John 7:50 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them,

NIV: Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked,

NASB: Nicodemus (the one who came to Him before, being one of them) *said to them,

CSB: Nicodemus —the one who came to him previously and who was one of them—said to them,

NLT: Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up.

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

NKJV: Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them,

Unfair stereotypes are just that—unfair—even in a context which heavily reinforces them. The term "Pharisee" has a terrible reputation in modern minds. The word immediately evokes ideas like "judgmental," "hypocritical," "arrogant," and "rigid." Certainly, those were legitimate criticisms of many Pharisees, as mentioned by Jesus Himself. And yet, in Jesus' era, the Pharisees were also known for being extremely moral, highly educated, and eminently respectable men. Nicodemus is an example of how that combination of intellect and conviction is meant to operate. Unfortunately, it earns him insults and ridicule from his peers when it comes to Jesus.

The Pharisees are caught in a fit of rage over the failure of their officials to arrest Jesus. Their primary argument against Jesus is pure arrogance: "He does not agree with us, so He must be wrong." Nicodemus has visited Jesus to investigate His claims reasonably and respectfully (John 3:1–2). Here, Nicodemus merely suggests the Pharisees give Jesus due process: to fully hear Him out before dismissing Him as wrong.

In response, his peers will not only continue to display arrogance, but they will even insult Nicodemus with an ethnic remark. That is followed by an ironically ignorant challenge about Scripture (John 7:52).

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.