Study Desk

"Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures [and leads] to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you; for God the Father has authorized Him and put His seal on Him."

Then Jesus said to them, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.

"But as I told you, you have seen Me and still you do not believe.

"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.

"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but that I [give new life and] raise it up at the last day.

But Jesus, aware that His disciples were complaining about it, asked them, "Does this cause you to stumble and take offense?

"But [still] there are some of you who do not believe and have faith." For Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe, and who would betray Him.

So Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come; but any time is right for you.

"The world cannot hate you [since you are part of it], but it does hate Me because I denounce it and testify that its deeds are evil.

But [afterward], when His brothers had gone up to the feast, He went up too, not publicly [with a caravan], but quietly [because He did not want to be noticed].

Jesus answered them by saying, "My teaching is not My own, but His who sent Me.

"He who speaks on his own accord seeks glory and honor for himself. But He who seeks the glory and the honor of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness or deception in Him.

"For this reason Moses has given you [God's law regarding] circumcision (not that it originated with Moses, but with the patriarchs) and you circumcise a man [even] on the Sabbath.

"Do not judge by appearance [superficially and arrogantly], but judge fairly and righteously."

"But we know where this Man is from; whenever the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from."

Then Jesus called out as He taught in the temple, "You know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come on my own initiative [as self-appointed], but He who sent Me is true, and Him you do not know.

So they were eager to arrest Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His time had not yet come.

But many from the crowd believed in Him. And they kept saying, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs and exhibit more proofs than this Man?"

But He was speaking of the [Holy] Spirit, whom those who believed in Him [as Savior] were to receive afterward. The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honor).

Others said, "This is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)!" But others said, "Surely the Christ is not going to come out of Galilee, is He?