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7
1 After 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. 2 But as it was almost time for the Jewish festival of the Tabernacles, 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. 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!” 5 For even his own brothers really didn't believe in him.
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. 7 The world has no reason to hate you, but it does hate me, because I make it clear that its ways are evil. 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.” 9 After saying this he stayed behind in Galilee.
10 After his brothers left to go to the festival, Jesus also went, but not openly—he stayed out of sight. 11 Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were searching for him and kept on asking, “Where is he?” 12 Many people in the crowds were complaining about him. Some said, “He's a good man,” while others argued, “No! He deceives people.” 13 But no one dared to speak openly about him because they were afraid of what the Jewish leaders would do to them.
14 When the festival was halfway through Jesus went to the Temple and began to teach. 15 The Jewish leaders were very surprised, and asked, “How does this man have so much learning* In the sense of religious education. when he hasn't been educated?”
16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not from me but from the One who sent me. 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. 18 Those who speak for themselves want to glorify themselves, but someone who glorifies the one who sent him is truthful and not deceitful. 19 Moses gave you the law, didn't he? Yet none of you keeps the law! Why are you trying to kill me?”
20 “You're demon-possessed!” the crowd replied. “No one's trying to kill you!”
21 “I did one miracle† On the Sabbath, referring back to what happened in 5:1-9. and you're all shocked by it,” Jesus replied. 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. 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? 24 Don't judge by appearances; decide what's right!”
25 Then some of those from Jerusalem began wondering, “Isn't this the one they're trying to kill? 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? 27 But that's not possible because we know where he comes from. When the Messiah comes, nobody will know where he's from.”
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, 29 but I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”
30 So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him because his time had not yet come. 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. 32 When the Pharisees heard the crowd whispering this about him, they and the chief priests sent guards to arrest Jesus.
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. 34 You'll search for me but you won't find me; and you can't come where I'm going.”
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,‡ Literally, “Greeks.” and teach the foreigners? 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’?”
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. 38 If you trust in me, you will have streams of life-giving water flowing out from within you, as Scripture says.”§ The closest reference appears to be Song of Solomon 4:15. 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.
40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This man is definitely the Prophet!”* See 6:14. 41 Others said, “He is the Messiah!” Still others said, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 Doesn't Scripture say that the Messiah comes from David's lineage, and from David's home town of Bethlehem?” 43 So the crowd had a strong difference of opinion about him. 44 Some wanted to arrest him, but nobody laid a hand on him.
45 Then the guards returned to the chief priests and the Pharisees who asked them, “Why didn't you bring him in?”
46 “Nobody ever spoke like this man does,” the guards replied.
47 “Have you been fooled too?” the Pharisees asked them. 48 “Has a single one of the rulers or Pharisees believed in him? No! 49 But this crowd that knows nothing about teachings of the law—they're damned anyway!”
50 Nicodemus, who had previously gone to meet Jesus, was one of them and asked them, 51 “Does our law condemn a man without a hearing and without finding out what he actually did?”
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!” 53 Then they all went home,† This section (7:53-8:11) does not appear in this location in all manuscripts. However it surely represents an authentic account.

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*7:15 In the sense of religious education.

†7:21 On the Sabbath, referring back to what happened in 5:1-9.

‡7:35 Literally, “Greeks.”

§7:38 The closest reference appears to be Song of Solomon 4:15.

*7:40 See 6:14.

†7:53 This section (7:53-8:11) does not appear in this location in all manuscripts. However it surely represents an authentic account.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher