John 7 — FBV

7Verse 1After this, Jesus spent his time going from place to place in Galilee. He did not want to do so in Judea because the Jews were out to kill him.^{Verse 2}But as it was almost time for the Jewish festival of the Tabernacles,^{Verse 3}his brothers told him, “You ought to leave and go to Judea so your followers will be able to see what miracles you can do.^{Verse 4}No one who wants to be famous keeps what they do hidden. If you can do such miracles, then show yourself to the world!”^{Verse 5}For even his own brothers really didn't believe in him.^{Verse 6}Jesus told them, “This is not my time to go, not yet; but you can go whenever you want, for any time's the right time for you.^{Verse 7}The world has no reason to hate you, but it does hate me, because I make it clear that its ways are evil.^{Verse 8}You go on to the festival. I'm not going to this festival because this is not the right time for me, not yet.”^{Verse 9}After saying this he stayed behind in Galilee.^{Verse 10}After his brothers left to go to the festival, Jesus also went, but not openly—he stayed out of sight.^{Verse 11}Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were searching for him and kept on asking, “Where is he?”^{Verse 12}Many people in the crowds were complaining about him. Some said, “He's a good man,” while others argued, “No! He deceives people.”^{Verse 13}But no one dared to speak openly about him because they were afraid of what the Jewish leaders would do to them.^{Verse 14}When the festival was halfway through, Jesus went to the Temple and began to teach.^{Verse 15}The Jewish leaders were very surprised, and asked, “How does this man have so much learning⁺when he hasn't been educated?”^{Verse 16}Jesus answered, “My teaching is not from me but from the one who sent me.^{Verse 17}Anyone who chooses to follow what God wants will know if my teaching comes from God or if I'm only speaking for myself.^{Verse 18}Those who speak for themselves want to glorify themselves, but someone who glorifies the one who sent him is truthful and not deceitful.^{Verse 19}Moses gave you the law, didn't he? Yet none of you keeps the law! Why are you trying to kill me?”^{Verse 20}“You're demon-possessed!” the crowd replied. “No one's trying to kill you!”^{Verse 21}“I did one miracle⁺and you're all shocked by it,” Jesus replied.^{Verse 22}“However, because Moses told you to circumcise—not that it really came from Moses, but from your forefathers before him—you perform circumcision on the Sabbath.^{Verse 23}If you circumcise on the Sabbath to make sure that the law of Moses isn't broken, why are you angry with me for healing someone on the Sabbath?^{Verse 24}Don't judge by appearances; decide what is right!”^{Verse 25}Then some of those from Jerusalem began wondering, “Isn't this the one they're trying to kill?^{Verse 26}But see how openly he's speaking, and they're saying nothing to him. Do you think the authorities believe he's the Messiah?^{Verse 27}But that's not possible because we know where he comes from. When the Messiah comes, nobody will know where he's from.”^{Verse 28}While he was teaching in the Temple, Jesus called out in a loud voice, “So you think you know me and where I'm from? However, I did not come for my own sake. The one who sent me is true. You don't know him,^{Verse 29}but I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”^{Verse 30}So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him because his time had not yet come.^{Verse 31}However, many of the crowd did put their trust in him. “When the Messiah appears, will he do more miraculous signs than this man has done?” they said.^{Verse 32}When the Pharisees heard the crowd whispering this about him, they and the chief priests sent guards to arrest Jesus.^{Verse 33}Then Jesus told the people, “I'll be with you just a little longer, but then I'll return to the one who sent me.^{Verse 34}You'll search for me but you won't find me; and you can't come where I'm going.”^{Verse 35}The Jews said to each other, “Where could he be going that we couldn't find him? Is he planning to go to those scattered among the foreigners,⁺and teach the foreigners?^{Verse 36}What does he mean by saying, ‘You'll search for me but you won't find me; and you can't come where I'm going’?”^{Verse 37}On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted out in a loud voice, “If you're thirsty, come to me and drink.^{Verse 38}If you trust in me, you will have streams of life-giving water flowing out from within you, as Scripture says.”^{+Verse 39}He was referring to the Spirit that those who trusted in him would later receive. The Spirit hadn't been given yet because Jesus hadn't yet been glorified.^{Verse 40}When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This man is definitely the Prophet!”^{+Verse 41}Others said, “He is the Messiah!” Still others said, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee?^{Verse 42}Doesn't Scripture say that the Messiah comes from David's lineage, and from David's home town of Bethlehem?”^{+Verse 43}So the crowd had a strong difference of opinion about him.^{Verse 44}Some wanted to arrest him, but nobody laid a hand on him.^{Verse 45}Then the guards returned to the chief priests and the Pharisees who asked them, “Why didn't you bring him in?”^{Verse 46}“Nobody ever spoke like this man does,” the guards replied.^{Verse 47}“Have you been fooled too?” the Pharisees asked them.^{Verse 48}“Has a single one of the rulers or Pharisees believed in him? No!^{Verse 49}But this crowd knows nothing about teachings of the law—they're damned anyway!”^{Verse 50}Nicodemus, who had previously gone to meet Jesus, was one of them and asked them,^{Verse 51}“Does our law condemn a man without a hearing and without finding out what he actually did?”^{Verse 52}“So you're a Galilean as well, are you?” they replied. “Check the Scriptures and you'll discover that no prophet comes from Galilee!”^{Verse 53}Then they all went home,⁺