John 7

Read: John 7 & Matthew 7.1-5

There are several situations happening in this chapter. It opens up by setting this scene: the feast of tabernacles is coming near, Jesus’ brothers are talking to Him, and He is officially a hunted man, since the Jews are out to kill Him. His brothers are telling Him to leave and do works so that He may be known to the world. This seems harmless enough, but I think they were probably mocking Jesus; they probably knew what the Jews intended for Him, and then verse 5 shows the truth of it all, “For neither did His brethren believe in Him.”

I can honestly see both sides to that. Can you imagine being the sibling of Jesus? It could not be easy living in the same house with a literal perfect person. But also think about Jesus’ side. Could you imagine being the Savior of the world, and your own beloved siblings don’t even believe you?

Jesus did finally leave to go into the city for the feast, albeit secretly. The Jews were looking for Him, and there was quite a bit of debate among the people as to whether Jesus was a good man or a deceiver. Jesus shows up at the temple and begins teaching. He took this time to confront head on what the Jews sought to kill Him for. They were offended that He healed on the Sabbath (which was against the Law of Moses), but in this offense, they were being hypocritical. Jesus asked why they circumcise on the Sabbath as to not break the law of Moses while simultaneously breaking the law of Moses by “working” on the Sabbath. Verse 24 really gets down to business, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgement.” The people were judging Him because of some outward thing, meanwhile they were ignoring their own transgression of the same law. Jesus was not upset that the people were judging Him, He was calling them out for judging unrighteously. That is not how God intended it to be. Matthew 7.1-5 gives Jesus teaching about judgement, and I will put the Scripture right here, but I do urge you to read it on your own as well. I may do a study on judgement soon.  

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of they brother’s eye.”

Jesus went back to His own teaching about judgement and is pointing out that they are so worried about the thing Jesus did (a mote), that they aren’t even considering their own breaking of the law (the beam). Jesus taught the people well, even while calling out the hypocrites. The people noticed and discussed the truth of Christ while He was proclaiming it.

Let’s be careful, dear ones, that when the truth is concerned, we pay attention to what God is telling us rather than what the world is shouting. Let us not miss the truth right in front of us.