John 7:13-14 Howbeit no man spake openly of {Jesus} for fear of the Jews. 14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

Israel enjoyed three great Feasts every year, commemorating great points in their history where God blessed them as His people. There was Passover, Pentecost, and Booths. Every Jewish male was expected to go to Jerusalem during each of these Feasts to worship God. In John 7 we are in the Feast of Booths. Last week we studied how Jesus refused to go to Jerusalem with His earthly Family during the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles. Jesus would go to the Cross during the Feast of Passover, not Booths. Our Lord knew that – if He went with His brothers to the Feast – that the priests, Sadducees and Pharisees would prematurely kill Him.

Jesus waited to go to the Feast of Booths. Jesus was NOT FEAR driven, but OBEDIENCE driven

Word Study: We read that the people – though divided in their opinions about Jesus – did not openly discuss the Lord Jesus because of “fear of the Jews”. The word translated “FEAR” is the Greek phobos, from which we get our English word Phobia. The word is used 47 times in 44 New Testament verses.

Phobos can make you “CRY out” (Matthew 14:26).
Phobos can make you “PASS out” (Matthew 28:4).
Phobos can make you “GET out” (Matthew 28:8).
Phobos can make you “HIDE out” (Luke 2:9).
Phobos can make your heart “FAIL out” (Luke 21:26).
Phobos can often make you “MISS out” (John 7:13).

The Messiah is walking among His Creation, in such a way that you can physically TOUCH Him, HEAR Him, SEE Him. Jesus Christ is RIGHT HERE and – Phobos has stolen people’s tongues.

Cancel culture has always been around demanding we shut up and line up, affirming evil as politically correct.

What I wouldn’t give to be able to sit at Jesus’ feet as Mary did, and hear Him teach. What a blessing it would be to be able to ASK Him questions, and HEAR His answers, answers from Heaven. And yet FEAR, Phobos has silenced any discussion of Christ. Evil has control of the narrative, much like evil has control of the narrative in America today. Misplaced Phobos is a terrible thing! The Bible tells us as believers that we are to have FEAR of the Lord.

Job 28:28 … Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

What is amusing in this text is that the people DO NOT FEAR JESUS, Who is Creator God (Colossians 1:16), but FEAR PEOPLE whom Jesus created! This is as silly as talking to a snake instead of God in the Garden!

God does not want us to have misplaced Phobos or fear. This is why we as believers are told:

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind

We are to have the proper Phobos in the proper context. The Bible says:

1 John 4:18 (ESV) There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

We as believers are not to fear God as if He were a spider or a bad Spirit. We are to love Him with all our hearts – but always keeping in mind that He DOES punish disobedience. “fear has to do with punishment”. Let’s put it this way: growing up, I never feared my daddy coming home and beating me “just because”. If I was whipped, it was because I failed to show proper respect to him as my daddy.

You need not fear anything – ANYTHING – while you are walking in step with your Heavenly Father.

John 7:14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

Jesus did not avoid going with His brothers to the Feast of Booths from fear, but because He was being OBEDIENT to the Father. Jesus said,

John 10:18 (NKJV) No one takes {My life} from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.

Had Jesus been motivated by Phobos or Fear, He would not have went to the Feast of Booths at all. But instead, Jesus went to the Feast. Then Jesus “went up into the temple”, ground zero for the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Priests that hated Him. Jesus then stood on Solomon’s Porch and “taught”, making Himself the center of attention. As He teaches, a crowd gathers around Him.

Evil Cannot Succeed When Light Is Cast On It:
The World Will Steal Your Rainbow If You Let It

The reason evil so often succeeds is because we ignore it, or look the other way. We allow evil to grow like a mushroom, in the darkness. Since no one will speak up for Jesus, Jesus will now speak up for Jesus – loudly, in the middle of a great crowd, in the center of the Festival called Booths. The Pharisees and Sadducees cannot openly kill Jesus (the Roman Empire would not stand for it), so they do what evil often does.

They murmured. They picked. They found fault.

John 7:15-17 And the Jews marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? 16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 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.

When Jesus first started preaching, the “Jews” (a term John uses to describe the Sadducees, Pharisees, and Priests) would often ask Him:

John 2:18 (NLT) What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.

They were always asking Jesus “show us a SIGN from God that You are the Messiah” (Matthew 21:23). Jesus had no pedigree. He had no rabbi who vouched for Him. Jesus had no degree. “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?”. Jesus had not been to any type of seminary. How could Jesus know ANYTHING if He had no seminary training, no Rabbi to vouch for Him?

The “Jews” were puzzled, because “Jesus taught as One having AUTHORITY” (Matthew 7:28-29; Mark 1:22). Jesus taught as if He had direct input from the Source of all Truth. They knew that Jesus had not come from the School of the Rabbis – so attacked Him for His lack of documentation! Jesus told them:

vs 16 My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me

Jesus Christ came from Eternity, from the Throneroom of God, and taking upon Himself humanity entered His own creation. Jesus did not come of His own accord, but was sent of the Father:

John 5:23-24 (ESV) … Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 6:38 (ESV) I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. ..

John 8:28 (ESV) … I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.

John 12:49-50 (ESV) … I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.

My commentary notes:

“Jesus was an eloquent, gifted teacher, but He was not self taught; Jesus was God taught. His authority was not from any man, but from His Father. … Jesus didn’t claim to be self-taught; He claimed to be God-taught, practically inviting His listeners to examine His teachings according to the Scriptures”.

This is a common theme throughout this Gospel. Jesus came to this earth as the Father – the Head of the Trinity – decreed. Jesus said:

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.

Jesus said “If any man will do his {the Father’s} will, he shall know” whether Jesus was making up things, or if His Word was a mirror of God’s Word. What was the “will of the Father”? That we “believe on Him Whom He hath sent” (John 6:29). If Christ was received by faith as He actually is, God would send His Spirit to that person – and they would know the Lord Jesus to be true.

Jesus Called The Jews Out On Their Hypocrisy

John 7:18-19 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. 19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

Jesus compared what He is doing OPENLY to what the Jews are doing SECRETLY. Jesus was given the Word of God, and He speaks the Word of God OPENLY and OBEDIENTLY so that others can profit from it. But the Jews are given the Law of Moses, a Law they are well acquainted with.

Exodus 20:13 (ESV) You shall not murder.

The sacredness of human life was established in Noahic Law once the Great Flood departed:

Genesis 9:6 … Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

Sins like murder and adultery brought with them the state sponsored execution of the law breaker.

The state was given the “power of the sword” by God to maintain peace and protect life. Life must never be taken in a carefree manner. God demanded that Israel “purge the guilt of innocent blood shed in Israel” (Deuteronomy 19:11-13), that murderers themselves lose their lives for the good of the nation.

The “Jews”, well educated, seminary trained, knew that murder was forbidden. Yet they secretly plotted to take Christ’s life. Jesus called them on it. “Why do you sneak about, trying to kill Me?”. They replied:

John 7:20-21 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee? 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

Jesus exposed their hypocrisy, bringing it to the light of day. How did they respond? “Thou hast a devil”. Rather than acknowledge Jesus’ great knowledge and power was from God, they made it out that Jesus was demon possessed or demon influenced. At the least, Jesus is paranoid. At the most, Jesus is touched by evil spirits. This is not the first time they will falsely accuse the Lord. In the next chapter they will tell Jesus:

John 8:48-49 (ESV) … “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.

They not only accused Jesus of being demon possessed, but using a racial slur they called Him a “Samaritan”. The Jews despised Samaritans as half-breeds, traitors who compromised with the infidels. To them, Jesus “had a demon” (John 8:52). Yet this is not true. In contrast, Jesus said of Himself:

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.

Jesus said, “I seek the glory of Him that sent Me”. Jesus patently did not seek His own glory. When the people would make Jesus King of Israel:

John 6:15 … (ESV) Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by Himself …

Jesus told His disciples:

John 18:36 (ESV) … My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.

Though Jesus deserved to be King of this world (John 12:12-15), in His first coming He came to cleanse us from our sins, to grant us entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. He would do this through the Gospel of the Cross. Jesus declared Himself “TRUE”, the Greek alēthḗs which means “genuine, true, without flaw”. There are many who declare themselves messiah’s, but only One Messiah or Christ. Jesus is the “real Deal”! Jesus also said of Himself:

no unrighteousness is in him

Jesus is not just a Rabbi – He is the “Holy One of God” (John 6:69). Jesus asked His listeners:

John 8:46 (ESV) Which one of you CONVICTS ME OF SIN?

Though Satan rules this world through sin, Jesus said of Himself:

John 14:30 (ESV) … the Ruler of this world is coming. HE HAS NO CLAIM ON ME …

Though the whole world lies in darkness, Jesus is the Light of the world.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) For our sake GOD made Christ to BE SIN WHO KNEW NO SIN, so that IN HIM we might become the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD …

John 7:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

The one “WORK” that Jesus did which started the Pharisees and Priests hating Him was the healing of the paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9). Jesus told the man to “take up your bed, and walk”. The Pharisees and Priests were incensed because that was done on a Sabbath Day.

John 7:22-23 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. 23 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?

God told Moses (and Israel):

Leviticus 12:3 (NKJV) And on the eighth day {following birth} the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

The Law of circumcision was first given to Abraham in Genesis 17:10-14, “Every male child among you shall be circumcised”. This was a covenant that God gave to the Israelite. Those males who were NOT circumcised were “cut off from Israel, for this violates God’s covenant”. Circumcision was not a sacrifice that led to salvation, but a marking of the Israelite male. As the child was to be circumcised at the Temple on the eighth day following birth, children were often circumcised on the Sabbath Day by the priests.

Why?: Children were circumcised on the eighth day because circumcision causes bleeding, and the eighth day is the best day for blood clotting.

“The human body has 2 blood clotting elements. One of them is called Vitamin K. Vitamin K is not formed in the body up until the 5th to the 7th day. … The 2nd clotting factor which is essential is called Prothrombin. It surprisingly enough develops to 30% of normal by the 3rd day of life and after that with seeming in-consequence, peaks at 110% on the 8th day, just before leveling off at 100% of normal. … If vitamin K is not present when a baby boy is circumcised, the baby will bleed to death. The reason why Yahweh established Day Eight for circumcision is that vitamin K peaks in a newborn at 8 days of age. … Today when baby boys are circumcised within a couple of days of birth, they are administered vitamin K to help with blood clotting.”

God required Israel to circumcised males on the eighth day following birth for the health of the baby. When Jesus healed the man who had been crippled 38 years, His actions were just as warranted for the health of the man as circumcision of a child on the Sabbath.

<span style=”background-color:yellow”><strong>John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.</strong></span>

Jesus warned His critics to judge Him based on the Scripture, on what the Bible said is right or wrong, and not based on what they feel. Yet the listeners refused to hear Jesus. Why?

If You Will Not Hear Jesus, You Are Hell Bound

John 7:25-30 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? 26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? 27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. 28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, 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. 29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me. 30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

Jesus continued to reason with the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Priests, but they refused to believe that He was the Christ. They continued to seek to kill Jesus, but “no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come”. Though they had made up their minds to reject Him, Jesus continued to reach out to them.

They refused to hear. They murmured, and mocked. Jesus told them:

John 7:33-36 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. 34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come. 35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? 36 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?

Jesus will go back to the Father, and “Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come”. Where is Jesus going where they cannot come? Heaven. You get this lifetime to call upon Jesus, to receive Him as Messiah and Lord. If you leave this life without Jesus, you will never see Jesus again. You will, dear one, see only eternal damnation. You will experience weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. You will experience eternal separation from Him Who sent Christ.

Because you rejected Jesus. Oh Lord, draw every soul to Christ’s side while there is time. Oh Lord Jesus, glorify the Father by saving the sinner, just as you saved us. For today is the Day of Salvation. Amen and Amen!