John 7:25–44

Division Over Who Jesus Is

²⁵At 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 authorities^f 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.”

²⁸Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts,ⁱ cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from.^j I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true.^k You do not know him, ²⁹but I know him^l because I am from him and he sent me.”^m

³⁰At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him,ⁿ because his hour had not yet come.^{o 31}Still, many in the crowd believed in him.^p They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs^q than this man?”

³²The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things 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,^r and then I am going to the one who sent me.^{s 34}You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”^t

³⁵The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered^u among the Greeks,^v and teach the Greeks? ³⁶What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”^w

³⁷On the last and greatest day of the festival,^x Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.^{y 38}Whoever believes^z in me, as Scripture has said,^a rivers of living water^b will flow from within them.”^{cc 39}By this he meant the Spirit,^d whom those who believed in him were later to receive.^e Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.^f

⁴⁰On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”^g

⁴¹Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee?^{h 42}Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendantsⁱ and from Bethlehem,^j the town where David lived?” ⁴³Thus the people were divided^k because of Jesus. ⁴⁴Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.^l