John 7
LipscombJohn 7:1
Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles, was at hand.—The feast of tabernacles commemorated the camping out of the Jews in their journey from Egypt to Canaan. It was combined with the feast of ingathering and began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month and continued seven days.
John 7:3
His brethren therefore said unto him,—There is no proof that Mary and Joseph did not have other children. God ordained the marriage relation for the good of the human family and for his own glory. It is no derogation from the character of Mary as the mother of Jesus for her to have fulfilled the office of wife to Joseph and have borne other children. Nor is there the least evidence that she did not. Quite a number of expressions in the Bible indicate that she did fulfill the duties of wife and mother.
Depart hence, and go into Judaea,—While these brethren seem to have regarded him as something above ordinary men and were willing to see him show his powers, they yet lacked a strong faith in him and his claims to be the Son of God.
that thy disciples also may behold thy works which thou doest.—They thought if he could do anything he should show it on these occasions of the feasts when the multitudes of the Jews came together at Jerusalem. He had some disciples at Jerusalem who had been made at other visits to the city.
John 7:4
For no man doeth anything in secret, and himself seeketh to be known openly.—[No prophet and inspired teacher. The claim that such teachers seek the multitudes, after which, and in their presence, in the most public manner, exhibit their supernatural power.] If a man expects the world to honor him he must keep himself and his work before the world was the idea of these brethren of Jesus. This is the world’s idea.
If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the world.—[“If” implies that his brethren were doubters and the following verse asserts that they were unbelievers.]
John 7:5
For even his brethren did not believe on him — [Note that a clear distinction is made between his brethren and his disciples. The distinction is more clear in Matthew 12:47. Later they became believers. (Acts 1:14).]
John 7:6
Jesus therefore saith unto them, My time is not yet come;—His time for fully manifesting himself to the world had not yet come, so he could not then go up to the feast. [He had by slow degrees and in different ways manifested himself to the people, but the time for the great and final lesson of the cross, the grave, the resurrection, and ascension had not come. His full and complete manifestation to the world will be at his second coming when “every eye shall see him.”]
but your time is always ready.—They with no special mission save to follow the world could go to the feast at any time. [He who has a mission must make ready for it. He who has a message for the world must educate it to receive it.]
John 7:7
The world cannot hate you;—[For it would, in that case, hate those who have its spirit and were of it. It will not hate itself. It only hates those who rebuke its sins and oppose its ways.]
but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that its works are evil.—He expected when he went to Jerusalem to call out the hatred of the world by his condemnation of the evil of the world. As they were of the world and did not condemn the world, the world would not hate them. [It has always hated those who expose and denounce its sins. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist all suffered because they rebuked sin in high places. When Jesus came exposing the corruptions of the priests, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, the worldliness and debauchery of the Sadducees and Herodians, it was inevitable that he should be hated, persecuted, and put to death. But the world still hates him. The hate of such men as Voltaire, Tom Paine, and Ingersoll, and of all their followers is due to the fact that Christ and his church are a rebuke to, and condemnation of, their lives.]
John 7:8
Go ye up unto the feast: I go not up unto this feast; because my time is not yet fulfilled.—They could go when they pleased. There were reasons why he could not then go. His time was not fully come. [He uses the present, not future tense. The thought is, I am not now going. It would have doubtless defeated his purpose had he gone with those who were determined that he should make an exhibition of himself. It cannot be determined from this whether he had yet purposed to go at all.]
John 7:9
And having said these things unto them, he abode still in Galilee.—What the reasons were are not known, but he remained in Galilee.
John 7:10
But when his brethren were gone up unto the feast, then went he also up, not publicly, but as it were in secret.—His brethren went to the feast while he for the time tarried in Galilee for a day or two, and then quietly, without showing himself to the world, went up.
John 7:11
The Jews therefore sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?—The report of the works of Jesus was spread abroad, and at such a gathering it was the general expectation that he would be present and do wonders. Both his enemies and his friends inquired concerning him whether he would come to the feast.
John 7:12
And there was much murmuring among the multitudes concerning him: some said, He is a good man; others said, Not so, but he leadeth the multitude astray.—He had impressed many of the people that he was a good man, sent from God, others that he was a deceiver. [Truth preached always stirs up the opposition and false charges.]
John 7:13
Yet no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.—This was the talk in a private way among acquaintances, none speaking publicly because the rulers of the Jews had condemned him. [They feared that open discussion would bring condemnation upon themselves from the rulers.]
John 7:14
But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.—About the third day of it. Jesus threw off all secrecy or privacy and went into the temple and began openly to teach the people.
John 7:15
The Jews therefore marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?—The familiarity of Jesus with the Jewish law and his readiness in applying it and explaining the teachings were matters of wonder and surprise to all, as these things were usually learned in some of the schools. As Paul attended the school of Gamaliel, Jesus attended none of these schools, hence his teaching in these things was a surprise to all who knew it.
John 7:16
Jesus therefore answered them, and said, My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me—The teaching of Jesus was not from himself. It did not originate with him. It was not derived from studying and learning of men. It was bestowed upon him by God who sent him. Jesus again brings out that he brought no theory or system or will of his own, but he came to do the will of his Father who sent him.
John 7:17
If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself.—If any one really desires to do the will of God, he shall be enabled to know that this doctrine is from God and did not originate with Jesus. Does it not involve the conclusion that if any one in the world really desires to do the will of God, he will be brought to know that will and that it is of God and not of man. Is it possible that God would give his Son to die to open the way of salvation to man and then leave one to die in ignorance of that way who would accept it if he knew it? The great hindrance to many knowing the truth is they do not desire the truth and will not walk in it when they know it.
John 7:18
He that speaketh from himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him, the same is true,—One reason by which he will know the truth is of God is that he who speaks from himself as the author of his teaching seeks his own glory. In doing the will of God it will be so manifest that there is such a complete self-denial and glorification of God that he will know that the teaching did not originate with man.
and no unrighteousness is in him.—The one who denies self and seeks the glory of him sending him gives undeniable testimony that he did not originate his teaching, and that he is righteous.
John 7:19
Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you doeth the law? Why seek ye to kill me?—The leaders of the Jews had determined to kill him for breaking the law of Moses. Moses did not make that law. He received it from God and gave it to the Jews, as Jesus received it from God and gave it to them. None of them kept the law, yet sought to kill him on a charge of breaking the law in healing a man on the Sabbath.
John 7:20
The multitude answered, Thou hast a demon: who seeketh to kill thee?—At this time they were keeping their purpose to kill him secretly until an opportunity to do it should occur. Some perhaps did not know of it, and they charge him with having a demon in cherishing such a thought.
John 7:21
Jesus answered and said unto them, I did one work, and ye all marvel because thereof.—Jesus referred to the healing of the impotent man on the Sabbath day.
John 7:22
Moses hath given you circumcision (not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers); and on the sabbath ye circumcise a man.—Moses whom they claimed to honor had commanded them to circumcise their children as it had come down from Abraham. In obedience to Moses’ law they circumcise a child on the eighth day, even if it fell on the Sabbath. Why should setting aside the Sabbath law to heal an afflicted man be worse than setting it aside to circumcise a child?
John 7:23
If a man receiveth circumcision on the sabbath, that the law of Moses may not be broken; are ye wroth with me, because I made a man every whit whole on the sabbath?—If God through Moses could set aside the Sabbath law to circumcise a child, why may not God through Jesus set aside the same law to heal an afflicted man? [The law of mercy was older than either circumcision or the Sabbath. His accusers were, therefore, inconsistent in their indignation against him because he had performed an act of mercy in healing a man. Mercy was God’s eternal law.]
John 7:24
Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.—Do not judge by the external appearance, but by the real standard of righteousness. [The Jews judged by “appearance” when they condemned Christ for healing the man on the Sabbath, and forgot the eternal principles of righteousness. Some times one law is broken in order to obey a higher law. They should have asked whether this was the case or not before they condemned Jesus, and then “judge with righteous judgment.”]
John 7:25
Some therefore of them of Jerusalem said, Is not this he whom they seek to kill?—Some from Jerusalem not of the ruling order knew of their purpose to kill him and were astonished at his boldness.
John 7:26
And lo, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing unto him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is the Christ?—[They are bewildered. They neither condemn or approve the purpose of the rulers, but they cannot understand why it is not carried out. Is it possible that the rulers have found out that this is the Christ? Is this the reason for their failure to carry out their purpose?]
John 7:27
Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when the Christ cometh, no one knoweth whence he is.—The difficulty came up that when Christ came none would know whence he came, and they thought they knew whence Jesus had come.
John 7:28
Jesus therefore cried in the temple, teaching and saying, Ye both know me, and know whence I am; and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.—Jesus knew what was passing in their minds and agreed that they knew in one sense whence he was, yet insisted that he had not come of his own will and they did not know him who had sent him. In that sense they did not know whence he was, or did not know God his Father.
John 7:29
I know him; because I am from him, and he sent me.—Jesus alone knew the Father and he had come to make known God and his will to the people.
John 7:30
They sought therefore to take him: and no man laid his hand on him, because his hour was not yet come.—The Jews were anxious to arrest him, but circumstances hindered. These circumstances were controlled by God. [No one could as yet do him harm, for the set time had not come.]
John 7:31
But of the multitude many believed on him; and they said, When the Christ shall come, will he do more signs than those which this man hath done?—His teaching, his works, his bearing convinced many that he was divine, and if not the Christ would the Messiah do more miracles than Jesus had done in his mission? [They were convinced that he was a teacher from God and were ready to follow him, yet not sure he was the Christ to come. Jesus did not proclaim himself to be the Christ. He demonstrated it by his works.]
John 7:32
The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things concerning him; and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to take him.—The exchange of thoughts concerning Jesus was quietly talked among the common people. The Pharisees purposed to arrest him and stop all such talk. [They did not want it to spread.]
John 7:33
Jesus therefore said, Yet a little while am I with you, and I go unto him that sent me.—In a short time Jesus would by his death be taken away from them, and after the crucifixion and resurrection would ascend to God who had sent him.
John 7:34
Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, ye cannot come.—After a time evil would call upon them and then they would seek him. He would be with God and to him they could never come. [This is plain to use in the light of divine history, but it is not strange that his audience on the other side of the cross did not understand his saying.]
John 7:35
The Jews therefore said among themselves, Whither will this man go that we shall not find him? will he go unto the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?—Many Jews were scattered from Judea among the Gentiles, and it was either in ignorance or to ridicule him that they ask this question. [Would he teach them and the Greeks, as well as the Jews of Judea, and the Galileans?]
John 7:36
What is this word that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me; and where I am, ye cannot come?—[They could not comprehend. It seems that this bore on their minds. They were perplexed. See verse 34.
John 7:37
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.—The feast lasted eight days and the last day was a holy convocation, and it had come to be the greatest day of the feast. On this day he called to all who thirsted to come to him and drink the waters of salvation. [The eighth or last day of the feast probably was devoted more to rejoicing and thanksgiving for the blessings of the year and for the hope of Israel. It was called “the great day of the feast.”]
John 7:38
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water.—The Holy Spirit would come as the representative of God on earth after his ascension to his Father and this he foretells under this figure. [“Believing” is equal to “coming” in verse 37, showing that faith is the means that brings us to Christ. It is a live, active faith; not a dead or inactive one.]
John 7:39
But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive:—[This makes Acts 2 the best commentary on verse 38. Luther says, “So St. Peter, by one sermon on the day of Pentecost, as by a rushing of water, delivered three thousand men from the devil’s kingdom, washing them in an hour from sin, death, and Satan.”]
for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.— The Holy Spirit would come to take up his abode in and with men only after the ascension of Jesus to his Father. Jesus said to his disciples; “It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I will send him unto you.” (John 16:7). [Observe (1) that the Holy Spirit was not given until after the death and ascension of Christ; (2) the disciples of Christ did not become “rivers of living water” until the Spirit was sent. This marks Pentecost as the beginning of the preaching of the gospel authoritatively by his disciples. Peter’s sermon on that day was the first sermon under the great commission, the first declaration of the condition of the gospel, the first preaching by men as the Holy “Spirit gave them utterance.” It was after Jesus was glorified that he sent the Spirit, and on Pentecost it was declared, “He hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear.”]
John 7:40
Some of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, said, This is of a truth the prophet—[Conflicting views arose among the people. Some said he was “the prophet,” spoken of in Deuteronomy 18:15, and referred to in John 1:15. All agreed that a prophet was to come at the Messianic period, but some held that he was to be the Messiah himself, and others that he was to be the forerunner. Hence three questions were put to John—“Art thou Elijah? Art thou the prophet? Art thou the Christ?”]
John 7:41
Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, What, doth the Christ come out of Galilee?—[The opposition denied that he was the Christ, basing their opposition, not upon his character or teaching, but upon the fact that he came from Galilee. Jesus, reared at Nazareth, coming to Jerusalem from Galilee, was supposed by the Jews to have been born there, and they were well aware of the fact Christ was to be born at Bethlehem.]
John 7:42
Hath not the scripture said that the Christ cometh of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?—[The Talmud explains Micah 5:2 as declaring that Bethlehem should be Christ’s birthplace. The wise men who came to Jerusalem seeking the young Babe heard the same thing from the priests. It was prophesied that he should be of the seed of David. (Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; Psalms 89:36).]
John 7:43
So there arose a division in the multitude because of him.—[They were rent into two parties and there was sharp contention.] The teaching of Jesus impressed his hearers variously. Some thought he must be a prophet, some that he was the Christ, others could not see how he could be the Christ, for the Christ was to come out of Bethlehem. The very prophecies to which they referred to prove him not the Christ really confirmed that he was the Christ and only their ignorance of where he was born obscured the proof or what really confirmed the truth to those who knew the facts hid the truth from those ignorant of these facts. It is not infrequently so with men. Their ignorance often changes proof of what is true into evidence against the truth.
John 7:44
And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.—The division among the people seems to have secured him from arrest.
John 7:45
The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why did ye not bring him?—The Pharisees had evidently sent officers to arrest Jesus. While waiting their opportunity to do it privately, they had listened to him and in common with the people were surprised and pleased with his preaching.
John 7:46
The officers answered, Never man so spake.—When they returned without him, they gave his teaching as the reason of failure to arrest him.
John 7:47-48
The Pharisees therefore answered them, Are ye also led astray? Hath any of the rulers believed on him, or of the Pharisees?—The Pharisees seemed to think if no Pharisee or officer was carried away with the preaching none should. These subordinates ought to defer their faith to those of the honored classes. This spirit prevails largely among religious teachers in this age. [Have any of the rulers believed? By rulers are meant the Sanhedrin. In the matter of deciding on the claims of the Messiah they hold that the judgment of the “rulers” must be decisive.]
John 7:49
But this multitude that knoweth not the law are accursed.—In their estimation those who did not thus defer to them were accursed. [They are ignorant of the law and are accursed. On account of their ignorance they are easily led astray.]
John 7:50
Nicodemus saith unto them (he that came to him before, being one of them),—Nicodemus who came to Jesus to hear of him (John 3:1-15) appears upon the scene the second time. He was not one of the rulers preparing to arrest Jesus. He was a friend of Jesus, but not one of his worshipers.
John 7:51
Doth our law judge a man, except it first hear from himself and know what he doeth?—The law of the Jews required this fairness as all just and fair laws do and Nicodemus appeals to this law as a benefactor to Jesus.
John 7:52
They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and see that out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.—Without answering his objection as to the law, they assume that he is a disciple of Jesus and object to the claims on the ground that the Christ would not come out of Galilee ignorant of the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. [“Out of Galilee ariseth no prophet” is an untrue statement. Jonah was of Galilee (2 Kings 14:25); Elijah probably so (1 Kings 17:1); and Nahum also (Nahum 1:1).]
John 7:53
And they went every man unto his own house.—[The session of the Sanhedrin broke up and each member went to his own home.]