The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet 1507-
John chapter 7

They usually will say something like, "I'm going to ask my preacher about that." And if you then say, "Why don't you go ask Jesus?", they will look at you like you're nuts.

It is now about six months since Jesus has fed the 5,000, for it was then just before the Passover and it is now the time of the fall Feast of Tabernacles.  "Things happen" around those times, don't they?

We begin with Jesus in Galilee.

John 7:1
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
The word "Jewry" here is exactly the same Greek word Ioudaia translated "Judaea" in verse 3 and should be "Judaea" here also. It was there, in Judaea, that the same hostile group of Jews [kenites] we read of in chapter 1:19 sought to kill Jesus.
[2] Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.
Note that the "season" is given to us.
[3] His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
The word "brethren" here refers to Jesus' company of friends and neighbors. And what do you suppose are they doing? Yes, that's right! You read it correctly!They are giving advice to God!
[4] For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
Look Jesus, "You ought to go to Judaea so that your disciples can see what you are doing, for nobody works in secret if he wants to be known publicly. If you are going to do things like this, let the world see what you are doing." (Phillips)

Don't you just love it when man tells God how He ought to conduct His affairs?

If we have our own plan(s), and it does not align with our Father's Plan, His Word, then we are going to get RUN OVER and flattened like a pancake, for His Plan never fails! (Make that a tortilla. They are even flatter yet!)

John 7:5
For neither did his brethren believe in him.
I guess too they didn't believe in Him! They certainly didn't think Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, knew what He was doing, did they?  Again, it's because they didn't believe He was the Christ. They knew Him from childhood and had difficulty accepting the fact He was the Messiah come. You know, "the prophet without honor syndrome."
[6] Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
Jesus operated PRECISELY according to The Plan that was His Father's will. But the people about Him, those who didn't believe in Him, operated on their own free will. Therefore they could go up to the feast anytime they wanted to, but Jesus would wait for the right time [signal] from His Father.

Note: "Time" in this verse means "opportune time", not the same as "hour" spoken of elsewhere, as in the "hour" of His crucifixion.

[7] The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
The world does not hate its own, does it?  We could even say that the New WORLD Order does not hate its own, those who are part of it! But the world hated Christ, because he TESTIFIED of it, i.e. exposed its evil deeds. And the New World Order will hate, even as it does now, Christians who expose its evil deeds.

And even as they delivered up Jesus Christ to be crucified, so it written that in these last days, His elect will be delivered up to the synagogues and councils. And do you know what God's elect will do? They will TESTIFY against their evil deeds, just as Jesus Christ did! Ooooh, they won't like that!

Mark 13:9
But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
"For a testimony against them!" Make no mistake. These words of Jesus do not refer to His 12 disciples who were listening to Him explain what would happen just prior to His second advent. These disciples who will be delivered up are yet to be delivered!So if you consider yourself one of God's elect then re-read this verse with the "you" meaning "you"!

Note: Actually when God's elect are delivered up, it will be Jesus Christ Himself testifying against their [Satan & company] evil deeds, once again! For as it is written, you are not even to premeditate what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will speak through you as He did those on Pentecost Day in Acts chapter 2 when that true tongue [language] will be spoken once again and will understood by every nation and language on earth that is tuned in or on-line.

Mark 13:11
But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
Let's return to John 7 where Christ politely refuses the advice of the ignorant and sticks to His Father's Plan.
John 7:8
Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.
No, it was not time for Him to travel up to the feast. He would not enter into Jerusalem with a big crowd following Him and as always there was a reason. We will find some it in verse 12.
[9] When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.
He sent the caravan on its way and stayed behind.
[10] But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
OK, the crowd is gone, and now it's time to go up to the feast, using the back roads.
[11] Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?
Everyone is expecting Jesus to show up, probably with a big following. There is much excitement and murmuring and anticipation in the air! And the wicked Jews [kenites], who sought to kill Him, were trying to find Him!

Anybody seen Jesus?

John 7:12
And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.
Notice that His conspicuous absence caused quite a stir! People were talking and murmuring and giving their OPINIONS to each other. Hey, you can get those same opinions today when you bring up the subject of Jesus!
[13] Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.
Oh yes! There is nothing new under the sun. People today don't bring up the subject of Jesus for fear of those who control the politically correct enforcement agencies. Let see we have the main stream media, the ACLU, a corrupt Judicial System, etc. Yep, folks today are becoming completely intimidated by the emerging beast.

In case you weren't aware of it, Jesus Christ is politically incorrect!

[14] Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
This is His first public appearance preaching in the Temple. Notice He went straight into the Temple and taught publicly and OPENLY. And you can tell from the next verse that He must have given them "a dandy" of a factually and scripturally documented lesson!
[15] And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
You see, Jesus did not graduate from one the Rabbinical seminaries. So we could say that the Lamb of God didn't have a Sheep Skin. Now that's funny! LOL

Later on the Jews would observe that Peter and John were "uneducated" (agrammatoi), i.e. common men. However, there ability [credentials] to expound and explain the scriptures came from the time they spent with the Word of God, know what I mean?

John 7:16
Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
This is one seven occurrences where Jesus said He speaks only His Father's words.

Here's a good question to ask yourself. Is your doctrine the doctrine of your church, handed down in quarterlies, or the doctrine of the Word of God?In other words, where do you get your bread? There are a lot of ministers and preachers out there baking bread using dung. And people eat that stuff!

Note: For those of you that think I just make up this stuff, well, not always! Have you never read Ezekiel 4 when Ezekiel was told by our Father to make barley loaves with dung? Yes, it's in the Word of God. Dung cakes!

Ezekiel 4:12
And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight.
Let the people visibly see what's baked in the "bread" they eat!
[13] And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.
Our people just love this bread! Ummmm, it's really tasty with lots of sugar sweet traditions baked in! They don't know it's baked with dung and if you tell them, they probably won't believe you anyway. Their church and their pastor wouldn't bake and serve them dung cakes. Well, perhaps not knowingly, but you'd better check out the ingredients in the spiritual bread you eat!

Do you think the kenite hasn't brought this "dung" into the Christian community?You'd be surprised who sits on the boards of the churches today! Hear the Words of Jesus Christ to His disciples. (Must we be told again that this means us if we are His disciples?)

Matthew 16:11-12
How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
That's right, they've got their own leaven they put into YOUR bread! It's called "dung"! (I'm really struggling not use the "s" word.)
[12] Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Wow, I can't believe the segway here back to the words of Jesus in John. The subject is discerning doctrine, whether it be false doctrine or from Jesus, i.e. the Word of God.
John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
"If any man DESIRES to do His will he shall know of the doctrine!" How is that? We covered that pretty well in the begining of this chapter. If you believe in Him then you will have the DESIRE to eat of the Bread which came from heaven, which is to study His Word, yes, spend time with Jesus!

And if you are familiar with God's Word, then when someone claiming to represent Jesus as one of His ministers speaks or mutters incomprehensibly, you will instantly know whether they speak God's Words or spew forth man's dung. (Needless to say, you will be even more repulsed by Sunday morning TV if you have eyes to "see" what is being spoken.)

[18] He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
He who speaks his own words is on an ego trip and you'll need a pooper scooper if you listen to them.

Oh, and don't miss the rest of this chapter because believe it or not, we are going to see Jesus turn the traditions of men into dung cakes. (No wonder they don't like it when Jesus makes them eat their own words! Yeeech!)

It is the Feast of Tabernacles in the great city of Jerusalem and the Messiah is boldly and openly standing before the people teaching with such wisdom and knowledge and depth of understanding that they are all amazed. Even the officers who would later be sent to arrest Him will report back to the Pharisees, "Never man spake like this man." (John 7:46)

Now the Messiah is about to expose the hypocrisy of the judgment of the Pharisees and chief priests which they use as their basis to accuse Him of breaking the Sabbath. This is why He was so unpopular with the "world" and this is an example of what He meant by testifying of their evil deeds. And corrupt judgment is indeed an evil deed!

To place the following dialog in perspective, remember that the Jews had accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath when He healed the man who had been impotent for 38 years and then told him to take up his bed and carry it. For this cause they sought to kill Him. (At least this was the "spin" they were presenting to the people through PNN, Pharisee News Network.)

So Jesus turns to them and puts the substance of their hypocritical accusation to the test.

John 7:19
Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
"You all are supposed to be keepers of the law of Moses, right? And yet none of you keep that law, so why do seek to kill me? (Jesus had not broken the law of Moses concerning the Sabbath.)
[20] The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
"The crowd answered: You must be mad! Who is trying to kill you?" (Phillips) .
[21] Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
In other words, Jesus did only one work on the Sabbath and that was healing the man who had been impotent for 38 years, and they were all obsessed about it.
[22] Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.
Circumcision began with God's covenant with Abraham (Gen. 17:10) and continued through Isaac, Jacob, etc.  Jesus wittingly points out this "fact" to this bunch of legalists who erringly call it the law of Moses. LOL Then He reminds them that they circumcise male babies on the eighth day, even when it falls on the sabbath day.

Note: The Rabbinic interpretation, i.e. the man made Talmud, of Lev. 12:3 made circumcision on the Sabbath supreme over the Sabbath itself. Circumcision was definitely servile work, any form of which was forbidden on the Sabbath.

[23] If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?
The circumcision was a token between God and man, signifying that the man is made whole and pure. (Since Christ paid the price, today circumcision is of the heart, both male and female. Rom. 2:29)

Now here's the hypocrisy of their judgment, which crushes the foundation of their false accusation. Jesus says to them, "You claim to make a man whole (by wounding him on the Sabbath with a bloody circumcision) yet I make a man completely whole and you are angry at me?" Go figure!

The point of their inconsistent judgment has been well made by the Master teacher. In fact, verse 26 shows that NONE DARED contest the wisdom of the Son of God.

[24] Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
The fact is hypocrites never do judge rightly. They always have a double standard. And they can just never rise above the letter of the law into the spirit of the law.
[25] Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
Some of the people knew it was the intention of the rulers to kill Jesus and they were wondering why they were letting Him teach so openly and boldly?
[26] But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
The people were wondering what was going on.  "Isn't this he whom they seek to kill? Look, He stands there fearlessly, speaking boldly and with authority, and no one even challenges him! Do you suppose 'that our rulers have actually decided that this is the Messiah?'" (N.E.B.)
[27] Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.
The "tradition" taught to the people by their religious leaders was that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem and then be hid, but no one would know where. So the people were concluding that Jesus could not be the Messiah because they knew all about His family and their residency.

Knowing therefore what was on the minds of the people, Jesus makes the following statement:

John 7:28
Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.
"You might know my earthly father, but you certainly don't know My heavenly Father Who sent Me!"

(But they knew a lot of rules and rituals from the Talmud. They had religion!)

[29] But I know Him: for I am from Him, and He hath sent me.

John 7:30
Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

Jesus was divinely protected until the appointed time when He would become the Passover Lamb. No man ever has, nor ever will, have the power to interfere with God's Plan.
[31] And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?
Uh oh! This is a real problem for the Pharisees and the priests. People were beginning to believe on Jesus.  This would cause a festering religious jealousy among the Pharisees whose gods were power and tithe.

Notice that when the people began to "hear and see" Jesus, the Word of God, that they began to use common sense reasoning, i.e. wisdom. Not only that, but once they heard the truth from the Word of God they NO LONGER kept their mouths shut for fear of the Jews as they did in verse 13. Jesus will say in the next chapter: John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  Worry and fear are bondage!

[32] The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
So the Pharisees and the priests (the supposedly good and holy religious rulers) dispatch officers to take Jesus. They couldn't afford to let this thing get out of hand! Isn't religion a wonderful cloak to hide evil people and their deeds?
[33] Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.
[34] Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.
This threw the flesh-minded so-called religious scholars into a frenzy.
[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?
One thing you will notice about this verse is the common knowledge that the tribes of Israel had been scattered abroad. It would be to these 12 scattered tribes that James would write his letter. James 1:1 "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting."

Note: Most of our people today do not know where those 12 tribes are so they wouldn't have a clue as to where to send James' letter. But their whereabouts is really easy to document, so if you don't know and would like some help, get a copy of  the little booklet written by E. Raymond Capt, "The Abrahamic Covenant". You will find it at www.artisanpublishers.com or you can log unto pamphlets #1020 and #1064.

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?
They are clueless.
[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.
This would be on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
[38] He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life. But you first have to be thirsty and then you must go to Him to drink of the living water! Do you remember Jesus said the very same thing to the woman from Samaria at Jacob's Well back in chapter 4?
John 4:14
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
And once again, the qualification is given in verse 38.You must believe on Him! And IF you do, you WILL BE both hungry for the bread and thirsty for the water that comes only from the Word of God.

Do you really understand what that means? We've spent a great deal of time concerning "bread" and "water" so far in this Gospel of John! There must be an awfully important reason why so much attention is given here by the Word of God! And they, the bread and water, are ALWAYS tied to BELIEVING ON HIM!

And we've already witnessed the miracle seekers who followed Christ and were hungry for bread, but it was not the bread from above. They were looking for signs and a religious experience. The bottom line is this: You may go to church once or twice a week, but if you do not study the Word of God, then you are not hungry for the bread and you are not thirsty for the water that comes from Him!

Therefore, you do not believe!

Jesus said that "If any man (no gender implied) thirst, let him come unto Him, and DRINK." He then said: "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." (John 7:38)

Now I may be a little dense at times, but doesn't it make sense that one must first drink the water in order to get it into his belly? That is exactly what Christ is saying. "IF" you believe on Him, you'll be thirsty and want to drink that water which comes from Him, and so you will, IF YOU BELIEVE.  But if you go to the Word of God, which contains the living water, and instead of drinking from Him, you just carry the Bible to and from church and maybe take a couple of teeny tiny sips on Sunday morning, you'll never get a belly full of water, the Holy Spirit of God, will you?

You should now truly know the in-depth meaning of the most quoted verse in all of Christianity, John 3:16, and what it means to Believe on Him. You should now see that it's not those who "say" they believe in Jesus, it is those who do, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, those who eat the daily bread and drink the living water!

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.)
Jesus had not yet ascended to the Father and therefore the comforter was not yet sent. Again, notice who it is that receives the Holy Spirit. It those "that believe on Him".
John 7:40
Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
The Prophet they are referring to is the One who was prophesied to come in Deuteronomy 18:18, i.e. Jesus Christ.
Deut. 18:18
I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Of course not everyone agreed.
John 7:41
Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
Will the Messiah come out of the low rent district?
[42] Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
Yet it does, so why doesn't someone go ask Jesus where He was born instead of assuming He is from Galilee?

It is the most amazing thing when you talk to a Biblically uneducated Christian, one who doesn't eat the bread and drink the living water, and tell them what the scriptures say regarding a matter. They usually will say something like, "I'm going to ask my preacher about that." And if you then say, "Why don't you go ask Jesus?", they will look at you like you're nuts. They don't understand how that is possible since they don't think He is here to go ask.They obviously think that the Written Word of God and the Living Word of God are two different things! Do you?

Note: The word Beth-lehem means house-of-bread. It was to this location that the Bread came down from heaven. (John 6:33, 58) Oh, I get it!

[43] So there was a division among the people because of him.
Well now there's a surprise! People being divided over Jesus. What shall we call it, denominationalism?
[44] And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.
They were simply awe-struck by Jesus Christ, both by His boldness and His powerful teaching. Not to mention He was no 97 lb. weakling in whose face they could kick sand. Neither did they mess with Him when He went into the temple and overthrew the moneychangers tables. Jesus had to be a very strong physically fit individual to have survived the Roman scourging He received just prior to His crucifixion. Most men didn't make it. They died!
[45] Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?
Boy, some things never change! Good help is just plain hard to get!
[46] The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
"You should have heard this man! His teaching was incredible!"
[47] Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?
"Don't tell us you guys believe him, too?"
[48] Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?
Actually, yes, some of the rulers and Pharisees did! There was Nicodemus who was a ruler and a Pharisee? (John 3:1) And then there was Joseph of Arimathaea, Jesus' uncle.
[49] But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.
You know just from the character of these religious hypocrites who harbor murder in their hearts that this is an arrogant and condescending remark about the people. Welcome to the world of the kenites!

But there is one among them who actually possesses some wisdom, who personally spent some time with Jesus, and he now speaks up:

[50] Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)

[51] Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

Well, I guess we know whose side Nicodemus is on, ain't?  Notice the brilliant reference to the point of law. He was a very sharp individual, and it would be this man, Nicodemus, along with Joseph of Arimathaea, who would defend Jesus at the illegal midnight trial before the council of 70 and win His acquittal by a majority vote. This would throw Caiaphas, the high priest, into a rage and he would then seek to have Christ tried in a Roman court.

So the chief priest and the Pharisees completely ignored the point of law made by Nicodemus and changed the subject.

[52] They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
OK, let's search and look. Let's see there was Jonah, he was a prophet and he was from Galilee (II Kings 14:25), and Hosea was from Galilee, and probably Elijah, Elisha and Amos.  What then can we say about the scholarship of the chief priests and the Pharisees? Not much! They should have known this just as they should have known many other things. They were always asking Christ questions they should have known the answers to. That is why Jesus usually prefaced His answers to them with, "Have you not read?", or "It is written."
[53] And every man went unto his own house.

John 8:1
Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

So after Nicodemus' brilliant introduction of wisdom into the conversation they broke up their meeting and went home, while Jesus went off to the Mount of Olives.

And just wait until chapter 8! Jesus is going to return to the temple and after the huge crowd has reassembled, the scribes and Pharisees will bring in an adulterous woman to Him, to try to make a fool of Him. This should be interesting! It always is when man tries to outwit God.


To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.

The "American Wisdom Series"

is

Published by:

Rhine Publishing Co.
E-mail address - americanwisdomseries@verizon.net

If you would like to have your essay published
as part of the American Wisdom Series
submit your manuscript to Rhine Publishing Co
at the address above for consideration, or e-mail us
at the address shown on our home page.

Click Here to Return to "The American Wisdom Series" home page.