John 7

1 After this, Yeshua traveled around in the Galil, intentionally avoiding Y'hudah because the Judeans were out to kill him.

2 But the festival of Sukkot in Y'hudah was near;

3 so his brothers said to him, "Leave here and go into Y'hudah, so that your talmidim can see the miracles you do;

4 for no one who wants to become known acts in secret. If you're doing these things, show yourself to the world!"

5 (His brothers spoke this way because they had not put their trust in him.)

6 Yeshua said to them, "My time has not yet come; but for you, any time is right.

7 The world can't hate you, but it does hate me, because I keep telling it how wicked its ways are.

8 You, go on up to the festival; as for me, I am not going up to this festival now, because the right time for me has not yet come."

9 Having said this, he stayed on in the Galil.

10 But after his brothers had gone up to the festival, he too went up, not publicly but in secret.

11 At the festival, the Judeans were looking for him. "Where is he?" they asked.

12 And among the crowds there was much whispering about him. Some said, "He's a good man"; but others said, "No, he is deceiving the masses."

13 However, no one spoke about him openly, for fear of the Judeans.

14 Not until the festival was half over did Yeshua go up to the Temple courts and begin to teach.

15 The Judeans were surprised: "How does this man know so much without having studied?" they asked.

16 So Yeshua gave them an answer: "My teaching is not my own, it comes from the One who sent me.

17 If anyone wants to do his will, he will know whether my teaching is from God or I speak on my own.

18 A person who speaks on his own is trying to win praise for himself; but a person who tries to win praise for the one who sent him is honest, there is nothing false about him.

19 Didn't Moshe give you the Torah? Yet not one of you obeys the Torah! Why are you out to kill me?"

20 "You have a demon!" the crowd answered. "Who's out to kill you?"

21 Yeshua answered them, "I did one thing; and because of this, all of you are amazed.

22 Moshe gave you b'rit-milah -- not that it came from Moshe but from the Patriarchs -- and you do a boy's b'rit-milah on Shabbat.

23 If a boy is circumcised on Shabbat so that the Torah of Moshe will not be broken, why are you angry with me because I made a man's whole body well on Shabbat?

24 Stop judging by surface appearances, and judge the right way!"

25 Some of the Yerushalayim people said, "Isn't this the man they're out to kill?

26 Yet here he is, speaking openly; and they don't say anything to him. It couldn't be, could it, that the authorities have actually concluded he's the Messiah?

27 Surely not -- we know where this man comes from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he comes from."

28 Whereupon Yeshua, continuing to teach in the Temple courts, cried out, "Indeed you do know me! And you know where I'm from! And I have not come on my own! The One who sent me is real. But him you don't know!

29 I do know him, because I am with him, and he sent me!"

30 At this, they tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him; because his time had not yet come.

31 However, many in the crowd put their trust in him and said, "When the Messiah comes, will he do more miracles than this man has done?"

32 The P'rushim heard the crowd whispering these things about Yeshua; so the head cohanim and the P'rushim sent some of the Temple guards to arrest him.

33 Yeshua said, "I will be with you only a little while longer; then I will go away to the One who sent me.

34 You will look for me and not find me; indeed, where I am, you cannot come."

35 The Judeans said to themselves, "Where is this man about to go, that we won't find him? Does he intend to go to the Greek Diaspora and teach the Greek-speaking Jews?

36 And when he says, `You will look for me and not find me; indeed, where I am, you cannot come' -- what does he mean?"

37 Now on the last day of the festival, Hoshana Rabbah, Yeshua stood and cried out, "If anyone is thirsty, let him keep coming to me and drinking!

38 Whoever puts his trust in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his inmost being!"

39 (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who trusted in him were to receive later -- the Spirit had not yet been given, because Yeshua had not yet been glorified.)

40 On hearing his words, some people in the crowd said, "Surely this man is `the prophet'";

41 others said, "This is the Messiah." But others said, "How can the Messiah come from the Galil?

42 Doesn't the Tanakh say that the Messiah is from the seed of Davidf and comes from Beit-Lechem,g the village where David lived?"

43 So the people were divided because of him.

44 Some wanted to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him.

45 The guards came back to the head cohanim and the P'rushim, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him in?"

46 The guards replied, "No one ever spoke the way this man speaks!"

47 "You mean you've been taken in as well?" the P'rushim retorted.

48 "Has any of the authorities trusted him? Or any of the P'rushim? No!

49 True, these `am-ha'aretz do, but they know nothing about the Torah, they are under a curse!"

50 Nakdimon, the man who had gone to Yeshua before and was one of them, said to them,

51 "Our Torah doesn't condemn a man -- does it? -- until after hearing from him and finding out what he's doing."

52 They replied, "You aren't from the Galil too, are you? Study the Tanakh, and see for yourself that no prophet comes from the Galil!"

53 Then they all left, each one to his own home.

John 7 Commentary

Chapter 7

Christ goes to the feast of tabernacles. (1-13) His discourse at the feast. (14-39) The people dispute concerning Christ. (40-53)

Verses 1-13 The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they only advise what appears likely to promote present advantages. The people differed about his doctrine and miracles, while those who favoured him, dared not openly to avow their sentiments. Those who count the preachers of the gospel to be deceivers, speak out, while many who favour them, fear to get reproach by avowing regard for them.

Verses 14-24 Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any man, of any nation, seeks to do the will of God, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate the truth shall be given up to errors which will be fatal. Surely it was as agreeable to the design of the sabbath to restore health to the afflicted, as to administer an outward rite. Jesus told them to decide on his conduct according to the spiritual import of the Divine law. We must not judge concerning any by their outward appearance, but by their worth, and by the gifts and graces of God's Spirit in them.

Verses 25-30 Christ proclaimed aloud, that they were in error in their thoughts about his origin. He was sent of God, who showed himself true to his promises. This declaration, that they knew not God, with his claim to peculiar knowledge, provoked the hearers; and they sought to take him, but God can tie men's hands, though he does not turn their hearts.

Verses 31-36 The discourses of Jesus convinced many that he was the Messiah; but they had not courage to own it. It is comfort to those who are in the world, but not of it, and therefore are hated by it and weary of it, that they shall not be in it always, that they shall not be in it long. Our days being evil, it is well they are few. The days of life and of grace do not last long; and sinners, when in misery, will be glad of the help they now despise. Men dispute about such sayings, but the event will explain them.

Verses 37-39 On the last day of the feast of tabernacles, the Jews drew water and poured it out before the Lord. It is supposed that Christ alluded to this. If any man desires to be truly and for ever happy, let him apply to Christ, and be ruled by him. This thirst means strong desires after spiritual blessings, which nothing else can satisfy; so the sanctifying and comforting influences of the Holy Spirit, were intended by the waters which Jesus called on them to come to Him and drink. The comfort flows plentifully and constantly as a river; strong as a stream to bear down the opposition of doubts and fears. There is a fulness in Christ, of grace for grace. The Spirit dwelling and working in believers, is as a fountain of living, running water, out of which plentiful streams flow, cooling and cleansing as water. The miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit we do not expect, but for his more common and more valuable influences we may apply. These streams have flowed from our glorified Redeemer, down to this age, and to the remote corners of the earth. May we be anxious to make them known to others.

Verses 40-53 The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on in their sins! People are foolishly swayed by outward motives in matters of eternal moment, are willing even to be damned for fashion's sake. As the wisdom of God often chooses things which men despise, so the folly of men commonly despises those whom God has chosen. The Lord brings forward his weak and timid disciples, and sometimes uses them to defeat the designs of his enemies.