A Study of John 7:45-52

“The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.””

John 7:45–52 ESV

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

The officers sent by the Chief Priests and Pharisees to arrest Jesus, returned to them empty handed. When these officers were asked why they did not apprehend Jesus, they simply responded, “No one ever spoke like this man!”. The Pharisees then responded by asking if they had been deceived too, and also asked who among the authorities had believed in Him. Then they said the crowd that does not know the law is cursed. After this outburst, Nicodemus, a member of the Pharisees who had previously sought out Jesus to speak to Him, asked if it was in accordance with their legal system to judge and condemn someone without first giving them a fair trial. In response to this, the other Pharisees insulted Nicodemus and erroneously told him to go and see for himself that no Old Testament Scripture says any prophet comes from Galilee.

Implication (what does this mean to us):

These last verses of John chapter 7 record the anger and vitriol of the Chief Priests and Pharisees; the religious leaders of Israel in Jerusalem. In chapter 7, John writes of Jesus quietly going to Jerusalem, without publicity, for the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles (aka Succoth). Although Jesus knew the religious leaders were looking for Him to kill Him, He traveled to Jerusalem from Galilee where He had been ministering for a time, and made His way into the city without drawing attention to Himself. At this time Jerusalem would have been packed full of Jewish people who had come from out of town to celebrate the festival. During this festival the people remembered and gave thanks to Yahweh, the one true God, for how He miraculously provided their ancestors with water during the wilderness journey of Exodus, while also giving thanks for how He provided them with rain for their crops.

In addition to this though, they also looked ahead to the future with hopeful Messianic expectation, as they longed for the fulfilment of prophecies such as those found in Zechariah 13:1, 14:8 or Isaiah 44:3, 55:1, which promise waters would flow from Jerusalem into the whole earth and provide ultimate, lasting physical and spiritual sustenance and satisfaction. It was in the midst of all this that Jesus stood up to teach in the middle of the crowd in the Jerusalem temple court, first during the middle of the week, and again on the last day of the feast at the end of the week. After many people heard and marveled at Him during His mid-week teaching, the Pharisees and Chief Priests sent temple guards to arrest Him, but they were unable to. On the last day of the Feast, Jesus stood up and told everyone who thirsts for ultimate and lasting satisfaction to come to Him and drink. And He also said, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:38).

This statement, along with Jesus’ other teachings and many miracles, caused intense differences of opinion among the crowds in Jerusalem. Some said Jesus is a prophet, others said He is the Messiah, but many others said He is a dangerous and deceptive man who was leading people astray. From this we see the message of Jesus has caused division from the very beginning. Nevertheless, in spite of the controversy, there were people who believed in Him. Now, as we look at the last verses of John 7, we see that the officers sent to arrest Jesus were unable to do so, and even they had a hard time explaining why. The ultimate reason for this is because the time appointed by God the Father for Jesus to be arrested had not yet come. No one could lay a hand on Jesus until the time of His choosing.

In verse 45 of this passage we read of the return of the officers sent by the Chief Priests and Pharisees to arrest Jesus back in verse 32. The Pharisees and the Chief Priests were the ruling religious leaders in Jerusalem, and they made up a ruling counsel called the “Sanhedrin.” While they were subject to Roman authority, they had a lot of power in Israel, particularly in Jerusalem and in the surrounding region of Judea. However, while they had sent officers from among the temple guards to find some reason to arrest Jesus, the officers returned empty-handed, much to the chagrin of their leaders who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?”. To which the officers responded, “No one ever spoke like this man!”.

Essentially, these officers were given an official arrest warrant, but even though they located their target in the middle of the temple court, they failed to arrest Him. While it seems they were somewhat disarmed by Jesus’ words, it is also likely the “strong division” over Jesus among the crowd in the temple court had something to do with it (verse 44). While some in the crowd wanted to arrest Jesus, others proclaimed Him to be either the Messiah, or at least a prophet sent from God; therefore it probably would have been dangerous for these guards to even attempt an arrest as absolute pandemonium may have erupted in the crowd.

Importantly though, we should not lose sight of the fact that the reason the officers gave was the way Jesus spoke; not the ire of the mob. They pointed to Jesus’ words as the primary reason why they did not arrest Him; and as the words of Jesus had stirred up the crowd, this seems appropriate and honest. Jesus’ words had caused division and differences of opinion about Him to arise in the crowded temple court, and Jesus’ words had a profound effect on the officers as well. The officers were part of the temple guard, which means they were of the tribe of Levi. They were not Chief Priests or Pharisees, but they served in the temple and worshipped Yahweh. So, it should come as no surprise to see them so affected by Yahweh incarnate, Jesus Christ the Lord.

Now, this was not an expression of faith in Jesus, but John’s account of their words shows them speaking better of Jesus than their betters, even in their ignorance. The way they say no one spoke like this “man,” indicates they are claiming Jesus to be more than a mere man. The word “man” is used emphatically in the original Greek rendering of this text, and anyone who has read this far in John’s gospel will be aware that Jesus is more than a mere man. He is fully human, but He is also fully God. He is Yahweh incarnate, the Word who became flesh (John 1:14), and every word He spoke is perfectly wise and full of grace and truth. For this reason they, by the unexplainable power of God Himself, were not able to arrest Jesus, God in the flesh, before the time He would allow them to do so.

In verses 47-48 the Pharisees responded to the officers by first saying, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?”. This response from the Chief Priests and Pharisees mocks the guards for their failure to arrest Jesus on the grounds that they should know better as Levites, not on the grounds that they should be better police officers. The tribe of Levi was the tribe of the priests in Israel. Some from the tribe would serve as priests, but most others took turns serving in the temple in other ways, be it as guards, or in any other number of roles that were needed to maintain the temple and perform the many religious rituals required under the Levitical law. The charge lobbed at these officers by their leaders is that they have been deceived by Jesus, but they should have known better because their own authority figures had not been deceived like they had.

After belittling the officers, the Pharisees then vented their anger with the crowd in verse 49 saying, “But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” The crowd seems to be the main reason why they could not arrest Jesus. If there had been a consensus among the crowd of people in the temple that agreed with the Pharisees and Chief Priests, they could have arrested Jesus more easily. However, as we saw, there was a strong division over whether or not Jesus is the Messiah. So, they could not have arrested Jesus in the open without risking a riot. This is likely why when they eventually do arrest Jesus, they do so secretly at night (John 18).

The disdain the ruling religious authorities had for the common people here was a view commonly held amongst the learned rabbis of the day. The words of verse 49 could also be translated as, “This “mob” that knows nothing of the law…”. The rabbis of this day condescendingly called the common people, “people of the land” (Hebrew: ‘am hā’āreṣ). There was a time when this phrase simply referred to all of Israel (Ezekiel 22:29), but over the centuries the meaning changed to denote a class distinction between the common folk and the ruling class.

This phrase eventually developed among the rabbis to more specifically refer to people who did not know the law of God; in other words, people who did not know the OT Scriptures, and therefore could not possibly obey them. There were even later rabbis who placed such people on par with livestock; so it was truly an insulting, dehumanizing term. For this reason, as the authorities voiced their frustrations with the failure of the temple guards, they insulted them and lumped them in with the crowd they viewed as ignorant common people deserving of God’s curse for their crime of not seeing things the way they did.

Next, Nicodemus reappears. Nicodemus was a member of the Pharisees and was also a well known and influential teacher. In John chapter 3 he went to Jesus at night to speak with Him and find out more about Him. Now, Nicodemus does not offer direct support for Jesus, but he does raise a point of judicial procedure that would work in Jesus’ favor if listened to. Specifically, as the rulers seem to have already condemned Jesus, Nicodemus asks, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”. Instead of openly opposing his colleagues, Nicodemus gently cautioned them against rushing to conclusions and called them to wait and give Jesus a fair hearing. 

However, lastly for this chapter, even the respected teacher Nicodemus is insulted for not buying into the irrational hatred of the other leaders. They responded to his reasonable statement by saying, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” The utter contempt of the Pharisees and Chief Priests for the common person is seen in their contemptuous reply to Nicodemus. They could not argue with his rational point, so they essentially said to him, “The only reason you could possibly voice a word in defense of this rural, backwoods Galilean must be that you come from the same lowly class as Him.” This group of religious leaders were very elitist and they despised anyone who was not from their lofty level of the socio-economic and intellectual ladder. They were upper class snobs who thought everyone who did not come from the city and attend the same educational institutions as them must be inferior.

In their anger though they were unable to think clearly. They told Nicodemus to “search and see” that no prophet comes from Galilee. By this they referred to searching the Old Testament Scriptures, but prophets had arisen from the region of Galilee according to the OT Scriptures. The prophets Jonah, Elijah, and Nahum came from Galilee, and others may have as well. There is also a possibility that they were referring to “the Prophet” Moses spoke of in Deuteronomy 18:15; the same Messianic figure the crowds spoke of earlier in this chapter. If this is the case, the OT does not specifically say where the Prophet will be born, but does say the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). We know now that the Prophet and Messiah are the same person; Jesus the Christ. Also, importantly, Jesus was born in Bethlehem and He moved to Nazareth in Galilee with His family when he was young.

So, because of their irrational hatred, the Pharisees and Chief Priests are wrong either way you look at it. If they meant no prophet had ever arisen from Galilee or other parts of Northern Israel, they were wrong. If they meant Jesus could not be the Messianic Prophet because He was born in Galilee, they were also wrong. Jesus was born in Bethlehem and He was raised in Galilee. And in this I think we see yet more Johannine irony. They said the crowd who does not know the Law is accursed but then they based their wrong conclusion about Jesus on the same false information (vs. 41); Jesus was not born in Galilee.

The combination of their hatred and ignorance, which was deeply rooted in prideful self-exaltation, made it impossible for them to rightly see the truth. They were not even willing to question Jesus when such questioning would have cleared all this up. While there are notable exceptions like Nicodemus, almost all we ever see from the main body of the Pharisees and other members of the Sanhedrin are false accusations and malicious questions that are not asked in a sincere attempt to determine what is true, but rather, are venomous darts thrown at Jesus to try to trip Him up in some way.

We who follow Jesus today should not be surprised to encounter similar reactions as we continue to share His powerful, life giving words. As we encounter these kinds of reactions though, we must also follow Jesus’ example and commands to bless those who curse us (Matt. 5:44) and speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15), as we remember Jesus came to us full of grace and truth. He never compromised on either truthfulness or graciousness because truth without grace is mean, but grace without truth is meaningless.

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

This passage should cause us to consider the fact that Jesus is unique and “No one ever spoke like this man!”. And even though Jesus spoke the truth with perfect love and grace, His words still caused strong division among people as some believed but many rejected Him. As we who follow Jesus seek to obey His commands to share the gospel today, we should expect similar reactions that can range anywhere from mockery to violence.

Jesus is the King of another kingdom; the Kingdom of Heaven, and the kingdom of this world reacts to His selfless, loving assault with scoffing, hatred and violence. But we must not respond in kind. By the power of Christ’s Spirit in us we must faithfully declare the good news of Jesus in word and deed, always being prepared to respond to vitriol with grace; the same abundant grace our Lord Jesus has shown to us. Crucially, it is only possible to respond this way by the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us. We have not been left alone to follow Jesus in this world. Our God is with us, and after our short life down here, He will take us with Him to glory where there is no crying, suffering or death, but only life, love and joy for evermore.

There is no one like Jesus.

Self Reflection:

1. Am I increasingly in awe of Jesus’ words, even more than the temple guards were? Or have I let His Word become common to me?

2. Have I encountered mocking or hatred when sharing the gospel of Jesus with others? How have I responded to this in the past?

3. What does Jesus’ gracious, gentle and bold persistence in speaking the truth and doing the Father’s will, knowing it would lead to His death, tell me about His selfless love for me and others? Am I willing to be maligned or worse for His sake? (Yet not I but through Christ in me; Galatians 2:20)

4. Do I trust Him that His grace is sufficient for me, and will see me through every trial? (2 Corinthians 12:8-10) (I believe Lord, but please help my unbelief; Mark 9:24)

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

-Officers: “ὑπηρέται”, “hypēretai”; noun, nominative, plural, masculine | subject – 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.

-Chief Priests: “ἀρχιερεῖς”, “archiereis”; noun, accusative, plural, masculine | prepositional object – chief priest, 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.

-Pharisees: “Φαρισαίους”, “Pharisaious”; noun, accusative, 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.

-Spoke: “ἐλάλησεν”, “elalēsen”; verb, aorist, active, indicative, third person, singular | finite verb – to use words in order to declare one’s mind and disclose one’s thoughts; to speak something as respects a person concerning a thing; frequently used in the N. T. of teachers, — of Jesus, the apostles, and others.

-Have [you also] Been Deceived: “πεπλάνησθε”, “peplanēsthe”; verb, perfect, passive, indicative, second person, plural | finite verb – metaphorically, to lead away from the truth, to lead into error, to deceive; to be led astray or into error.

-Authorities: “ἀρχόντων”, “archontōn”; noun, genitive, plural, masculine | prepositional object – ruler, leader, official.

-Have Believed: “ἐπίστευσεν”, “episteusen”; verb, aorist, active, indicative, third person, singular | finite verb – believe; used especially of the faith by which a person embraces Jesus, i. e. a conviction, full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah — the divinely appointed author of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God, conjoined with obedience to Christ.

-Crowd: “ὄχλος”, “ochlos”; noun, nominative, singular, masculine | subject – crowd, throng, rabble; the multitude, i. e. the common people, as opposed to the rulers and leading men; meant with contempt in John 7:49 so as to mean: “the ignorant multitude, the populace.”

-Law: “νόμον”, “nomon”; noun, accusative, singular, masculine | direct object of the dependent clause – the entire collection of the sacred books of the O. T.

-Accursed: “ἐπάρατοί”, “eparatoi”; adjective, nominative, plural, masculine | predicate adjective – in biblical and ecclesiastical use: accursed, execrable, exposed to divine vengeance, lying under God’s curse.

-Nicodemus: “Νικόδημος”, “Nikodēmos”; noun, nominative, singular, masculine | proper name – Nicodemus = “conqueror”; a member of the Sanhedrin who took the part of Jesus.

-Galilee: “Γαλιλαίας”, “Galilaias”; noun, genitive, singular, feminine | proper name – Galilee = “circle” or “circuit.” the name of a region of northern Palestine, bounded on the north by Syria, on the west by Sidon, Tyre, Ptolemais and their territories and the promontory of Carmel, on the south by Samaria and on the east by the Jordan. It was divided into Upper Galilee and Lower Galilee.
-Prophet: “προφήτης”, “prophētēs”; noun, nominative, singular, masculine | subject – universally, a man filled with the Spirit of God, who by God’s authority and command in words of weight pleads the cause of God and urges the salvation of men.