John 7-8

John, the youngest of the disciples and the one that self proclaims, "The one Jesus loved" has a purpose in his gospel to prove that Jesus is the son of God, and all who believe in Him will have eternal life.   These two chapters meet the goal......Jersey Patricia packages our "gift" today:

Posted October 23, 2010 by Patricia in John. 3 Comments

The Gospel, like most of the Bible is collaborated topical.  So the parables were grouped together, then the miracles were grouped together…get it.  The way we are reading it now really shows the footsteps Jesus made for us.  Notice that most of the readings start with a time transition.  Today we start again with  “after this…” after what? After He preached to the disciples…He then is about to go back to Judea.  NOw remember he has not been there is a year and a half.  The last time he was there they plotted to kill him for healing on the Sabbath, in that year and a half it was not “his time (to die) so he didn’t even venture back (the Temple) for the Passover.  Instead he broke bread with 5000 on a field.     

So now the people are celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles (about 6 months away from Passover…THE PASSOVER).  I had to go back and look the Tabernacle Feast up in the laws…I am telling you my memory scares me…what was I talking about again….?  Oh yeah, the Feast of Tabernacles…Leviticus 23:34 (If you wonder how I knew that,  look in your margin next to John 7:2…there is a cross  reference to it).  I HIGHLY recommend you go back and readLeviticus 23 (retold in Duet 16).  The Feasts of Tabernacle was celebrated in October on our calendar and it involved the whole family.  They would live in booths for this feast and read the scriptures, this was a celebration and remembrance of God’s provision and direction during their time in the Desert , before entering the Promise Land.

Oh!  Let’s talk about Chapter 7 the last and greatest day of the feast (look at verse verse 37).  On the last day they would go to the Pool of Siloam and offer the Water to God and read from the Scriptures of Isaiah, probably Isaiah 55. 

But Jesus wasn’t talking about this water, He was talking about the living water, the Holy Spirit (this will not happen till Pentecost).  Ohhh the Stir He was creating!  All this talk, on the last day of the Feast, in front of the Jewish Council, his own brothers there probably bowing their heads in embarrassment (not believers yet) and people still trying to figure out if He is the Prophet Elijah  Was Jesus the Prophet?  no he was THE PROPHET!  The Christ! meaning The Messiah…the Annointed One.

Verse 50.  NICODEMUS!  DO you remember him?  The Pharisee that came in the middle of the night to talk to Jesus in secret so his friends on the San Hedrin didn’t know his heart was stirring with all this.  Now look at him!  He is saying “uhhhh guys, shouldn’t we hear him out?”

By the way, the comment about Galillee…You probably figured it out by now…What good could come from a GENTILE nation??

By the way I know we spent a lot of time this year on “background” information, but isn’t it great to “get” the 5W’s.  Like, when Jesus is in Judea, the Pharisees have jurisdiction and could arrest him so the moments are very tense compared to when Jesus is in Samaria or Galilee (Roman Ruled) so it is a different feel when He teaches.

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Chapter 8.  Read into Chapter 8 and stop at verse 6.  First, where is the man? Levitical law says that both would be stoned? But right here in verse 6 it says this was a trap.  How? The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees knew (thought) it was a lose/lose situation. 

• If Jesus said she should be stoned then he would be in violation of the Roman Law because Jews could not carry out the death penalty
• If Jesus said she should not be stoned Jesus was in violation of the Law of Moses which says she should be stoned.

Either way they think they have him trapped. (But it was not His time!!).  Of course Jesus uses this scenario to teach the world a beautiful lesson about judging others and looking in the mirror first!

Last but far from least, I want to explain the sudden reaction of the Jews.  These are men of law, and scripture.  This is what they know:

anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.   Leviticus 24:16

WOW, a lot in Chapter 8…rather than me write about it, I think it is best just to sit and think about some of what Jesus is saying.  If we are not with Jesus we are with the devil.  It is VERY black and white.  Look at 8:56 too….Abraham saw it.  What did Abraham see?  He saw the CROSS.  He saw that Faith brings in a substitutionary death.  Stop and read Genesis 22…look at the symbolism of seeing how we belong on that Alter and God will provide an innocent substitute to take it all for us.