To Go or Not To Go
After the debate over the foreshadowing of communion and His sacrifice, Jesus chose for a while to avoid the devout Jewish people who were against Him (John 7:1-10). Since it was the Feast of Tabernacles, the disciples wanted him to go to Judea to spread His fame around by performing more miracles. Even though those who had not left Him appeared to faithful and believing, they still had doubts and wanted to see even more evidence to help convince them they were truly following the Messiah. What better place to show the world than at a major Jewish feast?
He directed them to proceed to the Feast, saying that He would come up later, which He did. His reasoning was that it was not yet His time to show Himself fully. He had more work and more seeds to plant among small groups of people where the seeds could sprout and grow and survive. The Holy Spirit warned Him that if He exposed His ministry too soon, the plans of God would be at risk. He knew that His teaching and preaching, which He did just as much as works, would offend many because He was preaching holiness and that each person should suppress the evil nature that was trying to consume them and destroy them.
He did tell the disciples to go and continue the work, doing their part for preparing His way and He would join them when it was time.
The thought that God shouldn't bend to our timing is a hard concept to understand. Our needs are always greatest in most of our minds. There may be a few who pray more about the needs of others than their own. We all should do more of that. But most are caught up in their own needs and wants. To have the Father declare that "The time is not yet come" isn't what most of us want to here. Likewise, hearing that we have things that we should be doing for Him, and we need to concentrate on that isn't what we want to hear most times either. This commentary goes slowly, not because it is difficult to write, but because I have other things I'd rather be doing, worthless as they may be in God's eyes.
But today, just like in that day, God calls us to testify of the righteousness of God, to try to live in that righteousness (asking forgiveness from God and man if needed when we fail), and to try to do whatever part God has for us to do to bring light to the world. What will you do today? What will you do tomorrow?
Teaching at the Temple
In John 7:11-31, we get a glimpse of the type of teaching that Jesus did. I assume that when the disciples arrived, they were noticed by some of the Jewish leaders. Seeing them, they also sought out Jesus. Even among the people, there was debate about who or what Jesus really was. Some declared Him to be just a good man. Others said He was deceiving the people by making Himself to appear greater than a man should be. But the people's arguing was done out of the hearing of the Jewish leaders, because everyone knew what the leaders thought of Jesus and didn't want to incur their wrath.
How like that is Christianity in many parts of the world today. The country leaders, some declaring themselves to be gods, hate anything that would be above them. They suppress Christianity because it doesn't exalt their own position and condemns them for thinking themselves as gods. Even if they don't use the god term, many leaders around the world, whether political, corporate, or religious, think of themselves higher than they should. They actively put down anything that puts them in their place. It's getting to the point that political organizations, companies, and religious cults are even policing everyone under their control to try to root out and dispense with, or otherwise suppress free thought. Such things should not go on in this world.
The Jewish leaders were marveling at Jesus as He taught. They couldn't understand how a carpenter could understand the Scriptures and teach with such authority and clarity, not having set under their instruction to be trained. They didn't understand that as the author / editor of everything written in the Old Testament, Jesus knew more about everything they had read than they ever would. The Holy Spirit told Him everything He needed to know to teach a coherent and powerful message on any subject. The doctrines He taught weren't something He had thought up on His own. Everything He was saying came from God Himself. He further said that the closer they were to God, the easier it would be for them to understand that the doctrine was indeed from God and not something He had invented. Jesus was seeking only the glory of God and not to bring any glory to Himself. If we had more Christian leaders like that today, we'd be in a better place as a religion.
He ended this section by pricking their hearts, declaring that Moses had given them the law to obey, but that none of them were keeping the law. Why were sinners trying to kill Him? That didn't make Him many points with the religious leaders, but the people heard Him. I suspect it resonated with many hearts of the people.
Relating back to the man who He had healed on the Sabbath, He pointed out that if the day for ritual circumcision happened to fall on a Sabbath, they performed a work to carry out the law. Then He asked why they should be mad at Him because of healing on the Sabbath. The Jewish leaders needed to judge, but to judge with righteousness. Clearly, they were not.
The people were surprised at the silence of the Jewish leaders, thinking that maybe they didn't realize He was the Christ they were waiting for and didn't understand why they were trying to kill Him. Jesus spoke directly to these folks who were undecided, saying that they knew Him as a man, knew where He came from (both physically and spiritually), and knew that He was of God, but they were confused because they didn't know God themselves. He declared again that He was both from and sent by God. For this, the leaders tried to take him, but were prevented. Many people believed because they knew of the miracles He had done and was, I believe, in the process of doing. They wanted to know if Jesus wasn't the promised Messiah, if the Messiah when He came would do more miracles than Jesus. Clearly, they were convinced by the works He was performing, even if the leaders hated Him for both the teaching and the works.
Where They Could Not Go
In John 7:32-44 the account declares the work of the Pharisees who were upset that the people murmured noble thoughts about Jesus. Jealousy lead them to send officers to take Jesus into custody. But Jesus told them that soon, He would go where they could not find Him. They couldn't think of anywhere Jesus could go that the vast arm of the law couldn't reach Him, unless He maybe left the country to teach the Gentiles.
There are two levels to what He said, and I'm not sure whether one or both of them were what He meant. Certainly, He was going to be crucified for the sins of the world. Clearly, none of the people listening, not being sinless themselves, would be able to ever take on that burden and die for the world. So in a spiritual sense, His destiny was different than that of every other person listening to his teaching that day. He had a different purpose. But also, if they rejected Him as savior after hearing His testimony and teaching, they would have rejected the only means of ultimate salvation. It is possible that He was declaring to them that by rejecting Him, they would never make heaven their home.
I would that people today would realize that basic concept. There are no second chances after death. If you hear about Christ and that He is the way to eternal life with God, and reject that message and His sacrifice, there aren't any second chances if you die in that state. Purgatory isn't a thing. You can't have someone baptize you after you're dead and make things all right with God on your behalf. That isn't the way the Bible works. God's grace is an interesting conversation topic. God is full of grace and He is merciful, but He is also just and holy. I'm glad that I don't have to decide a person's eternal future myself. I'm glad there is a just God to do that. But at the same time, I pray that more will choose the free path of salvation that Christ provided. What's better than free?
Christ goes on to speak of the baptism of the Holy Spirit that would come. He said that there would be rivers of living water flowing out of the spirit filled believer. Hopefully some of it flows here. I wish it was completely clear and fresh like it starts, but I'm imperfect and I'm sure some mud gets mixed in. Hopefully, you'll see through the crud and grasp the clear water that God intends. Many people believed that He was at least a Prophet of God based on His teaching, and others believed He was the Christ, but were disturbed that He rose up out of Galilee, not understanding His birth and parentage.
Conversions
At the end of the chapter (John 7:45-53), the officers returned to the leaders without Christ. They wanted to know why they hadn't brought Jesus to them, but they said that they had never heard any teach speak as Jesus spoke. The Pharisees rebuked them, claiming that they had turned into His disciples as well. Nicodemus, however, stood up for Jesus and told them they were required to hear testimony before passing judgment. Then, they rebuked Him as well, and their meeting broke up.
There are many testimonies of Jesus work in people's lives today. You can search on youtube for modern day documented Christian miracles and read about what God is still doing today that cements the Christian religion as true. Don't be like the Pharisees and reject truth when it is right in your face. You have the scriptures to read, the gospels and letters of the early Christian fathers to their churches and individuals. But you also have many testimonies of today. Listen. Don't be a Pharisee.