John 7:40-44·~1 min
Division over Jesus
Hearing Jesus, some say he is truly the Prophet, while others say he is the Christ. Still others object that the Christ should come from David and Bethlehem, not Galilee. The crowd divides over him, and some want to seize him, though no one lays a hand on him.
O40n hearing these words, some of the people said, “This is truly the Prophet.” 41Others declared, “This is the Christ.” 42But still others asked, “How can the Christ come from Galilee? Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived? ” 43So there was division in the crowd because of Jesus. 44Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him.
Section summaryJesus' words split the crowd. Some identify him as the Prophet, some as the Christ, and others object because they expect the Christ to come from David's line and Bethlehem. The crowd divides, and the attempt to seize him fails again.
Role in the chapterThis section shows how the same words produce both confession and refusal.