John 7:14-39:

Jesus' Teaching In the Temple

By Dr. Hal Harless

Foundation Fellowship of Greenville, TX

October 25, 2009

 

I.  Introduction

A.  Please turn to John 7:14. 

B.  While you are turning.... 

Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface.  On Earth, it is found mostly in oceans and other large water bodies, with 1.6% of water below ground in aquifers and 0.001% in the air as vapor, clouds (formed of solid and liquid water particles suspended in air), and precipitation.  Oceans hold 97% of surface water, glaciers and polar ice caps 2.4%, and other land surface water such as rivers, lakes and ponds 0.6%.  A very small amount of the Earth's water is contained within biological bodies....

Clean, fresh drinking water is essential to human and other lifeforms.[1]

 

You can only live about three days without water, but you cannot live at all spiritually without the water of life.

II.  Exposition

A.  Background

1.  We are still in Jesus' public ministry (John 2:1-12:36a).

2.  The focus of John's gospel turns to Judea where it will remain until our Lord's death and resurrection.

3.  Jesus has gone up secretly to Sukkoth or the Feast of Tabernacles.

4.  There has been much confusion and debate concerning Him.

5.  In the middle of the feast, Jesus suddenly begins to openly teach in the temple.

B.  Exposition: The fifth discourse: Jesus' teaching in the temple (John 7:14-39)

1.  The Source of Jesus' teaching (John 7:14-18)

a.  How has this man become learned (John 7:14-15)?

¹⁴ But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach.  ¹⁵ The Jews then were astonished, saying, "How has this man become learned, having never been educated?" (John 7:14-15).

 

1)  "But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach."

a)  Jesus arrived in the temple at the middle of the feast and began teaching. 

b)  Since Sukkoth, or the Feast of Tabernacles, was a seven-day feast, the midst of the feast would be on or about Sunday, October 10, AD 32 (Tishri 18, AM 3793).[2] 

c)  This is the second Sukkoth mentioned in John's gospel.

2)  "The Jews then were astonished, saying, 'How has this man become learned, having never been educated?'"

a)  The Jewish leaders were surprised at Jesus' wisdom and knowledge since He had not been educated in the rabbinical system. 

i)  In other words, Jesus had not received instruction from a particular rabbi.[3] 

ii)  The Jewish leaders were amazed that anyone could know anything unless that person had learned it from them. 

b)  This intellectual snobbery is particularly ironic since they were talking about the Word incarnate, God-become-man!

b.  My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me (John 7:16-18).

¹⁶ So Jesus answered them and said, "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  ¹⁷ If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.  ¹⁸ He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him" (John 7:16-18).

 

1)  "So Jesus answered them and said, 'My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.'"

i)  Jesus answered them that His teaching came from the one who sent Him, i.e., God. 

ii)  The Gk. word translated "sent" means "to dispatch someone ... usually for purposes of communication."[4] 

iii)  The author of Hebrews wrote:

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.  And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:1-3).

 

b)  Jesus is the Word and God the Father sent Him to communicate.

2)  "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself."

a)  Jesus taught that those who are willing to do God's will know that His teaching comes from God. 

b)  A prerequisite for receiving direction from God is determining in advance that you will obey it.

3)  "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him."

a)  Jesus explained that the one whose message originates with himself seeks his own glory. 

i)  Jesus uses "glory" here in the "sense of 'praise' or 'honor' from men."[5] 

ii)  Phillips paraphrases, "A man who speaks on his own authority has an eye for his own reputation" (NTME). 

b)  However, Jesus said that He is true and seeking the glory of the One who sent Him.  Therefore, there is no unrighteousness with Him. 

i)  The Gk. word translated "unrighteousness" means "an act that violates standards of right conduct, wrongdoing."[6] 

ii)  Phillips paraphrases, "There can be no dishonesty about him" (NTME).

2.  Debate over Jesus' teaching (John 7:19-36)

a.  Does healing on the Sabbath break the Law (John 7:19-24)?

¹⁹ "Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"  ²⁰ The crowd answered, "You have a demon!  Who seeks to kill You?"  ²¹ Jesus answered them, "I did one deed, and you all marvel.  ²² For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man.  ²³ If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath?  ²⁴ Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:19-24).

 

1)  "Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"

a)  The interplay between Jesus, the crowd, and the Jewish leaders characterizes this discourse. 

i)  Rather than an entire teaching, it contains sayings that Jesus uttered at several different times during the week. 

ii)  Jesus was controversial because He healed on the Sabbath. 

b)  Jesus challenged them with the Law noting that they did not keep it; then He specifically asked why they were seeking to kill Him. 

c)  Assassination would be a violation of the sixth commandment, "You shall not murder" (Exod 20:13).

2)  "The crowd answered, 'You have a demon!  Who seeks to kill You?'"

a)  The crowd responded that Jesus was having demonically induced delusions of persecution since they did not have knowledge of any assassination plot.[7] 

b)  John distinguishes between the crowd and the Jewish leaders.[8] 

c)  Of course, there actually was a plot to kill Jesus as John has reminded us (John 7:1; 5:16-18).

3)  "Jesus answered them, 'I did one deed, and you all marvel.'"

a)  Jesus answered that there was a particular deed, which concerned them. 

b)  He was referring to the paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda who Jesus had healed on the Sabbath at last year's Sukkoth (John 5:2-9).[9] 

c)  The Gk. word translated "marvel" means "to be extraordinarily impressed or disturbed by someth[ing]."[10] 

d)  Barclay translates this, "'I performed one miracle on the Sabbath,' Jesus said, 'and you are all shocked'" (Barclay).

4)  "For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man."

a)  Jesus began to put forth a rabbinical argument based on circumcision in the Mosaic Law. 

b)  However, Jesus noted that the ritual of circumcision did not begin with Moses, but went back to the patriarch Abraham (Gen 17:10-14). 

c)  Male babies were to be circumcised on the eighth day (Gen 17:12; Lev 12:3), and, if that day fell on the Sabbath, they would still perform the circumcision.[11]

5)  "If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath?"

a)  Therefore, Jesus argued that, if circumcision on the Sabbath was mandatory, healing also was. 

b)  Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah (c. AD 100) taught the same thing:

R. Eleazar answered and said: If circumcision, which attaches to one only of the two hundred and forty-eight members of the human body, suspends the Sabbath, how much more shall [the saving of] the whole body suspend the Sabbath![12]

 

c)  This is arguing from the lesser to the greater.[13] 

i)  Circumcision is a small operation that is good for the man.

ii)  Jesus made the entire man well. 

iii)  The Gk. word translated "well" is hygiēs from which we derive our words hygienic and hygiene.

6)  "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."

a)  Jesus warned against superficial judgment, and advocated judgment that rightly considered the true nature of the case.

i)  The Gk. grammar indicates that the action to be ceased was already going on.[14] 

ii)  This has been translated, "Stop judging by mere appearances" (NIV). 

iii)  The Gk. word translated "appearance" means "external or physical aspect of someth[ing], outward appearance, aspect."[15] 

(a)  This has been translated, "external appearance" (NET), and, "Stop judging according to outward appearances" (HCSB). 

(b)  Phillips paraphrases, "You must not judge by the appearance of things but by the reality!" (NTME).

b)  When we judge a situation, we must look beneath the surface to find the true reality of the case.

b.  Where is Jesus from (John 7:25-31)?

                ²⁵ So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill?  ²⁶ Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him.  The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they?  ²⁷ However, we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from."  ²⁸ Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, "You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  ²⁹ I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me."  ³⁰ So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.  ³¹ But many of the crowd believed in Him; and they were saying, "When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He?" (John 7:25-31).

 

1)  "So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill?  Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him.  The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they?"

a)  Since Jesus brought it into the open; the assassination plot had been exposed.

b)  The crowds began to wonder if the inactivity of the Jewish leaders implied acceptance of Jesus' Messianic claims.

2)  "However, we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from."

a)  However, they expected the Messiah's origins to be mysterious.[16] 

i)  The Talmud said, "Three [things] come [upon one] unawares: Messiah, a found article and a scorpion."[17] 

ii)  Since they think that they know about Jesus' origins, the crowd found it harder to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. 

iii)  The phrase "this man" is a contemptuous way to refer to Jesus. 

b)  Given the other gospels, John knows that we know that Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem, and does not correct the crowd.[18]

3)  "Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, 'You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.'"

a)  Jesus responded in His teaching by acknowledging that, in fact, they did know Him and where He came from. 

b)  However, Jesus went on to point out that what was important was not that He was raised in Galilee. 

i)  Rather, it is important that Jesus was sent, and that the One who sent Him is true. 

ii)  The Gk. word translated "sent" means "to dispatch someone ... usually for purposes of communication."[19]

iii)  Then Jesus explained that they did not know the One who sent Him; they did not know God. 

4)  "I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me."

a)  Jesus concluded by stating that He knew the One who sent Him, i.e., God. 

b)  The Gk. word translated here "sent" (apostellō) means "send with a commission, send with authority, send for a purpose."[20]

5)  "So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come."

a)  The attempts to detain Jesus were futile since it was not yet the time for His death. 

b)  Jesus is on God's prophetic schedule.

6)  "But many of the crowd believed in Him; and they were saying, 'When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He?'"

a)  Many in the crowd did place their faith in Jesus. 

b)  Those believers raise the question of reasonable evidence. 

c)  Surely, Jesus had performed enough signs to convince anyone with an open mind.

c.  You will seek Me and not find Me (John 7:32-36).

³² The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him.  ³³ Therefore Jesus said, "For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me.  ³⁴ You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come."  ³⁵ The Jews then said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him?  He is not intending to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He?  ³⁶ What is this statement that He said, 'You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come '?" (John 7:32-36).

 

1)  "The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him."

a)  The Pharisees became aware that the crowd was having a positive response to Jesus. 

b)  Therefore, with the assistance of the priestly leaders they attempted to detain Jesus using the temple police.

2)  "Therefore Jesus said, "For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me."

a)  Jesus' response was an enigmatic saying intended to make them think. 

b)  Jesus said that in a short while He would be returning to the One who sent Him. 

c)  This is October, AD 32.  Six months later, in April, AD 33, Jesus was crucified.[21]

3)  "You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come."

a)  Jesus said that, even though they seek Him at that time, they would be unable to find Him. 

b)  Moreover, Jesus said that He would be out of their reach in a place to which they could not come. 

c)  After the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven.

4)  "The Jews then said to one another, 'Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him?  He is not intending to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He?  What is this statement that He said, "You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come "?'"

a)  This saying confused the Jewish leaders. 

b)  They began to speculate that perhaps Jesus would leave Israel and go to the Jews of the Diaspora. 

i)  The phrase "this man" is contemptuous. 

ii)  The Gk. word translated "Dispersion" (diaspora) is a technical term for "Jews not living in Palestine."[22] 

iii)  This has been translated, "Jewish people dispersed among the Greeks" (NET). 

iv)  "Greeks" here are probably not Gentiles, but Hellenistic or "Greek-speaking Jews" (CJB).[23]

c)  The Jewish leaders were totally unable to comprehend Jesus' saying.

3.  Jesus is the source of Living Water (John 7:37-39).

                ³⁷ Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"  ³⁹ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (John 7:37-39).

 

a.  "Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.'"

1)  The high point of the feast of Sukkoth came on the last day called the Hosha'na Rabbah. 

a)  Rogers explains:

At dawn during the Feast of Tabernacles the priests took water from the Pool of Siloam in a golden vessel and brought it to the temple.  As they approached the Water Gate the trumpets sounded--a short blast, a long one, then another short one.  At the morning offering the water along w[ith] wine was poured on the altar from two silver bowls.[24]

 

b)  While the procession drew the water and returned, the priests chanted Isa 12:3:

Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation (Heb. yĕshû'āh, only one letter different from Yĕshû'ā or Jesus) (Isa 12:3).[25]

 

c)  The priests marched around the altar seven times before pouring out the water. 

d)  The crowd would shout out Hosannas (Heb. for "save now!") and then finally grow silent and prayerful. 

e)  At that moment, Jesus stood up and cried out that those who were thirsty could come to Him for a drink.

2)  Correlation

a)  This would have reminded those present of the prophet Isaiah:

Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat.  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.  Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?  Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance.  Incline your ear and come to Me.  Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David (Isaiah 55:1-3).

 

b)  This would also remind the disciples of the woman at the well and the promise of living water, "Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life" (John 4:14). 

c)  Paul also spoke of drinking the Spirit (1 Cor 12:13). 

d)  As at John 6:35, hunger and thirst are metaphors for spiritual hunger and thirst.

e)  Nothing satisfies except a living relationship with Jesus.

b.  "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"

1)  In a parallel structure, Jesus explained that the promise of rivers of living water was for all of those who believe in Him. 

2)  We have seen that parallel before in John 6:35; coming to Jesus means the same thing as trusting in Him.[26] 

3)  The OT Scriptures

a)  Also made this promise:

For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring and My blessing on your descendants (Isa 44:3).

 

b)  And again:

And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail (Isa 58:11).

 

c)  And again:

As for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the LORD: "My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring," says the LORD, "from now and forever" (Isa 59:21).

 

d)  Therefore, this is not an exact quote, but a summation of these passages,

e)  "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" (NIV). 

4)  The gift of the Holy Spirit was predicted, but Jesus revealed that He was the Source.

c.  "But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."

1)  John explained that Jesus was speaking prophetically since the Holy Spirit would not be given until Jesus was glorified. 

2)  In the gospels, the Church was yet future. 

a)  Jesus said, "I will build My church" (Matt 16:18). 

b)  The Church and the Body of Christ are the same thing:

i)  "Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body" (Eph 5:23).

ii)  "He is also head of the body, the church" (Col 1:18).

iii)  "His body, which is the church ..." (Col 1:24).

c)  The baptism of the Holy Spirit unites us to the body of Christ, "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit" (1 Cor 12:13). 

d)  Just before ascending back to heaven, Jesus "commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, 'Which,' He said, 'you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now'" (Acts 1:4-5).

e)  Therefore, the Church was still future at the point that Jesus ascended. 

f)  The initial baptism of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church took place on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).

II.  Applications

A.  What this says about Jesus Christ ...

1.  Jesus is the Word and God the Father sent Him to communicate.

2.  Jesus was sent with full authority.

3.  The gift of the Holy Spirit was predicted, but Jesus revealed that He was the Source.

B.  What this says to us...

1.  True wisdom comes from God.

2.  A prerequisite for receiving direction from God is determining in advance that you will obey it.

3.  When we judge a situation, we must look beneath the surface to find the true reality of the case.

4.  Nothing satisfies except a living relationship with Jesus.