📖 Passage

John 7:25–36 Read John 7:25–36 (NKJV)

🧠 Context & Background

Midway through the Feast of Booths, some in Jerusalem begin to question Jesus’ identity openly. They wonder why the authorities allow Him to speak freely if He is considered a threat. Jesus responds by revealing that His mission and origin are from the Father, whom they do not know. This discourse exposes their spiritual blindness and misunderstanding of the Messiah’s timetable. The religious leaders attempt to arrest Him, but His “hour” has not yet come, underscoring God’s sovereign control over events.

🌿 Key Themes

• Messianic Identity — The people wrestle with Jesus’ true origin and authority.
• Divine Sending — Jesus’ mission comes directly from the Father.
• God’s Sovereignty in Timing — No one can arrest Jesus until His appointed hour.
• Spiritual Blindness — Knowing about God is not the same as knowing Him personally.
• Imminent Departure — Jesus foreshadows His return to the Father, which His opponents cannot follow.

📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary

John 7:25–27

"We know where this man comes from." - Local Assumptions — The people believe they know Jesus’ earthly origin, but misunderstand His heavenly one.
- Messianic Expectation — Some think the Messiah will appear suddenly, without known origin.
- Religious Confusion — Their reasoning reveals a reliance on tradition rather than Scripture.

John 7:28–29

"I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me." - Public Declaration — Jesus boldly affirms His divine mission in the temple courts.
- Intimate Knowledge — His relationship with the Father is unique and eternal.
- True Authority — His authority comes from being sent by the One they claim to worship.

John 7:30–31

"His hour had not yet come." - Failed Arrest — Attempts to seize Him are thwarted by divine timing.
- Growing Belief — Many believe in Him because of His miraculous works.
- God’s Protection — The Father’s plan governs the unfolding of events.

John 7:32–34

"Where I am you cannot come." - Opposition from Leaders — The Pharisees and chief priests collaborate to arrest Him.
- Prophetic Hint — Jesus alludes to His death, resurrection, and ascension.
- Spiritual Separation — Those rejecting Him cannot follow to where He returns.

John 7:35–36

"What does he mean…?" - Misinterpretation — Leaders assume He will go teach among the Greeks.
- Cultural Barriers — Their speculation reveals ignorance of God’s redemptive plan.
- Inevitable Mission — Jesus’ ministry will extend beyond Jewish borders, but on His own terms.

🔍 Trusted Insight

R.C. Sproul observes that the crowd’s partial knowledge of Jesus—knowing His human background but ignoring His divine origin—mirrors the tragedy of unbelief. To miss His heavenly sending is to misunderstand His mission entirely.
Summary: Jesus asserts His divine origin, confronts unbelief, and demonstrates that God’s sovereign timing governs His mission.

🧩 Review Questions

1. How do the people’s assumptions about Jesus’ origin reveal their spiritual blindness?
2. Why is divine sending central to understanding Jesus’ authority?
3. How does God’s sovereignty protect Jesus until “His hour” comes?
4. What does Jesus mean when He says, “Where I am you cannot come”?

🔍 Definitions

• Messiah — The anointed one promised in the Old Testament, fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
• Feast of Booths — A Jewish festival celebrating God’s provision during Israel’s wilderness journey.
• Hour — In John’s Gospel, the appointed time of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and glorification.

🙋 Application Questions

1. Are you tempted to judge Jesus by cultural assumptions rather than Scripture?
2. How does recognizing God’s sovereign timing bring peace in uncertainty?
3. What does it mean for you personally to know the Father through the Son?

🔤 Greek Keywords

• Pempō (Send) — To dispatch with authority; used of the Father sending the Son.
• Hora (Hour) — Appointed time in God’s redemptive plan.
• Ginoskō (Know) — Deep, relational knowledge, not mere intellectual awareness.

📚 Cross References

• Isaiah 55:8–9 — God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours.
• Micah 5:2 — The Messiah’s origin is from of old, from ancient days.
• John 3:13 — Only the Son has ascended and descended from heaven.
• Acts 2:23 — Jesus’ death occurred according to God’s set purpose.
• Hebrews 9:24 — Christ entered heaven itself to appear for us before God.

📦 Next Study

Next Study → John 7:37–52