John 7 …will the real Messiah please stand up!

7 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry*, because the Jews (Pharisees) sought to kill him.

• G2449 Ἰουδαία Ioudaia (you-d̮ai’-a) n/l. Judea, the Judean land (a region of Israel).

² Now the Jew’s feast of tabernacles (Sukkot) was at hand.

This follows the explanation from Chapter 5, ALSO, the Feast of Tabernacles is NOT a feast of the “Jews” it IS a feast unto YHVH!

Leviticus 23:34 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord.” It is commanded by YHVH.

Deuteronomy 16:13 “Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:”

³ His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples* also may see the works that thou doest.

• G3101 μαθητής mathetes (ma-thee-tees’) n. a learner, i.e. pupil.

⁴ For there is no man that doeth anything in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.

• Unlike the rest of the world, Jesus wasn’t looking for fame and notoriety, His actions were intended for the true followers and not the hype and hoorah crowd. The “brethren” here were encouraging Jesus to act like a modern-day sports star and pound his chest while bragging about his accomplishments.

⁵ For neither did his brethren believe in him.

⁶ Then Jesus said unto them, My time* is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

• G2540 καιρός kairos (kai-ros’) n. a set or proper season (or time).

⁷ The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify* of it, that the works thereof are evil.

• G3140 μαρτυρέω martureo (mar-tï-re’-ō) v. 1. to be a witness.

⁸ Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full* come.

• G4137 πληρόω pleroo (plee-ro’-ō) v. verify (or coincide with a prediction). When we look at the meaning/definitions of time and full come we can see the message clearer. ‘You guys go ahead without me, I have a few more things that need to be done between now and the beginning of the feast. There were certain things that Jesus had to accomplish during the limited time of his ministry.

⁹ When he had said these words unto them, he abode* still in Galilee.

• G3306 μένω meno (me’-nō) v. to remain.

¹⁰ But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. (is this a test for the disciples?)

¹¹ Then the Jews (Pharisees) sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?

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.

• Social media may offer us the kind of “murmuring” that took place here, without the emojis of course, but it was public humiliation at its best.

¹³ Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews (Pharisees).

• [the disciples are weak/afraid]

¹⁴ Now about the midst* of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

• G3322 μεσόω mesoo (me-so’-ō) v. (in point of time), to be half-way over. He managed to go unnoticed for several days, was this the inattentiveness of the people, or a supernatural ‘blinding’ of the people?]

¹⁵ And the Jews (Pharisees) marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters*, having never learned.

G1121 γράμμα gramma (gram’-ma) n.

1. a writing (i.e. a letter, note, epistle, book, etc). 2. (also) a letter of an alphabet. 3. (plural) the (Sacred) Writings (i.e. the Scriptures, specifically the Old Testament. see 2 Timothy 3:15, John 5:47, John 7:15). 4. (by implication) studies.

¹⁶ Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine* is not mine, but his that sent me.

• G1322 διδαχή didache (d̮iy-d̮a-chee’) n. instruction (the act or the matter). Law = Torah = Instruction = commandment.

Jesus was not now, nor would he ever, make up

something new, different or contrary to the Father.

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.

*G2309 θέλω thelo (the’-lō) v. to determine, i.e. choose or prefer, be inclined to.

**G2307 θέλημα thelema (the’-lee-ma) n. (specially) purpose, decree. (Implied: pleasure)

Isaiah 46:10 “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure (purpose):”

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.

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

• The Pharisees had a habit of “do as I say and not as I do”, and Jesus will point this out publicly.
• Matthew 23:2-3 “Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.”

²⁰ The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

• Notice here it is “the people” that are asking this question; an Israelite knows that it is illegal, both civilly and spiritually wrong to commit murder. They had no knowledge of the actions taking pplace by the”the Jews” or Pharisees.

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.

• Now pointing out the ridiculousness of their claim. Both are to the benefit of the person, of which, neither are prohibited in the Torah.

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.

• Jesus is saying “compare this to the Torah and see if I have actually broken one of God’s instructions”, AND see if the suitable punishment, according to scripture, is a viable death sentence. They will not and Jesus knows this.

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?

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

• G4159 πόθεν pothen (po’-then) adv. from which (as interrogative) or what (as relative) place, state, source or cause. Just like people today, we think we have it all figured out, so too the Pharisees thought they ‘knew’ precisely how the Messiah would arrive. Just like the parables, the message is clear, the conveyance is unexpected.

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.

• G2896 κράζω krazo (kra’-zō) v. (generally) to scream. (genitive case) to call aloud (shriek, exclaim, intreat). Trying to get the people past the human shell is often the hardest struggle for people. They see a ______ and associate them with _______. Pick a persona and a problem.
• We will see this in John 1:46 “And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”}

²⁹ But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

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

[This is the power of the Holy Spirit at work.]

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?

Initially this was a genuinely confusing statement for me. If the people actually believed him, then they would have known, he was the Messiah. What the people believed was that Jesus was a prophet from God, a do-gooder, and not the Messiah.

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.

• 1 Peter 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:42 “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption”
• 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”

³⁵ Then said the Jews (Pharisees) 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?

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.

• G2836 κοιλία koilia (koi-liy’-a) n. (figuratively) the heart.

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.)

⁴⁰ Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

• Once again being compared to the likes of Ezekiel, Daniel, etc.; while these were all good men, obedient men, they were not on par with Jesus.

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?

⁴³ So there was a division among the people because of him.

Why would this be a point of contention with the people? Nazareth is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel, that district is Galilee.

Matthew 2:23 “and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

There could be a play on words that Matthew was referring to. In Isaiah 11:1 it says, “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.”

In Hebrew, the word for “branch” is netzer, “NZR” which letters are included in NaZaReth. Maybe because it wasn’t specific enough for them? Distracted? Busy? Or just not focused on the truth?}

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.

⁴⁷ Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?

⁴⁸ Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

• The Pharisees have appointed themselves as the ultimate authority. The prophesy of Daniel confirms his arrival and the people in that generation should have been looking for Jesus.

⁴⁹ But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

Literally! Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

⁵⁰ Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)

{See the blog post on this web-page concerning Nicodemus!}

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 missed Isaiah’s message!]

⁵³ And every man went unto his own house.