John 7:1-24--Jesus at the Feast of Booths

John 7:1-24
English Standard Version

Jesus at the Feast of Booths
7 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.”

---

The Feast of Booths, also called the Feast of Tabernacles is on of the pilgrimage feasts where all the Jews were to travel to Jerusalem and they would live in lean-tos like those they lived in while they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years during the time of the Exodus.  It was a time to remember their past and to talk about all that God to provide for them during that time.

Jesus knew that His life was in danger and He was trying to avoid going to Judea and remain in Galilee as much as possible (we see this in the other gospels sometimes called the Synoptic Gospels as they all mostly focus on the Great Galilean ministry of Jesus).  We see here that even Jesus' own brothers didn't believe in Him and sought to ridicule Him and wanted Him to publicly tell everyone who He was and openly perform signs and wonders (most likely because they thought they would somehow benefit off of Jesus becoming popular with the people).

Jesus responded that His time had not yet come (probably referring to the time for His crucifixion).  He told them their time was always here meaning that they could move about freely wherever they wanted because they were not in danger of being killed and everyone loved them and couldn't possibly hate them like He was hated.

After they left to go to the festival, Jesus went privately (my guess is He knew they would have revealed His location or that His being with them might have put them in danger).  The Jews (remember this is probably talking about the Pharisees) were looking for Him knowing that He should have travelled to the feast as the pilgrimage was required by the Law, and they were probably looking for another opportunity to confront Him and maybe even entrap Him in full view of everyone that was there to celebrate the Feast (their minds don't seem to be on learning the lessons God wanted them to learn and to teach to others about the time the nation spent wandering in the wilderness).

Even though He wasn't in public view, there was still much discussion among the people about Jesus.  Some said He was a good man, others said He was a liar or was mistaken and that He was leading the people astray.  However, all this talk was done in whispers in private because people didn't want to let the Pharisees hear them utter the name of Jesus as they hated Jesus so much that people were afraid to even mention His name in front of them.

Jesus decides to reveal Himself though and goes to the Temple during the Feast and starts teaching.  The Jews--that is the religious leaders and the teachers of the Law--marveled at His knowledge and wisdom about the Scriptures when He had never been formally educated (didn't go to seminary).  Jesus seems to answer that His words are not His own, but come from the Father who sent Him, and that anyone that belongs to the Father will hear those words and recognize them as God the Father's words that God the Son is speaking, and that Jesus is speaking on the authority of His Father--not His own authority.

Jesus them pointed out how He was different than all the false teacher out there as they all see their own glory, but a true prophet seeks only to glorify God the Father who gave the message to the prophet.  Such a person speaks truth and can be described as being "true" because in such a person there is no falsehood.  Jesus is called "Faithful and True" in the book of Revelation because He is always about doing the work that He was sent to do and speaking the message that He was given by the Father.

Jesus then asks these teacher of the Law a pointed question.  If they believe the Law of Moses is so important, why do they continually break the Law?  Also, Jesus askes them point-blank why they are scheming to kill Him.

The crowd was probably mostly unaware of these schemes and thinks that Jesus is demon-possessed for saying these things about their religious leaders who they believed were pious and epitome of righteousness.  Jesus knows that they are still hung up on the fact that He healed a mon on the Sabbath.  Jesus points to the fact that they circumcise people on the Sabbath and there's no problem with it because they are doing what God has commanded them to do.  In the same way, Jesus is saying that He's doing God's work too and is only doing what He has been commanded to do.  If it's okay to perform circumcision which in a way mutilates a body, why is it wrong to make a body whole and well if it is within your power to do so?  Is it wrong to do good on the Sabbath simply because it is the Sabbath?  Jesus encourages the people to judge rightly and not just what they see at first glance and outward appearances. 

We'll pick up here next time to see how the Jews respond to what Jesus said.