Chapter 7

Who chose the books of the Bible?
Are the gospel accounts of Jesus reliable?
Read John chapter 7

Jesus at the Feast of Booths

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in him. Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man”, others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore marvelled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgement.”

Can This Be the Christ?

25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. 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 seek me and you will not find me’, and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”

Rivers of Living Water

37 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. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Division Among the People

40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

The Woman Caught in Adultery

53 They went each to his own house,

TEMPORAL OR ETERNAL?

Opinion today remains just as divided as to who Jesus really is. Is he a good man, a bad man, or the Son of God? All these views are expressed in this chapter. The evidence as to his true identity is becoming harder to deny and the religious leaders know it – but they’re in open denial. They hate Jesus for exposing their own hypocrisy, and brand anyone who believes him to be God as ignorant.

Think it through…
  1. Who do you think Jesus really is? Is your opinion starting to change?
  2. The constantly recurring theme of Jesus’ teaching is his ability and willingness to give life (described here as ‘rivers of living water’) – a new type of life that is so rich and full, it’s unlike anything else in this world! To have this life, you first have to admit you are thirsty and in need. What do you think this involves, and why is it so hard to do?

Browse below for a selection of helpful verses from John’s gospel answering important questions

Questions about Jesus

BLANK - invisible
Who is Jesus?

JOHN 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

JOHN 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

JOHN 14:9-11
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

JOHN 20:30,31
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Why did Jesus come?

JOHN 10:10
I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

JOHN 1:29
The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

JOHN 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

JOHN 6:35
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

JOHN 8:12
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

JOHN 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Why was Jesus hated?

JOHN 5:40
Yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

JOHN 5:44
How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

JOHN 8:47
Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.

JOHN 13:9,20
And this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

JOHN 15:24,25
If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’

Why did Jesus have to die?

JOHN 10:11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

JOHN 1:29
The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

How it affects you

BLANK - invisible
How can I be forgiven?

JOHN 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

JOHN 3:3
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

JOHN 1:12
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

JOHN 6:37
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

JOHN 10:9
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

JOHN 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

JOHN 20:28,29
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

What if I don’t believe?

JOHN 3:18-20
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

JOHN 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

JOHN 5:40
Yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

JOHN 8:24
I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.

Is Jesus the only way?

JOHN 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

JOHN 5:23
Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him.

JOHN 10:1
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.

I’m a good person – I don’t need Jesus

JOHN 8:34
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” 

JOHN 8:24
I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.

Does life become easy if I follow Jesus?

JOHN 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

If I trust Jesus, what happens to me when I die?

JOHN 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life.

JOHN 10:28
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

JOHN 14:1-3
Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

I’m afraid of what others might say if I become a Christian

JOHN 12:42,43
Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

JOHN 5:44
How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, published by HarperCollins Publishers, ©2001 by Crossway). Used by permission. All rights reserved.