John Chapter Seven
Jesus Attends the Feast of Booths
7:1 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him.
John notes that Jesus “went about” in Galilee, the Greek word ‘periepatei’[1] simply means to walk or to walk around. He is saying that Jesus was staying in the Galilee region because the Jews (John is implying the Jewish leadership) were now seeking to kill Him.
7:2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
John further explains that the Feast of Booths (also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Ingathering, Sukkah, and Sukkot) was soon to begin. We read that Jesus’ brothers did not believe in Him (Greek ‘adelphoi’, member of same family, although can be used to speak of love extended to others outside of the family, in context since John just recorded Peter saying they believe, see John 6:69, it is likely that the brothers referenced here are His blood brothers, not His inner-circle disciples)[2] and they attempt to persuade Jesus to leave and go to Judea (into Jerusalem) and be seen celebrating the festival as no one who seeks to be known would work in secret. Jesus replied that His time has not yet come,[3] but that they should go. He tells them that the world cannot hate them, but it does hate Him because He testifies that the works of the world are evil. He encourages them to go to the feast, again reiterating that His time has not fully come. So He remained in Galilee.
7:10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
After Jesus’ brothers left and headed south for the festival, He also went but without a crowd following Him. The Jews were looking for Him during the week-long festival, asking, “Where is he?” Having become a celebrity, the people were all talking about Him. Some considered Jesus to be a “good man,” while others said He was not, as He was leading people astray. Due to their fear of the Jewish leadership, no one spoke about Jesus openly where they could hear them talk.
7:14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?”
In the middle of the festival, Jesus went to the Temple and began to teach. The Jews were apparently surprised by His teaching as they wondered how He was able to teach knowing that Jesus never studied under one of their rabbis. Jesus answered their inquiry by saying that the teaching was not His own, but it was from the One that sent Him (His Father). Jesus then tells them that if anyone that does God’s will (learning the truth in the Scriptures), they would know that His teaching is from God. Jesus adds that anyone who speaks on their own authority is only seeking to bring glory to themselves (like many of them), but if they seek to give the glory to Him that sent Jesus, they speak the truth and in those teachings there are no lies. Jesus asks them, “Has not Moses given you the law?” and then points out, that none of them actually keeps the law, such as desiring to put Jesus to death (see Exodus 20:13). So He asks, “Why do you seek to kill me?”
7:20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
The crowd, thinking that Jesus is delirious, tells Him He must have a demon and asks “Who is seeking to kill you?” This could have been an honest question from a crowd that was unaware of their leadership’s desire to kill Jesus, or it was offered to cover up any attempt as they were still uncertain as to how they were going to proceed. Instead of answering that question, Jesus wants them to consider the hypocrisy of their thinking. He begins by noting their astonishment when He performed a miracle. He then mentions that Moses gave them circumcision in the law. John clarifies that it wasn’t Moses that first introduced circumcision, but that it came much earlier from the patriarchs (see Genesis 17:1-14). Jesus continued by noting that they circumcise on a Sabbath day so that the law of Moses may not be broken. He then asks, so why are they angry at Him healing on the Sabbath making a man’s whole body well? Jesus then strongly urges them to think, He tells them to not judge by appearances (on face value, seeing only the surface), but to make decisions by correctly discerning the truth, to rightly divide the truth from the lies using reason.
Considerations
The Greek words ‘meta’[4] (‘after’) and ‘tauta’[5] (plural, meaning ‘these things’) often appear next to each other in the New Testament, especially by John (in both his gospel account and in the book of Revelation). The phrase does not imply a time frame, it can be immediate or after several months, as it is used here between the events of chapter six (near the time of Passover, see verse six) and the beginning of chapter seven (near the time of the Feast of Booths) nearly six months later.
Can This Be the Christ?
7:25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?
John records the interaction of some of the people in the crowd identified by him as ‘Hierosolymitōn’[6] (an unique word referring to the inhabitants of Jerusalem). Apparently aware of either a rumor or actual plot to kill Jesus and seeing Him teaching in the Temple, they begin to talk among themselves. They question if He is there teaching and the authorities are not stopping Him or arresting Him, could there be something they know, such as Jesus being the true Christ?
7:27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.”
By this time Jesus was well known, everyone knew about HIs family and where He came from. John notes that one person stated that Jesus couldn’t be the Christ since they know where He came from and that when the Christ does appear that no one will know where he came from. This is a sad commentary on the teachings of that time. Scripture is very clear as to where the Messiah (the Christ) would come from, so where did this lie originate? Misinformation is nothing new, especially regarding theological topics. Apparently some did teach (or allude to) that the Messiah would come from some unknown location, as evidenced in the early writings of Justin Martyr (100-165 A.D.):
But Christ—if He has indeed been born, and exists anywhere—is unknown, and does not even know Himself, and has no power until Elias come to anoint Him, and make Him manifest to all.[7]
The idea was also alluded to, although never directly stated in various apocryphal or pseudepigraphical writings, including the book of Enoch, where it reads: “And for this reason hath he been chosen and hidden before Him.” (Enoch 48:6)[8]
7:28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
Jesus responded to the crowd’s mutterings by agreeing that they know Him and where He came from (although apparently they did not know that He was born in Bethlehem, see verses 41 and 52), but then tells them that He is not there just for His own desire but was sent there by someone they did not know, referring to His Father in heaven. John notes that they, the Jewish leadership, continued to wait, watching for an opportunity to arrest Jesus. He further notes that no one apprehended Him because it was not yet the proper time (God’s timing, not man’s). John adds that many of the people did believe in Jesus, concluding that, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?” They understood that Jesus was indeed sent by God as He was able to perform several supernatural acts.
Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus
7:32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
Apparently the Pharisees continuously followed Jesus everywhere He went to watch (and listen) for an opportunity to arrest Him. Here they overhear how the crowd was responding to Jesus’ teaching. When they heard that some were considering Jesus to be the Christ, they sent officers (Greek ‘hypēretas’,[9] a subordinate, servant, attendant, in context likely attendants of the Sanhedrin) to arrest Him. Jesus told them that He will only be with them a little longer as He was soon going to Him (God the Father) who sent Him (God the Son). He then adds that when He leaves they will look for Him but will not be able to find Him, as where He is going they cannot follow. This puzzled the Jews that were listening. They ask among themselves, where does He plan on going where they will not be able to find Him? Some ask, does He plan on going to the “Dispersion among the Greeks” and teach the Greeks? Even though this segment in Scripture is often debated, it is likely that it was meant as a taunt. Saying that Jesus would go to the ‘Dispersion’ (Greek ‘diasporan’,[10] to scatter abroad) that being where Jews were dispersed among Gentiles, implies going to a location that would not be influenced or in control of the Sanhedrin or any other Jewish leadership. Regardless if referring to a Jew teaching Gentiles or trying to escape the burden of the Jewish leadership, the people were mocking Jesus. Of course, they did not have a clue that He was talking about returning to His Father in heaven.
After John reports their jeers, he notes that they come back to the question, what did He mean when He said, “Where I am you cannot come”? Joking aside, they realized that they really had no idea what Jesus meant (see also John 8:21).
Living Water
7:37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
The Feast of Booths was considered the greatest and the grandest of all of the Jewish celebrations. Each day of the festival began with an early-morning sacrificial pouring of water ceremony involving a procession of hundreds of musicians and worshipers. So joyful was the event that we read in the Sukkah tractate of the Mishnah and Talmud that, “Anyone who has not seen the rejoicing at the place of the water-drawing in his life has never seen rejoicing.”[11]
Even though many of the ceremonies in this feast were added by man, the Feast of Booths became the perfect ‘backdrop’ for Jesus’ teaching. During the celebration of the water-libation, the Temple choir would be singing the ‘Hallel’ (praise) Psalms (111 through 118). When they got to the 25th verse of Psalm 118 (a Messianic psalm) the people watching would join in singing, “Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success!”[12] With the theme of the water-libation bringing hope and joy and the words calling for salvation on their lips, Jesus stands up on the final day of this week-long celebration and asks, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” He adds that whoever believes in Him, as Scripture says, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (a partial quotation of Proverbs 18:4, LXX). Jesus called out to those attending the festival that were thirsty for the spiritual water, not the physical water that provided for the body, but the water that provided eternal life, to come to Him.
John offers clarification to Jesus’ reference to the “Living Waters,” as being the Holy Spirit. But since the Holy Spirit at that time was yet to be given, that blessing would not occur until after Jesus was glorified (after His resurrection and Ascension to heaven), which had already taken place by the time John wrote this account. The New Living Translation offers this rendering of verse 39 as a parenthetical statement, “(When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)” (NLT)
Division Among the People
7:40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
As one would expect after hearing someone proclaiming to be the source of eternal life in a large gathering, such as the Feast of Booths, for people to start wondering and talking about who made the statement. Some thought Jesus was “the Prophet,” likely a reference to Deuteronomy 18:5 when Moses said, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen.” Others voiced their opinion that Jesus was the Christ, but were quickly refuted when yet others, not knowing where Jesus was actually born, pointed out that the Christ would come from Bethlehem, not Galilee. John notes that there was significant division regarding who Jesus was and that some wanted Him arrested. But none of the people or authorities touched Him.
7:45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
Those officers, the attendants of the Sanhedrin that were ordered to arrest Jesus (see verses 32-36), returned to the chief priests and Pharisees empty-handed. When questioned why, they said, “No one ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees immediately rebuke them by asking if they were deceived as well. They then broaden the scope of the question by asking if any of the Pharisees believed in Him, not like the crowds that have been following Jesus, as they, unlike the crowds, know the law. They then summarize that those that don’t know the law and follow Him are accursed. John records that Nicodemus, the Pharisee that once came to see Jesus (see John 3:1-21), spoke up asking, does the law allow them to judge a man without giving him a hearing first? They instantly retorted, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
7:53 [[They went each to his own house,
The text of verse 53 through to verse 11 in the next chapter are considered by most scholars as not being part of John’s account as it is absent from several manuscripts. Many modern Bible versions have a statement like this one from the ESV, that warns the reader that this text was likely not written by John: [THE EARLIEST MANUSCRIPTS DO NOT INCLUDE 7:53–8:11.]
The evidence for the non-Johannine origin of the pericope of the adulteress is overwhelming...In the East the passage is absent from the oldest form of the Syriac version (syrc, and the best manuscripts of syrp), as well as from the Sahidic and the sub-Achmimic versions and the older Bohairic manuscripts. Some Armenian manuscripts and the Old Georgian version omit it. In the West the passage is absent from the Gothic version and from several Old Latin manuscripts (ita, *, ). No Greek Church Father prior to Euthymius Zigabenus (twelfth century) comments on the passage, and Euthymius declares that the accurate copies of the Gospel do not contain it.
When one adds to this impressive and diversified list of external evidence the consideration that the style and vocabulary of the pericope differ noticeably from the rest of the Fourth Gospel (see any critical commentary), and that it interrupts the sequence of 7:52 and 8:12 ff., the case against its being of Johannine authorship appears to be conclusive.
At the same time the account has all the earmarks of historical veracity. It is obviously a piece of oral tradition which circulated in certain parts of the Western church and which was subsequently incorporated into various manuscripts at various places.[13]
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[1] Strong’s Greek 4043.
[2] Also note that John does not use this Greek term to describe any of Jesus’ disciples until after His resurrection (see John 20:17; 21:23).
[3] See Considerations under Matthew 9:27-31 regarding "Tell No One" and Matthew 21:6-11 regarding "The Hour Has Come."
[4] Strong’s Greek 3326.
[5] Strong’s Greek 5023.
[6] Strong’s Greek 2415.
[7] Justin Martyr. (1885). Dialogue of Justin with Trypho, a Jew. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1, p. 199). Christian Literature Company.
[8] Charles, R. H., ed. (1913). Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 216). Clarendon Press.
[9] Strong’s Greek 5257.
[10] Strong’s Greek 1290.
[11] Neusner, J. (2011). The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary (Vol. 5b, 5:1, p. 212). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.
[12] Howard, K., & Rosenthal, M. (1997). The feasts of the Lord (p. 139). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
[13] Metzger, B. M., United Bible Societies. (1994). A textual commentary on the Greek New Testament, second edition a companion volume to the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament (4th rev. ed.) (pp. 187–189). United Bible Societies.