“John 7–10,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)
Scripture Helps
John 7–10
Jesus entered the final phase of His mortal ministry. He attended the Feast of Tabernacles. He taught how all people can know the truth of His teachings. He used the symbols of water and light at the Feast of Tabernacles to testify that He is the Messiah. He also responded to the scribes and Pharisees who tried to entrap him with a case of a woman caught in adultery. Jesus gave sight to a man born blind. Jewish leaders tried to discredit His power to work miracles. He declared that He is the Good Shepherd. He has the power to lay down His life and take it up again.
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Background and Context
What Jews wanted to kill Jesus?
Jesus had been staying in the Galilee area, where He had success in His ministry. He had avoided the regions surrounding Jerusalem because they were heavily influenced by Jewish leaders who wanted to kill Him. The Jews referred to in this verse were Jewish leaders, not the Jewish public in general.
What was the Feast of Tabernacles?
The Feast of Tabernacles was a festival rich in symbolism and included several ceremonies. It lasted seven days and took place during the harvest season. This was the final feast of the year and the most joyful because of its message of deliverance.
People lived in temporary shelters during the festival. This was to remind them of the 40 years Israel spent in the wilderness after being delivered from Egyptian bondage.
The Feast of Tabernacles was also a celebration of the end of the festival season and the final harvest. The gathering at the harvest helped Israel remember how God gathered Israel from Egypt. The harvest was also symbolic of when God will gather all nations to Him.
Why did the Jews marvel when Jesus taught them?
Jesus Christ did not have the training and credentials that most scribes and teachers had during His day. Even so, people flocked to hear Him teach. They called Him “rabbi,” which was “an honorary title of respect for an instructor or teacher.” On this occasion, even the arresting temple officers were so impressed by Jesus’s teaching that they did not bring Him to the Jewish leaders. “Whether one considers His credentials or His manner, it is clear that Jesus was distinctly different from other teachers.”
How did some people use the law of Moses to reject Jesus?
The scribes and Pharisees followed the law of Moses, which was recorded in the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament). They also followed the oral law, or “the tradition of the elders.” The oral law was rabbinic commentary on the Torah and included additional rules to help people keep the law of Moses. These oral teachings became increasingly important as the prophetic voices became silent after Malachi. Many Jews refused to listen to Jesus because they believed He was not honoring the oral law. In one instance, He violated the oral law by healing a man on the Sabbath day. Jesus responded to His critics by saying, “Judge not according to your traditions, but judge righteous judgment.”
How did Jesus use the Feast of Tabernacles to teach the meaning of “living water”?
One of the most anticipated ceremonies of the Feast of Tabernacles was the daily procession. An appointed priest would draw water from the Pool of Siloam with a golden pitcher. He then poured the water on or around the temple altar. This water was considered “living water” because the Pool of Siloam was fed by a natural spring. The ritual of drawing water from Siloam may have represented God’s ability to cleanse and purify His people.
The imagery of “living water” drew upon a long Israelite tradition. In the arid climate of the ancient Near East, access to water was crucial for survival. The scarcity of water made it both a valuable resource and a powerful symbol of life.
On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, after the crowds had celebrated the final pouring of the water, Jesus stood and cried out, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” Jesus said that “living water” would flow out of those who believe in Him. John explained that Jesus was referring to the gift of the Holy Ghost. This gift was yet to be given in that dispensation.
What trap were the scribes and Pharisees trying to set for Jesus by bringing Him a woman caught in adultery?
By bringing the woman caught in adultery to the Savior, the Pharisees hoped to trap Him in what they thought would be an impossible situation. Under the law of Moses, adultery was a capital offense, punishable by stoning. Thus, if Jesus did not consent to having her stoned, He could be accused of rejecting the law of Moses. On the other hand, if Jesus did consent to having her stoned, He could arouse the displeasure of the people by advocating an unpopular penalty. He could also be accused before Roman officials of advocating a punishment Rome had not authorized.
What do Jesus’s actions teach us about law and love?
Jesus did not condone the woman’s sin; nor did He condemn her. Instead, He allowed her time to repent. Of this account President Dallin H. Oaks said: “When the shamed crowd departed, the Savior applied the power of love. He mercifully declined to condemn the woman, and that loving act lifted her to a new life. The application of the law would come later, when she would be judged on the whole of her life, including repentance. But on that earlier occasion, the Savior extended love and mercy by refraining from condemning, and then affirmed the law by saying, ‘Go, and sin no more’ [John 8:11].”
What was important about the setting when Jesus said, “I am the light of the world”?
In the evening of the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the public would gather in the Court of the Women (outside of the outer court of the temple). Here priests would light four giant lampstands. It was said that the light of these 70‑foot (21‑meter) lamps could be seen throughout Jerusalem.
After the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus returned to the temple. As He taught, He stood near the large, extinguished lampstands. He declared, “I am the light of the world.”
President Dallin H. Oaks identified three ways in which Jesus Christ is the Light of the World:
“Jesus Christ is the light of the world because he is the source of the light which ‘proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space’ (D&C 88:12). …
“Jesus Christ is also the light of the world because his example and his teachings illuminate the path we should walk to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven. …
“Jesus Christ is also the light of the world because his power persuades us to do good.”
Why did the Jewish leaders boast about being Abraham’s seed?
The Jewish leaders believed that being descendants of Abraham gave them special privileges in the sight of God. In response, Jesus reproved them for not doing the works of Abraham. The book of Genesis records some of Abraham’s works that are in contrast to the Jewish leaders’ behavior: Abraham converted others to the gospel. He was a peacemaker. He was obedient to God. He welcomed heavenly messengers. He exercised faith in God. Rather than doing the works of Abraham, these leaders were seeking to kill Jesus, the very God of Abraham.
Why did the Jews want to stone Jesus when He said, “Before Abraham was, I am”?
When the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush, He used the name “I AM.” The name I Am means “He is” or “He exists” and is directly related to the Hebrew name Yahveh, or Jehovah. The name Jehovah “denotes the ‘Unchangeable One.’” By using this name, Jesus declared that He is Jehovah, the same Being who spoke to Moses and who has communed with prophets of all ages. The Jewish leaders believed this was a blasphemous claim, and they were prepared to execute Jesus for it.
What did people in Jesus’s day believe about the causes of suffering?
The disciples’ question about the cause of the man’s blindness reflected a common belief that suffering was the result of sin. This belief included thinking “that a person’s suffering must be the direct consequence of a particular sin of theirs or their parents.” Jesus rejected this belief. He taught that God’s glory could be manifest through human suffering.
What were the consequences of being cast out of the synagogue?
The parents of the man born blind were afraid that if they said it was Christ who healed their son, they would be cast out of the synagogue. Synagogues were the religious and social centers of Jewish life. They offered access to spiritual instruction, worship, education, and social opportunities. Being cast out of the synagogue meant more than not having a place to worship; it meant losing all cultural and social connections.
What were shepherds like in Jesus Christ’s time?
Shepherds protected and led their flocks of sheep. They usually had a name for each sheep. When shepherds called to their sheep, the sheep would recognize their voice and would come to them. If a predator attacked the sheep, shepherds would risk their own lives to protect them. Shepherds were different from hirelings. Hirelings took care of sheep for a wage. They didn’t know the sheep and would certainly not risk personal injury to protect them.
The Old Testament teaches that Jehovah is the Shepherd of Israel, the divine caretaker of His people. By declaring Himself to be the Good Shepherd, Jesus was again testifying that He is Jehovah—the fulfillment of messianic prophecies.
What did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the door”?
“At night shepherds would bring their sheep to a corral called a sheepfold.” The shepherds inspected each sheep for injury as it entered. Once all the sheep were safely inside the corral, the shepherds slept at the entrance to prevent predators and thieves from entering and hurting the sheep. By declaring He is the door, the Savior demonstrated His willingness to “lay down [His] life for the sheep.” He also will ultimately decide who enters the kingdom of heaven. The Book of Mormon prophet Jacob declared that “the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel” and that “he employeth no servant there.”
Who was Jesus referring to when He said that all who came before Him were thieves and robbers?
When Jesus said, “All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers,” He was referring to false prophets. In other passages, Jesus speaks positively of His true prophets. The Joseph Smith Translation adds, “All that ever came before me who testified not of me are thieves and robbers.”
Who are the “other sheep” Jesus spoke of?
As taught in the Book of Mormon, the Nephites are the “other sheep” Jesus spoke of. The resurrected Christ ministered to the Nephites and told them, “Ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold.” The Savior had tried to explain this to the Jews, but “because of stiffneckedness and unbelief,” they did not understand.
What was the “Feast of the Dedication”?
Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem during the “Feast of the Dedication,” also known as Hanukkah. Hanukkah means “dedication” in Hebrew. This feast celebrated the rededication of the Jerusalem temple and its new altar in about 165 BC. In 168 BC, Greek soldiers were ordered to desecrate the temple and wipe out the Jewish religion. Jewish warriors led by a family of priests drove out the Greeks and liberated the Jewish people. When the priests recaptured the temple, they “burned the temple lamps for eight days (the time needed to consecrate more oil) with only a single day’s worth of oil.” Because of this miracle, the Feast of Dedication is also called the Festival of Lights. It is celebrated for eight days in December and involves the lighting of candlesticks.
Learn More
Lessons from Christ’s Treatment of the Woman Caught in Adultery
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Amy A. Wright, “Christ Heals That Which Is Broken,” Liahona, May 2022, 81–84
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Marvin J. Ashton, “Lessons from the Master,” Liahona, Dec. 2011, 16–17
How Jesus Is the Good Shepherd
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Dale G. Renlund, “Our Good Shepherd,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 29–32
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Gerrit W. Gong, “Good Shepherd, Lamb of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 97–101
Media
Videos
“Go and Sin No More” (3:18)
“Jesus Declares: I Am the Light of the World; the Truth Shall Make You Free” (4:26)
“Understanding Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot” (9:34), bookofmormoncentral.org
“Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind” (7:51)
“The Good Shepherd and Other Sheep I Have” (3:24)
Images
Woman Taken in Adultery, by Michael T. Malm
The Good Shepherd, by J. Kirk Richards
Rivers of Living Water, by Eva Koleva Timothy