are correct. Jesus was teaching what the
Father “who sent Him” wanted Him to say. His teachings
were not His.
D. Verse 17___being a follower of God is more than
just knowing about God. There must be a total surrender of one's
stubborn will to the point that we want to obey (do the will of) God.
The plain New Testament teaching on this subject is that doing God's
will is a result of knowing Christ. Knowledge of Jesus leads to love
and obedience while on the other hand obedience leads to a full grown
knowledge and love (Eph. 4:11-16). A lifetime of Bible study is no
good if the person is out of harmony with the will of God.
E.
Verse 18___There is not but one real source of authority and that is
“God's Words.” All other teachings are only from humans
and have no authority. If we want to give God the glory that He
deserves, we stay in His Word.
F. Verse 19___Seeking to kill
Jesus was murder and a violation of the law of Moses (Exodus 20:13).
Is it not an interesting paradox that those who want to honor the law
are often the law's biggest violators? Here we have that paradox.
Jesus had made a man whole on the Sabbath (Jn. 5:1-8) and for that
they sought to kill him.
G. Verse 20-23___Yes, when we confront
someone with the truth about their behavior we are often accused of
having a “demon” in us as was Jesus. So what about this
hypocrisy of work on the Sabbath? If they permit the work of
circumcision to be done on the Sabbath and the Law of Moses is not
broken___how can they prohibit the healing of a man's body and soul
on that Sabbath? The Sabbath was given for the benefit of man.
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The Pharisees were fond of making Sabbath rules (not legislated in the law of Moses) for the people to be burdened with while they themselves used all sorts of devious means to get around their own traditions. Sabbath rules were not for the leaders, just as laws most of us have to live under today are not for Congress. The Pharisees enforced a tradition that no one was to travel over seven-eighths of a mile on the Sabbath. But the rulers could not afford to be bound by this tradition. They built little palm leaf booths all over the countryside and on the roads between villages every seven-eighths of a mile. If business or some other reason demanded it, they could travel from city to city just by going 7/8ths of a mile between booths. Now Jesus puts them on the defensive and shows their unjust judgment by illustrating their regulations about circumcism. |
H. Verse 24___Judge righteously__according to the truth___ Consider the real substance of the situation (I Sam. 16:7). Do not be so quick to condemn others for things we do ourselves. Yes, the Pharisees were also working on the Sabbath!
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Verse 24 is a command that tells us we must judge. We are so often told by the left that we must not judge yet here our Lord commands us to judge. There is no contradiction between this passage and Matt. 7:1. Jesus condemns unfair judgment or hypocritical judgment. |
Mixed Emotions Concerning Jesus
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25Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, "Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from." 28So 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. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me." 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, "When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?"32The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33Jesus then said, "I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come." 35The 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? 36What does he mean by saying,'You will seek me and you will not find me,' and, 'Where I am you cannot come'?" |
The Jerusalemites
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Ἱεροσολυμειτῶν· |
I. Verse 25 ___John uses the word Hiersolumton
or Jerusalemites in Greek to make a distinction between the
hostile rulers of the Jews (7:15), the crowds of pilgrims from
Galilee, Perea and Judea (7:20) and city dwellers or Jerusalemites.
II. It seems from the context that we have a well informed crowd
even to the intent of understanding about Jesus' impending execution
(Jn. 7:19). It is obvious that the Jerusalemites are “shocked “
at the boldness of Jesus preaching in the Temple to the point that
they question, “have the rulers been convinced that this is the
Christ”?
III. Verse 27___ Yet the people knew that this was
not the Christ. They knew where Jesus was from! It seems to have been
a popular theory that when the Christ did appear, no one would know
where He was from? On the other hand, it appears that at least some
of the Jews knew the Messiah was to be from Bethlehem (cf. Matthew
2:5 ; Jn. 7:42). Jesus in fact may have been correcting this very
theory in Matt. 24:23 when He said “Then if any man shall say
unto Him Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not” and
again some of the same message Matt. 24:26.
IV. Verse 29___time
after time in the New Testament Jesus said emphatically the people
did not know Him (Jn. 3:11; 5:;18; 37, 38; 6:42; 60-62' 8:19; 42,43,
8:55-59; 14:9). They knew His mother and His brothers and sisters but
they did not really know Jesus. Much like today, many accepted Jesus
as a “good man” and a “wise teacher” but not
God!
V. Verse 30___verse 30 tells us that something larger than
life is going on here. “No one laid a hand on Him because His
hour had not yet come.” Once again, Jesus had to wait until the
appointed time.
VI. Verse 31___in contrast to the Jerusalemites
who sought to kill Jesus many pilgrims to the feast “believed”
on Jesus. But, their materialistic attitude is revealed in the rest
of verse 31. “When the Christ comes will He do more signs than
this man”? In other words, they still believed He was a miracle
worker but not the Christ.
VII___In verse 32 ff, the Pharisees
are at it again. They seek to kill Jesus.
VIII__ Verse 33-34
Jesus speaks a fearful warning. They have decided to kill Him. Jesus
knows this and lets them know He is aware. Yet, ever with compassion
He tells them that the time will come when they will seek Him and yet
not be able to find Him. I think this is a reference to 70 A.D. A
time of great sorrow and tribulation when the Jews sought the
Messiah.
XI___Verse 35-36__The Jews are perplexed. They still
don't get the picture. It is interesting and perhaps a lesson for us
to notice that Jesus does not answer their question here. He simply
ignores them and moves on.
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Rivers
of Living Water |
The most joyful of all celebrations in Israel was the “Feast of Tabernacles.” The last day of the Feast was known as the “Great Day.”
Alfred Edersheim says of the three great feasts....the first is the Passover....spoke in the presentation of the first sheaf, of the founding of the church in its present state. The second is Pentecost and that represents the harvest of Acts 2nd chapter while the third (Tabernacles) points to the end and the final harvest. For more on the background of this feast see (Here).
III. Verses 37-39___The Rivers of Living water. This was on the last day of the Great Feast. What an appropriate time to remind those attending concerning salvation and the way a person is saved.
For a complete review
as to Jesus and the Living water see (here).
To the people this ceremony was both a prayer of thanksgiving and
supplication for the rains which brought the harvest. It was also
looking back to the water which sprang from the Rock (see Ist Cor.
10:4) when their fathers were in the wilderness. But our answer to
“the Rivers of Living water" is found in the Jewish
Mikvah.
In verse 39___verse 39 is prophetic of the indwelling
Spirit in all Christians (Acts 2:38 and Romans 8:1-7).
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Division Among the People |
Verse 40___when Jesus cried out at a noticeable
point during the ceremony many worshipers were ready to make a
declaration of one kind or another.
a. Some wanted to declare Him the Christ.
b. Others said He was a prophet.
But it did not take long for their emotional
instability and ignorance to show. They hastily made a judgment
assuming that Jesus originated in Galilee.
a. The Scriptures say that the Christ was to be born in David's
birthplace “Bethlehem (1st Sam. 16:1-4; Isa. 11:1; Jer.
23:5; Micah 5:2). The Scriptures also say that the Christ was to come
from the seed of David. There is some disagreement here on how Christ's
received his Davidic linage. Most think it came through Joseph but Mary
is also a candidate (see 2nd Sam. 7:12; Acts 2:30; Rom. 1:3;
2nd Tim. 2:8; Rev. 5:5). Scripture tells us that Jesus was
born according to the flesh, of the seed of David and Jesus' human
nature was not derived from Joseph since Jesus was born of the Spirit
through the virgin Mary.
We don't know who was the most hostile here but it is obvious that someone complained. There were officers present.
Verse 46___The officers state that they were amazed at the manner in which Jesus spoke and they give that reason as to why they did not arrest Jesus. The Pharisees think they have been fooled.
Verse 48___The Pharisees have just boasted that none of their group believed in Jesus but wait, one of their own now speaks up in defense of the Christ.
Verse 49-50. According to the Older version of College Press, the KJV and the ASV both read “search and see that out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.” The Bodmer II (P66) places a definite article before “prophet” and this relieves the Chief Priest and Pharisees from making a terrible error since there were many prophets from Galilee. (Jonah , II Kings 14:25; Jonah 1:1 and perhaps Hosea and Nahum). So it probably ought to read “the prophet.”