JOHN 7:1-52 (PART B)

You may have noticed in Part A of this series that several scholars alluded to the Old Testament background of some of John's comments in this chapter. In this post I would like to share some additional thoughts on that phenomenon.

Verse 24

“An ideal human judge imitates God's righteousness (Lk 12:57; Jn 7:24) but does not attempt to usurp God's role as the final judge (Deut 1:7)...Scripture lends grandeur and finality to images of judgment because God is held as the ultimate authority, the ultimate justice. As the psalmist declares, 'The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple' (Ps 19:7).” (Dictionary of Biblical Imagery)

Verses 26-31

“Many studies of the Jewish messianic hope omit one of the most important sources: the Gospels themselves. When one reads them to find the hope entertained by the Jewish people, one finds a hope similar to that reflected in the Psalms of Solomon [a book in the OT Apocrypha]. It is quite clear that the people expected a messiah to appear (Jn. 1:20, 41; 4:29; 7:31; l K. 3:15)...There was a tradition that he would suddenly appear among the people from an obscure origin (Jn. 7:26-27)...The Messiah was expected to remain hidden until he would suddenly appear on the scene (7:27), but Jesus was a well-known figure.” (Ladd)

Similarly, Bird states, “Christos is an adjective signifying 'anointed [with oil]'; it is used in the LXX [Greek Septuagint] to translate the Hebrew word masiah, designating a person appointed by God for a specific role...The Lord intends to raise up a 'righteous scion' to usher in the salvation of Judah and Israel (Jer 23:5-6) with a reinstitution of the Davidic throne and a rebuilt temple (Jer 33:5-6). The new Davidide will be a shepherd to the house of Israel (Ezek 34:22-24)...Finally, in Daniel there is a vision for God's kingdom to crush all human kingdoms (Dan 2:44-45)...In sum, there is an incipient messiahship in the OT through the idealization of the Davidic kingship configured in light of eschatological hopes for the restoration of Israel...We find in John 7:25-44 that Jewish speculations are set in juxtaposition to the messianic identity of Jesus...there is some doubt among the crowd about Jesus because no one is supposed to know where the Messiah is from (Jn 7:26-27). Then again, the signs that Jesus does are regarded by the crowd as clear evidence of his messianic credentials (Jn 7:31)...”

Verse 35

R.E. Brown explains that the term 'Diaspora' in v. 35 “refers to the Jews living outside the Holy Land; the expression 'Diaspora of Israel' occurs in LXX [the Greek Septuagint] in Isa xlix 6; Ps cxlvii 2.”

Verse 36

Leon Morris: “From Deut. 16:13 it would appear that the feast at one time went for seven days, but Lev. 23:36 makes it plain that there was also an eighth day (even though it is mentioned separately from the seven). It is not quite clear whether it was the seventh day or this eighth day which was the climax of the whole celebration, and of which John speaks as 'the great day of the feast'.

Verses 37-38

These two verses “draw our attention to one of the most memorable parts of the Festival of Tabernacles, the seven-day water ceremony and the prayers for rain. On each of the seven days prior to the final day.., priests drew water from the Pool of Siloam and carried a golden pitcher full of the water to the temple and then around the altar with the high priest leading the way. As the priests neared the water gate, the shofar was blown, and then the psalms of praise and thanksgiving were sung to God for the harvest (Pss 113-118). As the ceremony developed, the Pharisees, who were primarily urban dwellers, insisted that a significant emphasis should be placed on the petition for rain because by this time of year (the fall) their cisterns would be nearly empty after the dryness of summer. Such symbolism carried the meaning beyond the emphasis of the desert experience, and the harvest symbolized in the citrus symbols that were raised in thanksgiving to God for the recently gathered fruits (cf. Zech 14:16-19...).” (Borchert)

Kostenberger states, “The narrative depicting Jesus' first teaching cycle in chapter 7 builds toward the climax of 7:37b-38, where Jesus issues the invitation to all who are thirsty to come to him and drink, so that believers would, once the Spirit had been given, become sources of 'streams of living water.' Thus, in keeping with the theme of Tabernacles, 'With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation (Isa 12:3), the prophetic vision of Isa. 58:11 would be fulfilled.'”

Ladd: “A contemporary Baptist scholar understands the word about birth of water and of the Spirit [in John 3:5 and 6:54] in sacramental terms...If this is Jesus' meaning, it is easy to see how the later church interpreted these words in terms of Christian baptism. However, it is equally possible that birth of water is no reference to baptism at all. Water and Spirit are linked with a single preposition and both seem to refer to the life from above. Water is coordinate, not contrasted with the Spirit. Elsewhere John uses water as a symbol of the life-giving operation of the Spirit (4:14; 7:38).” He then quotes Dunn as saying, “In the Old Testament water is a symbol of God's activity in quickening men to life (Isa. 55:1-3; Jer. 2:13; 17:13; Zech. 14:8; Ezek. 47:9) and is often linked with the eschatological re-recreation and renewal to be effected by the gift of the Spirit (Isa. 32:15-17; 44:3-5; Ezek. 36:25-27; 39:29; Joel 2:28). The reference to water, then, far from being a literal reference to the sacrament of baptism, is a symbol of the spiritual cleansing effected by the Spirit. Rather than expressing a sacramental view of baptism, John seems to be challenging any sacramentalism which he assumes on the part ot his readers.”

Verse 38

Brown spends a great deal of time suggesting various OT Scriptures as the closest background to the comments in v. 38. Possibilities he mentions include Deuteronomy 8:15; I Samuel 1:15; Psalm 42:1-2; 105:40-1; 114; Proverbs 18:4; 20:27; Isaiah 29:8; 43:11, 20; 44:3; 48:21; Zechariah 14:8; and Ezekiel 47:1-11.

“Since Jerusalem had no river flowing through it.., the river the psalmist pictures as flowing through Jerusalem (Ps 46:4) must be a symbol of God's presence, and a similar reading is likely for Ezekiel's vision of a river flowing from the temple (Ezek 47). Similarly, Jesus speaks of a spritual reality when he says, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water,' by which he meant the Holy Spirit (John 7:38-39).” (DBI)

Verses 38, 42

Grant Osborne notes: “John's pattern of quotation follows that of his Gospel as a whole. In the Book of Signs (chaps. 2-12) they are introduced with some form of 'it is written' (1:23; 2:17; 6:31, 45; 7:38, 42; 8:17; 10:34; 12:14) while in his passion narrative (chaps. 13-20) they are introduced by 'in order that it might be fulfilled'...In John 7:38 he is the source of the living water of the Spirit (possibly Is 12:3), and in John 7:42 he fulfills Micah 5:2 as well as 2 Samuel 7:12-16, Psalm 89:3-4 and Isaiah 9:7 in his origin as the Davidic Messiah.” Alternatively, Kostenberger feels that v. 38 may refer to Psalm 78:15-16 and Zechariah 14:8.

“And, while it is true that it is hard to find an Old Testament passage which unambiguously prophesies that rivers of living water will flow from the believer, it is also true that it is harder still to find one which says this of Christ. Exod. 17:6; Ps. 105:41; Ezek. 47:1 and Joel 3:18 are adduced, but a good imagination is required to see in any of these a prophecy that Christ would become the source...” (Morris)

Verse 39

Concerning this verse, Kostenbrger says, “The crowd continued to debate Jesus' identity. Some saw Him as the Prophet mentioned by Moses (Deut. 18:15, 18). He would speak God's words to people but not in the awesome display of Mount Sinai from which Moses spoke. Jesus is indeed that predicted Prophet (Acts 3:22), but many rejected Him as such.”

Verse 42

“The objectors back up their case with an appeal to the Bible. 'The scripture' usually refers to a specific passage, but there is no place where the Old Testament says precisely this. It seems that here it is the general tenor of several Old Testament passages that is in mind (e.g. I Sam. 20:6; II Sam. 7:12ff.; Ps. 89:3f.; Mic. 5:2, etc.). The expectation shows that the Exile was not held to have put an end to the possibilities of the Davidic line. In due course, when God sent His Messiah, He would be of that line, and, indeed, come from the very town of Bethlehem...The verse is another example of the Johannine irony. How strange that these people were citing as an objection to Jesus' messiahship just that fact that they required to attest it, had they but known the facts of the case.” (Morris)

Verse 49

This verse refers to “this mob which knows nothing of the Law.” Brown says, “The poor who were ignorant of the Law were already a problem in Jeremiah's time – see Jer v 4 where Jeremiah seeks to excuse them.” Brown adds that the curse in this verse “may be associated with passages like Deut xxvii 26, xxviii 15; Ps cxix 21 which curse those who do not conform to the law.”