The Feast of tabernacles

 

Chapter 7       Jesus the living water

 

In chapter 6 He is the bread of life; in chapter 7 He gives the living water.  The main thoughts are Divine sustenance and Divine satisfaction.  The overall testimony of scripture is always to point to Christ.  We should always look for what it says about Him.  Clearly, the teaching in these two chapters is that He is sufficient for both our sustenance and for our satisfaction.   In a world which mainly seeks material things, we should grasp the meaning of this spiritual challenge to all of us. The backdrop to the chapter is the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.  There are three time periods indicated;

v1-13, the feast is near-there is disbelief.

v14-36, the midst of the feast- there is debate.

v37-52, the last day of the feast-there is division.

 

The feast is near   v1-13      disbelief   All of chapter 6 took place in Jerusalem at the Passover; in chapter 7 we are now at the Feast of Tabernacles which is 6 months later.  Jesus left Judea for He did not court trouble, and plenty was brewing in Jerusalem for Him.  However He did return for the Feast which is the background here. 

 

At the Feast of Tabernacles, the Jews camped out in booths, much as today people will holiday in tents or lodges or caravans, a time of holiday and rejoicing to celebrate God’s goodness to them.  This was one of the big feasts of the year and attracted many visitors.   As before, what commenced as a Feast of the Lord, had deteriorated to a mere festival of the Jews.  In this life, this is the pattern of degeneration everything seems to follow.  The state of the hearts of the people was anything but religious for they were plotting to kill Him.  Continuing religious gatherings in the name of God does not mean we are in tune with God-Isaiah 1v10-15.   When the gatherings of religious groups sink to being a man-made, meaningless ritual, God is not in it because God is not in their hearts.  The wonderful meaning of the Feast is at one and the same time a looking back to God's faithfulness, and a looking forward to God's glory among them, a celebration of His goodness.  But this had been reduced to a gathering of people who were on holiday.  Their unbelief was so pronounced that even his brothers, brought up in the same home, did not believe in Him.  They had witnessed closely His mighty miracles and knew all that He had done but they did not believe in Him as to who He truly was.  They said if you’re so confident of doing all these works, why paddle about in lowly Galilee?  Go up to Judea where all the action is go to the Feast show yourself to the world.  Anyone with your ability should be in the limelight.  They were reducing Jesus to the level of mere man.  His reply is twofold:

My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready.  Jesus  followed a very definite plan, and moved to the timing of the Father.  There are 12 references to the hour in John's gospel, the Divine timing of perfection of everything.  God not only works to a plan, but the component parts of the plan are fully timed.  Jesus had learned not to move before God's time.  Secondly, He said the world hates me for I testify against it that their works are evil.  He said you go up to the feast.  My time is not yet fully come so he remained in Galilee, but He went privately later to the Feast.   The Jews sought Him but He did not reveal Himself immediately.