John chapter 07 - Rivers of Living Water

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When Jesus came back from Egypt as a boy, He grew up in Nazareth.

Then He went to live in Capernaum.

MATTHEW 4:13   And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

These are the Greek spellings for the Hebrew names Zebulun and Naphtali.

When Jesus threw the money changers out of the Temple near the start of His ministry, the Jewish leaders in Judea basically began to declare war on Him. The main motive behind their religion was financial gain.

The Temple economy was the biggest wealth source in Judea (also called Jewry in John 7:1).

JOHN 2:15   And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;

When He healed on the Sabbath day (Saturday), they were desperate to accuse Him of working. Yet the Jewish priests worked hard on the Sabbath day to conduct the religious ceremonies in the Temple.

He was God in the flesh. Emmanuel -- God with us.

MATTHEW 1:23   Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

His miracles were proof that God was in Him.

ISAIAH 9:6   For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Messiah would be born of a virgin, and He would be the mighty God, the everlasting Father.

So the Jews were condemning their Messiah for His promised characteristics. Messiah had to be God in the flesh.

COLOSSIANS 2:9   For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

JOHN 5:18   Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

The Jews were completely unable to accept that prophecy was being fulfilled. That God had come down to earth in the form of a Man.

The plot to kill Him was gathering momentum.

666 reminds us of the mark of the beast. We see this in John 6:66.

JOHN 6:66   From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

The mark of the beast makes us forsake the written Word. We then claim that there are mistakes and contradictions in the Bible.

People wanted His miracles, but they had no desire for blunt preaching of the truth.

By revealing His identity, Jesus offended most of His followers and made His enemies determined to kill Him.

JOHN 7: 1   After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

Jewry was Judea.

Jesus was effectively banished from Judea. So He ministered in Galilee where He was beyond the reach of His enemies in Jerusalem.

The Samaritans were not pure Jews. They were a mixture of Jew and Gentile.

Samaria acted as a barrier to stop the influence and hatred of the corrupt leaders of Judea from spreading to Galilee.

The Temple was the headquarters of the Jewish faith, and that is where the opposition to Him was greatest. A storm of hatred was rising up against Him that would lift Him up on a cross.

By cleansing the Temple, Jesus threatened their lucrative religious business.

They would thus do anything to get rid of Him. Religious leaders speak of heavenly rewards, but they keep an iron fist on the messy money down here on earth.

JOHN 7:2   Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.

The feast of the Tabernacles symbolizes the 1000 years of peace that comes after the battle of Armageddon. This is often called the Millennium.

By emphasizing this feast, Jesus reminds us that the 1000 years is the victory celebration over death. That is when the saints will rule the world. They will be in their glorified resurrection bodies.

I CORINTHIANS 6:2    Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?

This victory prophesies of His success at the battle of Armageddon. The beast and his armies will shed their blood for 200 miles (320 km).  Their blood will enrich the Promised Land for the 1000 years.

REVELATION 14:20  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

There are eight furlongs in a mile. (5 furlongs in 1 km.)

The birds of prey, like the vultures, will eat their flesh.

REVELATION 19:17   And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

:18   That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

This festival -- the feast of the Tabernacles -- is a promise of victory.  Jesus was also looking ahead to His triumph in the great battle against sin and hell and the Devil at Calvary. The most intense battle that He would ever fight, but He would win.

JOHN 7:3   His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

His brothers, born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus was born.

MARK 6: 3     Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

His brothers told Him to go down to Jerusalem for the feast. Jerusalem would have the big crowds. That was the place to be noticed. The big crowds in Jerusalem is where He could find many followers. As if Jesus was interested in big crowds.

JOHN 7:4   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.

Their advice was, "Galilee was basically not too well populated. Do not waste time there. Get onto the main stage at the Temple. There He could make a name for Himself." That was his family’s advice to Him.

"If thou do these things":  His brethren did not really believe in Him.

"if" -- The favourite word of the Devil.

MATTHEW 4:3   And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

The Devil is a merchant of doubt.

"If" immediately casts a shadow of doubt over the person involved.

JOHN 7:5   For neither did his brethren believe in him.

His immediate family did not believe in Him.

Today, pastors set up their family empires by having their children take over from them. That keeps the money in the family and makes for a prosperous retirement, if necessary.

In the days of Jesus, it was no advantage to be one of His family members. They actually tended to oppose Him and offered Him wrong advice.

Jesus did not choose His family members as disciples to become preachers. Nor did Elijah.

Good advice for modern churches.

JOHN 7:6   Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

This was the wrong time; it was the feast of the Tabernacles. Jesus' correct time would be to be killed as the Passover Lamb at the next Passover feast.

His brothers had plenty of time. By not opposing the Jewish leaders, they were in no danger at the feast. With time they would actually become believers.

ACTS 1:14   These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

JOHN 7:7   The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

Jesus had exposed the false rules that the priests had made concerning the Sabbath, like you may not heal someone, but you may pull an animal out of a pit. You may lead an animal to water.

Revealing that a doctrine is unscriptural produces an intense hatred in the preachers of that wrong doctrine.

JOHN 7:8   Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.

The brothers of Jesus had never exposed the errors that the priests and Pharisees and Sadducees taught. Thus they could safely go up and be accepted at the feast.

Preachers cannot handle having their errors exposed. That is why they hated Jesus. He was not scared to contradict them and tell them their mistakes.

By attending half the feast, Jesus would not give the religious leaders enough time to organize how to kill Him. His full time would come at the next Passover. He did not want to create a premature crisis in advance.

JOHN 7:9    When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

:10    But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

He did not want to be noticed.

:11   Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?

His miracles had given Him a great reputation. The Jews naturally sought to find Him.

: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.

The ordinary people thought He was wonderful because of His miracles. The Jews who sought popularity with the religious leaders simply repeated the criticisms of the leaders who hated Jesus,

:13   Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

A news clampdown. The anti-Jesus Jews were prepared to be violent if anyone favoured Jesus. Rule-by-fear is how religious organizations are built up. Do as we tell you. Do not think for yourself. Do not dare to disagree with the leaders. Ordinary people wanted to talk about Him and His miracles, but whenever a religious leader like a Pharisee appeared, there was a sudden silence. Fear lay over Jerusalem like a cloud of poisonous gas. A nightmare that stopped all free speech. The fear of brooding death. A calamity was just waiting to happen.

JOHN 7:14   Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

Suddenly in the middle of the feast Jesus appeared.

:15   And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

His teaching was inspired. Far better than that of the religious leaders. Yet Jesus had never been to a school that trained Rabbis. Rabbi is not a word found in the Old Testament. Adding the word Rabbi to the Old Testament simply corrupts the Old Testament.

The inspiration of Jesus far out-performed the man-made rules and bondage of Rabbis, Pharisees, and synagogues.

They were saying, "How can He know more than us if he never qualified as a Rabbi in a recognized rabbinic school".  They overlooked that Rabbis were never part of the Law of Moses.

By having that position, they broke the Law of Moses. The same can be said for the positions of Sadducees and Pharisees. Totally man-made. Never part of the proper Law.

"How knoweth this man letters": Notice their disrespect. The preaching of Jesus was always in line with the Old Testament and how it was to unfold, especially in terms of prophecy.  But they just call Him "this man".

Yet their leaders who misled them with unscriptural traditions, get referred to with a title like "Rabbi", which grants them respect.

JOHN 7:16    Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

Why was Jesus so good? The Spirit of God within Him taught Him doctrine. You cannot get better than that. The power of God in His miracles made it obvious that God was in Him.

Jesus reveals Himself as being sent by the Spirit of God, Who dwelled within Him. He was not a disciple of the priests or Rabbis. This made the Jewish leaders furious. Jesus easily and completely out-performed them.

JOHN 7:17   If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

True doctrine has to agree with all the Old Testament Scriptures.  The Scriptures are God’s will. When preaching illuminates the various Scriptures as an idea gets traced through the Bible, then you know the revelation is true.

Preaching is not giving your own opinion on a topic.

JOHN 7:18    He 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.

Preachers like to emphasize their importance in the plan of God. They impart their personal opinions. True preaching makes no reference to the preacher, but simply points out Scripture's fulfillment, as this reveals God’s plan of dealing with mankind.

If Scripture does not refer to a preacher, then the preacher should also not refer to himself.

Our own opinions will go into the grave with us.

Without Scriptural facts, you are just another person with a stupid opinion.

Following a truth through the various written Scriptures is the only safe way to teach.

JOHN 7:19   Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

Cattle need food and water on the Sabbath day, which was Saturday. Priests and Sadducees worked hard in the Temple worship programs on the Sabbath day. Emergencies were faced, such as pulling a cow out of a pit on a Saturday.

Now Jesus reveals their thoughts. That they wanted to kill him.

JOHN 7:20   The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

Their thoughts were exposed. But because they had done no deed, they lied and denied. By telling this lie, they broke their own law.

Their pretense that they did not want to kill Him when murder filled their hearts was sheer hypocrisy—the rotten fruit of a religious group. People wear a mask that looks good, but their hearts are full of evil.

JOHN 7:21   Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

They hated Jesus for healing on the Sabbath day. They had no concept of mercy. They claimed that He was working. That is false because He healed by speaking, not by doing anything.

JOHN 7:22   Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

Circumcision had to be on the eighth day. If the eighth day was a Saturday, then the priests had to do work and circumcise the man on the Saturday. This was an act of necessity.

God gave circumcision to Abraham long before He gave the Sabbath day to Moses.

So the Sabbath day was not the most important Law. Circumcision was. Thus there was an inbuilt conflict in the Law.

JOHN 7:23   If 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?

If you are allowed to hurt (circumcise) on a Sabbath day, why can you not also heal on that day?

So if the Jews did an operation on a man that cut him, and caused much pain and bleeding, why were they upset when Jesus merely spoke and made a lame man whole.

JOHN 7:24   Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

The Jews were trying to defend their unscriptural interpretation of Sabbath day works. They were upset that Jesus could outperform them. They had agreed to condemn Jesus. Thus they were simply fault-finding because they wanted Him to be guilty of some crime.

There was no sense of fair play. They were not trying to judge if an action was right or wrong. They had already made up their minds that His action was wrong.

JOHN 7:25   Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?

The bias and prejudice of the religious leaders now became blatantly obvious. Ordinary people had heard that they intended to kill Jesus.

JOHN 7:26   But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

People were shocked. Jesus spoke openly, and no religious leader said anything.

The Word silenced the wrong beliefs of the leaders. They could not oppose Him, man-to-man. The religious leaders preferred to hatch their vile plots in secret chambers.

The people began to realize that the rulers knew that Jesus was the Messiah. But Messiah was criticizing the leaders. Messiah had even once stopped their money-making in the Temple. Thus He was not the kind of Messiah that the rulers wanted. Messiah had called the religious leaders hypocrites.

The best plan was to kill Jesus, which hopefully would persuade God to send another Messiah that was more agreeable to the Jewish rulers.

They felt that the Messiah must suit the Jewish expectations.

The Jewish rulers did not want to change so that they could fit in with their Messiah.

JOHN 7:27   Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

They tried to deny Him as Messiah because they thought that they knew where He came from. As a boy, He had grown up in Nazareth and then moved to Capernaum. Both these towns were in Galilee.

But, typical of self-centred religious people, they had not done their research properly, as they knew nothing of his birth in Bethlehem, nor the two years that He had lived in Bethlehem until Joseph, after the visit of the wise men, took Him down to Egypt for about ten years. Only around the age of twelve did He go to live in Nazareth.

The Jews had their delusions of grandeur and thought that Messiah would probably come straight from Heaven in a very dramatic way. This humble Man from Galilee is Messiah? Never. As far as they were concerned, the Messiah would wipe out the Romans for a start. They thought that the Messiah would be a military genius who would establish Israel as a mighty nation.  We humans are too involved with political issues that we want God to change.

In that process, we overlook the small issues that are spiritual.

ZECHARIAH 4:10   For who hath despised the day of small things?

Messiah could just operate as one Man, training a small group of twelve? Messiah would never pick up a sword? "Impossible", thought the Jews.

They were already so prejudiced by their own opinions, and thus could not look at the evidence of the miracles and teachings of Jesus.

JOHN 7:28   Then 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.

The leaders did not know the God Who had sent Jesus, and Who was dwelling physically in Jesus. They could see the Man Jesus, but they could not see the God Who was in Jesus. Despite the works that Jesus had done.

JOHN 7:29   But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

Jesus was the Son of God because the fullness of God dwelt in Him.

COLOSSIANS 2:9   For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

JOHN 7:30   Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

A supernatural Presence dispersed the poisonous cloud of hatred that hung over Jerusalem. Suddenly the Jews found that they were helpless. They wanted to kill Him, but could not. God has full control over the Devil. If the Devil wants to do something that contradicts God’s perfect will, God will stop him.

JOHN 7:31   And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

Many people began to believe in Him. No other Messiah could have done more than what Jesus had done in terms of miracles.

JOHN 7:32   The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.

This was bad news for the religious leaders. The ordinary people were following Jesus, despite the reign of terror that the rulers had suppressed the people with, to make the people scared of having anything to do with Jesus.

So they sent men to arrest Him. But this is curious -- these men failed to get hold of Him, and they just fade out of view. All the evil plans of men cannot make any change to God’s Big Plan.

JOHN 7:33   Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

It was October, the feast of the Tabernacles. Jesus had to die the next April at Passover time. There was about six months left, "a little while" until He would die, resurrect, and then ascend back to Heaven.

JOHN 7:34   Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

By rejecting Jesus, the Jews would keep on searching for their Messiah. They would not find Him during the 2000 years of their dispersal during the period of the seven church ages.

These Jews who were present in Jerusalem would crucify Christ, and would thus never go to be with Him, except for those who repented and accepted Him as their personal Saviour, by becoming Christians.

But the Jews who demanded His death and never repented, would be eternally lost. They would go down to hell, and thus never be able to go up to Heaven.

Jesus is the only Door to Heaven.  No Jew, by his own works and thoughts, could ever find the path to Heaven.

JOHN 7:35   Then 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?

They wondered if He would go off to the Gentiles. In a way, they were correct. When the Jews rejected the Gospel, then the apostle Paul was able to turn to the Gentiles.

JOHN 7:36   What 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?

Notice the repetition of this thought.

The Jews had rejected what He said. Yet they kept on thinking about these words of His. His words were like fishhooks that stick in the flesh and cannot be easily pulled out. The Jews did not want to believe Him, but could also not forget His words. There was some great mystery attached here that they could not figure out. But when they died, then they would discover what He was talking about.

They paid their tithes to their religious leaders, who were actually leading them to their final doom.

They had met and rejected the Messiah. Thanks to their corrupt religious leadership.

JOHN 7:37   In 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.

On the last day, Jesus gave His final offer that He would impart the Holy Spirit to those who believe.

"Come unto Me" is an action based on faith in the human soul. We only come to Jesus. Not to some other person. Not to some church experience.

Christianity begins with repentance. Good works cannot save us. We repent and accept Jesus as our personal Saviour. We thus begin by developing a personal relationship with the Lord. This relationship depends on believing that the King James Version of the Bible is the Absolute Truth. Our relationship depends on believing that Jesus, the Word, alone can guide us in our lives and guide us to the Truth.

Then people tell us to "join a church" -- a very unscriptural statement.

So, sadly, we swop our personal relationship with Jesus for a church relationship, where we conform to the "group-think" of those people. Then we seek approval from that group of church-going people, especially from the church leader. We wear the church-going mask that meets the expectations of the church people. Thus we become second-hand Christians. We have swopped Christianity for "church-ianity".

Jesus cries out, "Come unto Me" to remind us that we must first belong to Him and to the King James Version of the Bible. The Bible never said that we must belong to a church.

There are more than 45,000 different types of denominational and non-denominational churches. What makes you think that your church has the truth?

After all, every one of those 45,000 different types of churches each claims that it has the truth. Yet they are all different. So someone is not telling the truth.

JOHN 7:38   He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

JOHN 7:39     (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.)

Water from his belly?

This makes sense if we superimpose the body of Jesus hanging on the cross with the Jewish Tabernacle in the wilderness.

Let us look at the Tabernacle.

Now superimpose Jesus on the cross over the Tabernacle.

His feet are in the flames of the altar of sacrifice.

REVELATION 1:15   And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace;

The next item is the laver of water for washing. That would be where His belly is.

Out of His belly flows streams of living water. Perhaps symbolized by the Roman spear that was stuck into Him, and water and blood came out.

His chest and arms form the Holy Place. When His head dropped, his chest and mouth would be the altar of incense, which symbolized prayer.

REVELATION 8:4  And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints,

His arms reached out to embrace the seven-branched candlestick, which represents the seven church ages.

The other arm embraced the 12 loaves of shewbread, representing the 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel.

The Holiest of Holies would be His head and brain, where the deepest mysteries of God resided behind the veil of His flesh.

Water gives life in the natural. The Holy Spirit gives supernatural life.

"Believeth on Me", refers to the thoughts in the mind or spirit produced by the faith in the human soul. These thoughts must be based on Scripture. Scriptural faith then motivates our actions or works.

The soul is a garden that is watered by the Holy Spirit. The Seed Word of God is planted in the garden of the soul. The Seed germinates to control the spirit or mind. The thoughts of the mind bring the body under control.

JEREMIAH 31:12   and their soul shall be as a watered garden;

LUKE 8:11   Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

Mind and spirit are used interchangeably in Scripture. Thus they mean the same thing.

ROMANS 8:27   And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,

EPHESIANS 4:23   And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

I CORINTHIANS 15:38   But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

ROMANS 8:10   but the Spirit is life

I SAMUEL 25:29   but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God;

The human soul is bundled up inside the spirit.

The soul is where the Word of God grows like a Seed. The soul is where our faith is anchored to the Word.

I THESSALONIANS 5: 23   And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the order that it works. The spirit is the water poured onto the garden of the soul, where the Seed of God’s Word is planted. The Seed Word germinates and illuminates our mind or spirit, which can bring the body under subjection to the Word of God.

JOHN 7:40   Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

Many people realized that His teachings touched a deep chord. They did not fully understand what He was saying, but they knew that they listened to a great Prophet Who was preaching on deep issues.

"This is the Prophet":  Not just any prophet, but The Prophet. Moses had spoken of Him.

DEUTERONOMY 18:15   The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

JOHN 7:41   Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

In Hebrew, Messiah means "The anointed One" which is translated "The Christ" in Greek.

They could find no reference to Christ in Galilee, because Christ would come from Bethlehem.

JOHN 7:42   Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

They had not done their research. Jesus had been born in Bethlehem and lived there for two years until the wise men came to Him and found Him in a house as a young Child, not a baby. Joseph was not present.

MATTHEW 2:11   And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him:

But Jonah the prophet came from the town of Gath Hepher  in Galilee, which is five kilometers north of Nazareth. He was in the belly of the whale or great fish for three days, which was a brilliant preview of Jesus being buried and resurrected.

JOHN 7:43   So there was a division among the people because of him.

Jesus has always been a contentious figure. The ordinary people loved Him, but those who were foolish enough to listen to their religious leaders hated Him. The religious establishment will always hate the truth.

JOHN 7:44   And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

The Jews actually wanted to arrest Him to have Him killed. But somehow, supernaturally, God just kept those Jews in check.

JOHN 7:45   Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?

The squad that went to arrest Him came back empty-handed.

JOHN 7:46   The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

The power of His preaching had neutralized the arresting officers. They knew He was preaching about ideas that were too deep for them to understand. They were just awed by His knowledge and insight. He seemed to have such authority.

JOHN 7:47   Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?

The unscriptural Pharisees were false leaders. There was no such title in the Old Testament. They had deceived the Jews by assuming the leadership roles without Scriptural authority, and now they were claiming that Jesus had deceived these men.

JOHN 7:48   Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

The Pharisees did not refer to the Scriptures for their authority, because no Old Testament Scripture spoke of them. So they referred to the other religious leaders like themselves. They felt that you can only believe what the religious leaders believe.

Yet they knew that they disagreed on many topics with the Sadducees who ran the Temple and did not believe in the resurrection. So their argument of referring to what other religious leaders believed was very flawed. Religious church leaders today have 45,000 different kinds of beliefs. The obvious truth from this setup is that we cannot trust today’s church leaders any more than what the Jews could trust their religious leaders.

JOHN 7:49   But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

By not knowing that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, they got their own prophecies wrong. There was no Old Testament Law that mentioned being a Pharisee. So they had that wrong. By agreeing with the rulers who had turned the Temple into a money-making racket, they also got that wrong. By condemning Jesus, and wanting to kill Him before He was brought to an open and honest trial, the Pharisees were contradicting their own Law.

So the law was cursing the Pharisees, not Jesus.

JOHN 7:50   Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)

Nicodemus was one voice of sanity in their midst.

JOHN 7:51   Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

Nicodemus knew that the Law required a man to be judged openly and honestly before anyone could condemn Him. By insisting that they must apply the Law correctly, Nicodemus had wrecked their underhand and horrible plans.

JOHN 7:52   They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

Anyone who defends the truth gets attacked. They falsely accuse Nicodemus of being a Galilean. Their main accusation is that no prophet comes out of Galilee.

But there they were wrong again. The prophet Jonah came from a town Gathhepher that was in Galilee, five kilometers north of Nazareth.

II KINGS 14:25   He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.

JOHN 7:53   And every man went unto his own house.

This reminds one of the Book of Judges where everyone did that which was right in their own eyes.

Having falsely accused Nicodemus because he wanted them to apply the law correctly, the Pharisees dispersed, as they had been unable to arrest and destroy Jesus. They would lick their wounds, and plot to get Jesus at the next great feast, the Passover of 33 AD.