JOHN

Chapter 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21

John Chapter 7

• John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. 

The trouble with mankind has always been man-made religion. It may start out with true religion from God but sooner or later we tend to add to what God gives or subtract from what God says. People in that day had the law of God given by Moses but they placed more emphasis on the outward ceremonies and ordinances such as washing and cleansing and ignored the law of love and compassion. Outward rituals and ordinances without an inward pure heart, is a waste of time.

Thus we see every time Jesus did something good by setting someone free from the bondage of disease or sin, they found fault. They sought to kill Jesus because He was a threat to their religious hold on the people. Their livelihood depended on the people's tithes and offerings. 

Many religions use fear and domination to control people. Instead of gently leading people into proper worship of God, they desired to control people instead and the people stay in bondage and fear instead of being free in their worship toward God. 

After Christ came the need for rituals and ceremonies ceased because He fulfilled all the law and made the perfect sacrifice for sin. We no longer need any other intercessor other than Jesus Christ. He made the way for us to be able to worship God without a prophet or priest to worship for us.

We can worship. We may still need pastors to lead us and gently lead us in worship so that people do not follow false leaders, but the need for someone to do our praying for us, is gone. Pastors still have to teach God's word, instruct in righteousness, etc. but they are not to control, force or threaten any believer. Good leadership is important because without godly order people can have chaos and then anything goes. Now at least in free countries, if any religious leader becomes a tyrant, we can always leave and go somewhere else.

• John 7:2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand. 
• 3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. 
• 4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world. 
• 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him. 

The natural brothers of Jesus figured that if He was for real, why didn't He take over and openly show everyone who He was instead of keeping a low profile. That is why they did not believe in Him before His resurrection. After His resurrection they became believers.

Many of the Jews were expecting a powerful military leader as the Messiah instead of one who came to save them from sin. This is why many rejected Him as the Messiah. They were looking for victory as a nation over the oppression of the Romans.

Actually this is what Jesus will accomplish at His second coming but for now the way to save souls from sin was the greater need. What profit would it be to gain the whole world and lose their souls for eternity. The salvation of the soul is the first priority of any true religion or work of God. 

We might gain military victories temporarily but when we die in sin, that's it, there is no salvation but eternity in hell. Jesus came the first time to make an offering for sin by offering up Himself as a perfect sinless sacrifice without spot or blemish. It was the only way to give eternal salvation to the lost souls plunging into hell because they died in their sins.

Jesus came to remove that sin and make all who believe free from sin. Sin is what sends a soul to hell. When the penalty for sin is removed through our faith in Jesus Christ, His death, burial and resurrection, we are then born again by the spirit of God and have eternal life. This is the gospel that we should be preaching. The salvation of individual souls is the message of the gospel, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Repent means to turn away from sin and turn to Jesus for forgiveness and deliverance from sin. 

• John 7:6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready. 
• 7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. 

At that time His brothers did not believe in Him so the world at that time did not hate them but the world will hate anyone that testifies that it is evil. That is why the world hated Christ. Most people do not want to be told that they have sinned and need to repent. 

• John 7:8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. 

If He went up openly before time, He would be put to death before the time came for Him to become that offering for the sin of the whole world. 

• John 7:9 When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. 
• 10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 
• 11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? 

They were looking for Jesus to come with His brothers and family members.

• John 7:12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. 

This is a reaction to any man who represents God. Jesus had to be for real or He had to be a deceiver. There was no middle ground. However, Jesus knew that He was to die a horrible death because He spoke of it many times to warn His disciples. Why would someone want to die in such a way for a lie and deception? A new thought came to me just now and that is perhaps Jesus by coming this way was protecting His family from being persecuted.

• John 7:13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews. 

Fear of man instead of the fear of God is dangerous. It not only hinders the preaching of the truth but it could cause one to lose His soul. 

• John 7:14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. 

This is why another reason and probably the main reason Jesus had to come secretly and not with His brothers. He wanted to be able to teach and expound the word of God before He was to be killed. Jesus used every minute He could to further the message of the kingdom of God to come. 

• John 7:15 And the Jews marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? 
• 16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 

God the Father sent Jesus to save the lost and bring His message to the world. Jesus never worked apart from His Heavenly Father. The doctrine He preached was straight from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob of the Old Testament. 

• John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 

Here is the answer to why some believe and some do not believe. This is the answer to why some understand and others miss the message and remain in darkness. If any do the will of God, he or she shall know of the doctrine and whether it is from God of whether Jesus was speaking of Himself. We know now that Jesus was not out for Himself but to obey the will of His Father. 

• John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 

Sheep know the voice of their shepherd. If we really are seeking the truth, if we really desire to be in Christ, if we really want freedom from the bondage of sin and if we really desire to follow the Lord, we will know His voice.

• John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 
• 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

We will know the truth if we continue in His word. We see so many departing from the authority of the word of God accepting only what they want to accept. We cannot do this and know the truth. We must accept the whole word of God and not just part. The minute we start to depart from the word as the final authority, we open ourselves up to deception. The first will of the Father is that we believe in His Son Jesus. To believe in someone means to accept, obey and believe His words. 

• John 7:18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. 

Now those that preach, teach and represent God has this same test applied to them. If they seek their own glory and speak of themselves, we can doubt whether they are from God. If they seek only to glorify Jesus and speak the word that He commands, then we can listen to them if they bear the fruits of the spirit and do not give into the desires of the flesh by seeking followers after themselves. Do we have pastors that want to lord over the people, controlling them and desiring their admiration or do we have pastors that want to bring us to Jesus so that Jesus becomes Lord over our lives? 

Beware of anyone who claims that you have to follow them, obey them or join their organization in order to be saved or go to heaven. This means any church, religion or person who makes such a claim. 

Jesus is the way of salvation, Jesus is the door, the way, the truth and the life. There is no salvation outside of Jesus. It's okay to join a church but you don't have to join any church to be saved. Jesus is the way. 

Beware of anyone who says you have to do this and work at that or partake of a ceremony, sacrament, or water baptism to be saved. Jesus is the way of salvation. No one can come to the Father except through Jesus. 

It is a gift of God to those who believe. We can't earn it by knocking on doors or doing good deeds. We can't do good deeds to be saved. Good deeds are to follow salvation because we love others and want them to be saved but the actual good deeds do not earn us salvation. Jesus paid the price for that at His death on the cross. It is a free gift to all who would believe it. Saying that though, I will say that signs will follow them that believe and the fruits of the spirit should be present. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance which is self control.

• John 7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? 

They only made an outward show that they obeyed the law. Their emphasis was on outward religion rather than that which comes from the heart.

• John 7:20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee? 
• 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. 
• 22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. 
• 23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? 
• 24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. 

If we do this, we can avoid false accusations and assumptions about people. Jumping to conclusions by judging by appearances can deceive us. The Pharisees watched Jesus to see if He would break any point of the law of God. Healing on the Sabbath was the accusation they held against Jesus.

They forgot the most important part of God's law and that was to love thy neighbor as thyself. 
How can one love his neighbor and not want his neighbor to be healed of a disease on the Sabbath Day. They did not recognize that here was the Lord of the Sabbath Day standing before them. The religious leaders of that day didn't understand the intent of the law but only the letter of the law.

• John 7:25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
• 26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? 

This is another reason why Jesus came separately from His brothers so that He would have a chance to preach the gospel. 

• John 7:27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. 

Where they got this saying, I have no idea. The prophets prophesied where Christ would come from. The fact that they knew His family, father, mother, brothers and perhaps sisters made them doubt He was the Christ. 

• John 7:28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. 
• 29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me. 

Why did Jesus cry and become so desperate that people would believe that He was that prophet, the Christ that God sent? It could not have been to draw followers after Himself in order to take over the government or accumulate riches. He didn't seek to exercise domination or control over anyone like some spiritual leaders tend to do. 

Jesus loved them so much and could see them burning in hell because of their sins that He had the power to remove but they would not let Him. He could see the eternal life and the joy in Heaven that those who believe would receive and escape the curse that came upon the earth when sin entered the world. He loved and cried out to save anyone who would believe. It is never God's will that any should perish. He wants to save, not destroy. He would much rather see us come into eternal life rather than go into eternal torment. 

• John 7:30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. 

All God wants is to give, save, and bring us good things but so many love the world and want to hold onto their own ways. So many are comfortable in their sins and are offended if one comes to them to warn them against sin and that sin will take them into eternity without God and lost forever. 

• John 7:31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? 

Signs shall follow them that believe and miracles do occur but the main message is to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and to believe on the Lord Jesus as the one God sent to save us from sins and give us the gift of eternal life. The miracles were done so that they would believe who He was but the word needs to enter our hearts and minds so that after miracles cease our faith still stands. 

• John 7:32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. 
• 33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. 
• 34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come. 
• 35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? 
• 36 What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come? 

Jesus knew ahead of time that He would return to His Father and would walk no more among the people in bodily form. He allowed Himself to be crucified as a sacrifice for our sins. He could have gained enough followers and gain power to take over the government and have His enemies put to death. The power was there if He wanted that. The devil himself offered Him that power to avoid the cross and rule the world. 

If He would have not preached the message of repentance or said anything about forgiveness of sins, He could have had more followers but that is not why He came the first time. He did not come to become a great leader in this world. He said many times that His kingdom was not of this world. He had to make an offering for sin first, in order for any human being to be saved and inherit eternal life. 

• John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 
• 38 He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 
• 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) 

What a message of hope and that message is still the same today. When we repent and believe in Jesus, we are born again by the spirit of God and rivers of living water flow within us as we are baptized by the Holy Spirit. This is the baptism John spoke of when He said that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire. 

Water baptism does not save the soul from sin and does not bring eternal life. The spirit baptism does that. Water baptism is obedience and is symbolic of the washing of our sins away by the spirit of God when we just simply believe in Jesus as savior from sin and Lord of our lives. However, the natural water does not save, it is the living water within that cleanses and saves. It is done by the spirit of God and not by the preacher that baptizes us in water. 

• John 7:40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. 
• 41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? 
• 42 Hath not the Scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? 

They were right about that but that is exactly where Jesus was born. Yet He also came from Galilee because that is where Joseph took them after they came back from Egypt after fleeing from king Herod after the birth of Jesus.

• John 7:43 So there was a division among the people because of him.
• 44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. 
• 45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? 
• 46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. 

They could not touch Jesus until God would allow it. 

• John 7:47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? 
• 48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? 
• 49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. 
• 50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) 
• 51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? 
• 52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. 

They were wrong because Jonah, Nahum and Elijah came from Galilee. Nicodemus wanted Jesus to be able to be heard but the others felt threatened by the words of Jesus. Are we offended by His words or do we desire to hear all He wants to say to us? The message is still the same today. "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." - DC