John 7:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”

NIV: What did he mean when he said, 'You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and 'Where I am, you cannot come'?'

NASB: What is this statement that He said, ‘You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come’?'

CSB: What is this remark he made: 'You will look for me, and you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come'? "

NLT: What does he mean when he says, ‘You will search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You cannot go where I am going’?'

KJV: What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

NKJV: What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

Jesus' comments in the last few verses have robbed some of His critics' confidence. At the time of these events, many Jewish people were scattered around the known world. This was due to migration, persecution, and conquest. That widespread Hebrew population was referred to as "The Dispersion" (John 7:35). From the Jewish mindset, there were two primary cultures: Jewish and Gentile. In this context, Gentiles were often summarized as "The Greeks" (Colossians 3:11).

As He will also tell the disciples, Jesus has pointed out that He will soon be going to God the Father, as only He can. Later Jesus will explain that this is in preparation for His eventual return. Here, though, his remarks are met with confusion. Some might have thought Jesus was "going to him who sent me" via suicide. Others, as shown in verse 35, seem to think He intends to leave Jerusalem to spread His message deep into the Dispersion.

Either way, those outcomes would make the local religious leaders happy. Once Jesus is gone from their area of influence, their concern for Him would be gone, as well. Earlier, the Pharisees had sent men to arrest Jesus (John 7:32); the next passage describes how those men instead left Him alone. Confusion over Jesus' intentions, such as what's described here, might have been a major factor in that decision.

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.