John 7:1-24 – Jesus Teaches at the Festival of Booths
Quick Summary
In John 7:1–24, Jesus attends the Festival of Booths in Jerusalem and begins teaching in the temple. His words provoke amazement and division, as some question his authority and others marvel at his wisdom. This passage highlights themes of divine timing, true judgment, and God’s presence among his people.
Introduction
The Festival of Booths (or Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot) was one of the major Jewish pilgrim festivals, celebrated in Jerusalem with joy, water rituals, and lamp-lighting ceremonies. It commemorated Israel’s wilderness journey and God’s provision of water, light, and shelter. Against this backdrop, Jesus travels to the festival and teaches in the temple courts.
John frames this episode with tension. Jesus’ brothers do not yet believe in him, the religious leaders are plotting against him, and the crowds are divided in their opinions. Yet Jesus enters the festival on his Father’s timing and reveals that his teaching comes directly from God. His words expose the difference between surface-level appearances and true, Spirit-led judgment.
What is the Festival of Booths?
The Festival of Booths, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or by its Hebrew name Sukkot, was one of the three great pilgrimage feasts of Israel alongside Passover and Pentecost. It is described in Leviticus 23:33–43 as a time when the people of Israel would live in temporary shelters to remember their ancestors’ journey through the wilderness. It celebrated God’s provision of food, water, and protection during that time.
By the first century, Sukkot had become the most joyous of the Jewish festivals. Rituals included the daily water-pouring ceremony at the temple, which prayed for rain and recalled God providing water from the rock, and the lighting of great lamps in the temple courts, symbolizing God’s guiding presence. These symbols of water and light play directly into Jesus’ teaching in John 7–8, where he speaks of “living water” and declares, “I am the light of the world.”
The Festival of Booths not only looked back to Israel’s past but also forward in hope for God’s future salvation. It anticipated the day when God would once again dwell with his people in fullness. John presents Jesus as the fulfillment of this longing—the Word made flesh, God’s presence tabernacling among us (John 1:14). (see Craig Keener, The Gospel of John: A Commentary, Volume 1, p. 709-713)
John 7:1–5 – Jesus and His Brothers
“After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him. Now the Jewish Festival of Booths was near. So his brothers said to him, ‘Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing; for no one who wants to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.’ For not even his brothers believed in him.” (John 7:1–5)
The Festival of Booths sets the stage. This was a joyful celebration of God’s provision, yet for Jesus it is a time of growing danger. The leaders in Judea seek his life, and even his own brothers misunderstand his mission. They urge him to make a public display, but their words carry skepticism. Their unbelief shows how difficult it was to grasp that Jesus was more than a miracle-worker—he was God’s presence in their midst.
This reminds us that faith is not automatic, even among those closest to Jesus. His brothers’ doubts foreshadow the broader rejection he will face in Jerusalem.
John 7:6–9 – The Father’s Timing
“Jesus said to them, ‘My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are evil. Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for my time has not yet fully come.’ After saying this, he remained in Galilee.” (John 7:6–9)
Jesus speaks of divine timing. His “hour” has not yet arrived—the hour of his glorification through the cross. He will not be driven by human pressure or public opinion but only by the Father’s plan. By contrast, his brothers can go at any time because they do not yet share in his mission.
The Festival of Booths was about remembering God’s presence and provision in the wilderness. Jesus embodies that reality, yet he must reveal it at the right moment. This passage challenges us to trust God’s timing in our own lives.
John 7:10–13 – Quiet Arrival
“But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but as it were in secret. The Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying, ‘Where is he?’ And there was considerable complaining about him among the crowds. While some were saying, ‘He is a good man,’ others were saying, ‘No, he is deceiving the crowd.’ Yet no one would speak openly about him for fear of the Jews.” (John 7:10–13)
Jesus goes to the Festival of Booths quietly. The leaders are looking for him, and the crowds are divided in their opinions. Some see him as good; others accuse him of deception. Fear keeps many from speaking openly.
The festival that celebrated God’s presence becomes a stage for debate over whether Jesus truly represents God. Division is inevitable when people encounter him. John reminds us that neutrality is not an option—we must decide who Jesus is.
John 7:14–18 – Teaching in the Temple
“About the middle of the festival Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach. The Jews were astonished at it, saying, ‘How does this man have such learning, when he has never been taught?’ Then Jesus answered them, ‘My teaching is not mine but his who sent me. Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own. Those who speak on their own seek their own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing false in him.’” (John 7:14–18)
Midway through the Festival of Booths, Jesus begins teaching openly in the temple. His authority amazes the people because he has not been trained in the rabbinic schools. Jesus points to his source: the Father. True teaching is recognized not by credentials but by whether it glorifies God.
The key is obedience. Those who are willing to do God’s will can discern the truth of Jesus’ words. Faith and understanding go hand in hand. The Festival of Booths celebrated God’s word dwelling among his people, and now the living Word teaches in their midst.
John 7:19–24 – True Judgment
“Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you looking for an opportunity to kill me?’ The crowd answered, ‘You have a demon! Who is trying to kill you?’ Jesus answered them, ‘I performed one work, and all of you are astonished. Moses gave you circumcision (it is, of course, not from Moses, but from the patriarchs), and you circumcise a man on the sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the sabbath in order that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I healed a man’s whole body on the sabbath? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.’” (John 7:19–24)
Jesus confronts the inconsistency of his opponents. They honor circumcision even on the sabbath but condemn him for healing on the sabbath (John 5:1–18). Their judgment is superficial. Jesus calls them to judge with right judgment—looking at the heart of God’s will rather than clinging to appearances.
At the Festival of Booths, people remembered how God provided in the wilderness. Jesus points them to a deeper truth: God’s law is fulfilled in mercy, healing, and wholeness. The challenge remains for us: will we judge by appearances, or will we discern God’s will through Christ?
John 7:1–24 Meaning for Today
This passage shows us that Jesus moves according to God’s timing, not human expectation. It reminds us that faith requires more than admiration—it requires obedience and discernment. The Festival of Booths, with its themes of joy, water, and light, becomes the stage where Jesus reveals himself as the true presence of God among his people.
We are challenged to judge not by appearances but with right judgment. In a world where quick judgments and surface impressions dominate, Jesus calls us to deeper discernment rooted in God’s truth. We are also reminded that faith is not neutral—we must respond to Jesus, either with trust or with rejection.
FAQ: John 7:1–24
What is the Festival of Booths?
It was a Jewish festival (also called Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot) celebrating God’s provision during Israel’s wilderness journey. People lived in temporary shelters and celebrated with rituals of water and light.
Why did Jesus go to the festival secretly?
Because his time had not yet come. He was not avoiding the festival itself but refusing to go on his brothers’ terms or according to public pressure.
Why were people amazed at Jesus’ teaching?
Because he had no formal rabbinic training, yet his words carried authority and clarity. He explained that his teaching came directly from God.
What does ‘judge with right judgment’ mean?
It means looking beyond appearances to discern God’s will. True judgment is not based on surface rules but on God’s intent revealed in Christ.
Sources / Further Reading
Raymond E. Brown, John (AYB), John 7
D. A. Carson, John (PNTC), John 7
Gail R. O’Day, John (NIB), John 7
Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of John, John 7
Andreas J. Köstenberger, John (BECNT), John 7
Related Content
John 6:22–59 – The Bread of Life Discourse (contrast with festival teaching)
John 8 Outline and Meaning (light of the world at the same festival)
Revelation 21:1–8 – The New Heaven and the New Earth (God dwelling with his people = true tabernacle)
1 John 2:28–3:10 – God’s Children and Sin (living as God’s children, abiding in his presence)
