John 7 - ESV Study Bible

7:2 The Jewish Feast of Booths, also called Tabernacles, was celebrated in September or October, two months prior to the Feast of Dedication (see note on 10:22). It is called the “Feast of Booths” because people lived in leafy shelters to remember God’s faithfulness to Israel during her wilderness wanderings (Lev. 23:42–43; cf. Matt. 17:4 par.). It was also a time of celebration and thanksgiving for the harvest (Lev. 23:39–41; Deut. 16:13–15; cf. Ex. 23:16; 34:22). See also note on John 2:13.

7:3–4 Jesus’ brothers (cf. Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3) are best understood to be other naturally born sons of Mary, for that is the ordinary and natural sense of the Greek adelphoi (“brothers”). However, Roman Catholics believe that Mary remained a “perpetual virgin” and did not have other naturally born children, so they commonly explain this verse by saying that Joseph must have had other children from a previous marriage (or, less frequently, by saying that these must be Jesus’ cousins). (But cf. Matt. 1:25; Luke 2:7.) Jesus’ brothers’ advice stems from unbelief (cf. John 7:5) and reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of Jesus’ messianic identity (cf. Matt. 4:5–7 par.).

7:5 So real and genuine was Jesus’ humanity, and so well hidden was his deity before he began his earthly ministry, that even those who had lived in the same house with him for nearly 30 years did not know who he was: not even his brothers believed in him. They lived and ate and slept in the same rooms as the eternal Son of God and did not know it.

7:6 My time in John probably refers to the cross (see note on 2:4). Jesus speaks at a deeper level that is misunderstood by his brothers. Your time then refers to “your time to go up to the feast with the crowds who are going to Jerusalem.” In both cases the word “time” is kairos in Greek, meaning time that is suitable, right, or opportune.

7:7 The world cannot hate Jesus’ brothers because they themselves belonged to the world; they did not yet believe in Jesus.

7:8 Jesus’ statement, “I am not going up to this feast,” should not be taken as a mistake by John or a falsehood by Jesus, even though John then records that Jesus did go up to the feast (v. 10). The Greek present tense in v. 8 can legitimately have the sense, “I am not now going,” indicating that Jesus did not go up to the feast in the way the brothers suggested, for they wanted Jesus to manifest himself to his contemporaries for secular reasons. In fact, many of the oldest and best manuscripts have oupō (Gk. “not yet”) rather than simply ouk (Gk. “not”), and that might have been the original reading, though the reading “not” seems more likely to be original.

7:12 leading the people astray. Later Jewish literature likewise calls Jesus a deceiver.

7:14 temple. See note on 2:14.

7:15 The Jews may include both the Judean crowds and the Jewish authorities. he has never studied. Jesus lacked formal rabbinic training (as did his disciples, Acts 4:13), but his teaching and authority came from God (John 7:16; 8:28; cf. Matt. 5:21ff.; 7:28–29).

7:17 Whether people follow Jesus depends on whether they are willing to obey him. Those who are morally willing to follow Jesus will be intellectually convinced that he is the way, the truth, and the life (cf. 14:6).

7:20 This is one of several instances where Jesus is falsely charged with demon possession (cf. 8:48; 10:20; Matt. 12:24 par.). The same charge was leveled against John the Baptist (Matt. 11:18). Other false accusations include breaking the Sabbath (John 5:16,18; 9:16), blasphemy (5:18; 8:59; 10:31,33,39; 19:7), deceiving the people (7:12,47), being a Samaritan (8:48), madness (10:20), and criminal activity (18:30).

7:21 This one work is probably the healing of the invalid in 5:1–15.

7:22 This recalls Gen. 17:9–14 (the fathers, i.e., Abraham), Ex. 12:44, 48–49, and Lev. 12:3 (Moses). Jesus’ argument is “from the lesser to the greater”: the Jews were to circumcise their males on the eighth day even if that day fell on the Sabbath (the “lesser” issue); if “perfecting” one part of the human body on the Sabbath was legitimate, how much more the healing of an entire person (the “greater” issue).

7:26 The authorities probably refers to the Sanhedrin (cf. v. 48; 12:42; see note on 3:1).

7:27 But we know. Some rabbis taught that the Messiah would be wholly unknown until he set out to procure salvation for Israel. Others, however, were sure about his birthplace (v. 42; cf. Matt. 2:1–6).

7:28 temple. See note on 2:14.

7:30 Because his hour had not yet come shows Jesus’ strong awareness of God’s providential direction of the circumstances of his life; his enemies could not capture or harm him until “the hour” of his arrest, crucifixion, and death, as ordained by God. God the Father would not allow these things to happen until the earthly ministry of Jesus (God the Son) was complete. (See note on 2:4; also 8:20; 12:23,27; 13:1; 17:1.)

7:31 Since the Messiah would be a prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15,18) and Moses performed many miraculous signs at the exodus (Exodus 7–11), the Messiah was expected to perform miracles as well (cf. John 6:30–31). In any case, it would have been natural for people to wonder, after witnessing Jesus’ miracles, if he was the Messiah.

7:32 The chief priests and Pharisees, representing the Sanhedrin, deployed officers (or temple police) to arrest Jesus. The temple police were drawn from the Levites and were charged with maintaining order in the temple precincts. The order to arrest Jesus implies that they planned to allege criminal activity on his part (but see further vv. 45–52).

7:35 People misunderstand Jesus’ statement in v. 34 (see also 3:4; 4:15; 6:52). The Dispersion (Gk. diaspora) was a common Jewish expression to refer to all the Jewish people scattered throughout the Roman Empire, and even beyond the bounds of the empire, but not living in Palestine itself.

7:37 While v. 14 makes reference to “the middle of the feast,” this is now the last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus’ invitation refers back to OT prophetic passages such as Isa. 55:1 (see also Isa. 12:3). thirsts. That is, “thirsts” for God (see note on John 4:14). To come to Jesus and drink means to believe in him, to enter into a trusting, ongoing personal relationship with him. Both the image of “coming” to Jesus as one would come to a person and the image of “drinking” imply not mere intellectual assent but a wholehearted personal involvement and participation.

7:38 Although there is no specific Scripture passage from the OT that matches Jesus’ words here, he is apparently giving a summary of the teaching and implication of several passages that picture the inward work of God in a believer as a river of water flowing out to bring blessing to others (see Prov. 4:23; Isa. 58:11).

7:39 As yet the Spirit had not been given does not mean that there was no work of the Holy Spirit in the world prior to Jesus’ resurrection, for already in Gen. 1:2 the Holy Spirit was present in the world, “hovering over the face of the waters” (see also Gen. 6:3; 41:38; Ex. 31:3; Num. 11:25). Some OT verses even speak of the Spirit of God at work within believers prior to the coming of Christ (see Num. 27:18; Deut. 34:9; Ezek. 2:2; 3:24; Dan. 4:8–9,18; 5:11; Mic. 3:8; cf. Luke 1:15,41,67). This verse must therefore mean that “the Spirit had not been given” in the full and powerful sense that was promised for the new covenant age (see Ezek. 36:26,27; 37:14; Joel 2:28–29; cf. John 20:22; Acts 2:1–13).

7:40–41 The Prophet is the figure referenced in Deut. 18:15–18 (see notes on John 1:20–21; 6:14). This “Prophet” and the Messiah were held to be different persons by some in first-century Judaism. Jesus is both.

7:42 Bethlehem, a village south of Jerusalem in the heart of Judea, is clearly predicted as the Messiah’s birthplace in Mic. 5:2 (cf. Matt. 2:5–6; see also notes on John 7:27 and Matt. 2:1). the Christ … comes from (Bethlehem). The irony is apparent, for they did not realize that Bethlehem was in fact Jesus’ birthplace.

7:45–46 officers. See note on v. 32. No one ever spoke like this man is more profoundly true than these officers could have realized, for no other man in history has been fully God as well and thus able to speak with the infinite knowledge and authority of God himself.

7:50 Nicodemus. See 3:1–15.

7:52 Contrary to the Pharisees’ implication, prophets occasionally did arise from Galilee, such as Jonah (2 Kings 14:25), and possibly Elijah (1 Kings 17:1) and Nahum (Nah. 1:1). The Pharisees may simply have been reflecting current bias against Galileans, or John may be reporting their willingness even to distort the facts in order to make their arguments against Jesus (see John 8:44,55).

7:53–8:11 There is considerable doubt that this story is part of John’s original Gospel, for it is absent from all of the oldest manuscripts. But there is nothing in it unworthy of sound doctrine. It seems best to view the story as something that probably happened during Jesus’ ministry but that was not originally part of what John wrote in his Gospel. Therefore it should not be considered as part of Scripture and should not be used as the basis for building any point of doctrine unless confirmed in Scripture.