Key Text: 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 (John 7:18).
James, Joseph, Simeon, and Judas perceived that Christ should go to The Feast of Tabernacles and exert His influence by performing mighty works and impressing all the people at the feast openly. But Chirst had no desire to gain popularity and influence people with His works. The “brethren” gave this bad advice because they themselves had not believed in the spiritual ministry of the Messiah. They wanted someone who would unite the Jewish people and establish a kingdom. Christ knew that if He would go, the Jews would kill Him, and that time had not yet come. The Jewish Religious Hierarchy hated Christ for His message that exposed sin. Some thought Christ a good man (moral, honest), while others thought He was deceiver (interested only in leading people astray). Halfway through the feast, Christ went to the feast without public fanfare and He began to teach in the Temple. The Jews were outraged at His boldness and they objected to His teaching. They were also amazed that Christ could be educated without ever having studied formally. They fail to realize that Chirst was not seeking “his own glory” but rather the glory of the One who sent Him. The Jews had not kept the law, and consequently, they were not doing God’s will; and, therefore they were not in a position to properly evaluate His message.
Christ had already applied the “One Work Principle” with the healing of the impotent man on the Sabbath (John 5:18), and now He would appeal to the Jewish rite of circumcision which could be performed on the Sabbath. If work of ceremonial cleansing be performed on the Sabbath, then why should the work of complete healing not be performed (John 7:23). The Jews had no logical answer for this convicting question. Christ told them to stop judging on the surface. They also had opinions about Christ’s earthly home. Some believed that the Messiah came from Nazareth, while the true Messiah, according to the leaders, would come from Bethlehem v 27. And, they were unaware of His divine origin. Nevertheless, the people actually accepted Jesus as the Messiah, and the leaders decided to apprehend Him. Christ ends his lesson as He indicates that “in a little while” (about six months, a time between the Feast of Tabernacles and the Passover), He would return to the Father. However, the Jews did not understand the spiritual meaning of Christ’s statement. They thought that Christ would live around the world and teach the Gentiles, a true prophecy, but it would be done through His disciples and His Church. AMEN!
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