John 7:14–24 - 14 But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach. 15 The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?” 16 So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself. 18 “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. 19 “Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who seeks to kill You?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one deed, and you all marvel. 22 “For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man. 23 “If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath? 24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
What does today’s passage say?
In today's passage, Jesus started teaching in the temple during a Jewish festival. The religious leaders were shocked by His knowledge since He had not received formal religious education. Jesus explained that His teaching came directly from God, and those who truly wanted to follow God would recognize this. Anyone seeking God's glory instead of their own would know the truth of His words (vv. 14-18). Jesus then confronted the leaders about their failure to keep Moses's law, pointing out their desire to kill Him. The crowd responded by accusing Him of being crazy (vv. 19-20). Jesus used the example of circumcision on the Sabbath to show their inconsistent logic. He told them to stop making quick decisions based on outward appearances and instead evaluate situations according to God's standards of what is right (vv. 21-24).
How can I apply John 7:14-24 to my life?
Life hits different when Jesus steps in and flips our thinking upside down. In these verses, that's exactly what happened at the temple. The religious big shots had their neat boxes all lined up - who was in, who was out, what counted as right and wrong. Then Jesus showed up teaching truth that shook their whole system. Some people loved it. Others wanted to shut Him down fast. But everyone had to deal with what He said. His words pack the same punch today. We walk around with our instant opinions, clicking like and dislike on people and ideas faster than we can scroll through social media. "I know exactly what that person is like," we tell ourselves after a two-second glance. "This situation is totally clear," we decide before hearing both sides. Even worse, we come to God's Word with our minds already made up about what it should say. Jesus stops us in our tracks and points to a better way. He shows us what it looks like to learn from God with humble hearts, to put His authority above our opinions, and to judge situations the way He does - not by what's on the surface, but by what really matters. Here are some basic principles from this passage that we should apply to our lives:
1. Humbly Seek the Truth of God's Teaching (vv. 14-18): Jesus taught that His teaching came from God the Father, and those who want to do God's will can know this truth. People often struggle to grasp God's Word because pride gets in the way - we think we know better or want to look smart in front of others. The simple fact is this: God speaks clearly to those who come to Him with humble hearts. Sometimes we grab our Bibles ready to prove our points, armed with highlighters and strong opinions. But real learning starts when we put down our weapons of pride and pick up the tools of humility. Truth hits differently when we are not trying to defend our reputation or win an argument. God's teaching opens up to us in amazing ways once we stop trying to bend it to fit our ideas. It is like the difference between a know-it-all student who never learns and a wide-eyed child soaking up new discoveries. Sure, it is not easy to admit when we are wrong or to change long-held views. Yet the reward of seeing God's truth clearly is worth every uncomfortable moment of laying aside our ego. The choice faces us every time we study: will we come as masters or as learners? When we choose the learner's path - ready to be corrected, eager to grow, more interested in God's approval than human praise - we find ourselves understanding things we never saw before. This humble approach changes everything about how we read Scripture, hear teaching, and share what we learn with others (Proverbs 9:10; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5; Psalm 25:9).
Food for thought: What personal attitudes or motives might be blocking you from truly learning from God's Word? How does your approach to Bible study change when you focus on pleasing God instead of proving yourself right?
2. Submit to Jesus's Divine Authority (vv. 19-20): Jesus points out the hypocrisy of those who claim to follow God's law while rejecting His authority. We often act just like those people did - talking big about following God while living life our own way. Some of us fight against God's authority because we think we know better. Others just drift along, nodding at what God says but never really changing how we live. It hits different parts of our lives in different ways. Sometimes we ignore what God says about our money because we want that new gadget. Other times we brush off His commands about forgiveness because that person really hurt us. Following Jesus means giving up the steering wheel of our life - and that is not easy. Real submission goes way deeper than just showing up at church or posting Bible verses online. It shakes up everything: our weekend plans, our dating life, our work habits, our entertainment choices. When we actually put Jesus in charge, we stop playing games with His commands or looking for clever ways around them. Living under His authority means trading our perfectly planned life map for His direction, even when the road looks bumpy or goes somewhere unexpected. Sure, it is hard to admit we are not the best judge of what is right for our lives. But here is the thing - when we finally stop fighting His authority, we find a kind of freedom we never knew existed. We no longer have to carry the weight of running our own show or trying to prove we have got it all together (Philippians 2:9-11; Matthew 28:18; Romans 14:11).
Food for thought: In what areas of your life are you still trying to maintain control instead of yielding to Jesus's authority? How would your decisions be different if you consistently put Jesus's commands ahead of your own preferences?
3. Practice God's Standard of Judgment (vv. 21-24): Jesus corrects the superficial judgment of His critics by pointing them to God's deeper standard of righteousness. We are quick to judge - it is just part of human nature. Our brains jump to conclusions in seconds flat about someone's worth based on their appearance, job, or social status. One glance at a person's clothes or car, and we think we know their whole story. Some people we write off completely. Others we put on pedestals they never asked for. God's standard cuts through all that surface stuff and goes straight to the heart. Think about the last time you walked into church. Maybe you noticed that one person who never dresses "right" or that family who always comes in late. Your mind probably made-up stories about why they are that way. We do this everywhere - at work, at school, in our neighborhoods. That guy with all the tattoos? Written off. The quiet woman who keeps to herself? Dismissed. The teenager with the attitude? Labeled and filed away. But here is what messes with our neat categories: God sees stories we cannot see and works in ways we would never expect. Real righteous judgment takes work. It means hitting the brakes on our instant opinions and taking time to look deeper. Sometimes it means admitting we got someone completely wrong. Other times it means facing our own prejudices head-on. Getting this right matters because our judgments affect real people with real lives and real relationships with God. When we judge like God does, we have to slow down, look carefully, and be ready to have our minds changed (1 Samuel 16:7; James 2:1-4; Matthew 7:1-5).
Food for thought: How often do you catch yourself making quick judgments about others based on surface-level observations? What steps can you take to evaluate situations more carefully according to God's standards rather than appearances?
The lessons from Jesus's temple teaching call us to action in three vital areas of our spiritual lives. First, true learning from God's Word happens when we trade our pride for humility, coming to His teaching ready to be changed rather than to prove ourselves right. Second, our claims about following Jesus must translate into actual submission to His authority in our daily choices and actions. Third, we need to replace our quick surface-level judgments with God's deeper, more careful way of evaluating people and situations. These principles work together to transform how we live out our faith. A humble approach to God's Word opens our hearts to His authority. Submitting to His authority changes how we judge situations and treat people. Living this way stands out sharply against our culture's rush to judgment and self-promotion. The choice lies before us each day: Will we stick with surface-level Christianity, or will we dig deeper into God's truth? Will we judge by appearances, or will we take time to see as God sees? True spiritual growth starts when we put these teachings into practice, moving beyond mere agreement to actual change in how we think and act.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I pray that You would reveal areas of pride that block me from accepting the truth of Your Word. Help me lay aside my ego and desire to prove myself right so that I can truly learn from You with a humble heart.
I pray that You would show me how Your Son's authority should change my daily choices. Give me courage to submit when obedience is difficult or inconvenient. Replace my quick judgments based on appearances with Your deeper way of evaluating people and situations and stop me down when I am tempted to dismiss someone at first glance.
I pray that I would always remember that You see stories about each person that I cannot. Guard my words and actions so they do not add to someone's burden and help me to not make assumptions that hurt others and limit what You want to do in their lives. I pray for grace to grow beyond surface-level spirituality into a deeper walk of humility, submission, and righteous judgment. Create in me a humble hunger to keep learning, an unwavering commitment to obey, and a careful compassion that sees through Your eyes of mercy and redemption.
I pray these things in the most precious name of Jesus, Amen.
John 7:24 - “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
With His Blessings,
Pastor Corby
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