The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
During the feast at Jerusalem when spies watched Him and the priests and rulers sought to silence Him by violence, Jesus asked why they sought to kill Him and was met with denial that anyone sought His life. The denial came from the crowd, many of whom failed to recognize the rulers' murderous intent, while the rulers themselves also denied their purpose to evade His exposure. The denial concealed the plan to take His life and sought to turn the people away from His exposure of their wrongdoing. By saying He had a demon they scornfully dismissed Him as possessed and rejected His words and works as prompted by an evil spirit, even as He endured this hostility for humanity's sake that they might not perish.
Feast Setting and Speakers
Jesus appeared at Jerusalem during the feast with spies watching Him, while the priests and rulers repeatedly sought to silence Him by violence and to humble Him before the people. The answer belongs to John 7:19-23, coming just after He asked why they sought to kill Him. It came from people who did not keep the law themselves while they judged those moved by the Holy Spirit to declare God's word.
The people or crowd answered Him by denying that anyone was trying or plotting to kill Him. Many of them failed to recognize the rulers' murderous intent when they made that denial. Their denial answered His exposure of a murderous purpose yet concealed the designs against Him.
Those who held the other teaching held that the rulers themselves gave the denial, publicly claiming they did not intend to kill Him and asking who was trying to kill Him. In that account their public question evaded His exposure of their purpose to take His life.
Denial and Demon Charge
The denial in John 7:20 concealed the plan to take His life, hiding murderous designs and plans instead of answering His warning about seeking to kill Him. It denied that anyone sought or intended to kill Him and denied that anyone was plotting to kill Him. The denial was an evasion of His exposure of murderous purpose and wrongdoing. It tried to turn the people away and divert their attention from His exposure of their intent and purpose to take His life.
The charge that He had a devil or demon meant He was possessed. It insinuated that an evil spirit prompted His works and suggested His works came from an evil spirit. It dismissed His words as coming from an evil spirit. The accusation was scornful dismissal expressing rejection of Him and His work. It was made even as He faced hostility and threats against His life.
He endured this persecution and false accusation for humanity's sake, so that people might not perish. The same kind of accusation that He had a devil was later made against Luther.
During the feast at Jerusalem when spies watched Him and the priests and rulers sought to silence Him by violence, Jesus asked why they sought to kill Him and was met with denial that anyone sought His life. The denial came from the crowd, many of whom failed to recognize the rulers' murderous intent, while the rulers themselves also denied their purpose to evade His exposure. The denial concealed the plan to take His life and sought to turn the people away from His exposure of their wrongdoing. By saying He had a demon they scornfully dismissed Him as possessed and rejected His words and works as prompted by an evil spirit, even as He endured this hostility for humanity's sake that they might not perish.
Feast Setting and Speakers
Jesus appeared at Jerusalem during the feast with spies watching Him, while the priests and rulers repeatedly sought to silence Him by violence and to humble Him before the people. The answer belongs to John 7:19-23, coming just after He asked why they sought to kill Him. It came from people who did not keep the law themselves while they judged those moved by the Holy Spirit to declare God's word.
The people or crowd answered Him by denying that anyone was trying or plotting to kill Him. Many of them failed to recognize the rulers' murderous intent when they made that denial. Their denial answered His exposure of a murderous purpose yet concealed the designs against Him.
Those who held the other teaching held that the rulers themselves gave the denial, publicly claiming they did not intend to kill Him and asking who was trying to kill Him. In that account their public question evaded His exposure of their purpose to take His life.
Denial and Demon Charge
The denial in John 7:20 concealed the plan to take His life, hiding murderous designs and plans instead of answering His warning about seeking to kill Him. It denied that anyone sought or intended to kill Him and denied that anyone was plotting to kill Him. The denial was an evasion of His exposure of murderous purpose and wrongdoing. It tried to turn the people away and divert their attention from His exposure of their intent and purpose to take His life.
The charge that He had a devil or demon meant He was possessed. It insinuated that an evil spirit prompted His works and suggested His works came from an evil spirit. It dismissed His words as coming from an evil spirit. The accusation was scornful dismissal expressing rejection of Him and His work. It was made even as He faced hostility and threats against His life.
He endured this persecution and false accusation for humanity's sake, so that people might not perish. The same kind of accusation that He had a devil was later made against Luther.