John 7
COMMENTARY:
: 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him. (4100 “believe” [pisteuo] means commit to, to put in trust with, to think to be true, have Christian faith, entrust, have confidence, or rely on.)
DEVOTION: Mary had more children after the birth of Jesus. There were at least four brothers and two or more sisters (Matthew 13: 55). So HE came from a family of at least seven children. All of the men worked in the carpentry shop with Joseph.
Jesus worked there until HE was thirty years old and then started HIS public ministry. HIS brothers didn’t think HE was someone special. They were not part of the ones who followed HIM.
In fact, they came to take HIM home on a few occasions because they didn’t think HE was in HIS right mind. Mary came with the half- brothers to bring HIM home.
They invited HIM to go to the Feast of Tabernacles. They wanted to HIM to go so that HE could be arrested. They went ahead of HIM to the feast to see what would happen. They wanted HIM arrested.
HIS own family wanted HIM arrested. They didn’t want to become followers of HIM. They did become followers after HIS resurrection. Two of them wrote two of the books of the New Testament: Jude and James.
Sometimes our family thinks we are crazy for following Jesus. They don’t’ want to listen to us. They make fun of us. We are not invited to join them even for times of family gatherings because they don’t want to hear about Jesus.
Jesus made a statement that we need to apply to our life. HE told those who were following on a few occasions that they were HIS family. When HIS family came to see HIM, HE made a statement regarding family. HE stated that the followers were HIS family and not the other way around.
CHALLENGE: Even if our family doesn’t follow the LORD, we should be faithful to HIM. God could be gracious and we could see our families come to HIM. It might not happen in our lifetime.
: 15 And the Jews marveled saying, How knows this man letters, having never learned? (1121 “letters” [gramma] means any writing, a document or record, an epistle, the sacred writings of the Old Testament, or Scripture.)
DEVOTION: Here we find that the Pharisees regarded themselves as a special class of people. They were the ones who were educated in the Old Testament sacred writings. They went to school to learn what they said and what they meant. They were better than most people. At the end of the chapter they tell the guards that the common people don’t know the Old Testament well enough to know what they are doing. They say they are cursed. Only those who are properly educated can know what is going on as far as they are concerned.
Here comes Jesus with HIS teachings regarding the Old Testament. The people are listening to HIM. The Pharisees don’t like it. They thought HE was just an ignorant carpenter. HE was not educated in their school. HE was not a priest. HE was just a nobody who happened to be a good teacher in their eyes. HE was uneducated!!!
We have to watch our thinking sometimes. We sometimes think that only the ministers or theologians or the scholars understand the Bible. That is a lie!!! The best teacher of the Word of God is the Holy Spirit. Each Christian has the Holy Spirit indwelling him at the point of salvation. Each Christian can learn from the Holy Spirit through the reading of the Word of God and prayer. We learn through listening to the messages at church also, but the Holy Spirit helps us discern if what is said in church is the truth of the Word of God or something that is made up by the speaker.
Many sermons preached in liberal churches are made up by the speaker. The speaker makes up some sermons in “evangelical” churches as to what the Bible might teach. Some scholars reinterpret the Bible to be politically correct.
The people were listening to Jesus. The Pharisees were amazed at the teaching of Jesus. HE knew his stuff. We need to listen to those who know their stuff. The Holy Spirit will give us discernment to know the difference.
CHALLENGE: We need to be like the Bereans who checked out Paul’s message to see if it was true. Check out who you are listening to and what they are saying. Can what they say be found in the Scripture? Don’t base your beliefs on feeling or what the world tells you to believe.
: 38 He that believes on ME, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (2836 “belly” [koilia) means entire cavity, gullet, womb, stomach, the inner aspect of a person as a place of thoughts and feelings and conscience, or the innermost part of a man, the soul, heart as the seat of thought, feeling, choice.)
DEVOTION: In Isaiah 12:2, 2 we read “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Also in Isaiah 44: 3 we read “For I will pour water on him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon they seed, and my blessing on your offspring.”
Once someone becomes a genuine believer his/her life is changed forever. There is a new heart given. There is a new life started. We have the availability of living water.
All of this is available through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We can have fresh water every day until the day we die. We understand what this all means by our study of the Scriptures.
At the time of this occasion the Holy Spirit had not yet been given to the disciples. HE would come when the LORD ascended into heaven. On the day of Pentecost the disciples in the upper room were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Since that time each of us have the possibility of being filled with the Holy Spirit not only at the point of salvation but also regularly as we confess our sins. Our goal each day should be to be in tune with the work of the Holy Spirit in our life.
CHALLENGE: This should flow in our lives. What is flowing out of your heart today????
: 44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid his hands on HIM. (4084 “taken” [piazo] means catch, apprehend, lay hands on, in order to imprison him, seize, or take into custody.)
DEVOTION: One of the outcomes of the ministry of Jesus was that it confused people. Some were going to be followers and others were not. Some looked at what they thought were the facts while others just believed.
Jesus caused this to happen in Jerusalem when HE came to the feast of Tabernacles. HE taught in the Temple. What HE taught confused the people who were listening to HIM. They thought HE was born in Galilee instead of Bethlehem. The reason for this misinformation was that HE lived in Capernaum. Remember that Joseph moved around because of the warning of God.
The religious leaders wanted to arrest HIM but even the soldiers were amazed at HIS teachings. The arrest didn’t happen until later.
Our testimony is important. We have to present the LORD every chance we get to be a good representative of HIM. There are times in our life when we are not good representatives but we still can never give up.
CHALLENGE: Our family and our friends need to hear the message as often as the LORD gives us those opportunities. We are not to force the issue but to present it in love.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Feast of Tabernaclesverses 2, 8, 10, 11, 14, 37
Templeverses 14, 28
Sabbathverses 22, 23
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Mosesverses 1, 22, 23
Lawverses 19, 23, 49
Law of Mosesverse 23
Scripture verses 38, 42
Prophetverse 40
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Father sent Jesusverses 16, 28, 29, 33
Will of Godverse 17
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
Jesus verses 1, 6, 14, 16, 21, 28, 33, 37, 39,42, 50
Worksverse 3
MY timeverse 8
Taughtverses 14, 28
Jews thought HE was uneducatedverse 15
Taught doctrineverse 16
People marvel at HIS worksverse 21
Speaks boldlyverse 26
Christverses 26, 27, 31, 41, 42
Knows Fatherverse 29
HIS hourverse 30
Miraclesverse 31
Glorifiedverse 39
The Prophetverse 40
Seed of Davidverse 42
Bethlehemverse 42
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Spiritverse 39
Holy Ghostverse 39
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Godverse 17
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Devilverse 20
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Worldverses 4, 7
Gentilesverse 35
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Killverses 1, 19, 20, 25
Jesus’ brothers didn’t believeverses 5, 10
Hateverse 7
Works evilverse 7
Evilverse 7
Murmuringverses 12, 32
Deceiveverses 12, 47
Fear verse 13
Unrighteousnessverse 18
Judge by appearanceverse 24
Not knowing Godverse 28
Divisionverse 43
Not believing verse 48
Cursedverse 49
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Believeverses 5, 31, 38, 39, 48
Taughtverses 14, 28
Doctrineverses 16, 17
Doing God’s willverse 17
Judge righteous judgmentverse 24
Speak boldlyverse 26
Trueverse 28
Seek Jesusverse 34
Rivers of living waterverse 38
Receive Holy Spiritverse 39
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Galileeverses 1, 9, 41, 52
Jewryverse 1
Jewsverses 1, 2, 13, 15, 35
Feast of Tabernaclesverse 2
Judaeaverse 3
Mosesverses 19, 22
Circumcisionverses 22, 23
Jerusalemverse 25
Rulersverses 26, 48
Phariseesverses 32, 45, 47, 48
Chief priestsverses 32, 45
Officersverses 32, 45, 46
Seed of Davidverse 42
Bethlehemverse 42
Nicodemus came to Jesus by nightverses 50, 51
Church (New Testament people of God)
Disciplesverse 3
Last Things (Future Events)
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