JOHN LESSON 22
We will begin this lesson in John 7:32 "The Pharisees heard that
the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and
the chief priests sent officers to take him."
These Pharisees and chief priestsgreatly feared losing their
people to this man from Nazereth. Their jealousy, because He could
perform miracles that they could not do, nearly drove them mad. They
were afraid of losing their elevated place with the Jews. They were
not doing this for God, as they said, but for their own selves. The
fear the Pharisees had, was that these Jewish people would believe and
follow Him, and the Pharisees and priests would not hold their lofty
position any more.
John 7:33 "Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with
you, and [then] I go unto him that sent me." John 7:34 "Ye shall seek
me, and shall not find [me]: and where I am, [thither] ye cannot
come."
Jesus is speaking of His crucifixion, but they do not understand.
Jesus speaks of going to the Father in heaven who sent Him. The reason
they will not be able to follow Him, is because He will ascend into
heaven.
John 7:35 "Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he
go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among
the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?"
Many of the Jews did not believe in life after death. The Jews
were conceited, believing that Messiah would have nothing to do with
those who were not Jewish. Little did they know that they wer
prophetically speaking of the very thing He would do. He, indeed, does
go to the Gentiles when the Jews rejected Him. It was unbelievable to
them that anyone would go to teach thye Gentiles. They ask really
sarcastically, "Is that where you are going?"
John 7:36 "What [manner of] saying is this that he said, Ye shall
seek me, and shall not find [me]: and where I am, [thither] ye cannot
come?"
This is a confusing statement to them, because they think Jesus is
a mere man. They feel free to go anywhere any other man can go, so
they feel it would be impossible for Jesus to go anywhere they could
not go.
John 7:37 "In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus
stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and
drink." John 7:38 "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath
said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
This, is that spiritual water. I sing a song [There is a river
which flows from God above]. It speaks of a fountain that is filled
with His great love. This river is from deep within the heart and soul
of man. The only way to have this river, is to receive Jesus inside of
you. Jesus told the woman at the well, if she drank of that water, she
would never ,thirst again, Jesus then, and here also, was speaking of
the Spirit of God. The end of the Feast of Tabernacles commerated the
end of the wilderness wanderings and their new life. What a
celebration that will be, to know the old life is over [wandering in
the wilderness] and a new life of promise begins. Perhaps, this is why
this is spoken of as a great day. It surely symbolizes salvation when
our old life is over, and because we believe in Him, our new life
begins.
John 7:39 "(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that
believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet [given];
because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)"
This gift of the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the risen Christ.
Verse 39 is a prophetic statement of the infilling of the believer
with the Holy Ghost after Jesus' ascension into heaven.
John 7:40 "Many of the people therefore, when they heard this
saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet."
It seems there was much confusion about whoo Jesus is, in these
verses. Many wanted to say that Jesus was the promised Prophet that
would come right before Messiah. They knew there was something great
and wonderful about Him, but they still thought Him to be the son of
Joseph instead of the Son of God. The best thing they could think to
say was, He is the great Prophet. They believed because of the
miracles and because of the powerful undisputed message He brought.
John 7:41 "Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall
Christ come out of Galilee?"
It appears they do not know that Jesus was born in Bethlem. Some
believed because of His overwhelming power in miracles and His message
that they declare, "This is Messiah". As soon as they say this must be
Messiah, others say don't you know Messiah will not come out of
Galilee? They are overlooking the fact of His Bethlehem birth,
possibly because He has not reminded them.
John 7:42 "Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the
seed of David, and out of the town of Beth-lehem, where David was?"
They know the letter of the law. It does sat just that. Jesus
fulfilled this, He [in the flesh] was in the lineage of David and He
was born in Bethlem. You see, even this argument is in error. They
were working on here-say, rather than on the realities.
John 7:43 "So there was a division among the people because of
him."
You see, some believed He [Jesus] was a great prophet, but did not
believe that He was Messiah. Others believed He was an imposter, and
still others believed He was truly Messiah because of His great
miracles.
John 7:44 "And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid
hands on him."
This was because it was not God's time for Him to suffer yet. God
must stand aside, before any man could take Jesus.
John 7:45 "Then came the officers to the chief priests and
Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?"
It appears these officers were to go and capture Jesus and bring
Him back to the chief priests and Pharisees, so that they could pass
judgement on Him. They said " We sent you for Him, why didn't you
bring Him back?"
John 7:46 "The officers answered, Never man spake like this man."
These officers were so impressed by what Jesus said and did, that
they did not try to arrest Him. They could see no wrong He was doing,
only good.
John 7:47 "Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also
deceived?" John 7:48 "Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees
believed on him?"
These Pharisees had their minds closed off. The miracles Jesus did
and the great power and wisdom He showed in His sermons had not swayed
their fixed minds in the least. Their jealousy had blinded them. These
Pharisees were so afraid of losing their haughty position, they would
not fairly listen to what Jesus had said. The officers had heard and
seen enough that they were not convinced that there was any wrong
doing by Jesus. In fact Jesus' words and deeds had swayed the
officer's opinions toward Jesus.
John 7:49 "But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed."
Here we see the Pharisees judging the officers. They go so far as
to say they are cursed because they know not the law like the
Pharisees.
John 7:50 "Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by
night, being one of them,)" John 7:51 "Doth our law judge [any] man,
before it hear him, and know what he doeth?"
Nicodemus believed Jesus, but he was afraid of his colleagues
finding out. He had come to Jesus by night [in secret]. Even though he
believed, he would not stand up and be counted on Jesus' side. Here,
he tries to take up for Jesus without saying that he believed the
Nazarene. He says in effect, you are judging Him before you have all
the facts. Give Him a fair trial.
John 7:52 "They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of
Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet."
They are advising these officers to look at the law., when they
themselves had not lookede deeply into Jesus' background. Jesus was
born in Bethlehem where the promised Messiah was to be born. These
Pharisees are accusing the officers of being from Galilee, as if they
were the only people who believed and followed Jesus.
John 7:53 "And every man went unto his own house."
This could not be solved to the satisfaction of the Pharisees and
priests, so they just all went home and forgot it for the moment.
Questions 21
1. Who se3nt the officers to take Jesus?
2. Why did they want Jesus taken?
3. Who did Jesus tell them He was going to?
4. When Jesus said they couldn't go, where did they think He was
talking about?
5. What were the Jews prophetically talking of, unawares to them?
6. Why is this statement Jesus made confusing unto them?
7. He that believeth on Me as the Scripture said, __________.
8. What water is Jesus speaking of?
9. What had Jesus told the woman at the well about this water?
10. The end of the feast of tabernacles represented the end of what?
11. Why was the Holy Ghost not yet given?
12. What is verse 39 prophetically speaking of?
13. Many people, when they heard this, said that Jesus was ___ _____.
14. Why did they believe?
15. When some said, this is Christ, what sarcastic remark did others
make?
16. What 2 things did they say the Scripture say about Christ?
17. Why was there a division among the people?
18. What 3 different things were believed among the Jews about Jesus?
19. Who did the officer report back to?
20. What reason did he give for not taking Jesus?
21. What were the officers accused of being?
22. The Pharisees said, those who knew not the law were _____.
23. Who said, "Doth our law judge any man before it hear Him?
24. What had Nicodemus previously done?
25. What did the Pharisees and priests ask Nicodemus?
26. Where did they say the Scriptures say, ariseth no prophet?
27. When they ran out of argument, what did they do?
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