In the Middle of the Feast: Debate (John 7:11–36) - Part 1 of 2

In the Middle of the Feast: Debate (7:11–36)

This public debate about the Lord Jesus included three different groups of people. The first group was the Jewish leaders, also known as "the Jews," who lived in Jerusalem and worked at the temple. The Pharisees, the chief priests (most of whom were Sadducees), and the scribes all belonged to this group. The men had different religious beliefs, but they all agreed on one thing: they didn't like Jesus Christ and wanted to get rid of Him. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea would be the only ones who didn't.

The second group would be "the people" (John 7:12, 20, 31–32). This would be the crowd that arrived in Jerusalem to celebrate. A lot of them wouldn't care what the religious leaders in Jerusalem thought. In John 7:20, you can see that "the people" were shocked that anyone would want to kill Jesus. They didn't know all the gossip going around the city, so they had to find out the hard way that the officials thought Jesus was breaking the law.

The third group was made up of Jews who lived in Jerusalem (John 7:25). They would have probably agreed with the religious leaders.

The argument started before Jesus got to the city, and it was about His character (John 7:11–13). Religious leaders "kept seeking" Jesus, and the crowd kept arguing about whether He was a virtuous man or a liar. He would have to be one or the other, since a truly good person wouldn't lie to anyone. Yes, Jesus is either telling the truth about who He is or He is lying.

But when Jesus started teaching openly in the temple, the argument moved to His teachings (John 7:14–19). Character and doctrine are closely intertwined. It would be foolish to believe what a liar says! The Jews were amazed by what He taught because He didn't have any credentials from the rabbinical schools they liked. But because He didn't have this "proper accreditation," His enemies said that His teachings were just personal opinions and not worth much. Many people have said that Jesus taught with authority, while the scribes and Pharisees taught from authorities by quoting famous rabbis.

Jesus said that His teachings came from the Father. He had already made it clear that He and the Father were one in the works He did (John 5:17) and in the judgment He made (John 5:30). He now said that His teachings also came from the Father, and He would say that again (John 8:26, 38). Jesus had every right to say that everything He taught was true!

But don't all religious teachers say the same thing? Therefore, how can we be sure that Jesus is telling us the truth? By doing what He says to do. Those who truly follow God's Word will discover that it is true. John 7:17 says, "If any man will do His will, He shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of Myself." This is why the Jewish leaders didn't comprehend what Jesus was saying: they were too stubborn to listen to Him (John 5:40).

Is our Lord proposing a "pragmatic test" for divine truth? Is He telling you to "Try it!"? If it works, it must be true! This means that if it doesn't work, it must be false. This test would cause confusion because almost any cultist could say, "I tried what the cult teaches, and it worked!"

No, what our Lord said goes much deeper. He wasn't talking about a shallow "taste test"; He was talking about the person's deep commitment to the truth. The Jews relied on education and authorities for their beliefs, but Jesus said that we should personally experience the authority of truth. The Jewish leaders wanted to kill Jesus, but at the same time, they said they knew and followed God's truth. This shows that having a smart and well-educated mind doesn't mean you have a pure heart or a holy will. Some of the worst criminals in the world have been among the most intelligent and well-educated people.