John 7:1-36: Jesus debates with the Jewish leaders and the Jews

Analysis

This passage is set during the Festival of the Tabernacles. This festival celebrates the memory of the exodus and the wanderings of the forefathers in the wilderness. Jesus goes up to the festival in secret but not before his brothers give him some political advice because they still judged him to be just a man (and fellow Jew) who might only be an earthly political messiah. They implore him to go to Jerusalem where he will be able to convince a larger number of followers (than at his small hometown) through the miraculous works he does and surely there is political strength in numbers! It was probably a sound earthly strategy. His brothers saw his outward works but did not see the inward significance of it.

Jesus does just the opposite; he goes incognito in order to not draw attention to himself.

When Jesus does go to Jerusalem and he teaches in the temple, the politics continue; the Jewish leaders want to kill him and the people are divided over his teachings. Yet, Jesus teaches with such authority and insight that even his detractors are amazed.

Now, the people are still seeing Jesus as just a man and are amazed that this could come from a man but Jesus is imploring them to judge whether His words are from man or God. In v18 Jesus says to let the words judge the result; if he glorifies God in his works there will be no unrighteousness in him and then it must be from God. His teaching is from God (Isaiah 50:4) and not from a man-made institution (e.g. school of the Pharisees), and his works glorifies God and backs up his teaching. And for that, the Jewish leaders want to kill him.

The crowd does not seem to know this because he explains that the Jews want to kill him because he healed flesh (at the pool of Bethesda) on the Sabbath. However, in direct contrast to the healing, the leaders mutilate flesh with circumcision (with due cognisance that it its part of a cleansing ritual) on the Sabbath because the cleaning rite “is more important” than keeping the Sabbath. Jesus is directly judging their skewed logic and utter hypocrisy.

Jesus tells them that He is being judged for selfish political reasons by the leaders instead of on his teachings and works that glorify God. If the leaders judge (v24) “according to righteous judgment” they would see God working.

The confusion amongst the people is propagated by the prophesy in Mal 3:1 where it says that “… the Lord you seek will suddenly come to His temple…” The people understood this to mean that he will appear out of thin air and no one will know where he came from (v27), but they know Jesus’ background and where he comes from; hence the confusion amongst some. By judging Him on this one part of the prophesy alone would result in this confusion they find themselves in. Others did believe by considering his works and his words in v31.

The Pharisees already decided not to believe Him as the Messiah and judged him guilty by their own skewed and twisted interpretations of the Mosaic law. But not even the mighty leaders could arrest Jesus because God has not yet permitted it and in this, Jesus tells the people of the events that are to unfold surrounding his death.

Response

The crux of the matter is given in v24 “Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.”

The world is so quick to point to us as believers and label us as “judgemental.” However, as believers, we are called to judge others but we are also instructed how to judge; according to righteous judgment.

But how can we judge righteously ? How is it possible for a sinner like me to be able to do it and what serves the purpose of such judgement ?

I am only made righteous in the eyes of God because of Jesus’ work on the cross. Thus, I can only judge others to the standard and words of the bible. Beyond that, my own opinion is flawed and sinful. If I judge others with gentleness and kindness from the Word of salvation, I will be able to show the gospel to other sinners like me. The only reason we can have to judge in righteousness is so that others can also be led to salvation in Jesus.