John 7

The Unbelief of Jesus' Brethren

1After this Jesus went about in Galilee; he would not go about in Judea, because the Jewsa sought to kill him. 2Now the Jews' feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3So his brethren said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples may see the works you are doing. 4For no man works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world." 5For even his brethren did not believe in him. 6Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify of it that its works are evil. 8Go to the feast yourselves; I am notb going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come." 9So saying, he remained in Galilee.

Jesus at the Festival of Booths

10But after his brethren had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, "Where is he?" 12And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, "He is a good man," others said, "No, he is leading the people astray." 13Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

14About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15The Jews marveled at it, saying, "How is it that this man has learning,c when he has never studied?" 16So Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me; 17if any man's will is to do his will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?" 20The people answered, "You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?" 21Jesus answered them, "I did one deed, and you all marvel at it. 22Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man upon the sabbath. 23If on the sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the sabbath I made a man's whole body well? 24Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."

Is This the Christ?

25Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, "Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27Yet we know where this man comes from; and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from." 28So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord; he who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me." 30So they sought to arrest him; but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31Yet many of the people believed in him; they said, "When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?"

Officers Are Sent to Arrest Jesus

32The Pharisees heard the crowd thus muttering about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33Jesus then said, "I shall be with you a little longer, and then I go to him who sent me; 34you will seek me and you will not find me; where I am you cannot come." 35The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we shall not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36What does he mean by saying, 'You will seek me and you will not find me,' and, 'Where I am you cannot come'?"

Rivers of Living Water

37On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. 38He who believes in me, asd the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.' " 39Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Division among the People

40When they heard these words, some of the people said, "This is really the prophet." 41Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" 43So there was a division among the people over him. 44Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

The Unbelief of Those in Authority

45The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?" 46The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man!" 47The Pharisees answered them, "Are you led astray, you also? 48Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed." 50Nicode'mus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51"Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?" 52They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee." 53They went each to his own house,