John 7 - CSB Disciple’s Study Bible

7:1-10 JESUS CHRIST, Secret—Jesus did not campaign like a public figure. He abided by God’s time schedule to accomplish God’s purposes. Thus he remained in the relative secrecy of Galilee rather than going to Jerusalem and traveled secretly rather than with the festival crowds when he chose to make the trip south. See note on Mk 1:25,34.

7:2-5 FAMILY, Priorities—See note on Mk 3:21,31-35.

7:3-5,31 MIRACLE, Vocabulary—Jesus’s own family saw his miracles (v. 3; Gk erga, “works”). His brothers did not believe on him. They saw only a person seeking earthly fame and plotted strategy to help him. Many in the crowd did believe on him—to them his works became signs (v. 31; Gk semeion) seeing in him God’s promised Messiah.

7:6,8,30 ELECTION, Predestination—God’s purpose pointed Jesus to the time of the cross. The cross was an event controlled by God and not by human power struggles. God had a right time (Gk kairos) when the cross could accomplish God’s purpose for it. The right time is determined by God’s agenda for establishing his priorities and his will. At the right time Jesus entered into human history. At the right time he was baptized. At the right time he brought his ministry to a conclusion and faced the challenge of Calvary. No one could delay, hurry up, or prevent Jesus from keeping those significant historical appointments that he chose to keep in humble obedience to the Father, thus accomplishing God’s election purposes.

7:6-8 HISTORY, Time—Jesus lived not according to religious calendars but according to the Father’s time. He followed the Father’s plan, seizing the right moments to give new meaning to history and to fulfill God’s plan of salvation. He refused to let his appearance stir the crowds to action before the decisive moment God chose to act.

7:7 SIN, Depravity—Apart from God, human society is bent on evil. Looking to human accomplishments gives no reason for hope. Hope rests only in the saving work of Jesus, whom the world rejected.

7:12 JESUS CHRIST, Sinless—Seeing Jesus as a good, compassionate man who helps people is not enough. Neither is a belief in him that fears public opinion and will not openly confess him. Saving faith confesses Jesus as the sinless Son of God.

7:14-24 JESUS CHRIST, Teaching—Jesus’s teaching amazed people because he lacked formal education. Christ learned not from human teachers but from his heavenly Father. People need more than law to gain eternal life, because people do not obey the law. Thus, Jesus pointed to the way of faith.

7:16-19 REVELATION, Faithfulness—Jesus was faithful to the message the Father gave him. Fidelity may be measured by whether one seeks personal honor or God’s. Revelation comes through one who speaks and teaches truth, not falsehood. Scripture was revealed not to bring personal pride of achievement but obedience that honors God.

7:16-17 EDUCATION, God—Jesus acknowledged a principle deeply imbedded in the OT concept of education. God is the Teacher of his people. See notes on Jb 36:22; Ps 25:4-9. Just as Moses received the law from God, so Jesus identified God as the Author of his teaching. Note, too, that one can appropriate this teaching only by doing God’s will. Learning is putting newly acquired knowledge into action.

7:19 SIN, Universal Nature—Jewish religious leaders prided themselves on their knowledge of and faithfulness to their Scripture. They wanted to kill Jesus because he claimed to be Messiah but did not meet their standards. See note on Mk 7:1-22. Jesus reminded them that not a single one of them met the standards set by Scripture. All have sinned. No one has the right to condemn another.

7:20 EVIL AND SUFFERING, Satan—Only the spiritually blind can confuse Jesus and satanic powers. We cannot reject Jesus’s teaching simply because it goes against our tradition. See note on Mt 12:22-29.

7:25-52 JESUS CHRIST, Christ—The Jews were eager students of Scripture and knew the necessary credentials for Messiah. From their interpretation they did not think Jesus met the credentials. Jesus’s basic credential was that God had sent him. His signs led many to believe in him. See note on 2:1-11. He showed that Scripture pointed to him as the source for eternal life. See notes on 6:14; Mt 16:16. Jesus had been born in Bethlehem, fulfilling Micah’s prophecy (5:2), but the crowds were not aware of that credential. See Lk 2:4.

7:28 GOD, Faithfulness—Not only is God truth, in distinction from falsehood; he is faithful and dependable. He is the foundation upon which all that is good, or true, or desirable rests. In contrast to the pagan gods, God is thoroughly dependable, faithful to himself and to his people. His character is unchanging, not subject to whims of the moment or the changing of the tides. In his faithfulness to his covenant promises, God sent Jesus, who truly knows God, since he is the divine Son of God. See notes on Gn 35:3; Nm 26:65.

7:30 HISTORY, Time—God controls time. He will not let his enemies act to bring critical moments of history before they fit his plan for providing salvation. Humans did not control Jesus even when they arrested him. They could do so only in God’s time.

7:37 SALVATION, Acceptance—Accepting Christ means accepting him as the Water of Life. See note on 4:10.

7:39 HOLY SPIRIT, Promised—When Jesus spoke of “streams of living water,” he referred to the Spirit. Jesus here brought two images together: life (6:63) and water (3:5). Whoever believes in Jesus will be given the Spirit. This teaching is similar to OT promises and to the prophecy of John the Baptist (1:33), but it goes beyond them by specifying that those with faith in Christ will receive the Spirit. This happened at Pentecost (Ac 2). John, the author of this Gospel, explained that the Spirit was not given until after Jesus was glorified, suggesting that the crucified and risen Christ would be in a position to give the Spirit. John later carefully distinguished Christ from the Spirit so that no one will confuse them (Jn 16:7). See note on Lk 11:13.

7:53–8:11 HOLY SCRIPTURE, Collection—See note on Mk 16:9-20.