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Galilee and therefore could not be the Messiah. They quoted Micah 5: 2 which gave the
truth, but they were ignorant of the fact that Christ was born in Bethlehem. The
confusion here is with the Jews, not the author of the Gospel as some have erroneously
maintained.
No.14.
7: 45 - 8: 24.
pp. 167 - 172
"Finally the Temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked
them, `Why didn't you bring Him in?'. `No-one ever spoke the way this man does', the
guards declared. `You mean He has deceived you also?' the Pharisees retorted. `Has any
of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in Him? No! But this mob that knows nothing
of the law--there is a curse on them'." (John 7: 45-48, N.I.V.).
The leaders were evidently waiting for the police to return with Christ as a prisoner.
Now even the police had fallen under His spell! Police officers are not usually carried
away by public speech, but these had been gripped by the power of the Lord's words.
They asserted that no human being ever spoke as He did, with such authority
(Matt.vii.29).
The Pharisees were outraged, and they sneered at the police by accusing them of being
deceived. "Have any of the Pharisees believed in Him?" they said, and in the Greek the
question expects the answer "No". Surely if He was genuine, some of the leaders would
have accepted Him!
The common people, ignorant of the law, might believe His claims, but that was to be
expected. Their argument was quite unsound, because as the next verses tells us, one of
the rulers evidently was impressed by Him.
"Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number,
asked, `Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he is
doing?'. They replied, `Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a
prophet does not come out of Galilee'." (7: 50-52).
Nicodemus was last mentioned in chapter 3:, when he came to the Lord by night.
Now he boldly protests against the injustice of condemning Christ unheard. He was a
ruler of the Jews and as a teacher he knew the law and could quote it authoritatively. The
leaders had no legal answer. They had a contempt for the Galileans and their statement
that no prophet ever came from Galilee was certainly wrong, for Jonah, Hosea, Nahum,
Elijah, Elisha and Amos could be traced from Galilee. In their rage the Pharisees were
regardless of the true facts.