²⁵Then some of the people of Jerusalem began asking questions. They said, “Isn’t this the man some people are trying to kill? ²⁶Here he is! He is speaking openly. They aren’t saying a word to him. Have the authorities really decided that he is the Christ? ²⁷But we know where this man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.”

²⁸Jesus was still teaching in the temple courtyard. He cried out, “Yes, you know me. And you know where I am from. I am not here on my own. The One who sent me is true. You do not know him. ²⁹But I know him. I am from him, and he sent me.”

³⁰When he said this, they tried to arrest him. But no one laid a hand on him. His time had not yet come.

³¹Still, many people in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, “How will it be when the Christ comes? Will he do more miraculous signs than this man?”

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

³³Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time. Then I will go to the One who sent me. ³⁴You will look for me, but you won’t find me. You can’t come where I am going.”

³⁵The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man plan to go? Does he think we can’t find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks? Will he go there to teach the Greeks? ³⁶What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you won’t find me’? And, ‘You can’t come where I am going’?”

³⁷It was the last and most important day of the Feast. Jesus stood up and spoke in a loud voice. He said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸Does anyone believe in me? Then, just as Scripture says, streams of living water will flow from inside him.”

³⁹When he said this, he meant the Holy Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit later. Up to that time, the Spirit had not been given. This was because Jesus had not yet received glory.

⁴⁰When some of the people heard his words, they said, “This man must be the Prophet we’ve been expecting.”

⁴¹Others said, “He is the Christ.”

Still others asked, “How can the Christ come from Galilee? ⁴²Doesn’t Scripture say that the Christ will come from David’s family? Doesn’t it say that he will come from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?”

⁴³So the people did not agree about who Jesus was. ⁴⁴Some wanted to arrest him. But no one laid a hand on him.

Read in Logos

John 7:37–38: On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‛Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”