John 7 - Printer Friendly

What does John 7 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

Chapters 7 and 8 represent the beginning of the end of Jesus' public ministry. In these passages, He will openly challenge the spiritual errors of the Jewish leaders and declare His role in the salvation of mankind. In response, the religious officials will turn deeper towards a plot for murder. John chapter 7 begins after another leap in the gospel's timeline. The events of chapter 6 occurred around one year prior to Jesus' crucifixion. The events of chapter 7, centered on the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles, happen about six months later. This feast was among the most important in Jewish tradition; it was a hub of religious and cultural activity.

While reading this chapter, it is important to recognize the meaning of John's terminology. At this time, Jerusalem would have been filled with locals, foreign visitors, Jewish pilgrims, and many others. As such, there are three main groups involved in this narrative. "The Jews," as used most often in the gospel of John, is a reference to the religious leaders of Jerusalem, or those who support them. "The people" are the mixed crowd of those attending the festival. The third group are those Jewish people living in and around Jerusalem, most of whom would have sided with the opinion of the local religious leaders.

This passage begins with Jesus' family mocking Him, possibly with a reference to the events of chapter 6. They assume a man seeking publicity and fame ought to do His magic tricks at the most public festival of the year. By all reasonable interpretations, the "brothers" mentioned here are the literal half-brothers of Jesus. These are the biological sons of Mary. Jesus, however, is still sensitive to God's timetable, and chooses not to go to the feast with them. Instead, He will go later, and alone, to be more discreet. Jesus' family members are not the only ones anticipating His arrival in Jerusalem; the crowd discusses who He might be (John 7:1–13).

This discretion only lasts a few days. Jesus begins teaching and preaching in Jerusalem midway through the week-long feast. Early in this teaching, Jesus makes a remark which may seem backwards at first. He says those who are obedient to God will know whether Jesus' words are true. He does not say that those who determine truth can then be obedient. This reflects the fact that a person's intentions are always more powerful than evidence or reason. He then challenges His critics for their shallow insistence on Sabbath-keeping which doesn't follow the spirit of the law of Moses (John 7:14–24).

His open criticism, along with His established reputation for miracles, creates a crisis of confidence regarding Jerusalem's religious leaders. This includes the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes. From the perspective of the people, there are only three possibilities: Either the leaders are too weak to stop a blasphemer, too confused to do anything, or they somehow accept His claims. This only adds fuel to the religious leaders' desire to silence Jesus permanently. Meanwhile, the people continue to debate whether Jesus meets the qualifications of the Christ (John 7:25–31).

While the people are reluctant, the Pharisees are not. They arrange for Jesus to be arrested. Yet they are confused by His comments about going and not being found. During a ceremony involving water, Jesus proclaims Himself the source of "living water," echoing His conversation with the woman at the well (John 4:10). This inspires a fresh round of debate and questions. The people know some of the prophecies about the Messiah. They think they know Jesus, but some of their facts are confused (John 7:32–43).

The men sent to arrest Jesus apparently think arrest is inappropriate. They may have expected to find a raging, rebellious man. Instead, they come back to the Pharisees noting that Jesus' teaching is unique. In response, the Pharisees throw a spiritual temper tantrum. They insult the officers and the crowd, claiming that if the Pharisees don't accept Jesus, His words cannot possibly be true (John 7:44–49).

Division over Jesus even extends to these religious leaders themselves. Nicodemus, the same man who spoke with Jesus in chapter 3, will make an appeal for due process. In response, his peers ridicule him and reject his suggestion. This makes chapter 7 a crucial passage for understanding the Pharisees. Their example is a warning about how arrogance, ignorance, and obsession with tradition can cause spiritual blindness (John 7:50–53).

The gospel of John was originally written without chapter or verse divisions. Those came later, so separations from one chapter to the next don't always mean the writer has a new topic. The last verse associated with chapter 7 begins the story of Jesus and the adulterous woman (John 7:53—8:11). Most scholars believe that passage is an authentic, inspired account of a real event. Some do not, but nearly all agree it was not originally found in this place in Scripture. Verse 12 of chapter 8 seems to flow very naturally from Jesus' teaching here: He continues declaring His role as Messiah using various metaphors.

John 7:1–13 describes Jesus' surprisingly quiet entry to a major Jewish festival. Jesus' brothers—other biological sons of Mary—tease Him about seeking publicity. Instead, Jesus attends alone, and does not teach or preach publicly until the middle of the week-long festival. In the meantime, the people of Jerusalem are ''muttering'' about Jesus, wondering when or if He will appear.

John 7:14–24 is a strong spiritual challenge issued by Jesus against the religious leaders of Jerusalem. Jesus makes the point that obedience is a necessary aspect of learning. The resistance of the scribes and Pharisees is ultimately a matter of rebellion, not knowledge. In the same way, Jesus criticizes their hypocritical attitude towards His miracles. This concludes with a powerful statement about the need to use ''right judgment,'' rather than shallow appearances.

John 7:25–36 is a milestone in the plot to kill Jesus. Jesus continues to criticize the local religious leaders, who are unable to successfully arrest Him. This leads the people to wonder: are the scribes and Pharisees in agreement with Jesus or too weak to stop Him? That crisis of confidence will make the Jewish leaders more convinced that they need to silence Jesus at all costs. Even so, misinterpreting His comments in the passage presents a possible solution: if Jesus is going somewhere they cannot follow, perhaps the problem will resolve itself.

John 7:37–52 shows how Jesus' public ministry challenges the traditional views of Judaism. This causes infighting among both the people and the Jewish leaders themselves. The people hear His words, see His miracles, and begin to wonder if Jesus really is the Promised One. Once again, the religious leaders attempt to arrest Jesus, but the officers are so impressed by His words that they leave Him alone. When Nicodemus, a Pharisee, makes a plea for due process, he is mocked and his suggestion is ignored. Moments such as this will eventually lead the Jewish leaders to extreme measures against Jesus.

John 7:53—8:11 is one of the most famous stories of the New Testament. Jesus' response to a trap sprung by the Pharisees is masterful. Though He alone has the moral authority to execute the woman for her sin, Jesus instead chooses forgiveness. This highlights a major concept of Christian ethics: just because one has the power to do something does not mean it's the best option. However, scholars do not believe this event was originally found in this exact place in Scripture. The flow of the gospel of John seems interrupted by the story. Also, in ancient manuscripts, these verses are found in various places. This leads to the suggestion that it is a true story, but not part of John's original narrative of the Festival of Booths in chapters 7 and 8. Not all scholars agree.

Chapter Summary:

Six months after the feeding of thousands, and the public debate which followed, Jesus plans to attend the Feast of Booths, also called the Festival of Tabernacles. Rather than going publicly, He chooses to arrive privately, and after His family. While teaching and preaching there, Jesus once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. The crowds take note of His profound words, history of miracles, and the inability of the religious leaders to silence Him. This causes the people to openly question their spiritual leaders. This embarrassment is a milestone in the effort to permanently silence Jesus.

Chapter Context:

John chapter 7 is the beginning of the end of Jesus' public ministry. The feeding of thousands in chapter 6 was the pinnacle of His earthly popularity. That enthusiasm was dampened when Jesus explained the true meaning of His ministry. Here, in chapters 7 and 8, Jesus will confront His critics at a major Jewish festival, using metaphors drawn from ritual celebrations to highlight themes from His preaching. The following chapters include additional miracles and teachings from Jesus, as His eventual crucifixion draws nearer.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 11/22/2024 5:09:49 AM