The Gospel of John: John 7.1-24

Read and meditate on John 7.19-24.
If only these people knew how to read Moses, or valued Moses more than the religious traditions that kept the leaders in power and the people subject to their every whim. Their judgments could not be trusted, and Jesus urged those who heard Him to judge for themselves.

¹⁹Did Moses not give you the Law?
And yet you do not keep it. Why are all 
of you intent on killing Me?” ²⁰So then
the people said, “You have a demon. When
did anybody seek to kill You?” ²¹“I
performed one work” He answered, “which is why
you marvel. ²²If a man is circumcised
upon the Sabbath, so that all the wise
and holy Law of Moses is upheld,
are you so angry that a man is well,
who had been lame, because I healed him on
the Sabbath? ²⁴Do not judge by looking on
appearances, but judge with righteousness.”

- John 7.19-24

Reflect
1.  Jesus flatly asserted that the people who opposed Him were not operating in line with the teaching of Moses. Speaking only from the authority of their traditions, they were blind to the plain Word of God. Does this sort of thing happen among believers in our day? Explain. Complete the following brief prayer: Lord, keep me grounded in Your Word, lest…

2.  If reason fails, resort to name-calling. How juvenile is the response of those leaders to Jesus’ accusation? He has a demon? Unable to debunk His authority, and their own feeble authority exposed and undermined, they become ad hominem in their argument. Do we see this today? How should you react if someone tries to make you look bad because you hold firmly to God’s Word? Lord Jesus, thank You for sending me into the world with the Good News of Your Kingdom. Today, help me to…

3.  Jesus knows that all this animosity goes back to the episode in John 5, when He bucked their authority to rule on what can and cannot be done on the Sabbath (vv. 21-23). And again, as He did with the manna in the wilderness, He throws their own putative authority back in their face, showing that Moses shared His view of the Sabbath, and not theirs. People these days claim all kinds of authorities to back their decision not to believe in God or the Gospel. Such as? Lord, I need to understand where people are coming from when they resist the Good News. Teach me to…

4.  Jesus used the Jews’ authority against them, leaving them with nothing more to say, since even Moses, whom they flaunted, was seen to be working against them. We should be ready to do the same in our day. For example, how would you respond to someone who’s trying to fend off God and the Gospel by adamantly insisting there is no absolute truth? What is their authority for such a view? Is that view itself a statement of absolute truth? And if it is, where does this need for absolute truth come from? It’s clear, Lord, that I need to take more interest in the lost people in my Personal Mission Field. Help me to get to know them, and please open for me…

5.  Jesus suggested that the religious leaders were judging “according to appearance,” that is, outwardly, on the basis of received opinions and settled positions of authority. What did He commend instead of this? What are the implications of this for you? Bring together your prayers from questions 1-4 into one prayer.

Summary
“The Lord reproved those who unjustly blamed him for having healed on the sabbath days. For he did not make void but fulfilled the law by performing the offices of the high priest, propitiating God for people, and cleansing the lepers, healing the sick and himself suffering death, that exiled people might go forth from condemnation and might return without fear to their own inheritance.” Irenaeus of Lyon (135-202AD)

Belief in the Gospel comes down to a question of authority: To which authority will we submit in this life? God, speaking in His Word? Or our own best ideas about the way the world should be? Why do people so often reject God’s Word and rely on themselves?

Closing Prayer
Those who trust in the LORD
Are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the LORD surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.
For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
On the land allotted to the righteous,
Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,
And to those who are upright in their hearts.

Psalm 125.1-4

Psalm 125.1, 2 (St. Gertrude: Onward, Christian Soldiers)
All who trust in Jesus, strong as Zion stand!
Naught shall ever move them from their promised land!
Like the hills surrounding safe Jerusalem,
Christ surrounds His Church and holds her in His mighty Hand!
    All who trust in Jesus, strong as Zion stand!
    Naught shall ever move them from their promised land!

T. M. Moore

Jesus is the Centerpiece of all Scripture, as He Himself explained (Jn. 5.39). But how can we learn to see Him there? How do the primary themes of Scripture revolve around Jesus? Our online course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, shows you how best to get at, get into, and get with the Word of God, so that you can grow more consistently in the Lord. It’s free, and you can study at your own pace. For more information or to register, click here.

We are happy to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in our series on the Gospel of John by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.