Daily Bread John 7
Daily Bread 2010 – John 7
Jesus Goes to the Feast of Tabernacles
1After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. 2But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, 3Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. 4No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." 5For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
6Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. 7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. 8You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come." 9Having said this, he stayed in Galilee.
10However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. 11Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, "Where is that man?" 12Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man." Others replied, "No, he deceives the people." 13But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews.
The Feast of the Tabernacles was a feast, also called “Succoth”, in the Jewish faith. The feast recalled the time when the Israelites set up temporary places to worship as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. It was one of three feasts where all the Jews made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate.
What is ironic about the term is that Jesus says a little later to his disciples, “I will tabernacle with you”, or literally dwell with them. In the desert, the tabernacle had to move from place to place and God would come dwell in the tabernacle at the appropriate times. Now all the Jews had come to Jerusalem to remember this important time in their history, as they looked forward to Messianic age, when they would enjoy this feast with God in their midst.
But little did they know that the Messiah was in their midst. Even though Jesus tells his disciples he will not go to the feast, he slips in unaware. Then he begins to teach and on the last and greatest day of the Feast Jesus says, “If any of you are thirsty come to me and drink from the living water that I provide.”
Some of the people were astounded by his teaching and wondered if he might be “the Christ”. The religious leaders tried to tell people he was deceiving them. They claimed no prophet could come out of Galilee.
The question I have today is: are our churches tabernacles where God dwells by His Spirit through the Living Christ? When people come to our places of worship do streams of living water flow so that people’s deepest thirst is quenched? Paul says our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Are you a place where God dwells by His Spirit? As we invite the Spirit into our hearts and lives the living Water can flow in and through us.
Let’s pray, Jesus invite you to tabernacle with us both individually and in the places we worship. We long to drink of the living water of Your Spirit. May it quench the desires of our hearts, In Your name we pray, Amen.
Jesus Goes to the Feast of Tabernacles
1After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. 2But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, 3Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. 4No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." 5For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
6Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. 7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. 8You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come." 9Having said this, he stayed in Galilee.
10However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. 11Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, "Where is that man?" 12Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man." Others replied, "No, he deceives the people." 13But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews.
The Feast of the Tabernacles was a feast, also called “Succoth”, in the Jewish faith. The feast recalled the time when the Israelites set up temporary places to worship as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. It was one of three feasts where all the Jews made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate.
What is ironic about the term is that Jesus says a little later to his disciples, “I will tabernacle with you”, or literally dwell with them. In the desert, the tabernacle had to move from place to place and God would come dwell in the tabernacle at the appropriate times. Now all the Jews had come to Jerusalem to remember this important time in their history, as they looked forward to Messianic age, when they would enjoy this feast with God in their midst.
But little did they know that the Messiah was in their midst. Even though Jesus tells his disciples he will not go to the feast, he slips in unaware. Then he begins to teach and on the last and greatest day of the Feast Jesus says, “If any of you are thirsty come to me and drink from the living water that I provide.”
Some of the people were astounded by his teaching and wondered if he might be “the Christ”. The religious leaders tried to tell people he was deceiving them. They claimed no prophet could come out of Galilee.
The question I have today is: are our churches tabernacles where God dwells by His Spirit through the Living Christ? When people come to our places of worship do streams of living water flow so that people’s deepest thirst is quenched? Paul says our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Are you a place where God dwells by His Spirit? As we invite the Spirit into our hearts and lives the living Water can flow in and through us.
Let’s pray, Jesus invite you to tabernacle with us both individually and in the places we worship. We long to drink of the living water of Your Spirit. May it quench the desires of our hearts, In Your name we pray, Amen.
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