One thing I’ve noticed in my lifetime is that crowds rarely act logically, and more often than not when a crowd forms around a single idea, usually there are folks in the crowd guiding, perhaps even controlling, what the crowd says and does. Notice that it was the Jewish authorities who wondered, audibly enough to be heard, how Jesus was so educated, since he never enrolled in any of the rabbinic schools (John 7:15). Then Jesus responded to them, vis-à-vis to the Jewish authorities who had just questioned the source of his knowledge, and he said he was taught of God, not man (John 7:16), and, if they wished proof of this, all anyone needed to do was to walk in his (Jesus’) doctrine. Anyone who did so would know, if what Jesus’ taught was actually from God (John 7:17). Whoever teaches his own opinion on a matter seeks his own glory, but he who teaches what another sent him to teach, that one seeks to spread, not his glory, but the glory of the one who sent him (John 7:18).
At this point, Jesus questioned the source of their knowledge, vis-à-vis that of the Jewish authorities. First, Jesus asked, didn’t Moses give them the Law, which was a rhetorical question, not a real inquiry, because everyone in the crowd would agree that Moses gave them the Law. Secondly, Jesus accused them, vis-à-vis the Jewish authorities, of not keeping the Law, which was a bold and slanderous accusation, if the accuser is unable to prove his statement. To support his statement, Jesus asked why they, the Jewish authorities, were going about seeking to kill him (John 7:19).
Now many in the crowd knew this was true, as indicated in verse-25, but notice who responded to Jesus’ accusation. It was someone from among the people, not the Jewish authorities. If this line of questioning would continue, their sin would be discovered, for Moses forbade anyone to conspire to kill a man, meaning to conspire in secret to trap him (Leviticus 19:14; Deuteronomy 27:18). So, who among the people began to accuse Jesus of demonic behavior (John 7:20)? If the accusation came from the common folk, why would one of the people speak out, and how would he know, since, if Jesus’ accusation is true, it was the authorities who were guilty of wrongdoing? I believe that just as would be the case later (cp. Matthew 27:20), the Jewish authorities moved the crowd to accuse Jesus of having a demon and saying no one sought his life.
Therefore, Jesus changed the direct thrust of his argument by recalling the work he had done a year ago (John 7:21), which caused everyone who heard of it to be astonished. He had made an impotent man whole, who was paralyzed for 38 years (John 5:8-9). The miracle alludes to the time the Jewish authorities began seeking his life (John 5:16, 18), but instead of deliberately pointing to it, Jesus recalled something to his listeners’ attention, which none of them could deny.
He pointed to the fact that Moses gave them circumcision in the Law (John 7:22).[1] Yet, they break the Law in order to uphold the law of circumcision. Even when the eighth day of a child’s life falls on a Sabbath, the priests will break the Sabbath law in order not to break the law of circumcision, which must be performed on the eighth day after a male child’s birth. Therefore, if they do this and are blameless according to the Law, why are they angry[2] with him because he performed a miracle on the Sabbath and made a man whole (John 7:23)? It simply doesn’t make sense! If God were not with Jesus, approving of what he said and did, how did Jesus do a work that only God could do? Therefore, rather than accuse him of wrongdoing, according to the letter of the Law, which technically they also broke by circumcising a male child on the Sabbath, Jesus told them to consider what was done and judge the righteousness of it (John 7:24).
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[1] The practice, however, originated with Abraham.
[2] Note the change from kill in verse-19 to angry in verse-23 (cp. Proverbs 26:4-5). Also, recall Jesus own words to his disciples about being angry without cause (Matthew 5:21-22; cp. John 15:22-25).
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