John: Living Water. Divided Hearts.

John 7:1-52

John explains why he wrote his gospel. He mentions that many miracles could have been included; therefore, he carefully selected stories that best demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah, that Jesus is equal to God, and that only Jesus offers eternal life. John states it like this:

John 20:30-31
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. 

Today’s account highlights the different opinions about Jesus’ ministry. That’s not surprising since Jesus really is the dividing line. Let’s examine this passage, which begins with a confrontation. 

A Brotherly Squabble (John 7:1-9)
The first words of chapter 7 are “after this.” John often uses this phrase as a vague way to indicate time. Jesus stayed in Galilee for about six months, knowing that the religious leaders in Jerusalem were trying to kill him (John 7:1). However, Jesus’ brothers encouraged him to go to Jerusalem and show himself as the Messiah, since many people were gathered there for the Feast of Booths (we’ll discuss this major Jewish feast during the Weekend Recharge). 

Jesus’ half-brothers, born to Mary and Joseph, included James, Joses, Judas, and Simon (Mk 6:3). They did not believe Jesus was the Messiah (John 7:5). They said, perhaps sarcastically, “For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world” (John 7:4). Jesus told his brothers that his time had not yet come, so he remained in Galilee (John 7:6-9). 

The Word on the Street (John 7:10-13)
News about Jesus’ miracles spread, and those in Jerusalem for the feast looked for him. There was “much muttering about him among the people” (John 7:12). The city was lively with many who had heard about him but had not yet seen this so-called miracle worker. Some thought he was a “good man,” while others claimed he was “leading the people astray.” But no one spoke about him publicly “for fear of the Jews” (John 7:13). 

At the Feast (John 7:14-24)
After Jesus’ brothers left for the feast, Jesus also went to Jerusalem privately (John 7:10). He stayed out of sight until, during “the middle of the feast [he] went up into the temple and began teaching” (John 7:14). The religious leaders wondered how Jesus could know so much about Scripture when he had not studied under any of the revered Jewish rabbis. Jesus explained the origin of his teaching and then asked a pointed question.

John 7:16-19
My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 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. 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. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?

The crowd wasn’t intent on killing Jesus at this point; they were focused on discovering if he was the Messiah. However, the religious leaders (whom John consistently refers to as “the Jews”) wanted Jesus silenced. This was due to their previous encounter with him in Jerusalem, when he healed the lame man on the Sabbath and claimed to be equal with God (John 5:18). 

In response to the religious leaders, Jesus presented an interesting argument. According to the law of Moses, a baby boy was to be circumcised on his eighth day, even if that day fell on the Sabbath. Jesus said, “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? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:23-24).

The Dividing Line (John 7:25-31, 40-44)
Jesus is always the dividing line. You must believe in him as God in the flesh, or not at all. There are no middle options. Some people in Jerusalem believed Jesus was the Messiah. They reasoned, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?” (John 7:31). Others kept asking questions. They believed they would not know where the Messiah came from, even though the prophets foretold that he would be from the line of David and born in Bethlehem (2 Sam. 7:12-13; Isa. 11:1; Micah 5:2). 

John 7:40-44
When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. 

Arrested…Almost (John 7:32-36, 45-52)
As Jesus’ popularity grew and the authorities couldn't discredit him, the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him (John 7:32). While the officials waited for the right moment, Jesus said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come” (John 7:33-34). This sparked a significant debate among the leaders. Because of the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities, the Jewish people had been scattered across the world. The religious leaders believed Jesus was talking about leaving Jerusalem to minister among the Jews throughout the Roman Empire and beyond (John 7:35-36). 

Not only was there much discussion among the people about Jesus, but there were also differing opinions among the Jewish leaders. They had sent officers to arrest Jesus, yet the officers returned without him, saying, “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46).

Nicodemus even defended Jesus. He asked, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” (John 7:50). Both the officers and Nicodemus faced ridicule for showing sympathy toward Jesus. 

Of course, God was behind it all. John notes, “no one laid a hand on [Jesus], because his hour had not yet come” (John 7:30). This reminder shows that Jesus was not just a victim of circumstances. All these events happened according to the Father’s will and timing. 

The Last Day of the Feast (John 7:37-39)
On the final day of the feast, Jesus stood up and spoke to the crowd. He gave an invitation.

John 7:37-38
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. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

The Old Testament quote Jesus used might have been from Isaiah 44:3, 55:1, 58:11, or maybe Zechariah 14:8. However, John clarifies that Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit, which had not yet been given (John 7:39). 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on John 7:1-52. There was considerable debate in Jesus’ time about who he was, and this debate continues to this day.

Talking to God:  Thank God for opening your eyes to understand the Person and Work of Jesus.

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