EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

John 7:1-53

John tells the Good News about Jesus

Gospel of John

Marion Adams

Chapter 7

Jesus and his brothers 7:1-9

v1 After this, Jesus stayed in *Galilee. He travelled from village to village. He decided to stay away from *Judea, because the *Jewish leaders there wanted to kill him. v2 It was almost time for the *Festival of Shelters. v3 Jesus’ brothers said to him, ‘You ought to leave this place. You ought to go to *Judea. Then, your *followers can see the things that you are doing. v4 Nobody does things secretly if they want other people to know about them. You should let everybody know what you are doing!’

v5 (Even Jesus’ own brothers did not *believe in him.)

v6 Jesus answered, ‘It is not the right time for me to go. But any time is right for you. It does not matter. v7 The people in this world cannot hate you. But they hate me because of what I tell them. I tell them that they do evil things. v8 Go to the *Festival. But I am not going to it yet. It is not the right time for me to go.’

v9 So after Jesus said this, he stayed in *Galilee.

Verses 1-9 The *Festival of Shelters (Leviticus 23:33-43) was one of the three most important *Jewish *festivals. The other two most important *festivals were *Passover and *Pentecost. The *Festival of Shelters happened in the autumn and it lasted 8 days. It was the time when the *Jews thanked God for the harvest. But they also remembered the time when their *ancestors had wandered in the desert. They had lived in tents as they travelled from place to place. God had always guided and protected them. So, every year at the *Festival of Shelters, the *Jews thanked God for this. They made tents or shelters from anything that they had. They ate and slept in these tents and shelters during the *festival.

The *Jews liked to remember how God had looked after them. They were still the people that God had chosen to belong to him in a special way. And they remembered that. And this made them feel very happy.

This particular *Festival of Shelters happened about 6 months after the *Passover that John mentioned in 6:2-5. Jesus had remained in *Galilee because the *Jewish leaders in *Judea wanted to kill him. But his brothers wanted him to return to *Jerusalem so that he would get more *followers. Probably they believed that he could do *miracles. But they did not have *faith in him yet. Perhaps it was difficult for them to believe the things that he was saying about himself.

We know that, later, some of Jesus’ brothers became leaders in the early *church. But this was after Jesus’ death and *resurrection. After that happened, they really *believed in him. But, at this time, they did not really *believe in him. They could not understand why he did not want a larger audience for his *miracles. So they urged him to return to *Jerusalem. Many *Jews were travelling there for the *Festival of Shelters. So Jesus would have a very large audience for his *miracles in *Jerusalem.

But Jesus listened to God rather than to the opinions of people. And he knew that it was not the right time for him to go. He did not do what he himself wanted. He did only what God wanted.

The ‘right time’ for Jesus to make more people notice him had not come yet. Some people would realise that he was the *Messiah. But then, they would expect him to save them from the *Romans. Also, the *Jewish leaders would want to kill him, because of what he said about himself. They would say that he had insulted God. Jesus knew that, in the end, he would die as a result. He would be a *sacrifice for all people. So he had to die at the *Passover, not the *Festival of Shelters.

‘The people in this world’ (verse 7) referred to people who did not *believe in Jesus. This included his brothers. Jesus was right about them. Most of those people wanted to arrest him and to kill him. (See verses 19, 25, 30 and 32.) Many people hate Jesus still today. They hate *Christians, too, because they are his *followers. Jesus warned that this would happen (John 17:14-15). But he will be with us always. He will never leave us (Matthew 28:20).

‘The people in this world’ hated Jesus because he made them become aware of their *sins. That is why people hate him still. But he did not just accuse them. He also offered them a solution for the problem of *sin. He provided the solution by means of his death on the *cross. Jesus himself is the solution to the problem of *sin.

Jesus teaches at the *Temple 7:10-24

v10 After his brothers had gone to the *festival, Jesus went too. But he went secretly. He did not tell anyone. v11 At the *festival, the *Jewish leaders were looking for him. They asked, ‘Where is he?’ v12 The crowd were talking about him a lot. They argued among themselves. Some people said, ‘He is a good man.’ But other people said, ‘He is lying to everyone!’ v13 They were afraid of the *Jewish leaders. So nobody was brave enough to talk about him in public.

v14 About 4 days after the *festival had started, Jesus went to the *Temple. He began to teach. v15 The *Jewish leaders were surprised. They said, ‘This man knows so much. But he has not studied everything that we have studied!’

v16 Jesus told them, ‘I am not teaching you my own ideas. God sent me. v17 What I teach comes either from God or from myself. You decide which is true! If you want to obey God, you will know the truth about this. v18 Those who offer their own ideas want people to praise them. But I want people to praise God, who sent me. That is why I tell the truth. I do not say anything false or untrue. v19 Moses gave you the *Law. But nobody among you obeys the *Law. Why are you trying to kill me?’

v20 The crowd answered, ‘You have an evil *spirit in you! You think that someone is trying to kill you. But you have no reason to think this!’

v21 Jesus answered, ‘I did a *miracle on the *Sabbath. I cured a man. This upset you. v22 But you work on the *Sabbath! Moses ordered you to *circumcise your sons. (Actually, it was not Moses who gave you this tradition. It is even older and it goes back to Abraham.) v23 So if the correct time to *circumcise your son is on the *Sabbath, you do it. This is so that you are obeying Moses’ *Law. But you are angry with me because I made a man completely well on the *Sabbath! v24 Do not *judge because of how things seem. *Judge because of what you know to be right and true.’

Verses 10-13 Jesus’ brothers wanted him to go to the *festival with them so that he would gain more *followers. But Jesus refused. Instead, he went alone. Then, nobody would notice that he had come.

The people in *Jerusalem were expecting him to come. Already, they had started to argue about him. They had divided into two groups. One group believed that he was good. But the other group said that he was lying to the people. They meant that he was leading the people away from the *Law and from God himself. This was a serious crime. The punishment for this crime was death (Deuteronomy 13:1-5).

The *Jewish leaders who were the experts on the *Law and the *Jewish religion opposed Jesus. So people did not dare to say good things about him. The *Jewish leaders had the authority to punish anybody who opposed them. They could order that person not to attend the *synagogue. This was a very bad punishment for a *Jew.

Verses 14-15 Jesus did not want people to realise that he was there at the beginning of the *festival. But when the *festival was half over, he began to teach in the *Temple. The *Jewish leaders were surprised because he knew so much. Usually, *Jewish teachers had to study the *Law with one or more other teachers before they began to teach. Jesus had never done this. But he knew everything about the *scriptures.

Verses 16-18 Jesus had come from God. So he was not teaching ideas that he had just made up himself. He was teaching God’s ideas. People who really wanted to obey God would know this inside their spirits.

It is the same today. God shows people that Jesus’ words are true. But people must be sincere. They need to ask God to guide them. And then God will show them the truth.

Also, this is the way to know if a teacher is speaking the truth about God. A teacher’s words and ideas must agree with what is in the Bible. And teachers should point people to God and what he wants, not to themselves. This is what Jesus did.

Verse 19 The *Pharisees and the *scribes studied the *Law all the time. They had added many extra rules to it, too. They liked to think that they obeyed every rule. But Jesus accused them all. He said that they were not obeying the *Law. This was because they wanted to kill him. Of course, the *Law did not allow murder. This was one of God’s 10 most important rules (Exodus 20:1-17).

Verse 20 The crowd seemed very surprised when Jesus said this. Probably, most of them did not realise that their leaders intended to kill him.

Verse 21 Jesus contrasted his attitude and the *Jewish leaders’ attitude to the *Sabbath. He referred back to the time when he cured the man by the pool (John 5:1-18). He had told the man to carry his mat. To the *Jewish leaders, this was ‘work’. But the *Jewish leaders ‘worked’ on the *Sabbath, too. To obey Moses’ *Law, people had to *circumcise boys on the 8th day after their birth (Genesis 17:9-14; Leviticus 12:3). They always did this, even if the 8th day was the *Sabbath. They made an exception to the rules about the *Sabbath when they *circumcised boys. But they could not make an exception to the rules in order to make a sick person completely well again!

Jesus showed also that the *Jewish leaders were using the *Law to suit themselves. They emphasised the rules about the *Sabbath. And they emphasised how it was important to obey these rules. But they did not care about one of God’s 10 most important rules, because they were intending to murder Jesus!

The *Jewish leaders send guards to arrest Jesus 7:25-36

v25 Some of the people who lived in *Jerusalem were in the crowd. They were asking, ‘Is this the man whom our leaders are trying to kill? v26 He is here and he is speaking in public. But our leaders are not opposing him! Perhaps our leaders have decided that he is really the *Messiah. v27 However, nobody will know where the *Messiah comes from. But we know where this man comes from.’

v28 Jesus was teaching in the *Temple still. He shouted, ‘Yes, you know me! And you know where I come from. But I have not come on my own authority. The *Father, who sent me, is truthful. And you do not know him. v29 But I know him because I have come from him. He sent me to you.’

v30 When he said this, the leaders tried to arrest him. But nobody actually arrested him, because his time had not come yet.

v31 However, many people in the crowd *believed in him. They said, ‘Nobody could do more *miracles than this man does! So this man is certainly the *Messiah.’

v32 The *Pharisees heard what the crowd were whispering about Jesus. So they met with the chief priests. And they sent guards from the *Temple to arrest Jesus.

v33 Jesus said, ‘I will be with you for only a short time. Then I will return to the *Father, who sent me. v34 You will look for me. But you will not find me. You cannot go where I am going.’ v35 The *Jewish leaders said among themselves, ‘So he intends to go to a place where we cannot find him. But we do not know where he intends to go. Perhaps he is intending to leave this country and go to the *Jews in other countries. Or perhaps he intends to go to the *Gentiles! v36 He says, “You will look for me. But you will not find me.” And, “You cannot go where I am going.” We do not understand what he means!’

Verses 25-29 Jesus knew that the *Jewish leaders were plotting to kill him. But he continued to teach in public. And the *Jewish leaders were not now arguing with him. Some of the inhabitants of *Jerusalem were surprised. They began to think that perhaps the *Jewish leaders had changed their opinion of Jesus. And perhaps the *Jewish leaders now believed that Jesus was the *Messiah.

There was a popular tradition that nobody would know the origins of the *Messiah. The tradition said that he would just appear suddenly. But everybody knew that Jesus came from Nazareth in *Galilee. However, they did not know Jesus’ real origins. Before he was born, Jesus existed with God, his *Father. His *Father had sent him to the earth. So Jesus was the only person who really knew God.

Many people started to *believe in Jesus. But the leaders wanted to arrest him. However, this was not the right time, because God would not allow it.

Verses 33-36 Jesus told the people that he would remain with them during a short time. But he knew that, in the end, the *Jewish leaders would arrest him. He knew that he would die on a *cross. But he also knew that his death was not the end for him. God would bring him back to life. After this, he would return to his *Father in heaven. But those people who did not *believe in him would not be able to go there.

The *Jewish leaders did not understand the meaning of Jesus’ words. They did not realise that he was talking about heaven. They decided that he was going to leave *Judea. There were many *Jews who lived in other countries. The *Jewish leaders thought that he was going to teach these *Jews. Or perhaps he would even go to teach the *Gentiles. Actually, in the end, the words of these *Jewish leaders would be right! But they did not realise this! In fact, after Jesus’ death and *resurrection, many *Gentiles would *believe in him. And, like the *Jews, they would belong to God in a special way, too.

Streams of the water that gives *life 7:37-39

v37 On the last and most important day of the *festival, Jesus stood and he shouted to the crowd. He said, ‘You are *thirsty! So come to me and drink! v38 *Believe in me! Then you will have the water that gives *life. It will flow from deep inside your heart. This is in the *scriptures.’ v39 When Jesus spoke about this water, he meant the *Holy Spirit. Soon, the people who *believe in him would receive the *Holy Spirit. But nobody had received the *Holy Spirit yet, because Jesus had not yet received his full *glory.

Verses 37-39 At the *Festival of Shelters, the people prayed for rain so that their crops would grow. They also prayed about the *resurrection of dead people. On the last day, the priests poured out water and wine in the *Temple. This was the custom. So people would be thinking already about water and also about new *life.

In many passages in the *Old Testament, there are references to the *blessings that the *Messiah would give.

Jesus invited people to come to him if they were *thirsty in their spirits. Only he could provide satisfaction for their *spiritual *thirst. In John 4:10, Jesus used the words ‘the water that gives *life’ to mean *eternal life. In this passage, the words refer to the *Holy Spirit. Both meanings are right. When we accept the *Holy Spirit, he brings *eternal life.

When we *believe in Jesus, we receive the *Holy Spirit. The *Holy Spirit comes and lives in us. Then we have all the resources that we need to do God’s work. The *Holy Spirit is like a fountain that flows always inside our hearts and our spirits.

Jesus was speaking before his death and *resurrection. Afterwards, he returned to heaven to sit at the right hand side of his *Father, God. This was when he received his full *glory.

The *Holy Spirit has always existed, like the *Father and the Son. The *Holy Spirit is God, even as the *Father and the Son are God. But there are not three Gods. There is only one God. The *Holy Spirit was present with the *Father and the Son when God created the world (Genesis 1:2). And the *Holy Spirit has always been working in our world (Psalms 139:7; 2 Peter 1:21). But after Jesus returned to heaven, the power of the *Holy Spirit became available to every *Christian. Jesus taught more about the *Holy Spirit later (John Chapter s 14-16).

The people argue about Jesus 7:40-44

v40 After the crowd heard these words, some of the people said, ‘He is really the *Prophet!’ v41 Other people said, ‘He is the *Messiah!’ But other people said, ‘The *Messiah will not come from *Galilee! v42 The *scriptures say clearly that the *Messiah will be from David’s family. He will be born in Bethlehem, the town where King David lived.’

v43 So the people could not agree about Jesus. v44 Some people wanted to arrest him. But nobody actually arrested him.

Verses 40-44 After Jesus’ speech, the people had different opinions about who he was. Some people said that he was the *Prophet or the *Messiah (see note on John 1:21 and John 6:14). Both ‘the *Prophet’ and ‘the *Messiah’ meant the same person. So these people were correct. But other people said that Jesus could not be the *Messiah. They knew that he had come from Nazareth. So they thought that he had been born there, in *Galilee. They did not realise that he had been born in Bethlehem. So, in fact, the *prophecy that they mentioned (Micah 5:2) did refer to Jesus. But it seems that the people had decided already about Jesus. So the facts about where he was born did not interest them.

It is important to look at all the facts when we are searching for God’s truth. This is the right attitude to have when we read the Bible. We need to study everything that it says about a particular subject. Otherwise we may find that our beliefs are not correct. We may not have understood all the facts about that subject.

The Jewish leaders refuse to believe in Jesus 7:45-53

v45 The guards from the *Temple who had come to arrest him returned to the chief priests and *Pharisees. The leaders asked the guards, ‘Why did you not bring Jesus here?’

v46 The guards answered, ‘We have never heard anyone like this man! Nobody says the things that he says!’

v47 The *Pharisees said to them, ‘He has *deceived you, too! v48-49 None of the chief priests or we, the *Pharisees, *believe in him! This crowd does not know Moses’ *Law. So God has cursed them anyway!’ (To curse somebody is to say that bad things will happen to them.)

v50 Nicodemus was there. He was a *Jewish leader. He had been to see Jesus on a previous occasion [see John 3:1-21]. Nicodemus said, v51 ‘Our *Law does not allow us to *condemn people immediately. We must hear what they say first. We must know what they have done. Then we can *judge them.’

v52 The leaders replied, ‘Nicodemus, now we can prove that you are from *Galilee, like that man! Read the *scriptures. No *prophet comes from *Galilee!’

v53 Then they went to their homes.

Verses 45-46 The *Romans ruled the countries where the *Jews lived. But they gave to the *Jewish leaders some authority over the *Jewish people. They allowed the *Jewish leaders to make judgements in affairs of religion and Moses’ *Law. The *Jewish leaders employed their own guards in the *Temple. The guards could arrest anybody who was causing trouble in the *Temple. Also they could arrest anybody who did not obey any of their rules. And they had many rules.

However, the guards could not think of even one reason to arrest Jesus. They listened to him in order to find evidence against him. Instead, his words impressed them so much that they were not able to obey their employers, the *Jewish leaders. So they returned without Jesus, although their employers would be very angry. The guards realised this.

Verses 47-49 The *Jewish leaders were very angry! They were very proud people. They believed that they were superior to the ordinary *Jews. And there was an important reason why they believed this. For much of their lives, they had studied the *Law and all the other rules. They thought that only they knew the truth about God. Because they did not agree with Jesus, they did not listen to him sincerely. Their minds and their hearts were not ready to receive the truth.

But many people in the crowd *believed in Jesus. So the leaders said that the crowd did not really know the *Law. They had not studied it, as the leaders had. Therefore, the leaders said, the crowd could not obey God properly. And they believed anything! The leaders said that God would punish the crowd for this.

Verses 50-52 But Nicodemus accused the other leaders. He himself was a *Jewish leader. But he said that they were not obeying the *Law. They had decided immediately that Jesus was guilty of a crime. They had not given him a proper opportunity to speak to them. This was not legal.

Nicodemus was bold. He did not care what the other leaders thought about him. He did not care if he did not continue to be popular among them.

Of course, the leaders knew that Nicodemus was not from *Galilee. But they wanted to insult him because he was helping Jesus.

Galilee ~ an area and a large lake in northern Israel. The home area of Jesus and several of his disciples.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
disciple ~ a person who wants to do the same things as another person and to learn from them. Jesus had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples, too.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Galilee ~ an area and a large lake in northern Israel. The home area of Jesus and several of his disciples.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
disciple ~ a person who wants to do the same things as another person and to learn from them. Jesus had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples, too.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people.

baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show that the person wants to obey God. Christians receive baptism as a sign that they want to follow Jesus.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
festival ~ when people meet together in public for a happy party to remember a special day or event.
follower ~ a person who accepts another person as their guide and their teacher; like a disciple.
disciple ~ a person who wants to do the same things as another person and to learn from them. Jesus had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples, too.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people.

baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show that the person wants to obey God. Christians receive baptism as a sign that they want to follow Jesus.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
festival ~ when people meet together in public for a happy party to remember a special day or event.
Passover ~ an important holy day for the Jews. They eat a special meal on this day every year. This is to remember that God freed them. Before God freed them, they were slaves in the country called Egypt. This happened at the time of Moses. So Passover became an important holiday. At the time of Jesus, the Jews came to Jerusalem to pray in the Temple. And families shared a special meal together.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.
temple ~ a building where people went to worship God. Jesus referred to his body as a temple. This was because God was living among people in his Son, Jesus.
Temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews went to worship God.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
worship ~ to give thanks and honour to God and Jesus. To show to him that we love him very much.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Pentecost ~ a festival when the Jews thank God for their food.
festival ~ when people meet together in public for a happy party to remember a special day or event.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
ancestor ~ person in the past from whom one’s parents came.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
miracle ~ wonderful works that only God can do by his power. A wonderful event that shows that a person’s message is from God.
faith ~ to *believe in someone or something; to be really sure about the things of God and Jesus.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
resurrection ~ to come back to life after death.
Messiah ~ the Jews’ name for the special servant of God. It means the person whom God sent to save people from the results of their sins. Jesus is the Messiah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
sacrifice ~ a gift to God to ask him to forgive sins; or a gift to thank him for something. The Jews killed animals as sacrifices. This word also means to make a sacrifice.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
cross ~ two pieces of wood that someone has fixed together. Roman soldiers fixed people to crosses in order to kill those people as a punishment. Jesus died on a cross. The cross is now the sign of the Christian church.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
temple ~ a building where people went to worship God. Jesus referred to his body as a temple. This was because God was living among people in his Son, Jesus.
Temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews went to worship God.
worship ~ to give thanks and honour to God and Jesus. To show to him that we love him very much.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Spirit ~ see Holy Spirit.
spirit ~ there are good spirits called angels. There are also evil spirits who work for the devil. They are alive but we cannot see them. Also, the spirit means the part of a person that continues to live after the death of the body.
holy ~ what God is like. God’s character: perfect, completely good with nothing bad in it. Separate from sin.
angel ~ God’s servant who takes messages from God to people on the earth. Angels live with God in heaven.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Sabbath ~ the Sabbath was Saturday; the 7th day of the week which is special to the Jews. It was the day when the people had to rest from work (Exodus 20:8-11).
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
circumcise ~ to cut off the skin from the end of the sex part of a boy or man. For the Jews, it was proof that the person agreed to obey God’s laws.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
judge ~ to decide whether a person is guilty, usually in a court of law.
judge ~ to decide whether a person is guilty, usually in a court of law.
synagogue ~ the building where Jews met locally to worship God.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
worship ~ to give thanks and honour to God and Jesus. To show to him that we love him very much.
Pharisees ~ a group of Jews who thought that they obeyed all God’s commands.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
scribes ~ teachers of the Law.
Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Father ~ God. Jesus taught us to call God ‘Father’. All Christians are God’s children.
father ~ someone whom a person respects and follows; an ancestor. The Jewish leaders said that Abraham was their father. But Jesus said that the devil was their father, instead!
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
ancestor ~ person in the past from whom one’s parents came.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Gentile ~ any person who is not a Jew.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
life ~ the quality that a person has, because that person is alive. In John’s Gospel, it means to be completely alive in our spirits. When we *believe in Jesus, we receive this life as a special gift. When we have this life, we can live to please God. It is the best way to live.
Gospel ~ one of the 4 books at the beginning of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They record Jesus’ life.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.

'thirst/thirsty ~ when someone wants or needs a drink.
holy ~ what God is like. God’s character: perfect, completely good with nothing bad in it. Separate from sin.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
glory ~ everything that makes God great and beautiful. A bright light that comes from God or Jesus to show that they are beautiful and holy.
holy ~ what God is like. God’s character: perfect, completely good with nothing bad in it. Separate from sin.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the Jewish *scriptures. The writers wrote this before the birth of Jesus.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
blessing ~ a good thing that God does for us.
spiritual ~ something that belongs to the spirit rather than to physical things.'thirst/thirsty ~ when someone wants or needs a drink.
prophet ~ a person who hears God’s words and tells them to other people. Some prophets wrote books in the Old Testament. Sometimes, they told about events before they happened.

'prophecy/prophecies ~ the words that a prophet speaks or writes by God’s power. Often, they tell about events before they happen.
prophet ~ a person who hears God’s words and tells them to other people. Some prophets wrote books in the Old Testament. Sometimes, they told about events before they happened.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the Jewish *scriptures. The writers wrote this before the birth of Jesus.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
deceive ~ to tell lies. To make people believe something that is untrue.
condemn ~ to decide that someone is guilty and that the guilty person should suffer punishment.
prophet ~ a person who hears God’s words and tells them to other people. Some prophets wrote books in the Old Testament. Sometimes, they told about events before they happened.

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