John 7:33 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus then said, "I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me.

NIV: Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me.

NASB: Therefore Jesus said, 'For a little while longer I am going to be with you, and then I am going to Him who sent Me.

CSB: Then Jesus said, "I am only with you for a short time. Then I’m going to the one who sent me.

NLT: But Jesus told them, 'I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me.

KJV: Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

NKJV: Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.

This is part (John 7:34) of a statement from Jesus which the people struggle to understand. It's possible that confusion over this remark is one reason that the men sent to arrest Him (John 7:32) will ultimately choose not to, despite the orders of the Pharisees (John 7:45). The comments in these two verses resemble remarks Christ will make at the Last Supper (John 13:31—14:7). They are especially poignant since Jesus is nearing the end of His public ministry. Those people listening to Him have only a limited time left to make the right choice.

Before long, Jesus will be successfully arrested, killed, and then rise from the dead. Afterwards, as promised, He will then ascend into Heaven (Acts 1:6–11), preparing for His eventual return. This statement re-emphasizes the claim that God has sent Jesus.

Not everyone listening believes Jesus is sent by God. However, they fully understand that Jesus claims to have been sent by God. One possible misinterpretation of this comment, for those who do not believe, is that Jesus intends to die—perhaps by suicide—to "go to him who sent me." This was not an uncommon act for ancient philosophers. Such a thing would not have scandalized the crowd. If that were to happen, the problems Jesus has been causing for the religious leaders would be over. This might have contributed to the failure of the Pharisees' men to arrest Jesus here (John 7:45–46).

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.

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.

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.