John 7 - NKJV Study Bible

7:1 The Jews here means the religious authorities, not the people in general (5:18). Many common people had responded to Jesus with joy (see Mark 12:37).

7:2 The Feast of Tabernacles was one of the three great Jewish religious festivals (Passover and Pentecost were the other two). It was called the Feast of Tabernacles because for seven days the people lived in makeshift shelters or lean-tos made of branches and leaves. The feast commemorated the days when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness and lived in tents (see Lev. 23:40–43). The festival was in September–October, about six months after the events of Ch. 6.

7:3,4 Jesus’ brothers argued, “If You are really working miracles and thus claiming to be the Messiah, do not hide in obscure Galilee. If you are doing miracles at all, then do them in Jerusalem at the Feast to convince the whole nation.” These words were sarcastic, as v. 5 explains.

7:6 Earlier, Jesus had told His mother, “My hour has not yet come” (see 2:4; compare 12:23). Here He told His brothers also that the time for manifesting Himself to the world had not yet come. Jesus mentioned on several occasions that the time for Him to be publicly manifested on the Cross was in the future (2:4; 7:6,8,30; 8:20).

7:7 The world cannot hate you: The world was not about to hate Jesus’ brothers, because they were part of it.

7:13 The Jews is a reference to the Jewish leaders, especially the members of the council (1:19).

7:14 The middle of the feast would have been the fourth day of the seven-day feast. During the first half of the festival Jesus remained in seclusion (v. 10). During the second half He began to teach publicly. This is the first mention in the Gospel of John of Jesus teaching in the temple.

7:15 Having never studied means never having attended a rabbinical school. Similar bewilderment was later expressed regarding Jesus’ disciples (see Acts 4:13).

7:16 not Mine, but His: Jesus’ statement indicates that He did not receive His teaching from the rabbis, nor did He fabricate it. Instead His teaching came directly from God.

7:18,19 is true: The test of a teacher is whether or not he delivers God’s message. Jesus gave God’s message; so did Moses. The religious leaders were breaking Moses’ law by seeking to kill Jesus.

7:22,23 Circumcision began with Abraham (see Gen. 17:10). The Law of Moses required infants to be circumcised on the eighth day (see Lev. 12:3). The Jews obeyed this law, even if the eighth day fell on the Sabbath. Jesus asked why the leaders were angry with Him for making a man completely well on the Sabbath.

7:27 The Jewish people seem to have expected the Messiah to appear suddenly from nowhere. They reasoned that since they knew where Jesus came from, He could not be the Messiah. They were ignorant of the Scriptures, for Micah had predicted the Messiah would come from Bethlehem (see Mic. 5:2).

7:28,29 Cried out signifies a loud cry of strong emotion. You . . . know Me . . . where I am from: Jesus reminded the leaders that they knew His origin. Their problem was that they did not know God, who sent Jesus. He explained to them that He knew God, was from God, and was sent by God.

7:30 take Him: Because of Jesus’ public claims of divine origin (v. 29), the religious leaders sought to arrest Him. because His hour had not yet come: John passes over the immediate reason they were unable to arrest Him and gives the ultimate explanation (see 2:4). God is sovereign and He alone sets the time. As with Jesus, so with us; no one can touch us without the Father’s consent (see 10:29).

7:31 In contrast to the leaders, many of the Jewish people believed because of the miracles Jesus performed (20:30,31).

7:32 to take Him: The Jewish leaders decided earlier that they wanted to kill Christ (see 5:16), but this is the first real attempt on His life.

7:33 a little while longer: Jesus’ time on earth was limited; soon He would be crucified and then ascend to the Father. His life was not determined by the Jewish religious leaders (v. 32), but by the Father.

7:34,35 you cannot come: Christ would be in heaven; the people would not be able to come to Him there. Where does He intend to go: The Jewish leaders did not comprehend what Jesus meant. They could only think of one of the various places where Jews had been scattered.

7:37–39 On each day of the feast, the people came with palm branches and marched around the great altar. A priest took a golden pitcher filled with water from the Pool of Siloam, carried it to the temple, and poured it on the altar as an offering to God. This dramatic ceremony was a memorial of the water that flowed from the rock when the Israelites traveled through the wilderness. On the last day of the feast, the people marched seven times around the altar in memory of the seven circuits around the walls of Jericho. Perhaps at the very moment that the priest was pouring water on the altar, Jesus’ voice rang out: If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

7:38 as the Scripture has said: The reference is not to a single passage, but to the general emphasis of such passages as Deut. 18:15; Is. 58:11; Zech. 14:8 (see also Num. 24:7). In contrast to the small amount of water poured out each day during the feast, there will be a river of water coming out of those who believe in Christ. Not only will they be satisfied themselves, but they will also become a river so that others may drink and be satisfied (v. 39).

7:39 John explains that Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit who would satisfy personal thirst and produce a perennial fountain for the satisfaction of others. The Holy Spirit would come after Jesus’ crucifixion and ascension. Jesus prepared His disciples for this in the Upper Room (14:16–20; 15:26,27; 16:7–15).

7:40–42 Moses predicted that the Prophet, the seed of David, would come (see Deut. 18:15,18; 2 Sam. 7:14–16). These people knew that the Messiah was to come from Bethlehem (see Mic. 5:2). However, they did not know that Jesus had been born there. They thought He was from Galilee (see v. 41; Matt. 16:13,14). They knew the Scripture, but they did not take the time to know the Messiah (5:39).

7:49 this crowd . . . is accursed: The Pharisees accused the people of being ignorant of the Law and thus under God’s curse (see Deut. 28:15). The irony of the situation was that it was the Pharisees, not the crowds, who were under God’s wrath because they had rejected His Son (3:36).

7:50,51 Nicodemus made a plea for justice (3:2; 12:42,43), but his plea was rejected.

7:52 no prophet has arisen out of Galilee: Actually, the prophets Jonah, Hosea, Nahum, and perhaps Elijah, Elisha, and Amos were from Galilee or close to it.