Worship With Us Sunday School10 AM Sunday Morning11 AM Sunday Evening4 PM Thursday Night7 PM
1377 S 20th St, Louisville, KY 40210 Contact
True Words Baptist Church — Revelation 21:5
BOOK 43 OF 66 · GOSPELS · KING JAMES BIBLE

John 7

John book home•Chapter 7 of 21•53 verses
Search John
Aa  Reading settings
Text size
Reading width
Track chapter:
Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study
REVIEWED OVERVIEW

John 7 Overview

Jesus goes secretly to the feast of tabernacles and then teaches publicly in the temple. Debate intensifies over His doctrine, origin, and identity. Officers sent to arrest Him return impressed by His words. On the last great day of the feast Jesus cries that anyone who thirsts may come to Him and drink, and John explains this as a promise concerning the Holy Ghost to believers.

JohnBook
7Chapter
53Verses
GospelsDivision

Before you read John 7

Coming from

John 6 ended with many disciples offended and leaving while Peter confessed that Jesus has the words of eternal life.

In this chapter

The feast becomes a public arena of division: some call Jesus good, some accuse Him of deceiving, some identify Him as Prophet or Christ, and leaders increasingly seek to seize Him.

Leads into

John 8 continues the temple confrontation with Jesus as the Light of the world, a dispute over witness and freedom, and His climactic declaration, ‘Before Abraham was, I am.’

Key understandingExplore deeper

Jesus’ brothers do not yet believe in Him, even though they know of His works. Family familiarity does not equal saving faith.

John explicitly interprets the rivers-of-living-water saying as referring to the Spirit whom believers would receive after Jesus was glorified. This controls the symbolism rather than leaving it open to arbitrary meanings.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Jesus’ teaching comes from the Father

He says anyone willing to do God’s will can recognize whether His doctrine is from God.

Judgment must be righteous rather than superficial

Jesus rebukes inconsistent Sabbath reasoning and commands judgment according to truth rather than appearance.

Jesus openly invites the spiritually thirsty

The call to come and drink is broad, and John ties the promised result to believers receiving the Spirit.

Christ divides opinion

The chapter shows escalating disagreement even among people hearing the same words.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Leviticus 23:33–43

The feast of tabernacles supplies the setting for Jesus’ public teaching and living-water invitation.

Isaiah 55:1

The invitation to the thirsty closely parallels prophetic free-offer language.

Ezekiel 47:1–12

Life-giving water flowing from God’s dwelling provides important prophetic background to water imagery.

Acts 2:32–33

After Jesus is glorified, the promised Holy Ghost is poured out, fitting John’s explanatory note.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not use verse 17 to teach that obedience earns revelation or eternal life

Jesus addresses the moral willingness of hearers in evaluating His God-given doctrine, not a merit system for salvation.

Do not ignore John’s own explanation of the living water

The Evangelist identifies it with the Spirit received by believers.

Do not assume every crowd use of ‘the Prophet’ or ‘Christ’ reflects full understanding

The chapter is intentionally filled with partial, conflicting conclusions.

Do not make geographical objections against Jesus stronger than the narrative intends

The leaders argue from incomplete knowledge of His background.

Read John 7 watching for…

The unbelief of Jesus’ brothers.

Jesus’ claims about the source of His doctrine.

The command to judge righteous judgment.

The leaders’ repeated attempts to seize Him.

The thirst invitation and John’s explanation of the Spirit.

The division among the people over His identity.

TWBC REVIEW STANDARD

Plain language. Scripture first. Fact distinguished from inference. No filler. No fake certainty. Designed to help you read the Bible itself.

Chapter outline5 sections
1-13Jesus goes to the feast secretly while people debate who he is14-24Jesus teaches in the temple and tells the people to judge righteous judgment25-36People debate Jesus’ origin and the leaders seek to take him37-39Jesus promises rivers of living water to those who believe40-53The crowd and rulers remain divided over Jesus
1

After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

2

Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.

3

His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

4

For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.

5

For neither did his brethren believe in him.

6

Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

7

The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

8

Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.

9

When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

10

But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

11

Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?

12

And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.

13

Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

14

Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

15

And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

16

Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

17

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

18

He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

19

Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

20

The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

21

Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

22

Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

23

If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

24

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

25

Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?

26

But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

27

Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

28

Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.

29

But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

30

Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

31

And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

32

The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.

33

Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

34

Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

35

Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

36

What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

37

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39

(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

40

Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

41

Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

42

Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

43

So there was a division among the people because of him.

44

And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

45

Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?

46

The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

47

Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?

48

Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

49

But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

50

Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)

51

Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

52

They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

53

And every man went unto his own house.

STUDY THIS VERSE

John 7:5

Back to verse ↑

Cross References

Cross-reference storage is active. This passage does not yet have curated references loaded.

Related TWBC Resources

The Scripture resource graph is active. Sermons, Bible Overviews, courses, questions, and studies can attach here without changing the Bible text.

My Note

Sign in to keep private notes and personal verse tags.

Sign in →