Thoughts on the Gospel of John (41) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

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 7:21-24.

Thoughts on the Gospel of John (41)
Let us again consider the situation in which Jesus found Himself here. He was concerned solely with being God's mouthpiece; yet He was accused of having a demon. But the Lord remained calm. In His reply He recalls the miracle reported in chapter 5: the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. This happened on the Sabbath and was a stumbling block for the Jews, who thought such a thing should not take place on the Sabbath.

The Lord Jesus compared the two incidents: on the one hand the Jews and their circumcision on the Sabbath, on the other, His healing on the Sabbath. If the first was in order and the second not, it was illogical and arbitrary, even hypocritical.

Circumcision was a sign of God's covenant with the people of Israel: "Every male child among you shall be circumcised. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised" (Deuteronomy 17:10.12). Circumcising a small boy on the Sabbath was a matter of course; so why should healing be forbidden?

The Lord went to the root of the matter: the scribes' interpretations and opinions ignored significant parts of the Word of God. How often do we judge matters according to our impressions, not according to biblical standards!

(to be continued next Sunday)

Today's reading: Genesis 23:1-20 · Psalms 6:1-10