BIBLE STUDY LESSON 01

SERIES S --- THE SON OF YHVH

GOOD MAN OR DECEIVER?

AT THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES

From John 7:11-8:1

While Yeshua was at the Feast of Tabernacles, the Jewish leader kept looking for Him, asking, [Where is He?] The people in the crowds were also talking much about Yeshua. Some said that He was a good man while others argued that He was misleading the people. But whatever they said was spoken privately, for people did not talk openly about Him in a favourable way, for they were afraid the Jewish leaders would punish them. When the feast was about half over, Yeshua went into the temple and gave a public sermon. Even the Jewish leader were amazed when they heard it. [How does He know so much when He never attended our schools?] they asked. [What I teach did not come from your schools or from Me,] Yeshua replied to them. [These teachings are from the YHVH Who sent Me. If any of you truly wants to do YHVH’s will, you will recognize that My teachings are His and not My own. Whoever presents his own teachings seeks honour for himself. But whoever seeks to bring honour to the One who sent him is honest and true. Not one person among you keeps the Law of Moses, yet you want to kill Me because you false claim that I do not keep it.] [A demon has driven You crazy!] the people shouted [Who wants to kill You?] [I healed a man on the Shabbat and you claimed that worked,] Yeshua answered. [But you circumcise on the Shabbat when the Law requires it, and that is just as much work as healing. Actually, this Law about circumcision did not come from Moses but is much older. Why are you angry at Me for healing on the Shabbat when you circumcise on the Shabbat? Judge fairly, not according to some whim!] Some people who lived in Jerusalem began to whisper among themselves. [The authorities want to kill Him, but here He is, speaking publicly and they do not even ask Him questions,] they said. [Perhaps they have finally recognized that He is the Moshiach. But can He possibly be the Moshiach we know where Yeshua was born, but we will not know where the Moshiach came from.] [That’s true,] Yeshua responded in a sermon in the temple [you do know where I was born, but before that I came from Someone you don’t know, Who is Truth. I lived with Him before He sent Me here.] The leaders were angry when they heard Yeshua say that and tried to arrest Him. But since YHVH’s appointed time had not yet come for His arrest, no one could do it. Many in the crowd believed that He was the Moshiach. [What other miracles do you expect from the Moshiach?] they argued with others. The Pharisees overheard what they were saying and tried even more earnestly to have Yeshua arrested. Then Yeshua told them, [I will be here with you a short time now, and then I shall return to the One Who sent Me. Even though you look for Me, you will not find Me, for you cannot go where I go.] [Where will He go?] the leaders wondered. [Will He go among the Jews in other lands and also teach the Greeks? What does He mean that we cannot go where He is going and will not find Him?] On the last day of the feast, which was the most important, Yeshua called to the crowd. [Whoever is thirsty should come to Me to drink,] He said. [And when he does, rivers of living water will come forth from him.] Yeshua was speaking of, Ruach HaKodesh, Who had not yet come, but would when Yeshua returned to His home in heaven. [This is the prophet who will announce the Moshiach!] some of the people exclaimed. [No, He is the Moshiach!] others insisted. [He can’t be,] still others said. [The Moshiach will not come from Galilee. Don’t the Scriptures clearly teach that the Moshiach will be from David’s royal family and will be born in Bethlehem, David’s hometown?] The people were divided, with some wanting to arrest Him and some accepting Him as Moshiach. But still no one seized Him. The temple officers who had been sent to arrest Yeshua returned to the chief priests and Pharisees without Him. [Why didn’t you arrest Him?] the leaders demanded. [No man ever spoke such marvellous things,] they answered. [We couldn’t.] [Has He led you astray also?] the Pharisees scoffed. [Not one of us leaders or Pharisees believe that He is the Moshiach. The ignorant crowd does, of course, but they don’t know the law. A curse on them anyway!] Nicodemus, the one who came to Yeshua by night, spoke. [Does our Law condemn a man without a fair trial?] he asked. [Are you also an ignorant Galilean?] the others said. [Look in the Scriptures and you will find that no prophet will come from Galilee.] With that, the meeting ended and the leaders went home. But Yeshua returned to the Mount of Olives for the night.

COMMENTARY

YESHUA’ VISITS TO JERUSALEM

Although Yeshua’ home was in Galilee, He was not a stranger to the sights and sounds of Jerusalem. He was especially familiar with the temple, which He visited many times to observe the Jewish feasts. Yeshua was only a baby when He made His first trip to Jerusalem. His parents dedicated Him in the temple when He was only eight days old. Twelve years later He was teaching the elders in the temple while His parents searched the city for Him. As an adult, Yeshua made many trips to Jerusalem. He was in the city three times during the last year of His life. At the autumn Feast of Tabernacles Yeshua taught in the temple. When He returned in December, the Jews tried to stone Him. Yeshua did not visit Jerusalem again until the following spring, when He was crucified during the week of Passover.