NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 38
J ohn 7 : 1 2
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page 1814
12 Among the c
rowds t here was widespread whispering a
bout him. Some said, “He
is a good man.”
Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” l 13But no one would say anything pub
licly about him for fear of the leaders. m
14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and be
gin to teach. n 15The Jews o there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such
learning p without having been taught?” q
16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. r
17Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out s whether my teaching comes
from God or whether I speak on my own. 18Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain
personal glory, t but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth;
there is nothing false about him. 19Has not Moses given you the law? u Yet not one of you
keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” v
20 “You are demon-possessed,” w the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”
21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22Yet, because Mo
ses gave you circumcision x (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the
patriarchs), y you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23Now if a boy can be circumcised
on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me
for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24Stop judging by mere appearances,
but instead judge correctly.” z
25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they
are trying to kill? 26Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him.
Have the authorities a really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27But we know w
here this
man is from; b when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”
28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, c cried out, “Yes, you know me, and
you know where I am from. d I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is
true. e You do not know him, 29but I know him f because I am from him and he sent me.”
30 At this they t ried to s
eize him, but no one laid a hand on him, g because his hour had
not yet come. 31Still, many in the crowd believed in him. h They said, “When the Messiah
comes, will he perform more signs i than this man?”
Religious Leaders Attempt to Arrest Jesus (124 )
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief
priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
what he said or did. The more Jesus taught and worked publicly, the
more these leaders would cause trouble for him and his followers. So
Jesus had to teach and work as quietly as possible. Many people today
have the privilege of teaching, preaching, and worshiping publicly with
little persecution, while others face imprisonment, church burnings,
and even death. All believers should be thankful and make the most of
their opportunities to proclaim the gospel, trusting that God will provide
all they need.
7:13 The Jewish religious leaders had a great deal of power over the
common people. Apparently these leaders couldn’t do much to Jesus at
this time, but they threatened anyone who might publicly support him.
One of the reprisals for believing in Jesus was excommunication from
the synagogue (9:22). To a Jew, this was a severe punishment.
7:13 Everyone was talking about Jesus! But when the time came to speak
up for him in public, no one said a word. All were afraid. Fear can stifle
our witness. Although many people talk about Jesus in church, when
it comes to making a public statement about their faith, they are often
embarrassed and remain silent. Jesus says that he will acknowledge us
before God if we acknowledge him before others (Matthew 10:32). Be
courageous! Speak up for Jesus and all he has done for you!
7:16-18 Those who attempt to know God’s will and do it will know
intuitively that Jesus was telling the truth about himself. Have you ever
listened to religious speakers and wondered if they were telling the truth?
Test them: (1) Their words should agree with, not contradict, the Bible;
and (2) their words should point to God and his will, not to themselves.
7:19 The Pharisees spent their days trying to achieve holiness by keeping
the meticulous rules that they had added to God’s laws. Jesus’ accusation
that they didn’t keep Moses’ laws stung them deeply. In spite of their
7:12
lver 40,43
7:13
mJn 9:22; 12:42;
19:38
7:14
nver 28; Mt 26:55
7:15
oJn 1:19
pAc 26:24
qMt 13:54
7:16
rJn 3:11; 14:24
7:17
25:14; Jn 8:43
sPs
7:18
5:41; 8:50,54
tJn
7:19
1:17
1; Mt 12:14
uJn
vver
7:20
wJn 8:48; 10:20
7:22
xLev
yGe
12:3
17:1014
7:24
zIsa 11:3,4; Jn 8:15
7:26
48
aver
7:27
bMt 13:55; Lk 4:22
7:28
cver 14
dJn 8:14
eJn 8:26,42
7:29
fMt 11:27
7:30
gver 32,44
7:31
8:30
2:11
hJn
iJn
pompous pride in themselves and their rules, they did not even fulfill a
legalistic religion, for they were living far below what the law of Moses
required. Murder was certainly against the law. Jesus’ followers should
do more than the moral law requires, not by adding to its requirements,
but by going beyond and beneath the mere dos and don’ts of the law
to the spirit of the law.
7:20 Most of the people were probably not aware of the plot to kill Jesus
(5:18). There was a small group looking for the right opportunity to kill
him, but most were still trying to decide what they believed about him.
7:21-23 According to the law given by God to Moses, circumcision was
to be performed eight days after a baby’s birth (Genesis 17:9-14; Leviticus
12:3). This rite was carried out on all Jewish males to demonstrate their
identity as part of God’s covenant people. If the eighth day after birth was
a Sabbath, the circumcision would still be performed (even though it was
considered work). While the religious leaders allowed certain exceptions
to Sabbath laws, they allowed none to Jesus, who was simply showing
mercy to those who needed healing.
7:26 John shows the many reactions people had toward Jesus. They
called him a good man (7:12), a deceiver (7:12), demon-possessed (7:20),
the Messiah (7:26), and the Prophet, whose coming had been predicted
by Moses (7:40). We must make up our own minds about who Jesus
is, knowing that whatever we decide will have eternal consequences.
7:27 There was a popular belief that the Messiah would simply appear.
But those who believed this tradition were ignoring the prophecy that
clearly predicted the Messiah’s birthplace (Micah 5:2).