John 7 - NIV Application Bible

7:1–5 Jesus has been avoiding Judea because he knows the depth of hostility waiting for him there. Jesus’ brothers may be reminding him of his religious obligation or even pushing him to go public with his messianic identity. Either way, they do not believe in him (v. 5).

7:6–10 When Jesus says that he will not “go up” at the festival, he explains that he cannot because it is not yet his time (v. 8). Jesus intends no deception and attends the feast on his own, keeping his identity as quiet as possible to avoid his adversaries.

7:11–13 Jesus’ arrival brings controversy and division. In their search for Jesus, some describe him as “good” while others describe him as a fraud. The Jewish leaders have decided to kill Jesus but are afraid of the crowd.

7:14–36 Jesus’ listeners launch questions at him that permit Jesus to describe his identity and mission more completely. But the questions disclose how little his audience really understands.

7:14–17 Jesus posesses no official educational credentials. The Jewish leaders, in effect, wish to see these. Jesus complies by saying that his diplomas are divine: God has taught and commissioned him. Moreover, Jesus explains that if the leaders’ lives are in harmony with God, they will recognize the character and source of his teaching.

In Jewish thought, authority was conferred from rabbi to rabbi through ordination. Jesus’ problem in the eyes of the Jewish leadership is that he is not ordained. What is the source of his authority? Jesus’ answer is clear: His authority stems directly from God.

7:18–19 It is clear from v. 19 that the Sabbath debate of Ch. 5 still dominates Jesus’ dialogue with these authorities. Jesus here returns to his previous line of argument: Those who do not keep the law of Moses should be reluctant to judge others.

7:20 Jesus has to be cautious, protecting himself from those who want to assassinate him. Their statement accusing Jesus of being “demon-possessed” likely carries no theological weight and can simply be translated, “You’re crazy!”

7:21–24 Jesus now expands his line of reasoning. If a boy can be partially healed on the Sabbath in this context, why should not a man be completely healed on the Sabbath? Jesus is fulfilling what the law was meant to do—bring renewal and redemption to God’s people.

7:25–27 Once again the ironic misunderstanding of the crowd is displayed by their question in v. 27. The people think that he is disqualified from messianic status since they can trace Jesus’ human origins.

7:28–29 Jesus simply makes a more astounding claim: He has come from God, whom he knows with unparalleled intimacy. This is paramount to a divine claim that radically breaks with all the principles of Judaism.

7:30–31 Some in the crowd try to arrest him for making divine claims, but their efforts are frustrated. Jesus will choose when his time has come.

7:32–36 The chief priests and Pharisees enlist police from the temple to arrest Jesus. No doubt, it leads Jesus to think about his death at their hands. As in the previous scenes, Jesus’ statement inspires earthly misunderstanding. The Jewish leadership speculate that Jesus is simply talking about leaving Israel. But Jesus is talking about where they cannot go—heaven.

7:37–38 Each day of the feast witnessed a water ceremony in which a procession of priests descended to the south border of the city to the Gihon Spring. In the desert, God brought water from a rock, and here water was flowing from the sacrificial rock altar of the temple. Ezekiel and Zechariah had visions of rivers flowing from the temple in a miraculous display of God’s blessing (Eze 47; Zec 14:8). In a drought-stricken land, it was a spectacular vision of life-giving water flowing from God’s life-giving temple.

On this final day of celebration, Jesus steps into public view and makes his most stunning pronouncement of the feast, which parallels symbolically what Jesus did in Jn 6 at Passover. Just as earthly bread led to memories of heavenly bread (manna), which concluded with Jesus offering himself as the bread of life (6:35), so now Jesus is doing the same.

At the Festival of Tabernacles, Jesus is saying he is not only the new temple and source of living water but also the rock that, when struck, will yield life-giving water. Is it any surprise that when Jesus is struck on the cross with a spear, his side yields blood and water (19:34)?

7:39 John explains that Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit in this pronouncement. This gift must await Jesus’ “glorification” to be distributed. As we watch the Passion story unfold, we will do well to observe how the Spirit becomes a signal feature of Jesus’ departure from the world and return to the Father.

7:40–52 The complete frustration of the Sanhedrin becomes clear. Even the temple police are impressed with Jesus. Nicodemus speaks up, urging caution and fair play. The Sanhedrin’s objection that Jesus cannot be a prophet since he has come from Galilee is unfounded; the prophets Jonah and Nahum came from that very place.

✜ 7:1–52 Just as there is a worldly opposition to Jesus, there is likewise a religious opposition to Jesus. What does this opposition mean? Does a religious reflex ever arise in the church? Jesus is offering a spiritual mysticism and encounter with God that always makes the caretakers of traditional religion nervous. This can be especially true in those tightly drawn circles of conservative theology that sometimes seem impenetrable. To propose new freedom, new spontaneity, new thought—that is, to step outside the seemingly iron-clad precepts of traditional religious behavior or thinking—is to experience what Jesus proclaimed at the Festival of Tabernacles.

7:53—8:6a The religious leaders are making a legal claim: They possess strong testimony from two witnesses who saw the adulterous couple in a sexual context. The two witnesses had to see these things at the same time and place so that their testimonies would be identical. Such evidence virtually required the witnesses to set a trap. The law also expected that if a person witnessed another about to commit a sin, compassion required them to speak up. These witnesses stand silently, wanting to catch her and use her. Where is her lover? The accusers have permitted him to get away clean.

These witnesses bring the woman to Jesus and heap public shame on her. Their approach to the problem indicates that they wish to trap Jesus; her personal life is incidental. They have no interest in a trial.