After these things happened, Jesus travelled through Galilee. He didn’t want to go through Judea because the Jews wanted to kill him.
The Jewish Tabernacle Festival was happening soon, so Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples can watch you work. No one does their work in secret when they want to be famous. If you are doing the work, show yourself to everyone.”
His brothers didn’t believe in him.
Jesus replied, “It’s not my time yet, but your time is always ready. The world can’t hate you, but it hates me because I am talking about how its actions are evil. You go to the festival, but I’m not going to the feast yet because my time isn’t completed.”
He said this and stayed in Galilee.

Later, when his brothers went to the festival, Jesus secretly went too.
The Jews looked for him at the festival, asking, “Where is he?”
The crowds quietly discussed Jesus, saying, “He is good,” while others said, “No, he is lying to the people.”
No one spoke about him openly because they were afraid of the Jews.

Halfway through the festival, Jesus went to the temple and began teaching.
The Jews were amazed and said, “How does he know so much that he hasn’t been taught?”
“My lessons don’t come from me but from my sender,” Jesus replied. “If anyone wants to do what God wants, he will learn my lessons, regardless of whether it’s from God or I am speaking them. Whoever speaks from himself is looking for his own fame, but whoever looks for my sender’s fame is true, and there is only goodness in him. Didn’t Moses give you the law but none of you do the law? Why do you want to kill me?”
“You are possessed,” the crowd replied. “Who is wanting to kill you?”
“I did one miracle and you all are amazed. Moses gave you circumcision, although it’s from the fathers, not Moses, and you circumcise a man on the day of rest. If a man is circumcised on the day of rest so Moses’ law is not broken, are you upset with me when I healed a man on the day of rest? Don’t judge appearances, but judge using good judgment.”
Some of the crowd from Jerusalem then said, “Isn’t this the one they want to kill and, look, he is publicly speaking and they’re not saying anything to him. Do the leaders actually know this man is the Christ? But we know where this man is from. Whenever he comes, no one will know where the Christ is from.”
Jesus yelled in the temple, teaching, “You know me and know where I’m from. I haven’t come by myself. The one who sent me is real, but you don’t know him.
I know him because I come from him, and he sent me.”
They wanted to arrest Jesus, but no one did because his time hadn’t come yet.

Many people in the crowd believed him and said, “When the Christ arrives, surely he won’t do more miracles than this man.”
The Pharisees heard the people discussing this about Jesus, so they and the priests sent officers to arrest Jesus.
Jesus said, “I’m only with you for a while, and then I’m returning to the one who sent me. You’ll look for me but won’t find me, and you can’t come to where I’m going.”
The Jews discussed this with each other. “Where is he going that we can’t find him? Is he going out to teach the Greeks? What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me but won’t find me and you can’t come to where I am’?”

On the last, most important, day of the festival, Jesus stood up and yelled, “If anyone is thirsty, let them come to me and drink. It’s just like the writings say, when someone believes in me, ‘out of their body will flow rivers of living water.”
He was talking about the Spirit. His believers were about to receive the Spirit, because the Spirit hadn’t been given yet, because Jesus hadn’t been glorified yet.
When they heard this, the crowd said, “This man really is the Prophet.”
Others said, “This man is the Christ.”
But others said, “No he’s not, because the Christ doesn’t come from Galilee. Didn’t the writings say that the Christ will be one of David’s descendants from Bethlehem, where David was from?”
The crowd was divided about Jesus. Some people wanted to arrest him, but no one grabbed him.
The officers went to the head priests and Pharisees and were asked, “Why didn’t you bring him here?”
The officers replied, “No one has ever spoken like that before.”
The Pharisees asked, “Do you also believe in him? No rulers or Pharisees believe in him, do they? This crowd, who don’t know the law, is doomed.”
Nicodemus, who had met Jesus before, was there and said, “Our law doesn’t judge a man unless we hear from him first and know what he’s doing.”
The others answered, “Aren’t you also from Galilee? Go and research that a prophet doesn’t come from Galilee.”
They all returned to their homes.

John Chapter 7 Summary

Jesus stays in Galilee because the Jewish leaders in Judea want to kill Him. His brothers encourage him to show His works publicly at the Tabernacles Festival, but Jesus tells them that His time has not yet come. However, He later goes to the festival in secret. There is much discussion among the crowds about Him—some believe He is good, while others doubt Him. At the festival, Jesus begins teaching in the temple, and the people are amazed by his teachings. Jesus explains that his teachings come from God. The religious leaders want to arrest Him, but they cannot, as His time has not yet come. The crowd argues about where Jesus came from. The Pharisees send officers to arrest Him, but they are amazed by His words and return without Him. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, defends Jesus by reminding the rest of the Pharisees of their law, which requires them to hear Jesus out.

John Chapter 7 Bible Study Questions and Answers

1. Why did Jesus choose not to go to the festival openly?
Answer: Jesus knew that His time had not yet come. He was aware of the plan of the priests and Pharisees’ desire to kill Him. He was acting according to God’s timing, not humans’ expectations.

2. What does Jesus’ teaching about judging with “good judgment” mean for us today?
Answer: Jesus challenges us not to judge based on outside looks but to look deeper and ask for God’s wisdom before making judgements. In our lives, this means avoiding impulsive judgments and being thoughtful, prayerful, and fair when we interact with other people.

3. How can we sometimes do the same things as the people who doubted Jesus when they thought they “knew” where he was from?
Answer: We can sometimes make assumptions, like the people in the crowd, based on limited knowledge or ideas. This reminds us to remain open to the idea that God can work in unexpected ways.

4. What can we learn from how Jesus responded to the people who questioned his background?
Answer: Jesus firmly states that he was sent by God. This teaches us to remain confident in our faith and identity in God, even when others doubt or question us. It’s a reminder that our true worth and purpose come from God.

5. How does Jesus’ promise of “living water” through the Holy Spirit apply to us today?
Answer: Jesus promises that those who believe in Him will receive the Holy Spirit, who will fill them and flow out to bless others. This encourages us to live lives that allow God’s love and influence those around us.

John Chapter 7 Explained

Jesus stays in Galilee at the beginning of the chapter to avoid the Jewish leaders who want to kill him. His brothers, who do not believe in him yet, suggest that he should go to the festival and show himself. However, Jesus replies that his time has not yet come. This shows his awareness of God’s timing and purpose for his life. Unlike people in the world, Jesus doesn’t look for fame or validation from others. He is focused on completing God’s mission.

When Jesus eventually does go to the Tabernacles Festival in secret, there is a divided crowd. Some believe Jesus is good, while others accuse him of deceiving people; there is confusion and tension around who Jesus really is. The Jewish leaders want to arrest him, but they can’t because, as John puts it, “His time had not yet come.” This repeated phrase highlights the idea that everything in Jesus’ life happens according to God’s plan and timing.

Jesus begins teaching in the temple. The people are amazed at his wisdom and knowledge, and ask how he knows so much without being educated at the temple. Jesus explains that his teaching comes from God and not from his own effort. This is a reminder that true wisdom and power comes from God. Furthermore, Jesus shows the double-faced nature of the Jewish leaders. He argues that they circumcise on the day of rest (Sabbath) to obey the law but say he can’t heal a man on the day of rest. Jesus teaches the crowd to “judge with right judgment,” teaching them to look beyond rules and focus on what truly aligns with God’s heart and intentions.

Many people in the crowd begin to believe in Jesus, wondering if he could be the Christ. However, others aren’t sure, arguing that the Messiah cannot come from Galilee. This disagreement over where Jesus came from shows how people’s limited understanding can prevent them from recognising the truth. Even today, many struggle to accept Jesus because of set ideas about how God should work.

Jesus gives an invitation during the last day of the festival, inviting anyone who is thirsty to come to Him for living water. This refers to the Holy Spirit, which would soon be given to believers. Jesus’ promise of living water is a representation of the new life and eternal satisfaction that comes through the Holy Spirit.

Finally, the Jewish leaders try to arrest Jesus, but the officers sent to do so are also amazed by his teachings. Nicodemus, a Pharisee who had previously met with Jesus, speaks up in Jesus’ defence, but the leaders disregard him. This shows the increasing aggression towards Jesus but also shows how his words and actions are continuing to reach and influence individuals, even among the leaders.

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Continue exploring John 7

If you’d like to read John 7 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try John 7 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try John 7 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try John 7 in the Contemporary English Version.

If you prefer to read the Bible in a hard-copy format, here are cheaper versions from Amazon:
[These are Amazon affiliate links which support the production of this blog]
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, ESV Economy Bible
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, NIV, Economy Bible, Paperback: Accurate. Readable. Clear.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, Holy Bible: Contemporary English Version

If you’d like to explore John in more depth, here are two commentaries I would recommend:
[These are Amazon affiliate links which support the production of this blog]
Easy to access commentaries that include life applications:
The NIV Application Commentary: John
For a commentary that goes into more depth:
The Gospel of John (The New International Commentary on the New Testament)