THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

John: Believing On The Christ, The Son Of God, For Eternal Life

Part XXI: Trusting In Christ By His Great Contrast In Life With Israel's Spiritual Death

(John 7:11-36)

I. Introduction

A. John's Gospel presents Jesus as having God's life in Himself, a life that shone in the darkness of the world with the world neither understanding nor overcoming it, John 1:4-5 (NIV, ftn. to John 1:5).

B. This truth is clearly displayed in Jesus' interaction with the unbelieving people of Israel at the Jerusalem Feast of Tabernacles in John 7:11-36 with great application for us believers today (as follows):

II. Trusting In Christ By His Great Contrast In Life With Israel's Spiritual Death, John 7:11-36.

A. When Jesus went up to the Jerusalem Feast of Tabernacles in the middle of the week-long feast, the atmosphere of the city was very negatively, dangerously charged against Him, John 7:11-14a:

1. Jesus' foes, the religious leaders, knowing He was required as a man in Israel by the Law to attend the Feast of Tabernacles (Ex. 23:14-17), were searching for Him at the feast to kill Him, John 7:11, 14a; 5:18.

2. Also, some of the people were "grumbling" about Him (Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 299) with the charge that He deceived the people (John 7:12c), a charge that if validated meant death by stoning, Ibid.

3. On the other hand, some supported Jesus, claiming He was a good man (John 7:12a, b), but no one dared openly speak in support of Him for fear of the leaders that they knew wanted to kill Jesus, John 7:13.

B. Yet, amid this hostile, spiritual darkness, the Great Light of Jesus "shone" in insight and power, John 7:14-36:

1. Jesus' spiritual insight contrasted with Israel's spiritual ignorance, John 7:14-24, 27-29, 33-36:

a. When Jesus began to teach in the temple in the midst of the feast, the Jews marveled, asking how He had acquired His learning without rabbinical training, John 7:14-15; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to John 7:15. Jesus explained that His teaching was not from Himself as to its source, but from the Father, that if any man would heed the Father's will he would discern that His teaching was from God, not Himself, John 7:16-17. Christ stated that if a man sought His own glory because His teaching was of His own human genius or will, it would not be righteous unlike His teaching that was from God and righteous, John 7:18. Then, to contrast His insight from the Father with Israel's darkness, Jesus said that though Moses had given Israel's people the Law, none of them kept it, and they unjustly sought to kill Him, John 7:19. The people replied that Jesus had a demon, asking who wanted to kill him (John 7:20), so Jesus explained that Moses' directive that Israel circumcise on the Sabbath should have led them to let Him heal a man on the Sabbath [in John 5] versus making a rule against that work, and then to try to kill Him for performing it, John 7:21-23. Jesus told the people to judge Him not according to appearance, but righteously, John 7:24.

b. The blindness of the people was again seen in their voicing popular but unbiblical belief of their era that they would not know Messiah's origins, that since they knew Jesus was from Nazareth, He could not be the Messiah (John 7:27; Ibid., ftn. to John 7:27). Jesus instead cried out that they knew Him and that He had come from the Father, but Israel had a spiritual problem in that she did not know the Father, John 7:28-29.

c. Israel's blindness was contrasted with Jesus' insight again in John 7:33-36 when the people asked where Jesus would go so that they would not find Him when Jesus meant that He would return to God in heaven.

2. Jesus' spiritual power contrasted with Israel's spiritual weakness, John 7:25-26, 30-32:

a. Jesus spoke boldly in public where men wanted to kill Him, so onlookers marveled, John 7:25-26a. Conversely, the religious leaders were saying nothing to Him, making onlookers wonder at their failure to confront Jesus meant they might actually be holding Him to be the Messiah, John 7:26b.

b. In John 7:30, the leaders attempted to arrest Jesus, but no one was able to lay hands on Him because it was not God the Father's time for Him to be taken into custody!

c. In John 7:31-32, the Pharisees heard the people murmuring about Jesus' possibly being Messiah due to His many miracles, so they tried but failed to get the chief priest's officers to arrest Him, John 7:45-46.

Lesson: As the Great Light in a dark world, Jesus' great insight from God the Father contrasted with Israel's darkness, and His power in His boldness and liberty of movement in a hostile realm revealed the contrast in His Light and Israel's darkness. He is the Light the darkness could neither understand nor overcome, John 1:4-5.

Application: May we (1) trust in Jesus to be saved, John 20:31. (2) May we rely on the Holy Spirit as Jesus did (Isaiah 11:1-2) for the insight and power to live and minister effectively in a spiritually dark and hostile world.