John 7:5-26

⁵For even his own brothers really didn't believe in him.

⁶Jesus told them, “This is not my time to go, not yet; but you can go whenever you want, for any time's the right time for you.

⁷The world has no reason to hate you, but it does hate me, because I make it clear that its ways are evil.

⁸You go on to the festival. I'm not going to this festival because this is not the right time for me, not yet.”

⁹After saying this he stayed behind in Galilee.

¹⁰After his brothers left to go to the festival, Jesus also went, but not openly—he stayed out of sight.

¹¹Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were searching for him and kept on asking, “Where is he?”

¹²Many people in the crowds were complaining about him. Some said, “He's a good man,” while others argued, “No! He deceives people.”

¹³But no one dared to speak openly about him because they were afraid of what the Jewish leaders would do to them.

¹⁴When the festival was halfway through Jesus went to the Temple and began to teach.

¹⁵The Jewish leaders were very surprised, and asked, “How does this man have so much learning when he hasn't been educated?”

¹⁶Jesus answered, “My teaching is not from me but from the one who sent me.

¹⁷Anyone who chooses to follow what God wants will know if my teaching comes from God or if I'm only speaking for myself.

¹⁸Those who speak for themselves want to glorify themselves, but someone who glorifies the one who sent him is truthful and not deceitful.

¹⁹Moses gave you the law, didn't he? Yet none of you keeps the law! Why are you trying to kill me?”

²⁰“You're demon-possessed!” the crowd replied. “No one's trying to kill you!”

²¹“I did one miracle and you're all shocked by it,” Jesus replied.

²²“However, because Moses told you to circumcise—not that it really came from Moses, but from your forefathers before him—you perform circumcision on the Sabbath.

²³If you circumcise on the Sabbath to make sure that the law of Moses isn't broken, why are you angry with me for healing someone on the Sabbath?

²⁴Don't judge by appearances; decide what is right!”

²⁵Then some of those from Jerusalem began wondering, “Isn't this the one they're trying to kill?

²⁶But see how openly he's speaking, and they're saying nothing to him. Do you think the authorities believe he's the Messiah?