Jesus Teaches at the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:14-36)

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In John 7:14-36 Jesus teaches in the Temple during the Feast of Tabernacles, delivering a profound message with theological implications. Midway through the feast, he astonishes the crowd with his authoritative teachings, despite his lack of formal education, underscoring that his insights come not from himself but directly from God. This assertion of divine authority is a central theme, as Jesus challenges the people to discern truth beyond mere appearances.

The crowd is visibly divided in their perception of Jesus, oscillating between reverence and skepticism. He confronts the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders who, despite their professed adherence to the law, seek to harm him. This leads to a debate among the people about Jesus' origins, with some arguing that the true Messiah's origins would be unknown, while they are familiar with Jesus' background. Jesus counters this by emphasizing his divine sending, pointing to a heavenly origin that his audience fails to comprehend.

The narrative intensifies as the Pharisees and chief priests, troubled by the murmurs of the crowd, attempt to arrest Jesus. He speaks enigmatically of his impending departure, a reference to his future crucifixion and ascension, which further confounds his listeners.

This passage, therefore, is pivotal in the Gospel of John, highlighting Jesus' divine nature and authority, the misunderstanding of his mission by the masses and religious leaders, and foreshadowing the salvation to come through his death and resurrection.

It as well serves as a critical examination of religious hypocrisy and calls for judgment based on truth rather than superficial adherence to the law.

Vocabulary

Word Meaning
ἤδη už, již
δέ ale, avšak, však
ὁ, ἡ, τό ten, ta, to
ἑορτή, ῆς, ἡ svátek, slavnost
μεσόω být ve středu, dospět do středu
ἀναβαίνω jít nahoru, vystupovat
Ἰησοῦς, οῦ, ὁ Ježíš, Jozue
εἰς do, na, k; v (s A)
ἱερόν, οῦ, τό svatyně, chrám
καί a, i

Biblical text

7:14Ἤδη δὲ τῆς ἑορτῆς μεσούσης ἀνέβη Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ ἐδίδασκεν.15ἐθαύμαζον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι λέγοντες Πῶς οὗτος γράμματα οἶδεν μὴ μεμαθηκώς;16ἀπεκρίθη οὖν αὐτοῖς Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν ἐμὴ διδαχὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὴ ἀλλὰ τοῦ πέμψαντός με·17ἐάν τις θέλῃ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ποιεῖν, γνώσεται περὶ τῆς διδαχῆς, πότερον ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν ἐγὼ ἀπ’ ἐμαυτοῦ λαλῶ.18 ἀφ’ ἑαυτοῦ λαλῶν τὴν δόξαν τὴν ἰδίαν ζητεῖ· δὲ ζητῶν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ πέμψαντος αὐτὸν, οὗτος ἀληθής ἐστιν καὶ ἀδικία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν.19οὐ Μωϋσῆς ἔδωκεν ὑμῖν τὸν νόμον; καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ ὑμῶν ποιεῖ τὸν νόμον. τί με ζητεῖτε ἀποκτεῖναι;20ἀπεκρίθη ὄχλος Δαιμόνιον ἔχεις· τίς σε ζητεῖ ἀποκτεῖναι;21ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ἓν ἔργον ἐποίησα καὶ πάντες θαυμάζετε.22διὰ τοῦτο Μωϋσῆς δέδωκεν ὑμῖν τὴν περιτομήν, —οὐχ ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἐστὶν ἀλλ’ ἐκ τῶν πατέρων,— καὶ ἐν σαββάτῳ περιτέμνετε ἄνθρωπον.23εἰ περιτομὴν λαμβάνει ἄνθρωπος ἐν σαββάτῳ ἵνα μὴ λυθῇ νόμος Μωϋσέως, ἐμοὶ χολᾶτε ὅτι ὅλον ἄνθρωπον ὑγιῆ ἐποίησα ἐν σαββάτῳ;24μὴ κρίνετε κατ’ ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνατε.25Ἔλεγον οὖν τινες ἐκ τῶν Ἱεροσολυμειτῶν Οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὃν ζητοῦσιν ἀποκτεῖναι;26καὶ ἴδε παρρησίᾳ λαλεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ λέγουσιν. Μή ποτε ἀληθῶς ἔγνωσαν οἱ ἄρχοντες ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν Χριστός;27ἀλλὰ τοῦτον οἴδαμεν πόθεν ἐστίν· δὲ Χριστὸς ὅταν ἔρχηται, οὐδεὶς γινώσκει πόθεν ἐστίν.28ἔκραξεν οὖν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ διδάσκων Ἰησοῦς καὶ λέγων Κἀμὲ οἴδατε καὶ οἴδατε πόθεν εἰμί· καὶ ἀπ’ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐκ ἐλήλυθα, ἀλλ’ ἔστιν ἀληθινὸς πέμψας με, ὃν ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἴδατε·29ἐγὼ οἶδα αὐτόν, ὅτι παρ’ αὐτοῦ εἰμι κἀκεῖνός με ἀπέστειλεν.30Ἐζήτουν οὖν αὐτὸν πιάσαι, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπέβαλεν ἐπ’ αὐτὸν τὴν χεῖρα, ὅτι οὔπω ἐληλύθει ὥρα αὐτοῦ.31Ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου δὲ πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτόν, καὶ ἔλεγον Χριστὸς ὅταν ἔλθῃ, μὴ πλείονα σημεῖα ποιήσει ὧν οὗτος ἐποίησεν;32Ἤκουσαν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι τοῦ ὄχλου γογγύζοντος περὶ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα, καὶ ἀπέστειλαν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ὑπηρέτας ἵνα πιάσωσιν αὐτόν.33εἶπεν οὖν Ἰησοῦς Ἔτι χρόνον μικρὸν μεθ’ ὑμῶν εἰμι καὶ ὑπάγω πρὸς τὸν πέμψαντά με.34ζητήσετέ με καὶ οὐχ εὑρήσετέ, καὶ ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ ὑμεῖς οὐ δύνασθε ἐλθεῖν.35εἶπον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι πρὸς ἑαυτούς Ποῦ οὗτος μέλλει πορεύεσθαι, ὅτι ἡμεῖς οὐχ εὑρήσομεν αὐτόν; μὴ εἰς τὴν Διασπορὰν τῶν Ἑλλήνων μέλλει πορεύεσθαι καὶ διδάσκειν τοὺς Ἕλληνας;36τίς ἐστιν λόγος οὗτος ὃν εἶπεν Ζητήσετέ με καὶ οὐχ εὑρήσετέ, καὶ ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ ὑμεῖς οὐ δύνασθε ἐλθεῖν;