Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G085 Public Opinion About the Lord Jesus
John 7:25-53

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All the Bible verses quoted in this article are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

John 7:25-53

25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?

26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

28 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.

29 But I know Him: for I am from Him, and He hath sent Me.

30 Then they sought to take Him: but no man laid hands on Him, because His hour was not yet come.

31 And many of the people believed on Him, and said, When Christ cometh, will He do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning Him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.

33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto Him that sent me.

34 Ye shall seek Me, and shall not find Me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will He go, that we shall not find Him? will He go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

36 What manner of saying is this that He said, Ye shall seek Me, and shall not find Me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.

38 He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

43 So there was a division among the people because of Him.

44 And some of them would have taken Him; but no man laid hands on Him.

45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?

46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?

48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)

51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

53 And every man went unto his own house.

In this lesson, we will study the public opinion among the people regarding the Lord Jesus, along with the plot to arrest Him by the chief priests and the Pharisees. Up to the time when the events recorded in this passage took place, the Lord Jesus had been fulfilling His ministry as the Christ for over a year and a half.

John 7:25-27

25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?

26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

“Then” refers to the continuation of the Lord Jesus’ teaching in the Temple, as we studied in John 7:14-24.

During the time of the Lord Jesus, the population of Jerusalem fluctuated between approximately 40,000 and 80,000 people. However, during the three major festivals: Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles, the number of people coming to Jerusalem, including attendees, visitors, and merchants, could rise to between 200,000 and 500,000. In some cases, it could even reach up to one million people.

These visitors were not well-informed about the political and religious affairs in Jerusalem. However, the residents of Jerusalem were well aware of the situation and also knew about the Lord Jesus. Therefore, when they saw and heard the Lord Jesus teaching in the Temple, some of the residents recognized Him. They were also aware that He was the one the chief priests and the Pharisees were seeking to kill.

They were surprised to see the chief priests and the Pharisees allowing the Lord Jesus to freely teach in the Temple. As a result, they raised the question of whether the chief priests and the Pharisees had truly recognized and acknowledged the Lord Jesus as the Christ.

The adverb “whence” in verse 27 does not refer to a physical location or lineage, because Scripture clearly states, and the people of Israel knew, that the Christ would come from Bethlehem, in Judea, from the line of King David (Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4). Instead, the adverb “whence” in verse 27 refers to the manner of Christ’s birth. According to Isaiah 7:14, the Christ would be born of a virgin, so the people of Israel believed that no one would know His true origin.

The residents of Jerusalem knew the Lord Jesus as the son of Joseph and Mary, but they did not know that Mary had given birth to Him while still a virgin. Their incomplete understanding prevented them from accepting the Lord Jesus as the Christ.

Today, many people are familiar with the Scriptures but lack a thorough understanding, leading to the rise of numerous heresies. These include heresies that deny the divinity of the Lord Jesus and the personhood and divinity of the Holy Spirit; heresies that teach believers not to observe the Sabbath as commanded in the fourth commandment of the Ten Commandments of God; heresies that claim “once saved, always saved,” even if one returns to a life of sin; heresies of Prosperity Gospel, which teaches that God’s people must be materially wealthy; heresies that instruct believers to avoid foods considered unclean under the Old Testament, rejecting *God’s threefold message to Peter that He had made them clean; heresies promoting the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, and so on.

John 7:28-29

28 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.

29 But I know Him: for I am from Him, and He hath sent Me.

The chatter and discussions among the residents of Jerusalem caused the Lord Jesus, while teaching, to raise His voice and speak to them. He acknowledged that they knew Him, knew where He lived, and knew His earthly father and mother. However, they did not understand that He did not come into the world on His own; rather, He was sent by *God to be born into the world. They did not recognize *God, even though their mouths professed *God, and they worshiped Him in the Temple. He knew *God because He came from *God. His coming into the world was according to *God’s will to fulfill the ministry of the Christ.

John 7:30-32

30 Then they sought to take Him: but no man laid hands on Him, because His hour was not yet come.

31 And many of the people believed on Him, and said, When Christ cometh, will He do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning Him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.

The pronoun “they” in the sentence “Then they sought to take Him” does not refer to the residents of Jerusalem but specifically to the chief priests and the Pharisees. When the time appointed by *God had not yet come, no one could arrest Him. However, the Lord Jesus also acted wisely to avoid giving them the opportunity, as He did not go up to Jerusalem a few days earlier before the festival.

Many people misapply the Word of God regarding *God’s providence. *God is the faithful One who cares for and protects His people, but His people must fulfill their responsibilities and act wisely. No one can say, “Because *God is providing for me, I don’t need to work for a living.” The Word of God clearly teaches that each person must work to earn a living and to be able to help others (Ephesians 4:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12). No one can say, “Because *God is providing for me, I don’t need to escape persecution.” The Word of God clearly teaches that when God’s people are persecuted in one city, they must flee to another (Matthew 10:23). Nor can anyone say, “Because *God is safeguarding me, I don’t need to defend myself.” The Word of God clearly teaches that before facing adversity, God’s people must prepare weapons for self-defense (Luke 22:36).

We need to understand that Luke 22:36 does not contradict Matthew 5:39. The teaching in Matthew 5:39 is about patience in the face of humiliation. The teaching in Luke 22:36 is about being ready to defend oneself when property or life is threatened by evil individuals.

Among the crowd present in the Temple listening to the Lord Jesus’ teaching, many people spoke up, acknowledging Him as the Christ. The Pharisees, upon hearing many people believe and recognize the Lord Jesus as the Christ, became even more determined to arrest Him. They coordinated with the chief priests to send their officers to apprehend the Lord Jesus. Their officers could be servants from their households and the Temple guards. The Temple guards were primarily Levites, tasked with maintaining order, protecting the sanctity of the Temple, and assisting in religious activities. They operated under the authority of the Jewish leadership and were not part of the Roman army. They played an important role in events related to the arrest and punishment of those who violated Jewish law.

At the time of the Lord Jesus, Caiaphas was the high priest. Caiaphas served as high priest from the years 18 to 36. However, Caiaphas’ father-in-law was the high priest from the years 6 to 15 and was still respected by the people of Israel, referred to by the title of high priest. Therefore, in many places in the Scriptures, it mentions “the chief priests.” This detail shows us that the Scriptures faithfully record historical details.

John 7:33-36

33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto Him that sent me.

34 Ye shall seek Me, and shall not find Me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will He go, that we shall not find Him? will He go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

36 What manner of saying is this that He said, Ye shall seek Me, and shall not find Me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

In response to the confession of many in the crowd that they believed Him to be the Christ, the Lord Jesus warned them about the brief time they would have left to see Him. After that, they would seek Him but would not find Him, for He was going back to the One who sent Him. There, no one could go. For that is heaven.

The Israelites who heard Him speak questioned each other about where the Lord Jesus would go. They speculated that He would leave the land of Canaan to teach the Israelites living throughout the territories of the Roman Empire and even to those who were not Israelites. The term “Gentiles” in the original Greek of the Scriptures is “Greeks” and was used to refer generally to non-Israelite nations. They were puzzled by the statement that they could not go to the place where He was going. For in their view, even if the Lord went to distant places in the Roman Empire, they could still seek Him out.

John 7:37-39

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.

38 He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

“The last day” refers to the eighth day, following the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles. It is a solemn Sabbath (Leviticus 23:36). The Sabbath days of the festivals are all referred to as “solemn days.”

On the solemn Sabbath of the Feast of Tabernacles in the year 26, the Lord Jesus returned to the Temple to preach about “rivers of living water” to the Israelites. The verb “cried” implies that the Lord Jesus spoke loudly.

The thirst that the Lord Jesus referred to is the yearning for eternal life in the grace of God. To drink signifies receiving the teachings of the Lord Jesus in order to receive holy spirit from the Holy Spirit. Holy spirit (without definite article in the original Greek of the Scriptures) is the life and power from God, distinct from “the Holy Spirit” (with definite article in the original Greek of the Scriptures), who is God in the person of the Spirit residing within the bodies of those who accept God’s salvation through the redemptive death of the Christ.

“Rivers of living water” are the gifts of holy spirit that God, in the person of the Spirit, gives to those who sincerely repent of their sins and believe in the redemptive death of the Lord Jesus Christ. This will occur after the Lord Jesus is gloriously resurrected and returns to heaven. It is also the “well of water” that the Lord Jesus referred to when He spoke to the Samaritan woman at a well (John 4:13-14).

On the Day of Pentecost in the year 27, the Church was established by the Lord Jesus and baptized in holy spirit. God, in the person of the Spirit, descended upon the Church and remains in the bodies of each of God’s people, known as “the Holy Spirit,” until the day the Church is taken out of the world by the Christ. The life and power from God (holy spirit), given by the Holy Spirit, enable God’s people to live according to His Word and live eternally.

The phrase “out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” means that the life force from God, in various aspects, is manifested through the lifestyle of God’s people. For example:

• The joy in understanding and receiving the Word of God is a river of living water (Jeremiah 15:16).
• The joy in God’s commandments is a river of living water (Psalm 119:15).
• The joy in knowledge and wisdom is a river of living water (Proverbs 2:10).
• Contentment with food and clothing is a river of living water (1 Timothy 6:8).

It can be said that every joy of God’s people in the Lord is a river of living water, as it brings happiness, vitality, and satisfaction to all their needs.

John 7:40-43

40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

43 So there was a division among the people because of Him.

Many people in the crowd present in the Temple who heard the teachings of the Lord Jesus acknowledged Him as “the Prophet.” The title “the Prophet” in the original Greek of the Bible includes a definite article, implying that they recognized that the Lord Jesus is indeed the prophet mentioned by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15. Others acknowledged Him as “the Christ.” However, some opposed this acknowledgment, reasoning that, according to their understanding, the Lord Jesus came from Nazareth, in Galilee. Meanwhile, the Scriptures prophesied that the Christ would come from Bethlehem, in Judea, and be a descendant of King David. This illustrates another case of knowing without fully understanding, leading to a failure to grasp the truth.

With the many opinions, perspectives, and beliefs about the Lord Jesus, there was division among the crowd.

Today, there is also division among those who accept *God’s salvation, stemming from many differing opinions, perspectives, and beliefs about the Bible. They create thousands of different “churches” and denominations, each with their own charters and doctrines, yet all claim that their “church” or denomination is the Church of God and of the Christ.

John 7:44-46

44 And some of them would have taken Him; but no man laid hands on Him.

45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?

46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

Among the crowd, there were also some fanatical Jews who viewed the Lord Jesus as a blasphemer and wanted to arrest Him, perhaps to bring Him before the Sanhedrin. However, no one was able to apprehend Him. The sole reason was that the time for the Lord Jesus to be arrested had not yet come, so *God did not permit them to carry out their intentions.

As for the servants of the chief priests and the Pharisees, they were captivated by the teachings of the Lord Jesus and did not take action to arrest Him. This was also *God’s action, through the influence of the Holy Spirit on their minds, causing them to be persuaded by the words of the Lord Jesus. When they returned, the chief priests and the Pharisees asked them why they had not arrested Him. They truthfully replied that they had never seen anyone teach like the Lord Jesus.

John 7:47-49

47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?

48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

When the Pharisees heard their servants praising the Lord Jesus, they were angry and asked whether their servants had also been deceived like many in the crowd. The “deception” they referred to was being captivated by the teachings of the Lord Jesus and the miracles He performed. They called it “deception” because they did not believe that the Lord Jesus was a prophet sent from God or the Christ. They believed that the Lord Jesus performed miracles by the power of the devil and that His teachings were contrary to the Scriptures. Thus, for them, the Lord Jesus was a proclaimer of heresy who used the power of the devil to deceive everyone in order to overthrow their Judaism.

They asked their servants, “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?” In reality, many rulers believed in the Lord Jesus, but they did not dare to publicly profess their faith for fear of being expelled from the synagogue by the Pharisees, as recorded in John 12:42. In fact, at least one Pharisee who believed in the Lord Jesus mentioned in the Scriptures is Nicodemus (John 3:1). Additionally, there was a member of the Sanhedrin named Joseph who also believed in the Lord Jesus, although the Bible does not specify whether he belonged to the Pharisees or the Sadducees. Nicodemus and Joseph later came together to bury the body of the Lord.

In verse 49, the Pharisees referred to those who believed in the Lord Jesus in the crowd, and possibly even their servants, as “knoweth not the law” and “are cursed.”

The phrase “knoweth not the law” refers to a lack of knowledge of Jewish law, particularly the prohibition against healing on the Sabbath. The phrase “are cursed” indicates the cursing and expulsion from the synagogue, and even a death sentence for those who violated Jewish law.

John 7:50-53

50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)

51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

53 And every man went unto his own house.

Although Nicodemus did not dare to publicly profess his faith in the Lord Jesus, he indirectly defended Him. In the face of the Pharisees’ desire to arrest and kill the Lord Jesus, Nicodemus pointed out their lawlessness with a question recorded in verse 51. The “law” that Nicodemus referred to was not the law of *God but rather the law of Judaism, which the Pharisees had imposed upon themselves. The Pharisees called the crowd “knoweth not the law,” yet they themselves acted as if they were the ones ignorant of it.

Instead of admitting their wrongs, the Pharisees ridiculed Nicodemus, asking, “Art thou also of Galilee?” Their mocking question implied, “You’re not from Galilee, so why do you defend this Galilean?” They asserted that no prophet arises from Galilee and told Nicodemus to “search, and look.” To search meant to examine the Scriptures, as only the Scriptures could affirm who the prophet of *God is. In fact, the Prophet Jonah, who came from Gath-Hepher (2 Kings 14:25), a small village about 3 kilometers northeast of Nazareth, was indeed a prophet from Galilee.

After Nicodemus’s warning, the meeting of the Pharisees had no reason to continue and thus concluded, with everyone returning to their homes.

We conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
10/26/2024

Note:

About Using “*God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible uses a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.