John 7:24-36

Is this Jesus the Christ? -- John 7:24-36: The people wanted to kill Jesus but they said nothing when face to face with Him. He spoke openly and boldly and no one did anything to stop Him. If they could have proved that He was not the Christ they would have stopped him by taking His life. If they thought Jesus was false why did they not silence His teaching? Jesus was rejected as Messiah because He was from Nazareth. They knew the Messiah would come from the city of David, Bethlehem. "Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? So there was a division among the people because of him." (John 7:40-43) The people really did not know where He was from. He had come from the Father. Jesus' miracles had convinced many people that He was the Messiah. (John 7:31) The Pharisees sent officers to capture Jesus and return Him to them. Jesus predicted that He would soon go away from them to a place where they could not follow. He would return to the one who had sent Him.