Read the Passage: John 7:1–24

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: John 7:1-24

Brothers’ Resistance (7:1–9)

While resistance to Jesus’ ministry had been slowly growing in John 5–6, in John 7–8 the opposition is much more open and intense. John 6:66 reported that after Christ’s refusal to become a social or political Messiah, “Many of His disciples went away and walked with Him no more.” These events prompted Jesus to minister in Galilee, rather than in Judea, “because the Jews [in Judea] sought to kill Him” (John 7:1; cf. John 5:16). John 7:3–9 records opposition Christ faced from His unbelieving brothers, who were James, Joseph, Simon, and Jude (cf. Matt. 13:55). In this passage Jesus’ brothers tried to goad Him into visiting Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles, which was the most popular of the Jewish feasts, in order that He might perform miracles. Although their request might seem innocuous, John reveals their motivation, as he writes, “For even His brothers did not believe in Him” (John 7:5).

Jesus’ declined to travel to Jerusalem, as He taught, “My time has not yet come” (John 7:6, 8). References to Christ’s “time” or “hour” are a unique feature in John’s Gospel, as John was very careful to describe the events in Jesus’ life and ministry as always being within the perfect timing of God (cf. John 2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 17:1). Note Christ’s refusal to travel to Jerusalem in order to perform miracles before lost people reveals that Jesus was not primarily motivated by unbelief; rather, He was driven by obedience to God. Next, Christ taught the reason why He was facing resistance, including opposition from His brothers, was that the world “hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil” (John 7:8). Indeed, the reason why Christians have been persecuted all throughout history is not primarily the content of the gospel, but the implications of the gospel.

People’s Complaints (7:10–13)

Surprisingly, after initially refusing to travel to Jerusalem, John reports, “But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret” (John 7:10). This turn of events reveals that when Christ declined His brothers’ earlier request, He was not completely rejecting the idea of going to Jerusalem, rather He was refusing to attend the Feast on their terms as a public miracle worker or as a political Messiah. Of course, Jesus’ plan proved to the wise course of action, for John 7:11–12 records that the people in Jerusalem sought Him, complained about Him, and disagreed among themselves about the nature of His ministry, all while “fear[ing] . . . the Jews” (John 7:13). If Christ had publicly attended the feast with fanfare, it would not have aided His ministry, as the crowds were focused on His past miracles, not His present message.

Jesus’ Authority (7:14–24)

Although Christ went up to the feast in secret (cf. John 7:10), John reports that “about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught” (John 7:14). This further shows that while some wanted Christ to perform miracles (cf. John 7:3, 11), Jesus was in Jerusalem to proclaim His gospel message. Apparently the crowds did not focus on the specific content of Christ’s message, for they marveled at the general fact that He was teaching (cf. John 7:15). Jesus responded to the people’s surprise by implying that the content of His teaching came from the Father. Further, Christ revealed that true followers of God would recognize the divine origin of His teachings. This statement must have irritated those who claimed that Jesus was a deceiver (cf. John 7:12). Moreover, Christ taught that many of the Jews were not keeping Moses’ law, for they desired to kill Him.

Ironically, the crowds denied that anyone was trying to kill Jesus (cf. John 7:20). This prompted Christ to highlight the religious leaders’ desire to kill Him (cf. John 7:1), when He had healed a paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath (cf. John 5:1–16). By way of confronting this legalistic understanding of the Sabbath, Christ cited the act of circumcision. In short, Jesus observed that when the eighth day after the birth of a baby boy was a Sabbath the religious leaders would willingly perform circumcision, all in obedience to the law (cf. Lev. 12:1–3). Therefore, assuming that the law is coherent, the focus of Sabbath-keeping cannot be legalistic inactivity. Otherwise, the religious leaders themselves would be guilty of sin when they circumcised on the Sabbath. This simple illustration reveals that Jesus’ accusers did not properly understand, or righteously judge, this aspect of the law.

Application Questions:

1. After several years of fruitful ministry, what caused Jesus’ family, the crowds, and the leaders to turn against Him?
2. Given the many public miracles that Jesus had performed, why did His brothers not believe in Him?
3. How can we explain Jesus’ initial refusal to travel to Jerusalem, and then His secret attendance of the feast?
4. What did Jesus mean in teaching, “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory” (John 7:18)?
5. Why is man prone to a legalistic view of the law, and works-based understanding of salvation?