Confusion & Division Concerning Messianic Teaching, John 7:40-51

John 7:40-51 NASB  Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, "This certainly is the Prophet."  (41)  Others were saying, "This is the Christ." Still others were saying, "Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?  (42)  "Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"  (43)  So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him.  (44)  Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.  (45)  The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring Him?"  (46)  The officers answered, "Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks."  (47)  The Pharisees then answered them, "You have not also been led astray, have you?  (48)  "No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he?  (49)  "But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed."  (50)  Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) *said to them,  (51)  "Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?"

Dr. Kelly Nelson Birks
Messiah Reformed Church, Omaha, NE
www.drkellynelsonbirks.com