John 7:11-18, Jesus Speaks with Authority

John 7 is a mix of the questions asked at the feast and Jesus’ answers.  My “Red-Letter Bible” makes that very clear.  Another thing about John 7 is that, in the course of the conversations, we see the various aspects of “unbelief” among the people.  We have already seen one from Jesus’ brothers, that Jesus was just about attracting a following or being famous. 

·       7:12: the first question was, “Where is He?”  But this quickly moved into “Who is He” because people only wonder where someone is who is missing from the massive crowds because it is someone important.

We need to keep in mind that conversations about Jesus were secretive to some degree, even as Jesus’ arrival at the feast was secretive.  The Jewish leadership wasn’t interested in Jesus gaining more followers or more recognition in the conversations of the nation. 

In 7:12 we see the two sides of the argument.  To say Jesus was a deceiver was, of course, full-on unbelief.  To say Jesus was a “good man” was also unbelief, if that was your “final answer.”  But it could be the view of someone who is giving the matter some fair consideration.  This went on for three days or so and then, in the middle of the week-long feast Jesus made His first appearance.

·       7:15: question #2, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?” 

What is important to note here is that this is asked by “the Jews.”  This was the leadership.  All the people were Jewish, but John used this term to refer to the leaders, as 7:13 indicates.  You could say the leaders were the Sanhedrin, although John speaks of “the chief priests and Pharisees” (7:45) and “the scribes and Pharisees” (8:3).  These men had all jumped through the hoops.  They had serious rabbinical training and prided themselves in their study of the Torah.  In other words, they had “letters” (15) and they honored themselves (18).  Maybe they asked this question out of jealousy, but more likely it was meant to sow doubt in the minds of the people, that Jesus was just a “country bumpkin” and not a real scholar.  Yet, His words demonstrated that He was no dummy. 

Wouldn’t you love to have been there?  They did not ask Jesus this question (“this Man” they called Him), and yet, Jesus heard them and gave them the answer.  “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”  There was a clear implication: since Jesus’ doctrine/teaching was from God who sent Him, if you really wanted to know and do the will of God, then you would know His teaching was authoritative.

If any of the Jews were asked this question, they would have listed off the famous rabbis under which they studied.  Jesus gave the only answer that mattered: “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”  Who is Jesus to you?