Could This Be the Christ?
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What Does John 7:25 Mean?
John 7:25-27
This is a clear example of a "private interpretation" (II Peter 1:19-21). Nowhere in the Old Testament does it say that no one would know where the Messiah was from. In fact, it says just the opposite! Matthew shows that Micah 5:2 names Bethlehem in Judah as the town in which He would be born, and that Isaiah 9:1-2 identifies Galilee as where He would launch His ministry.
Where did the Jews get such an outrageous, unbiblical idea? It was someone's private opinion that over time had become tradition, an accepted "fact." It became a proverb that is just as true as, "If you touch a toad, you'll get warts."
Is it any wonder that the people argued about Him so much? Earlier in John 7, we see some of this:
And there was much murmuring among the people concerning Him. Some said, "He is good"; others said, "No, on the contrary, He deceives the people." (verse 12)
They had no idea what to expect because they were burdened by their traditional yet wrong understanding about the Messiah.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
No Private Interpretation
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The people of Jerusalem were confused about the Messiah because they clung to traditions rooted in private interpretation rather than Scripture. The false belief that no one would know where the Messiah came from contradicts the Old Testament itself. Matthew shows that Micah 5:2 names Bethlehem in Judah as His birthplace, and Isaiah 9:1-2 identifies Galilee as where He would begin His ministry. This unbiblical idea originated as someone's private opinion, hardened over time into accepted tradition. Such wrong understanding fueled the constant arguing about Him, as seen earlier in John 7:12, where some called Him good while others claimed He deceived the people. Burdened by mistaken traditions, they had no idea what to expect concerning Him.