John 7:21-24 - Do not judge by appearances

7:21

“I did one work ...” This is probably the healing of the man at the pool as that miracle was carried out in Jerusalem. The marvelling could be the fact of the healing of the man who had been paralysed for thirty eight years, and this would make sense in terms of “answering the crowd”. However, as we now go onto a discussion about the Sabbath it would seem to make more sense in terms of their “marvelling” that Jesus told the man to carry his mat on the Sabbath.

7:22-24

Jesus then points out a paradox in their so-called “observance” of the Sabbath. “Moses gave you circumcision”. The details of circumcision were laid out in the Law, but circumcision came in long before the Law with Abraham. Now the Jews were quite happy to circumcise a child on the Sabbath if that was the eighth day. So the Jews accepted the principle that “breaking the Sabbath” was OK in some circumstances, in particular if it was necessary in order to keep the circumcision law. They saw circumcision as a vital part of God’s purpose and will.

Jesus then points them to a greater “law”. God wants our whole body, our whole life, to be well. So Jesus is pointing to the greater purpose and will of God. Jesus closes this part of the argument off by calling on them to use their brains!