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John 7: Woman Caught in Adultery
Why were the Jewish leaders seeking to kill Jesus? Why did his brothers encourage him to go anyway?
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John 7:1–6 After this, Jesus ministered throughout Galilee, avoiding Judea because the Jewish leaders there sought to kill him.
Near the time for the Jewish Feast of Shelters, Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You should go to Judea, where more of your followers can witness your miracles. You cannot become well known by hiding what you do. You should let the whole world know.” His own brothers did not believe in him.
Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but you can always go.”
King James
John 7:1–6 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
After telling his brothers to go to Jerusalem, indicating that he would not go, why did Jesus go later?
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John 7:7–10 “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I expose the evil being done. You go on to the feast, because it is not yet time for me to go.” So he remained in Galilee.
Later, after his brothers had gone, he also left for the feast, in secret, to avoid being noticed.
King James
John 7:7–10 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. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
Why were the Jews expecting Jesus but couldn’t find him? What were they saying?
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John 7:11–13 At the feast, the Jews kept asking where Jesus was. Among the crowds, many argued about him, some saying, “He is a good man,” while others said, “No, he deceives the people.” However, for fear of the Jewish leaders, no one would openly defend Jesus.
King James
John 7:11–13 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? 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. Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.
If Jesus didn’t want to be found, why did he teach in the Temple?
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John 7:14 When the feast was half over, Jesus went to the Temple and began to teach.
King James
John 7:14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
What was so amazing about Jesus’ teaching?
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John 7:15–18 Astonished, the people said, “How does this man know so much when he has never studied the Law?”
“My message is not my own,” Jesus said. “It comes from the one who sent me. Those who are doing what God wants will know whether my words are from him or me. A man who speaks on his own behalf seeks glory for himself, but he who honors the one who sent him speaks truthfully, without deception.”
King James
John 7:15–18 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, 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.
Why did those who heard Jesus teach think he was crazy?
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John 7:19–20 “You are not obeying the Law that Moses gave you, so why do you seek to kill me?”
“An evil spirit has twisted your mind,” the people said. “Who is trying to kill you?”
King James
John 7:19–20 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
Why was a Sabbath miracle an obstacle to people’s faith? How effective was his defense?
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John 7:21–24 “You could not believe me, because I did one miracle on the Sabbath. Moses commanded you to circumcise your sons, a practice begun by your ancestors. How is it that you circumcise a baby on the Sabbath? If you circumcise on the Sabbath to avoid breaking the Law of Moses, why are you angry with me for making a man well? Stop judging by social standards and judge by what is right.”
King James
John 7:21–24 Jesus answered and said unto them, 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.
What percentage of Jesus’ audience lived in Jerusalem?
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John 7:25 Some of those who lived in Jerusalem asked one another, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?”
King James
John 7:25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
Why weren’t Jewish leaders confronting Jesus in the Temple?
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John 7:26 “But here he is, speaking boldly, and no one is saying anything to him. Do our leaders believe he really is the Messiah?”
7:30 After he had said this, the Jewish leaders wanted to arrest him. Yet no one laid a hand on him because his time had not yet come.
King James
John 7:26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
7:30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.
Why did people think, when the Messiah came, they wouldn’t know where he was from?
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John 7:27 “How could that be? When the Messiah appears, no one will know where he’s from, but we know where this man is from.”
King James
John 7:27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.
From where did Jesus say he had come? Why did his words offend the Jewish leaders?
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John 7:28–30 Jesus shouted, “You know me and where I am from, but I am not here for myself but for the one who sent me. You do not know him, but I know him because I came from him. He has sent me to you.”
After he had said this, the Jewish leaders wanted to arrest him. Yet no one laid a hand on him because his time had not yet come.
King James
John 7:28–30 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. But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me. Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.
What reasons did people have to believe Jesus was the Messiah?
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John 7:31 Many in the crowd believed in him, saying, “What miracles would a Messiah do that this man has not done?”
King James
John 7:31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?
Why were the Temple guards sent to arrest Jesus? What was the motivation? What was the charge?
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John 7:32 The Pharisees overheard the people whispering their support of Jesus among themselves, so they and the chief priests sent Temple guards to arrest him.
King James
John 7:32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
When the Temple guards, why was Jesus’ response so baffling?
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John 7:33–36 “Wait!” Jesus told the guards. “Only a little longer will I be with you. I must return to the one who sent me. You will look but never find me because you cannot come to where I am going.”
The guards said to one another, “Where can he go that we cannot find him? Will he go to Jews in foreign lands or teach the Greeks? What did he mean, ‘You will never find me because you cannot come where I am going’?”
King James
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. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come. 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? 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?
What did Jesus say that made people think Jesus was a prophet?
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Isaiah 44:3 I will pour water on those who are thirsty and flood your dry ground. I will pour out my spirit upon your descendants and my blessing upon your children.
58:11 God will always guide you. He will quench your thirst in the desert and give you plenty to eat. You will be a well-watered garden from a constantly overflowing spring.
John 7:37–40 On the last and most celebrated day of the feast, Jesus stood and shouted, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will flow from the innermost being of those who believe on me, as the scripture has said.”
Living water referred to the Holy Spirit, whom believers were about to receive. Because Jesus had not yet ascended into glory, the flow of the Spirit had not been given.
When the crowd heard this, some said, “This man really is the Prophet.”
King James
Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
58:11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
John 7:37–40 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, 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. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
How is the Prophet different from the Messiah?
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John 7:40–43 When the crowd heard this, some said, “This man really is the Prophet.”
Others said, “He is the Messiah.”
But some objected, saying, “The Messiah cannot be from Galilee. Don’t the scriptures say he will be a descendant of David, out of Bethlehem, where David lived?”
So a dissension rose among the people over who Jesus was.
King James
John 7:40–43 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, 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 among the people because of him.
What reasons did the Temple guards have for not arresting Jesus? What did Jewish leaders say was proof that he should have been arrested?
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John 7:44–48 Some wanted to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him.
The chief priests and Pharisees said to the returning guards, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
“Never has anyone spoken the way he does,” they said.
“Has he also deceived you? Have any of us believed in him? No, not one Jewish leader or Pharisee.”
King James
John 7:44–48 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? 46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?
What opinions did Jewish leaders hold concerning the people worshiping in the Temple?
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John 7:49 “These people are cursed because they do not know the Law.”
King James
John 7:49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.
Why was Nicodemus among the men who wanted to arrest Jesus? How effective was his argument?
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John 7:50–53 Nicodemus, the one who had earlier seen Jesus at night, said to them, “Does the Law allow us to convict a man without a hearing, without first determining what he has done?”
“You must be Galilean,” they said. “Search the scriptures for yourself. No prophet comes from Galilee.”
Everyone went home.
King James
John 7:50–53 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. And every man went unto his own house.