John 7
7
Jesus Goes to the Feast of Booths
1After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He didn’t want to travel around in Judea. That was because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. 2The Jewish Feast of Booths was near. 3Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea. Then your disciples there will see the works that you do. 4No one who wants to be well known does things in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5Even Jesus’ own brothers did not believe in him.
6So Jesus told them, “The time for me to show who I really am is not here yet. For you, any time would be the right time. 7The people of the world can’t hate you. But they hate me. This is because I am a witness that their works are evil. 8You go to the feast. I am not going up to this feast. This is because my time has not yet fully come.” 9After he said this, he stayed in Galilee.
10But when his brothers had left for the feast, he went also. But he went secretly, not openly. 11At the feast the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus. They were asking, “Where is he?”
12Many people in the crowd were whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.”
Others replied, “No. He fools the people.” 13But no one would say anything about him openly. They were afraid of the leaders.
Jesus Teaches at the Feast
14Jesus did nothing until halfway through the feast. Then he went up to the temple courtyard and began to teach. 15The Jews there were amazed. They asked, “How did this man learn so much without being taught?”
16Jesus answered, “What I teach is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17Here is how someone can find out whether my teaching comes from God or from me. That person must choose to do what God wants them to do. 18Whoever speaks on their own does it to get personal honor. But someone who works for the honor of the one who sent him is truthful. Nothing about him is false. 19Didn’t Moses give you the law? But not one of you obeys the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”
20“You are controlled by demons,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”
21Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22Moses gave you circumcision, and so you circumcise a child on the Sabbath day. But circumcision did not really come from Moses. It came from Abraham. 23You circumcise a boy on the Sabbath day. You think that if you do, you won’t break the law of Moses. Then why are you angry with me? I healed a man’s entire body on the Sabbath day! 24Stop judging only by what you see. Judge in the right way.”
People Don’t Agree About Who Jesus Is
25Then some of the people of Jerusalem began asking questions. They said, “Isn’t this the man some people are trying to kill? 26Here he is! He is speaking openly. They aren’t saying a word to him. Have the authorities really decided that he is the Messiah? 27But we know where this man is from. When the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”
28Jesus was still teaching in the temple courtyard. He cried out, “Yes, you know me. And you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority. The one who sent me is true. You do not know him. 29But I know him. I am from him, and he sent me.”
30When he said this, they tried to arrest him. But no one laid a hand on him. The time for him to show who he really was had not yet come. 31Still, many people in the crowd believed in him. They said, “How will it be when the Messiah comes? Will he do more signs than this man?”
32The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering things like this about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
33Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time. Then I will go to the one who sent me. 34You will look for me, but you won’t find me. You can’t come where I am going.”
35The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man plan to go? Does he think we can’t find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks? Will he go there to teach the Greeks? 36What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you won’t find me’? And what did he mean when he said, ‘You can’t come where I am going’?”
37It was the last and most important day of the feast. Jesus stood up and spoke in a loud voice. He said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38Does anyone believe in me? Then, just as Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from inside them.” 39When he said this, he meant the Holy Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit later. Up to that time, the Spirit had not been given. This was because Jesus had not yet received glory.
40The people heard his words. Some of them said, “This man must be the Prophet we’ve been expecting.”
41Others said, “He is the Messiah.”
Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42Doesn’t Scripture say that the Messiah will come from the family line of David? Doesn’t it say that he will come from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” 43So the people did not agree about who Jesus was. 44Some wanted to arrest him. But no one laid a hand on him.
The Jewish Leaders Do Not Believe
45Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees. They asked the guards, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
46“No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.
47“You mean he has fooled you also?” the Pharisees asked. 48“Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in him? 49No! But this mob knows nothing about the law. There is a curse on them.”
50Then Nicodemus, a Pharisee, spoke. He was the one who had gone to Jesus earlier. He asked, 51“Does our law find a man guilty without hearing him first? Doesn’t it want to find out what he is doing?”
52They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Look into it. You will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”
53Then they all went home.
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John 7: NIrV
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John 7
7
Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles
1After this Jesus traveled extensively throughout the province of Galilee, but he avoided the province of Judea, for he knew the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem were plotting to have him killed. 2Now the annual Feast of Tabernacles # 7:2 Or “Tents.” See Deut. 16:13. was approaching. 3So Jesus’ brothers # 7:3 These were actually Jesus’ half brothers, for Joseph was his stepfather. came to advise him, saying, “Why don’t you leave the countryside villages and go to Judea where the crowds are, # 7:3 Or “so that your followers can see your miracles.” so that your followers can see your miracles? 4No one can see what you’re doing here in the backwoods of Galilee. How do you expect to be successful and famous if you do all these things in secret? Now is your time—go to Jerusalem, come out of hiding, and show the world who you are!” 5His brothers were pushing him, even though they didn’t yet believe in him as the Savior. # 7:5 As translated from the Aramaic and implied in the Greek text. This fulfills the prophecy of Ps. 69:8–9.
6Jesus responded, “My time of being unveiled hasn’t yet come, but any time is a suitable opportunity for you to gain man’s approval. 7The world can’t hate you, but it does me, for I am exposing their evil deeds. 8You can go ahead and celebrate the feast without me—my appointed time has not yet come.”
9-10Jesus lingered in Galilee until his brothers had left for the feast in Jerusalem. Then later, Jesus took a back road and went into Jerusalem in secret. 11During the feast, the Jewish leaders kept looking for Jesus and asking around, “Where is he? Have you seen him?”
12A controversy was brewing among the people, with so many differing opinions about Jesus. Some were saying, “He’s a good man!” While others weren’t convinced and insisted, saying, “He’s just a demagogue.” # 7:12 Or “He leads the people astray.” 13Yet no one was bold enough to speak out publicly on Jesus’ behalf for fear of the Jewish leaders.
14Not until the feast was half over did Jesus finally appear in the temple courts and begin to teach. 15The Jewish leaders were astonished by what he taught and said, “How did this man acquire such knowledge? He wasn’t trained in our schools—who taught him?”
16So Jesus responded, “I don’t teach my own ideas, # 7:16 Or “My doctrine is not my own.” but the truth revealed to me by the One who sent me. 17If you want to test my teachings and discover where I received them, first be passionate to do God’s will, # 7:17 The Aramaic is very poetic: “Whoever is satisfied to do God’s satisfaction shall gain liberating knowledge.” and then you will be able to discern if my teachings are from the heart of God or from my own opinions. 18Charlatans praise themselves and seek honor from men, but my Father sent me to speak truth on his behalf. And I have no false motive, because I seek only the glory of God. 19Moses has given you the law, but not one of you is faithful to keep it. So if you are all law-breakers, why then would you seek to kill me?”
20Then some in the crowd shouted out, “You must be out of your mind! # 7:20 Or “Are you demon possessed?” This is an Aramaic figure of speech for lunacy. Who’s trying to kill you?”
21Jesus replied, “I only had to do one miracle, # 7:21 Or “one deed.” Although Jesus performed many miracles, it is likely he is referring to the miracle of the lame man being healed in John 5. and all of you marvel! 22Yet isn’t it true that Moses and your forefathers # 7:22 This is the patriarchs. Circumcision actually began with a sign of the covenant God instituted with Abraham. See Gen. 17. ordered you to circumcise your sons even if the eighth day fell on a Sabbath? # 7:22 A son was to be circumcised eight days after he was born. See Phil. 3:5. 23So if you cut away part of a man on the Sabbath and that doesn’t break the Jewish law, # 7:23 Or “Torah.” Jesus was saying, “Who are you to judge me when you don’t practice what you preach?” why then would you be indignant with me for making a man completely healed on the Sabbath? 24Stop judging based on the superficial. # 7:24 Or “Never judge as a hypocrite wearing a mask.” First you must embrace the standards of mercy # 7:24 Jesus was teaching that the law of mercy (healing the lame man) overrides the laws of Moses (regulations of the Sabbath). Seeing situations and people with the lens of mercy gives us true discernment. and truth.”
25Then some of the residents of Jerusalem spoke up and said, “Isn’t this the one they’re trying to kill? 26So why is he here speaking publicly and not one of the Jewish leaders is doing anything about it? Are they starting to think that he’s the Anointed One? 27But how could he be, since we know this man is from Galilee, but no one will know where the true Messiah comes from, he’ll just appear out of nowhere.” # 7:27 This was a Rabbinical interpretation that was common in that day. However, they knew that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, for it was prophesied in Mic. 5:2 where the Christ would be born. So in truth, they did not know where Jesus was from.
28Knowing all of this, Jesus one day preached boldly in the temple courts, “So, you think you know me and where I come from? But you don’t know the One who sent me—the Father who is always faithful. # 7:28 Or “truthful.” I have not come simply on my own initiative. 29The Father has sent me here, and I know all about him, for I have come from his presence.” # 7:29 Or “I am from next to him.” The Aramaic is “from his presence I am.”
30His words caused many to want to arrest him, but no man was able to lay a hand on him, for it wasn’t yet his appointed time. 31And there were many people who thought he might be the Messiah. They said, “After all, when the Anointed One appears, could he possibly do more signs and wonders than this man has done?”
32So when the Pharisees # 7:32 Or “separated ones.” heard these rumors circulating about Jesus, they went with the leading priests and the temple guards to arrest him.
33Then Jesus said, “My days to be with you are numbered. Then I will return to the One who sent me. 34And you will search for me and not be able to find me. For where I am, # 7:34 In this tremendous statement, Jesus was telling them that he was about to return to the realm where I AM dwells. Of course, the Jewish leaders didn’t understand the impact of what he was telling them. you cannot come.” # 7:34 Jesus was speaking of his approaching death on the cross, which he knew was near, and his ascension back to the Father, the realm of I AM.
35When the Jewish leaders heard this, they discussed among themselves, “Where could he possibly go that we won’t be able to find him? Is he going to minister in a different land where our people live scattered among the nations? Is he going to teach those who are not Jews? # 7:35 There were many of the tribes of Israel who were scattered at that time in Assyria, Iran, Afghanistan, and other adjacent nations. These had been taken captive by the kings of Assyria in 722 BC. See 2 Kings 17–18. 36What did he really mean by his statement, ‘You will search for me and won’t be able to find me. And where I am you can’t come’?”
Rivers of Living Water
37Then on the most important day of the feast, the last day, # 7:37 When man’s feasting is over there is still thirst. Jesus comes at the last day of the feast to satisfy the thirst of those who seek God. Only the Lord Jesus can quench the spiritual thirst of men by giving them his living water. Jesus stood and shouted out to the crowds—“All you thirsty ones, come to me! Come to me and drink! 38Believe in me so that rivers of living water will burst out from within you, flowing # 7:38 The root word used here is the same as the River Jordan, which means “flowing” (down). from your innermost being, just like the Scripture says!” # 7:38 Or “rivers of living water will flow from his throne within.” See Isa. 44:3; 55:1; 58:11; Ezek. 47:1; Rev. 22:1. A drink becomes a river!
39Jesus was prophesying about the Holy Spirit that believers were being prepared to receive. # 7:39 As translated from the Aramaic. But the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out upon them, because Jesus had not yet been unveiled in his full splendor. # 7:39 This splendor included the splendor of the cross, the splendor of his resurrection, and the glory of his ascension into heaven. Just as water poured out of the rock that was struck by Moses, so from the wounded side of Jesus living water poured out to heal, save, and bring life to everyone who believes. The Holy Spirit poured out of Christ and into the church at Pentecost.
Divided Opinions about Jesus
40When the crowd heard Jesus’ words, some said, “This man really is a prophet!” 41Others said, “He’s the Messiah!” But others said, “How could he be the Anointed One since he’s from Galilee? 42Don’t the Scriptures say that he will be one of David’s descendants and be born in Bethlehem, the city of David?” # 7:42 They had an understanding of the Bible but still missed who Jesus was. Bible knowledge alone, without the Holy Spirit opening our hearts and bringing us to Christ, can leave us as a skeptic. They jumped to conclusions, not realizing that Jesus may have been raised in Nazareth in Galilee, but he was born in Bethlehem and was a true descendant of David. See Ps. 89:3–4; Mic. 5:2; Matt. 1:1; 2:1; Luke 2:4. 43So the crowd was divided over Jesus, 44some wanted him arrested but no one dared to lay a hand on him.
The Unbelief of Religious Leaders
45So when the temple guards returned to the Pharisees and the leading priests without Jesus, they were questioned, “Where is he? Why didn’t you bring that man back with you?”
46They answered, “You don’t understand—he speaks amazing things like no one else has ever spoken!”
47The religious leaders mocked, “Oh, so now you also have been led astray by him? 48Do you see even one of us, your leaders, following him? 49This ignorant rabble swarms around him because none of them know anything about the Law! They’re all cursed!”
50Just then, Nicodemus, who had secretly spent time with Jesus, spoke up, for he was a respected voice among them. 51He cautioned them, saying, “Does our law decide a man’s guilt before we first hear him and allow him to defend himself?”
52They argued, “Oh, so now you’re an advocate for this Galilean! Search the Scriptures, Nicodemus, and you’ll see that there’s no mention of a prophet coming out of Galilee!” # 7:52 They apparently didn’t know their own Jewish history, for the prophet Jonah, in 580 BC, came from Gathepher, a village only three miles from Nazareth. It is believed that Elijah, Nahum, and Hosea also came from Galilee. Jesus’ Galilean ministry was prophesied in Isa. 9:1–2. So with that their debate ended, 53and they each went their own way.
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