John 7 Feast of Tabernacles 

The narrative of the 7^th chapter of John centers around the time of the feast of tabernacles which was one of the three feasts that the children of Israel were to observe.  The following passages of scripture give us details about the feast of tabernacles:   

a. Lev. 23:34-43

b. Deu. 16:13-15

c. Deu. 31:10-13

d. Ezra 3:4

e. Neh. 8:14-18. 

From the above passages we glean concerning the feast of tabernacles: 

a. It took place at the end of harvest.

b. It was a season of rejoicing for the blessings of God upon the harvest and giving thanks to God for his blessings.

c. It was a time of memorial of when the Lord delivered the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage into the wilderness where they dwelt in booths.

d. During this feast the law was to be read that God established with the children of Israel and delivered unto them by the hand of Moses.

e. The feast was to be observed yearly.

f. The children of Israel were to make and dwell in booths out of intertwined branches of various trees.

g. There were to be daily sacrifices of burnt offerings.

h. The feast was observed from the 15^th day of the 7^th month for a period of seven days.

i. The 1^st and the 8^th day were to be holy convocations and Sabbath days. 

John 7 Verses 1-9 

John 7:1 “After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. 4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world. 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. 7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. 8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come. 9 When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.” 

“After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.”  The Lord had withdrawn back into Galilee over the controversy of the Jews seeking to kill him.  The reason they sought to kill him was because he had healed a man on the Sabbath Day.  These Jews manifested their hard-heartedness as they sought to kill the Lord rather than rejoice over a man being delivered by the mighty power of God from his awful condition in which he had been held for 39 years.   

“Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.”  It was the time of the year that the Jews were to observe the feast of tabernacles beginning in the 7^th month and the 15^th day of the month. 

“His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. 4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world.”  The gist of this statement by the Lord’s brethren is that they wanted the Lord to manifest to the world what had been done in Galilee.  This shows that the Lord’s brethren did not believe he was the Christ but some kind of magician as the next verse said: “For neither did his brethren believe in him.” 

“Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.  The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.”  From this we gather that the Lord’s brethren were a part of the world system at this time and happy with it as the world could not hate them.  In contrast, the world hated Jesus because he testified of it and declared that the works thereof are evil. 

“Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come.”  The Lord told his brethren to go on up to the feast, but he would not go yet unto the feast for his time was not yet full come.  The Lord’s time as we have seen previously is the hour of his death, burial, and resurrection.  At the Lord’s time the spiritual fulfillment that the feast signified would be completed.   

“When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.” 

John 7 Verses 10-13 

John 7:10 “But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? 12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. 13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.” 

Much of the 7^th chapter of the book of John shows us the general and confused thoughts of the Jewish people at the time of the Lord’s ministry.  No doubt Jesus had made a stir among the people and they were divided in their opinions of him.  The Jews sought him at the feast for the reason that they were seeking to kill him because he had healed a man who had been bound in his illness for 39 years and that he had declared himself to be the Son of God.  The Jews expected Jesus to be at the feast because all the males were supposed to be at the feast according to the law.   

When Jesus went up in secret, the Jews were asking, “Where is he?”  They were desirous to find him and to kill him.   

“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.”  Public opinion was divided among the people.  Some were saying, “He is a good man.”  While this is true and those who said it were justified in saying it because of the compassion Jesus had shown unto the man who was healed, yet, Jesus is much more than that.  Others said, “Nay; but he deceiveth the people.”  They accused him of being a deceiver because in their mind he had broken the Sabbath and through his miracles was deceiving the people into believing he was a good man.   

“Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.”  From this we surmise that the leaders of the Jews had warned the people there would be retribution toward anyone who spake well of Jesus or defended him.  Their hatred for Jesus was greatly manifest.