John 7:25–44

The Identity of the Messiah

²⁵Some of the people of Jerusalem ^cwere saying, “Isn’t this the man they want to kill? ²⁶Yet, look! He’s speaking publicly and they’re saying nothing to Him. Can it be true that the authorities ^dknow He is the Messiah? ^e27But we know where this man is from. ^fWhen the Messiah comes, nobody will know where He is from.”

²⁸As He was teaching in the temple complex, ^gJesus cried out, “You know Me and you know where I am from. Yet I have not come on My own, but the One who sent Me ^his true. You don’t know Him; ⁱ²⁹I know Him because I am from Him, and He sent Me.” ^j

³⁰Then they tried to seize Him. Yet no one laid a hand on Him because His hour ^khad not yet come. ³¹However, many from the crowd believed in Him and said, “When the Messiah comes, He won’t perform more signs than this man has done, ^lwill He?”

³²The Pharisees ^mheard the crowd muttering these things about Him, so the chief priests ⁿand the Pharisees sent temple police to arrest Him.

³³Then Jesus said, “I am only with you for a short time. ^oThen I’m going to the One who sent Me. ^p34You will look for Me, but you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.” ^q

³⁵Then the Jews ^rsaid to one another, “Where does He intend to go so we won’t find Him? He doesn’t intend to go to the Dispersion ^stamong the Greeks ^uand teach the Greeks, does He? ³⁶What is this remark He made: ‘You will look for Me, and you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come’ ^v?”

The Promise of the Spirit

³⁷On the last and most important day of the festival, ^wJesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me ^xyand drink! ^z38The one who believes in Me, ^aas the Scripture ^bhas said, ^cwill have streams of living water ^dflow ^efrom deep within him.” ³⁹He said this about the Spirit. ^fThose who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, ^gfor the Spirit ^hhad not yet been received ^ijbecause Jesus had not yet been glorified.

The People Are Divided over Jesus

⁴⁰When some from the crowd heard these words, they said, “This really is the Prophet!” ^kl41Others said, “This is the Messiah!” But some said, “Surely the Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does He? ⁴²Doesn’t the Scripture ^msay that the Messiah comes from David’s ⁿoffspring ^oand from the town of Bethlehem, ^pwhere David once lived?” ⁴³So a division ^qoccurred among the crowd because of Him. ⁴⁴Some of them wanted to seize Him, ^rbut no one laid hands on Him.