John 7:10-24

Read John 7:10-24 

Helpful Background Information:

• When Jesus brought up the Law that Moses had recorded, Jesus was showing them the fault in their own logic. The religious leaders had made God’s law the priority of their religion, leaving behind faith and relying on their works to save them. By bringing up this exception required in the Law, Jesus shows how the point of the Law was to reveal the sinfulness of man, not to save them from their sins (Romans 3:20). The Law was meant to be followed by the faithful, to whom salvation belonged (Hebrews 11:1-2), as they waited for the coming Messiah, who is Jesus. 

• Circumcision was important for the Jewish people because of the covenant that God made with Abraham in Genesis 17:9-14, representing God’s promise to make Abraham the father of nations. This requirement was also required under the Law that Moses established, specifically referencing circumcision in Leviticus 12:2. However, under the New Covenant revealed in the New Testament, Christians are not required to be circumcised for the sake of salvation, as described in Acts 15:1-11.

• The people were confused at why Jesus said that they were trying to kill him, but, in John 5:18, it is said that the Jewish leaders were looking for a way to kill Jesus. These verses directly follow the account of the invalid in John 5:1-15. Jesus taught and ministered in a way that angered the religious leaders, leading to a continual persecution against Jesus that eventually lead to His crucifixion. 

Reflection Questions: 

• The Jewish people were taught by their leaders that they needed to earn their salvation by doing the right things. It is easy for Christians to also slip into this mindset of earning salvation from God through works. Take a look at your daily life, what are ways that you might be living as though you need to earn your salvation? What can your next steps be in laying this at Jesus' feet?

• Jesus’ people are saved by grace, through faith. With that in mind, what is the point of doing good works and spreading the gospel if it is not a requirement of salvation? (For more about this, read Ephesians 2:8-10)

• It might be difficult to understand why the religious leaders would hate Jesus when their reasoning was that Jesus was healing the sick. However, it was their pride that blinded them to the truth of who Jesus is. In what ways might your pride affect the way that you look at your relationship with Christ? How might your pride be holding you back from relying on Him, especially when it is not comfortable?