John 7:1 Feast of Tabernacles - For The Glory of Jesus

Print or Share

Feast of Tabernacles

Jesus traveled to Jerusalem to attend the Feast of Tabernacles. The Jewish leadership wanted to crucify Jesus.

This is a Bible Study. Have your own Bible handy to look up the references mentioned.

If you do not have a Bible, I invite you to go to BibleGateway.com or another online Bible.

1. This verse “reveals that a storm is gathering about the Person of Christ. Six months later that storm will break in all its fury upon Jesus on the cross.” (McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV: [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983], 409)

“The feast may have been a jubilant time for the people, but it was a difficult time for Jesus, for it marked the beginning of open and militant opposition to Him and His Ministry.” (Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. [Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004], 314)

2. “The Feast of Tabernacles looked back to Israel’s journey through the wilderness, and looked forward to the promised kingdom of Messiah The Jews lived in booths made of branches to remind them of God’s providential care of the nation for nearly forty years (Leviticus 23:33-44).” (Wiersbe, 314)

Jesus Brothers

3. “The narrative begins with a challenge to Jesus from his ‘brothers’ (Mary’s other children). The text suggests that the brothers were seeking to push Jesus into the public limelight.” (Borchert, Gerald L., The New American Commentary Volume 25A, John 1-11. [Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002], 279)

“How easy it is to follow tradition and miss eternal truth. The publicans and sinners were rejoicing at His message, but His own half-brothers were making fun of Him.” (Wiersbe, 315)

4. “Jesus’ brothers wanted Him to put on a display of His miracles.” (MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. [Nashville, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2005], 1378)

5. “As with the crowds in Jerusalem and Galilee, even His own brothers did not believe in Him at first. They did not become His followers until after the Resurrection (Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 15:7). (MacArthur, 1378)

Divine Discretion

6. My time is not yet come. “It was not in God’s perfect timing. The sentence reveals Jesus’ complete dependence on and commitment to the Father’s sovereign timetable for His life (cf. 8:20; Acts 1:7; 17:26).” (MacArthur, 1378)

Your time is always ready. “Because of unbelief, they did not listen to His word, did not recognize God’s schedule, and could not perceive the incarnate Word before them.” (MacArthur, 1378)

7. “The world is hostile to Christ. The reason is that our Lord Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. He turns on that Light, and that Light reveals everything that is wrong; it reveals sin. That is the reason He is hated even today.” (McGee, 410)

8. “He was exercising sensible caution. Suppose He told His brothers His plans, and they told someone else? Could the information possibly get to the leaders?” (Wiersbe, 315)

9. He waited in Galilee.

10. “After His family had gone, Jesus went to Jerusalem ‘under cover,’ so as not to call attention to Himself.” (Wiersbe, 315)

“Jesus did not tempt the Father by rushing to the feast, nor did He lag behind when the proper time had come for Him to attend the feast. It requires spiritual discernment to know God’s timing.” (Wiersbe, 315)

11. “Some were expecting Jesus as Messiah to announce himself at the feast.” (Borchert, 282)

12. “Others were convinced that he was a deceiver. As such he could be open to the charge of being a seducer of the people and subject to the death penalty.” (Borchert, 282)

13. “It was an ‘undercover’ muttering here because of fear of the ‘Jews’ (the authorities).” (Borchert, 282)

Not My Own

14. Middle of the feast [NKJV] “Jesus may have waited until the middle of the feast in order to prevent a premature ‘triumphal entry’ that some may have forced upon Him for political motivations.” (MacArthur, 1379)

“Jesus taught according to the custom of the teachers or rabbis of His day. Prominent rabbis would enter the temple environs and expound on the OT to crowds who sat around them.” (MacArthur, 1379)

15. “But when Jesus began to teach openly in the temple, the debate shifted to His doctrine.” (Wiersbe, 316) Malachi 3:1

“The Jews were amazed at what He taught because He did not have any credentials from their approved rabbinical schools.” (Wiersbe, 316)

“The rabbinic method of learning was by recitation of the opinions of the teachers of the law (their authorities). When one was sufficiently knowledgeable of past opinions (precedents), the one might dare to express one’s own opinions on issues.” (Borchert, 283)

“But Jesus hardly fit their mold. He dared to express his views without what was considered by the Jewish establishment to be adequate accreditation. John 7:15 is therefore a challenge to Jesus’ right to teach.” (Borchert, 284)

16. Jesus’ response to this challenge was immediate and pointed. His teaching was a subjective personal opinion but was vested in the authority of the one who sent him on his mission.” (Borchert, 284)

“Jesus explained that His doctrine came from the Father. He had already made it clear that He and the Father were one in the works that He performed (John 5:17) and in the judgment that He executed (John 5:30).” (Wiersbe, 316)

God’s Glory

17. “Those who are fundamentally committed to doing God’s will be guided by Him in the affirmation of His truth. God’s truth is self-authenticating through the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit (cf. 16:13; 1 John 2:20,27).” (MacArthur, 1379)

18. While other saviors and messiahs acted for their own selfish interests, thereby revealing their falseness, Jesus Christ as God’s Son came solely to glorify the Father and accomplish the Father’s will (2 Corinthians 2:17; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 10:7).” (MacArthur, 1379)

“If we really seek God’s will, then we will not worry over who gets the glory. All truth is God’s truth, and God alone deserves the glory for what He has taught us. No teacher or preacher can take the credit for what only can come from God.” (Wiersbe, 316)

The Law

19. “The Law is a mirror to let us see that we are lost sinners.” (McGee, 411)

“The purpose of the Law is to show us that we are sinners and that we need a Savior.” Galatians 3:24

20. “The reaction was immediate from the ‘crowd’ (ochlos, those pilgrims and nonestablishment people who probably had little knowledge of their leaders’ plot).” (Borchert, 284)

21. “The context makes clear (vv. 22,23) that Jesus had reference to the healing of the paralytic that evoked the beginning of persecution against Him by the Jewish authorities because it took place on the Sabbath (see 5:1-17).” (MacArthur, 1380)

22-23. “Jesus is showing them their own inconsistency in their practice. In trying to keep the Law they broke the Law. If a child was eight days old on the Sabbath day, they would break the Sabbath Law and circumcise the child.” (McGee, 412)

24. “Jesus warns them against making superficial judgements. That is still a difficulty with most of us today. We make superficial judgment because we don’t have all the facts.” (McGee, 412)

References

In this article Scripture quotations taken from KJV.

Borchert, Gerald L., The New American Commentary Volume 25A, John 1-11. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV: Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983
MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Nashville, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2005
Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004

Disciples Living Water

Print or Share