John 7:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.

NIV: The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.

NASB: The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify about it, that its deeds are evil.

CSB: The world cannot hate you, but it does hate me because I testify about it—that its works are evil.

NLT: The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil.

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

NKJV: The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.

Jesus' brothers are teasing Him about His public ministry and the sudden departure of many of His disciples (John 6:66). In their minds, Jesus ought to go to the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem and perform more magic tricks, to regrow His following. This shallow, teasing attitude is grounded in their lack of belief in Christ and His ministry (John 7:5). Not until after His resurrection will some of His siblings—at least two, James and Jude—become believers.

Jesus responded in the prior verse by referring to the timetable of God. In the future, Jesus will openly declare Himself the Messiah (John 12:12–15). He will recognize that His ultimate purpose is about to be fulfilled (John 17:1). For now, however, He will act to follow God's will, instead of chasing publicity.

Jesus' brothers have no such restrictions, for two reasons. First, they are already living in "their time." They can move about the world without much consequence. Secondly, they do not face the spiritual resistance which Jesus encounters. Christ's ministry confronts sin and hypocrisy. As shown over and over in Scripture, a common response to conviction is not repentance, but hatred and violence. Both in Jesus' earthly ministry and in the work of Christianity, the world often responds in the same way to the gospel: with persecution, instead of submission.

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.

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.