Many Disciples Desert Jesus

⁶⁰ Therefore, when many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept^[a] it?”

⁶¹ Jesus, knowing in himself^(A) that his disciples were grumbling about this, asked them, “Does this offend you? ⁶² Then what if you were to observe the Son of Man^(B) ascending^(C) to where he was before? ⁶³ The Spirit^(D) is the one who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ⁶⁴ But there are some among you who don’t believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning^(E) those who did not^[b] believe and the one who would betray^(F) him.) ⁶⁵ He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me^(G) unless it is granted to him by the Father.”

⁶⁶ From that moment^[c] many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to the Twelve,^(H) “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”

⁶⁸ Simon Peter^(I) answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”^[d](J)

⁷⁰ Jesus replied to them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve?^(K) Yet one of you is a devil.”^{(L) 71} He was referring to Judas,^(M) Simon Iscariot’s son,^[e] one of the Twelve, because he was going to betray^(N) him.

The Unbelief of Jesus’s Brothers

7 After this, Jesus traveled in Galilee,^(A) since he did not want to travel in Judea^(B) because the Jews^(C) were trying to kill him.^{(D) 2} The Jewish Festival of Shelters^[a](E) was near. ³ So his brothers^(F) said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples can see your works^(G) that you are doing. ⁴ For no one does anything in secret while he’s seeking public recognition. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” ⁵ (For not even his brothers believed in him.)

⁶ Jesus told them, “My time^(H) has not yet arrived, but your time is always at hand. ⁷ The world cannot hate^(I) you, but it does hate me because I testify about it—that its works are evil. ⁸ Go up to the festival yourselves. I’m not going up to this festival,^[b] because my time has not yet fully come.” ⁹ After he had said these things, he stayed in Galilee.

Jesus at the Festival of Shelters

¹⁰ After his brothers had gone up to the festival, then he also went up, not openly but secretly. ¹¹ The Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying, “Where is he?” ¹² And there was a lot of murmuring about him among the crowds. Some were saying, “He’s a good^(J) man.” Others were saying, “No, on the contrary, he’s deceiving^(K) the people.” ¹³ Still, nobody was talking publicly about him for fear of the Jews.