John 7:1-13
3. a. Jesus chose to stay in Galilee.
Jesus chose to stay in Galilee because “he knew the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem were plotting to have him killed.” John 7:1 TPT
[There is at least a six-month gap between John 7:1 and 7:2. Matthew 15:1-19:2, Mark 7:1-10:1, and Luke 9:18-50 record a number of events that John omitted.]
b. Jesus’ half-brothers urged Him to go to Jerusalem for the festival.
[The law of Moses required every man in Israel to celebrate three festivals in Jerusalem each year. Deuteronomy 16:16]
Jesus’ half-brothers sarcastically urged him to go so he could put on a show for a larger crowd. They didn’t believe Jesus was who he said he was.
“Jesus’ brethren were saying, “If you are really the Christ, then go to Jerusalem and proclaim it at the feast.” They probably didn’t want Jesus to do that and suffer death at the hands of the Jews. But they probably thought that this “put up or shut up” challenge would silence Jesus’ claims.” (Andrew Wommack)
c. Jesus knew the timing of His death was at Passover.
John recorded five times Jesus said, “My time has not yet come.” (John 2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; and 8:20). John also recorded four times Jesus said, “My time has come.” My timereferred to things associated with His crucifixion.
This festival was the Feast of Tabernacles (booths or tents). Jesus’ brothers weren’t making a mistake by attending the festival as usual.
Theirmistakes—
- They didn’t accept or understand Jesus’ identity, calling, and purpose.
- They questioned Jesus’ actions because they didn’t accept or understand Jesus’ identity, calling, and purpose.
- Perhaps the festival was merely a religious tradition to them. God established these three festivals so they would remember their time in the wilderness.
Jesus attended the feast also. If He did not, the Jews could rightly accuse Him of disobeying the law. He just waited a few days, perhaps to avoid traveling along with the crowds. By traveling to Jerusalem later, his enemies couldn’t say that He used this time on the road to encourage rebellion. It’s also possible, God needed Him to stay in Galilee awhile longer. (Possible reasons Jesus delayed His departure via Adam Clarke)
4. a. Opinions about Jesus
Some said, “He is a good man.”
- He heals the sick.
- He feeds entire crowds of people.
- He is a good teacher.
Some said, “but he is leading the crowd astray.”
- He argues with the religious leaders. Isn’t that disrespectful at the very least?
- He used a whip to drive church sanctionedactivities out of the temple area.
However, no one was talking openly about Him—especially not those who spoke well of Him—because of their fear of the Jews. The Jewish leaders had already agreed that anyone who professed Jesus as the Christ would be expelled from the synagogue (excommunicated). John 9:22 says the Jews agreed that anyone who professed Jesus as the Christ would be excommunicated.
b. People’s view of Jesus today
Some still say Jesus was a good man, a rabbi (teacher), but not God.
Commonly, it is said that churches are full of hypocrites.
Christians are intolerant because we believe Jesus is “the [only] way and the truth and the life.” John 14:6
Judaism still does not accept that Jesus is their Messiah, although there are Messianic Jews who believe.
Survey of Evangelical’s beliefs
For the sake of the survey, “evangelicals were defined by LifeWay Research as people who strongly agreed with the following four statements:
- The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe.
- It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.
- Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.
- Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.
However, they discovered that, “A significant number of evangelicals surveyed have a profound misunderstanding about the nature and character of God.” according to a survey in 2022.
- Almost half (44 percent) say that Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God. (emphasis added)
Increasingly, secular society is anti-Bible because it says hom*osexuality is sin.
“The Word of God is evident in its view of hom*osexuality. The most commonly quoted Bible verses are Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13, which state that it is an abomination for a man to lie with another man as he would with a woman. In Romans 1:26-27, Apostle Paul says that hom*osexuality is contrary to God’s natural order and results from rejecting God. Additionally, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 lists hom*osexuality as one of the sins that will prevent someone from entering the Kingdom of God. While the Bible is clear in its view of hom*osexuality, it is essential to remember that God loves all of his creation and offers forgiveness to those who repent and turn away from their sins.” Bible Study Tools
However, there are signs of revival.
‘A Revival Is Happening’: Hundreds Choose Christ at Auburn, Get Spontaneously Baptized in a Lake
Christian Series ‘The Chosen’ Hits Big Screen, Outpaces Multiple Hollywood Films at Box Office
Jesus Revolution Movie grossed over $50 million surpassing expectations.
Sean Feucht’s Let Us Worship events continue
