Jesus was whispered about by many

JESUS WAS WHISPEREDABOUT BY MANY
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
John 7:10-1310However, after his brothers had left
for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in
secret. 11Nowat the festival the Jewishleaders were
watching for Jesus and asking, "Whereis he?"
12Among the crowds there was widespread
whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man."
Others replied, "No, he deceives the people."13But no
one would say anything publicly about him for fear of
the leaders.
BIBLEHUB ON VERSE 12
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(12) And there was much murmuring among the people.—The originalword
for “people” is here, and here only in St. John, in the plural, and is best
rendered by multitudes. It refers to the throngs of people assembledduring
the various parts of the ritual of the feast, and, perhaps, speciallyon the one
hand to the Galileanmultitude, some of whom had been present at the last
greatwork recorded in this Gospel, and some of whom had been present at

other works, and influenced by other teaching of Jesus and the Apostles; and
on the other hand, to the Judæan multitude, who had been prevented from
accepting Him in the same degree by the strongerinfluence of the hierarchy.
Among these multitudes there arose, as before among the Jews andamong the
disciples (John 6:41; John 6:61), a murmuring; but the subject of this
discussionis not His teaching, but His character. Theirpractical test-question
was, Is He a goodman, or a deceiver? (Comp. Matthew 27:63.)Some would
think of deeds and words which establishedHis goodness beyondall doubt;
but if He is a goodman, then His claim cannot be false. Others would think of
deceivers, who had led awaythe multitude before (comp. Notes on Acts 5:36-
37), and that He was one of them.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
7:1-13 The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found
there was no prospectof worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men
sometimes undertake to counselthose employed in the work of God; but they
only advise what appears likely to promote present advantages. The people
differed about his doctrine and miracles, while those who favoured him, dared
not openly to avow their sentiments. Those who count the preachers of the
gospelto be deceivers, speak out, while many who favour them, fear to get
reproachby avowing regardfor them.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
Murmuring - Contention, disputing.
He deceiveth the people - That is, he is deluding them, or drawing them away
by pretending to be the Messiah.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
12. much murmuring—buzzing.

among the people—the multitudes; the natural expressionof a Jewishwriter,
indicating without design the crowdedstate of Jerusalemat this festival
[Websterand Wilkinson].
a goodman … Nay … deceiveththe people—the two opposite views of His
claims, that they were honest, and that they were an imposture.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
Our Saviour’s constantattendance at these public festivals, did not only
create an expectationof his being there amongsthis enemies, who therefore
sought him there, that they might destroy him; but amongstthe generality of
the people, who had very different opinions about him. Some having heard his
doctrine, and hearing nothing from him but what was goodand spiritual,
tending to show them the way of holiness, and the true path way to eternal life
and happiness, concluded that he was a goodman; others said he was a mere
impostor, one that deceived and cheatedthe more ignorant common people.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him,.... There
was a generalwhisper, and a private controversyand contentionamong the
people about him, upon inquiry being made after him:
for some saidhe is a goodman; a man of a goodprinciple, of a goodlife and
conversation;and who is good, kind, and beneficent, both to the bodies and
souls of men; preaches gooddoctrine, and does many good things:
others said: nay, or denied him to be a goodman:

but he deceiveththe people; drawing them off from the law of Moses,teaching
them to break the sabbath, setting himself up for the Messiah, andasserting
himself to be the son of God.
Geneva Study Bible
And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some
said, He is a goodman: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Expositor's Greek Testament
John 7:12. Among the masses (ἐν τοῖς ὄχλοις)there was γογγυσμὸς πολύς
regarding Him; not “murmuring,” as R.V[59], but rather “whispering,”
suppresseddiscussionin low tones, in corners, and among friends; “halblaute
Mittheilung entgegengesetzterAnsichten” (Holtzmann), “viel im Volke über
ihn herumgeredet” (Weizsäcker). Specimens ofthis talk are given: οἱ μὲν …
ὄχλον. “Some said, He is a goodman,” ἀγαθός, pure in motive and seeking to
do good. “But others said, No: but He misleads the multitude” (Matthew
27:63, Luke 23:5), that is, seeksto ingratiate Himself with the people to serve
His own ends.—Οὐδεὶς … Ἰουδαίων. “No one, however, talkedopenly about
Him, for fear of the Jews.”Until the Jews, the authorities, gave their decision,
neither party dared to utter its opinion openly.
[59] RevisedVersion.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
12. murmuring] Talking in an under tone, not necessarilycomplaining: see on
John 6:41; John 6:61. Here some are for, and some againstHim. ‘Among the
people’ should rather be among the multitudes; the word is plural, and this is
the only place in the Gospelwhere the plural is used: the singular (He leadeth
the multitude astray) is common.
Bengel's Gnomen

John 7:12. Γογγυσμός, murmuring) Their speechnot venturing to break out
into open expressionon either side [for or againstHim]. Comp. John 7:13,
“No man spake openly of Him for fear of the Jews.”The same word is used,
John 7:32, “The Pharisees heardthat the people murmured such things
concerning Him.”—ἐν τοῖς ὄχλοις—τὸνὄχλον)in turbâ—turbas. So the Latin,
interchanging the plural and singular number. [Ἐν τοῖς ὄχλοις is the reading
of BT and Rec. Text;τῷ ὄχλῳ of [168][169][170][171]Vulg. Τὸν ὄχλονin
[172][173][174]Rec. Text;‘populum,’ [175][176][177];‘turbas’ in Vulg.] The
plural agrees with the fact, that there was much murmuring: on this and on
that side there was a number of persons speaking concerning Jesus. The
singular agrees withthe opinion as to His deceiving the rabble [mob],—οἱ,
some)from Galilee most especially, as is evident from the subsequent
antithesis, of the Jews [John7:13].
[168]Bezæ, or Cantabrig.: Univ. libr., Cambridge: fifth cent.:publ. by
Kipling, 1793:Gospels, Acts, and some Epp. def.
[169]Vercellensis ofthe old ‘Itala,’ or Latin Version before Jerome’s,
probably made in Africa, in the secondcentury: the Gospels.
[170]Veronensis, do.
[171]Colbertinus, do.
[172]Cod. Basilianus (not the B. Vaticanus): Revelation:in the Vatican:
edited by Tisch., who assigns it to the beginning of the eighth century.

[173]Bezæ, or Cantabrig.: Univ. libr., Cambridge: fifth cent.:publ. by
Kipling, 1793:Gospels, Acts, and some Epp. def.
[174]Borgiana:Veletri: part of John: fourth or fifth cent.:publ. by Georgi,
1789.
[175]Vercellensis ofthe old ‘Itala,’ or Latin Version before Jerome’s,
probably made in Africa, in the secondcentury: the Gospels.
[176]Veronensis, do.
[177]Colbertinus, do.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 12. - And there was much murmuring among the multitudes concerning
him. This vivid dramatic touch lifts a veil, and we see the eagerexcitementof
those who fancied themselves duped, or who were at leastdisappointed by his
non-appearance. Some saidone thing, and some another. One group was loud
in his praises, and another suspicious either of his orthodoxy or his patriotism,
or both. Some said, He is a goodman; i.e. one who was unselfish, kind, true,
beneficent, and honest in his intentions, and one personally trustworthy. But
others said - or, were saying; i.e. the murmur, the head shaking, of others was
a flat denial of his ἀγάθοτης -Nay; but (on the other hand) he leadeth the
multitude astray. The "multitude" in this clause is probably the vulgar crowd,
and the contemptuous reference to them may be the language ofthe
Jerusalempopulace rather than the provincial caravans. The multitude would
escape from the Pharisaic leading strings, should they embrace his views
either concerning the sabbath or the expectedMessiah.
Vincent's Word Studies

Murmuring
See on John 6:41.
The people (τοῖς ὄχλοις)
See on John 1:19.
Said (ἔλεγον)
Imperfect: were saying.
Deceiveth(πλανᾷ)
Rev., better, leadeth astray. See on Mark 12:24; see on Jde 1:13.
STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
Adam Clarke Commentary
Some said, He is a goodman - The multitude were divided in their opinions
concerning him: those who knew him best said, He is a goodman. Those who
spoke according to the charactergivenhim by the priests, etc., said, Nay; but
he deceiveth the people. Those who spoke evil of him spoke out, because they

had the rulers on their side; but those who spoke goodof him were obliged to
do it in private, because they fearedthese rulers. Calumny and slander are
among the privileged orders;they stalk abroad with their thousand brazen
mouths, and blast the reputation of the followers of God. Benevolence and
candor are only on sufferance;and a whisper in secretis the most they are
permitted to give in behalf of Christ and his followers, whose laws and
maxims condemn a vicious world, and goadit to revenge.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on John 7:12". "The Adam Clarke
Commentary". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/john-
7.html. 1832.
Return to Jump List return to 'Jump List'
Albert Barnes'Notes onthe Whole Bible
Murmuring - Contention, disputing.
He deceiveth the people - That is, he is deluding them, or drawing them away
by pretending to be the Messiah.
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
Barnes, Albert. "Commentaryon John 7:12". "Barnes'Notes onthe Whole
Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb/john-7.html.
1870.
Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
And there was much murmuring among the multitudes concerning him: some
said, He is a goodman; others said, Not so, but he leadeth the multitude
astray. Yet no man spake openly of him for fearof the Jews.
Christ's name was upon all lips; his mighty deeds were the biggestnews that
ever happened in Jerusalem;the people loved him; the leaders hated him; and
conversationbuzzed all over the city; but if any of the Pharisees appeared, the
conversationceased. The threat of murdering the Son of God lay like a mantle
of poison gas overJerusalemduring that feast. There was a dreadful air of
impending disaster;Satanwas in control of the government of the Holy City,
reminding one of Paris in the terror:
A spell of horror seems temporarily to have fallen over the city of Paris, a
nightmare in which all communication with reality was suspended. It is
impossible to read of this period without the impression that one is here
confronted with forces more powerful than those controlledby men.[2]
In this greatcontroversy, cosmic forces struggledfor domination; and the war
betweenChrist and Satan was never more dramatic than here.
ENDNOTE:

[2] Stanley Loomis, Paris in the Terror(New York: J. B. Lippincott Co.,
1964), p. 328.
Copyright Statement
James Burton Coffman Commentaries reproduced by permission of Abilene
Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. All other rights reserved.
Bibliography
Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on John 7:12". "Coffman
Commentaries on the Old and New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bcc/john-7.html. Abilene
Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him,.... There
was a generalwhisper, and a private controversyand contentionamong the
people about him, upon inquiry being made after him:
for some saidhe is a goodman; a man of a goodprinciple, of a goodlife and
conversation;and who is good, kind, and beneficent, both to the bodies and
souls of men; preaches gooddoctrine, and does many good things:
others said: nay, or denied him to be a goodman:

but he deceiveththe people; drawing them off from the law of Moses,teaching
them to break the sabbath, setting himself up for the Messiah, andasserting
himself to be the son of God.
Copyright Statement
The New John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Modernisedand adapted
for the computer by Larry Pierce of Online Bible. All Rightes Reserved,
Larry Pierce, Winterbourne, Ontario.
A printed copy of this work can be ordered from: The Baptist Standard
Bearer, 1 Iron Oaks Dr, Paris, AR, 72855
Bibliography
Gill, John. "Commentary on John 7:12". "The New John Gill Exposition of
the Entire Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/john-
7.html. 1999.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
much murmuring — buzzing.
among the people — the multitudes; the natural expressionof a Jewishwriter,
indicating without design the crowdedstate of Jerusalemat this festival
[Websterand Wilkinson].
a goodman … Nay … deceiveththe people — the two opposite views of His
claims, that they were honest, and that they were an imposture.

Copyright Statement
These files are a derivative of an electronic edition prepared from text
scannedby Woodside Bible Fellowship.
This expanded edition of the Jameison-Faussett-BrownCommentary is in the
public domain and may be freely used and distributed.
Bibliography
Jamieson, Robert, D.D.;Fausset,A. R.; Brown, David. "Commentary on John
7:12". "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfb/john-7.html. 1871-8.
Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
Much murmuring (γογγυσμος πολυς — goggusmospolus). This Ionic
onomatopoetic wordis from γογγυζω — gogguzō forwhich verb see John
6:41, John 6:61; John 7:32, for secretdispleasure (Acts 6:1) or querulous
discontent (Philemon 2:14).
Among the multitudes (εν τοις οχλοις — en tois ochlois). “The multitudes”
literally, plural here only in John. These different groups were visitors from
Galilee and elsewhere and were divided in their opinion of Jesus as the
Galileans had already become (John 6:66).
A goodman (αγατος — agathos). Pure in motive. See Mark 10:17.;Romans
5:7 (absolute sense ofGod). Superior to δικαιος — dikaios Jesus had
champions in these scatteredgroups in the temple courts.

Not so, but he leadeththe multitude astray (ου αλλα πλαναι τον οχλον — ou
class="greek-hebrew">πλαναω — alla planāi ton ochlon). Sharp clashin the
crowd. Presentactive indicative of εκεινος ο πλανος — planaō to go astray
(Matthew 18:12.), like our “planets,” to lead others astray (Matthew 24:4,
Matthew 24:5, Matthew 24:11, etc.). In the end the rulers will call Jesus “that
deceiver” (ekeinos ho planos Matthew 27:63). The Jewishleaders have a
following among the crowds as is seen(John 7:31.).
Copyright Statement
The Robertson's WordPictures of the New Testament. Copyright �
Broadman Press 1932,33,Renewal1960. All rights reserved. Used by
permission of Broadman Press (Southern BaptistSunday SchoolBoard)
Bibliography
Robertson, A.T. "Commentary on John 7:12". "Robertson'sWordPictures of
the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/rwp/john-7.html. Broadman
Press 1932,33. Renewal1960.
Vincent's Word Studies
Murmuring
See on John 6:41.
The people ( τοῖς ὄχλοις )
See on John 1:19.

Said ( ἔλεγον )
Imperfect: were saying.
Deceiveth( πλανᾷ )
Rev., better, leadeth astray. See on Mark 12:24; see on Judges 1:13.
Copyright Statement
The text of this work is public domain.
Bibliography
Vincent, Marvin R. DD. "Commentaryon John 7:12". "Vincent's Word
Studies in the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/vnt/john-7.html. Charles
Schribner's Sons. New York, USA. 1887.
Wesley's ExplanatoryNotes

There was much murmuring among the multitude — Much whispering; many
private debates with eachother, among those who were come from distant
parts.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that
is available on the Christian ClassicsEtherealLibrary Website.
Bibliography
Wesley, John. "Commentary on John 7:12". "JohnWesley's Explanatory
Notes on the Whole Bible".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/wen/john-7.html. 1765.
The Fourfold Gospel
And there was much murmuring among the multitudes concerning him1:
some said, He is a goodman; others said, Not so, but he leadeth the multitude
astray.
There was much murmuring among the multitudes concerning him. The vast
crowddisputed as groups rather than individuals. The inhabitants of some
towns were disposed to unite in his defense, while those from other towns
would concur in condemning him.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that
is available on the Christian ClassicsEtherealLibrary Website. These files
were made available by Mr. Ernie Stefanik. First published online in 1996 at
The RestorationMovementPages.

Bibliography
J. W. McGarveyand Philip Y. Pendleton. "Commentaryon John 7:12". "The
Fourfold Gospel". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tfg/john-
7.html. Standard Publishing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. 1914.
Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
12.And there was much murmuring. He means that, wherevermen were
collectedin crowds, as usually happens in large assemblies, they held secret
conversations aboutChrist. The diversity of opinion, which is here related,
proves that it is not a new evil, that men should differ in their opinions about
Christ, even in the very bosomof the Church. And as we do not hesitate to
receive Christ, who was formerly condemned by the greaterpart of his own
nation, so we ought to be armed with the same kind of shield, that the
dissensions whichwe see daily may not disturb us. Again, we may perceive
how greatis the rashness ofmen in the things of God. In a matter of no
importance, they would not have takenso greatliberty, but when the question
relates to the Son of God and to his most holy doctrine, they immediately
hasten to give judgment respecting it. So much the greatermoderationought
we to maintain, that we may not thoughtlessly condemn our life with the
eternal truth of God. And if the world holds us for impostors, let us remember
that these are the marks and brands of Christ, provided that we show, at the
same time, that we are faithful. This passageshows likewise thatin a great
multitude, even when the whole body is in a state of confusion, there are
always some who think aright; but those few persons, whose minds are well
regulated, are swallowedup by the multitude of those whose understandings
are bewildered.
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
Calvin, John. "Commentary on John 7:12". "Calvin's Commentary on the
Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cal/john-7.html. 1840-
57.
John Trapp Complete Commentary
12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for
some said, He is a goodman: others said, Nay; but he deceiveththe people.
Ver. 12. For some said] All men were not of a mind concerning Christ. Sooner
shall the fingers of their hands be all of a length, than men will be all of a
judgment in matters of religion. Nullum bellum citius exardescit, nullum
deflagrattardius quam theologicum, ut sacramentarium. (Bucholcer.)
Copyright Statement
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography

Trapp, John. "Commentary on John 7:12". John Trapp Complete
Commentary. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jtc/john-7.html.
1865-1868.
Greek TestamentCriticalExegeticalCommentary
12.]οἱ ὄχλ. (the different groups of which ὁ ὄχλος was composed)would
include the Galilæan disciples, and those who had been baptized by the
disciples in Judæa,—whoseview ἀγαθός ἐστιν would represent,—as expressed
mildly in protestagainstHis enemies.
πλανᾷ τὸν ὄχλον, possibly in reference to the feeding of and then the discourse
to the multitude, which had given so much offence.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Alford, Henry. "Commentary on John 7:12". Greek TestamentCritical
ExegeticalCommentary.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/hac/john-7.html. 1863-1878.
Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament

John 7:12. γογγυσμός, murmuring) Their speechnot venturing to break out
into open expressionon either side [for or againstHim]. Comp. John 7:13,
“No man spake openly of Him for fear of the Jews.”The same word is used,
John 7:32, “The Pharisees heardthat the people murmured such things
concerning Him.”— ἐν τοῖς ὄχλοις— τὸνὄχλον) in turbâ—turbas. So the
Latin, interchanging the plural and singular number. [ ἐν τοῖς ὄχλοις is the
reading of BT and Rec. Text; τῷ ὄχλῳ of (168)(169)(170)(171)Vulg. τὸν ὄχλον
in (172)(173)(174)Rec. Text;‘populum,’ (175)(176)(177);‘turbas’ in Vulg.]
The plural agrees with the fact, that there was much murmuring: on this and
on that side there was a number of persons speaking concerning Jesus.The
singular agrees withthe opinion as to His deceiving the rabble [mob],— οἱ,
some)from Galilee most especially, as is evident from the subsequent
antithesis, of the Jews [John7:13].
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Bengel, JohannAlbrecht. "Commentary on John 7:12". Johann Albrecht
Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jab/john-7.html. 1897.
Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible
Our Saviour’s constantattendance at these public festivals, did not only
create an expectationof his being there amongsthis enemies, who therefore
sought him there, that they might destroy him; but amongstthe generality of
the people, who had very different opinions about him. Some having heard his

doctrine, and hearing nothing from him but what was goodand spiritual,
tending to show them the way of holiness, and the true path way to eternal life
and happiness, concluded that he was a goodman; others said he was a mere
impostor, one that deceived and cheatedthe more ignorant common people.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Poole, Matthew, "Commentaryon John 7:12". Matthew Poole's English
Annotations on the Holy Bible.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/mpc/john-7.html. 1685.
Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament
Murmuring; private inquiry and contentionabout Jesus.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography

Edwards, Justin. "Commentary on John 7:12". "Family Bible New
Testament". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/fam/john-7.html.
American Tract Society. 1851.
Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools andColleges
12. γογγυσμός. Muttering;see on John 6:41. Some are for and some are
againstHim.
ἐν τοῖς ὄχλοις. Perhaps, in the bands of pilgrims. Here only does S. John use
ὄχλοι;ὄχλος is frequent, and is read here in ‫א‬ D.
πλανᾷ. Leadeth astray.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
"Commentary on John 7:12". "Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools and
Colleges".https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cgt/john-7.html.
1896.
Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

12. The people—Among these masses there are of course all shades of opinion.
The friends of Jesus wouldconsistof Galileans and scatteredinhabitants of
Judea, who from the time of John’s and Jesus’s baptisms in the Jordanic
regionhad never forgottentheir faith. As the fierce inquiries after Jesus by
the Jews are heard, a murmur passes through the crowd. Favorable but feeble
assertions are heardthat he is a goodman; to which the charge of being a
popular deceiver is retorted. The friends of Jesus are in a timid minority; and
even if they were in a majority the organizedforce is in the hands of the Jews.
A quiet doubtless ensuedas the conclusionarose, perhaps from the report of
his brothers, that he was not to be present at the feast. Things are in this
condition for the first three days of the feast, when an unexpectedevent takes
place.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Whedon, Daniel. "Commentary on John 7:12". "Whedon's Commentary on
the Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/whe/john-7.html.
1874-1909.
Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament
John 7:12. And there was much murmuring among the multitudes concerning
him. Some said, He is a goodman: but others said, Hay, but he leadeth astray
the multitude. From the ‘Jews’the Evangelistturns to the ‘multitudes.’
Amongst these is eagerdiscussionconcerning Jesus;the speculation, the
hesitation, the inquiry, were general, but all outward expressionwas

suppressed. The use of the plural ‘multitudes’ seems to point to crowds rather
than individuals as the disputants. The word ‘multitude,’ however, at the close
of the verse is not without a contemptuous force,—itis the common crowd
that He leads astray: possibly the multitudes of Jerusalemmay be the
speakers.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Schaff, Philip. "Commentary on John 7:12". "Schaff's PopularCommentary
on the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/scn/john-7.html. 1879-90.
The Expositor's Greek Testament
John 7:12. Among the masses ( ἐν τοῖς ὄχλοις)there was γογγυσμὸς πολύς
regarding Him; not “murmuring,” as R.V(59), but rather “whispering,”
suppresseddiscussionin low tones, in corners, and among friends; “halblaute
Mittheilung entgegengesetzterAnsichten” (Holtzmann), “viel im Volke über
ihn herumgeredet” (Weizsäcker). Specimens ofthis talk are given: οἱ μὲν …
ὄχλον. “Some said, He is a goodman,” ἀγαθός, pure in motive and seeking to
do good. “But others said, No: but He misleads the multitude” (Matthew
27:63, Luke 23:5), that is, seeksto ingratiate Himself with the people to serve
His own ends.— οὐδεὶς … ἰουδαίων. “No one, however, talkedopenly about
Him, for fear of the Jews.”Until the Jews, the authorities, gave their decision,
neither party dared to utter its opinion openly.

Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Nicol, W. Robertson, M.A., L.L.D. "Commentary on John 7:12". The
Expositor's Greek Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/egt/john-7.html. 1897-1910.
George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary
was the people that held the favourable opinion of Christ, whilst on the
contrary, the Scribes and Pharisees speakill of him, saying, he seducethnot
us, but he seduceththe multitude. (St. John Chrysostom, hom. xlviii. in Joan.)
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Haydock, George Leo. "Commentaryon John 7:12". "George Haydock's
Catholic Bible Commentary".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/hcc/john-7.html. 1859.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes
murmuring. See note on John 6:41
among. Greek. en. App-104.
people = crowds.
concerning. Greek peri. App-104.
said = were saying.
Nay. Greek. ou. App-105.
deceiveth= leadethastray. Compare Mark 13:5-6; 1 Timothy 4:1. Jude 1:13.
people = crowd.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography

Bullinger, Ethelbert William. "Commentary on John 7:12". "E.W. Bullinger's
Companion bible Notes".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bul/john-7.html. 1909-1922.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged
And there was much murmuring [or 'muttering' gongusmos (G1112)]among
the people , [ en (Greek #1722)tois (Greek #3588)ochlois (Greek #3793)] -
'among the multitudes;' the natural expressionof a Jewishwriter, indicating
without design, as Websterand Wilkinson remark, the crowdedstate of
Jerusalemat this festival.
Concerning him: for some said, He is a goodman: others said, Nay; but he
deceiveththe people - or 'the multitude' [ ton (Greek #3588)ochlon(Greek
#3793)]. Theseare just the two opposite views of Him and His claims, the one,
that He was honest; the other, that He was an impostor.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Jamieson, Robert, D.D.;Fausset,A. R.; Brown, David. "Commentary on John
7:12". "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -

Unabridged". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfu/john-
7.html. 1871-8.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(12) And there was much murmuring among the people.—The originalword
for “people” is here, and here only in St. John, in the plural, and is best
rendered by multitudes. It refers to the throngs of people assembledduring
the various parts of the ritual of the feast, and, perhaps, speciallyon the one
hand to the Galileanmultitude, some of whom had been present at the last
greatwork recorded in this Gospel, and some of whom had been present at
other works, and influenced by other teaching of Jesus and the Apostles; and
on the other hand, to the Judæan multitude, who had been prevented from
accepting Him in the same degree by the strongerinfluence of the hierarchy.
Among these multitudes there arose, as before among the Jews andamong the
disciples (John 6:41; John 6:61), a murmuring; but the subject of this
discussionis not His teaching, but His character. Theirpractical test-question
was, Is He a goodman, or a deceiver? (Comp. Matthew 27:63.)Some would
think of deeds and words which establishedHis goodness beyondall doubt;
but if He is a goodman, then His claim cannot be false. Others would think of
deceivers, who had led awaythe multitude before (comp. Notes on Acts 5:36-
37), and that He was one of them.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography

Ellicott, Charles John. "Commentary on John 7:12". "Ellicott's Commentary
for EnglishReaders".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ebc/john-7.html. 1905.
Treasuryof Scripture Knowledge
murmuring
32; 9:16; Philippians 2:14
some
25-27,40-43;6:14; 9:16; 10:19-21;Matthew 10:25;16:13-16;21:46; Luke 7:16
is a
Luke 6:45; 18:19; 23:47,50;Acts 11:24;Romans 5:7
deceiveth
47,52;Matthew 27:63
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Torrey, R. A. "Commentary on John 7:12". "The Treasury of Scripture
Knowledge". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tsk/john-7.html.

Ver. 12. "And there was much murmuring among the people concerning Him:
for some said. He is a goodman: others said, Nay; but he deceiveththe people.
13. Howbeit no man spake openly of Him for fear of the Jews."
Why it was only a murmuring, we learn from ver. 13. The παρρησία, which is
denied, there forms the counterpart of the γογγυσμός here. They did not dare
to represent aloud and boldly their opinions, because the legitimate
authorities had given no definitive utterance. Even they who felt in unison
with the generallyknownenmity of the rulers, shrank from bluntly avowing
their sentiments: partly because a change of mind on the part of the rulers
was possible (comp. ver. 26); partly, and especially, becausea vigorous
assertionofopen opinion, as such, and apart from the substance ofthat
opinion, would have been regardedas an aggressionupon the domain of the
Pharisaic omnipotence. The people were not supposed to form any
independent judgment. If the Pharisees hadallowedthat public sentiment to
express itself when favourable to themselves, they would have exposed
themselves to the effects ofall the capricious changes to which that public
sentiment was liable. So in our earlier empire, oppressedby the burden of
despotism, political movements in favour of the government were no more
open or tolerated than those which were opposedto it. The spiritual slavery in
which the Pharisaic party held the people, is illustrated here in a very
remarkable manner. That even the pharisaically-minded did not dare to give
free utterance to their thoughts, is a circumstance that could not have been
invented; it is a trait which was derived only from reality. The testimony of
Josephus agreesperfectlyin the generalwith our view of the Pharisaic
oppressions;e.g. in the work on the JewishWar, I. v. 2 , he says of
Alexandria: "She ruled the rest, and the Phariseesruled her." They had all
things in their hand; they persecutedand delivered, they bound and loosed
whom they would. According to the Archaeol. 18. 1. 2 , among the Pharisees
themselves the younger durst not contradict the elder.

Goodis often used in the Old Testamentfor well-disposed. So, in 1 Samuel
2:26, it is said of Samuel. In Proverbs 2:20; Proverbs 14:29, the goodare
parallel with the righteous. In Ecclesiastes9:2, the goodas such are opposed
to the sinners. On the "he deceiveththe people," Lampe remarks: "Theythus
justify their scheming to put Jesus to death, because suchseducers ofthe
people were adjudged by the law to die, Deuteronomy 13:6." Augustine:
Dictum esthoc ad eorum solatium, qui postea praedicantes verbum Dei, futuri
erant ut seductores etveraces, 2 Corinthians 6:8.
For fear of the Jews:The Individual was afraid of the Whole. The term Jews
here also signifies the mass of the people; but the Pharisees, especiallythe
rulers, were the soulof this mass. Fearof the Jews was the power which
restrained the tongues of the well-disposed:testimony also how far from
consummate was the faith of these likewise. Perfectfaith casts out fear.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
WILLIAM BARCLAY
There was the reactionof the crowd. This was twofold. First, there was the
reactionof interest (John 7:11). The one thing impossible when Jesus really
invades life is indifference. Apart from anything else, Jesus is the most
interesting figure in the world. Second, there was the reactionof discussion
(John 7:12; John 7:43). They talkedabout Jesus;they put forward their views
about him; they debated about him. There is both value and dangerhere. The
value is that nothing helps us clarify our own opinions like pitting them

againstsomeone else's. Mind sharpens mind as iron sharpens iron. The
danger is that religion canso very easily come to be regarded as a matter for
argument and debate and discussion, a series offascinating questions, about
which a man may talk for a lifetime--and do nothing. There is all the
difference in the world betweenbeing an argumentative amateur theologian,
willing to talk until the stars go out, and a truly religious person, who has
passedfrom talking about Christ to knowing him.
VERDICTS ON JESUS (John 7:10-13 continued)
In this chapter there is a whole series ofverdicts on Jesus.
(i) There is the verdict that he was a goodman (John 7:12). That verdict is
true, but it is not the whole truth. It was Napoleonwho made the famous
remark: "I know men, and Jesus Christ is more than a man." Jesus was
indeed truly man; but in him was the mind of God. When he speaks itis not
one man speaking to another; if that were so we might argue about his
commands. When he speaks it is God speaking to men; and Christianity
means not arguing about his commands, but accepting them.
(ii) There is the verdict that he was a prophet (John 7:40). That too is true.
The prophet is the forth-teller of the will of God, the man who has lived so
close to God that he knows his mind and purposes. That is true of Jesus;but
there is this difference. The prophet says:"Thus saith the Lord." His
authority is borrowed and delegated. His message is not his own. Jesus says:
"I say unto you." He has the right to speak, notwith a delegatedauthority,
but with his own.
(iii) There is the verdict that he was a deluded madman (John 7:20). It is true
that either Jesus is the only completely sane personin the world or he was
mad. He chose a Cross when he might have had power. He was the Suffering

Servant when he might have been the conquering king. He washedthe feet of
his disciples when he might have had men kneeling at his own feet. He came to
serve when he could have subjectedthe world to servitude. It is not common
sense that the words of Jesus give us, but uncommon sense. He turned the
world's standards upside down, because into a mad world he brought the
supreme sanity of God.
(iv) There is the verdict that he was a seducer. The Jewishauthorities saw in
him one who was leading men awayfrom true religion. He was accusedof
every crime againstreligion in the calendar--ofbeing a Sabbath-breaker, of
being a drunkard and a glutton, of having the most disreputable friends, of
destroying orthodox religion. It is quite clearthat, if we prefer our idea of
religion to his, he will certainly appeara seducer--and it is one of the hardest
things in the world for any man to do to admit that he is wrong.
(v) There is the verdict that he was a man of courage (John 7:26). No one
could ever doubt his sheercourage. He had the moral courage to defy
convention and be different. He had the physical courage thatcould bear the
most terrible pain. He had the courage to go on when his family abandoned
him, and his friends forsook him, and one of his own circle betrayed him.
Here we see him courageouslyentering Jerusalemwhen to enter it was to
enter the lions' den. He "fearedGod so much that he never fearedthe face of
any man."
(vi) There is the verdict that he had a most dynamic personality(John 7:46).
The verdict of the officers who were sent to arresthim and came back empty-
handed was that never had any man spokenlike this. Julian Duguid tells how
he once voyagedon the same Atlantic liner as Sir Wilfred Grenfell, and he
says that when Grenfell came into a room you could tell it even if you had
your back to him, for a wave of vitality emanated from him. When we think of
how this Galilaeancarpenterfacedthe highest in the land and dominated

them until it was they who were on trial and not he, we are bound to admit
that he was at leastone of the supreme personalities in history. The picture of
a gentle, anaemic Jesus will not do. From him floweda power that sentthose
despatchedto arresthim back in empty-handed bewilderment.
(vii) There is the verdict that he was the Christ, the Anointed One of God.
Nothing less will do. It. is the plain fact that Jesus does notfit into any of the
available human categories;only the categoryof the divine will do.
Before we leave the generalstudy of this chapter there are three other
reactions to Jesus that we must note.
(i) There was the crowd's reactionof fear (John 7:13). They talked about him
but they were afraid to talk too loud. The word that John uses for their
talking is an onomatopoeic word--that is, a word which imitates the sound of
what it describes. It is the word goggusmos(Greek #1112)(two g's in Greek
are pronounced "ng"). The King James Versiontranslates it murmuring; the
RevisedStandard Version, muttering. It indicates a kind of growling,
discontentedundertone. It is the word used for the grumbling of the children
of Israel in the wilderness when they complained againstMoses.They
muttered the complaints they were afraid to utter out loud. Fearcankeepa
man from making a clarion callof his faith and canturn it into an indistinct
mutter. The Christian should never be afraid to tell the world in ringing tones
that he believes in Christ.
(ii) The reactionof a certainnumber of the crowdwas belief (John 7:31).
These were the men and womenwho could not deny the evidence of their own
eyes. They heard what Jesus said;they saw what he did; they were confronted
with his dynamism; and they believed. If a man rids himself of prejudice and
fear, he is bound in the end to finish in belief.

CALVIN
Verse 12
12.And there was much murmuring. He means that, wherevermen were
collectedin crowds, as usually happens in large assemblies, they held secret
conversations aboutChrist. The diversity of opinion, which is here related,
proves that it is not a new evil, that men should differ in their opinions about
Christ, even in the very bosomof the Church. And as we do not hesitate to
receive Christ, who was formerly condemned by the greaterpart of his own
nation, so we ought to be armed with the same kind of shield, that the
dissensions whichwe see daily may not disturb us. Again, we may perceive
how greatis the rashness ofmen in the things of God. In a matter of no
importance, they would not have taken so greatliberty, but when the question
relates to the Son of God and to his most holy doctrine, they immediately
hasten to give judgment respecting it. So much the greatermoderationought
we to maintain, that we may not thoughtlessly condemn our life with the
eternal truth of God. And if the world holds us for impostors, let us remember
that these are the marks and brands of Christ, provided that we show, at the
same time, that we are faithful. This passageshows likewise thatin a great
multitude, even when the whole body is in a state of confusion, there are
always some who think aright; but those few persons, whose minds are well
regulated, are swallowedup by the multitude of those whose understandings
are bewildered.
STEVEN COLE

The Jewishleaders had a hostile view of Jesus:“This man is upsetting our
traditions: We need to kill Him!”
By “the Jews” (7:1, 11, 13), John means, “the Jewishleaders.”Theywere
seeking Jesus, but not so they could learn from Him and believe in Him, but so
they could kill Him (7:1, 19, 25, 30, 32, 44; 8:37, 40, 59). Jesus threatenedtheir
power, which they used to controlthe people through fear(7:13). He didn’t fit
their idea of a political Messiahwho would play their political game and
reward them all with nice positions in His kingdom. When He upset the
money-changers’tables in the temple (2:14-16), He threatened their income.
So they didn’t carefully listen to Jesus’teaching or think rationally about the
amazing miracles that He was doing. Rather, they reactedemotionally
because Jesusthreatenedtheir comfortable way of life.
Even so, there are many today who do not believe in Christ because theyreact
emotionally rather than rationally. They sense that to come to Christ would
mean the end of their plans, their prestige, and their control over their lives.
They like the comfortable lives that they have and they don’t want to face the
truth that they are rebels againstthe Holy One of God.
C. The multitude had an inadequate, mixed view of Jesus:“He’s a goodman”;
“No, He’s leading the people astray.”
John 7:12-13:“There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning
Him; some were saying, ‘He is a goodman’; others were saying, ‘No, on the
contrary, He leads the people astray.’ Yet no one was speaking openlyof Him
for fearof the Jews.”“Grumbling” here means “quietly debating among
themselves,” since as Johnnotes (7:13), they were afraid to speak openly. “Big
brother” (or the NationalSecurity Agency) might be listening!
The multitudes were divided into two camps, both of which were wrong. Some
said, “He is a good man.” That was true as far as it went, but it didn’t go

anywhere near as far as it should, as John’s Gospeldemonstrates. JohnStott
points out (Basic Christianity [Eerdmans], rev. ed., pp. 23-26)that if Jesus
was not God in human flesh, His claims would have meant that He was not a
goodman, but a very self-centeredman. He was always talking about Himself
and telling people that they should believe in Him as the only way to have
eternal life. He claimed that the Old Testamentwas written about Him (5:39,
46). He claimed to be the bread of life, who could satisfythe hunger of all who
come to Him (6:35). He claimed that whoeverbelieves in Him would have
rivers of living waterflowing from his innermost being (7:38). He claimed to
be the Light of the world (8:12). He claimed that before Abraham was born,
He existed (8:58). No goodman, who was not Godin human flesh, could say
such things without being considereda deluded megalomaniac.
The other camp thought that Jesus was leading the people astray. They were
the traditionalists, who thought that the ways of the fathers were good
enough. But if Jesus was a deceiver, He was a very goodone! He gotmany
fiercely monotheistic Jews to believe His claims to be God to the extent that
many of them eventually suffered persecutionand martyrdom because of
their belief in Him. But He also would have been a very evil deceiver, because
if He deliberately led people to believe in Him, knowing all the time that He
was not the true way to eternal life, He condemned them to a godless eternity.
Nothing could be worse than knowingly to deceive people with regard to their
eternal destiny.
So both camps were in error and both errors would result in people still being
under God’s righteous judgment, because neither camp believed in Jesus as
Savior and Lord. But why did these Jewishpeople, who had the Scriptures,
who heard Jesus’claims and who saw His miracles, not believe?
2. The cause for wrong views about Jesus:He confronts our sin and we fear
what others would think if we were to believe in Him.

John gives us two reasons why these Jews atthe feastdid not believe. First,
they hated Jesus because He confronted their sins (7:7). Second, they were
ambivalent about Jesus because theyfeared the religious leaders, who would
put them out of the synagogue if they believed (7:13; 9:22).
Jesus tells His brothers (7:7), “The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me
because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.” As we saw (3:20), “Foreveryone
who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his
deeds will be exposed.” To come to Jesus, you have to let Him confront your
sins. You have to turn from your deeds of darkness and learn to walk in the
light, as He Himself is in the light (1 John 1:5-7).
Also, implicit in Jesus’words is the truth that if you follow Him, the world
will hate you because ofyour holy life. You will not be the most popular
person at the office or at schoolif you don’t join the world in its sinful ways.
James (one of Jesus’brothers who later believed) draws the line (James 4:4):
“You adulteresses,do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility
toward God? Therefore whoeverwishes to be a friend of the world makes
himself an enemy of God.” You have to choose sides. Whichside are you on?
Coupled with wanting to blend in with the world is the fear of what people
will think if you follow Jesus. It was the fearof the Jewishleaders that kept
many in the multitude from openly believing in Jesus (7:13). So if you want to
coverup your sins and blend in with the world, you will not truly believe in
Jesus.
3. The only saving view of Jesus is that He is both Messiahand Lord.
This is not stateddirectly in our text, but it comes through pretty clearly:

A. Jesus is Messiah.
We see this by the fact that Jesus did not “do His own thing,” but rather He
lived in obedience to the Father’s plan. If Jesus had chosento do so, He could
have been the popular, political Messiahthat the people wanted. They wanted
to make Him king (6:15). He could have gone up to Jerusalem, much like
political candidates today do, workedout a few backroomcompromises and
given some promises for political favors, and He would have been sweptinto
office.
But Jesus was operating on God’s timetable, which ultimately led to the cross.
Here, Jesus tells His brothers (7:6), “My time is not yet here.” He was
probably referring to His time to go up to the feast, as well as to the manner in
which He would go there, not openly, but at first in a quiet, undramatic way.
He knew that He had come to die for our sins, but at the proper time, not in
response to His brothers’ worldly advice. He came to lay down His life for His
sheepin obedience to the Father’s will.
B. Jesus is Lord.
Jesus testifiedto the world that its deeds are evil (7:7). Of course, many of
God’s prophets down through the centuries had done the same thing. But
those prophets always identified themselves with the sins that they preached
against. Their messagewas always, “We have sinned againstthe Lord!”
But Jesus came as the Light shining in the darkness. He could ask (John8:46),
“Which of you convicts Me of sin?” As Petertestified (6:69), Jesus is “the
Holy One of God.” Jesus rightly could call on all people to follow Him with
the promise that He could give them eternal life. As the officers who were sent
to arrest Jesus, but came back without Him, testified (7:46), “Neverhas a man
spokenthe way this man speaks.” Jesus is the Lord God in human flesh. To be

saved, you must believe that Jesus is the Christ (the promised Savior), and
that He is the eternal Sonof God.
Conclusion
To sum up, there are severalimportant applications that we should take away
from these verses:
First, if you grew up in the church and have been familiar with Christian
teaching all your life, do not be fooled into thinking that you are savedby
your familiarity with Jesus. If Jesus’own brothers were not savedby their
connection, it shows that no one is savedby familiarity alone. You must
personally believe in Him as your Saviorfrom sin, the one who bore your
penalty on the cross.
Second, if you have believed in Christ, you must let Him confront your sin so
that you forsake itand walk in the light. Through God’s Word, Jesus tells us
how to think, speak, and actin a godly way. If you are not letting the Word
confront your sins, you are not walking with Jesus.
Finally, if you believe in Jesus as Saviorand Lord, you must be at war with
the world. You are either a friend of the world and an enemy of God or a
friend of God and an enemy of the world. As John wrote (1 John 2:15), “Do
not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the
love of the Fatheris not in him.”
THOMAS CONSTABLE

Verse 12-13
Jesus was a controversialsubjectof conversationat the feast. He provoked
considerable "grumbling" (Gr. goggusmos, cf. John 6:41; John 6:61). Many of
the common people from Judea and pilgrims from elsewheredebatedHis
ministry in private, however, suspecting that their leaders opposedHim.
According to the Talmud, deceiving the people was a crime punishable by
stoning. [Note: Blum, p299.]"The Jews" here clearlyrefers to Israel"s
leaders.
This pericope provides backgroundfor Jesus" ministry in Jerusalemthat
follows. It helps the reader sense the atmosphere of public opinion in which
Jesus then worked.
Before the Feastof the Tabernacle
John 7:1-13
Dr. S. Lewis Johnsondiscusses Jesus'rebuke of his disciples' desire that the
Lord reveal himself before the time of God's plan.
SLJ Institute > Gospelof John > Before the Feastofthe Tabernacle
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[Message]This morning we are turning, as usual, to the Gospelof John and
we are looking now at the opening part of the 7th chapter reading verses 1
through 13 for our Scripture reading. And so if you have a New Testamentor
a Bible with you, turn with me to chapter and we’ll begin with the 1stverse.
Remember that in the 6th chapter the Lord Jesus had performed two mighty
signs, and that had followed with conversationwith the Jews oversome of the
leading spiritual principles that were found within it as a result of some of the
words the Lord spoke concerning the sovereigntyof God. Many of his
disciples went back and walkedno more with him. The Lord Jesus turned to
the twelve and askedthem, “Will ye also go away?” And Peter had replied,
“Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” And Jesus
just reminded Peterthat while it’s true that they were going to stick with him,
nevertheless not all of them would. He reminded Peterthat one of the ones
who he had chosenwas a devil. And of course he was speaking ofJudas
Iscariot. Now, in the 7th chapterJohn writes,
“After these things Jesus walkedin Galilee:for he would not walk in Jewry,
because the Jews soughtto kill him. Now the Jew’s feastoftabernacles was at
hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into
Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. (By the way,
the expression“his brethren” refers to his physical brethren, the brothers
who were the sons of Mary and Joseph. Verse 4,)For there is no man that
doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seekethto be knownopenly. If thou
do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe
in him. Then Jesus saidunto them, My time is not yet come:but your time is
always ready. (Now, notice the expressionas “my time,” not “mine hour” has
not yet come, but my time, my season, my opportunity.) The world cannot

hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereofare
evil. Go ye up unto this feast: I go not unto this feast:for my time is not yet
come. (Now, if you have an Authorized Version, as I have before me, you’ve
noticed that I’ve left out the first “yet” in verse 8. “I go not up yet.” The
reasonfor that is that probably the text should read here, “I go not up unto
this feast, for my time is not yet full come.”)When he had said these words
unto them, he abode still in Galilee. But when his brethren were gone up, then
went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. (Fromthis I
think we learn the meaning of the statement in verse 8, “I am not going up to
this feast.” He means he’s not going up to it now, and he’s not going up to it in
the sense in which the brethren had askedhim to, to go up publicly and
demonstrate his Messiahshipby his mighty works.)Thenthe Jews soughthim
at the feast, and said, Where is he? And there was much murmuring among
the people concerning him: for some said, He is a goodman: others said, Nay;
but he deceiveththe people. Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of
the Jews.”
May God bless this, his inspired word. Our subjectthis morning in the
exposition of the Gospelof John is “Before the FeastofTabernacles Rising
Hostility.” With the 7th chapter of the gospela new sectionof John begins.
And in the opening verses ofthe 7th chapterthe apostle describes some events
that occurredjust before the feastof the tabernacles. The restof chapters 7
and 8 have to do with things that transpired during that greatJewishfeastof
the tabernacles. So thatduring the feastand on and after the last day of the
feastmake up the remainder of the sectionof John’s 7th and 8th chapters.
Mostreaders of John chapter 7 do not find in John chapter 7 the interesting
and intriguing things that they find in chapter 6, but it is nevertheless a
masterly piece of writing. Many warnings againstthe prevalent ills of the
Christian church are found here. Forexample, in the encouragementthat the
brothers of the Lord Jesus made to him that he should go up to Jerusalemand
manifest himself to the world, and thus individuals would respond to him and

to his Messiahshipillustrates one of the banes of the modern church, and that
is it’s worldly policy.
If there is one thing that characterizes professing evangelicalismtodayit is the
tendency to worldly policy. Someone wrote in a rather semi-liberal exposition
of the Gospelof John that some would-be prophets of our day and not a few of
the confident planners have no faith at all in the still small voice, the fire, the
earthquake, and the mighty rushing wind. These are what tell and impress
and gain results. One thing that has impressed me is the fact that our politics,
our sociology, ourother fads and trends have made a greatimpact on the
doctrines of the Christian church, so far as its professing testimony is
concerned. Todaywe have the church in many cases ina mild uproar over the
place of women. Now, the reasonthat this has happened is largely traceable to
the uproar that has takenplace over the place of women in society. But the
place of women in societyshould not, it would seem, have any real impact on
what the Scriptures say about the place of women in the church. But, of
course, we know that that is not true. And so consequentlythe church is torn
and disturbed over the place of women in the church, largely because the
church is now listening to the fads and trends of the time.
This is especiallytrue in the relationship of homosexualityto biblical doctrine.
Now, no one would ever have thought that the Christian church could read
the Old Testamentand the New Testamentand not come to the conviction
that homosexuality was a sin. That was the obvious teaching of the Old
Testament. It is the obvious teaching of the New Testamentand has been for
nineteen hundred years. But today things are different. We are seeing some of
the large professing Christian organizations and denominations torn in two
over the role of homosexuals. Notsimply the role of homosexuals in church
membership and whether they should be members of a church in good
standing, but now over the role of homosexuals in the ministry of the church.
And we have the instance in more than one place of the ordination of

homosexuals for the ministry of the word of God supposedly in the Christian
church.
Now, why and how is such a thing possible? Wellin recent years we are told
biblical scholars have but forward new understanding of those passagesmost
often cited to condemn homosexuality. What are these new interpretations?
Well there have been some attempts, naturally. Some have clearly seenthat if
we are going to make a place for homosexual ministry then we must deal with
the passagesofthe Bible that so plainly teach otherwise. But I think if anyone
would read the interpretations that are put upon those passageshe would see
that it is manifestly an attempt to make the Bible conform to the social
practices ofour day. What we are seeing, it seems to me, is very plainly the
church influenced by the trends and fads and movements of our day.
Now, that was the same principle that moved the brethren of our Lord to
suggestthat he should go to Jerusalemand manifest himself, because that’s
the wayyou do things. You do things through public relations. And if you go
to the city of Jerusalemand perform your miracles there in headquarters,
they will, of course respondto you. There are many other ways in which this
manifests itself. The church’s relationship to money is another. In the
Christian church today we do not follow the biblical principles of money but
rather we follow the principles of the present day. If a movement of if a man
becomes financially in peril, then the thing to do is to send out a prayer letter,
an appeal to the believers to give money in order that the work may not go
under. In Bible times it was not so. In Bible times, so far as I cantell from the
teaching of the New Testament, no one ever made an appealfor money for
himself. It was perfectly all right to appeal for money for the poor saints in
Jerusalembecause those who made the appeal were not the poor saints in
Jerusalem. The apostles and others freely felt that they could call upon the
saints to give for others. But to give for themselves, so far as I cantell not only
does the New Testamentnot recordanything like that, but the whole spirit of
the Bible is opposedto that. In fact John the Apostle puts it very vividly, that

we should “go forth taking nothing of the Gentiles.” In other words, our
appeal is to be to the Lord and in appealing to the Lord we have a wonderful
test of whether we are doing the Lord’s work or not.
Now, in yesterday’s paper here in Dallas some illustrations were given of this
in three of three well knownmen and movements. When they gotinto
financial problems the things that they did were predictable. They sent out
letters in appealfor funds. And the individuals to whom the letters were sent,
not realizing the teaching of the word of God, yielded to the exhortation and
the appeals that were made to them and respondedand got them out of their
difficulties one more time. It’s very characteristic andpredominant in the
lives of individuals who are influenced by the world to use worldly methods in
order to carry on the Lord’s work. I still believe with all my heart that if we
look to the Lord for the supply of the funds necessaryto carry out his work,
we will have a very goodtest of just how much our work is in the will of God.
George Herbet, who was no outstanding Christian once said, “Money, thou
bain of bliss and source of woe.” And we see that so vividly in the Christian
church. But I know my words won’t count for anything, because you’ll go out
and do the same thing you’ve been doing all along. Somebody will send you an
appeal, and you’ll respond to that appeal. Why? I don’t know why, but we
just do not pay attention to what the Scriptures teachany longer it would
seem.
There is anotherthing that appears here that I think is very important, and
that is those within the church accusedJesusChrist of deception. It is no new
evil for men to differ over Jesus Christ, and it’s no new evil for men to differ
over Jesus Christ and over the Scriptures in the very bosom of the church of
Jesus Christ. And right in Jerusalemwhere headquarters of the movement of
God was ostensiblyand outwardly men differed over the ministry of the Lord
Jesus Christ. “Piety and the fear of God are not always outstanding in the
chief places of the church,” one of the old commentators has said. That is so
wonderfully illustrated here, that it ought to warn us that piety and the fearof

God are not necessarilyto be found in what we think are the important places
of evangelicalministry of the word of God.
There is anotherthing that is, I think, outstanding about this passage. And
that is men refuse him out of the closestofrelationships to him. Here are the
brothers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many who read the word of God together
with him in their youth now think that he is nothing more than a Messianic
pretender of sorts who has been able to perform mighty miracles. They have
an understanding and appreciationof his power to perform miracles. But as
John says, “Theywere not believers in him.” Isn’t it an amazing thing when
you think about it, that these individuals grew up under the same roofwith
the Lord Jesus Christbut they did not believe in him? It is possible for us to
have the closesfamiliarity with the Lord Jesus and not really know him. It’s
possible for you to sit in Believers Chapeland not know him. It’s possible for
you young people to grow up in Believers Chapel, to grow up in a Christian
family with a Christian father and a Christian mother and not know the Lord
Jesus Christ in a saving way. How important it is that we lay hold ourselves of
the salvationthat exists in the Lord Jesus Christ. We can never say, “He is a
Christian. His father and mother are Christians. They attend Believers
Chapel.” Or they attend some other evangelicalchurch, and they’ve been
brought up in that environment and canspeak the language as these brethren
of the Lord Jesus were able to do.
I think it’s also interesting to notice that though imposters exist within the
professing body of believers, there are always, it seems, some right thinking
believers in the midst of the confusion and chaos that characterizes Christian
activity. And confusion and chaos characterizedthe days of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Of course, there are those who refusedhim because ofprejudice, but
later on in the chapter we shall dealwith that. People today do think, because
they’re prejudiced againstChristianity that the Bible cannot really say
anything to us. That Christianity is really an irrelevancy. For a personto be
concernedover the state of his soul is somewhatpathological, is it not? All of

these things, this rather insignificant sounding and looking passagespeaks to
us.
The chapter begins with the words, “After these things.” Six months, roughly,
after the events of the preceding chapter, for that was the period of time
betweenthe Feastofthe Passoveraround which the other events were
gatheredand the Feastofthe Tabernacles. Whathappened in betweenis not
given us in the Gospelof John, which illustrates the factthat John is not
giving us a life or a biography of the Lord Jesus. Actually, none of the gospel
writers do that. They write gospels, notbiographies. And so they are very
selective, as a rule, in the things in our Lord’s ministry which they use in their
gospels. The intervening period of time is found described for us in Mark
chapters 7, 8, and 9. And it appears that the Lord Jesus for the six months
engagedin what might be calledan itinerate ministry like a localrabbi’s
itinerate ministry. “After these things Jesus walkedin Galilee:for he would
not walk in Jewry, because the Jews soughtto kill him.” So he engagedin
ministry, an itinerate ministry, in the northern part of the land.
That’s the introduction to the chapter. One thing I think this illustrates for us
is the factthat the Lord Jesus Christ was a very prudent man naturally. “We
must always beware,” some has said, “that we do not for the sake of life lose
the purpose of living.” And our Lord did not rush pale male to Jerusalem
againwhen he knew they were seeking to kill him, because he had a purpose
for living, and he was following the directions that the Father had given him.
And his hour had not yet come. And so he engagedin the itinerate ministry in
the mean time. It is important for us to realize in the mean time that we
should not fail to use our reason, which has been given to us under the
direction of the Holy Spirit simply because we are believers.
Well the occasionofthe events is describedin the secondverse. “Now the
Jew’s feastoftabernacles was athand.” This was a very interesting feast. It

usually occurred, or was supposedto occur, in what is our month of October.
It was a harvest thanksgiving feastprimarily. It was designedto celebrate the
wilderness blessings that the Lord had given to the nation Israel. These things
had become attachedto it. And so at that time they celebratedthe way in
which God brought them through their wilderness experience in the past. And
so they had a libation every morning. The waterwas poured out in a
ceremonyto celebrate the fact that when they were thirsty and had no water,
God supplied them with water. And then in the evening they would light the
candelabra in testimony to the fact that God guided them through the
wilderness with the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. It was
also, of course, a time at which people came from all over the land, and in fact
all over the Easterworld to celebrate it. And so it was calledthe Feastof
Tabernacles,becausethey made little booths out of boughs off of trees and
shrubbery and lived in these little booths like so many tents. It reminds of the
camp meetings that Christians used to hold in the south in the earlier part of
this century. So it was a kind of a Jewishcamping festival, Goodspeedsays.
But if we call it a Jewishcamping festival we lose sight of the factthat it had
an important spiritual significance. Ultimately it pointed on to the day of the
future when the nation Israelshould be gatheredtogetherin the land for the
celebrationof the FeastofTabernacles in the kingdom.
Well, the brethren of our Lord, because they were going up to Jerusalemto
celebrate this feast, knowing that he too would most likely go up, came to him
and said, “Departhence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see
the works that thou doest. Forthere is no man that doeth any thing in secret,
and he himself seekethto be known openly. If thou do these things, shew
thyself to the world.” Now that is imminently rational advice. If you are
manifesting yourself to the world, do you do that by hiding? Is it not to be
expectedif you are going to manifest yourself to the world you should go up
where the world is and there perform some of your miracles. And in
performing some of your miracles they will come to the conviction that you
are truly the Messiah. Furthermore, Jesus, they might have said to him, “Do
you not remember that six months ago when you were there you spoke some
rather hard words about sovereignsovereignty. Something that Dr. Johnson

will later speak aboutin Believers Chapel. [Laughter] And it upset quite a few
of the people, because many of your disciples went back and walkedno more
with you, do you remember? And so if you go back now and perform some
miracles you canprobably also not only gain recognitionas a Messianic
possibility, but also you can get some of your disciples back who used to follow
you but who are not following you now, because you’re preaching the doctrine
of sovereignsovereignty.” It would have made imminent goodsense. The only
thing is that it was not in accordancewith the will of God for the Lord Jesus
Christ.
It’s so easyto rationalize and to make things that are wrong appear, not only
to be right, but most reasonablyright. How important it is that we have good
theology. “Shew yourselfto the world.” It was a worldly suggestion. Go up to
the headquarters of religion today; let them pass judgment on you. Now, what
made it even more difficult to dealwith is the fact that it was true in one sense.
He is to manifest himself ultimately in Jerusalem. That’s the place that the
Messianic possibilities shouldmanifest themselves. The Messiahis to be seen
as the Messiahparticularly in Jerusalem, as the final testimony of it. But Jesus
said, “I do not receive honor from men.” That’s a statement that he’s already
made.
Now, the brethren, of course, believe not in the Lord Jesus Christ. And John
traces their worldly reasoning to their unbelief. He says in the 5th verse,
“For,” this is why they said this, “neither did his brethren believe in him.”
Now I, it seems to me, this passageteachesaboutas clearly as any other
passagecouldteachthat carnal relationship to the Lord Jesus Christis
absolutely worthless so far as eternal life is concerned. Now you and I, of
course, do not have the possibility of the fleshly relationship to him that his
own brethren had. But it’s obvious that we may have a very close relationship
to people who are related to him. All of those relationships Jesus Christ
disowns in so far as eternal life is concerned.

One day he was preaching and in the midst of his preaching someone blurted
out, “Blessedis the womb that bear Thee, and the breasts that Thou didst
suck.” In other words, blessedis the mother who gave birth to you and upon
whose breastyou were nurtured. The Lord Jesus said, “Yea, rather, blessed
are they that hear the word of God.” In other words, he denied the earthly
relationship; the fleshly relationship in so far as spiritual blessing was
concerned, and acknowledgedthat that came through hearing the word of
God. One can see that when large church organizations appeal
rationalisticallyto pray through the mother of our Lord. For she has great
influence upon him. How far that thinking is from the thinking of the apostles,
“Blessedare they that hear the word of God.” Now we do not in any way
denigrate the Virgin Mary. She was a godly woman. And her godliness is
expressedmost imminently when she said that her soulrejoicedin God her
Savior. “And whatsoeverhe saith unto you, do it.”
Now, I sayit was a very reasonable kind of request. The Lord Jesus deals with
it very abruptly. In the 6th verse through the 9th verse he gives his reasons for
refusing to go at this time. Then Jesus saidunto them, “My time is not yet
come.” Now notice he does not say, “Mine hour,” that usually is a reference to
the cross. This, however, is his time to go up for the Feastof Tabernacles. My
time has not yet come, the word that is used here is the Greek expression
kairos, which means something like opportunity or season. The other word
hour is the Greek wordhora, which means “hour.” So my time, my season,
my opportunity to go up has not yet come, but your time is always ready.
What did he mean by that? Why I think the simplest understanding of this is
that he meant you may always go up to Jerusalemwithout any fear of any
difficulty, because you are of the world. And the world, as he will saylater, the
world loves its own. But I’m not of the world. In fact, the world hates me. And
therefore I must use prudence and be sure that I go up at the beck and call of
my Fatherin heaven. My time, my season, my opportunity has not yet come,
but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but me it hateth.
That tells you a greatdeal about the attitude of the world to the Lord Jesus
Christ. He was hated by the world.

Now, later on in this gospelhe will go into more detail about this. He will say
he was actually hated by the world. And furthermore he wills ay that all of his
disciple may expectto be hated by the world. If we are never hated by the
world, one has goodreasonto say, “Am I really a disciple of the Lord Jesus
Christ in the way that he would have me to be a disciple of him? How is it that
the world loves me, but it hates the one whom I’m supposedto represent?”
Me, it hates. Now, isn’t it striking that in spite of the factthat the Lord Jesus
Christ was hated, he was at perfectpeace. Lateron he will speak about his
peace. He will say that he conveys his peace to them. He gives his peace to
them, and in the midst of it all he feels at perfectpeace even with the world.
Why is this? How is it that an individual can be so hated by the world and yet
at the same time in such peace? Why, I have some friends that cannot be
really happy if one of their friends is saying things about them that upset
them. They find it very difficult to be at peace. The Lord Jesus Christ was
assailedconstantly, but he was in perfect peace.
A few years ago I read of a greatand goodman who was assailedin his public
life from some quarters by ferocious persistence ofmisrepresentationand
dislike that was nothing short of venomous. So much so that finally an
individual askedthis man, “How is that you can stand these criticisms that
men falselybring concerning you?” He said, “I’m happy at home, and given
that a man canface anything.” Well, I think that’s true. When a man is
perchance standing for something that is right and he is assailedfor it, if he is
happy at home he can find a place of peace. The Lord Jesus was happy at
home. Now, he was not happy at home such as you and I might be happy at
home. We might be assailedby people out in the world, and we go home to
our husbands or to our wives and our children, and there we have a respite.
We have a place where we are happy. I do appreciate that. I have such a
place. But Jesus did not even have that. He had not where he could lay his
head. Where was his home? Why his home was in heaven. He was happy at
home, because he was in right relationship with his Father. That’s the

ultimate happiness. That’s the happiness that will sustainus in all of the
experiences oflife, to be right with him.
Now then, his journey to Jerusalemis describedin the final words. After he
has said to them, “You go on up to the feast. I am not going to this feast. “He
means I am not in process ofdoing it now and particularly as you want me to
do with those motives. “My time has not yet come. When he had said these
words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.” He did not go. But when his
brethren were gone up, and usually they went up in crowds, and so the great
crowds went up. He also went up unto the feast, not openly, not in
manifestation. And in fact the adverb that’s used to describe our Lord’s going
up, not manifestly, is derived from the same root of this exhortation that they
addressedto him, “Show thyself to the world.” So he specificallyreversedthe
advice that they gave to him and did not do what they suggested;it was a
worldly suggestion. He went up not openly but as it were, in secret. Then the
Jews soughthim at the feast. They expectedJesus to be there. They knew he
was a personwho observed the feasts and observedthe Law of Moses, andso
they lookedabout for him. And they were saying, “Where is he?” And there
was a greatdeal of murmuring among the people.
Now, that word usually mean murmuring in a bad sense ofcomplaining
againstGod. But in this case it most likely refers to quiet discussion. In other
words, they were discussing the relationship of the Lord Jesus Christ to the
things that were happening in the land. It was quiet discussionon the street
corners and perhaps in what were the cafes andrestaurants of the time. And
they kept their conversationon a rather mild level because offear of the
authorities. Isn’t it interesting that in the discussionsome were saying he’s a
goodman. Others were saying, “No, he deceiveth the people.” Oh the peril of
poor theology. Here were individuals who were aware ofhis characterbut
unaware of his nature. They knew him for what he was outwardly. They knew
him as a goodman. But they had not yet graspedthe fact that he was not only
a goodman, but he was the divine Son of God. You see, theologyreally does

count. Ultimately our lives depend our theology. They had a good
understanding of the effects ofour Lord’s ministry among the people, but
they had not yet come to graspwho he was.
And today there are people just like that. I think there are some like that in
Believers Chapel. And there are some perhaps here today like that. They
think of the Lord Jesus Christ as a goodman, but they are not really aware of
the factthat he was not simply a good man, but the divine Son of God. And I
want to say to you with all of the urgency that I can, if you do not come to
know him as the divine Son of God, you may pass from this earthly existence
out into separationfrom the triune God. Come to Christ. Come to him who is
the divine Son of God and restyourself upon him.
There are three significant lessons.I’ll just mention them, because our time is
really up. Proximity to Jesus Christ does not preclude perishing. In verse 7 we
read, “The world cannot hate you, but me it hateth.” It’s not enough to be a
human being in order to be saved. In verse 12 we read, “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.” It’s not enough to have
the proper nationality to have Christ. And finally in verse 5 we read, “For
neither did his brethren believe in him.” It’s not enough to have membership
in the family physically to have Christ. It isn’t enough to be a human being. It
isn’t enough to be a member of a particular nationality. It isn’t enough to be a
member of a particular church, as Israel was. It’s not enough to be related to
him in a personalphysical way. Proximity to Jesus Christmay be the place
from which men proceedto hell fire.
One thief on the cross right by his side heard the Lord Jesus sayto him,
“Today, thou shalt be with me in paradise.” The other thief passedfrom the
side of Christ, the very side physically of the Lord Jesus into eternal
separationfrom God. To one of the thieves he said, “Thoushall be with me in

paradise today.” That’s the refutation of sacramentalism, for he didn’t have
time to be baptized. It’s the refutation of purgatory, because he said, “Today
thou shall be with me in paradise.” It’s the refutation of universalism. He did
not say, “Todayye shall be with me in paradise,” but “Todaythou,” the
believing thief, “Thoushall be with me in paradise.” It’s the best illustration I
know of “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.” That’s all
the dying thief had, the Lord Jesus Christ in his saving word.”
Secondly, religion without personalfaith brings ruin. Here are individuals, the
brethren, who believed in his powerto perform mighty works but they were
lost. Religionwithout personalfaith is useless.And finally, impact with deity
brings conflictin humanity. I know it’s very distasteful to people to hear
words like these that I’m going to read. But they are the words of Jesus
Christ. This is what he said, “I am come to send fire on the fire. And what will
I, if it be already kindled? I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I
straighteneduntil it be accomplished. Suppose ye that I am come to give peace
on earth? I tell you, No, but rather division. Forfrom henceforththere shall
be five in one house divided, three againsttwo and two againstthree. The
father shall be divided against the son, and the sonagainstthe father; the
mother againstthe daughter and the daughter againstthe mother.” Now the
last two illustrations we can understand, because they happen constantly,
“The mother-in-law againsther daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law
againsther mother-in-law,” but for different reasons. Jesus said, “Ihave not
come to bring peace onthe earth, I have come to bring division.”
The words of Jesus Christ and salvationthrough him ought to ultimately
divide men one from another. The Apostle Paul said, “We the apostles are a
saverof life unto life, and of death unto death.” Forthose who are on the way
to perishing, we are death unto death. Forthose who are the way unto being
saved, we are life unto life.” The ministry of the gospelof the Lord Jesus
Christ is a dividing thing. Oh may God deliver us from division to death. The
two thieves illustrate it beautifully. Even the sun that shines from heaven,

shines on the plants illustrates it, for the branch that is not in living touch with
the trunk is slain by the rays of the sun, while the branch in living vital union
is helped by it. The same Sun that melts the butter hardens the clay, it has
been said. Why is it that Jesus Christdivides men? Because ofsin.
I read a story, which I had in my notes. I had completely forgottenit, about a
man who preachedthe gospelamong some English fishermen. His subjectwas
justification and he was trying to make Christ’s work on the cross clearand
plain, and finally he askedthe men the question, “Now will one of you tell me
in your own words what the Lord Jesus Christ did on the cross?” And an old
fisherman who had been deeply moved by the message,with some tears in his
eyes lookedup at the preacherand answered, “He swappedwith me.” Words
that ultimately are explained by the penal substitutionary sacrifice ofthe Lord
Jesus Christ. Our salvation is only in him.
One might ask the question, what happened to the brethren of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Well, I wish I knew what happened to all of them. What about James
and Joses, andSimon, and Judas who are mentioned specificallyin Matthew
13 as the brothers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, we know they later came to
faith in Jesus Christ, because Acts chapter1 in verse 14 states as much. Of
Joses,church tradition does not tell us anything else. Early Christian writers
tell us that Simon became a devoted servant of the Lord Jesus formany years.
James we know a greatdeal about, because James became the leaderof the
church in Jerusalem. He was knownas “Old CamelKnees” because
supposedly he spent so much time in prayer that his knees were affected
physically by it and lookedlike the knees ofa camel. He became a servantof
the Lord Jesus Christand when he wrote his book, the Epistle of James, he
describes himself as, “James a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
This man has come to faith in Christ and calls his own brother, the Lord Jesus
Christ. And then there’s Judas, or Jude as we know him, who wrote the
Epistle of Jude. Jude describes himself also as a servant of Jesus Christ. And
then in his book he speaks aboutlooking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus

Christ unto eternallife. He too came to understand the mercy of God in
Christ. That’s my prayer for you this morning.
[Prayer] Father, we are grateful to Thee for these magnificent statements that
the Apostle John has given to us. We thank Thee for the divisive powerof the
gospelof Jesus Christ, because we know that Thou dost rejoice in the things
that are pleasing to the triune God and exalt the name of the triune God.
There are many things that we do understand, but Lord we pray if there
should be some in this audience who have not come to faith in Christ, who like
the world of Jesus’day have hated him. Oh God, deliver them from their sin
and guilt and condemnationand hatred of the Lord Jesus Christand bring
them to repentance and faith and to the place where they look for the mercy
of God through…
JOHN MACARTHUR
They were saying, “Where is He? Where is He?” And He wasn’tthere where
they could see Him, but there was much mumbling, murmuring among the
crowds concerning Him. He was the topic of whispers. “Where is He?
Where’s Jesus?” Theyall knew He was a miracle worker. The people in
Judea knew it. The people in Galilee knew it. They had all convergedinto the
place. He was the topic of discussion. Theycouldn’t find Him. People were
talking about Him, and some were saying, “He’s a goodman.” And others
were saying, “No, on the contrary, He’s a deceiver.” Verse 13, no one was
speaking openly of Him for fearof the Jews. That’s how much power those
Jewishleaders had in that legalistic apostasyJudaistic system. People were
afraid to give an opinion.
And they all knew that they wanted Jesus dead. They all knew that. They
wanted Him dead. They wanted Him killed. So they were afraid to say

anything. This is the power of this horrible legalistic system. So He comes
down, privately, secretly, kind of sneaking His waythrough Samaria. And
He’s in Judea now betweenthe Feastof Tabernaclesandthe feast – the
Passoverwhere He will present Himself and be crucified. In those intervening
months, He ministers in Judea, and it’s all recorded in Luke 9 to 19. That
whole sectionof Luke.
If you have a copy of One PerfectLife, you can see how that kind of goes in
the chronology. So He’s ministering there, and Luke records all of that
wonderful, wonderful sectionof Luke’s Gospel. But He refused to go to
Jerusalem. He stayed in the villages and the towns and the small places. He
refused to go to Jerusalemand declare Himself messiahuntil the next
Passover. And that would be His lastPassoverleadto his murder.
Just to say this, He is operating on a divine schedule. Nothing in His life is
random. Nothing in His life is unplanned. Nothing goes wrong. Everything is
according exactlyto God’s eternalpurpose. This is one of the great evidences
of His deity. One of the greatconfidences that assure us that He was who He
claimed to be.
Mark it. This againproves Him to be the sonof God. They didn’t like His
words. They didn’t like that He said He was from heaven. They didn’t like
that He said He was the only bread. They didn’t like that He said He could
give eternallife, and He was the only one who could give eternal life. He
didn’t buy those words. Theydidn’t buy that He was going to give His flesh
for the life of the world. They weren’t willing to eatHis flesh and drink His
blood, acceptHis death.
And I’ll tell you right now, they really didn’t like that He testified to them that
their deeds were what? Were evil. If you had an opportunity to stand before
the leaders of any place that you might work or any schoolorthe faculty of a
university or some group of important people, would you launch on the fact
that their deeds are evil and start spelling them out? What would you assume
would be the reaction? Yeah, of course. You’d be thrown out. With the fear
of man and the fall and need to be acceptedand loved by people, we tend to
shy awayfrom the boldness that Christ had.

G. CAMPBELLMORGAN
At that time He was the centre of interestin Jerusalem. He was the One
around Whom the thoughts of all the multitudes were gathered. By this time
His fame had spreadwider and wider afield, and thousands upon thousands
had lookedupon Him, had heard Him on many occasions;and many in the
countryside were in health because ofHis healing. Therefore " there was
much murmuring among the multitudes concerning Him; some said, He is a
goodMan; others said, Not so, but He leadeth the multitude astray." He went
up into the midst of that confusion and that questioning, and that curious
interest; and "no man spake openly of Him for fear of the Jews."The
atmosphere is revealedin that statement. The growing and bitter hostility of
all authority was so evident, that if people talkedabout Him they did it under
their breath.
So we come to the secondmovement, and we see Him in connectionwith the
rulers.
"Whenit was now in the midst of the feastJesus wentup into the Temple."
That would be about the fourth day. Three days had run their course. How
long He was there before, we cannot tell; but now He went openly into the
Temple, and began to teach. He knew the hostility. Had He not told His
brethren so; but He went up. There was something to be said at that feast.
One of His greatestutterances mustbe spokenthere and then. There is no
accountgiven here of the early stages ofHis teaching; but what John does
record, is the effectproduced upon those people by His teaching. The Temple

in Jerusalemwas the home and centre of all the learning of the national life.
Of His teaching there we are told, "The Jews therefore marvelled." Marvelled
I For the time being any outburst of hostility was suppressed. Theysaid,
"How knoweth this Man letters, having never learned?"
RICH CATHERS
7:10-13 Back to Jerusalem
:10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also wentup to the feast, not
openly, but as it were in secret.
:10 openly … secret – These are the same words that Jesus’ brother used back
in verse 4. Jesus is doing just the opposite of what they were telling Him to do.
:11 Then the Jews soughtHim at the feast, and said, “Where is He?”
The lasttime Jesus had been in Jerusalem(Jn 5:1) was when He had healed
the lame man at Bethesda. It was during one of these “feasts”.
Apparently the Jewishleaders were expecting Jesus to show up again.
:12 And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him.
Some said, “He is good”;others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the
people.”
(Jn 7:12 The Message)…Butothers said, “Notso. He’s selling snake oil.”
:13 However, no one spoke openlyof Him for fear of the Jews.
:13 fearof the Jews – Later on, we will see that the Jewishreligious leaders
will make a decree that anyone who said that Jesus was the Messiahwould be
removed from their localsynagogue.
A man who was born blind (John 9) will be healedby Jesus. Becausehe told
people that Jesus had healed him, he would be “castout” of the synagogue.

Attending the synagogue was so important to people. Being “castout” was not
a fun thing.
It meant that all your socialties would cease.
It meant that all your friends would disappear.
In a way, it was kind of like being cut off from God!
To this day, it’s a very difficult thing for an Orthodox Jew to come to Jesus,
because their family will disown them, they will go through a ceremonyand
proclaim you a “non-son”.
Lesson
Who is Jesus?
There’s a lot riding on your answer. Paul wrote,
(Ro 10:9 NKJV) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and
believe in your heart that God has raisedHim from the dead, you will be
saved.
If you have the right answer, that Jesus is the Lord, you will be saved.
It’s also important that you are open with your answer. Jesus said,
(Mt 10:32–33NKJV) —32 “Therefore whoeverconfessesMe before men, him
I will also confess before MyFather who is in heaven. 33 But whoeverdenies
Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
Illustration:
Auxensius was a great commander under the Emperor Lycinius. Lycinius
came one day into a courtyard of his palace where there was a great pool, and
some vines growing about it, with the image of the god Bacchus setup among
the vines. The emperor commanded Auxensius to draw his sword, cut off a
bunch of grapes, and offer it at the feetof Bacchus, acknowledging him to be a
god. Auxenisius answered, “I am a Christian; I will not do it.” “What!Not do

it at my command?” said the emperor; “then you must resignyour
commission.” “With all my heart, sir,” said the Christian soldier, and taking
off his armor, left glad that he was able to withstand the temptation.
Sometimes it’s difficult to open up about your belief in Jesus. It takes some of
us a little longer to open up than it does others.
But at some point you need to let people know where you stand, that you are a
believer.
The people you’re hiding it from are the very people who need to know.
Have you been a “closetChristian” too long?
John: Who is He
Sermon by Derek Thomas on January 8, 2003
John 7:1-53
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John 7
Who is He?
Turn with me to John 7. We’re working our way through the gospelof John
and we are going to attempt to look at the whole of this chapter this evening.
Hear the word of God as we find it in chapter 7 beginning at the first verse.

John 7
May God bless the reading of His word. May we pray together.
Father, we thank you for Your word. Bless us now as we turn to Your word
and help us to profit from it. For Jesus’sake,Amen.
In 1714, a child was born illegitimately to an English barmaid from Gloster,
England. Twenty-one years later in 1735, as a student in Pembroke College in
Oxford while attending Wesley’s Holy Club, he was reading Henry Scrougal’s
The Life of God in the Soul of Man and he was convertedon the eve, as it so
happens, of The GreatAwakening. He was to make thirteen journeys, two-
month journeys, across to the colonies preaching and testifying to the grace of
God in Jesus Christ. Tens of thousands of people were converted under his
ministries. He’s buried in Massachusetts. As a twenty-one year-old, a bishop
urged him with the words of John 7:37 “Let anyone who is thirsty come unto
Me.” I’m speaking, ofcourse, of George Whitfield, perhaps one of the greatest
evangelists that has ever lived.
We’re in the middle of John chapter 7; it’s the Feastof Tabernacleswhichis
one of the great annual feasts of the Jews. It occurredin Septemberand
October. It commemoratedthe in gathering of the crops. It was something
like harvest festival. Maybe harvestfestival started its life basedon something
like the Feastof Tabernacles. Ithink there is some argument to be said along
those lines. It was certainly one of the favorite feasts of the Jews. It lasted a
whole week and the children would be allowedto build ramshackle booths
with palms with bits of twig and woodand so on the top of the houses and they
would be able to sleepout there at night. There would be specialfood. You
could imagine that children loved the FeastofTabernacles.

There was excitement in Jerusalemon this particular occasionbecause Jesus
was there. And the last time Jesus was in JerusalemHe had healeda man on
the Sabbath and it had causedan uproar especiallyamongstthe Pharisees and
the Sanhedrin and the Jews because, according to them, He had broken the
Sabbath laws. And we read now in verse 1 of chapter7 that there were those
Jews who were seeking to kill Him. And that’s the first thing I want us to see
as we look at this chaptertogether. There is a widespreadconfusionas to the
identity of Jesus in this chapter.
I. Who is Jesus ofNazareth?
Who is this man performing these miracles, doing these might works. Who
exactly is He? You heard all the questions there as we read the chapter. He’s
not this, is He? He’s not that, is He? They’re asking all manner of questions.
There are four discernable groups of people in this chapter. The first are what
we might callthe Galileanfolk. These are the people that we’ve been looking
at and watching in chapter6 of John’s gospel. You remember they had been
crisscrossing the northeastshore of the Sea of Galilee following Jesus from
one side of the sea to the other. Some of these have now come down to
Jerusalembecause it’s the FeastofTabernacles,and they’re still agog by all
the things that Jesus has done. They would have stoodout in Jerusalem;their
accentwould have been different, their clothes would have been different, the
food that they brought down with them would have been different. Many of
these were beginning to think that perhaps Jesus was the prophet, perhaps He
was the Messiah, perhaps He was the Christ.
Then in verse 35, John identifies the Judeancrowd or, as John calls them, the
Jews;and he means Jews, probably to distinguish the Judeans from the
dwellers in Galilee. He doesn’t specificallymean Jews in Jerusalem, but Jews
who lived in Judea as opposedto northern Galilee. They were much less sure

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