JESUS VISITS THE FEAST OF THE TABERNACLES IN JERUSALEM
Mark, Matthew, and Luke, we discover in our studies in the New Testament, present their Gospels records in two parts, the first section dealing with the Galilean ministry of the Lord Jesus and the second part is always associated with the final intense conflict in Jerusalem.
The Gospel of John is much different in style and record, and details are arranged differently, since John mentions several occasions on which Jesus comes from the beautiful areas of Galilee up to Jerusalem in Judea, before His final and significant journey to the Holy City. These occasions are known in general as the Judean Ministry. Jesus is portrayed as coming to the Jerusalem feasts and festivals in the Temple with thousands of like-minded devout Jews. It was the custom and part of their way of religious observance. They did what their father’s had done before them. It was important and meaningful to fulfil the Law of Moses, Jesus, in every way and on every occasion upheld the law in these important issues He was perfect and blameless. So Jesus came as a visitor and indeed as a devout pilgrim to Jerusalem, coming up to the City only to attend the Feasts.
John tells of three feasts: two of these are the spring feast of the Passover, which provided both the occasion for the cleansing of the Temple (John 2:13-16). When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the Temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So He made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the Temple area, both sheep and cattle: He scattered the coins of the moneychangers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves He said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s House into a market!". Also the setting for the dramatic culmination of Jesus’ life; and the autumn feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2-4) But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to Him, "You ought to leave here (Galilee) and go to Judea, so your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things show yourself to the world." The brethren mentioned here were His brothers, the sons of Mary and Joseph, and their statement reveals how utterly ignorant they remained of His purpose and mission. For them, as for the majority of the people of the times, spiritual insight did not exist. Their insistent request suggests that an element of doubt, perhaps scorn, maybe a desire for self-importance, were all seeking an outlet. It was as though they said, "If what is said of you be true, why waste time, precious time, in the pretty but insignificant villages of Galilee? Go to the City of Jerusalem where thousands can watch your miracles. Then if the rumours be really true, they can make you a king, and we can find a better job in the administration of your kingdom. If all they say of you be untrue then the sooner the falsehood is exposed, the better for all concerned." It seems unbelievable that these men had lived with Jesus for thirty years and yet knew nothing about Him. For them, as for so many people today their familiarity with Jesus had bred contempt.
Looking at the Reason for the Secrecy of Jesus’ Action at this Point in Ministry
Therefore Jesus told them, The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify that what it does is evil (John 7:6-7).
The Lord’s days were all planned in the Council Chambers of Heaven. He did nothing that was not planned, without thoughtful preparation. The time and opportunity to go to the Feast were not ripe at that moment on the divine clock. However since they did always the things they desired, their time was always ready. They were men without conviction, discernment, courage. They never criticized the world and never denounced the devil. They ‘minded their own business’ and never made enemies. Therefore the world had no reason to hate them. They waited to see which party would get into power, and then support it! Moral issues and spiritual values had little or no appeal. God could look after His affairs; they would look after their affairs. It was an uncomplicated arrangement and a very popular one too. So it is today by the general population of people in every nation across the face of the earth. Jesus was so wonderfully different. He came to do the Will of God His Father; He denounced evil. He was spiritual; they were carnal. He was from above; they were of this world - earthy
You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for Me the right time has not yet come. Having said this, He stayed in Galilee. However, after His brothers had left for the Feast, He went also, not publicly, but in secret (John 7:8-10).
It was required of every male in Israel to present himself before the Lord at least three times a year. At other times attendance was optional at minor religious ceremonies, but at the Feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles attendance was compulsory. "Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in a place which He shall choose; in the Feast of unleavened bread; and in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty" (Deuteronomy 16:16).
Therefore in sending His brethren to the Feast, Jesus, as He was always careful to do, complied with the requirements of the Mosaic Law. Any other instruction to them would have invited and merited criticism from the Jewish leaders. Jesus did not say that He would not attend the Feast; He merely said, "I will not go up yet ....." Jesus was not refusing to go up to the Feast, but was refusing to go in the way His brothers suggested - as a pilgrim. When He went, it would be to deliver a prophetic message from God His Father, for which He awaited the "right time". People generally travelled to Jerusalem in groups or caravans. All such would be given a warm and joyous welcome, for this was the Feast of joy. Jesus desired to arrive secretly - without undue attention, quietly, - His Father’s purpose could be better served that way. The vast majority of visitors to the Feast travelled the highway; Jesus probably travelled along the side roads and byways. Sometimes the longest way round is the shortest way home!
Jesus refused to be intimidated by the rumours which were rife in the City of Jerusalem, or the sinister whispers in the crowded market place. Premonitions of fear and trouble were in the hearts of many people. The same sense of unease is still prevalent in Jewish and Palestinian lives in the City. 2003 AD presents so many threats to the people. Rumours have been replaced with rockets and whispers by warheads. Life giving ministry of Jesus is no longer the supposed threat, it is now the life threatening ministrations of world leaders. President George Bush, Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Saddam Hussein, and the hawks and doves of the Security Council who have spoken and written millions of words about peace. When in reality there is no peace. Real peace comes only from the Prince of Peace there is no other source of true peace. Preachers of the Gospel are of world importance because their message is the continuing one of the Preacher from Nazareth and Jerusalem. Our pulpits should be places of life and peace, not war zones of theological thought and debate. Biblical Gospel ministry will replace fear with personal peace in the hearts and minds of those who receive the message in faith.
Not until halfway through the Feast of the Tabernacles did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begins to teach. The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?" John 7:14-15.
"The fifteenth day of the this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord" (Leviticus 23:34). The great feast at the prescribed time of the year had been in progress for about three days when Jesus made His way through the crowds and passed all the leafy shelters (tabernacles - tents) in which people lived throughout the seven days of the feast. All were celebrating the completion of the harvest and commemorating God’s goodness to the people during the desert wanderings of Leviticus 23:33-43; Deuteronomy 16:13-15. One is acutely aware of a great sense of history in every biblical event, we are told the reason, the time, the place, the people involved, the how, the why, the where and the when. One can almost see the village clock/sun-dial, read the city signpost and district street name plate. The Who’s Who of the day is opened at the correct page for our information and understanding. The drama of Redemption takes place in the bright Judean sunlight, not in in the murky shadows of the dark and silent night.
The crowds would be at their maximum. Teaching in the temple courts at such a time would reach many. This was a time, the half -holy days in the middle of the Feast, for foreign pilgrims, coming from great distances to savour the occasion and where their Temple contributions were paid, received and counted. As the local Jerusalemite would look on with proud self-consciousness, not unmingled with kindly patronage, on the swarthy strangers, yet fellow -countrymen, or the eager-eyed Galilean curiously stare after them, the travelling visitors would no doubt return the gaze with mingled awe and interest on the ever moving scene before them.
All day long the smoke of the burning, smouldering sacrifices rose in a column visible between the Mount of Olives and Zion. Whilst the voice and chant of Levites and responses of the Hallel by the masses of people and the clear note of the Priests’ silver trumpets could be heard and responded to in positive worship. The City at the centre of the world, as it were, lifted a united voice of worship, and among the crowds at that place the One who would in a short time change the world and bring truth in depth into worship.
In the deepening shadows of the evening a lovely picture is painted for us in Chiaroscuro the study of light and dark, the vast Temple buildings stood out illuminated by the great Candelabras that burned brightly in the Court of the Woman and by the glare of the torches, the night would be alive with songs, hymns and dancing. Joy could literally seen and heard at the Feast of Tabernacles known as the Feast.
Having covered some of the historical facts and positive elements of the Feast, I will now look at some of the negative aspects. By doing so I follow the wonderful advice given by Dr D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones who was utterly devoted to the Bible as the Word of God. He delights in the things of God. Along side many writers, preachers, teachers and personal friends in the Lord I feel a debt of love for such servants of God.
Early on the 14th Tishri (corresponding to our September or early October) all the festive pilgrims had arrived. Hospitality sought and found. Guests welcomed and entertained, all things required for the Feast to be got ready. Booths must be built, erected everywhere in court, on the flat roof of the houses, in the street and square; leafy dwellings everywhere, to give remembrance of the wilderness journey, and now the goodly land. Only one place was not covered with green garlands of the Spring into which the land had burst. The dreaded castle, Antonia, standing above the Temple, frowned out across the City. The place was a symbol of loathing, how the Jew both local and visitor hated that castle, which guarded and dominated his own City and Temple. Roman eagles standing high on the ramparts of the castle, were not the most popular bird around.
Israel were looking to the Temple and indeed above the Temple to the outline of Antonia on the skyline but failed in general to read the signs of the times. Having eyes they could not see and ears they could not hear, among all the sights and sounds of the great Feast they were both blind and deaf. Unaware of the day of their loving and merciful visitation by Jesus the Messiah, Son of David, Son of Man, Son of God. Of all the Feasts on the Jewish calendar the Feast of Tabernacles should have clearly have pointed them to the future.
Again it is correct for me to express my indebtedness to the written work of Dr. Alfred Edersheim M.A., D.D., Ph.D. I have gleaned so much Jewish insight from the Jewish author, his descriptive knowledge has helped me in witness, preaching and writing over the years. His love of our Lord Jesus Christ and Old and New Testament History, indeed all things Biblical deserves and receives my acknowledgement.
Harvest, its completion and thanksgiving, always points to the future, the Rabbis admitted this fact. The seventy sacrificial bullocks offered on the altars in the Temple they again regarded as the seventy nations’ of heathendom. Of vital importance was the outpouring of the water which gave the whole festival the name of ‘House of Outpouring’, was a picture of the outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord to come in due time. As the brief night hours of the great Temple illumination closed, a solemn testimony made before the God of Israel against the unbelieving heathen and heathenism itself presented a moving scene. Levites played musical instruments, grouped on the fifteen steps of the stairway that led from the Court of Israel to the Court of the Woman. At the first cockcrowing at dawn two Priests blew a threefold blast with their silver trumpets, another blast on the tenth step, and yet another threefold blast as they entered the Court of the Woman. Still playing as they marched through the Court to the Beautiful Gate, stopping here they faced westward to the Holy Place.
With one voice they spoke out loud; ‘Our fathers, who were in this place turned their backs on the Sanctuary of Jehovah, and their faces eastward and worshipped toward the sun, -- But our eyes are towards Jehovah’
So the night and early morning events taking place were very symbolical: the beautiful Temple illumination shone out into the darkness of the night of heathendom. At first light, along with trumpet note and the tramp of feet the great procession marched to the limits of the Temple, at that place turning again, made a protest against heathenism, whilst making a confession to the God of Israel.
All the noise and marching movement appears impressive in the first instant, but as we shall see in the scenes that follow, with the Lord Jesus, it was all to prove very shallow and almost meaningless. His ministry would teach, that believing hearts are of more value than marching feet, and that revealed truth more important than ‘top Cs’ from a trumpet!
General feeling among the people, both local to the city and those who had come up for the feast, was that the Man from Nazareth would be there to continue His ministry. No one spoke openly or freely for fear of the Jewish leaders and rulers. So the whispering and murmurings added to the quiet confusion and general sense of unease, discrete questions led to opinions offered, ‘He was a good man’ or ‘He was a fraud and was leading many gullible people astray with His ministry’. Jerusalem had become a City of conjecture and speculation.
One voice would change all this in seconds. The Son of David appeared in the Temple Colonnade. The porches of the Temple was an ideal place for public ministry and debate. All along the inside of the Temple wall which formed the Temple enclosure ran a double colonnade, columns of white marble, twenty-five cubits high, and covered with beams of cedar-wood, provided a place to walk, or to sit on the benches provided. Many of the crowd would simply stand still and listen. For the wonderful common law enabling speaking and teaching in Israel gave Jesus every right to the speak publicly in that place and at that time.
The Clock in the Colonnade
Jesus in perfect timing with the clock of Old Testament promise and prophecy began to minister to the listening Jewish people, some who were interested in the Revelation of Divine truth, along side others who were harbouring bitterness, resentment, scheming hatred and opposition, to the positive unfolding words of Eternal Life.
Wheat and chaff stood together in the Colonnades. Sheep and lambs mixed with the slinking wolves in the shadows of the Great Temple Buildings of Solomon, which Jesus called His Father’s House. The same situation is repeated in this generation in every place where the soul saving, life giving Gospel is ministered by God anointed Spirit filled preacher’s and Herald’s of the Cross. Some things will never change.
More Questions Than Answers.
The reaction of a number of the listeners displayed their superficiality in matters, with their appalling references to academic training and learning, again in this day and age this ghastly arrogance is prevalent.
"And the Jews marvelled saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned" (John 7:15)
Obviously the words of Jesus had caused their curiosity to be shaken and stirred, people like this always grapple for further points of clarification. The pure golden light of truth is never enough for them to simply respond in a positive believing manner. In reality the reasoning behind the question asked was, "How can Jesus say and do such things since He never studied in our very own established and respected Rabbinical college?" Here we have a tremendous truth which we note with interest. Is academic training in religious studies of more value than active testimony to the Redeemer’s Salvation in one’s life. Academia can, like the law, be an ass at times. The world by wisdom knew not God and this incident in the Colonnades is a classic example of that on-going truth.
Biblical revelation is to co-existence of Jesus the Son with His Father in past eternities, where from the heavenly universities of glory and majesty His wisdom designed every planet, every flower, the vast mountain ranges that stiffen the world’s crust; His creative power and instinct had given music to the birds, the wind and the waves of the seas and oceans. These concepts were beyond the grasp of their comprehension
Man Made Moulds.
Man is apt and happy to manufacture a mould, and while this man-made process may be neat, tidy, extremely useful and convenient, but man should never be surprised if at times of His own choosing God makes His own mould! Here we need a gentle word of caution, for these words of Scripture have become the spiritual hobbyhorse and sounding board for all kinds of strange, even silly statements by the over zealous person.
The fact that the Lord brought John Baptist from the undiscovered school in the wilderness, did not automatically infer that every recognised school was accursed and to be shunned. God is the God of the unexpected; there is variety in all His acts.
If the world’s only flower were a daisy, if the world’s only bird were a starling, if the world’s only animal were a donkey, what a strange queer world it would be!
The Lord called Elijah from small mountain village; Luke from a medical school; Saul of Tarsus from an established Rabbinical college; Amos from the fields; and many others from universities, steel works, coal mines, fishing boats, computer courses, art schools; and a hundred other places. Of course education is excellent; and academic distinction to be sort after; but primarily the mark for which we should all look for, is the hand of God upon a man’s ministry.
The Last Day of the Feast
The seventh day of the feast was a great day of celebration. (The eighth day was one of "solemn assembly"—Lev. 23:36; see Num. 29:35). Each morning of the feast, at the time of the sacrifice, the priests would draw water in a golden vessel from the Pool of Siloam and carry it to the temple to be poured out. This commemorated the wonderful supply of water God gave the Jews in the wilderness. This seventh day was known as "The Great Hosanna" and climaxed the feast. It takes little imagination to grasp what must have happened when Jesus cried out, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink!" (v. 37) as the priests poured out the water. Christ was the Rock out of which the waters flowed (Ex. 17:1–7; 1 Cor. 10:4). He was smitten on the cross that the Spirit of life might be given to save and satisfy thirsty sinners. In the Bible, water for cleansing symbolizes the Word of God (John 13:1–17; 15:3); water for drinking represents the Spirit of God (John 7:37–38).
Instead of heeding His gracious invitation to come, the people argued, and there was division among them. Some believed in Him, some rejected. (See Matt. 10:31–39 and Luke 12:51–52.) The soldiers could not arrest Him because His word gripped their hearts (v. 46). Because the Jewish leaders rejected Christ, they shut the door of salvation to others who followed their bad example (Matt. 23:13).
Nicodemus enters the picture again, and this time we see him defending Christ’s legal privileges. In John 3, he was in the darkness of confusion; but here he is experiencing the dawn of conviction, willing to give Christ a fair chance. Because of this, Nicodemus learned the truth, for a willingness to obey the Word is the secret of learning God’s truth (v. 17). In John 19 we see Nicodemus in the daylight of confession, openly identifying himself with Christ. How did he come to make this decision? He studied the Word and asked for God to teach him. The rulers told him, "Search and look!" and that is just what he did. Anyone who will read and obey the Word of God will move out of darkness into God’s marvellous light.