Tyndale Open Study NotesJohn 7

This chapter describes Jesus at the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus used parts of the feast to reveal his true identity to his fellow Jews and to show that he had fulfilled the feast's essential meaning (see 7:37–39; 8:12).

The law of Moses required Jewish men to come to the temple for the Feast of Tabernacles (Exodus 23:14–17; Deuteronomy 16:16). This annual seven-day autumn harvest feast happened in Jerusalem six months after Passover (John 6:4).

During the feast, people lived in temporary shelters to remember the tents Israel used during their 40 years in the wilderness.

The brothers of Jesus reminded him of his religious duty to go to the festival (see also Mark 3:31). Their words carried a cynical tone because at this time they did not believe in him (John 7:5).

My time has not yet come: Jesus said that it was not the right time for him to go publicly to Jerusalem.

Later, however, he did go to the city. He went quietly and not in a public way (7:10; compare study note on 12:23).

They wondered how he could teach with such understanding.

Jesus had not studied under a well-known rabbi (a Jewish teacher of the law). Instead, he said that his teaching came from his heavenly Father.

This was different from many Jewish teachers. For example, Peter and John were known as untrained men (Acts 4:13). In contrast, Paul had studied under a respected teacher (Acts 22:3).

People who truly want to follow God's will accept Jesus and his teachings (see also 5:42–47).

In contrast, those who focus only on the values and desires of this world are not open to Christ. When people care more about human approval, power, or temporary success, they struggle to receive his message.

Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps it: The Jewish leaders were proud of the law of Moses. They believed they carefully obeyed it.

However, Jesus pointed out a serious problem. While they honored the law in words, they were planning to kill him. In doing so, they were breaking the law (Exodus 20:13).

You have a demon: See 8:48–52; 10:20–21.

The law required circumcision on the eighth day (Leviticus 12:3). It allowed a boy to be circumcised even if that day was the Sabbath.

Jesus argued in the way many rabbis did. They reasoned from the lesser to the greater. If a smaller religious act, such as circumcision, was allowed on the Sabbath, then a greater act, such as making a whole person well, should also be allowed.

Some people in the crowd believed they knew where Jesus came from. Because they could trace his earthly origins, they thought he could not be the Messiah.

They expected the Messiah to appear suddenly and in a mysterious way. Since Jesus had grown up among them, they assumed he did not fit their expectations.

I am from Him: Instead of answering questions about where he grew up (7:27, 40–44), Jesus spoke about where he truly came from. He pointed to his heavenly origin.

He said that he was sent by God. This was a bold claim.

The religious leaders understood what he meant. Because of this, they tried to arrest him. They believed he was speaking in a way that dishonored God (7:30; compare 10:30–33).

His hour had not yet come: Those who opposed Jesus could not arrest him. This was because, according to God's plan, the time for Jesus to be glorified on the cross had not yet come (see study note on 12:23; see also 10:17–18; 18:6–8).

All four arrest scenes in 7:1–8:59 emphasize that Jesus was in control, not the Jewish leaders.

• Jesus announced his return to the one who sent him, the Father in heaven (17:1–7). But the Pharisees misunderstood him. They thought he was leaving Judea to visit the Gentiles (non-Jewish people). These were people whom Pharisees would never visit.

• After Jesus returned to the Father, the Jewish leaders would no longer be able to find him.

• and where I am, you cannot come: These Pharisees, still in spiritual darkness, could not enter heaven. So Jesus would be beyond their reach there.

• Living water: See 4:10–14. A water ceremony was held each day during the Feast of Tabernacles, with prayer for God to send rain in the late autumn.

  The final day, called the great day, was the feast's most important moment. On this day, they repeated the ceremony seven times. They poured water over the altar while Levites sang Isaiah 12:3 (see Zechariah 14:8; see also Mishnah Sukkah chapter 4).

• If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink: Jesus fulfilled an important part of the Feast of Tabernacles. He himself is the source of living water, available to anyone who believes.

In the death and resurrection of Jesus, his life was given for others, and the Holy Spirit was given to believers.

When Jesus was crucified, blood and water flowed from his side (see 19:34). This event points to the gift of life that comes through his death.

After he rose from the dead, he breathed on his disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit (20:22). In this way, his life and the Spirit were poured out for his followers.

These Jews were not like the crowd who thought the Christ (the Messiah) would have a mysterious appearance (7:25–27). They believed the prophecy that God's chosen ruler would come from Bethlehem in Judea (see Micah 5:2). However, they struggled with the fact that Jesus seemed to be from Galilee, where he grew up.

• The story ends with Jewish leaders feeling frustrated and the people being divided over their opinion of Jesus (compare 7:25–27, 31–32).

• officers returned: See 7:32.

Nicodemus was likely starting to believe in Jesus (see 3:1–21; 19:38–42). Some leaders claimed that none of the Pharisees believed in Jesus (7:48). They spoke as if only the crowd, whom the leaders believed did not understand the law, supported him.

However, Nicodemus shows that this was not completely true. Not only the people in the crowd, but also some Pharisees were beginning to believe in him.

no prophet comes out of Galilee: The Jewish leaders were apparently unaware that Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judea, not in Galilee (see Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:1–7).

It is likely that someone added this story to John's Gospel later, since it is not in the earliest Greek manuscripts. However, it is likely a true story from the life of Jesus.