Ep. 62: Feast of Tabernacles
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JOHN 7:11-36
Edersheim offers an introduction:
‘It was Chol ha Moed, as the non-sacred part of the festive week. This was mainly the feast for foreign pilgrims, coming from the farthest distance, whose Temple contributions were then received and counted. As the Jerusalemite would look down on the swarthy strangers, yet fellow-countrymen, or the eager-eyed Galilean curiously stare after them, the pilgrims would, in turn, gaze with mingled awe and wonderment at the novel scene. They could come at this season of the year, not during the winter for the Passover, nor yet quite so readily in summer’s heat for Pentecost. But now they came, in the delicious cool of early autumn, when strangers from afar off and countrymen from Judea, Perea, and Galilee, would mingle in the streets of Jerusalem, under the ever-present shadow of that glorious Sanctuary of marble, cedarwood, and gold, up there on high Moriah, symbol of the infinitely more glorious overshadowing Presence of him, who was the Holy One in the midst of Israel.’
Quite rightly is the Feast of Tabernacles acclaimed as ‘the Feast’ (ha Chag) and the Jewish historian describes it as ‘the holiest and greatest.’ The whole symbolism of the Feast, beginning with the completed harvest, for which it was a thanksgiving, pointed to the future. The Rabbis themselves admitted this. The strange number of sacrificial bullocks - seventy in all - they regarded as referring to ‘the seventy nations’ of the Gentiles. The ceremony of the outpouring of water, which was considered of such vital importance is symbolic of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus did not appear in the Temple during the first two festive days. The pilgrims from all parts of the country had expected him there, for everyone would now speak of him on the quiet in Jerusalem, for they were afraid of their rulers. But they sought him and inquired after him. Some said. He is a good man, while others declared that he only led astray the common, ignorant populace. And now, all at once in Chol ha Moed, Jesus himself appeared in the Temple and taught.
We don’t know what his teaching was on this occasion. But the effect on the people was one of general astonishment. To the Jews, there was only one kind of learning, that of theology and only one road to it - the schools of the Rabbis. Among the Jews, a Rabbi’s teaching derived authority from the fact of its accordance with tradition, that it accurately represented what had been received from a previous great teacher and so on upwards to Moses and to God himself. On this ground, Jesus claimed the highest authority. His doctrine was not his own invention, it was the teaching of him that sent him. The doctrine was God-received and he was sent directly from God to bring it. He was God’s messenger of it to them.
Jesus is defending himself against a charge which naturally came up when he claimed that his teaching was of God and Himself God’s real and faithful messenger. A general cry ‘you have a demon’ broke free. But he would not be interrupted and continued, ‘one work I did and all you wonder on account of it’, referring to his healing on the Sabbath and their utter inability to understand his conduct. Well, Moses was a messenger of God and I am sent of God. Moses gave the God-given law of circumcision and, to observe this law, no one hesitated to break the Sabbath, since, according to Rabbinic principle, a positive ordinance superseded a negative. And yet, when Jesus, as sent from God, made a man whole on the Sabbath they were angry with him!
The fact that he, whom they sought to kill, was able to speak openly, seemed to them incomprehensible. Could it be that the authorities were shaken in their former idea about him and now regarded him as the Messiah? But it could not be. It was a settled popular belief and, in a sense, not quite unfounded, that the appearance of the Messiah would be sudden and unexpected.
But Jesus could not let it rest there, even for the sake of his poor weak disciples. He lifted up his voice so that it reached the dispersing, receding multitude. Yes, they thought they knew both him and from where he came. But he had been sent and he that sent him was real! he finished speaking and they had understood his allusions and in their anger would justifiably have laid hands on him, but his hour had not come. Yet others were deeply stirred to faith. As they parted they spoke of it among themselves and the sum of it all was, ‘The Christ when he comes, will he do more miracles (signs) than this one did?’
So ended the first teaching of that day in the Temple. And as the people dispersed, the leaders of the Pharisees had watched the effect of his teaching. They conferred with the heads of the priesthood and the chief Temple officials. Orders were given to the Temple guard on the first possible occasion to seize him. Jesus was aware of this and as he was moving in the Temple, watched by the spies of the rulers and followed by a mingled crowd of disciples and enemies, deep sadness filled his heart.
This is an extract from the book, Jesus : Life and Times, available for £10 here (Finalist for Academic Book of the year at 2023 CRT awards)