John 7:20-24 (WEL) The crowd responded and said, “You have a demon. Who seeks to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and all of you are amazed. 22 “That’s why Moses gave you circumcision (not because it is from Moses but from the Fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man. 23 “If a man on the Sabbath receives circumcision, so that Moses’ law should not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 “Do not judge by outward appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
V20 The crowd responded and said, “You have a demon. Who seeks to kill you?”
The people were either lying or willfully ignorant. Compare John 5:15-16.
Warren W. Wiersbe comments:
“The visitors, of course, did not know that their leaders were out to kill Jesus; so they challenged His statement. But their reply contained a serious accusation — that Jesus had a demon. This was not a new accusation, for the leaders had said it before (Matthew 9:32; Matthew 10:25; Matthew 11:18-19; Matthew 12:24). “You must be crazy to think that anybody wants to kill You!”
“Our Lord used the very Law of Moses to refute the enemy’s argument; but He knew that they would not give in. Why? Because their standard of judgment was not honest. They evaluated things on the basis of superficial examination of the facts. They judged on the basis of “seems” and not “is.” Unfortunately, too many people make that same mistake today. John 7:24 is the opposite of John 7:17, where Jesus called for sincere devotion to truth.”
V21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and all of you are amazed.
Truth. They saw miracles and are happily amazed, but the leaders and others wanted Jesus dead. These leaders are judging Jesus by their own interpretation of Mosaic law.
Principle: Interpret the Bible in its plain, normal sense by believing the Holy Spirit’s words. Do not interpret the Bible by secret interpretative principles if you join their group or cult.
V22 “That’s why Moses gave you circumcision (not because it is from Moses but from the Fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man.
Jesus doesn’t just make a statement. He backs it up with an example.
Circumcision of baby boys is a requirement of Mosaic Law.
Principle: Have some facts to back up your statements.
V23 “If a man on the Sabbath receives circumcision, so that Moses’ law should not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?
Circumcision is done on the eighth day. If that happens to fall on the Sabbath, the male baby is still circumcised. The priests did not break God’s law, yet the religious leaders have murderous thoughts because Jesus healed on the Sabbath.
Matthew Henry notes:
“First, The rise and origin of circumcision: Moses gave you circumcision, gave you the law concerning it. Here, 1. Circumcision is said to be given, and (John 7:23) they are said to receive it; it was not imposed upon them as a yoke, but conferred upon them as a favor. Note, The ordinances of God, and particularly those which are seals of the covenant, are gifts given to men, and are to be received as such. 2. Moses is said to give it, because it was a part of that law which was given by Moses; yet, as Christ said of the manna (John 6:32), Moses did not give it them, but God; nay, and it was not of Moses first, but of the fathers, John 7:22. Though it was incorporated into the Mosaic institution, yet it was ordained long before, for it was a seal of the righteousness of faith, and therefore commenced with the promise four hundred and thirty years before, Galatians 3:17. The church membership of believers and their seed was not of Moses or his law, and therefore did not fall with it; but was of the fathers, belonged to the patriarchal church, and was part of that blessing of Abraham which was to come upon the Gentiles, Galatians 3:14.”
V24 “Do not judge by outward appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
All judgment is righteous if the intent, purpose, truth, and act of judgment is aligned with the Scriptures.
If they knew and believed the Scriptures more, they would have understood this principle.
We learn:
- To judge righteously and in alignment with the Scriptures.
- Interpret the Bible in its plain, normal sense.
- Read, study, know, and do the Scriptures.
Questions:
- How do you judge?
- How do people judge you?