John 7

The Unbelief of Jesus’ Brothers

1After these things Jesus walked in Galilee. # Jn 4:3 He would not walk in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. # Jn 7:19 2Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. # Dt 16:16; Zec 14:16–19 3His brothers therefore said to Him, # Mt 12:46; Jn 7:5 “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You do. 4For no one does anything in secret, while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, reveal Yourself to the world.” # Jn 18:20 5For even His brothers did not believe in Him. # Mk 3:21

6Therefore Jesus told them, “My time has not yet come, # Jn 2:4; 7:8 but your time is always fitting. 7The world cannot hate you. But it hates Me, # Jn 15:18–19 because I testify concerning it, that its works are evil. # Jn 3:19 8You go up to this feast. I am not going up to this feast yet, because My time has not yet fully come.” 9Having said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.

Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles

10However, after His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He also went up, not publicly, but secretly. 11Then the Jews looked for Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” # Jn 11:56

12There was much complaining among the people concerning Him. For some said, “He is a good Man.” # Jn 7:40–43

Others said, “No, He deceives the people.” # Jn 9:16 13Yet no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews. # Jn 9:22; 19:38

14Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. # Jn 7:28 15The Jews marveled, saying, “How has this Man become educated, having never been taught?” # Mt 13:54; Lk 2:47

16Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. # Jn 3:11; 14:24 17If any man desires to do His will, # Jn 8:31–32 he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. # Jn 8:43 18He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory. # Jn 5:41 But He who seeks the glory of Him who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. 19Did Moses not give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law? # Jn 1:17 Why do you seek to kill Me?” # Mt 12:14

20The people answered, “You have a demon. # Jn 8:48; 10:20 Who is seeking to kill You?”

21Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 22Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision, # Lev 12:3 you circumcise a man on the Sabbath day (although it did not come from Moses, but from the Patriarchs). # Ge 17:10–14 23If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath day, so that the Law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry at Me because I completely healed a man on the Sabbath day? 24Do not judge according to appearance, but practice righteous judgment.” # Dt 1:16–17; Jn 8:15

Concerning Jesus’ Identity

25Then some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? 26Here He is, speaking publicly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers indeed know that this is really the Christ? # Jn 7:48 27But we know where this Man is from. # Lk 4:22; Jn 6:42 When the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from.”

28Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple, # Jn 7:14 cried out, “You know Me and you likewise know where I am from. I have not come on My own authority, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. # Jn 8:42 29But I know Him, # Mt 11:27; Jn 8:55 for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”

30So they tried to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him, # Jn 10:39 because His hour had not yet come. # Jn 7:6 31Still, many of the people believed in Him # Mt 12:23; Jn 12:42 and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”

Officials Sent to Arrest Jesus

32The Pharisees heard the people murmuring these things concerning Him. So the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Him.

33Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, # Jn 13:33 and then I go to Him who sent Me. # Jn 16:5 34You will look for Me and you will not find Me. And where I am, you cannot come.”

35The Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? # Jas 1:1; 1Pe 1:1 36What kind of saying is this which He said, ‘You will look for Me and you will not find Me. And where I am, you cannot come’?”

Rivers of Living Water

37On the last and greatest day of the feast, # Lev 23:36; Nu 29:35 Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. # Isa 55:1 38He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.” # Isa 58:11; Jn 4:14 39By this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believe in Him would receive. # Joel 2:28 For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, # Ac 2:17, 33 because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Division Among the People

40Therefore when they heard these words, many of the people said, “Truly, this is the Prophet.” # Mt 21:11; Jn 1:21

41Others said, “This is the Christ.”

But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? # Jn 1:46; 7:52 42Has the Scripture not said that the Christ comes from the seed of David, out of the town of Bethlehem where David was?” # Mic 5:2; Mt 2:5 43So there was a division among the people because of Him. # Jn 9:16; 10:19 44Some of them wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him. # Jn 7:30

The Unbelief of Those in Authority

45Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, # Jn 7:32 who said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?”

46The officers answered, “No man has ever spoken like this Man.”

47Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived? # Jn 7:12 48Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? # Jn 7:26; 12:42 49Not at all. This crowd who does not know the law is accursed.”

50Nicodemus, # Jn 19:39 being one of them who came to Jesus by night, said to them, 51“Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?” # Pr 18:13

52They said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.” # Jn 1:46; 7:41

The Woman Caught in Adultery

53Then everyone went to his own house. # 7:53 Earliest Gk mss lack 7:53–8:11.

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John 7: MEV

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John 7

Jesus goes to the Festival of Tabernacles

1After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want#7:1 Some manuscripts not have authority to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. 2But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, 3Jesus’ brothers said to him, ‘Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. 4No-one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.’ 5For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

6Therefore Jesus told them, ‘My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. 7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil. 8You go to the festival. I am not#7:8 Some manuscripts not yet going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.’ 9After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.

10However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. 11Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, ‘Where is he?’

12Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, ‘He is a good man.’

Others replied, ‘No, he deceives the people.’ 13But no-one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.

Jesus teaches at the festival

14Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15The Jews there were amazed and asked, ‘How did this man get such learning without having been taught?’

16Jesus answered, ‘My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?’

20‘You are demon-possessed,’ the crowd answered. ‘Who is trying to kill you?’

21Jesus said to them, ‘I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.’

Division over who Jesus is

25At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, ‘Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded 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.’

28Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, ‘Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.’

30At this they tried to seize him, but no-one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, ‘When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?’

32The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things 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, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.’

35The Jews said to one another, ‘Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36What did he mean when he said, “You will look for me, but you will not find me,” and “Where I am, you cannot come”?’

37On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’#7:37,38 Or me. And let anyone drink 38 who believes in me.’ As Scripture has said, ‘Out of him (or them) will flow rivers of living water.’ 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

40On hearing his words, some of the people said, ‘Surely this man is the Prophet.’

41Others said, ‘He is the Messiah.’

Still others asked, ‘How can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?’ 43Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 44Some wanted to seize him, but no-one laid a hand on him.

Unbelief of the Jewish leaders

45Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, ‘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 deceived you also?’ the Pharisees retorted. 48‘Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law – there is a curse on them.’

50Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51‘Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?’

52They replied, ‘Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.’

[The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53–8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]

53 Then they all went home,

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The Holy Bible, New International Version® (Anglicised), NIV®

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