July 30/ August 6, 2017
INTRODUCTION:
1. There were three main annual feasts held at Jerusalem which the faithful of Israel celebrated.
a) The Passover was held in April.
b) Pentecost was held in June, fifty days after Passover.
c) The Feast of Tabernacles was held in October the last feast of the year.
2. The last time Jesus had been in Jerusalem was back in March, seven months before, when He was there for the Feast of Purim. (Ch. 5:1) The rulers had at that time plainly revealed their murderous intentions, thus Jesus escaped to Galilee. (Vs. 1)
3. The Synoptic Gospels record Jesus’ busy itinerary as He walked in Galilee preaching and healing.
4. Jesus’ first appearance in Jerusalem after the long absence would find the Jews’ hatred still strong and their desire to kill Him still unchanged.
5. The events of this chapter occurred with Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles.
I. FIRST, JOHN RECORDS THE INTERESTING EXCHANGE BETWEEN JESUS AND HIS NATURAL BROTHERS PRIOR TO HIS GOING UP TO JERUSALEM FOR THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES. (VRS. 1-9)
A. THIS IS PREFACED BY FACTS ALREADY IN EVIDENCE. (VERSE 1)
1. Jesus had been for seven months confirming His ministry in Galilee. (Verse 1a; Ch. 6:1)
2. The reason is clearly given. (Verse 1b)
3. During this period He would have quite understandably been more accessible to His natural family.
4. The mighty works which He did in Galilee were well known to His brethren, and had been witnessed by them.
B. JESUS’ BRETHREN URGED HIM TO TAKE THE OCCASION OF THIS FEAST TO PUBLICLY PROCLAIM HIMSELF MESSIAH. (VERSES 2-4)
1. This great feast promised a large gathering.
a) It had perhaps the largest attendance of all the feasts.
b) It was held in the month of October to celebrate the end of harvest.
c) The Jews built “tabernacles” or tents in which they lived for the week, pitching these temporary houses on rooftops in public squares, and along the roads.
2. His brethren pointed out that Jerusalem was the appropriate place for Messiah to be manifested.
3. They urged upon Him a public and official display of His Messianic powers.
4. Since so many of His followers in Galilee had left Him (Ch. 6:66), and in Judea He had more disciples than John, why not go to Jerusalem?
C. THOUGH WELL-INTENTIONED, THEIR SUGGESTION AROSE OUT OF UNBELIEF. (VERSE 5)
1. Just like most of the Galileans, they did not believe.
2. Just like the Judeans, they did not believe.
3. Later, however, some of them did believe, and some became prominent as Apostles.
D. JESUS REFUSED THEIR PROPOSAL AND GAVE THE REASON PROPHETICALLY. (VERSES 6-9)
1. First, Jesus stated that the time was not right. This proposal is similar to the request which His mother made, and His reason for refusing was the same. (Ch. 2:3, 4)
2. He then contrasted His time to their time. (Verse 6)
a) When He said, “my time” He was thinking of the time of His sacrificial death.
b) When He said, “your time” He had in mind the time when faithful Israelites would go up to the Feast.
c) He said, “My time is not yet come,” that is, the set time, determined by the Father for my death.
d) He said, “Your time is always ready,” that is, it was proper for them to go without hesitation.
3. He next contrasted the attitude of the world to them and Him. (Verse 7)
a) By “the world” He means the Jewish people generally.
b) It did not hate them, since they were one with it.
c) It did hate Him for He testified of its evil works.
4. He then contrasted their going up to the feast. (Verse 8)
a) They were to go up to the feast openly and publicly.
b) He would not be going up to this feast in their suggested manner, because to do so would be to die before His appointed time.
5. This all transpired while still in Galilee. (Verse 9)
II. JESUS’ DECISION NOT TO GO UP PUBLICLY TO THE FEAST IS VINDICATED. (VERSES 10-13)
A. ONCE HIS BRETHREN WERE GONE UP, HE WENT UP TO THE FEAST IN PRIVATE. (VERSE 10)
1. He did not go up in the public display manner His brothers recommended.
2. He went up as a prophet, not as the Messiah.
B. THERE WERE DIVISIONS AMONG THE PEOPLE RESPECTING HIM. (VERSES 11-13)
1. When Jesus arrived there were already different groups seeking Him. (Verse 11)
2. There was much talk about Him. (“murmuring” – various rumors)
3. Some said, “He is a good man,” that is, He is upright and sincere.
4. Others said, “He deceiveth the people.”
5. Although there was much “murmuring” (whispering, sharing various rumors) apparently there was some sort of gag order put in place by the authorities respecting Him. (Verse 13)
III. NEXT WE HAVE JOHN’S RECORD OF THE EVENTS WHICH TOOK PALCE DURING THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES. (VERSES 14-36)
A. JESUS SPOKE ABOUT THE NATURE OF HIS DOCTRINES. (VERSES 14-24)
1. He proves the heavenly origin of His teaching. (Verses 14-18)
a) As Jesus taught, the people were amazed at how He handled the Scriptures, having never been trained in their Rabbinical schools. (Verses 14, 15)
b) Jesus attributed His message to the One who sent Him on His mission. (Verse 16)
c) Every person, even the most unlearned, could prove the origin of Jesus teaching. (Verse 17)
(1) The test is whether or not a person truly wants to be holy. “If any man will do His will…”
(2) If so, that desire will lead him to Christ, and to the truth of the Gospel.
d) The teaching of Jesus tends to the glory of God alone. (Verse 18)
(1) From its aim one can determine its origin.
(2) That the Gospel proceeds from God is seen in that everything in it has a view to His glory.
(3) Jesus, not seeking His own glory, shows that He surely comes from God.
(4) The fact of His origin demonstrates His absolute righteousness.
2. He proves the righteous nature of His actions. (Verses 19-24)
a) Jesus showed how every one of them was sometimes guilty of placing himself above the Law of Moses. (Verse 19a)
(1) He is not arguing that since all break the law, He was no worse than others who break the law.
(2) He was arguing that, even if they were not wrong, and He had violated the Sabbath, how was that to be considered a capital offence any more than their many offences; or their seeking to kill Him, in violation of the law?
b) Therefore, they were absolutely wrong in trying to prosecute Him as a capital offender of the law. (Verse 19b)
c) The crowd objected to the assertion that His life was being sought. (Verse 20) Apparently the common people knew nothing about the design of their rulers.
d) Jesus next applied His former argument. (Verses 22, 23)
(1) He was referring to their making a scandal out of His healing a man on the Sabbath. (Vse. 21; Ch. 5:1-16)
(a) He referred to it not as a miracle, but “one work!”
(b) It was but one compared to their many.
(2) He proved His justification from the provision of the law concerning circumcision. (Verses 22, 23)
(a) Circumcision did not originate with the law, but with the fathers.
(b) Moses did not hesitate to command circumcision, even when it broke the Sabbath.
(c) Why then should they have condemned Christ, who had only acted according to the spirit of the Law of Moses?
e) Jesus appealed to them to exercise righteous judgment. (Verse 24)
(1) By this He meant consider more than the external formal side of things.
(2) By this He meant consider the spirit as well as the letter.
(3) Doing good should always take precedence over the mere letter of the law.
B. JESUS DECLARED HIS PERSONAL ORIGIN. (VERSES 25-30)
1. The open boldness of Jesus was quite surprising to some who, unlike some who came from without, were aware of the intentions of the rulers to kill Him. (Verses 25, 26; Comp. Vs. 20)
2. They were, it would seem, forming a favorable opinion of Jesus. (Verse 26)
3. However, this view was soon silenced, being overridden by the popular opinion that prevailed. (Verse 27)
4. Jesus forcefully defended His mission and His Person. (Verses 28, 29)
a) He did this forcefully, in that, He “cried” using loud elevated voice, and He did so “in the temple.”
b) He did this by direct speech, declaring His Divine origin and mission, and exposing their ignorance of God, as revealed in their attitude toward Him.
c) He declared His personal intimate knowledge of God. (Verse 29)
5. His forceful declaration received a mixed response. (Verse 30, 31)
a) The rulers and those associated with them attempted to arrest Him. (Verse 30a)
b) They failed because Jesus could not die before the time decreed by God. (Verse 30b)
c) Many of the common people believed on Him. (Verse 31)
(1) They believed that Messiah would come.
(2) They believed that Jesus answered His description.
(3) They believed that Jesus was Messiah.
C. JESUS ANNOUNCED HIS COMING END (HIS DEATH AND ASCENSION) AS A WARNING. (VRS. 32-36)
1. While some were coming to faith (Verse 31), others became more adamant against Jesus. (Verse 32)
2. With those who came to take Him, (evidently without definite arrest orders) Jesus pled earnestly not to let their opportunity pass them by. (Verses 33, 34)
3. The Jews ironically pronounce a prophecy. (Verses 35, 36)
a) Rejected by the only true Jews, Jesus would go to the Jews dispersed among Gentiles, and yes, to the Gentiles, too.
b) What they said in irony is exactly what God caused to happen by the time John wrote his Gospel. (Jn. 11:49-52)
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