John 7:14-36

II. During the Feast: 7:14-36.

The first agitation had subsided; every one was quietly attending to the celebration of the feast, when all at once Jesus appears in the temple and sets Himself to the work of teaching. The authorities had not taken any measures against Him; and there was still time enough remaining for Him before the end of the feast to accomplish His work and to invite to faith the people who had come from all the regions of the world.

This passage includes three teachings of Jesus, interrupted and in part called forth by the remarks of His hearers. The first is an explanation respecting the origin of His doctrine and a justification of the miracle which was performed in chap. 5 and which was made a means of attack upon His divine mission (John 7:14-24); the second is an energetic declaration of His divine origin called forth by an objection (John 7:25-30); the third contains, on occasion of a step taken by the rulers, the announcement of His approaching end and calls the attention of the Jews to the consequences which this departure will have for them (John 7:31-36). Following upon each of these discourses, John describes the different impressions which manifested themselves in the multitudes.

The difference of tone in these three testimonies is observable: in the first, defense, in the second, protestation, finally, in the third, warning.