A Study of John 7:32-36

“The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?””

John 7:32–36 ESV

Observation/Summary (short explanation of what the passage says in your own words):

As Jesus taught in the Jerusalem temple court, the Pharisees heard the crowd muttering things about Him as they considered whether or not Jesus truly was the Christ; the Messiah the prophets spoke of centuries and even millennia earlier. In response to this the Pharisees sent officers to arrest Jesus. As this took place, Jesus told the crowd He would only be with them for a little while longer, and then He would return to the One who sent Him. Jesus also told them that soon they would look for Him, but they would not be able to find Him because where He was going they could not come. This puzzled the crowd and they asked each other what Jesus could have meant by this. Some asked if perhaps He might have been planning to go and teach the Jewish diaspora among the Greeks, and they also asked each other what He meant by saying, “You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”.

Implication (what does this mean to us):

In this passage, we find Jesus teaching in the court of the temple in Jerusalem during the week-long celebration of the Feast of Booths, also known as “Succoth.” This was a pilgrimage festival in Israel, and as such, Jerusalem would have been full of people who came from the surrounding areas to celebrate. Prior to this, Jesus had spent time ministering in His home region of Galilee and avoiding Jerusalem and the region of Judea, because the religious authorities were seeking to kill Him for healing a man on the Sabbath, and the time to face them had not yet come. But, as the festival began, Jesus went to Jerusalem quietly and without publicity, and halfway through the week-long festival, He went to the temple to teach openly.

As Jesus taught openly, the people from Jerusalem marveled because they knew about the plots of the religious authorities. But whether from Jerusalem or not, all the people marveled at His teaching, and His miracles, which no one could refute or deny. The words and miracles of Jesus stirred up quite a bit of Messianic excitement and speculation. As the people heard Jesus, they asked each other if He was the Christ, the Messiah prophesied of centuries, even millennia earlier. As the people considered all of this, because of Jesus’ teaching and miracles, many believed, but not all.

Now, in verse 32, the Pharisees, who were part of the ruling religious authorities in Jerusalem, heard about these discussions and seeds of belief which had begun to sprout up among the people. From verse 1 of this chapter, we learned these same authorities were seeking to kill Jesus. And from verses 12-13 we also learned the people of Jerusalem were careful about speaking too openly or positively about Jesus, because they knew the Pharisees and other ruling groups did not want Jesus discussed. So, it should come as no surprise to read that while Jesus taught in the temple, and people spoke about Him and some even believed in Him as the Messiah, the “Chief Priests and Pharisees” decided to take action. They sent “officers” to arrest Him.

Now, these officers were not Roman soldiers, but rather, they were the temple guards composed of Jewish men from the tribe of Levi who served in the temple. These temple guards were a kind of police force that the Sanheddrin, the Jewish governing body in Jerusalem, could employ in matters that were of little or no interest to the Romans as long as the Pax Romana (Roman Peace) was upheld. Also, the “Chief Priests” describe the religious leaders who were specifically in charge of the temple. These were almost certainly “Sadducees”. The Pharisees and Sadducees were influential, ruling groups in Israel. Both were part of the Sanhedrin, and they did not get along very well, very often. But here we see them aligned in their will to arrest and silence Jesus as they send officers to Him. This theme of enemies finding a common enemy in Jesus also occurs in Luke 23:12 where King Herod and Pontius Pilate find some rare agreement in their treatment of Jesus.

John the gospel writer almost certainly puts this fact here and then continues to describe what Jesus is doing and saying in the temple to show these things took place simultaneously. So, it is certain that by this time the guards were sent to the temple court to observe Jesus and wait for an opportune time to arrest Him. This all took place in the temple area so they did not have to go far to find Jesus. But they had to be careful not to arrest Him in the middle of the large crowd, because the crowd in Jerusalem at this moment was full of excitement, speculation and fervor over whether or not Jesus really was the Messiah. To put it another way, they had to be careful not to arrest Jesus in a way that would cause a riot or something like one.

With this in mind, we can see that as Jesus continued to address the crowd, He also addressed the officers which He knew were sent for Him. In verses 33-34 Jesus says, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” From one angle, we can understand this as Jesus indirectly telling the temple guards, “Don’t worry, I will be leaving soon enough, but not until the appointed time.” More broadly though, Jesus addressed everyone: common folk, Pharisees, Sadducees, and all who heard. And what Jesus was saying directly is that He would be leaving them very soon, but He was also indirectly saying He would be leaving them by way of the cross on His way back up to the glory from whence He came; the right hand of God the Father in heaven (to the One who sent Him). This statement was not entirely clear to the listening crowd, but as we read this with the full knowledge of what comes next we can understand Jesus was speaking of His death, but also of His resurrection from the dead, and ascension back to heaven. Death was not the end for Jesus, and the same is true for all who trust Him (John 11:25-26; Revelation 21).

There is also a sobering and compassionate warning in Jesus’ statement. The time would soon come when they would look for Him but they would not be able to find Him or go where He was going. In John 8:21 Jesus Himself clarified what He meant here by saying, “…I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” Jesus did not say this to offend anyone. This is a loving warning similar to His conversation with Nicodemus (a Pharisee) in John chapter 3 where Jesus explained that He did not come to condemn the world. The fact is, the world is already condemned. Jesus came to save the world and His salvation is offered freely to all who believe. But we must believe (Romans 10:9-10).

This is what Jesus is lovingly telling these people, without compromising on the truth. If they continued to reject Him and refuse to believe in Him, the day would come when they no longer had the opportunity to repent of their sin, believe in Him, and receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life in His undying kingdom. Jesus selflessly left the perfect splendor of heaven to suffer so that He could offer this to us, but He will not force us to accept Him. He had to first come to us, for God is the First Mover in all things, but He gives us the dignity of choosing whether or not to accept Him because love that is coerced is not love, and He is love (1 John 4:7).

In verses 35-36 we have confirmation that Jesus’ words were misunderstood again, be it willfully or otherwise. Earlier in verse 27, John the gospel writer wrote of how the people incorrectly thought they knew everything about Jesus’ origin, and based on their incorrect understanding, many concluded He could not be the Messiah. They were ignorant of both His heavenly origin, and His earthly origin of being born in Bethlehem, the place where it had been prophesied that the Messiah would be born (Micah 5:2). Because of their prideful certainty in their false understanding, they were unable to be enlightened to the truth of Jesus’ origin. They were not humble and teachable. Now, many are again unable to perceive His meaning about where He is going (“to him who sent me”) because they failed to accept and believe what He already said about His heavenly origin.

So, for this reason they ask, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?”. By the word “dispersion” they referred to the communities of Jews living outside of Israel in the Greek cities of the Roman empire. But they also spoke of the Greeks who believed in and worshiped Yahweh (Jesus is Yahweh incarnate), the God of the Bible, and the pagan Greeks. Or more broadly speaking, we can say the Gentile world. Gentile describes all non-Jewish people.

There is also more of the classic Johannine irony in this statement that John records. Firstly, in about 6 months time, in John 12:20, a group of Greeks would come looking for Jesus, because evidently word of Him had started traveling outside of Israel. This makes sense, because during these pilgrimage festivals, Jews who were living outside of Jerusalem and Israel itself traveled back to Jerusalem to celebrate. So, news of Jesus would have gone back with them after the end of the Feast of Booths celebration that takes place in this chapter. And that future instance in John 12:20 is the exact moment when Jesus will declare that finally, His hour had come (compare with John 2:4 and 7:6, 30).

Secondly, there is much irony seen in the fact that John wrote this letter to both Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles/Greeks around the year 85 AD. So, while Jesus came first to the people of Israel, it was His plan from eternity past that after He returned to heaven, His Spirit would come upon His followers, and they would go out into all the world to proclaim the good news of His Kingdom which all are granted access to by grace through faith in Him (Ephesian 2:8-10). F.F. Bruce put it well when, in reference to this passage, he said, “Little did the speakers know that, while Jesus was not to go in person among the Greeks, his followers would be numbered in the tens of thousands in the Greek lands in a few years’ time.”

Finally for this passage, the people repeated Jesus’ statement as a question, “What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”. Yet again, the people marveled or wondered at Jesus. They could not make sense of what He said, and His words disturbed them. Firstly, Jesus would not yet be arrested at this time, because the hour of His arrest and eventual crucifixion had not yet come. But even more than that, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, He would soon ascend back to heaven. Their chance to believe and accept Him was at hand, but those who continued to willfully reject Him would be finally cut off from Him forever.

This is the situation we all find ourselves in. Jesus, Yahweh incarnate, the Creator and Sustainer of all things has lovingly come to us when there was no way we could get to Him. He did this because He loves us and wants us to be a part of His family and kingdom. We have been separated and cut off from His presence because of our sin, but our righteous Judge has paid our penalty Himself, and now access into His family is freely offered to all who confess and believe in Him as their only Lord God and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). We only have the opportunity to respond to Him because He has come to us and laid down His own life, but now that He has come we are faced with a choice. Do we choose to accept His free gift of salvation and offer of living with Him in His glorious kingdom where there is no suffering or pain, and only love, joy and pleasure forever? Or, do we choose to reject Him, remain slaves of sin and death, and spend eternity in the dark wondering what He meant by, “Where I am you cannot come.”?

The Light has come to us. His name is Jesus the Christ. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (John 3:16-18).

Response (How does this change how I think, act and pray?):

This passage should cause us to think about where Jesus came from, and where He returned to. He came from heaven to make a way for us to be with Him where He is in fullness of joy forever. But we must repent of our sin and believe in Him to be born again to new life in His family and kingdom. He offers this gift freely to all but He does not force it on us. He is the source of all life and joy, but if we choose to remain cut off from Him and not to accept His taking of the penalty for sin on our behalf then we will die in our sin. The proof that He does not want this for us is clearly seen in His mangled body nailed to a cross and buried in a tomb. And the proof that He is able to save us from sin and eternal death and anguish is seen in His glorious resurrection from the dead and ascension back to the place from whence He came: Heaven.

So, where is Jesus going? Where has He gone? To heaven. And he is coming back one day to bring heaven to earth. No matter what we have done or who we are, everyone is welcome in this magnificent, eternal kingdom. But the only way to gain access is by faith in Jesus Christ; our God and Savior who died and rose again to save us.

Self Reflection:

1. Where did Jesus come from and where did He return to after His resurrection? How can I get there? (John 14:5-6)

2. What does Jesus’ willingness to leave the perfect splendor of heaven to live and die down here in the dirt tell me about His character?

3. Having believed in Jesus, and knowing that my homeland is now in heaven, where has Jesus sent me in the meantime before the day comes for me to go home? (Matthew 18:16-20)

Definitions of the original language in the context of this passage (Source: Logos Exegetical Guide and Blue Letter Bible Interlinear):

-Pharisees: “Φαρισαῖοι”, “Pharisaioi”; noun, nominative, plural, masculine | proper name – A sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile. In addition to OT books the Pharisees recognised in oral tradition a standard of belief and life. They sought for distinction and praise by outward observance of external rites and by outward forms of piety, and such as ceremonial washings, fastings, prayers, and alms giving; and, comparatively negligent of genuine piety, they prided themselves on their fancied good works. They held strenuously to a belief in the existence of good and evil angels, and to the expectation of a Messiah; and they cherished the hope that the dead, after a preliminary experience either of reward or of penalty in Hades, would be recalled to life by him, and be requited each according to his individual deeds. In opposition to the usurped dominion of the Herods and the rule of the Romans, they stoutly upheld the theocracy and their country’s cause, and possessed great influence with the common people. According to Josephus they numbered more than 6000. They were bitter enemies of Jesus and his cause; and were in turn severely rebuked by him for their avarice, ambition, hollow reliance on outward works, and affection of piety in order to gain popularity.

-Muttering: “γογγύζοντος”, “gongyzontos”; verb, present, active, participle, singular, genitive, masculine | participle – rumble, murmur, speak in a low tone.

-Chief Priests: “ἀρχιερεῖς”, “archiereis”; noun, nominative, plural, masculine | subject – high priest; the high priests, these comprise in addition to one holding the high priestly office, both those who had previously discharged it and although disposed, continued to have great power in the State, as well as the members of the families from which high priest were created, provided that they had much influence in public affairs.

-Officers: “ὑπηρέτας”, “hypēretas”; noun, accusative, plural, masculine | direct object – anyone who serves with his hands; a servant; in the N. T. of the officers and attendants of magistrates as — of the officer who executes penalties; of the servants or officers of the Sanhedrin.

-Arrest: “πιάσωσιν”, “piasōsin”; verb, aorist, active, subjunctive, third person, plural | finite verb – seize, capture, take into custody.

-Jesus: ““Ἰησοῦς”, “Iēsous”; noun, nominative, singular, masculine | proper name – Jesus = Yeshua = “Yahweh is salvation”; Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of mankind, God incarnate.

-You Will Seek: “ζητήσετέ”, “zētēsete”; verb, future, active, indicative, second person, plural | finite verb – look for, desire.

-Find: “εὑρήσετε”, “heurēsete”; verb, future, active, indicative, second person, plural | finite verb – after searching, to find a thing sought.

-Dispersion: “διασπορὰν”, “diasporan”; noun, accusative, singular, feminine | prepositional object – a scattering, dispersion; used of the Israelites dispersed among foreign nations.
-Greeks: “Ἕλληνας”, “Hellēnas”; noun, accusative, plural, masculine | proper name – in a wider sense the name embraces all nations not Jews that made the language, customs, and learning of the Greeks their own; so that where Ἕλληνες are opposed to Jews, the primary reference is to a difference of religion and worship.