John 7:25–44

Is This the Christ?

²⁵Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? ²⁶And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah?^{m 27}Yet we know where this man is from, but when the Messiahⁿ comes no one will know where he is from.”^{* 28}Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him.^{* 29}I know him because I am from him, and he sent me.”^{* 30}Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him because his hour had not yet come.^{* 31}Yet many in the crowd believed in him and were saying, “When the Messiah^o comes, will he do more signs than this man has done?”^p*

Officers Are Sent to Arrest Jesus

³²The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering such things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent temple police to arrest him. ³³Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little while longer, and then I am going to him who sent me.^{* 34}You will search for me, but you will not find me, and where I am, you cannot come.”^{* 35}The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?^{* 36}What does he mean by saying, ‘You will search for me, but you will not find me’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”

Rivers of Living Water

³⁷On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me,^{* 38}and let the one who believes in me drink. As^q the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart^r shall flow rivers of living water.’ ”^{* 39}Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive, for as yet there was no Spirit^s because Jesus was not yet glorified.^*

Division among the People

⁴⁰When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, “This is really the prophet.” ⁴¹Others said, “This is the Messiah.”^t But some asked, “Surely the Messiah^u does not come from Galilee, does he?^{* 42}Has not the scripture said that the Messiah^v is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”^{* 43}So there was a division in the crowd because of him. ⁴⁴Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.