John 7:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

NIV: After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.

NASB: Now having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.

CSB: After he had said these things, he stayed in Galilee.

NLT: After saying these things, Jesus remained in Galilee.

KJV: When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

NKJV: When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.

In chapter 6, Jesus performed a dramatic feeding of thousands (John 6:13–14), followed by a public debate in the city of Capernaum (John 6:59). These high-profile events brought attention from the religious leaders of Jerusalem, who had already condemned Jesus as a blasphemer (John 5:18). To avoid direct conflict, Jesus has been keeping to the region of Galilee, rather than getting too close to Jerusalem (John 7:1). This area was close enough to Jerusalem for news to travel, but outside of the immediate control of the scribes and Pharisees.

However, as a Jewish man, Jesus was obligated to enter Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths (Deuteronomy 16:16). His unbelieving siblings have been teasing Him over the loss of disciples described in the last chapter (John 6:66). Somewhat sarcastically, they suggest that if Jesus wants to put on a show, He should go to the feast and do just that: draw a crowd. Instead, Jesus tells them to go on ahead without Him (John 7:8).

Christ's intent here is to honor God's timeline (John 7:6), and to make a quiet, private entrance. Then, several days into the festival, He will once again begin publicly preaching (John 7:14). Jesus will not, however, perform miracles during this feast.

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.