Why Do You Seek to Kill Me?
Jesus continued speaking:
"'Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?' The people answered and said, 'You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?' Jesus answered and said to them, 'I did one work, and you all marvel. Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment'" (John 7:19-24).

It is difficult to know with certainty what Jesus is referring to in John 7:19 regarding them not keeping the law. Perhaps His point is that since they were seeking to kill Him unjustly, they certainly weren't keeping the law of Moses. Or perhaps this statement is properly understood in reference to Jesus' words about circumcision on the Sabbath. They accused Jesus of sinning on the Sabbath and He points to their hypocrisy on the matter.

The people who respond in John 7:20 affirm that Jesus is demon-possessed (and consequently, not in His right mind). His last sentence seems ridiculous to them. Who was trying to kill Him? Some were evidently not aware of the hatred some had toward the Lord.

"I did one work, and you all marvel" (John 7:21). When reading further in this context (cf. 7:23), it becomes apparent that the work Jesus is referring to was the miracle He performed in Jerusalem many months earlier (i.e., the healing of the man with the infirmity on the Sabbath, cf. John 5:5ff). On that occasion, the Jewish leaders had become so enraged that they sought to kill Him because they believed His actions to be a violation of the Sabbath law (cf. 5:16).

Jesus had sufficiently defended His actions at the time (cf. 5:17ff), but now He begins an even more devastating defense. Jesus states two facts: (1) The law of Moses commanded circumcision (cf. Lev. 12:3; though it had been required since Abraham's day - Gen. 17:9-14) and (2) The Jews did perform circumcisions on the Sabbath day. These two facts laid the groundwork for Jesus' argument in the next verse.

"If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?" (John 7:23). Jesus here exposes their inconsistency. Circumcision did not violate the Sabbath restrictions regarding work. It was a good work which they allowed to be performed on the Sabbath. However, when Jesus mercifully healed a man on the same day, they strongly objected. Jesus' point is that this makes no sense! Circumcision was a good work that was to be administered as a "sign" of the covenant, yet there was more "work" involved in circumcising a baby boy than there was in Jesus' miraculous and complete healing of the man. Thus, if circumcision was to be allowed on the Sabbath, then so should miraculous healing. The leaders were essentially condemning that which they practiced!

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24; cf. I Thess. 5:21; Matt. 7:1-5). It is only when all the facts are known and everything is put into its proper perspective that a just and correct judgment on any issue can be made. Those who opposed Jesus' Sabbath day healings were not judging properly. They were judging inconsistently by appearance. May we seek diligently to avoid making improper judgments!