John
7:11-18 “Seeking Jesus”
(John
7:11) Then the Jews sought him at the
feast, and said, Where is he?
The Jewish leaders are meant by the
word “Jews” in this verse. They not only
were looking for him themselves but they were also inquiring of the common
people saying “Where is He?” They seek
Him that they might quietly arrest Him for the purpose of killing Him. The question “Where is He?” is one that would be
asked of those who would or should know the answer. I believe this question was directed at the
brothers and sisters of Jesus. They
should know the whereabouts of Jesus being His family. They would have responded that they did not
know but that He had said He would come to the feast later. Jesus most likely was staying in
It seems ironic to me that these
spiritual leaders of the Jews can be so blind.
Does not the feast of Tabernacles and the
sacrifices required during its observance show forth the work of the
savior. I wish that I could go back in
time and take these men by the hand and show them Jesus whom they seek. I would say to them see yonder the lamb being
slain in the temple that is Christ. See
him being offered up that is Jesus. See
the ashes being carried by the priest without the city there goes the great I
AM. God told Moses that He had come down
to redeem His people. The feast of
Tabernacles was a time of rejoicing.
They were to rejoice in the salvation and deliverance God had so
graciously brought to them in
(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.
The people begin to murmur because
the Jewish leaders are making no secret of the fact they are looking for
Jesus. They also do not keep it a secret
what they intend to do to Him when the find Him. They will at the least arrest Him for
deceiving the people, breaking the law of the Sabbath and for blaspheme. Non of these had
Jesus violated. The Jews stir up the
people and the discussion begins. They
murmur because they do not want to proclaim openly for or against Jesus.
Notice in this verse there are two
sides to this argument. Some are saying
that Jesus is good or more specifically He is a good man. Jesus is a man and He is good. These words do not completely or even
adequately describe Jesus. He is the
God/man. He is the only God/man that has
ever lived or ever will live. He is more
than good. Jesus asks the question in
(Mark
(John 7:13)
Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the
Jews.
The Jews would put you out of the
synagogue if you spoke in open support of Jesus. This means that you would be an out cast and
no one would do business with you and your children would not be allowed to
marry any one of the Jewish religion.
This applied to both the ones who
thought Jesus was good and to the ones who thought He was a deceiver. Those who though He was good feared being put
out of the synagogue and those who thought He was a deceiver feared the
multitude for they held Him to be a prophet of God.
Fear is most often that which causes
the child of God to not speak of Jesus in public. We have no reason to fear what men may do to
us. They can only kill the body. We need to fear the one who can kill both the
body and the soul. These people feared
the Jewish leaders for they had power to put them out of the synagogue. This action had grave consequences. Your children would not be allowed to marry Jewish
children and Jewish people would not sell to you nor buy from you if you were
put out of the synagogue. When faced
with such consequences one must remember that God is in control. If we are mistreated God will take care of
our needs for His Glory. Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego did not worry about what men could do to them. They did what was right. They said “our God is able to deliver us” but whether He
chose to or not they would still do what He had instructed. Do not be afraid to take a stand for
Jesus. God will be Glorified
when we stand.
(John
7:14) Now about the midst of the feast
Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
The feast lasted seven days. On the fourth day of the feast Jesus departed
the place were He was observing the feast and went to the temple. He was not detected as He came into
town. No one saw Him coming to town and
no one went running to the Jewish leaders to announce that they had seen
Jesus. Jesus very quietly enters town
and goes into the
(John
7:15) And the Jews marvelled, saying,
How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
Here Jesus gives them another piece
of evidence that He is no ordinary man.
He knows things without having attended any of the schools of that
day. Remember that at the age of twelve
Jesus amazed the Doctors of the
The Jews of this verse are the very
ones who are seeking to kill Jesus.
Their minds are so blinded by their prejudice against Jesus that they
must think that His amazing words come to Him from a demonic source. They know that something supernatural is
happening here but they do not or will not consider that His power is from God.
(John
7:16) Jesus answered them, and said, My
doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
Jesus gives an answer to their
question. His teaching is not His
own. His words are the words of the one
who sent Him. He is but a messenger of a
higher source. His words are those of
His own making. He will explain to them
that credibility of a messenger is found in the messenger’s faithfulness to the
one who sent him.
(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.
Now Jesus
is saying that God the Father has sent Him to teach His truth and those who
want to do the will of God will know without a doubt that the teachings of
Jesus are of God or if He is speaking as some suppose of and for himself and
His own glory. Men may know if a
teaching is from God or not.
The first
step to knowing if a teaching if from God or not is to seek earnestly the will
of God. If you want to do the will of
God then ask God to help you to know the truth.
God has given man the ability to reason.
God says “come let us reason together.”
Those who earnestly desire the truth of God can know it.
(John
7:18) 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.
One of the main ways to know if
something is from God is to examine the motive behind the one bringing the
message. If the person speaking is
teaching something he has invented then He is not true. If he is seeking glory for himself his words
are not from God. Jesus came speaking
only the words which God the Father gave Him to say. Jesus never sought His own fame or glory but
always sought bring Glory to God the Father.
There was
no unrighteousness in Jesus Christ. He
did His Father’s will 100% of the time.
He spoke only the words of the Father.
He worked on the works of His Father.
This made Him the perfect sacrifice for our sins, one without spot or
blemish. God did indeed provide Himself
a sacrifice for our sins and not for ours only but for all who will believe.