What is the meaning of John 7:49? But this crowd • The words come from Pharisees frustrated that the temple officers failed to arrest Jesus (John 7:45-48). • “Crowd” points to the ordinary people who had been listening to Jesus gladly (John 7:31; Mark 12:37). • The religious elites draw a sharp line between themselves and those they deem spiritually inferior, echoing earlier disdain for “tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 15:1-2). • Scripture repeatedly shows God’s concern for the common people, even when leaders dismiss them (Ezekiel 34:1-6; Matthew 9:36). That does not know the law • The accusation is ignorance of Moses’ Law (John 7:19). Pharisees prided themselves on detailed knowledge (Philippians 3:5-6). • Yet knowledge alone is never the ultimate measure. Hosea 4:6 warns, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,” but knowledge must be paired with obedience (Deuteronomy 5:1). • Ironically, the crowds had perceived truth the experts missed: “When the Christ comes, will He perform more signs than this man?” (John 7:31). Compare to the blind man later declaring what leaders refused to admit (John 9:30-34). • Romans 10:2-3 reminds that zeal for God without true understanding can still miss the mark. They are under a curse • The Pharisees invoke Deuteronomy 27:26: “Cursed is he who does not uphold the words of this law.” • Galatians 3:10 echoes the same principle, underscoring that perfect law-keeping is impossible apart from grace. • Their judgment, however, backfires. By rejecting Jesus, they expose themselves to the very curse they pronounce (John 5:39-40; Matthew 23:13-33). • Proverbs 28:9 warns, “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” The leaders’ hardened hearts placed them, not the crowd, in peril (Acts 7:51-53). summary John 7:49 records a dismissive statement by religious leaders who scorn the common people for lacking formal knowledge of Scripture and pronounce them cursed. The verse reveals a tragic irony: those who presume to guard the law use it to belittle others while neglecting its heart—faith in the promised Messiah standing before them. True blessing comes not from elite status or mere information, but from humble trust and obedience to Christ, the fulfillment of the Law and the One who removes the curse for all who believe (John 3:36; Galatians 3:13). |
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