John 7:1-24

Living Bible

7 After this, Jesus went to Galilee, going from village to village, for he wanted to stay out of Judea where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. ² But soon it was time for the Tabernacle Ceremonies, one of the annual Jewish holidays, ³ and Jesus’ brothers urged him to go to Judea for the celebration.

“Go where more people can see your miracles!” they scoffed. ⁴ “You can’t be famous when you hide like this! If you’re so great, prove it to the world!” ⁵ For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

⁶ Jesus replied, “It is not the right time for me to go now. But you can go anytime and it will make no difference, ⁷ for the world can’t hate you; but it does hate me, because I accuse it of sin and evil. ⁸ You go on, and I’ll come later^[a] when it is the right time.” ⁹ So he remained in Galilee.

¹⁰ But after his brothers had left for the celebration, then he went too, though secretly, staying out of the public eye. ¹¹ The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the celebration and kept asking if anyone had seen him. ¹² There was a lot of discussion about him among the crowds. Some said, “He’s a wonderful man,” while others said, “No, he’s duping the public.” ¹³ But no one had the courage to speak out for him in public for fear of reprisals from the Jewish leaders.

¹⁴ Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and preached openly. ¹⁵ The Jewish leaders were surprised when they heard him. “How can he know so much when he’s never been to our schools?” they asked.

¹⁶ So Jesus told them, “I’m not teaching you my own thoughts, but those of God who sent me. ¹⁷ If any of you really determines to do God’s will, then you will certainly know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. ¹⁸ Anyone presenting his own ideas is looking for praise for himself, but anyone seeking to honor the one who sent him is a good and true person. ¹⁹ None of you obeys the laws of Moses! So why pick on me for breaking them? Why kill me for this?”

²⁰ The crowd replied, “You’re out of your mind! Who’s trying to kill you?”

^21-23 Jesus replied, “I worked on the Sabbath by healing a man, and you were surprised. But you work on the Sabbath, too, whenever you obey Moses’ law of circumcision (actually, however, this tradition of circumcision is older than the Mosaic law); for if the correct time for circumcising your children falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it, as you should. So why should I be condemned for making a man completely well on the Sabbath? ²⁴ Think this through and you will see that I am right.”