A HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS

EEE. Christ’s Credibility Verified By Scripture

(John 7:37-53; 8:12)

I. Introduction

A. Between the fall Feast of Tabernacles and the winter Feast of Dedication (later Hanukkah), Jesus had one last opportunity to evangelize Judea before His crucifixion the next spring. (J. Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, 1991, p. 275) His conflict with Jerusalem’s religious authorities was now an open fact.

B. John 7:37-53 with 8:12 records how Christ’s credibility was challenged at the Feast of Tabernacles, and how He Himself repeatedly verified it by Scripture. We view the passage for insight, application and edification:

II. Christ’s Credibility Verified By Scripture, John 7:37-53; 8:12.

A. The people of Israel had their divinely inspired Scriptures by which they could test Jesus’ credibility.

B. Thus, at the Feast of Tabernacles, Christ twice noted Scripture prophecies that certified His identity:

1. Christ’s first reference to fulfilled prophecy occurred with some positive responses in John 7:37-41a:

a. “(T)he Jews had a ceremony of carrying water from the Pool of Siloam and pouring it into a silver basin by the alter of burnt offering each day of the first seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles. On the eighth day this was not done, making Christ’s offer of the water of eternal life from Himself even more startling.” (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to John 7:37-39)

b. Thus, on the last day of the feast, Jesus cried that if anyone thirsted, he could come to Him and drink, and he who believed in Him, as the Scripture said, out of him would flow rivers of living water, John 7:37-38.

The Apostle John explained that Jesus spoke of God’s giving of the Holy Spirit that had not yet occurred because Jesus had not yet been glorified, John 7:39. The Scripture to which Jesus referred was Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26-27 and 37:14 among others that told of God’s putting a new spirit in His people Israel.

c. In response to Jesus’ invitation, many people claimed that He was the Prophet like Moses Who was predicted to arise in Deuteronomy 18:15-19 while others said that Jesus was the Messiah, John 7:40-41a!

2. Christ’s second reference to fulfilled prophecy occurred with no positive response in John 7:41b-53; 8:12:

a. Some who heard Jesus’ invitation objected to the claim that He was the Messiah, for they did not believe that the Messiah would arise from Galilee like Jesus did, John 7:41b. They mentioned prophecies that told of Messiah’s coming from David and David’s hometown of Bethlehem, John 7:42. They were unaware of Jesus’ lineage from David like Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38 reported and they did not know that Jesus had been born in Bethlehem in fulfillment of Micah 5:2 like Luke 2:1-7 and Matthew 2:1 recorded!

b. With this division over Jesus’ identity, some people wanted Him arrested, but no one did so, John 7:44.

c. At that time, the temple officers returned to the religious leaders without having arrested Jesus, so when the leaders asked them why they did not have Him, they replied that no one ever spoke like Him, v. 45-46.

d. The leaders then charged the officers had been deceived, for none of the rulers or Pharisees had trusted in Jesus, and they said the people who had believed in Him were accursed in not knowing Scripture, v. 47-49.

e. Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin who visited Jesus in John 3:1-21, then asked the religious leaders if they would judge a man before giving him a fair hearing, and the leaders countered, asking Nicodemus if he himself was also from Galilee and thus an errant supporter of Jesus, John 7:50-52a. They explained that if Nicodemus searched the Scriptures, he would see that no prophet arose from Galilee, John 7:52b.

f. The earliest and best Greek manuscripts omit John 7:53-8:11 as a later addition to John’s Gospel (U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 355, ftn. 13; Bruce M. Metzger, A Text. Com. on the Grk. N. T., 1971, p. 219-222), so John 8:12 immediately follows the leaders’ John 7:52b claim that no prophet arose from Galilee. By Jesus then referring to Himself in John 8:12 as the Light of the world, He was responding to the religious leader’s remark that no prophet rose from Galilee by correcting them, alluding to the Isaiah 9:1-2 prophecy about the “Great Light” that would shine in Galilee. Scripture indeed predicted the Messiah’s connection to Galilee, but the religious leaders themselves missed that prophecy and were thus themselves “accursed” for not believing in Him just as they had charged the crowd as being accursed back in John 7:49!

Lesson: At the heavily attended Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus publicly certified to the nation Israel the credibility of His claims to be God’s Messenger, Messiah and Son of God by twice referring to His fulfillment of Scripture.

Application: (1) May we believe in Christ as Messiah and Son of God in accord with Bible prophecy. (2) May we view Scripture as the divinely authoritative source we have for God’s truth. (1 John 1:5-7 with Isaiah 8:19-9:2)