seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 7:4 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15 The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”
16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”
20 “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”
21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”
We're back to being lazy on the Sabbath. God rested on the Sabbath. He said to remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy. In other words, "take time out for God". I can remember when people got in trouble for not going to church. Men lost their second helping of homemade pie if they snuck out early to watch the last have of the NFL game on Sunday. These days, most men work.... gotta have money you know! These days, most women work too... and the kids get left in daycare, not church generally, but daycare. Jesus hung back when His family went to town to participate in the Festival. He knew the Pharisees had eyes all over the place looking for Him. They would be expecting Him to show up with Mary and her sons. He couldn't stay away though. After all, He loved humans and humans having fun, well they're the best type of humans, if, that is, the Pharisees didn't ruin the party with their jealousy. So, Jesus went to town, and He couldn't help Himself, He taught about His Dad.
Check out Verse 15. Ever wonder how Jesus could teach about all the stuff in the Bible, even though He never spent one day in a Pharisee Sunday School Class? I know.... I know.... Jesus knew about all that stuff because He watched it all unfold. When His Dad was creating humans, His Dad talked to Him about the humans. His Dad told Him His high hopes for the humans. He watched as humans did indeed bring some smiles, and then humans went south. They stopped being so much fun, and they started being big headed brats who would listen to anyone but God. Jesus could teach because He watched it all unfold. Jesus was around since before God said "Let there be light!".
Jesus accused the Pharisees of trying to have Him killed. The crowd around them heard it. It's no secret now. They are actively hunting Him down to put Him on the Cross. Everyone will know very soon. People will have to choose between Jesus and the Temple. Their whole faith is built on the Temple. They spent their whole life worrying about the Temple. If they followed Jesus, they could no longer go to Temple. If they couldn't get to the Temple to do their required sacrifices, how could they live? Their buddies would not do business with them if they left the Temple. This is going to be a rough choice... and they know, now, that the Pharisees have sided against Jesus. Were they supposed to give up their traditions, handed down by Moses himself, for a carpenter's son from Nazareth who claimed to be Divine?
Jesus told everyone, "Stop judging by appearances".
