John 7:47 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived?

NIV: "You mean he has deceived you also?" the Pharisees retorted.

NASB: The Pharisees then replied to them, 'You have not been led astray too, have you?

CSB: Then the Pharisees responded to them: "Are you fooled too?

NLT: Have you been led astray, too?' the Pharisees mocked.

KJV: Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?

NKJV: Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived?

In their conflicts with Jesus, the Pharisees fell into three primary errors. Two were a reliance on tradition and a belief that knowledge automatically leads to greater spiritual awareness. The third error is on full display in this part of the gospel of John: the error of arrogance. Those listening to Jesus (John 7:40–43) are divided over how to respond to His claims. But most of the crowd's disagreements involve how to interpret evidence. For example, what to make of Jesus' miracles (John 7:31), or how the Scriptures do or don't fit His life (John 7:40–42). The Pharisees react to a failed arrest attempt (John 7:45–46) with flagrant conceit. They angrily reject anyone who disagrees with them. In fact, they are so confident that anyone who disagrees must be ignorant, deceived, or backwards by definition.

The men sent to arrest Jesus (John 7:32) returned without Him. Their reasoning was Jesus' own words, which were so uniquely compelling that even those who did not believe in Him were impressed (John 7:46). The immediate assumption of the haughty authorities is that the arresting officials have been fooled. Why else would they—would anyone—take a view contrary to that of the highly-educated and prestigious Pharisees?

The essence of their rejection is self-importance: "if we don't believe that, why would anyone believe it?" We might shake our heads to read this account, but the same mistake is possible for each of us. It's there whenever we reject some criticism, suggestion, or argument since it comes from the "wrong" people. When we dismiss something by saying, "that comes from that denomination / culture / party, and what do they know?" we're not being discerning; we're being arrogant.

John 7:37–52 shows how Jesus' public ministry challenges the traditional views of Judaism. This causes infighting among both the people and the Jewish leaders themselves. The people hear His words, see His miracles, and begin to wonder if Jesus really is the Promised One. Once again, the religious leaders attempt to arrest Jesus, but the officers are so impressed by His words that they leave Him alone. When Nicodemus, a Pharisee, makes a plea for due process, he is mocked and his suggestion is ignored. Moments such as this will eventually lead the Jewish leaders to extreme measures against Jesus.

Six months after the feeding of thousands, and the public debate which followed, Jesus plans to attend the Feast of Booths, also called the Festival of Tabernacles. Rather than going publicly, He chooses to arrive privately, and after His family. While teaching and preaching there, Jesus once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. The crowds take note of His profound words, history of miracles, and the inability of the religious leaders to silence Him. This causes the people to openly question their spiritual leaders. This embarrassment is a milestone in the effort to permanently silence Jesus.

John chapter 7 is the beginning of the end of Jesus' public ministry. The feeding of thousands in chapter 6 was the pinnacle of His earthly popularity. That enthusiasm was dampened when Jesus explained the true meaning of His ministry. Here, in chapters 7 and 8, Jesus will confront His critics at a major Jewish festival, using metaphors drawn from ritual celebrations to highlight themes from His preaching. The following chapters include additional miracles and teachings from Jesus, as His eventual crucifixion draws nearer.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.