John 7

Click Here to Read John 7

John 7:1-53 

"The right Time"

Observations:

• Jesus is a Jew yet the Jews are seeking to kill Him in Judea.
• V. 5 "For not even his brothers believed in him"
• Our time is always here, we should always be sharing about the work of Jesus 
• V. 7 "The world cannot hate you..."
• The Jews reject Jesus because He calls them out on sin, He calls sin evil.
• Jesus repeats that His time has not yet come twice in just nine verse; He was stressing that His time has not yet come
• V. 13 fear of man kept people from openly speaking about Jesus
• Jesus is teaching by the one who sent Himm, not himself.
• Some of the people in Jerusalem question, can this really be the Christ, there are people seeking to kill this man.
• For a third time John states that Jesus' time had not yet come
• Jesus is fortelling of His death ascention to the right hand of God. He wil go to a place were you cannot come for me.
• Jesus references again the living water, just like in chapter four with the Samaritan woman.
• It become obvious that the people are split on what to believe of this Jesus. Some do believe as He is the the Christ, while others are still unsure.
• The officiers notice there is no one else like this man, while the hearts of the Pharisees are still hardened. 

Resources Observations:

• There was a main emphasis of water and light during the Feast of Tabernacles. Could this be why yet again Jesus uses water, living water, as tool in sharing His message?
• Even Jesus demonstrated obedience in doing the Father's will over going to the feast with His brothers. 
• "This matter of timing highlights Jesus total control of the situation, even amidst the complete confusion and conflicting claims that await Him in Jerusalem" - John, pg95
• There is a drastic difference between Jesus and the people. He seeks always to the will of the Father.
• The leaders deny Jesus as Christ.
• The people do not like that that Jesus healed on the Sabbath and accuse Him of not keeping the law. However they do not like when Jesus brings forth the fact that they are not keeping the law.

Questions:

I. Do I let the fear of man prevent me from speaking openly about Jesus Christ? 

II. The people were expecting a King in the traditional sense of the time. Could it be that His denial was so obviously linked to the fact that when He came so much of His work was of the heart? 

III. Verse 12 talks about muttering. Why do we whisper when we grumble, complain, or gossip? Is it because we know what we are doing is wrong? Are we avoiding being caught? why?

IV. Jesus's teachings clearly indicate that with Him everlasting life is possible, but not without Him. What would my response have been to His teaching? 

Applicational Thoughts:

Timing was a huge emphasis of this chapter. Jesus was always waiting for the right timing. God is very diliberate in His planning, does my own impatience get in the way of waiting for the right timing? Also the second coming will be in His timing. The perfect timing.

God's timing is best. 

Resources:

Read/Mark/Laern, John, St Helen's Bishopsgate

The Message of John, John Stott