11/05/2024
There are two lessons here, because I failed to post last week.
The responses to the bread of life discourse 6:60—7:9
• Considerable discussion followed Jesus presentation of Himself as the bread of life. John noted the responses of many people who were following Jesus around. What followed probably happened in the adjoining courtyard, or outside the synagogue, or perhaps inside after Jesus had concluded His discourse.
• The present paragraph [vv. 60-71] marks the close of the Galilean ministry of Jesus, and in it John presents the result of that ministry.
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
• Hear: There is a difference between hearing and hearing. We can hear many things without listening. “Are you listening to me?” – what does that question imply? The Greek word is skleros, which means not hard to understand; but hard to accept.”
61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
• Offend: skandalizo, What does that word sound like? It means to entrap, i.e. trip up (figuratively, stumble (transitively) or entice to sin, apostasy or displeasure):--(make to) offend.
62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
• I can’t tell if this means “would you still be scandalized if you saw that?” or “You think you’re scandalized now, wait until you see that!”
• On the contrary, Jesus could view his crucifixion as the start of his ascension. That would be more in line with the prior context of the chapter.
• Another view in Jesus is talking about in heaven when we all stand before him.
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
• This whole dialogue started with people pursuing their physical desires/needs.
• Quickeneth/ life: what does quicken mean here? To make alive. Life=zoe=thrive.
• The spirit gives thriving life, so does Jesus’s words.
• Just in case anyone was still thinking Jesus talked literally, he clarifies here.
• Joh 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
• The term "disciple" (lit. learner) is clearly not synonymous with the term "believer" in the Gospels.
• There is a difference between hearing and hearing. All those there that day had heard what Jesus said. What word in this verse signifies what the hearing need? Depending faith!
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
• The ability to believe comes from the Father, and yet, you can also see the emphasis hear that the responsibility to believe falls on the person.
The response of the 12
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
• That first phrase in the Greek can also mean “for this reason”.
• it looked like the enemies of Jesus won, or you could say had a sizeable victory.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
• Jesus' question in this verse assumed a negative answer, as is clear from the Greek construction, implying “You will not go away also, will you?”
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
• Peter probably did not mean that they viewed Jesus as their last resort, but that Jesus was their only hope.
• Words, life: It seems Peter was hearing, at least at the end!
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Sure = ginosko= know
70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
• The Greek word translated "devil" (Gr. diabolos) does not have an article with it in many reliable ancient Greek manuscripts. This usually indicates an emphasis on the quality of the noun. Here it probably means that one of the Twelve was devil-like (cf. Mark 8:33). The Greek word is the equivalent of the Hebrew satan, meaning "adversary" or "accuser." It means slanderer or false accuser, but when it occurs as a substantive it means Satan (e.g., 8:44; 13:2; cf. 13:27). Jesus probably meant that one of the Twelve was going to behave like Satan because Satan would direct him.
• What a packed statement! In light of his omniscience, in light of the context of his sermon, he knowingly picked a devil. One he knew was hearing, but would never hear. This is one gift Jesus knew he would never get from the Father.
71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
• This is the first time John names the betrayer. Remember, John has already told us the ending, but we are starting to see the climax and pendelum swing of how one so popular could not be received by his own.
• v.64 most likely means Judas, but how many there that day betrayed Jesus also that same day?
John 7
The response of the Jews 7:1-9
• This section relates the reaction of another significant group of people to Jesus. They were the Jews generally. The section also prepares the reader for the following presentation of Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem.
1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
• Note that this is why Jesus left Jerusalem before. Things were cooking too fast. [5:18]
2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.
• The Feast of Tabernacles ("Booths") occurred six months after Passover. Mid September. It was a fall grape and olive harvest festival. It commemorated the Israelites' sojourn in the wilderness. Many devout Jews built temporary shelters out of branches and lived in them for the week in order to simulate the wilderness conditions in which their forefathers had lived. In Jesus' day it was the most popular of the three required Jewish feasts.[required to go to JERUSALEM!].
• Jesus has been avoiding Judea and Jerusalem for months. Now, he must head straight into the lion’s den.
3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
4 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.
5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
• V. 5 tells us the tone with which to read 3-4.
• The people of Jerusalem often looked down on the Jews of Galilee. Since Jesus did most of His miraculous works there, it gave the religious leaders in Jerusalem another reason to say that Jesus wasn’t the Messiah, because He didn’t do most of His work in front of the right audience.
• These brothers had seen and heard Jesus, but they had not heard his words for they did not believe.
• They thought Jesus was “bluffing”. They thought his humility was false.
6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
• Time: kairos, an occasion, i.e. set or proper time:--X always, opportunity, (convenient, due) season, (due, short, while) time, a while.
• The Greek word that Jesus used when referring to His death and its consequences in John's Gospel is always hora ("time") elsewhere, not Kairos. So, this most likely means that his brother’s could go whenever they wanted, but he had a set time, and now was not that time.
• His brothers seemed to be encouraging him to go early.
7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.
9 When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.
Review
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
With John 20:31in mind, what reasons do you see that John intentionally chose these accounts?
Heals the paralytic on the Sabbath. _____________________________________________________
“My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” _______________________________________________
“There is another that beareth witness of me” ___________________________________________
Feeding the multitude _________________________________________________________________
Walking on water ______________________________________________________________________
“I am the bread of life” _________________________________________________________________
Exodus 34:5 -7 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
How does God describe himself in Ex 34:6-7? When we think of Jesus displaying God to mankind (in John) we think of his power. In Exodus, God describes his relation to mankind by describing his character. What examples in John prove Jesus as the Son of God, not by his power, but by his character?
You shall see greater things than these [1:50]:
Has Jesus fulfilled his promise to Philip so far? If you had never heard the account of Jesus before, would you think anything could top what he has done so far? _____________________
H. Jesus' third visit to Jerusalem 7:10—10:42
The Feast of Tabernacles 7:10-44
The controversy surrounding Jesus 7:10-13
10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
• went without fanfare ("as though in secret")
11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?
• John usually used the phrase "the Jews" to describe the Jewish authorities who were hostile to Jesus
12 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.
• According to the Talmud, deceiving the people was a crime punishable by stoning
13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.
• It helps the reader sense the atmosphere of public opinion in which Jesus then ministered.
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