JOHN CHAPTER 7.

JOHN CHAPTER 7.

           

The right occasion for the Lord was essentially different from that for his brethren.  (v.1-9). Jesus leaves Galilee and goes unobserved to the Feast. (v.10-13). The Lord asserts that they could not recognize His teaching as from God because hatred for him and not love for God filled their hearts. (v.14-24). There was a division of opinion concerning Jesus, but he declares His origin from God. (v.25-31). The Jews attempted, but failed to arrest Jesus. (v.32-36). When Jesus is glorified, there would begin the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. (v.37-39).  There was a division in the multitude because of him. (v.40-44). The unrighteous hatred of the Pharisees and a plea for tolerance by Nicodemus. (v.45-52).

           

"Rivers of Living Waters."   The last day.  Probably the eighth.  Lightfoot says the seventh.  The Holy Spirit is given to those who believe on Jesus. 

To come, to drink and believe are synonymous.  Faith is an activity.

"He that believeth on Me," in the way that scripture prescribes.  A difficult punctuation.  Some (Hoskyns) prefer a full stop after "said."  Thus the allusion of scripture is to what goes before.  "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and let him that believeth on me drink."  The remainder of verse 38 will then refer to the Lord Himself.  This is not satisfactory.  To come and to drink are synonymous, but to believe on Him is by no means in the same case as he who thirsts.

           

"Belly."  The word often represents "person" in Rabbinic literature, but it is sometimes a synonym for "side", see chapter 19:34,  "Water from His side." 

           

Zechariah 14 was read at the feast of tabernacles.  This autumn feast for the Jew foreshadowed the `Day of the Lord', and the `Messianic Age'.  God would save His people from the combined onslaught of the nations upon Jerusalem and would intervene for His people and bring in the perfect era to which all Jews looked forward to.

           

Chapter 14 of Zechariah gave promise of the unfailing supply of water in the Messianic age (14:8).  The Lord is probably referring to 14:8, "Living waters shall go out from Jerusalem."  Jerusalem was often called `navel', for it was thought to be the centre of the earth. (Condensed from Lightfoot).

           

Two cardinal ideas in John's Gospel are:

           

(a)  In Christ is fulfilled the anticipations and hopes of the Old Testament.  The Lord Jesus and His people are the spiritual Israel, and our salvation is conceived as the `new exodus'.  Note the number of things that belong to the Exodus journey.  Tabernacle 1:14, Lamb of God 1:29, Brazen serpent 3:14. the Manna, Water from the Rock 7:37-39, the light in the wilderness 8:12.

           

(b)  By his life, death and exaltation, the Lord brings in a new age or a new order of things.