Jesus operated in the Spirit, not under the law. Jesus expected conflict with the law of Moses. “He who is without sin- let him come.”
***
Ch. 54: Jesus At The Feast Of Tabernacles
John 7:1-8:59
Jesus Rejects The Advice of His Brothers To Go To Jerusalem
When the Feast of the Tabernacles was at hand, Jesus’ brothers said to him:
“Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth anything in secret, if he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world.”
Even his brothers did not believe in him.
Jesus replied to his advisers:
“My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast. I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full
come.”
And Jesus continued yet a while in Galilee. But, after his brothers had left for Jerusalem, he also went to the feast, not openly but secretly.
Jesus Defeats An Attempt To Arrest Him
The authorities, suspecting that Jesus was in the city, asked:
“Where is he?”
The people murmured about him. Some said:
“He is a good man.”
Others said:
“Nay, but he deceiveth the people.”
However, all were afraid to speak openly of Jesus, for fear of the authorities.
About the middle of the feast Jesus went into the temple and taught. Many people, surprised at his words, said:
“How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?”
Jesus answered them saying:
“My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 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. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why ye go about to kill me?”
The people answered:
“Thou hast a devil. Who goeth about to kill thee?”
Jesus replied:
“I have done one work, and ye all marvel. 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. 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? Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
Some of those who heard him said:
“Is not this he whom they seek to kill? But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? Howbeit we know this man whence he is; but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.”
Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching:
“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. But I know him; for I am from him, and he hath sent me.”
Some suggested arresting him at once but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet arrived.
Many people who listened to his words believed in Jesus and said:
“When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?”
The Pharisees heard that the people were saying such things about Jesus. They sent chief priests and officers to arrest him.
Jesus said to them:
“Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me; and where I am, thither ye cannot not come.”
Those who had come for him talked among themselves, saying:
“Whither will he go that we shall not find him? Will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? 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’?”
On the last and great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried out:
“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Jesus spoke of the Spirit which those who believed in him should receive. Many of his hearers said:
“Of a truth this is the Prophet.”
Others said:
“This is the Christ.”
But some said:
“Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said that Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”
So there was a division of opinion among the people about Jesus. Some wanted to arrest him yet no one laid hands on him.
The officers, who had been sent to take him, went to the chief priests of the Pharisees, who said to them:
“Why have ye not brought him?”
The officers answered:
“Never man spake like this man.”
The Pharisees replied:
“Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.”
Nicodemus, the ruler who had come to Jesus in the night, said:
“Doth our law judge any man before it hear him and know what he doeth?”
The others asked him:
“Art thou also of Galilee? Search and look; for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.”
Jesus Protects An Accused Woman
Early in the morning Jesus went again into the temple and taught the many people who came to him.
The scribes and Pharisees brought before Jesus a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They said to him:
“Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned. But what sayest thou?”
They hoped to tempt Jesus so that they might find something to accuse him of. Jesus acted as though he had not heard them, but stooped down and, with his finger, wrote on the ground.
When the scribes and Pharisees continued to press him with their questions, he straightened up and spoke to them, saying:
“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”
Again he stooped and resumed his writing on the ground. When the scribes and Pharisees heard what Jesus said, their own consciences convicted them, and they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest. Finally only Jesus and the woman remained. When he saw that they were alone, he said to her:
“Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?”
She answered:
“No man, Lord.”
Thereupon Jesus said to her:
“Neither do I condemn thee. Go, and sin no more.”
Jesus Proclaims The Light Of The World
Again Jesus spoke, saying:
“I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
The Pharisees accused him, saying:
“Thou bearest record of thyself. Thy record is not true.”
Jesus replied:
“Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.”
Then the Pharisees asked Jesus:
“Where is thy Father?”
Jesus answered:
“Ye neither know me, nor my Father. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.”
Although Jesus spoke these words in the temple, still no effort was made to arrest him; for his hour was not yet come.
Jesus Arouses Anger By Claiming Sonship With God
Jesus continued to speak, saying:
“I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins. Whither I go, ye cannot come.”
The Jews said among themselves:
“Will he kill himself? Because he saith, ‘Whither I go, you cannot come.’”
Jesus said to the Jews:
“Ye are from beneath; I am from above. Ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins. For if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”
The Jews asked him:
“Who art thou?”
Jesus replied:
“Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge of you. But he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.”
The Jews did not understand that he spoke of the Father.
Jesus continued, saying:
“When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”
Because of these words, many believed in Jesus. To those Jews who believed he said:
“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
The Jews replied:
“We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man. How sayest thou, ‘Ye shall be made free’?”
Jesus answered them:
“Verily, verily I say unto you, ‘Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.’ and the servant abideth not in the house forever; but the Son abideth forever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father; and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.”
The Jews answered, saying:
“Abraham is our father.”
Jesus replied:
“If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God. This did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father.”
The Jews said to Jesus:
“We be not born of fornication. We have one Father, even God.”
Jesus answered, saying:
“If God were your Father, ye would love me; for I proceed forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he that sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words. Ye therefore hear him not, because ye are not of God.”
The Jews replied to those words of Jesus:
“Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?”
Jesus said:
“I have not a devil; but I honor my Father, and ye do dishonor me. And I seek not mine own glory. There is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, ‘If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.’”
To Jesus the Jews replied:
“Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets. And thou sayest, ‘If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.’ Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? And the prophets are dead. Whom makest thou thyself?”
Jesus replied:
“If I honor myself, my honor is nothing. It is my Father that honoreth me, of whom ye say that he is your God. Yet ye have not known him; but I know him; and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you; but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad.”
The Jews said to Jesus:
“Thou are not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?”
Jesus answered:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, ‘Before Abraham was, I am.’”
Then the Jews and Pharisees, their fury aroused, picked up stones to hurl at Jesus. But they could not see him as he left the temple, going through the midst of those who sought to stone him.