Jesus Goes to the Festival of Tabernacles

7 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not wanta to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaderse there were looking for a way to kill him.f 2 But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernaclesg was near, 3 Jesus’ brothersh said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.i

6 Therefore Jesus told them, “My timej is not yet here; for you any time will do. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates mek because I testify that its works are evil.l 8 You go to the festival. I am notb going up to this festival, because my timem has not yet fully come.” 9 After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.

10 However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. 11 Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesusn and asking, “Where is he?”

12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.”

Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.”o 13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.p

Jesus Teaches at the Festival

14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.q 15 The Jewsr there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learnings without having been taught?”t

16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.u 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find outv whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory,w but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19 Has not Moses given you the law?x Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”y

20 “You are demon-possessed,”z the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”

21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle,a and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcisionb (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs),c you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”d

Division Over Who Jesus Is

25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?e 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authoritiesf really concluded that he is the Messiah?g 27 But we know where this man is from;h when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”