The Life and Ministry of Christ, Part 27

After sending out the seventy-two disciples, Jesus began His journey toward Jerusalem.

Luke 9:51NKJV Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.

Knowing that His time was nearing, Jesus started toward Jerusalem. As He went, he passed through Galilee and Samaria. When He entered the village of the Samaritans, they rejected Him. In John 6, He healed many, fed five thousand, walked on water and told His disciples that He was the bread from heaven. After He said that His body was meat and His blood was drink, many of His disciples defected.

Jesus’ brothers do not believe – John 7:1-9

John 7:1 NKJV After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.

The events in John 6 took place shortly before Passover, which happens the fourteenth day of April. The spring feasts were Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost and the fall feasts included Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and Tabernacles. These seven feasts set apart time for worship, celebration and sacrifice. The Feast of Tabernacles happens throughout the seventh month. The Feast of Tabernacles was a celebration that God dwells with His people. During the six-month period from Passover to the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus traveled in Galilee and dispatched the seventy-two disciples.

John 7:2-3 NKJV Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.”

Mark 6:3 tells us Jesus’ brothers were James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. They had faced the criticism in their Synagogue about Jesus the carpenter. The Nazareth synagogue had rejected Jesus because His brothers and sisters were with them.

John 7:4–5 NKJV “For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

His unbelieving brothers wanted Him to go to the religious capital of Jerusalem and settle the Messianic question. They wanted Him to show off His glory, if He was indeed Who He said He was. Remember, the prevailing belief was that when the Messiah came, He would establish His kingdom on earth.

John 7:6–7 NKJV Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.”

His brothers could come and go without any significance, but Jesus was living on a time schedule that was appointed by the Father. John made note several times that Jesus’ time had not yet come. (John 2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20). Now He headed to Jerusalem for His time was near.

John 7:8–9 NKJV You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.

His brothers wanted Jesus to go up to the feast with them so they could address the issues they felt were necessary.

Christ secretly goes to the Feast – John 7:10-13

John 7:10–11 NKJV But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?”

Jesus went up to the Feast secretly because there were plots to kill Him, (John 7:1, 25). Notice that the atmosphere in Jerusalem was charged with debates and complaints about Who Jesus really was. Seeing all that He accomplished, it is difficult to believe that He had ministered throughout Israel and Judea for only two and a half years. The number of miracles and dramatic healings had been amazing.

John 7:12-13 NKJV And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.” However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

There were many varying ideas about the Messiah and who He really was. These varying ideas caused the crowds to draw several conclusions about Jesus.

This chapter presents many conclusions about Jesus.

• John 7:5 – He was not who He said He was.
• John 7:12 – He was a good man.
• John 7:40 – He was a prophet.
• John 7:20 – He was a deluded madman with a demon.

Consider the fact that He chose a cross when He could have had a throne. He washed His disciples’ feet when they should have been kneeling at His feet. He came to serve when He should have been served. He turned the world’s standards upside down.

• John 7 – He was a seducer of the people and perverting the nation.

The Jewish authorities said He was leading people astray from true religion. He was accused of being a Sabbath-breaker, a drunkard and glutton, having degenerate friends,  destroying their pure religion.

• John 7:26 – He was a man of courage.
• John 7:46 – No man ever spoke like this Man!
• John 7:26, 27, 31, 41, 42 – He is the Christ.
• John 7:13 – They were afraid to talk about Him.
• John 7:31 – Some believed what they saw and heard.
• John 7:50 – Nicodemus defended Jesus to the council.

With these varying conclusions being discussed, Jesus went into the temple and taught openly, (John 7:14-52).

His doctrine – authority – John 7:14-21

John 7:14–15 NKJV Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”

They could not understand where Jesus achieved His learning and wisdom for He spoke as one who had authority. They considered “one who had authority” to be a graduate of one of their religious schools and student of a notable rabbi. They knew that He had never been to one of their religious schools, and yet the breadth and depth of His knowledge amazed them. They did not know where He could have gained such wisdom and knowledge without formal training. No rabbi had instructed Him or claimed Him to be their student. So they questioned, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?” This Galilean carpenter, without training, was daring to quote and explain Moses and the Law to them.

John 7:16–17 NKJV Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

Jesus is showing them where He got His authority.

John 14:10 NKJV The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.

John 7:18–19 NKJV He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”

John 7:20 NKJV The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”

They were determined to kill Him because He did not conform to their expectations and because He questioned their actions, which they considered a violation of the Law. In John 7:23 – Jesus  said, “You are angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath.”  He told the lame man to take up his bed and walk on the Sabbath, (John 5:8-16). Jesus’ actions did not fit in with their traditional teaching and orthodoxy. He did things on the Sabbath that they did not allow.

Origin from the Father – John 7:25-31

After their previous questions about His authority, there were some who became more angry with Him.

John 7:25–26 NKJV Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?

John 7:27 NKJV However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”

Everyone was surprised to see Jesus preaching in the Temple courts and that the authorities were taking no action against Him. The crowds assumed that Jesus was only a carpenter from Galilee. Jesus is more than a Galilean carpenter. He is the Divine Logos Who was born of a virgin in Bethlehem.

John 7:28–29 NKJV Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”

John 7:30–31 NKJV Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. And many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”

Departure to the Father – John 7:32-36

John 7:32 NKJV The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.

The Pharisees were an important religious group of Judaism that numbered about 6,000 men. They held a strict interpretation of the Law and embraced many oral traditions. They felt they were the true guardians of Jewish traditions. They concluded that something had to be done with Jesus.

John 7:33–34 NKJV Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.”

None of them understood where He could go that they could not find Him. They thought He might have been planning to teach the Greeks.

Living Water – John 7:37-39

The Jews had a ceremony of carrying water from the Pool of Siloam and pouring it into a silver basin by the altar of burnt offering for seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles. The water ceremony was done in connection with the harvest to represent God’s provision and hope for future restoration. The water was poured out while the worshippers sang the Hallelujah psalms. On the eighth day they did not carry water.

John 7:37–38 NKJV On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

John 7:39 NKJV But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Confused Over Christ – John 7:40-52

After saying this, the division and confusion over Christ intensified. Some said, “Truly, this is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” Still others wondered how He could be the Christ since He came from Galilee.

John 7:44-46 NKJV Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him. Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”

The division and confusion about Jesus rose to the degree that some of the Pharisees wondered if some of the leaders were also deceived by Him.

John 7:50–51 NKJV Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”

The division and confusion was so great that the meeting broke up and everyone went to his house.