Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from the Gospel
of John, chapters 7 and 8. Chapter 7. After these
things, Jesus walked in Galilee, for he did not
want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought
to kill him. Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles
was at hand. His brothers therefore said to him,
Depart from here and go into Judea, that your
disciples also may see the works that you are
doing. For no one does anything in secret while
he himself seeks to be known openly. If you do
these things, show yourself to the world. For
even his brothers did not believe in him. Then
Jesus said to them, My time has not yet come,
but your time is always ready. The world cannot
hate you, but it hates me because I testify of
it that its works are evil. You go up to this
feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for
my time has not yet fully come. When he had said
these things to them, he remained in Galilee.
But when his brothers had gone up, then he also
went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were
in secret. Then the Jews sought him at the feast
and said, Where is he? And there was much complaining
among the people concerning him. Some said he
is good. Others said, No, on the contrary, he
deceives the people. However, no one spoke openly
of him for fear of the Jews. Now about the middle
of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and
taught. And the Jews marveled, saying, How does
this man know letters, having never studied?
Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is
not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone wills
to do his will, he shall know concerning the
doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I
speak on my own authority. He also speaks from
himself, seeks his own glory, but he who speaks
the glory of the one who sent him is true, and
no unrighteousness is in him. Did not Moses give
you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why
do you seek to kill me? The people answered and
said, You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill
you? Do not judge according to appearance, but
judge with righteous judgment. Now some of them...
from Jerusalem, said, Is this not he whom they
seek to kill? But look, he speaks boldly, and
they say nothing to him. Do the rulers know indeed
that this is truly the Christ? However, we know
where this man is from. But when the Christ comes,
no one knows where he is from. Then Jesus cried
out as he taught in the temple, saying, You both
know me, and you know where I am from, and I
have not come of myself, but he who sent me is
true, whom you do not know, but I know him, for
I am from him, and he sent me. Therefore they
sought to take him, but no one laid a hand on
him, because his hour had not yet come. And many
of the people believed in him, and said, When
the Christ comes, will he do more signs than
these which this man has done? The Pharisees
heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning
him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests
sent officers to take him. Then Jesus said to
them, I shall be with you a little while longer,
and then I go to him who sent me. You will seek
me and not find me, and where I am you cannot
come. Then the Jews said among themselves, Where
does he intend to go that we shall not find him?
Does he intend to go to the dispersion among
the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What is this
thing that he said, You will seek me and not
find me, and where I am you cannot come? On the
last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus
stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts,
let him come to me and drink. He who believes
in me, as the scripture has said, out of his
heart will flow rivers of living water. But this
he spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing
in him would receive. for the holy spirit was
not yet given because jesus was not yet glorified
therefore many from the crowd when they heard
this saying said truly this is the prophet others
said this is the christ but some said will the
christ come out of galilee has not the scripture
said that the christ comes from the seed of david
and from the town of bethlehem where david was
so there was a division among the people because
of him now some of them wanted to take him but
no one laid hands on him. Then the officers came
to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said
to them, Why have you not brought him? The officers
answered, No man ever spoke like this man. Then
the Pharisees answered them, Are you also deceived?
Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed
in him? But this crowd that does not know the
law is accursed. Nicodemus, he who came to Jesus
by night, being one of them, said to them, Does
our law judge a man before it hears him and knows
what he is doing? They answered and said to him,
Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for
no prophet has arisen out of Galilee. And everyone
went to his own house. But Jesus went to the
Mount of Olives. Now early in the morning he
came again into the temple, and all the people
came to him, and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to him
a woman caught in adultery. And when they had
set her in the midst, they said to him, Teacher,
this woman was caught in adultery in the very
act. Now Moses in the law commanded us that such
should be stoned. But what do you say? This they
said, testing him, that they might have something
of which to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down
and wrote on the ground with his finger, as though
he did not hear. So when they continued asking
him, he raised himself up and said to them, He
who is without sin among you, let him throw a
stone at her first. And again he stooped down
and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard
it, being convicted by their conscience, went
out one by one, beginning with the oldest even
to the last. And Jesus was left alone and the
woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised
himself up and saw no one but the woman, he said
to her, Woman, where are those accusers of yours?
Has no one condemned you? She said, No one, Lord.
And Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn you.
Go and sin no more. Then Jesus spoke to them
again, saying, I am the light of the world. He
who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but
have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore
said to him, You bear witness of yourself. Your
witness is not true. Jesus answered and said
to them, Even if I bear witness of myself, my
witness is true, for I know where I came from
and where I am going. But you do not know where
I come from and where I am going. You judge according
to the flesh. I judge no one. And yet, if I do
judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone,
but I am with the Father who sent me. It is also
written in your law that the testimony of two
men is true. I am one who bears witness of myself.
and the Father who sent me bears witness of me.
Then they said to him, Where is your father?
Jesus answered, You know neither me nor my father.
If you had known me, you would have known my
father also. These words Jesus spoke in the treasury,
as he taught in the temple, and no one laid hands
on him, for his hour had not yet come. Then Jesus
said to them again, I am going away, and you
will seek me, and will die in your sin. Where
I go you cannot come. So the Jews said, Will
he kill himself? Because he says, Where I go,
you cannot come. And he said to them, You are
from beneath, I am from above. You are of this
world, I am not of this world. Therefore I said
to you that you will die in your sins. For if
you do not believe that I am he, you will die
in your sins. Then they said to him, Who are
you? And Jesus said to them, Just what I have
been saying to you from the beginning. I have
many things to say and to judge concerning you.
But he who sent me is true, and I speak to the
world those things which I heard from him. They
did not understand that he spoke to them of the
Father. Then Jesus said to them, When you lift
up the Son of Man, then you will know that I
am he, and that I do nothing of myself. But as
my Father taught me, I speak these things. And
he who sent me is with me. The Father has not
left me alone. for I always do those things that
please him. As he spoke these words, many believed
in him. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed
in him, If you abide in my word, you are my disciples
indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the
truth shall make you free. They answered him,
We are Abraham's descendants, and have never
been in bondage to anyone. How can you say you
will be made free? Jesus answered them, Most
assuredly I say to you, whoever commits sin is
a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in
the house forever, but a son abides forever.
Therefore, if the son makes you free, you shall
be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham's
descendants, but you seek to kill me because
my word has no place in you. I speak what I have
seen with my father, and you do what you have
seen with your father. They answered and said
to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to
them, If you were Abraham's children, you would
do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to
kill me, a man who has told you the truth which
I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You
do the deeds of your father. Then they said to
him, We were not born of fornication. We have
one father, God. Jesus said to them, If God were
your father, you would love me, for I proceeded
forth and came from God. nor have I come of myself,
but he sent me. Why do you not understand my
speech? Because you are not able to listen to
my word. You are of your father the devil, and
the desires of your father you want to do. He
was a murderer from the beginning, and does not
stand in the truth, because there is no truth
in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from
his own resources, for he is a liar and the father
of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not
believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin?
And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe
me? He who is of God hears God's words. Therefore
you do not hear, because you are not of God.
Then the Jews answered and said to him, Do we
not say rightly that you are a Samaritan and
have a demon? Jesus answered, I do not have a
demon, but I honor my Father and you dishonor
me. And I do not seek my own glory. There is
one who seeks and judges. Most assuredly I say
to you, if anyone keeps my word, he shall never
see death. Then the Jews said to him, Now we
know that you have a demon. Abraham is dead,
and the prophets. And you say, if anyone keeps
my word, he shall never taste death. Are you
greater than our father Abraham who is dead?
And the prophets are dead. Who do you make yourself
out to be? Jesus answered, If I honor myself,
my honor is nothing. It is my father who honors
me, of whom you say that he is your God. Yet
you have not known him, but I know him. And if
I say I do not know him, I shall be a liar like
you. But I do know him and keep his word. Your
father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he
saw it and was glad. Then the Jews said to him,
You are not yet fifty years old, and have you
seen Abraham? Jesus said to them, Most assuredly,
I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. Then
they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus
hid himself and went out of the temple, going
through the midst of them, and so passed by.
I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as
I did, and I look forward to seeing you again
tomorrow to continue on our journey. God bless
you and have a great day.