What does John 7:25 mean?
The crowd reacted (John 7:20) when Jesus noted that the Pharisees and other religious leaders were seeking to have Him killed (John 7:1). Here, we see that not everyone in Jerusalem was unaware of this plot (John 5:18; 7:12). This passage describes events which occur during the Feast of Booths, also known as the Festival of Tabernacles. As one of the most important dates in the Jewish calendar, it would attract hordes of pilgrims and visitors to Jerusalem. Those who seem most aware of the religious leaders' attitude towards Jesus are those who are "people of Jerusalem."The question asked here comes from Jesus' ongoing conflict with these religious leaders. In particular, the crowd sees Jesus' ability to speak so publicly as a problem. As later verses will show, this makes them wonder if the authorities are too weak to stop Jesus, or if they believe what He is saying! This erosion of authority is a large part of the motivation to have Jesus killed.