John 7:28 kjv
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.
John 7:28 nkjv
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.
John 7:28 niv
Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him,
John 7:28 esv
So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.
John 7:28 nlt
While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I'm not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don't know him.
John 7 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 7:28 | "Then Jesus cried out... 'I am from above...'" | Jesus' Divine Origin |
| John 8:14 | "I know where I came from and where I am going..." | Jesus' Divine Knowledge of Origin |
| John 8:42 | "I came from God and am here..." | Jesus' Divine Source and Presence |
| John 3:13 | "No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man." | Jesus' Heavenly Descent |
| John 5:19 | "So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing.'" | Jesus' Obedience to the Father |
| John 5:30 | "I can of my own self do nothing. As I hear, I judge..." | Jesus' Reliance on the Father's Guidance |
| John 6:38 | "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me." | Jesus' Fulfillment of God's Will |
| John 14:6 | "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" | Jesus as the Sole Mediator |
| Matthew 11:27 | "All things have been handed over to me by my Father..." | Jesus' Authority from the Father |
| Luke 10:22 | "All things have been handed over to me by my Father..." | Jesus' Authority from the Father |
| 1 John 4:9 | "By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God sent his only Son into the world..." | God's Sending of His Son |
| Isaiah 42:1 | "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights..." | Prophecy of God's Chosen Servant |
| Isaiah 9:6 | "For to us a child is born... And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." | Prophecy of the Divine Son |
| Jeremiah 1:5 | "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..." | God's Foreknowledge and Purpose |
| Acts 2:22 | "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him..." | God's Confirmation of Jesus |
| 1 Corinthians 1:24 | "...Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." | Christ as Divine Power and Wisdom |
| Philippians 2:5-8 | "...Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God... humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death..." | Christ's Humiliation and Obedience |
| Hebrews 1:1-3 | "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke in times past to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son..." | Jesus as God's Ultimate Revelation |
| Colossians 1:15 | "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." | Jesus' Divine Image and Primacy |
| Romans 8:3 | "...God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering..." | God Sending His Son for Redemption |
| John 1:14 | "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." | The Incarnation of the Divine Word |
| John 7:17 | "If anyone desires to do his will, he will know whether this teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority." | Test of Jesus' Teaching |
John 7 verses
John 7 28 Meaning
Jesus declares that He comes from God, emphasizing His divine origin and divine authority. This statement is a direct challenge to those questioning His identity and purpose. He asserts that He is not acting on His own initiative but was sent by the Father who originally sent Him. This underscores His mission and inherent connection to God.
John 7 28 Context
Chapter 7 of John's Gospel portrays Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. Amidst growing opposition and unbelief, Jesus teaches in the temple courts. His bold claims and authoritative teaching cause division among the crowds, with some believing in Him and others seeking to arrest Him. The religious leaders are particularly agitated by Jesus' teachings and the public reception He receives. Verse 28 is spoken by Jesus in this charged atmosphere, directly addressing the doubts and questions surrounding His origin. The religious authorities acknowledged the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, as prophesied in Micah 5:2, and they were baffled that Jesus, who they believed was from Nazareth and associated with a common lineage, could be this prophesied figure.
John 7 28 Word Analysis
- "Then": (Gk. kai tauta) Indicates sequence, linking Jesus' statement to the ongoing situation and dialogue. It marks a shift to His direct declaration in response to the public's confusion and their questioning of His origins.
- "Jesus": (Gk. Iēsous) The proper name of the central figure of Christianity, revealing His humanity and the human guise of His divine nature.
- "cried out": (Gk. ekraxen) This verb implies a loud, forceful proclamation, not a mere whisper. It signifies an impassioned and authoritative declaration made openly. Scholars suggest this tone was chosen to be heard and to pierce through the noise and skepticism of the crowd and the religious leaders. It conveys urgency and conviction.
- "in the temple": (Gk. en tō hierō) The setting of Jesus' public ministry. The Temple was the center of Jewish worship and a place where divine presence was believed to reside. His speaking here within this sacred space heightens the significance of His claims and challenges the authorities operating within it.
- "teaching": (Gk. didaskōn) This verb signifies imparting knowledge, instructing, and expounding doctrine. It highlights Jesus' primary role as a teacher, revealing truths about God and His kingdom.
- "and said": (Gk. kai eipen) A common New Testament idiom connecting His cry to His spoken words.
- "You know me": (Gk. oida kai oidate me) Jesus here implies a dual knowledge: He knows them (their hearts, their motives, their limitations) and they think they know Him, but their understanding is superficial and incomplete.
- "and know where I am from": (Gk. kai oidate pothēn eimi) This refers to the physical origin of Jesus, which the people in the crowd understood to be Nazareth and Galilee. However, Jesus contrasts this physical origin with His spiritual and eternal origin. They knew His earthly roots but not His heavenly source.
- "and I have not come of my own accord": (Gk. kai aph’ emautou ouk eilēa) Jesus directly denies self-origination or independent action. His coming is not a product of His own will or plan apart from the Father. This contrasts with human leaders who act on their own volition. The phrasing emphasizes a lack of autonomous inception.
- "but he who sent me is true": (Gk. alla alēthinos estin ho pempsas me) The One who sent Him (God the Father) is genuine, real, and trustworthy. This assertion validates Jesus' mission and authority by linking it to the unfailing truth of God. The word "alēthinos" means true in essence, faithful, and reliable, pointing to the absolute trustworthiness of the Father.
- "whom you do not know": (Gk. hon umeis ou oidate) This is a profound statement. While they thought they knew God, Jesus claims they did not truly know Him – His character, His plan, or His essence, especially as revealed through Jesus. It speaks to their spiritual blindness and their inability to recognize God's true emissary.
John 7 28 Bonus Section
Jesus' deliberate use of "You know me" is often understood as a subtle challenge. He implies that while they recognize His human existence and even His origin from Nazareth, their "knowing" is incomplete, failing to grasp His divine essence. This rhetorical strategy, common in Jesus' teaching, seeks to expose the inadequacy of their current understanding and draw them towards a deeper, spiritual comprehension. The phrase "whom you do not know" points to a relational ignorance; they might acknowledge God's existence but do not have a genuine, saving relationship with Him as revealed in Jesus. This concept of "not knowing" God is echoed in the Old Testament, where prophets frequently spoke of Israel's failure to know or understand God's ways (e.g., Jeremiah 9:24, Isaiah 1:3).
John 7 28 Commentary
Jesus’ cry in the Temple courts at the Feast of Tabernacles serves as a pivotal moment where He confronts the prevailing ignorance and disbelief regarding His identity. His statement, "You know me and know where I am from, and I have not come of my own accord, but he who sent me is true, whom you do not know," is a powerful assertion of His divine origin and purpose. He highlights that their supposed knowledge of Him is superficial, limited to His human lineage, while they remain ignorant of His eternal source. This ignorance extends to their failure to truly know the Father, whom Jesus perfectly represents. By affirming that the Father who sent Him is "true," Jesus establishes His own truthfulness and divine authorization. He underscores that His mission is not self-initiated but a divinely commissioned undertaking, validated by the Father’s unwavering reality. His deliberate juxtaposition of their limited knowledge of His earthly origin with their deeper ignorance of His divine source aims to provoke genuine introspection and recognition of His true nature as God's Son.