Swindoll Study Bible - Book of John - Flipbook - Page 29
J ohn 6 : 5 9
59 He said these things while he was teaching in the
synagogue in Capernaum.
Many Disciples Desert Jesus
60 Many
of his disciples said, “This is very hard to
understand. How can anyone accept it?”
61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you?
62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man
ascend to heaven again? 63 The Spirit alone gives
eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing.
And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit
and life. 64 But some of you do not believe me.” (For
Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t
believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65 Then
he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to
me unless the Father gives them to me.”
66 At this point many of his disciples turned away
and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve
and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”
68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we
go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We
believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.*”
70 Then Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, but
one is a devil.” 71 He was speaking of Judas, son of
Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would later
betray him.
Jesus and His Brothers
7
After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He
wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish
leaders were plotting his death. 2 But soon it was time
for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, 3 and 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!” 5 For
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. 7 The world can’t hate you,
but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil.
8 You go on. I’m not going* to this festival, because my
time has not yet come.” 9 After saying these things,
Jesus remained in Galilee.
Jesus Teaches Openly at the Temple
10 But
after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus
also went, though secretly, staying out of public view.
11 The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him. 12 There
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.”
13 But 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
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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. 17 Anyone who
wants to do the will of God will know whether my
teaching is from God or is merely my own. 18 Those
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. 19 Moses 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. 22 But you work on the Sab
bath, too, when you obey Moses’ law of circumcision.
(Actually, this tradition of circumcision began with
the patriarchs, long before the law of Moses.) 23 For 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? 24 Look beneath the
surface so you can judge correctly.”
Is Jesus the Messiah?
25 Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started
to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to
kill? 26 But here he is, speaking in public, and they say
nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe
that he is the Messiah? 27 But 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. 29 But I know him
because I come from him, and he sent me to you.”
30 Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid
a hand on him, because his time* had not yet come.
31 Many among the crowds at the Temple believed
in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the
Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man
has done?”
32 When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were
whispering such things, they and the leading priests
sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus. 33 But Jesus told
them, “I will be with you only a little longer. Then I
will return to the one who sent me. 34 You will search
for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I
am going.”
35 The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. “Where is he planning to go?” they asked. “Is
he thinking of leaving the country and going to the
Jews in other lands?* Maybe he will even teach the
Greeks! 36 What does he mean when he says, ‘You will
search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You cannot go
where I am going’?”
6:69 Other manuscripts read you are the Christ, the Holy One of God; still others read you are the Christ, the Son of God; and still others read you are the Christ, the Son of the
living God. 7:8 Some manuscripts read not yet going. 7:15 Greek Jewish people. 7:30 Greek his hour. 7:35 Or the Jews who live among the Greeks?
