JOHN LESSON 20


     We will begin this lesson in John 7:1.

     V-1, "After these things Jesus walked in Galilee:  for he would
not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him."

     Jesus now carries His message to people other than the Jews.  The
Jewish rulers want to catch Jesus and kill Him.  Most students of the
Bible believe that Jesus ministered about six months to these people.

     V-2, "Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand."

     This is the third major feast of the Jews.  Passover and
Pentecost were the other two.  The Feast of Trumpets occurred on the
first day of the seventh month.  The seventh month is equivalent,
approximately, to our October.  The Feast of Trumpets, many Christians
believe, is the time of year for the rapture, because the Lord will
blow the trumpet.  This is signaling in the Feast of Tabernacles or
the Fall Harvest.  Tabernacles is the same as ingathering which is
from the fifteenth to the twenty-second day of the seventh month.  The
people dwelt in booths to commemorate their wilderness wanderings.
Ethanim was one of the names this seventh month was called by, and
another was Tisri.  Many animals were sacrificed during this Feast of
Tabernacles.  There were seventy bullocks sacrificed on the seven days
and on the eighth day, just one.  There were fourteen rams offered
during the seven days, two each day and one on the eighth day.  There
were ninty-eight lambs offered, fourteen on each day (one through
seven), and seven lambs offered on the eighth day.  There were seven
goats offered on the first seven days and one on the eighth day for a
sin offering.

     V-3, "His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go
into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou
doest."

     In verse 3, here, His brethren could be children of His mother,
or they could be followers of Jesus who did not leave when the mass of
His disciples left.  Perhaps, here, the disciples that they wanted to
see were those who had left because of the hard teachings of the Lord.
These brethren thought that if those disciples who left could see all
the miracles, they might believe and come back.

     V-4, "For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he
himself seeketh to be known openly.  If thou do these things, shew
thyself to the world."

     Here, these brethren are encouraging Jesus to do the miracles
where everyone would know it.  It is as if they are saying, "If you
are going to do these miracles, let everybody know; so they will
believe you."  They are saying, "Why would you do such good things,
and not let everyone see it, so you can get the credit for it?"

     V-5, "For neither did his brethren believe in him."

     Mary's children did not believe that Jesus was the Christ, the
Son of God, until He rose from the grave.  They were raised with Him,
and thought Him to be just like them.  The Scriptures do not say
whether Mary, their mother, told them or not about who their half
brother, Jesus, really was.

     V-6, "Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come:  but
your time is alway ready."

     The time for the Lord Jesus to be crucified and raised again, is
what He is speaking of.  Jesus had an allotted time to be made
manifest to the world.  These brethren could show their work any time
they desired to.  Their deeds were not of the magnitude to change the
whole world like His was.  The brethren were not wanted by the Jewish
rulers, either.

     V-7, "The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I
testify of it, that the works thereof are evil."

     Those who had rejected Jesus as their Saviour and Lord hated
Jesus and what He stood for.  Jesus had pointed out their sins.  He
had not spared those who were leaders in the temple.  He had called
them "whited walls".  They wanted people to believe t hey were of God,
but their hearts were evil.  Works, without love and faith, are dead.

     V-8, "Go ye up unto this feast:  I go not up yet unto this feast;
for my time is not yet full come."

     The Feast of Tabernacles was not the feast at which Jesus would
be crucified.  Jesus didn't make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem at
this time.  The Jews might try to seize Him before His time.  His
brethren would go, because three of the feasts a year the people went
to Jerusalem to celebrate.

     V-9, "When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in
Galilee."

     We see here that our Lord stayed behind in Galilee for a time.
Perhaps He did not want to endanger the brethern.  The things He had
said, were for them to go up to the feast without Him.  He was living
and ministering in Galilee.

     V-10, "But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up
unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret."

     I really believe that Jesus let His brethren go up with the large
company going to the feast and went without them, so they would not be
endangered.  The hate of the rulers of the temple was already great
against Jesus our Lord.  They were plotting to kill Him.  His secret
entrance was to keep down problems.  He, also, wanted to minister
along the way and heal those in need.  Jesus will come into Jerusalem
unnoticed by the leaders of the temple.  If they knew He was coming,
they would be waiting for Him.

     V-11, "Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is
he?"

     They thought sure He would be with the worshippers coming to the
feast.  They wanted (as we said) to kill Him.  I am sure they had
heard of many of the wonderful miracles that He had done, and they
wanted to get rid of Him.  He was getting all of the attention, and
they were jealous.  They feared, if the people followed Him, they
would forget about them and the temple.

     V-12, "And there was much murmuring among the people concerning
him: for some said, He is a good man:  others said, Nay; but he
deceiveth the people."

     None of these people actually knew who Jesus was.  Even those who
thought Him to be good, thought of Him as a man.  This was their long
awaited Messiah, and they did not believe Him.  Jesus Christ was God
the Son.  This is the Word spoken of in John 1:1, "In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

     V-13, "Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews."

     They would get in terrible trouble with the rulers of the
synagogue, if they spoke up in favor of Jesus as being Lord.  Their
fear of these Jewish leaders kept them from speaking up.  They
believed because of the miracles, but were afraid to express their
opinions because of fear of punishment.  Fear of our neighbors' and
friends' comments sometimes keeps us from sharing things God has
revealed to us in His Word.  We are afraid they will laugh or make
fun, and we just keep quiet.

     V-14, "Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the
temple, and taught."

     This would have been at the time when most of the people would be
there.  Jesus had no fear at all.  One of the things that made the
Jewish rulers hate Him so was because the people, every time they
heard Him speak, were amazed with what power and authority He spoke.
They also compared His words as being not at all like the scribes and
Pharisees.  They had more power.  They were amazed, not only of the
mighty miracles He did, but also at the power in His Word.  This feast
went on for eight days, and this was in the very middle of the feast.

     V-15, "And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man
letters, having never learned?"

     You see, Jesus Christ was not of the Levitical tribe who were
trained for ministry in the temple.  Jesus was of the tribe of Judah.
Jesus is the Word of God.  Read all of chapter 1 of St. John to prove
this.  The Word took on flesh and dwelt among u s.  If He is the Word,
why would He not know it perfectly.  If they (Jews) had known the
Word, they, too, would have recognized Jesus as that Word.

     V-16, "Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine,
but his that sent me."

     We probably would have understood this better if it had said,
"Not only mine, but the Father's", and that is just what it is saying.
Jesus is telling these Jews that God's doctrine doesn't change.  They
just really do not understand what that doctrine is saying.  They have
a portion of His doctrine, but do not understand the portion they have
been given.  Jesus said, over and over, that He did not come to change
the law, but to fulfill the law.

                                 Notes









































                          John 20 Questions


1.  Why did Jesus walk in Galilee instead of in Jewry?
2.  What feast was at hand?
3.  Name the three most important feasts.
4.  Their 7th month was equivalent to what month, approximately, on
    our calendar?
5.  At what feast time do many Christians believe the rapture will
    occur?
6.  At what feast time did people dwell in booths?
7.  Where did Jesus' brethren tell Him to go?
8.  Why did they want Him to go?
9.  Who were they wanting Him to show His miracles to?
10. Why do you think His brethren didn't believe in Him?
11. What reason did Jesus give them for not doing this?
12. Why did the Lord Jesus say the world hated Him?
13. Why did Jesus tell them to go to the feast without Him?
14. Where was Jesus when He told them to go ahead to the feast?
15. When did Jesus go to the feast?
16. Why does the author believe Jesus went at this time?
17. What did the Jews ask the brethren of Jesus?
18. What were the murmurings of the people about?
19. How were both views wrong?
20. Why did they not speak openly?
21. When did Jesus go to the temple?
22. Why did the Jewish rulers hate Jesus?
23. Why did they marvel at Jesus' knowledge?
24. Who did Jesus say His doctrine was of?
25. What did Jesus say, over and over, about the law?


                         Notes