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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - John 7:25 - 7:31
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_7:25-31
25So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill? 26Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they? 27However, we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from." 28Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, "You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. 29I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me." 30So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. 31But many of the crowd believed in Him; and they were saying, "When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He?"
Joh_7:25 "Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill" The grammatical form of this question expects a "yes" answer (cf. Joh_5:47; Joh_7:19). This is the first in a series of questions through Joh_7:36.
Joh_7:26
NASB, REV,
NET"He is speaking publicly"
NKJV "He speaks boldly"
NRSV, NJB "he is speaking openly"
See Special Topic: Boldness (parrhçsia) at Joh_7:4.
NASB "The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they"
NKJV "Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ"
NRSV "Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah"
TEV "Can it be that they really know that he is the Messiah"
NJB "Can it be true the authorities have recognized that he is the Christ"
This grammatical construction expects a "no" answer. However, it does express a possibility (cf. Joh_1:31; Joh_4:29).
Joh_7:27 "we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from" This refers to a rabbinical Messianic tradition based on Mal_3:1 that the Messiah would appear suddenly in the temple. This is found in I Enoch 48:6 and IV Ezras 13:51-52.
Joh_7:28 In this verse Jesus makes two statements.
1. that God sent Him (cf. Joh_3:17; Joh_3:34; Joh_5:36; Joh_5:38; Joh_6:29; Joh_7:29; Joh_8:42; Joh_10:36; Joh_11:42; Joh_17:3; Joh_17:18; Joh_17:21; Joh_17:23; Joh_17:25; Joh_20:21)
2. that they do not know God (cf. Joh_5:37; Joh_5:42; Joh_8:19; Joh_8:27; Joh_8:54-55; Joh_16:3)
John records that Jesus "cried out" (cf. Joh_7:37; Joh_12:44; Mat_8:29). Jesus raised His voice to be heard. In a sense, this functions in a literary sense like Jesus' use of an initial "Amen" or "Amen, Amen." He wanted these ironic statements to be emphasized! Joh_7:29 shows the problem! They think He is from Galilee (cf. Joh_7:41), but in reality, He is from heaven!
▣ "He who sent Me is true" The Father is true (cf. Joh_3:33; Joh_8:26; 1Jn_5:20) and so is the Son (cf. Joh_7:18; Joh_8:16). See Special Topic at Joh_6:55.
Joh_7:29 "I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me" This is another example of the vertical dualism in John. This statement was considered blasphemy by the Jewish leaders and confirmed their need to have Jesus killed. See Special Topic: Send (Apostellô) at Joh_5:24.
Joh_7:30 "they were seeking to seize Him" This is an imperfect tense verb which implies (1) they started seeking to seize Him or (2) they tried again and again to arrest Him but they did not want to cause a riot among the pilgrims who believed Him to be the Messiah.
▣ "because His hour had not yet come" This is a recurrent prophetic idiom which asserts a divine timetable (cf. Joh_2:4; Joh_7:6; Joh_7:30; Joh_8:20; Joh_12:23; Joh_12:27; Joh_13:1; Joh_17:1).
Joh_7:31 "But many of the crowd believed in Him" This was true faith in Jesus even though it was filled with misconceptions about His Messianic task. No one has "perfect" faith (cf. Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, the Twelve). See Special Topic at Joh_2:23.
This always happens when the gospel is presented. Some believe, some doubt, and some get angry. Here is the intersection of the mystery of
1. divine election
2. human sinfulness
There is mystery here. I am always shocked by unbelief in the presence of so much light. This is probably the origin of Jesus' words about setting family members against each other. The gospel brings peace to some and conflict to others!
▣ "When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He" The Greek grammatical form expects a "no" answer.
In A Theology of the New Testament, George E. Ladd has an interesting comment on the use of "signs" to encourage faith in Jesus:
"The question of the relationship of the signs to faith is not easy, because the data seem to look in two different directions. Sometimes signs are designed to lead to faith in Jesus (Joh_2:23; Joh_6:14; Joh_7:31; Joh_10:42). On the other hand, there were those who beheld the signs and did not believe (Joh_6:27; Joh_11:47; Joh_12:37). Furthermore, on occasion Jesus rebukes the Jews because they will not believe unless they see signs (Joh_4:48; Joh_6:30). The answer must be found in a sort of tension between signs and faith. It requires faith to recognize the true meaning of the signs and their witness to Jesus; to those who had no faith, the signs are merely meaningless prodigies. To those who are responsive, the signs are the means of confirming and deepening faith. It is clear that Jesus' signs were not designed to compel faith. On the other hand, the works of Jesus are sufficient testimony to those able to see what is happening in his mission. Jesus' works will serve as a means of condemnation and confirming blind men in their sinfulness" (p. 274).