John 7:14–36

¹⁴When the festival was half over, Jesus went to the temple courtyard and began to teach. ¹⁵The Jews were surprised and asked, “How can this man be so educated when he hasn’t gone to school?” 

¹⁶Jesus responded to them, “What I teach doesn’t come from me but from the one who sent me. ¹⁷Those who want to follow the will of God will know if what I teach is from God or if I teach my own thoughts. ¹⁸Those who speak their own thoughts are looking for their own glory. But the man who wants to bring glory to the one who sent him is a true teacher and doesn’t have dishonest motives. ¹⁹Didn’t Moses give you his teachings? Yet, none of you does what Moses taught you. So why do you want to kill me?” 

²⁰The crowd answered, “You’re possessed by a demon! Who wants to kill you?” 

²¹Jesus answered them, “I performed one miracle, and all of you are surprised by it. ²²Moses gave you the teaching about circumcision (although it didn’t come from Moses but from our ancestors). So you circumcise a male on a day of rest—a holy day. ²³If you circumcise a male on the day of rest—a holy day, to follow Moses’ Teachings, why are you angry with me because I made a man entirely well on the day of rest—a holy day? ²⁴Stop judging by outward appearance! Instead, judge correctly.” 

²⁵Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this the man they want to kill? ²⁶But look at this! He’s speaking in public, and no one is saying anything to him! Can it be that the rulers really know that this man is the Messiah? ²⁷However, we know where this man comes from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.” 

²⁸Then, while Jesus was teaching in the temple courtyard, he said loudly, “You know me, and you know where I come from. I didn’t decide to come on my own. The one who sent me is true. He’s the one you don’t know. ²⁹I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” 

³⁰The Jews tried to arrest him but couldn’t because his time had not yet come. 

³¹However, many people in the crowd believed in him. They asked, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more miracles than this man has?” 

³²The Pharisees heard the crowd saying things like this about him. So the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest Jesus. 

³³Jesus said, “I will still be with you for a little while. Then I’ll go to the one who sent me. ³⁴You will look for me, but you won’t find me. You can’t go where I’m going.” 

³⁵The Jews said among themselves, “Where does this man intend to go so that we won’t find him? Does he mean that he’ll live with the Jews who are scattered among the Greeks and that he’ll teach the Greeks? ³⁶What does he mean when he says, ‘You will look for me, but you won’t find me,’ and ‘You can’t go where I’m going’?”