Rivers Of Living Water (John 7)

What kind of teacher was Jesus, cautious and weak or bold and confronting? Let’s look at John 7.

Did members of Jesus’ own family believe in Him? Do we have doubters in our families?

After this, Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, because he didn’t want to travel in Judea, since the Jewish leaders there were trying to kill him. Now the Jewish Festival of Tents [Tabernacles] was approaching. So his brothers told him, “You should leave this place and go to Judea, so that your disciples can see the actions that you’re doing, since no one acts in secret if he wants to be known publicly. If you’re going to do these things, you should reveal yourself to the world!” Not even his brothers believed in him. (John 7:1-5 ISV)

Why did the world hate Jesus? Do people still hate those who follow Him?

Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. (John 7:6-9 KJV)

Did Jesus eventually go up to the feast in Jerusalem in secret?

But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as in secret. So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and saying, “Where is He?” And there was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He leads the crowd astray.” Yet no one was speaking openly about Him for fear of the Jews. (John 7:10-13 LSB)

Did Jesus eventually teach in the temple area? What was the source of His teaching?

But when it was now the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple area, and began to teach. The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this Man become learned, not having been educated?” So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not My own, but His who sent Me. If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is of God, or I am speaking from Myself. The one who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. (John 7:14-18 NASB)

Why were they trying to break the law by murdering Jesus?

Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?” Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” (John 7:19-24 NIV)

Was Jesus rather bold? Did many believe in Him and His miracles?

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? However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.” 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.” 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?” (John 7:25-31 NKJV)

Did Jesus often speak in riddles of mystery that left people wondering?

When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus. But Jesus told them, “I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me. You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.” The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. “Where is he planning to go?” they asked. “Is he thinking of leaving the country and going to the Jews in other lands? Maybe he will even teach the Greeks! What does he mean when he says, ‘You will search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You cannot go where I am going’?” (John 7:32-36 NLT)