25 Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? 26 But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ? 27 However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”
Verses 25 to 52 record disputes over whether Jesus was the Messiah. The issue is no longer the debate over working on the Sabbath.
Jesus argued His divine origin from eternity past in verses 25 to 30.
7:25
Now some of them from Jerusalem said,
Some people who lived in Jerusalem had knowledge that the religious authorities wanted to kill Jesus. Visitors from outside Jerusalem were not aware of this plot.
“Is this not He whom they seek to kill?
The citizens of Jerusalem knew of a plot to kill Jesus.
7:26
But [strong contrast] look! He speaks boldly,
The residents of Jerusalem observed that Jesus spoke openly and boldly in the temple. They were surprised at this.
and they say nothing to Him.
These people were confused about why the religious rulers did not arrest Jesus. They did not even say anything to Him. Nor did they challenge Jesus’ claim to Messiahship.
Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?
“The Christ” means the Messiah. These people wondered whether those plotting to kill Jesus had changed their minds and now believed on Him. This was a quick flash in their thinking but immediately put aside in favor of their own pet theory of the coming of the Messiah.
7:27
However,
Contrary to what the religious authorities did, this crowd came to their own conclusion about Christ. They had a different reason for believing Jesus was not the Messiah.
we know where this Man is from;
This crowd viewed Jesus as a local Galilean from Nazareth. They supposedly knew Jesus’ origin. They had their own reason for not believing in Jesus.
but when the Christ comes,
The prevailing view about when the Messiah would come was different from the circumstances before them.
no one knows where He is from.”
The local Jerusalem residents’ view was that when the Messiah came, no one would know of His local origin. This view flatly contradicts Micah 5:2, where it says that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
PRINCIPLE:
The majority opinion is often wrong.
APPLICATION:
Often public opinion about Christ and Christianity is wrong. In the case of our verses, the crowd was wrong about where and how the Messiah was to be born. Others in the crowd knew they were wrong (Jn 7:42). The Old Testament clearly said that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Mic 5:2).
