Jesus Speaks at the Festival of Tabernacles

Read John Chapter 7

Jesus’s brothers asked him to go to the festival and show the world his powers. They are mocking him at this point, and he tells them no. The Greek word that he uses here meant yet.  He did decide to go, just without his family and in private.  Jesus shows up halfway through and festival and begins to teach at the temple courts.  This is a place is typically reserved for the educated rabbi to teach.  The crowd is amazed at his teaching and start to question where he had been taught.  Jesus says, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.  Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent his is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.  Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the lay. Why are you trying to kill me?” 

The crowd begins to ask why you demon are possessed. Jesus answers stating that he did one miracle on the sabbath and yet you try to fulfill Moses law by circumcising on the sabbath when it falls on the 8th day.  He asks them why this is okay buy healing a man is not.  We see that Christ is brazen in his statements.  He does not cower down and let the masses dictate what he says.  He does not try and hide the truth of why he is there.  He knew when he was telling his brothers he wouldn’t go to the festival with them that the pharisees would try and arrest him.  He still went.  He still spoke Gods message. He showed up no matter the consequence.

Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, help us to stand firm in your word.  Encourage us to memorize your word so that we may wear it in our hearts.  This way when ever the need may arise, we will be able to answer the world with your truth.   We pray for knowledge and understanding of your word Lord.  Give us courage Father to stand firm in your word and not back down when the world tells us we are wrong.  Help us to be brazen like Jesus.  That we will always speak your truth.