John 7:1-53, Jesus says, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

Murmuring among people concerning Jesus

John 7:1 says that the Jews sought to kill Jesus. 2, Mentions about the feast of tabernacles. It begins at the fifteenth day of the seventh month of Jews, and it shall be celebration unto the Lord for seven days. Verses 3-5 say, that his own brethren did not believe in him. In 6, Jesus said that his time did not come yet, since he is directed by God the Father even on little things. In 7, Jesus says that the world hates him because he testifies that the world is evil. 8-10 say that Jesus did not went to the feast with his brethren. "11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? 12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. 13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews." Situation was tense there. Jesus was not from the tribes of priest, Scribe, Pharisee, not even a Sadducee. He was a young carpenter from the tribe of Judah. He was healing the sick, doing miracles, preaching the kingdom of God with authority. He claims that he came from heaven, and God is his Father. He was a rising star. Common people look upon him highly as their hope, religious people look at him as a threat, and they want to kill him and to get rid of him. That was a religiously motivated moment of tension. Common Jews feared the authorities.

The doctrine of Jesus is that of God the Father

In the state of confusion, Jesus showed up in the temple. "14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. 15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" It was the feast of the tabernacle, and the celebration will be for seven days. The third or the fourth day, Jesus showed up on the temple and taught the word of God to the Jews. The Jews were amazed about his teachings and marveled. "16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." In the last session, we saw that Jesus does everything according to the will of God the Father. Jesus says his doctrine is the doctrine of God the Father. In John 8:28 Jesus Christ says "that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. 29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." Jesus acknowledges that he does everything by the will of his Father and God the Father abides with him. "John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." Jesus says that if they were doing the will of God the Father, they will know that Jesus was also doing the will of the Father. "18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him." That is, the Jews were religious, and they seek their own glory, but Jesus seek the glory of God the Father, and so he will not do anything that is unrighteous.

Jesus Knew God the Father, the Father sent Jesus.

19 says, the Jews were just religious, and they do not keep the law themselves, and so they do not care about the law. But they try to kill Jesus because he is from God. In 20, they say that Jesus is of the devil, and they deny that they were trying to kill him. In verses 21-23, Jesus explains their hypocrisy. They were trying to kill Jesus because he healed someone on the sabbath day, but they do circumcision on the sabbath day, and it is against the law. In verse 24 he says, Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. In 25 the common Jews wonder how Jesus was out in the open, even though they want to kill him. In 26 they were surprised whether "the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?" but they were pessimistic in verse 27. "28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. 29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me." Jesus taught the Jews in the temple with authority, and they know he came from God. Probably he could have taught them from the prophesies of the scriptures. The phrase 'taught them' means that he explained to them from the scriptures. By this teaching, they should have known that Jesus came from God the Father.

Jesus told them that he will be gone for a short time

30 says that they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. 31 says many of the people believed on him. 32 says, the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. In 33, Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. 34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come. God the Father was in control of Jesus even while he was a man. Jesus became a man with the purpose to die, yet until the time of the Father, they could not touch him. Jesus told them that he will be gone for a short time. But he came right back soon after his resurrection. He was made Lord, Christ, and God and then he has come back. In 35&36, Jews did not understand what Jesus says. They were confused. That is okay; but even Christians do not understand that his departure is just for a short time. As soon as he became God in the Spirit, he is back to meet those who are looking for him. "Hebrews 9:28 says, So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time. Acts 3:26, first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." After this short time, Jesus Christ was back in the Spirit as God, to turn his people away from sin.

Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water

The Jews were celebrating the feast of the tabernacle. In the middle of the feast Jesus showed up in the temple and taught the word of God to the Jews. The feast was for seven days. On the last day of the feast Jesus showed up again. "37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." In bible studies and discussions, this verse takes a prominent place. Please notice that the verse says that "if any man thirst", and so I think if a person has no thirst, he has no argument in this. "39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" Here, we see that 'water' is a symbolic word, but it is for the Spirit of God. It is spiritual. Remember John 4:14 says, "whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." This is about the holy spirit, which springs up as needed and takes the person to everlasting life. It is about filling the needs of the person only, but here in Chapter 7, it flows to help others also in ministry as rivers of living water. Let us study how. "1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." 'Drink' is to receive the holy spirit freely from God. Then the Holy Ghost is connected with our spirit, and it teaches our spirit, everything that is pertained to God, including his word. Now, our spirit is like a water faucet fixed in us, and God's Spirit is like the reservoir of God in heaven. Believe Jesus and drink as the scripture hath said, means to receive the water faucet, and it is connected to God's reservoir in heaven. Our spirit receives the word from God's Spirit, that is our faucet receives water from the reservoir, we are fed by water 'the word', as well as there is enough water to feed many, as it is flows as rivers of living water. The water comes from us, or from the water faucet in us, but the source is God's reservoir. We drink, and we must give others also from the rivers of living water.

Shall Christ come out of Galilee or Nazareth?

In 40, the Jews said about Jesus that, Of a truth this is the Prophet. In 41, Some said, This is the Christ. Others said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Jews had many traditional statements other than scriptures. One is that Galilee is rejected by God and nothing good will come out from that place; and they say, Messiah will not come from Galilee. But, in verse 42, they agree that Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was. Jesus Christ was in all the towns, Bethlehem, Galilee, and Nazareth. It is not a big thing. But Jews made in issue out of this. 43 says, that there was a division among the people because of him. This shows that the Jews were also tossed between traditions and scriptures.

Never man spoke like Jesus; it is not deception.

44-46 say that the chief priests and Pharisees sent their police to arrest Jesus, but the officers returned without arresting him, and said that Never man spake like this man. 47-49 say, the Pharisees asked whether they were also deceived, and cursed them saying that they do not know the law. See, when they say that they do not know the law, they did not refer to God's law, but their own traditional law. In 50&51, Nicodemus asked them that is it proper to judge a man without a trial. Nicodemus gave a very good reasoning. See verse 52. "They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet." But they rejected Nicodemus, citing their opinion about Galilee. 53 says, "And every man went unto his own house." So, nothing happened, and everybody went home.