Bible In Poetry: Gospel Of St. John (Chapter 7) Poem by Dr John Celes

So, Jesus moved to Galilee;
He did not go to Judea,
As Jews had planned to kill Him fast.
With feast of Tabernacles near,
His brothers asked Jesus to leave
To Judea, so that other
Disciples saw the works, He did.
A secret person can’t be known;
You have to manifest to world.
His brothers did not believe Him.

But Jesus said, ‘My time hasn’t come
Yet, time is always right for you.’
‘The world cannot hate you but they
Hate me as I expose evils; .
You go for Feast; I will not go
Because my time hasn’t come as yet! ’
So, Jesus stayed at Galilee.

When brothers left, then Jesus went
To Judea but in secret.
The Jews were searching for Jesus,
Amidst the Feast by asking all;
The crowds did speak about Jesus;
Some said he was a good person;
Some others felt, he misled crowds.
Afraid of Jews, no one dared speak.

When Jewish Feast was half-over,
Jesus entered Temple to teach;
His knowledge of scripture was fine
Astonishing the Jews right there;
‘How does he know although unread? ’
They asked and Jesus answered them,
‘My teaching’s from Him who sent me.’
Whoev’r did choose to do His will,
Will know my teaching comes from God,
And doesn’t originate from me1’

‘If one then speaks on own, he seeks
His glory own; but whoev’r speaks
The glory of the one who sent
Is truthful and infallible.
Did Moses not give you the law?
Yet, none of you does keep the same;
Why do you try to kill me thus? ’

The crowd replied, ‘You are possessed.
Who is trying to kill you, say? ’
And Jesus said, ‘I did one work
And you are all simply amazed.
Though Moses gave circumcision,
(It came from Patriarchs truly)
You circumcise on Sabbath day? ’

‘When circumcision on Sabbath
Doesn’t break the law of Moses, then,
Why are you angry just because
I healed a person on Sabbath?
Stop judging by looks but be just.’

Someone remarked, ‘Isn’t he the one
Who they are trying to kill but
How openly he speaks of things!
Do they agree He’s Messiah?
But we all know wherefrom he hails,
Yet, none can know whence Messiah comes? ’

So, Jesus spoke aloud and said,
‘Although you know from where I come,
I did not come all on my own,
But from the one who sent me here,
Of whom you know not anything.’

Although they tried to arrest him,
None could succeed; His hour hadn’t come!
But many in the crowd believed,
And asked, ‘Will Messiah do more? ’

When Pharisees had heard their talk,
They sent some guards to arrest him.
So, Jesus said, ’ I’ll stay with you
A little while and then I’ll go
To one who’d sent me to this earth.
You’ll look for me but cannot find;
You cannot come to where I go.’

So Jews asked one another then,
‘To where he goes, we cannot find?
Is he going to teach the Greeks?
What do his sayings truly mean? ’

On Feast’s last day, then Jesus spoke,
‘Let one who thirsts, come to me, drink.’
As scriptures say, ‘He who believes
Me, rivers of living water
Will flow out from within him then.’
He referred to the Holy Ghost
Though Jesus hadn’t been glorified.

Some from the crowd who heard these words
Remarked, this is the Prophet true! ’
Others said, ’ this is Messiah!
But messiah is not Galilean? ’
Does scripture not say he will be
From the family of David?
And come from Bethlehem, his place?
There was a confusion ’midst crowd.
Some even wanted his arrest.;
But none laid hands on him for now.

So, Pharisees asked, ‘why didn’t you bring him? ’
They said, ‘none has spoken like this before! ’
Pharisees said, ‘You’ve been deceived.’
‘Do authorities too believe?
This crowd which doesn’t the law knows is accursed.’

Then Nicodemus asked of them,
‘Does law condemn before hearing?

They asked, ’ Are you from Galilee?
See that no prophet comes from there.’
Copyright by Dr John Celes 5-22-2007