John 7:1-36

Jesus Goes to the Festival of Tabernacles

1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want^[a] to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him.

2 But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near,

3 Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do.

4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”

5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

6 Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do.

7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.

8 You go to the festival. I am not^[b] going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.”

9 After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.

10 However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.

11 Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, “Where is he?”

12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.”

13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.

Jesus Teaches at the Festival

14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.

15 The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.

17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

18 Whoever 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.

19 Has 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?”

21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed.

22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath.

23 Now 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?

24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

Division Over Who Jesus Is

25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?

26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah?

27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

28 Then 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,

29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”

30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.

31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

33 Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me.

34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

35 The 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?

36 What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”

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Cross References 45

1. S John 1:19
2. ver 19,25; S Matthew 12:14; John 5:18
3. Leviticus 23:34; Deuteronomy 16:16
4. S Matthew 12:46
5. Psalms 69:8; Mark 3:21
6. S Matthew 26:18
7. John 15:18,19
8. John 3:19,20
9. ver 6; S Matthew 26:18
10. John 11:56
11. ver 40,43
12. John 9:22; John 12:42; John 19:38; John 20:19
13. ver 28; S Matthew 26:55
14. S John 1:19
15. Acts 26:24
16. Matthew 13:54
17. S John 3:11; John 14:24
18. Psalms 25:14; John 8:43
19. John 5:41; John 8:50,54
20. Deuteronomy 32:46; John 1:17
21. ver 1; S Matthew 12:14
22. S Mark 3:22; John 8:48; John 10:20
23. ver 23; John 5:2-9
24. Leviticus 12:3
25. Genesis 17:10-14
26. 1 Samuel 16:7; Isaiah 11:3,4; John 8:15; 2 Corinthians 10:7
27. ver 1; S Matthew 12:14
28. ver 48
29. John 4:29
30. Matthew 13:55; Luke 4:22; John 6:42
31. ver 14
32. John 8:14
33. John 8:26,42
34. S Matthew 11:27
35. S John 3:17
36. ver 32,44; John 10:39
37. S Matthew 26:18
38. John 8:30; John 10:42; John 11:45; John 12:11,42
39. S John 2:11
40. John 12:35; John 13:33; John 16:16
41. Jn 16:5,10,17,28
42. ver 36; John 8:21; John 13:33
43. S James 1:1
44. John 12:20; Acts 17:4; Acts 18:4; 1 Peter 1:1
45. ver 34

Footnotes 2

[a]. Some manuscripts "not have authority"
[b]. Some manuscripts "not yet"