John 7-10 -Come Follow Me with Sam

 Welcome

The mysteries of John 7

So I feel like we get a good look at the heart and nature of our relationship with Jesus in this chapter. I feel like a line-by-line may even be appropriate.

We've got some different players here.

  • Christ Himself, the perfect Man and Guide
  • The disciples of Christ, with willing hearts but not yet purified and hopelessly distant from keeping up
  • the general crowd
  • Those who came to oppose Christ, but are turned by his words
  • Those who oppose Christ and aren't going to change


The disciples want Christ to show himself to the world

Christ responds that His time is not yet come (His ultimate sacrifice of a broken heart and contrite spirit is not here yet) but that their time is 'alway ready' (they are the ones in need of judgement (in the Hebrew sense) change, to show good works of a broken heart and contrite spirit.

In other words, your life is always on the judgement block whereas Christ knows the times and the seasons of what he needs to do, so worry more about what you need to put on the altar than what Christ does.

Then he adds 'The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.'

The disciples are still in the world. Christ is not of the world. 

This is a precursor to what happens next. Christ's very presence is a judgement (hebrew sense) on the world. You ever wondered why people hated Christ so much? It's because deep down they knew He was the real deal and they could be better and didn't measure up. They had the choice to offer their own broken heart and contrite spirit, or to turn away in their shame, guilt, pride, envy, and hatred and rebel against the light in front of them. Christ is saying that when He shows up, this judgment will go forth and the people will be sorted based on their response.

So Christ goes in secret to the feast.

And already before he shows up the people are sorting themselves out. Some say Christ is a good man, others that he is a deceiver. It's already happening. We can't help it. This is the purpose we have come to the earth for - to sort ourselves out, whether for good or for evil.

In vs 13 though, it says 'Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews'.

This is certainly referencing the Jewish high command, the Jewish leadership who apparently has an 'off with his head' type vision at this point.

Notice that Christ openly teaches, while the Jewish high command (JHC) is trying to shut things down, control, use fear. They can't even speak of these things.

So Christ come to the temple and begins to teach. And everyone is shocked that He can teach so clearly.

Then comes the famous line - Jesus gives them a minor rebuke - He says His doctrine comes from whom sent him. There is a counter implication, Christ receiving His doctrine from the Father, that they do not receive their doctrine from the divine, but from the place of learning letters; they have traded the light of truth for the philosophies of men, however close those men opine toward the gospel.

If any man will ado his bwill, he shall cknow of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

Then He asks them 'why go ye about to kill me?'

Listen very closely to what happens next. Gaslighting is at least 2000 years old, and it is happening a lot right now. Any accusation a good person makes or any right they claim can be attacked by society in the most vicious of 'we aren't crazy, you are crazy' -type cycles. So we can learn from the Spirit how these scriptures can guide us when we are being gaslit in our persecutions. Given, Christ was perfect, and so he knew for a fact the group had murder in their hearts, and knew for a fact what the truth is. Still, we should pay close attention to understand what is going on.

The jews answer (ironically) 'Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?' or in other words 'you are crazy, no one wants to kill you'. This is funny because

1. They accuse Christ of having a devil, and believe me this society has killed for less, so they just admitted such a possibility of intention.

2. They are really the ones with the devil; true doublespeak here accusing the righteous of the very thing that the accuser is guilty of.

3. The people can't even speak openly about Christ for fear. yet this group has the gall to pretend that Christ isn't any problem at all.


That's all I got for now. For the rest, notice how everyone reacts to Jesus, and notice what deceptions those who turn away from Him speak.


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