John - Week 20

Festival Dilemma 

Day 1 

READ 

John 7:1-5 

1 After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. 2 But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, 3 and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! 4 You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” 5 For even his brothers didn’t believe in him. 

Judea, with its capital Jerusalem, was where Judaism was most prominent. The religious leaders there wanted no competitors, especially one who taught salvation by grace through faith. Galilee, to the north, was not such a tight religious unit and Jesus had more liberty there. Notice how the brothers of Jesus, according to the flesh, tried to provoke Him into going to Judea. These imperfect brothers did not believe in their perfect brother. But every Israeli male was commanded to go to Jerusalem to observe three feasts, and this was one of them. How was Jesus going to avoid going? 

REFLECT 

Even though you are not perfect because no human being is, how have you responded to ridicule of your family if they don’t believe as you do? Think about what you would say to a person facing this kind of situation. 

RESPOND 

Read Deuteronomy 16 where you will see the requirement for every male to attend three festivals. What are the three festivals? 

 Not the Right Time 

READ 

John 7:6-9 

6 Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime. 7 The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil. 8 You go on. I’m not going to this festival, because my time has not yet come.” 9 After saying these things, Jesus remained in Galilee. 

Here we see that Jesus clearly understood why the world hated Him: it was because He accused it of doing evil. This also indicated that His brothers, according to the flesh, had not been as judgmental of the world. His brothers thought this was the end of the conversation because John reports in his Gospel that “Jesus remained in Galilee.” 

REFLECT 

What is your relationship to the unbelieving world? Do you think they would be as friendly to you if you told them how the behavior of unbelievers dishonors God and the Scriptures? 

RESPOND 

Read Romans 1 to see what God thinks and does about people who dishonor Him. 

Public Perception 

READ 

John 7:10-13 

10 But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view. 11 The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him. 12 There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” 13 But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders. 

This may seem that Jesus lied to His brothers. There is a difference, however, in what He did and what they wanted Him to do. They wanted Him to go publicly and make a show of Himself. Because they were unbelievers at this time, Satan was using them to test Jesus. This was not in God’s timing for Him, however, so He later went secretly. The Jewish leaders who were at this religious feast indicated they were following ritual but not interested in Jesus as the Messiah. 

REFLECT 

Perhaps you are not facing open persecution for your faith as some are in the world, but do you admit publicly that you are a follower of Jesus? For instance, when you eat in a public place, do you return thanks for the meal even though surrounded by unbelievers? If you are hosting unbelievers in your home or in a public place, do you suggest before a meal that you be allowed to thank the Lord for the food? 

RESPOND 

Give serious consideration to what you can do to be a better public witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. Give two examples.

Temple Teaching 

READ 

John 7:14-15 

14 Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. 15 The people were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?” they asked. 

Still not drawing attention to Himself, Jesus went to the Temple and began to teach. This would have been in the outside area where people were allowed to gather. Two different words are used for “Temple” in the original language of the New Testament. The one used here referred to the Temple area but not to the “inhabited place” where only Levites could minister. Jesus was not a descendant of the Levite tribe but of the tribe of Judah so He would not have been allowed in the “inhabited place.” His teaching was so clear and spiritually penetrating the listeners could not understand how He knew so much. Apparently it was common knowledge that He had not been to any of the “accepted” religious schools. 

REFLECT 

Have you had others look down on you because your spiritual training did not come from a school they respected? Or perhaps you have not had any theological education in an academic institution. But when you study and use the Bible as your source, you have the greatest authority on your side. 

RESPOND 

What areas of theology do you feel like you need more education in? Discuss with a friend how you can discover what the Bible has to say about this topic.

God's Message 

READ 

John 7:16-19 

16 So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. 17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. 18 Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies. 19 Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me.” 

Jesus is the example of what to do when others compliment about a message. Direct them to the source of your authority. Jesus could cite His heavenly Father, but believers today can cite the Bible, which is the written word of God. Jesus also pointed out that some of the religious leaders who boasted about Moses and the Law were not keeping it themselves. Instead, they wanted to kill the Messiah predicted in the Old Testament. Some behind pulpits today are enemies of the cross of Christ. 

REFLECT 

Think of how you can apply the words of Jesus today. When someone asks you to recommend a local church, you can encourage them to go to one where the Bible is taught. Social issues will never prepare one for heaven. Only by believing in Jesus as taught in the Bible can one receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. 

RESPOND 

Read Luke 24 and see how Jesus used the Old Testament to teach about Himself. Notice especially verse 27. Only the Old Testament was available when Jesus and the apostle Paul were on earth, but now you have the entire Bible to teach about Jesus. Thank the Lord for the additional revelation about Himself.