John 7:41 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee?

NIV: Others said, 'He is the Messiah.' Still others asked, 'How can the Messiah come from Galilee?

NASB: Others were saying, 'This is the Christ.' But others were saying, 'Surely the Christ is not coming from Galilee, is He?

CSB: Others said, "This is the Messiah." But some said, "Surely the Messiah doesn't come from Galilee, does he?

NLT: Others said, 'He is the Messiah.' Still others said, 'But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee?

KJV: Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

NKJV: Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee?

Jesus' preaching is causing division and bickering among the people. Some of the crowd have seen Jesus' miracles heard His words, and concluded that He speaks the truth (John 7:31). Some think this makes Jesus the prophet predicted by Moses (John 7:40), others that this means Jesus is "the Christ," the Savior promised by God.

Others, however, do not believe that Jesus is from God. Among these are His own brothers (John 7:5), as well as the religious leaders of Jerusalem (John 7:1; 7:48), and a large number of people present in Jerusalem. One of the key arguments being raised against Jesus involves His family history. For His brothers, it's possible that they fell into the common expression "familiarity breeds contempt," meaning their daily contact with Jesus made it hard for them to see Him with objective eyes. For others, Jewish tradition seemed to suggest that the Messiah would be totally anonymous (John 7:27)—those who know Jesus, but not the Scriptures, think this disqualifies Him.

Others, it seems, have a better understanding of what Scripture says about Messiah, but not a good grasp of where Jesus is from. Here, and in verse 42, the people point out that Messiah is supposed to come from Bethlehem. In their minds, Jesus is "from" Nazareth. However, as it turns out, Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:15–17), making Him the fulfillment of that prophecy (Micah 5:2).

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 (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.