One Year Bible New Testament Sampler, Lakeside Haven - Flipbook - Page 20
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JOHN 7: 1-30
After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. 2But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, 3and Jesus’
brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles!
4
You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” 5For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.
6
Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime. 7The world can’t
hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil. 8You go on. I’m not going to this festival, because my time has not yet come.” 9After saying these things, Jesus remained in Galilee.
10
But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of
public view. 11The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had
seen him. 12There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a
good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” 13But no one had
the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble
with the Jewish leaders.
14
Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. 15The
people were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t been
trained?” they asked.
16
So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. 17Anyone
who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my
own. 18Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks
to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies. 19Moses gave you the law, but none of you
obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me.”
20
The crowd replied, “You’re demon possessed! Who’s trying to kill you?”
21
Jesus replied, “I did one miracle on the Sabbath, and you were amazed. 22But you work on
the Sabbath, too, when you obey Moses’ law of circumcision. (Actually, this tradition of circumcision began with the patriarchs, long before the law of Moses.) 23For if the correct time for
circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of
Moses. So why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath? 24Look beneath
the surface so you can judge correctly.”
25
Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man
they are trying to kill? 26But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could
our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? 27But how could he be? For we know where
this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where
he comes from.”
28
While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know
where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know
him. 29But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.” 30Then the leaders tried
to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.
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