King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 16 notes
1After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
John 7:1-2 KJV
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.
See how ironic these 2 verses are... They wanted to kill their salvation in verse one, and then right in verse two they go through a laborious ritual to please the Lord, trusting that he would send their salvation.
Meanwhile their salvation was right with them — what an irony.
And in many ways in life this happens to us. Say you struggle with prayerlessness and you look around, guy, and you have no prayerful friends.
And those who try getting you to prayer meetings, you hate and stonewall them.
Same with, say, drinking 🍻. You want to stop, yet your social circle 😶 is filled with drunks.
You wishfully want to change but are not taking the needed steps.
2Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand.
They were still celebrating these things, and by things I mean Passover etc. and other feasts.
These their fathers, in keeping, won favour before God and wrought many mighty works for them.
In keeping with these laws, obviously they looked forward to the day their redemption would come.
When a mighty revivalist or king 👑 would be 🐝 raised by God.
To set them free from the control of the Romans. Yes, they had Herod as king, shrewd and hated, but he was a king who still reported to the Romans.
So in keeping with these festivals they looked forward to their redemption and Messiah.
3His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judæa, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
4For 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.
I guess his brethren not believing in him is expected.
Family 👪 sometimes is not the most supportive, and anyways they played together as kids 🧒 and now their elder brother claims to be Messiah??
And in this wise they were wrong. Jesus did not seek to be known. Rather he hid and did many secret miracles.
Per his SOP, the view the world and crowds had of Jesus was short 🍰 term. They did not know of all his miracles because he hid them, lest they obviously would have made him king 👑.
5For neither did his brethren believe in him.
6Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
7The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
8Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.
9When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.
10But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
11Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?
As if they believed or longed for him.
They just hated him.
Where was he hiding the whole time?
I can imagine Jesus covering his head with his hood to avoid being recognized.
He must have done a pretty good job for him not to have been seen, considering how popular he was.
The very thought of Jesus moving in and out of the people in secrecy is quite a thought 💭.
12And 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.
Some loved him, others hated him.
His haters believed he deceiveth the people, i.e. the common people, who they felt did not know the laws of God and were not as learned as they.
But the logic of the masses and poor and seemingly not so educated was simple: a man cannot do such mighty works except God be with him,
and if the Messiah comes, is he going to do mightier works than these?
13Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.
14Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
This Jesus...
15And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
16Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
17If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
18He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
19Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
20The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
21Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
22Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; ( not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.
23If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?
24Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
25Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
26But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
27Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.
28Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.
29But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.
30Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.
31And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?
32The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
33Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.
34Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.
35Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?
36What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?
Jesus was often speaking one hidden thing or another, leaving much room open for all kinds of interpretation, and sometimes he taught them the truth, or at least did so to his disciples.
37In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Kabado... Glory to God.
The Holy Spirit to be poured forth like rivers... In abundance to fill the thirst of the hungry.
Jesus could not have stayed in active ministry for too long.
He being the Christ would have been made king 👑 by force by the people.
He was too powerful to be left walking about for years just reaching out to the poor and destitute.
No wonder after just 3 years he died.
His purpose on earth at this time was to be a sacrificial lamb. And which he did.
39( But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
40Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
41Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
He indeed is the Christ; who else can make such bold claims of himself?
Telling men to come to him... No ordinary man or even prophet can say such things.
Moses never asked that if any thirsts he should come to him.
Though Jesus avoided saying it directly, especially in public, his words pointed to none other than the Christ.
42Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
All manner of interpretation and standards being used to determine if he was the Messiah.
Some who were knowledgeable knew he was to be born in Bethlehem if he was Messiah.
And in this wise they were wrong, and Jesus also did not correct them.
43So there was a division among the people because of him.
44And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.
45Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?
46The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
47Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?
48Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?
When people have no logical explanation or argument, they just want you to believe them for belief's sake.
See their line of reasoning: because they were an authority, even if what they were saying was not logical or there was contrary evidence, they still expected to be believed.
49But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.
50Nicodemus saith unto them, ( he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)
51Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?
52They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
Now their logic for disbelief 🤨 was that it had never happened before, so even if it was happening, it was not true.
The topic of Jesus had successfully dispersed them.
53And every man went unto his own house.
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