Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹⁴ When the feast was half finished, Jesus went to the temple and taught the people.

¹⁵ The Jews were very much surprised. `How can this man know books? He never went to school.'

¹⁶ Jesus answered the people, `I am not teaching you my teaching. It is the teaching of the one who sent me.

¹⁷ If any man wants to do what God wants him to do, he will know the teaching. He will know if it is God's teaching or if I am speaking from my own mind.

¹⁸ The person who speaks from his own mind only wants to be great himself. But the person whom God has sent wants to show that God is great. That person is true. He is not a bad man.

¹⁹ Did not Moses give you the law? Not one of you is keeping the law. Why are you trying to kill me?'

²⁰ The people answered Jesus, `A bad spirit is in you! Who is trying to kill you?'

²¹ Jesus answered them, `I have done one thing. You are all surprised about it.

²² Moses gave you the law of circumcision. You obey the law, not because it came from Moses, but because it came from the fathers long ago. You circumcise a baby boy on the Sabbath day.

²³ You do it on the Sabbath day so that you will not break the law of Moses. If you do that, then why are you angry with me because I healed a man on the Sabbath day?

²⁴ Do not judge by what you see, but judge in the right way.'

²⁵ Some people from Jerusalem said, `Is not this the person they are trying to kill?

²⁶ See, he does not fear to speak and yet they say nothing to him! Do the rulers really know that this man is the Christ?

²⁷ But we know where this man comes from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from.'

²⁸ Jesus was teaching in the temple. He spoke loudly saying, `You know me and you know where I come from. I have not come in my own power. The one who sent me is true. He is the one you do not know.

²⁹ I know him because I came from him. He sent me.'

³⁰ Then the people wanted to catch him. But no one put a hand on him. It was not yet the time for that.

³¹ Many of the people believed in Jesus. They said, `When Christ comes, will he do greater works than this man has done?'

³⁷ The last day of the feast was a big day. On that day Jesus stood up and shouted, `If anyone is thirsty, he may come to me and drink.

³⁸ If anyone believes in me, the holy writings say, "Rivers of water that give life will flow out of his heart." '

³⁹ This is what Jesus meant: those who believe in him would receive the Spirit. At that time no one had received the Holy Spirit because Jesus had not yet been lifted up to heaven