Rivers of Living Water
But because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath (not that it is from Moses, but from the patriarchs.) John 7:22 · Berean Standard Bible
Jesus makes a brilliant argument: Moses gave you circumcision, and you perform it on the Sabbath without hesitation. So why the outrage over healing on the Sabbath?
Jesus meets them on their own terms. They already make exceptions to the Sabbath for circumcision. His logic is airtight.
Jesus uses the crowd's own practices to expose the inconsistency of their outrage.
Jesus is a master of asking the question that changes everything. If it is okay to do a minor procedure on the Sabbath, how can it be wrong to make a whole person well?
Jesus introduces the argument from circumcision: Moses gave them peritomē (circumcision, though noting it actually originated with the patriarchs), which they perform even on the Sabbath.
The parenthetical clarification about circumcision's patriarchal origin (Genesis 17:10-14) shows Jesus' precise knowledge of Torah history while setting up His argument from lesser to greater.
Jesus begins a rabbinical a fortiori argument, using circumcision as the acknowledged exception to Sabbath rest.
Jesus engages the leaders on their own turf, using rabbinic logic they cannot refuse. If they circumcise on the Sabbath to fulfill one command, why condemn Him for healing a whole person?
20“You have a demon,” the crowd replied. “Who is trying to kill You?”
21Jesus answered them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed.
22But because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath (not that it is from Moses, but from the patriarchs.)
23If a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses will not be broken, why are you angry with Me for making the whole man well on the Sabbath?
24Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”
Read all of John 7 — Jesus appears at the Festival of Tabernacles and divides the crowd. Some say he's a prophet, some say he's the Messiah, and some want him arrested.
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