JHN 7

The Unbelief of Jesus' Brothers

1 After these things had taken place, Jesus was walking in the region of Galilee, for He was not willing to walk and minister in Judea, because the Jewish leaders were actively seeking to kill Him.

2 Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Tabernacles, was approaching.

3 So His brothers, according to the flesh, said to Him, "Leave this place, and go into Judea, so that Your disciples there also may see and witness Your works which You are performing.

4 For no one does anything in obscurity while he himself seeks to be publicly acknowledged. If You are performing these miraculous things, disclose Yourself to the world."

5 For not even His own brothers believed in Him or trusted in His claims at this time.

6 So Jesus said to them in response, "My time, My appointed hour for public manifestation, has not yet come, whereas your time is always ready and opportune, since you are of the world.

7 The world cannot hate you or bear hostility towards you, but it hates Me with intense animosity, because I testify about it, that its deeds are evil and wicked.

8 You go up to the feast and participate in it. I am not going up to this feast at this time, because My appointed time has not yet fully come."

9 Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee for the time being.

Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles

10 But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He also went up to Jerusalem, not publicly, but rather, as it were, in secret and privately.

11 So the Jewish leaders were searching for Him at the feast and kept asking, "Where is He?"

12 There was much grumbling about Him among the crowds gathered there. Some were saying, "He is a good man, a righteous teacher," but others were saying with suspicion, "No, on the contrary, He is deceiving the crowd."

13 However, no one was speaking publicly about Him for fear of the Jewish authorities.

14 But when it was now the middle of the feast, Jesus went up to the temple courts and began to teach with authority.

15 Then the Jewish leaders were wondering, saying among themselves, "How does this man know the sacred writings and possess such learning, despite not having been formally taught or trained by the rabbis?"

16 So Jesus answered them and explained, "My teaching is not My own in origin, but comes from the One who sent Me into the world.

17 If anyone desires to do His will and obey Him, he will know and understand about My teaching, whether it originates from God, or whether I am speaking from Myself on My own authority.

18 The one who speaks from himself and his own wisdom seeks his own glory and honour. But the One who seeks the glory and honour of the One who sent Him—He is true and genuine—and there is no unrighteousness or falsehood in Him.

19 Has not Moses given you the Law as a divine gift? Yet none of you keeps or obeys the Law faithfully. Why are you seeking to kill Me?

20 The crowd responded with hostility, "You have a demon possessing You! Who is seeking to kill You? You are paranoid!"

21 Jesus answered and said to them, "I performed one miraculous work on the Sabbath, and you all marvel because of it.

22 For this reason and because of this principle, Moses gave you the practice of circumcision (not that circumcision originates from Moses, but rather from the fathers, from Abraham and the patriarchs), and you circumcise a male child on the Sabbath day.

23 If a male child receives circumcision on a Sabbath day, so that the Law of Moses may not be violated, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man completely well on the Sabbath?

24 Do not form conclusions according to outward appearance and superficial observation, but judge with the righteous judgment that examines true reality."

Is it Possible that this is the Christ?

25 Then some of the residents of Jerusalem began to say among themselves, "Is this man not the very one whom the authorities are seeking to kill?

26 And look, see how He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him in opposition. Is it possible that the rulers have truly come to know that this man is the Christ, the Messiah?

27 But we know where this man originates from and His hometown, but when the Christ comes in His manifestation, no one will know where He comes from or His origin."

28 Then Jesus, as He was teaching in the temple courts, cried out with a loud voice, saying, "You know Me, and you know where I am from in one sense. Yet I have not come from Myself or on My own initiative, but the One who sent Me is true, whom you do not know or have relationship with.

29 I know Him intimately, because I am from Him in origin and existence, and He sent Me as His commissioned representative."

30 So they were attempting to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His appointed hour had not yet come to fulfilment.

31 But from among the crowd, many believed in Him and placed their faith in Him, and they began to say, "When the Christ comes, He will not perform more miraculous signs than this man has accomplished, will He?"

Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd secretly speaking and murmuring these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple officers with orders to arrest Him and bring Him in.

33 Then Jesus declared, "Yet, for a little while longer, I am with you in your presence, and then I am going away to the One who sent Me, returning to the Father.

34 You will search for Me, but will not find Me, and where I am going, you cannot come or follow."

35 So the Jewish leaders said to one another in confusion, "Where is this One about to go, that we will not find Him? He is not about to go to the Dispersion, to the Jews scattered among the Greeks in foreign lands, and teach the Greeks, is He?

36 What is the meaning of this saying that He declared, 'You will seek Me and will not find Me, and where I am, you cannot come'? What does He mean?"

The Promise of the Spirit

37 Now on the last day of the feast, the great and climactic day of the celebration, Jesus stood and cried out with a loud voice, saying, "If anyone thirsts spiritually and desires satisfaction, let him come to Me and drink from the living water I provide.

38 The one who believes in Me and places trust in Me, just as the Scripture says and declares, 'Out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water, streams of spiritual life.'"

39 But He spoke this statement with respect to the Holy Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive after His glorification. For the Spirit was not yet given in this fullness, because Jesus had not yet been glorified—through His death, resurrection, and ascension.

Division Among the People

40 Then, having heard these words, some from among the crowd were saying, "This man is truly the Prophet whom Moses promised would come."

41 Others were saying with conviction, "This man is the Christ, the Messiah!" Yet others were saying with doubt, "No, surely not, for the Christ does not emerge from Galilee, does He?

42 Has not the Scripture stated clearly that the Christ emerges from the lineage of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived and was born?"

43 So there was a division in the crowd on account of Him and differing opinions about His identity.

44 Some of them were intent on and desired to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him to take Him.

The Unbelief of the Chief Priests and Pharisees

45 Then the temple officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees empty-handed. And the leaders said to them with displeasure, "Why did you not bring Him back with you?"

46 The officers answered and explained, "Never has a man spoken in this manner with such authority and power! No one has ever taught like this!"

47 Then the Pharisees responded to them with contempt, "You have not been deceived too, have you? Have you also fallen under His influence?

48 Not one of the rulers or members of the Sanhedrin or of the Pharisees has believed in Him and placed faith in Him, has he?

49 But this ignorant crowd who does not know the Law in detail is doomed to destruction and under God's curse!"

50 Nicodemus, the one who had come to Jesus earlier by night—who was one of them, a member of the Sanhedrin—said to them,

51 "Our Law does not pass judgment on a man unless it first hears from him directly and ascertains what he is doing, does it? Is this not a violation of proper procedure?"

52 They answered and said to him with derision, "You are not also from Galilee, are you? You are not a Galilean sympathiser, are you? Search the Scriptures carefully and see that no prophet arises from Galilee, according to expectation."

[[53 And everyone departed and went to his own house.*

Notes

7:53-8:11 John 7:53–8:11 is not found in the earliest textual witnesses. The passage is considered a later interpolation, with a small group of manuscripts placing it, either in entirety or in portions, in one of several alternative locations: after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38, or Luke 24:53.

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