Jesus at the Feast of Booths
7:1 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
Can This Be the Christ?
25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
Rivers of Living Water
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Division Among the People
40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
[The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11.]
The Woman Caught in Adultery
53 [[They went each to his own house, (ESV)
4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”
This verse reminds me of the sermon Bobby preached about how us Christians who have the light need to shine it and not hide it, but rather share it with others and be that good example! If I want to get the gospel out and talk to others about Christ, I wouldn’t want to be selfish and not talk to them. I would want to seek out those open doors and check to see which ones are the locked and unlocked ones. Not only is it a commandment, but it pleases God and will hopefully plant a seed in someone’s life from talking to them.
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
Nice post #1
It is pouring buckets as I read the above verse – Lord let living water flow from us at CBC as we follow Brooke’s encouragement to share the good news witht he lost and hurting.
27But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.”
28Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true.
How many TIMES has THIS happened to ME?! Man, I’ll be sitting there thinking or wondering about some matter in my heart, and out of “NOWHERE” God speaks directly to me, answering my very considerations and wonderments. I take comfort in God’s timing and His sovereignty.
PLEASE PRAY FOR MY MOM, BERNADETTE, WHO GOES IN FOR SURGERY TODAY AT 1PM TO HAVE HER THYROID CANCER REMOVED, AND MY AUNT THERESE, WHO GOES IN FOR HER FIRST ROUND OF CHEMO ON HER AGGRESSIVE BREAST CANCER. Two sisters who got their news of their cancers in the same week (Thanksgiving week). God ordained it all. Not our will be done, but HIS…Father, bring Your spiritual healing upon my Mom, and thank You for having already healed my Aunt spiritually. If it is Your will, we also pray for physical healing upon them.
Will be praying for both your mom and aunt Stacy!
John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.
I want to be a well for the living water of Jesus – one that is not a trickle but free flowing with a huge amount constantly coming out. Lord, thank You for the salvation and the continuing grace You pour out on us. Please use me today to honor You with words and actions and change some lives today!
5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
Reading this was shocking to me. It just shows how little faith we have. And the brothers were around to personally see Jesus’ miracles, but they did not believe. This just shows how great our faith needs to be and how much trust we have to put in the Lord. All of our trust, all the time!
26Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ?
That is a good question. While many were opposed to Jesus, they couldn’t help but admit that he spoke with authority like nobody else.
46″No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards declared.
Most of us would agree with this statement. However, it is not enough for me just to acknowledge this. If Jesus speaks with ultimate authority than I need to act like it. I need to obey his words like none other. He has the ultimate say. My goal is to follow him wherever he leads me today.
7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.
This verse reminds me of the first point from Pastor Mike’s sermon last weekend. In his sermon he talked about how Jesus is our prophet, priest and king. Pastor Mike explained that Jesus came to diagnose sin and spiritual sickness and give the prognosis to save men from their sin. This was not popular with the Pharisees or religious leaders because they saw no sickness in themselves. They hated Jesus because He told them that everything was not alright with them, along with everyone else who was not His disciple. Even Jesus’ own brothers in this passage had not placed their trust in Him, that’s why the world didn’t hate them. The world loves its own, but it hates Christians. This verse reminds me that if Christ was hated for His teachings then it is expected that I will have opposition from the world when I am His disciple. I must not be surprised by hatred from the world, I should expect it and rejoice because I am able to suffer for Christ!
4No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”
5For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.
I find that when i would evangelize earlier in my walk with the Lord, i would wish that random miracles could happen so that people would believe (easier) in the Lord. But the biggest part of Christianity/our relationship with God is based on pure faith. Like Bobby said in a sermon a while ago, ‘just look up at the sky, and that in itself is professing the greatness of God’. And i think its great that Jesus says why the world hates Him- He speaks the truth. Being human, we dont want to hear about what is wrong with us or our world. We try to live in this fantasy that doesnt exist. What i love about Compass is the REAL teaching. Our leaders and pastors do not ‘tweak’ a sermon so that it doesnt hurt our feelings or make us angry…but they speak the truth! I am so thankful for a biblically correct church! And praise God for His beautiful creation!
Maranatha!
It’s great to see people put their faith in Christ in this chapter…
24Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”
Jesus has been talking of people grew extremely angry with Him when they saw Him performing miracles on the Sabbath. However, he brings up the point of circumcision, starting from the time of Moses, and even before then with the Patriarchs. He talks of how a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath without complaints, yet when He heals a man on the Sabbath people rise in an uproar. The people are so hypocritical. As the Pharisees with “Stump Jesus”, along with this accusing Jesus of healing people miraculously on the Sabbath as a bad thing, they aren’t interested in the truth. They are only trying to be sly in finding some way to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong, anything wrong that they can find. They don’t care about the end result that by the healing of Jesus, cripples are able to walk and the deaf are able to hear and the blind are able to see. Their eyes are focused on bringing Jesus down any which way that they can, though they don’t succeed. Many people, as with the law, act in a way that they are so focused on correcting every little thing, but for the wrong reasons. They are focused on finding any fault possible in people not to see justice carried out in the law, but because they want to make themselves feel better. It’s like a self-made righteousness, that they puff themselves up by cracking down on others without thought or concern. I need to not seek justice carried out for the uplifting of myself. I still must seek justice, but for the reason of glorifying God!
8 You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.”
9 Having said this, he stayed in Galilee.
10 However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.
From the very beginning Jesus lived with full humility, not seeking fame and recognition (as He easily could have) but looking always to follow the will of the Father and fulfill God’s plan. My goal in life should be same–to eschew personal gain and submit to God’s will always. In our culture of celebrity-worship and self-interest, the gospel of John is a wonderful encouragement to keep my heart set on doing the will of the Lord. 18 He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
ELLO… I read
I like verse 51″Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?”
I like this verse because it talks about the pharisees not wanting to look into JESUS’s preaching because they thought it was wrong. They claimed HE was a deceiver because HE said HE was from GOD, when HE was and probably the only reason they wanted HIM dead was because HE did not reward their “righteous” acts but instead brought out the truth about them publicly.
CYA
Wow, now that Jesus taught and performed many miracles, people are responding with hostility and confusion. The Jews want to arrest Jesus, some question unknowingly if Jesus is the Christ, a few followers believe and pursue him adamantly, and there are still some who just don’t care or don’t know. Nonetheless Jesus was a big deal!
What struck me was this revealing question from the crowd: “Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ” (John 7:26)?
The fear of the authorities…
When the Gospel of Jesus Christ is unflinchingly preached and the power of God is displayed through the sheer numbers of people who boldly stand up for his name, the devil and all the authorities of this world tremble. They fear the power of God and respond with confusion and reproach. Nonetheless, people believe! When hostility comes, which it inevitably will, we should know that this is because they fear the Lord our God and understand the that he is a “consuming fire”. Then…as with Paul, Peter, etc., and our Lord…people will believe! We should never cease to share the gospel. The power of God is displayed when the devil and all the authorities of this world crumble under the knowledge of the truth. We have only one life to live…we should live it boldly for our Lord Jesus Christ.
24Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”
Ya, Jesus is the only one who could say such things, because we all eventually judge people according to our own standards…when really they are all so distorted by the world. It is easy to judge one by their appearance when, in reality, we cannot even say that we know them. Only God can judge the world; we have no authority at all, and we never will. Praise God, for he is just!!
3Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.
This still stands today. Only the chosen will come to know Jesus…while the others will be unfortunate enough to face the wrath of their sin. PRAISE GOD that He has chosen us, and for that grace that will bring us into His glorious presence!!
38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
That is such a cool description of the Holy Spirit! Every single Christian has the Holy Spirit inside them, like “streams of living water” that “flow within” us. That is just such a vivid description it’s like i can almost see it. The Scriptures had said that it would happen, and like Jesus said, it did happen. Since Pentacost, every Christian has the Holy Spirit. Now that is amazing just to think about. The Holy Spirit is God. And It is with us 24/7. how amazing is that? Awesome! Praise God for that!
3 days till Christmas! Yay! Remember why it’s so exciting! Jesus was born! If He hadn’t been born, none of the book of John would have occured, that’s why it’s so important! Jesus was born so He could fuffil His job and so there would be good news of great joy for everyone! Merry Christmas True North!
36What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”
this is a really scary passage for these people, Jesus is telling him that even if they look for him they will nont find him and when he goes to heaven the cannot come, so he is telling them they are going to hell and when they try and find him he will not be found. as christians we do not havw to worry about not being able to find him or not being able to go where he is
c u all 2010 and have a great CHRISTmas
I see a contrast in this chapter. On the one hand, Jesus is being pretty straight forward, claiming God as his Father and presenting himself as the Messiah. On the other hand, there is the confusion of the crowd, which is full of people presenting their own ideas about Jesus.
Not much has changed in the last 2000 years! The message of the gospel is still straight forward, and the world is still full of faithless confusion. I need to make sure that I am never trying to confuse the teaching and commands that God has made clear for me!
24 “Stop judging by mere apperearances, and make a right judgment.”
This is something I tend to struggle with. I see and person and already I judge him. I need to stop it because this could be dangerous. Soon, it can turn into gossip or bad thoughts etc. I need to stop judging people and try to get to know them.
!!!MARANATHA!!!
3Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do.
This verse just reminded me that it is all in God’s time and not my time. It was not time for Jesus to go to Judea but Jesus’ brothers thought it was. I need to trust that God’s time is better than my time.
John 7:16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me.
Many times in this chapter, people are questioning Jesus: thinking things like who he is, is he really the Christ, etc. However, Jesus is speaking about the truth, talking not about things he wanted to say, but he who sent him wanted to say.
This is an example for my life. I do not want to say what I want to say, but say things that glorify God. I do not want to do things that I want to do, rather do things that would glorify God.
God Bless!!
18He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
This verse reminds me of humility. God is the One who deserves all the glory. I need to make sure my life is always about putting God first, and living for Him, not myself. I need to evangelize for the Lord and share His words of truth that are spoken in the Bible. Those Christians that don’t speak for the Lord, but on their own are hypocrites. I need to always check myself and be thinking all the time about my actions and words pleasing and glorifying God. Especially this season! Christmas is all about Christ, and it is my responsibility to share that with everyone:)
The same thing stood out to me, Pastor Ben! The crowd didn’t know what to make of Jesus. They all had different ideas and many questions. Many of them were uninformed and making opinions about Jesus based on faulty information. The same thing happens today. To have an opinion about Jesus, people should actually read the Bible to see the claims about Him. We can’t invent a Jesus of “our own.” There is only one true Christ and He is made clear in the Bible.
38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Praise God for His holy Spirit that He gives to us! It is the deep relationship with God that comes with the Holy Spirit that satisfies our soul and keeps us from getting spiritualy thiristy. It is so awesome to have God living inside of us!
37On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
Going back to an older sermon, this shows that we really will show whether we are Christians or not by the fruit of our lives. May we bless God this Christmas by remmebering that the only reason we celebrate it is because of his son, Jesus, who came to the world.
37On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
This is a great verse. Salvation is for everyone, no one is exempt from the gifts of GOD. GOD’s gifts come to all and through GOD we can all be saved. Ask and it will be given. GOD is good.
7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.
SO true. What is wong wiht the word. It still bugs me when people curse the LORD’s name. But, like what Pastor Bobby said, they don’t curse Buddha or Mahammed’s name. Why God’s? How come the world breaks God’s laws but follows worldly laws? Why is the world so lost from the truth? Why are they in darkness? It frustrates me to see that soo many people are lost and when you evangelize to them they don’t have a clue and don’t care. Like Pastor Bobby’s analogy with the oxygen masks on a plane. I mean if you are losing oxygen on a plane you are going to grab a mask. You aren’t going to sit there and do nothing. Right? Otherwise your a fool. But we are sinners and we are fools. At points I feel so stupid when I fib or when I annoy my siblings. I need to live for Christ and not take my eyes off the main goal! Glory to God in the highest!!!! May His name be spread and may those realize what CHRISTmas really about this year. I pray for a REVIVAL on this earth our LORD created. :]
***REJOICE IN HIS NAME AND SPREAD IT TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH!!!***
7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.
This reminds of “the painful truth versus a kind lie”–I heard someone say the other day that it’s “more noble” to tell the kind lie, but I disagree because it’s more considerate if you tell the honest truth, no matter how hard it first hurts. This world does not like to hear about its habits or actions as evil. God created the 10 commandments along with telling people through his Word how they should live their lives. A key example is the gay marriage issue–some people who aren’t real Christians (or who haven’t read the Bible) try to protest that there’s nothing in the 10 commandments that says same-sex spouses can’t be, but that is entirely wrong. I need to remember that I should influence God’s ways on others and not allow or agree with people who try to compromise to justify their sins.
42Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David’s family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?”
Jesus fulfilled EVERY SINGLE prophecy about the Messiah in the Old Testament! He is the Savior of the entire world! I can’t wait for the day predicted in Philippeans 2 when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD!
30At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.
Many times, people attempted to arrest Jesus, but they failed to do so. This is interesting to me because if they wanted to seize him, then it wouldn’t have been that hard. But God had his hand in the situation and protected him through all of it because it was not the right time yet. This goes to show me that God always has a plan whether or not I feel like he does and his plan is always the best. I need to be continually reliant on my God who sees everything and knows what is best for me. I know that he is faithful!
30At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.
Just like throughout the gospels, Jesus fulfilled every single prophecy from the OT!! He has such power! If it wasn’t His time to be captured, it was not His time and NOBODY could change that…how amazing!! Jesus has such power and because He loved me enough to save me and show me His wonder, grace, mercy, and love, I should not EVER be afraid or scared because HE has control
PRAISE TO THE LORD WHO WAS BORN THIS WEEK(thousands of years ago) AND LOVES US STILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What really strikes me about this chapter, is how no one can believe Jesus is the Christ. They cannot see what is truly in front of them–they have no faith. Obviously, Jesus has the power to demonstrate who He is, but He would rather have someone follow Him based on faith and trust, than by His miraculous actions.
4No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”
5For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
I’ll be praying for your ma and aunt Stacy!!!
24Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”
maaaaaan…Jesus just owns allll the time!!!! The pharisees judge Jesus just by the acts they have seen and heard about, not by who He really is! God calls them out, bottabingbottaboom, they are silenced. God knows my sin and others when it comes to judging people…I know I do that! sometimes I even describe people just by their religion…which neeeeds to stop. XP It’s not otay. No matter what religion they are, they are in sin juuuuust as I was in sin too so I can’t say a wooooord about it! Jesus caaan though because He iiiiis God, perfect in all His actions which means He’s perfect when it comes to His judgement. God plz fix my heart so that I may not be stuck in these difficult sins that I have. Thank you for helping me realize this one because I never really thought about it till now! Your Word is amazing.
39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
mmmm I remember during Partners talking about the Holy Spirit and learning all these things I haven’t before. I asked a question that was why wasn’t the holy spirit here when Jesus was down on earth/vice versa. But once Jesus was glorified and his purpose here was fulfilled, then the holy spirit was given to convict us of our sins and repent. It’s cool & mind blowing to realize that God is within us!
17If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.
This is true, people who arent Christians just think that we are a bunch of idiots who belive in make believe. But how are they going to understand? well they cant. God is the one that chooses us and puts his spirit in us. I can only pray that God will let my words lead them to God. Only when we become a Christian is when we put our complet faith in the truth of His word. Thansk you Lord sooooo much for my salvation! i cant say it enough! Why me? I guess ill never know but i love you sooo much Lord!!!!! You bring so much joy in my life i hope i can please you with my life! MARANATHA!!!! Im dying for the day i can se You in person!!!!
18 He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
I found this verse to be convincting in the way that everything most people do is for themseleves, when it should really be to glorify God. Because God has given us everything its the least we can do. And what we do on earth will one day be asked of why we did it by God. So we need to remind ourselfs to always be doing everything for God and to glorify him!
24 “Stop judging by mere apperearances, and make a right judgment.”
This verse goes hand in hand with the Disney Channel moral of: don’t be mean to the wierd kids at your junior high/high school (or community college……..right there’s your first step not to judge).
But i’ve never really thought about this towards Jesus. Jesus didn’t look like God, but he was.
44Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.
It’s cool how no one can even touch Jesus until his work is done. How can people say these things were illusions performed on the crowd when they were physically trying to capture him and weren’t able to? God is so powerful and the truth of his word is undeniable.
39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
when Christ says that those who have believed havent yet received the Spirit, is this Spirit referring to the Spirit that is indwelling all believers, or is this the Spirit that is anointed in the sense of ministry, like the disciples were to receive (John 14:26; Acts 2)? did OT and pre-church believers have the indwelling Spirit as we see in 1 Corinthians 6:19 like we do now, or was it different?
30At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.
because it wasnt Christ’s time to be captured and crucified, no one could seize Him. this is an awesome display of God’s sovereign plan. God also has a sovereign plan for me. i need to trust in His plan, and follow His will for my life. i need to trust in God and rely on Him in all situations. praise be to God that He is in control and i am not!
7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.
The world is going to hate me too if I say what Jesus said. They hated Christ because he pointed out their problem. He also offered the solution but a lot of people didn’t want to hear the solution. They didn’t even want to know they had a problem. They hated Christ so much they wanted to kill him. Christ promised that if I follow him I will be persecuted. I need to be prepared and be ready to stand up for the truth no matter what.
7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.
Jesus is saying that the world hates Him because He is exposing what they are doing wrong and telling them to change their ways. Now I have two choices in life. I can let people keep sinning and keep a good reputation among my peers, or I can help others come to Christ at the risk of being ostracized, persecuted, or hated. I need to be like Jesus and stand out from this world by following God’s commands as closely as possible instead of living to please myself or others.
18He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
This verse just makes me think that as a Christian I need to make sure that I am doing everything to further the kingdom of God. I should be doing nothing to bring myself glory because that would be pointless. I need make sure that I am living for the glory of the Lord and that I am working for His honor.
49No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”
It doesn’t take a master’s degree in Biblical theology to be saved. One of the awesome thing about the Bible being the “living and active” Word of God is that there is always more to learn, passages to dig deeper into, and insights from God to be revealed through study. But in order to be saved, it takes only a heart that is broken over its sin and desires to turn away from it and life a life pleasing to God, trusting in HIs Son’s death alone to provide a way to heaven. This fills me with such gratitude for Christ’s provision for us, and drives me to dig ever deeper into His word and to grow more every day. And secondly, it’s a reminder that evangelism isn’t about winning intellectual arguments; it’s about presenting the Gospel – the good news of Jesus death and resurrection – clearly and effectively, with gentleness and respect.
I like the first part of this chapter and how Jesus doesnt go to Judea because it is not the right time. It reminds me of how everything has a time and a place and everything that happens is iin Gods plan. I need to not worry about any of the things that go on with school or future or anything like that because I know that God is in control in the calm and crazy times.
30At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.
This verse is an awesome reminder that man’s attempts at control is idle unless it is also ordained by the Father. This verse explains that the religious leaders attempted to capture Jesus, however, the appointed time had not yet come (the perfect timing ordained by the Lord), so they were unsuccessful. As a follower of Christ, I need to make sure I am waiting on the Lord and not working to accomplish things not in the Lord’s will. This reminds me of a verse in Job. Job 42:2 says, “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.” I want to have this complete trust in the Lord’s perfect plans!
31Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, “When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?”
I thought this verse was really cool because just last chapter it was sad to see how many of His followers abandoned Him because they never really believed in Him. LORD, thank you so much for all the evidence you have given that shows you are the true Son of God who came down to save us. It’s sad when people like the Jews at this time kept asking for signs even though there was proof to show that you really are who you said you are. Please help me never to doubt but always be trusting in you and encouraging others to do the same.
18 He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
It is important to use scripture when giving someone imput about something spiritual. We should not speak on our own morals and guidlines from our own prespective. The Bible give us solutions to every kind of problem that we could face in this life. So if we are trying to help someone through trials, trying to encourage them, trying to give them any spiritual advice, anything….Its important to get it from God’s Word. “He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself.” Who are you serving and who are you trying to help? As a Christian, I claim to serve God, but there are times when I edify myself when I claim to help others. This is wrong, and for nothing but selfish gain. As Christians we need to work for the honor of the one who sent us. Just like God sent his son, Jesus. We are sent into the world to speak out of nothing but HIS honor. We do this by using the Bible, God’s Word. In this we find the truth that can make a difference when we speak to others. OUR WORDS ARE MEANINGLESS UNLESS THEY ARE SUPPORTED WITH SCRIPTURE. There is nothing false when we speak the truth from God’s Word. Let’s use it in our conversations.
13But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews.
While we don’t have Pharisees & Saducees threatening to kick us out of the temple or even have us killed today, how often do we hesitate or even refuse to say anything publicly about Jesus for fear of being labeled “jesus freak” or a stereotypical “Christian”? When our minds are truly on the lordship & sovereignty of Christ, we LOOK perpetually for OPPORTUNITIES to say PUBLIC things about him!!!
The pharisees never seem to give up. How many times must Jesus own them before they give in?
It seems to me that the only way that they could avoid realizing he was Christ was by denial, and convincing one another that he is a fake. (peer pressure)
At the end of this chapter, the Pharisees deride the guard who suggested Jesus’ validity, by saying “You mean he has deceived you also?”–so we see that much of what contributes to their stubbornness is simply not wanting to accept the truth of their wickedness (“The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil”), and the support of other like-minded thinkers.
Just goes to show the power of peer pressure, and how it can sway you from the path you should be on.
50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked,
51 “Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?”
Nicodemus is one of the “cool kids”. He’s got money, he’s well off, because he is a Pharisee. After he talked to Jesus in John 3, he could have just completely blown off what Jesus said, and gone on to living his “good” life of wealth and popularity. Although I am not sure as to whether Nicodemus actually became a Christian, it is clear that he stood up outside of his comfort zone to the other Pharisees for Jesus. This is a great example of how I should be acting in my life. I should be constantly standing up and talking about Jesus, not worried about what other people may think about me. My goal in life should be SOLEY to please God, and no one else. Pleasing God some of the time doesn’t cut it! He is so worth everything I have, so I need to give it to him!
PRAISE THE LORD!!!
MARANATHA!!!!
28Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him,
29but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”
I liked in these verses how Jesus said we don’t know who God is but He does and how Jesus allows us to have a personal relationship with Gid. He humbled himself down to a baby to a human just for us and then died on the cross.
I am encouraged by those of you who continue to faithfully comment day after day! Keep it up!
One thing that stood out to me about this chapter is that Jesus divides the crowd. Some believe in him and some want to kill him. There are really only two ways to go when it comes to Jesus. You either put your faith in him and what he says or you reject him. I have wholeheartedly committed to Jesus team and I am ready to suffer whatever persecution comes with that. I pray for those who are opposed to him, that they will repent and join us in following Jesus.
Great comment Luke and spencer!
30At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.
44Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.
i really liked reading about how the authorites and people wouldnt lay a hand on Jesus. it shows Jesus’s power and his glory an also God’s strength. i am awed by God’s power everyday he is truely amazing
John 7
4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”
5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
Wow how blind man can be when even Jesus bothers didn’t believe that He was the Christ. They thought that he wanted to be a public figure and that He should come out of secret and show off His Glory for worldly fame. God providence in its perfect time would bring Yahweh the Glory.
Mery Christmas to all of True North