Day 296—We are in the TENTH month of Bible reading and studying the New Testament Gospels.

    Day 296 – John 7 – 8 (teaching in Jerusalem, different opinions about Him, Living water, the condemned woman, Light & truth taught, accusations)

His “hour” that Jesus spoke about is getting nearer. As He teaches strong truth in Jerusalem, there is more push-back, accusations, and persecution.

John 7.  The Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) is near, and Jesus delays leaving because there is “murder” in the air. His unbelieving siblings taunt him, “Why don’t you go show yourself to the world!”  “My time has not yet fully come,” Jesus answers, but later, when the traffic has thinned out, He goes.  The religious leaders look for Him in the crowds. This made the people afraid to speak up for Him.

But suddenly, He appears in the temple, teaching the words and will of God, with authority. Of course, He stirs up a hornet’s nest among the teachers of the law. But the people are confused.  “Isn’t this the man they want to kill? But here He is speaking openly, and they do nothing.”  Indeed, they WERE seeking to arrest Him but weren’t able.  And many of the people believed in Him.

On the last day of the feast, the tradition was that the priests carried a golden container of water from the Pool of Siloam to the temple, where it was offered in sacrifice to God, symbolizing the blessing of adequate rainfall.  Jesus used this as an object lesson by standing and speaking.

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water. (Zechariah 13:1)

When the people heard these words, some said he was “the Prophet” while others said, “This is the Christ.” But there was discord because they thought Jesus had come from Galilee. Didn’t the Christ come from Bethlehem?

Officers sent by the chief priests and Pharisees to arrest Jesus returned empty-handed. “No one spoke like this man!” they exclaimed. The religious leaders asked them if they’d been deceived, too.

“Have any Pharisees believed in Him???  This crowd that does not know the law is accursed!”

Nicodemus – yes, that guy – stands and says, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”

“What!” they shouted. “Are you from Galilee too?  Search and see, no prophet arises from Galilee.”  (So much for their fact-checking!)

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John 7.  Jesus went to the Mount of Olives overnight, then back to the temple in the early morning.  He sat down and taught the people as a rabbi would do.  But the scribes and Pharisees disrupted this teaching by bringing a bedraggled woman into the crowd and throwing her down before Jesus.

“Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.  Now, in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such a woman.  What do YOU say?  (Of course, they were trying to catch Him in a trap.)

A pause while Jesus doodles in the dirt.  “Let him who is without sin among YOU be the first to throw a stone at her.”   One by one, from the older ones first, they all went away.  Of course, Jesus, who was without sin and the only “legit” one to stone her, remained.

“Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned You.”   At her negative response, Jesus added, “Neither do I condemn you; go and from now on sin no more.”

Again, regarding the Feast of Booths, Jesus used another tradition – the lighting of four large lamps in the Court of the Women in a celebration of joy, with the singing of Levitical praises.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

This brings another debate contest with the Pharisees about WHO Jesus claims to be, where he comes from, and whom He said was His Father.  They get it all wrong. Jesus, the Son of God, gets it all correct.  Many who listened to this great debate believed in Jesus.

Jesus tells these new believers, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “If the Son sets you free, you will be free, indeed.”

Jesus and the leaders argue more about being children of Abraham (boasting with thumbs in suspenders).  Nope, Jesus says, your father is the Devil, a murderer, deceiver, and liar.

No, YOU have a demon, they argue back. And maybe you are a Samaritan as well. Then, they ask him a question that they are NOT PREPARED to have answered.  “Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?  WHO do you make yourself out to be???”

“Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”   JESUS WAS CLAIMING THAT HE WAS GOD (YHVH). “I AM” was God’s covenant name with Israel.

So, they picked up stones to throw at him (for blasphemy), but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.  (another of his invisibility cloaks at work)