Gospel of John 09.vp

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The Gospe l of John

II. Can This Jesus Be the Christ?, John 7.25-36

A. The crowd’s deep ambivalence about Jesus as the Messiah, John 7.25-31

1. The crowd’s identity: some of the people of Jerusalem , 7.25

2. The people react to the ongoing controversies about Jesus and his identity.

a. Is not this the man they (i.e. the Jewish authorities) seek to kill?, 7.25.

b. Here he is speaking openly, and they say nothing to him, 7.26.

c. Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?, 7.26b.

d. But we know where this man comes from (i.e., Jesus of Nazareth), yet when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from, 7.27. (1) Jer. 30.21 – Their prince shall be one of them selves; their ruler shall come out from their midst; I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me, for who would dare of himself to approach me? declares the Lord. (2) Mic. 5.2 – But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.