St. John’s Gospel (21) - Conflict in Jerusalem (2) (John 7:25-53)

St John’s Gospel (21): Conflict in Jerusalem (part 2) (John 7:25-53)
John 7:25–53 So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill? 26 “Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. . . . 37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”. … 40 Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.” 41 Others were saying, “This is the Christ.” Still others were saying, “Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?. . . 49 “But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus…said to them, 51 “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?”

The Crowds’ Confusion on the Identity of Christ (vv 25-36) - The crowds in the temple hearing Christ preach and having seen His signs were confused. The first point of confusion was why He had not been arrested which led them to wonder if the “rulers” were beginning to believe (vv 25-26). They were also confused by issue of the origin of Jesus (Galilee) (v27). Jesus sought to correct them, pointing out that His origin was God. This teaching provoked the Pharisees all the more to seize him (v30). However, He eluded their grasp because it was not His time. The final matter they were confused about was Christ’s claim to go where they could not find Him (vv33-36).

Christ’s Offer of the Spirit (vv37-39) - In the midst of this, Jesus offers Himself again on the basis of faith in a striking manner. During this feast, after a solemn assembly on the first day, for the next six days priests drew water from the Pool of Siloam and paraded a golden pitcher to the temple altar (bronze). The shofar was blown at the gate and then the Hallel Psalms (113-118) were sung. Then on the eighth day there was another solemn assembly. It seems likely that the “the last and greatest day” (v37) refers to the seventh day. Perhaps as the water was being poured out on the altar and all Israel looked on, Jesus declared His free offer of the water of the Spirit by faith.

Condemnation of Christ by the Pharisees (vv40-53) - The effect of Christ’s declaration was to instill faith in some of the people (vv40-41). However, they were still confused about His Galilean origin, causing a division in the people (vv41-43). The officers came from the priests and the Pharisees to arrest Him, but were unable to do so because of the power of His Word. This caused these rulers to not only condemn Jesus as a deceiver, but also anyone who open to investigate Jesus as the Christ. E.g., Nicodemus, taking a just stand, is shut down by their interrogation. The chapter ends with everyone returning home after the feast (v53).
 

What does the Spirit produce? Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to [THE] fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to [THE] prayers.