Jesus had repelled many casual followers by declaring Himself to be the Bread of Life. Declaring that eternal life comes through faith in Him as the Christ sent by God and participation in His life through His spirit. Participation made possible by the sacrifice of His body and the shedding of His blood, symbolized by bread and wine. About six months pass, during which Jesus does ministry in Galilee.

Encounter Jesus – John Week 9

Jesus & the Festival of Booths

John 7: 1-52

AUDIO

Lecture Handout

John Week 9 – Jesus and the Festival of Booths Handout

Lesson Notes

Jesus Goes (Eventually) to the Festival of Booths (John 7: 1-24)

  • Verse 1 – Jesus was traveling around Galilee, but not Judea
    • When Jesus performed sign #3, healing a disabled man on the Sabbath and invoking His identity as the Son – the leadership in Judea wanted to kill Him
    • It wasn’t yet time for Him to die
    • His travels in Galilee are the bulk of the ministry in Matthew, Mark, and Luke
  • Verse 2 – Festival of Booths was about to begin – a mandatory festival in Jerusalem
    • Live in temporary shelters for a week celebrating God’s care for the Israelites in the desert and giving of the Law
    • Also celebrated the harvest – a great time of thanksgiving
    • Celebrated the things Jesus had demonstrated in chapter 6 as the Bread of Life
    • Major themes involve water and light – both of which Jesus addresses in chapters 7 and 8 -> He is the fulfillment of all the festival symbolized
  • Verses 3-5 – His brothers (and perhaps sisters) essentially mock Him
    • Verse 5 – They don’t believe in Him and don’t understand His danger
    • They know He does miracles, but don’t understand the greater meaning of them
    • They won’t understand until after the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15)
    • They essentially say that if you’re such a big deal, go public, rebuild the crowds that abandoned you!
    • Find new followers among those gathered at the Feast
    • A very world-wise strategy, secular marketing at its finest!
  • Verses 6-9 – It isn’t time for public attendance
    • Verse 6 – My time hasn’t come yet (referring to the crucifixion and resurrection)
    • Verse 7 – The world hates me uniquely because I witness that its works are evil
      • Jesus’ sinless perfection testifies to the flawed reality of every person
    • Verse 8 – I’m not going (now) = not traveling with the crowd for a big entry (like we see in the Triumphal Entry six months later)
      • My time is not yet fully come for that high profile entry
    • Verses 10-13 – A low key arrival instead – that’s the right time to go
      • Verse 10 – Jesus goes in private after the main group
      • Verse 11 – “The Jews” – Jewish leaders – were looking for Him
      • He’d made a splash at various festivals and they anticipated trouble
      • Verses 12-13 – A lot of speculation about Jesus – good man or false teacher?
        • Jewish literature after Jesus calls Him a deceiver
      • Verse 14 – Jesus began teaching in the temple mid-week
        • Previously they’d seen miracles, now they hear His words and they marvel
      • Verse 15 – Jesus hadn’t formally trained under a rabbi – how could He know all this?
        • We see the astonishment seen elsewhere whenever Jesus taught
        • Verse 16 – Christ’s unique connection to God, as God in the flesh! What He teaches is God’s Word!
        • Verse 17 – Anyone wanting to do God’s will can discern the nature of Jesus’ teaching
        • But few really want God’s will to be done!
      • Verse 18 – If Jesus was speaking on His own authority, He’d just be promoting Himself
        • Since Jesus was glorifying God, He’s telling the truth with no falsehood
      • Verse 19 – Jesus says they violate the law for wanting to kill Him without hearing Him
        • Verse 20 – The crowd doesn’t really know the leaders plan to kill Him
        • Verse 22-23 – The law permits circumcision on the Sabbath in order to keep the Law
          • So why try to kill Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath in chapter 5?

Is This the Christ? (John 7: 25-36)

  • Verses 25-26 – Since Jesus is teaching openly, though leaders want to kill Him, the people take this as a sign that He’s the Christ
  • Verse 27 – because they know where He came from, they aren’t sure He can be the Christ
  • Verses 28-29 – Jesus says they may know where He came from physically, but really came from God
  • Verse 30 – So they wanted to arrest Him, but couldn’t, because it wasn’t His time
  • Verse 31 – Many of the people believed
    • The kind of language we saw in Samaria – there’s a breakthrough of faith
    • Because of signs + teaching
    • Signs are never sufficient in themselves, they point people to the person and teaching of Jesus
  • Verse 32 – Leadership sent officers to arrest Him
  • Verses 33-34 – Jesus speaks of His death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven which confuses them!
    • Verses 35-36 – They think He’s referring to going to Greek-speaking Jews spread around the world!

The Conclusion of the Festival (John 7: 37-52)

  • Verse 37 – Jesus is fully prominent on the final day of the festival
    • This day featured a water pouring ritual remembering God’s provision of water in the wilderness and looking ahead to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit by God
    • Jesus offers living water – as He did in Samaria
    • Isaiah 12: 1-3 – waters of salvation
    • Verse 38 – Through faith in Christ alone!
    • Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Festival of Booths celebrates!
    • Verse 39 – This refers to the Holy Spirit being poured out – as they anticipated
      • God’s presence in us from the time we trust in Christ until we die
      • We are sealed by the Spirit, indwelt by the Spirit
      • Spirit will come after Jesus is glorified on the cross -> given at Pentecost after the crucifixion
  • Verses 40-44 – the people divide over Jesus
    • Some think He’s the prophet like Moses, which He is
    • Some think He’s the Christ, which He is
    • Confusion, as the Christ must come from Bethlehem, they didn’t know His birth
    • Verse 44 – Some people wanted to arrest Him, but it still wasn’t His time
  • Verses 45-52 – The officers return empty-handed to the Jewish leaders
    • Leaders are unhappy – why didn’t they arrest Jesus?
    • Verse 46 – Because He was so incredible, they didn’t want to mess with Him
    • Verse 47 – Pharisees are angry – accuse them of believing in Jesus
      • These officers were trained Levites, who “should have known better”
    • Verse 48 – Have any authorities believed Him? They say the crowd is stupid
      • Enter Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel, from chapter 3
      • He intervenes to stop the injustice train
      • Verse 51 – Give Him a hearing!
      • Verse 52 – Nicodemus is totally dismissed as falling for Jesus
        • They claim nobody worthwhile comes from Galilee
        • Actually Jonah, Nahum, and possibly Elijah were from there
        • Isaiah 9: 1-2– the great light from Galilee – we’ll talk about light next week as the festival ends
  • The central issue in all this is who is Jesus – a prophet, the prophet, the Christ, a deceiver, or a demon-possessed lunatic?
    • People today wrestle with this as well – who is Jesus – a teacher, a rebel, a lunatic, a martyr, a miracle worker, a Savior, the Son of God
    • Remember the purpose of John’s gospel – to help readers make the right choice!
    • The Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God

Prayer – For our right understanding of Jesus and for others to come to saving knowledge of who Jesus is

Next Week: I AM … The Light of the World (John 8: 12-38)