John 7

1  AFTER THIS, Jesus went from place to place in Galilee, for He would not travel in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.2  Now the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was drawing near.3  So His brothers said to Him, Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples [there] may also see the works that You do. [This is no place for You.]4  For no one does anything in secret when he wishes to be conspicuous and secure publicity. If You [must] do these things [if You must act like this], show Yourself openly and make Yourself known to the world!5  For [even] His brothers did not believe in or adhere to or trust in or rely on Him either.6  Whereupon Jesus said to them, My time (opportunity) has not come yet; but any time is suitable for you and your opportunity is ready any time [is always here].7  The world cannot [be expected to] hate you, but it does hate Me because I denounce it for its wicked works and reveal that its doings are evil.8  Go to the Feast yourselves. I am not [yet] going up to the Festival, because My time is not ripe. [My term is not yet completed; it is not time for Me to go.]9  Having said these things to them, He stayed behind in Galilee.10  But afterward, when His brothers had gone up to the Feast, He went up also, not publicly [not with a caravan], but by Himself quietly and as if He did not wish to be observed.11  Therefore the Jews kept looking for Him at the Feast and asking, Where can He be? [Where is that Fellow?]12  And there was among the mass of the people much whispered discussion and hot disputing about Him. Some were saying, He is good! [He is a good Man!] Others said, No, He misleads and deceives the people [gives them false ideas]!13  But no one dared speak out boldly about Him for fear of [the leaders of] the Jews.14  When the Feast was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple [court] and began to teach.15  The Jews were astonished. They said, How is it that this Man has learning [is so versed in the sacred Scriptures and in theology] when He has never studied?16  Jesus answered them by saying, My teaching is not My own, but His Who sent Me.17  If any man desires to do His will (God’s pleasure), he will know (have the needed illumination to recognize, and can tell for himself) whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking from Myself and of My own accord and on My own authority.18  He who speaks on his own authority seeks to win honor for himself. [He whose teaching originates with himself seeks his own glory.] But He Who seeks the glory and is eager for the honor of Him Who sent Him, He is true; and there is no unrighteousness or falsehood or deception in Him.19  Did not Moses give you the Law? And yet not one of you keeps the Law. [If that is the truth] why do you seek to kill Me [for not keeping it]?20  The crowd answered Him, You are possessed by a demon! [You are raving!] Who seeks to kill You?21  Jesus answered them, I did one work, and you all are astounded. 22  Now Moses established circumcision among you--though it did not originate with Moses but with the previous patriarchs--and you circumcise a person [even] on the Sabbath day.23  If, to avoid breaking the Law of Moses, a person undergoes circumcision on the Sabbath day, have you any cause to be angry with (indignant with, bitter against) Me for making a man’s whole body well on the Sabbath?24  Be honest in your judgment and do not decide at a glance (superficially and by appearances); but judge fairly and righteously.25  Then some of the Jerusalem people said, Is not this the Man they seek to kill?26  And here He is speaking openly, and they say nothing to Him! Can it be possible that the rulers have discovered and know that this is truly the Christ?27  No, we know where this Man comes from; when the Christ arrives, no one is to know from what place He comes.28  Whereupon Jesus called out as He taught in the temple [porches], Do you know Me, and do you know where I am from? I have not come on My own authority and of My own accord and as self-appointed, but the One Who sent Me is true (real, genuine, steadfast); and Him you do not know!29  I know Him [Myself] because I come from His [very] presence, and it was He [personally] Who sent Me.30  Therefore they were eager to arrest Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, for His hour (time) had not yet come.31  And besides, many of the multitude believed in Him [adhered to Him, trusted in Him, relied on Him]. And they kept saying, When the Christ comes, will He do [can He be expected to do] more miracles and produce more proofs and signs than what this Man has done?32  The Pharisees learned how the people were saying these things about Him under their breath; and the chief priests and Pharisees sent attendants (guards) to arrest Him.33  Therefore Jesus said, For a little while I am [still] with you, and then I go back to Him Who sent Me.34  You will look for Me, but you will not [be able to] find Me; where I am, you cannot come.35  Then the Jews said among themselves, Where does this Man intend to go that we shall not find Him? Will He go to the Jews who are scattered in the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?36  What does this statement of His mean, You will look for Me and not be able to find Me, and, Where I am, you cannot come?37  Now on the final and most important day of the Feast, Jesus stood, and He cried in a loud voice, If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink!38  He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.39  But He was speaking here of the Spirit, Whom those who believed (trusted, had faith) in Him were afterward to receive. For the [Holy] Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honor).40  Listening to those words, some of the multitude said, This is certainly and beyond doubt the Prophet! 41  Others said, This is the Christ (the Messiah, Anointed One)! But some said, What? Does the Christ come out of Galilee?42  Does not the Scripture tell us that the Christ will come from the offspring of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived? 43  So there arose a division and dissension among the people concerning Him.44  Some of them wanted to arrest Him, but no one [ventured and] laid hands on Him.45  Meanwhile the attendants (guards) had gone back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, Why have you not brought Him here with you?46  The attendants replied, Never has a man talked as this Man talks! [No mere man has ever spoken as He speaks!]47  The Pharisees said to them, Are you also deluded and led astray? [Are you also swept off your feet?]48  Has any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in Him?49  As for this multitude (rabble) that does not know the Law, they are contemptible and doomed and accursed!50  Then Nicodemus, who came to Jesus before at night and was one of them, asked,51  Does our Law convict a man without giving him a hearing and finding out what he has done?52  They answered him, Are you too from Galilee? Search [the Scriptures yourself], and you will see that no prophet comes (will rise to prominence) from Galilee.53  And they went [back], each to his own house.

John 7

Chapter 7

Jesus and His Brothers

1 After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death.2 But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters,3 and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles!4 You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!”

5 For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.
6 Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime.7 The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil.8 You go on. I’m not goingt to this festival, because my time has not yet come.”

9 After saying these things, Jesus remained in Galilee.

Jesus Teaches Openly at the Temple

10 But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view.11 The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him.12 There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.”

13 But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.
14 Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach.

15 The peoplet were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?” they asked.
16 So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me.17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.18 Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies.

19 Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me.”

20 The crowd replied, “You’re demon possessed! Who’s trying to kill you?”
21 Jesus replied, “I did one miracle on the Sabbath, and you were amazed.22 But you work on the Sabbath, too, when you obey Moses’ law of circumcision. (Actually, this tradition of circumcision began with the patriarchs, long before the law of Moses.)23 For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of Moses. So why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath?

24 Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”

Is Jesus the Messiah?

25 Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?26 But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah?

27 But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.”
28 While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him.29 But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.”

30 Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his timet had not yet come.

31 Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?”
32 When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus.33 But Jesus told them, “I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me.

34 You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.”
35 The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. “Where is he planning to go?” they asked. “Is he thinking of leaving the country and going to the Jews in other lands?t Maybe he will even teach the Greeks!

36 What does he mean when he says, ‘You will search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You cannot go where I am going’?”

Jesus Promises Living Water

37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”t

39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given,t because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

Division and Unbelief

40 When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.”t41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee?42 For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.”t43 So the crowd was divided about him.

44 Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him.

45 When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

46 “We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded.
47 “Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked.48 “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him?

49 This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”
50 Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up.

51 “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked.

52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comest from Galilee!”
---------- [The most ancient Greek manuscripts do not include John 7:53–8:11.]

53 Then the meeting broke up, and everybody went home.