John 7:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill?

NIV: At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, 'Isn't this the man they are trying to kill?

NASB: So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, 'Is this man not the one whom they are seeking to kill?

CSB: Some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill?

NLT: Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, 'Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?

KJV: Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?

NKJV: Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill?

Verse 20 referred to the reaction of "the crowd" 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 a large number 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 actually believe what He is saying! This erosion of authority is a large part of the motivation to have Jesus killed.

John 7:25–36 is a milestone in the plot to kill Jesus. Jesus continues to criticize the local religious leaders, who are unable to successfully arrest Him. This leads the people to wonder: are the Scribes and Pharisees in agreement with Jesus or too weak to stop Him? That crisis of confidence will make the Jewish leaders more convinced that they need to silence Jesus at all costs. Even so, misinterpreting His comments in the passage presents a possible solution: if Jesus is going somewhere they cannot follow, perhaps the problem will resolve itself.

Six months after the feeding of thousands, and the public debate which followed, Jesus plans to attend the Feast of Booths (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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 5/2/2024 8:37:11 AM