Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.
John 7
What should I learn from this chapter?
- Jesus’ Identity? – Son of God, Prophet, Messiah, Teacher, Healer, or Criminal?
If you don’t believe in Mary’s virgin birth, then you must believe that Jesus was a bastard child. There are no other choices. One brings eternal life and the other eternal damnation. - What do you believe?
Jesus’ Brothers Disbelieve
John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the (ruling authorities) Jews sought to kill Him.
- Jerusalem, the Jewish leaders, and the temple are in Judea.
John 7:2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.
John 7:3 His brothers (Joseph and Mary’s biological sons) therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.
John 7:4 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.”
John 7:5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
- What did they believe about their mother?
John 7:6 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.
John 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.
John 7:8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.”
- Jesus’ agenda was not his brother’s agenda. He went to the feast halfway through the seven feast days.
John 7:9 When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.
- Note: His brothers knew his life was in jeopardy but they mocked the fact that He wasn’t showing Himself to the Jews … Yet, He claimed to be “the Son of God”! If you are the Son of God, why would you have to hide?
- Their thoughts did not comprehend that He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth, as John the Baptizer said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
- Revelation 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
The Heavenly Scholar
John 7:10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast (of Tabernacles), not openly, but as it were in secret.
John 7:11 Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?”
John 7:12 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.”
- Is Jesus just “good”? Just being a good person is still being a sinner.
- Is Jesus a deceiver?
John 7:13 However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews (Jewish leaders).
John 7:14 Now about the middle of the feast (of Tabernacles) Jesus went up into the temple and taught.
John 7:15 And the Jews (Jewish scholars) marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”
John 7:16 (So) Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.
John 7:17 If anyone wills to do His (God’s) will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I (Jesus) speak on My own authority.
John 7:18 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.
John 7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”
John 7:20 The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”
- They believe He is demonic!
John 7:21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did (only) one work, and you all marvel.
John 7:22 Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you (are willing to) circumcise a man on the Sabbath.
John 7:23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the Law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?
John 7:24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
Could This Be the Christ?
John 7:25 Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill?
- It wasn’t a secret their intention was to kill Him. Yet they not only deny it but accuse Him of having demons. This is the definition of evil, deny your sin and blame others for it.
John 7:26 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 However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ (the looked for Savior, the Messiah) comes, no one knows where He is from.”
John 7:28 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.
John 7:29 But I know Him (the Father God), for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”
John 7:30 Therefore they sought to take Him (Have him killed, after denying it); but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
John 7:31 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?”
Jesus and the Religious Leaders
John 7:32 The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.
John 7:33 Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.
John 7:34 You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I AM you cannot come.”
John 7:35 Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?
John 7:36 What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
John 7:37 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.
John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
John 7:39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those (who would be) believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (crucified and risen from the dead with a glorified body).
Who Is He?
John 7:40 Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is THE Prophet.”
A Prophet Like Moses
John 7:41 Others said, “This is the Christ.”
But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee?
John 7:42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”
John 7:43 So there was a division among the people because of Him.
John 7:44 Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
Rejected by the Authorities
John 7:45 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?”
John 7:46 The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”
John 7:47 Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived?
John 7:48 Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?
John 7:49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”
John 7:50 Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them,
John 7:51 “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”
John 7:52 They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”
- They forgot about Jonah!
- Jonah 1:1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai.
- Matthew 12:39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
- Luke 11:30 For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. (As the past…so also the prophetic future).
- 2 Kings 14:25 He restored the territory of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from Gath Hepher (in Galilee).
If you don’t believe in Jesus, then you have to question Mary’s virgin birth… and THAT is the unforgivable sin, for it was the Holy Spirit who came upon Mary. That is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
An Adulteress Faces the Light of the World
John 7:53 And everyone went to his own house.
- The leaders have something planned that will put Jesus in a predicament of blackmail that puts His mother in danger. Will He be able to escape? See John Chapter 8
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