Judge with Righteous Judgment (John 7:11–36)
In a world driven by conflicting views, impulse decisions, and personal opinions, how do we discern what is true?
We live in a culture that encourages us to look at the surface—at outward appearances, cultural preferences, and emotional reactions—and conclude that truth is subjective to each person.
Today, as we continue our verse-by-verse journey through the Gospel of John, we are turning to John 7:11–37.
Right in the middle of the bustling Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus confronts the crowds and the religious authorities with a piercing command:
"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."(John 7:24)
The people in Jerusalem were stumbling over Jesus because He didn’t fit their preconceived opinions, their institutional credentials, or their cultural expectations.
But today we see Jesus cut through the noise, calling them—and us—to lay aside human motives, strip away personal biases, and measure reality by the objective, unchanging standard of God's Word.
Last Week:
We found Jesus, His disciples and his biological brothers in Galilee preparing to depart for Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths).
His brothers, not yet fully believing Jesus was the Christ, even though they were witnesses to His signs, wonders and teaching, tried to compel Jesus to go to Jerusalem and to publicly do more miraculous works to prove He was the Christ.
But Jesus remained focused on His purpose, rather than their pressure.
His timing was dictated by His Father’s timing – as ours should be too!
It is so easy to fall prey to “The Tyranny of the Urgent” and to try and push ahead according to OUR agenda, OUR timeline, and according to OUR wisdom –
When we should be seeking the Lord in prayer and asking for Him to reveal His will for our lives.
As we finished last week’s sermon – when we wait on the Lord – and in prayer seek His counsel – the Holy Spirit is able to speak into our lives - guide our calendars – and give us spiritual discernment – so that we walk according His paths.
1) Finding Jesus (John 7:10–13)
10 But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret.
I want to make a brief interlude here –
Jesus had told His brothers he would not go up to Judea with them to make a public scene with them – because it was not yet His time to do that.
But the time was coming – and Jesus did go up to Judea according to fulfill His purpose – And as Jesus left the region of Galilee by Himself to go up to Jerusalem, it was for the last time prior to His arrest, trial, and execution.
The tension at the Feast of Tabernacles was palpable.
The ministry and the message of Jesus of Nazareth was on everyone minds.
The religious leaders wanted to put him to death.
The crowds wanted to see another sign
But some were waiting to see and hear from the man they had come to believe was the Christ.
11 So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, “Where is He?” 12 There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray.” 13 Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
John uses a subtle word change here to demonstrate the two categories of people in Judea concerning Jesus-
It remains a continual sad testimony regarding the religious leaders who were too blind to see the truth who walked among them.
As we read in John 1:11 “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”
The religious leaders, “the Jews” and set their hard hearts in stone and were actively “seeking” Jesus – demanding of “the people” – “Where is He?”
Meanwhile, the crowds were divided and whispering behind closed doors for fear of the Jewish leaders.
But understand, even in the saying, “He is a good man” – the essential identity of Jesus is missed.
Why was He a good man?
Many “Good” men and women could make that claim –
In Mark 10:18, Jesus declared to the rich young ruler, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”
But Jesus is truly GOOD, because He is truly GOD.
Friends, little has changed today – One way or another everyone has an opinion on the question: “WHO IS JESUS?”
What I find interesting is that those who despise Him seem just as (or sometimes even more) passionate about their feelings regarding Jesus as those who love Him.
They will seek out opportunities to oppose Him and His teaching and with intense emotion speak out against Him and those who proclaim Him.
And remember, Jesus told us why the hate Him in last week’s message:
John 7:7 (the world) hates me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.”
But friends, what a person says about WHO Jesus of Nazareth is truthfully the only thing that matters in this life!
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:18
And as this statement is faithful and true – It begs a person’s full attention – and sincere consideration –
By this decision a person will be condemned or freed from their condemnation before God.
Understand, the root of the Gospel is not “Jesus loves you” – The root is you are sinner before the Holy Living God and in need of salvation!
Therefore, when we declare The Gospel to people – we must present Christ Jesus as THE ONLY means of salvation from God’s righteous judgement!
And to present that judgment as truly righteous and to show every person worthy of condemnation because of their sin.
In this we join Christ Jesus in the Ministry of Reconciliation – Testifying of deeds of the world, that they are evil.
2) The Test of Authority (vv. 14–18)
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.
Midway through the week-long feast, Jesus suddenly appears in the temple courts teaching.
The crowds and leaders are astonished: "How has this man obtained learning, having never been educated?"
In first-century Judaism, formal rabbinic authority required studying under recognized elite academies and to obtain a human pedigree.
Jesus had none of these human stamps of academic approval.
There were two schools of higher education in Judea in those days- The school begun by Rabbi Hillel and the school began by Rabbi Shammai
If you graduated from the school of Hillel – you spoke from that education
If you graduated from the school of Shammai – you spoke from that perspective.
In the same way today – theologians, teachers, pastors and preachers tend to be products of the schools they attended.
There is a danger when bible teachers and preachers are validated by their cultural credentials.
Understand, I am not saying that seminaries or bible colleges are bad thing – but if the definition of merit for that teacher or preacher is based on what school they went to – that is a problem.
In the same thread – if a teacher or preacher is more a product of their schooling than the calling of the Holy Spirit to teach and preach – that is a problem too!
When we consider what is the merit of the teacher or preacher of God’s word, on what are you basing that consideration?
As we all approach the Word of God to learn and to share it with others, by what merits are we measuring what and how we will share it?
As teachers and preachers - Are we focused on cleverness with the text? Engaging illustrations that entertain? Targeted cultural relevance?
As listeners in the congregation – Are you swayed by charisma, eloquence and engaging anecdotes?
Or are we both tethered to the objective truth and authority of the Word of God?
2 Peter 1:21 – “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Anyone who would teach or preach the Word of God, to the glory of God, MUST be tethered to the Word of God and be carried along by the Holy Spirit of God!
Understand, from the beginning, Jesus taught teachings of truth from a position and an authority that no school and no mere man could ever match!
“My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”
Jesus’ teaching was bold, authoritative, and indisputable.
As John began his gospel – “In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God.”
Jesus is the Word – logos – He and the teaching of God are one – as He and the Father are one – and all that Jesus taught was from God the Father.
Jesus redirects their focus from human pedigree to divine origin – From horizontal thinking to vertical understanding.
Jesus was not a man interpreting God’s revelation – He was the revelation!
Jesus exposed the moral prerequisite for understanding that truth;
Vs 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.
Jesus would later declare in John 10:27 “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.”
If anyone hears the Word of God with ears to hear – they know that God is – That they are deserving of His wrath – and that God has declared He will forgive and bless all those who believe in Jesus for their salvation by faith.
Jesus now declares publicly to the Religious Jewish leaders and the crowds that if anyone is “willing” to do the will of God the Father – then they will understand that Jesus is speaking the truth.
Many hear the message – but how many are “willing” to accept that their pride, preferences, or cultural understanding have misled them?
How many are “willing” to surrender their education and understanding and to receive the Word of God as the infallible and authoritative truth?
How many declare-
And the sad truth is that in the end – Most are not willing.
Even among those who do read the Word of God – there are many who read with an agenda that is to their glory – not to be shaped by God’s truth for His.
1 John 4:6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
There, in the courtyard of the temple, Jesus continued to boldly proclaim-
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.
Understand that Jesus is here speaking of Himself as the One who is true and in Him there is no unrighteousness.
Do not lose sight of the scene here!
John referred to them as the “the Jews” – the religious leaders were seeking Jesus and desiring to put Him to death – and the “crowds” or “people” who were watching and weighing who Jesus of Nazareth was.
To “the Jews” He declares-
3) Judge with Righteous Judgment (vv. 19–24)
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.”
The crowds were not aware of the plot of the leaders to put Jesus to death.
Though they knew the Jewish leaders were seeking Jesus of Nazareth – Jesus’ claim they were seeking Him to put Him death seemed ridiculous – the ravings of a man with an unclean spirit.
Jesus counters by pointing out the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders –
Under the Law of Moses (which was actually given to Moses by God) a Hebrew male child was to be circumcised on the 8th day – even if that day fell on the Sabbath day.
Jesus makes a “From the lesser to the greater” argument
The Lesser Act: The leaders allowed a surgical rite to be performed on a single part of a baby's body on the Sabbath to keep the commandment of Moses without breaking the Law.
The Greater Act: Jesus had healed an entire man—restoring his whole body and physical life—on the Sabbath.
The hypocrisy was evident!
If ceremonial cleansing of one part of the body was permitted on the Sabbath through the act of circumcision (the lesser),
How much more so should the actual healing of the entire body be permitted on the Sabbath (the greater).
If ceremonial cleansing of one part of the body is permitted on the Sabbath through the act of circumcision (the lesser), how much more so should the actual healing of the entire body be permitted on the Sabbath (the greater).
The leaders flew into a rage and accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath because they were judging by superficial appearances and personal agendas rather than righteous judgment true discernment based on the Word of God.
But of course, the rejection of Jesus as the Christ by the religious leaders was not a matter of intellect or a legal argument – but of a hard heart and prideful arrogance.
The same as it is today.
The essential argument(v. 24) "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
How many of you have heard someone with a worldly heart say, “Don’t judge me!”
QUESTION: Are Christians to judge?
Dismantling the Modern Myth of Non-Judgment:
The Standard of Righteous Judgement:
A judgment is righteous only when it measures strictly against the absolute, unchanging standard of God's holy character and written Word.
Jesus commands us to look past our self-seeking motivations, external considerations and to examine all things through the lens of Scripture.
God declared to His people – Leviticus 19:15 “You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.”
God declared to the prophet - Ezekiel 3:27 “But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ Whoever listens, let him listen; and whoever refuses, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.”
And in the Proverbs – 31:9 “Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.”
We are easily swayed by both internal and external factors.
We must stop evaluating people and ministries by superficial optics and force ourselves to ask: What does the objective standard of Scripture say?
The same is true as you exercise your obligation to the Lord to work out your ministry of reconciliation as an ambassador for Christ and call out the sins of the world –
Those perishing in the world for their sins will challenge us – “Who are you to judge me?”
Answer: I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and this is HIS WORD TO YOU…
4) Confronting the Christ (vv. 25–31)
25 So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill? 26 Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they? 27 However, we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from.”
The misunderstanding regarding Jesus’ presence was based on the misunderstanding of Malachi 3:1-2 Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple;
And yet, the crowds were aware of the things Jesus had done (signs and wonders) and they were aware of the things Jesus had said (authoritative teaching) but they were still confused and doubting as to who He WAS.
If this man is not the Christ – here He is – speaking bold things – if He is a liar, or lunatic, then why were the religious leaders not laying hands on Him to arrest Him?
How could this man from Nazareth be the Christ – His hometown was known, his mother, father and siblings were known – How could this man be the Messiah?
28 Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, “You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. 29 I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me.”
30 So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
Jesus speaks into the confusion – He had declared who He was –(the food and the water, that is, the source of eternal life)
He had declared that He had come down out of Heaven – He had not come of His own will alone – but had been sent by God the Father to speak the words given to Him.
“You do not know Him”, Jesus declared, “But I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me.”
And for those who did not believe – they rejected this truth – and sought to seize Him – but were unable to do so.
But then, as today, there are some who reject the truth – and others who sincerely consider the Word of God and righteously receive it as truth.
31 But many of the crowd believed in Him; and they were saying, “When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He?”
Never forget the Accountability that mankind has regarding Jesus as the Christ.
No one can hide behind intellectual skepticism, personal preference, cultural confusion, or theological excuses.
Every individual is personally responsible for how they respond to the revealed claims of Jesus.
Hebrews 3:7 ("Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts...")
Isaiah 55:6 ("Seek the Lord while He may be found...")
Application: You cannot remain neutral.
Where do you stand regarding the true identity of Jesus?
Have you set aside your own opinions, excuses, and motives to bow to His lordship before the window of grace closes and the Day of Judgment comes?
5) The Plot Thickens (v 32-36)
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him. 33 Therefore Jesus said, “For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me. 34 You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.”
35 The Jews then said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him? He is not intending to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He? 36 What is this statement that He said, ‘You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come’?”
It is the Pharisees who are then pressured into action by the questions of the crowd in the temple courtyard –
They had already purposed to put Jesus to death for His claims and actions on the Sabbath – which in reality was a smokescreen for their fears of what and who Jesus represented –
They were intimidated and frightened that His rise would mean their fall – which tells you everything you need to know about the state of their heart!
Knowing what the days ahead would bring – Jesus makes a passionate plea to the people – The Word of God – who had been sent by the Father – was there, NOW – but not for long
He would soon return to the Father who had sent Him –
And for those who reject the truth of who He is – that place is a place they will never know.
It was “the Jews” (religious leaders) who grumbled at Jesus’ words – questioning if Jesus of Nazareth intended to travel to the land of the Greeks and to share His claims with the Jewish population that were “dispersed.”
The closing thought is a sobering one –
In both Isaiah 49:8 and 2 Corinthians 6:2 we are told “Today is the day of salvation”
Now is the time to receive Him by faith and submit to him as Lord.
Because a day is coming for every person who was not when it will be too late to do so.
Because regarding Righteous Judgement – no judgment is more righteous than that of the God of Glory.
To Him be the glory, honor and power, for ever and ever - Amen
Until then –
May we all practice “righteous Judgement”
What is the truth?
Who is Jesus?
How should I live my life under Christ?
What and how should we teach, preach, and expose the sins of the world?
To all these and more – may we all set aside optics, preference, opinion and societal pressures to judge righteously according to the Word of God.
Let us pray.
In a world driven by conflicting views, impulse decisions, and personal opinions, how do we discern what is true? We live in a culture that encourages us to look at the surface—at outward appearances, cultural preferences, and emotional reactions—and conclude that truth is subjective to each person.
This Sunday, as we continue our verse-by-verse journey through the Gospel of John, we are turning to John 7:11–37. Right in the middle of the bustling Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus confronts the crowds and the religious authorities with a piercing command:
"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."(John 7:24)
The people in Jerusalem were stumbling over Jesus because He didn’t fit their preconceived opinions, their institutional credentials, or their cultural expectations. But Jesus cuts through the noise, calling them—and us—to lay aside human motives, strip away personal biases, and measure reality by the objective, unchanging standard of God's Word.
Join us this Sunday as we open the objective, authoritative Word of God to examine this vital text. Come ready to do a heart check, set aside human agendas, and anchor your soul in the objective, righteous truth of God's Word.
We look forward to worshipping with you!