Chapter 7
When: sometime after the previous Passover. I noted that particular Passover was either the 2nd or the 3rd one in Jesus’ 3-year ministry because when reading all of John, it’s not clear to me which one it is – His 4th/last Passover begins in Chapter 12
Where: He’s back in Galilee based out of his hometown.
v. 2 I’m beginning to think the Jews are part cajun – they party and feast all the time.
3 – 5 it’s hard to believe that Jesus’ own brothers didn’t believe and even wanted Him to go into Jerusalem where they indicate that they knew He would be killed.
v. 6 & 8 His time is not yet at hand / has not yet fully come – means the time to be killed.
Chapter 7: Verse 53 The Pharisees each went to his home, supposedly to search the Scriptures/God’s Word to find a way to condemn Jesus.
Chapter 8
8:1 While the Pharisees did that, Jesus, Who is God and Who wrote the very scriptures they are searching, went to the Mount of Olives to talk to God Himself. What a great contrast.
4-5: The Pharisees caught the woman in the very act of adultery, so they must have set it up themselves as a way to do what follows to Jesus (did they devise this plan during their search mentioned in 7:53?). Also indicates that they did not bring the man, with whom they must have arranged this ploy, since the Law would’ve also condemned him.
6: John 18:31 shows that the Roman law did not allow Jews to put anyone to death. So the Jews think they’ve arranged the perfect trap, making Jesus disobey either God’s law or Roman law.
So cool: It was Jesus’ finger that wrote the 10 Commandments into the stone tablets (Deut 10:2) , which is the basis of all the law. Here they’re trying to use the law against Him and he’s writing on the ground with His finger, seemingly creating a picture of them trying to use the Law against the very Man/God who wrote it.
11: The woman must’ve been a believer.
15: Continuation of adulteress story: Jesus’ first coming was not for the purpose of judgement, He’ll do that later (at the Great White Throne Judgement).
18: Jesus’ signs are what His Father gave Him to do, so the signs are the Father’s witness (John 5:36)
v. 24 & v. 28 The translators of your NKJV Bible and of my NASB version insert “He” after “I am.” If it is left out, having just “I am” as it is in the original version presents the name God gave Himself early in the Old Testament. Doing it that way seems more powerful.
v. 30-31 These are great verses to point out the difference between being a believer and a disciple.
v. 33 “They” is referring back to the unbelieving Pharisees of v. 13 & v. 22.
v. 41 Jesus was born out of wedlock, but He was not born out of fornication – which they did not understand.
As an aside, it’s interesting that Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, is absolutely not mentioned anywhere after the story of Jesus staying behind in the temple at age 12 when his parents looked for him for a couple of days. Joseph must not be around at all since he is in none of the subsequent stories — and because from the cross, Jesus told John to take care of Mary. Did he die? The Scriptures don’t say.
v. 58 There’s His name again: “I Am”.
