So, they asked him, "Who then [are you]? Are you Elijah [i.e., returned from the dead]?" But he answered, "[No], I am not." "[Then], are you the prophet [i.e., Moses. See Deut. 18:15-19]?" they asked. And he answered, "No."

So, they asked him [again], "[Then], who are you? We need to take back an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

They asked him, "Why do you immerse people then, if you are not the Christ, or Elijah, or the prophet [Moses]?"

[When] the two disciples heard him say that, they began following Jesus.

Then Jesus turned and saw them following [Him] and said to them, "What are you looking for?" And they answered Him, "Rabbi (which means Teacher), where are you staying?"

Then He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So, they went and saw where He was staying and they stayed with Him that day. It was about ten o'clock in the morning. [Note: Hour designations in this book are being calculated by Roman time, but this would have been

Now when they had run out of wine, Jesus' mother said to Him, "They do not have any more wine [left]."

Then He said to them, "Now pour [some of it] out and take it to the banquet host." So, they took some to him,

Therefore, when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered what He had said and they believed the Scriptures and the words Jesus had spoken.

Now when Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people believed in His name [i.e., in Jesus Himself] when they saw the [miraculous] signs He was doing.

Jesus said to him, "Truly, truly, I tell you, a person cannot see the kingdom of God [i.e., enter it. See verse 5], unless he is born from above [Note: The words "from above" are also used in verse 31, but in this place they could also mean "again," or "anew" and refer to the source of a person's second birth].

After this Jesus and His disciples went to the country-[side] of Judea and there they remained and immersed people.

Our forefathers worshiped on this mountain [i.e., Mt. Gerizim, which was visible from where they were sitting]; but you say that Jerusalem is the place where people should worship [God]."

So, the disciples said to one another, "No one has brought Him anything to eat [have they]?"

Are you not [always] saying, 'There are still four months before harvest time comes'? Look, I am telling you [disciples], lift up your eyes and look at the fields, that they are white and ripe for harvest [i.e., people are ready to make a spiritual response].

When the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Jesus to stay with them, so He remained there for two days.

and they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not just because of what you said, but because we have heard [it] for ourselves and know that this is truly the Savior of the world."

So, when He got to Galilee, the people there welcomed Him, for they had also gone to the [Passover] Festival in Jerusalem and had seen everything He had done there during the festival.

Then he asked them what the [exact] time was when his son began to get better. They said to him, "[It was] yesterday at seven o'clock in the morning that the fever left him." [Note: This would have been

[Then] they asked him, "Who is this man who said to you, 'Pick up your cot and walk.'?"

so that everyone will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The person who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

and they will come out [i.e., in the general resurrection on the last day]. Those who had done what was good will be raised [from the dead] to [never ending] life; and those who had done what was evil will be raised [from the dead] to judgment [i.e., to be condemned].

And a large crowd followed Him because they had seen the [miraculous] signs He had performed on sick people.

Then Jesus took the loaves of bread, and [after] giving thanks [to God], He distributed [pieces] to those who were reclining. He did the same thing with the fish, [giving them] as much as they wanted.

So, they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces left over from the five loaves of barley bread which they had eaten.

So, when the people saw the [miraculous] sign that Jesus had performed [i.e., the feeding of the large crowd with such a small amount of food], they said, "Truly, this is the prophet who was to come into the world." [Note: This was probably a reference to the promise made in Deut. 18:15-19].

And when the disciples had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the [surface of the] water. They became afraid as Jesus got closer to their boat.

So, they eagerly took Him into their boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading [i.e., to Capernaum, on the northwest side of the lake].

On the next day the crowd that had stayed on the other [i.e., east] side of the lake realized that there had been only one boat there. They [also] knew that Jesus was not aboard the boat when it left with the disciples in it, but that they had left without Him.

(However, meanwhile, some other [small] boats had come from Tiberias [i.e., a small town on the west side of the lake] near where they had eaten bread after the Lord had given thanks).

So, when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there [i.e., on the east side] they got into the [small] boats and sailed [west] to Capernaum, looking for Jesus.

And when they found Him on the other [i.e., west] side, they said to Him, "Rabbi, how did you get here?"

And they said to Him, "What kind of a [miraculous] sign will you perform so that we can see it and [then] believe [in] you? What [kind of] deed will you perform?

Then they said to Him, "Sir, [please] give us this bread all the time."

And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, 'I have come down from heaven'?"

It is written in the prophets [Isa. 54:13], 'And they will all be taught by God.' [So], every person who has heard the Father and learned [from Him] will come to me.

So, when they heard [these things], many of Jesus' disciples said, "This is difficult teaching. Who can listen to it [i.e., and accept it]?"

It is the Holy Spirit who [Note: The Greek word here is "that" instead of "who"] gives life [i.e., understanding the spiritual nature of Jesus' teaching can produce spiritual life]; the flesh is of no value [i.e., understanding Jesus' teaching only in a physical sense makes it worthless]. The words I have spoken to you are [from the] Holy Spirit and [they give] life.

Upon [hearing] this, many of Jesus' disciples turned back and refused to accompany Him anymore. [Note: They deserted Jesus physically as well as spiritually].

So, Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come [i.e., to be revealed to the world as its Savior], but it is always your time [i.e., they could go to the festival anytime without rousing opposition].

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about its deeds, that they are evil.

Do not make judgments based [merely] on how things look, but make judgments on how they really are."

Some of the people of Jerusalem said [about Jesus], "Is not this person the one they are trying to kill?

And look, he is speaking openly and they are not saying anything to him [about it]. Can it be that the [Jewish] authorities know that he really is the Messiah [i.e., the Christ, God's specially chosen one]?

Then they [i.e., the authorities] tried to arrest Jesus, but no one laid a hand on Him because His time had not yet come.

When they heard these words some people in the crowd said, "Truly, this man is the prophet." [See note on 1:21].

So, [when] the Temple guards [See verse 32] returned to the leading priests and Pharisees, they were asked, "Why did you not bring Jesus here?"

They answered him, "Are you from Galilee, too? Search [the Scriptures], and you will see that no prophet will come from Galilee." [Note: They were probably referring to "the prophet" predicted to come by Moses. Deut. 18:15]. {{Most ancient manuscripts do not contain the section from 7:53 through 8:11, or else place it elsewhere in the book.

They said to Jesus, "This woman was caught in the very act of sexual immorality.

They said this to test Him, in order to have a charge to bring against Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote [something] on the ground [i.e., in the dirt] with His finger.

But when they continued asking Him [about the woman], He stood up and said to them, "That person among you who has never sinned should be the first one to throw a stone at her."

And when they heard [what He had said], they [all] left, one at a time, beginning with the oldest men. So, Jesus was left alone with the woman [still standing] there where she was.

So, they said to Him, "Who are you?" Jesus answered, "Why am I even speaking to you at all? [Note: The Greek words of this difficult passage are not real clear]

They replied to Him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be set free'?"

They answered Him, "Our forefather was Abraham." Jesus replied to them, "If you were Abraham's descendants, you would do the [kinds of] deeds that Abraham did.

You people are doing what your father does." They said to Him, "We were not born illegitimately; the only Father we have is God."

So, they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself [or "was hidden," suggesting a miraculous departure] and left the Temple [area].

So, they said to him, "How was your sight restored, then?"

[So], they brought the man, who had been blind, to the Pharisees.

So, they said to the [former] blind man again, "What do you have to say about the man, since [you say] he restored your sight?" The man replied, "He is a prophet."

But these Jews [i.e., Pharisees] did not believe that the man had been blind and had received his sight back until they called his parents

His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities who had already decided that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Christ would be expelled from the synagogue.

So, they called the [former] blind man a second time, and said to him, "Give honor to God [Note: In Jewish idiom this phrase meant "Tell the truth." See Josh. 7:19]; we know this man is a sinner."

Then they began ridiculing him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are Moses' disciples.

We know that God does not listen to sinners [i.e., when they pray]; but God does listen to the person who reveres Him and does what He wants.

They replied to the beggar, "You were born entirely in sins [i.e., you have been a sinner all your life], and you are [trying] to teach us?" Then they threw him out [of the synagogue. See verse 22].

[When] Jesus heard that they had thrown the beggar out, He found him and asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of man?"

And Jesus said, "I came to this world to judge [it], so that people who can not see [spiritually] will [be able to] see; and those who [think they can] see [spiritually] will become blind."

After he has let his own [sheep] out, he walks on ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice.

They will not follow a stranger, but will run from him, for they do not recognize the voice of strangers."

Jesus told them this parable [i.e., a brief story to illustrate his teaching] but they did not understand what it meant.

I am the good shepherd and I know my sheep [intimately], and they know me [that way],

I have other sheep [also] which are not [presently] in this corral; I must lead them, too. They will hear my voice and become one flock [i.e., with the others], having one shepherd. [Note: This probably refers to believing Gentiles becoming God's people, along with the Jews].

My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

I give them never ending life and they will never be destroyed, and no one will [be able to] steal them out of my hand.

When Martha's Jewish friends, who had been comforting her at her house, saw Mary getting up quickly and leaving, they followed her, thinking she was going to the grave site to mourn.

and said, "Where have they laid his body?" They answered Him, "Lord, come and see."

So, they removed the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, thank you for hearing me. [Note: Jesus had already prayed for and been assured of Lazarus' resurrection].

I know that you always hear me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so they would believe that you sent me."

When many of Mary's Jewish friends, who had come to console her, saw what Jesus had done, they believed in Him.

So, they began looking for Jesus and saying among themselves, as they gathered in the Temple, "What do you think? He will not attend the Festival, will he?"

Now the leading priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he was to report it, so they could arrest Him.

When a large crowd of Jews learned that Jesus was there [in Bethany], they came not only because of Him, but also to see Lazarus whom He had raised from the dead.

[So], they took branches from palm trees and went out to meet Him, shouting, "Hosanna [Note: See Matt. 21:9 for the meaning of this word], may He, the King of Israel, be praised, for He comes in the name [i.e., by the authority] of the Lord!"

His disciples did not understand these things at first, but after Jesus received splendor [in heaven], then they remembered that these things had been written about Him [in Scripture] and that people had done such things to Him.

But the crowd that went out to meet Jesus [i.e., as He entered Jerusalem] did so because they had heard about Him performing this [miraculous] sign [i.e., of raising Lazarus].

But [even] though Jesus had performed so many [miraculous] signs in front of the people, still they did not believe in Him.

They were not able to believe because Isaiah also said [Isa. 6:10],

"God has blinded their eyes [of understanding] and closed their minds. If He had not done so, they would [be able to] see with their eyes and understand with their minds and turn [to God] so He could heal them [spiritually]."

For they loved the honor they received from people more than the honor they [could] receive from God.

But, in order for the world to know that I love the Father, I am [always] doing what the Father commands me to. Let us get up, and leave here." [i.e., leave the room where they had eaten the Passover meal. See 13:1 with 18:1].

Remember what I said to you, 'A slave is not greater [in importance] than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will [also] persecute you, too; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

But they [i.e., the world] will do all these things to you for my name's sake [i.e., because you are my disciples], for they do not know Him [i.e., God], who sent me.

They would not be guilty of sinning if I had not come and spoken to them. But now [that I have], they have no excuse for their sin.

If I had not performed the [miraculous] deeds among them which no one else had done, they would not be guilty of sinning. But now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.

This all happened so the Scripture, written in their law [Psa. 35:19], would be fulfilled, 'They hated me for no reason.'

And they will do these things because they have not known [either] the Father or me.

So, they [again] said, "What does He mean by saying, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is talking about."

I have revealed your name [i.e., your power and character] to the men you gave me out of the world [i.e., the apostles]. They belonged to you, but you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your word.

Now they know that everything you gave me came from you,