Teaching at the Feast John 7:1-24
Chapter 6 of John covered about one year of ministry in Galilee, which is the main thrust covered in the entirety of the synoptic gospels, which are Matthew, Mark and Luke). Two Passovers and one unidentified feast have been mentioned in John thus far and now the Feast of Tabernacles is cited in the beginning of John 7. This begins Jesus’ third and final trip to Jerusalem.
We begin with John 7:1-2 (NKJ): “After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. 2 Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles (or “Feast of Booths” or “Ingathering”) was at hand.”
The Setting
The Feast of Tabernacles was the longest festival of the Jewish year, lasting seven days, and followed five days after the Day of Atonement, which the Jews celebrated on September 22-23 this year. This feast for the Jews ended on October 5, just past. It was a celebration at the end of harvest time, celebrating God’s gracious provision for the children of Israel in the desert and included a ceremonial water offering commemorating the provision of water for them during their desert wanderings. (We will see that in 7:37-39. The people would build temporary lean-tos, or “booths” out of interwoven branches in which they would live.
Note that the context of John 7 follows the teachings of Jesus teaching concerning himself as the Bread from Heaven: John 6:35: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” Believing and following Jesus as Savior and Lord is the only way for forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. Jesus would become the atonement for sin as the sacrificial Lamb of God and life in Him is by a birth or life from above by faith alone.
Look at verses 3-5: “His brothers (Jesus’ half-brothers through Mary and Joseph) therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly (or publicly). If You do these things, show Yourself to the world." 5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.”
The thought here from Jesus’ brothers is that since so many people abandoned Jesus in Capernaum in rural Galilee, they are suggesting that Jesus bring His powers to public display to the center of religious life in Jerusalem where there were more people and a greater opportunity to attract followers with His spectacular miracles. Jesus of course knew the hearts of man and that a response to miracles does not constitute genuine saving faith. For example, His own brothers, members of His own household still failed to grasp the true significance of Jesus’ signs, namely, that He had come as THE MESSIAH from heaven to die for the sins of those who would believe and follow Him.
Listen to Jesus’ response in verses 6-10:
6 Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come." 9 When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee. 10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
Did Jesus change His Mind or Lie? NO
This is an instance where critics of the Lord Jesus say that Jesus either told a lie to His disciples or He changed His mind, which would indicate that He was not perfect, but neither of those explanations fit the text. Jesus’ “time” in this case is NOT His “hour”. The word used for “time” here could be understood as “a fitting time or situation”; what the text actually tells us is this: He is telling His disciples that they can go up to Jerusalem any time they want, anytime that they choose, but He, Himself is under the strict timetable set by the Father not on the whims and wishes of humanity. He knows that “HIS HOUR” to bring the greatest Glory on the Cross to die for sinful humanity is yet in the future, so to attend the Feast, and to go to Jerusalem too early, He might not accomplish what the Father desires Him to accomplish during this feast of Tabernacles. So He lays back for a little bit.
Afterward Jesus appears at the feast in a way fewer people notice Him and He doesn’t make a “grand entrance” as a publicity stunt as some of His disciples had suggested. Look at the following verses.
11 Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, "Where is He?" 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." 13 However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews. 14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.
This occasion is only months before Jesus’ last Passover. In Malachi 3:1, it said: “The Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to His temple.” This is exactly what Jesus did: He did not come in a processional with His disciples; He did not come to the temple according to the will of men, but He explicitly waited on His Father’s perfect will and timing and appeared in the temple and did what He was supposed to do: Teach fallen mankind the ways of God, appearing as God in the Flesh as the very WORD of God, the mouth of God on earth. He TAUGHT others about the will of God in salvation.
The Teaching at the Feast
Here is what Jesus taught at the feast: 15 And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters having never studied?" (How has He become learned in rabbinical knowledge when He has never been schooled in rabbinical studies? Jewish teachers would always refer to certain rabbinical interpretations when they taught; they would say, “according to Rabbi “so-and-so” this verse means the following.” It is what Mark wrote in Mark 1: 22: “And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.” Luke 432 put it this way: “And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. Jesus didn’t have to cite any rabbi or teacher in His interpretations of scripture. He taught with the authority and will of the Highest Authority in His teaching. Listen!
Verse 16 Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine (it wasn’t HIS OWN), but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 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. 19 Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?"
JESUS speaks this question in a way which would expect the answer to be an emphatic, “YES!” but that is not the case.
20 The people answered and said, "You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?" 21 Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 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? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
Jesus again unmistakably identifies Himself with the Father God of Heaven. The reason that He could teach with authority is that the Father had given Him Heavenly authority and knowledge from all eternity. Jesus had DIRECT knowledge and wisdom from God Himself. The Feast of Tabernacles commemorated God’s Gracious Provision for His chosen people in the wilderness, and in the same way, Jesus would provide the Bread of Life for God’s chosen. Jesus appears as the Manna from Heaven, and He would give Himself as God’s food from Heaven, giving life to starving souls that would otherwise be forever death.
Jesus speaks and teaches on God’s authority alone. He is not a false prophet who should be executed but He is the authority from the Father who deserves and commands to be followed. It’s amazing how much grace and mercy is exercised today in the Church compared to the Old Testament; False teachers abound today with freedom to exercise their deceptions, and yet the Son of Glory was crucified BECAUSE He taught nothing BUT the Truth. There was no unrighteousness in Him.
This week again in my readings, I read how some congregations actually boast that they do not teach “doctrine”. The word “doctrine” in verse 16 is many times translated “teaching”, and that is correct. Doctrine is teaching and we teach what God taught through the very words of Jesus. The word in the Greek is “didache” and means teachings, instruction. The verb is “didasko” meaning: to teach one, to impart instruction, instill doctrine into one. The last words In Matthew 28:19-20 to those who follow Jesus were these: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them (DIDASKO) to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
The people charged Jesus with being demon-possessed in the same way that they had charged John the Baptist but Jesus once again calls attention to the real hero of Israel, namely Moses. The Jewish people held him in the highest of honor and esteem, and were proud that they God had given the law to them through Moses. The problem was not that they did not know the Law; the problem was that they could not keep the Law! The leaders charged Jesus with breaking the Sabbath law when He brought COMPLETE healing to a man, both body and soul, but the leaders did not consider themselves guilty by performing a purely outer procedure of circumcision on the Sabbath, a work which had no impact on one’s spiritual life.
You can almost hear the anger and frustration of Jesus in verse 24 when He gives the command: “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." The literal translation in the imperative would read: STOP JUDGING ACCORDING TO APPEARANCE or “face”. This certainly was not a new teaching: All the way back in the choice for a king in Israel we read in I Samuel 16:7: “For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” The leaders judged Jesus’ miracle on “face value”- They said: “How dare you perform a work of healing on the Sabbath.”
They failed to see who He was, namely the LORD OF THE SABBATH, and the people saw Him only as a Sabbath-breaker instead of the One and Only who had come to FULFILL the Sabbath. It is only in Christ that we can rest from working to keep the law outwardly for our salvation and BELIEVE in the One who would DIE for our breaking of God’s perfect law.
They failed to see that Jesus was the Messiah come from heaven. Jesus knew THEIR hearts and a death sentence hung over Jesus’ head. We KNOW that Jesus is the Sovereign Son of God, the Messiah and that He died for our unholy hearts. Is that most valuable Good News concerning your Savior and Lord precious to you? Jesus CAME TEACHING us so that we would GO OUT TEACHING others. We are to disciple and teach others all that we have learned from Him. He gives us discernment to look beyond the physical appearances and if we are to become better teachers (and this is what I found myself): If we are to become teachers we have to become better students.
Praise God that we have been given new hearts that long to be servants in the Kingdom of the Most High God, and that He did not judge us according to our sinful appearances but saved us and changed us by His Mercy and Grace. We know the Lord Jesus as our Savior Redeemer who saved us to serve Him. Lord grant us strength and courage to be faithful to Your will for our lives.
OUTLINE
I. The Setting of the Story (1-10): The Disciples suggested that Jesus bring His powers to public display to attract followers.
II. Did Jesus change His Mind or Lie? (11-14) Jesus is under the strict timetable set by the Father not on the whims and wishes of humanity.
III. Jesus’ teaching at the Feast (15-24)
A. The Feast of Tabernacles commemorated God’s Provision for helpless people even as Jesus is the Manna from Heaven.
B. Jesus speaks and teaches on God’s authority alone.
C. The people saw Jesus only as a Sabbath-breaker instead of the One and Only who had come to FULFILL the Sabbath.
D. Jesus CAME TEACHING so that we would GO OUT TEACHING.(Matt 28:19-20)
