John 7:19-30 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law? Why go you about to kill me?… I. THE OBSTINATE BLINDNESS OF THE UNBELIEVING JEWS. They defended their denial of our Lord's Messiahship by two assertions, both of which were wrong (ver. 27). 1. They were wrong in saying that they knew whence He came. They meant that He came from Nazareth; but He was born at Bethlehem, and belonged to the tribe of Judah, and was of the lineage of David. The Jews, with their care- fully-kept family histories, could have found this out. Their ignorance was, therefore, without excuse. 2. They were wrong in saying that "no man was to know whence Christ came." This was in fiat contradiction to Micah 5:2 (see Matthew 2:5; John 7:42), which they found it convenient not to remember (2 Peter 3:5). How common is this habit to-day! "There are none so blind as those who will not see." II. THE OVER-RULING HAND OF GOD OVER ALL HIS ENEMIES (ver 30). 1. Our Lord's sufferings were undergone voluntarily. He did not go to the cross because He could not help it. Neither Jew nor Gentile could have hurt Him, except power had been given them from above. The passion could not begin until the very hour which God had appointed. 2. Christ's servants should treasure up this doctrine. Nothing can happen to them but by Divine permission (Psalm 31:15). III. THE MISERABLE END TO WHICH UNBELIEVERS SHALL ONE DAY COME (ver. 34). It is uncertain whether our Lord had in view individual cases of unbelief, or the national remorse at the siege of Jerusalem. There is such a thing as finding out truth too late (Proverbs 1:28; Matthew 25:11). Therefore decide for Christ now. (Bishop Ryle.) Parallel Verses KJV: Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?WEB: Didn't Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill me?" |
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