Jesus – the Only Man who spoke like no other
John 7:45–52 (NKJV)
The Sanhedrin is Confused Over Christ
45 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?”
46 The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”
47 Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”
50 Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”
52 They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”
Message
I. Jesus who spoke like no other (45-46)
See v45.
45 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?”
The officers were sent to take Him in John 7:32. To them Jesus said John 7:33-34. That is, Jesus should be with them a little while longer, and be with Him who sent Jesus. Jesus would not be found or reached by them. This might give them less reason to take Him. What did the officers answer to the chief priests and Pharisees? See v46.
46 The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”
What speech of Him are they referring to? After the officers were sent to take Jesus (John 7:32), Jesus said John 7:33-34 and John 7:37-38.
Based on John 7:33-34, Jesus is distinguished from other prophets. Jesus was from heaven sent by the Father and going back to the Father in heaven. Jesus is the heavenly man (John 3:13, 31-32). Jesus is ‘the Word’ that existed before the creation (John 1:1-3, 14). He is before and greater than any and all great human beings (John 1:15, 27, 30). He was conceived in the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit without a human male. He was fully human and fully God on the earth. He was ‘the Seed of Woman’, who was to destroy the seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). In comparison, other prophets were earthly men.
Based on John 7:37-38, rivers of living water will flow out of his heart if he believes in Jesus. The Scripture has said ‘God is the fountain of living water’ (Jeremiah 2:13, 17:13). ‘springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land’ (Isaiah 35:7b NLT). This claim makes Jesus distinguished from all other prophets. He promised powerful change in the hearts of His believers.
II. The Pharisees who boasted of knowing the law but were law-breakers (47-52)
See v47-49.
47 Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”
The Pharisees questioned the officers whether they also were deceived. To support their statement (‘deceived’), they mentioned that
- The rulers and Pharisees (who knew the law) did not believe Him.
- This crowd that does not know the law is accursed (or deceived).
See v50-51.
50 Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”
The Pharisees prided themselves for knowing the law, but they were law-breakers (51, John 7:19). Nicodemus came up with the timely advice (51, Proverbs 25:11). They condemned the innocent man (Jesus) without a hearing. It’s unlawful.
See v52.
52 They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”
John 7:41-42 wrote about a similar issue. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea (the southern part of Israel) but He was moved to Egypt and then to Nazareth in Galilee (the northern part of Israel) when He was young due to the threat of Herod (Matthew 2:13-23). But they didn’t know this. They were judging according to appearance without righteous judgment (John 7:24). We can see their pride, arrogance, bias, and prejudice.
