What did the Jews mean by asking, "Where does this man intend to go?" Passage and Immediate Context “Then the Jews said to one another, ‘Where does this man intend to go, that we will not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?’” (John 7:35). The words are spoken on the last, greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:37), in the temple precincts, after Jesus has already hinted at His coming departure: “I am with you only a little while longer, and then I am going to Him who sent Me” (John 7:33). Historical Setting: The Feast of Tabernacles in First-Century Jerusalem Thousands of pilgrims from Judea, Galilee, and the wider Diaspora crowded Jerusalem for this festival (Josephus, Antiquities 13.252; Philo, De Specialibus Legibus 2.210). Roman census stones and recently excavated Pool of Siloam steps confirm the scale of temporary dwellings erected for the feast. The listening “Jews” therefore include temple authorities, local residents, and Hellenistic pilgrims. Who Are “the Jews” in John 7:35? John often uses “the Jews” (hoi Ioudaioi) to denote the religious leadership or the hostile segment of the crowd (cf. John 5:16). Here, the term embraces both the Judean authorities who plot His arrest (John 7:32) and the puzzled pilgrims debating His identity (John 7:40-44). Their question reveals curiosity mixed with derision. Primary Surface Meaning: A Physical Destination 1. Local Flight: Some thought He might hide in rural Galilee or the Judean wilderness as earlier prophets did (1 Kings 17:3). 2. Dispersion Among the Greeks (τὴν διασπορὰν τῶν Ἑλλήνων): the worldwide Jewish settlements stretching from Alexandria and Cyrene to Antioch, Ephesus, and Rome. First-century synagogue inscriptions at Delos, Sardis, and Ostia document these communities. The crowd imagines Jesus relocating there to avoid Sanhedrin jurisdiction. Underlying Irony: Spiritual Blindness to His True Departure Jesus is alluding to: • His impending crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension (John 20:17; Acts 1:9). • His return to the Father, “where I am you cannot come” (John 7:34). Their literalism blinds them to the redemptive arc foretold in Psalm 110:1 and Isaiah 53:12. Messianic Expectations and Popular Assumptions Rabbinic tradition held that Messiah would appear suddenly in Jerusalem and remain (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a). His leaving seemed to violate these expectations, fueling skepticism: “Yet we know where this man is from” (John 7:27). Prophetic Foreshadowing of a Global Mission By mentioning “Greeks,” the question unwittingly anticipates: • Isaiah 49:6—“I will make You a light to the nations.” • Zechariah 2:11—“Many nations will join themselves to the LORD.” After His resurrection, Jesus commissions disciples to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Pentecost’s multilingual witness (Acts 2) fulfills the very scenario the question mocks. Early Patristic Commentary • Chrysostom comments that the Jews “scoff, imagining He will cross seas and dwell among heathen, yet He speaks of soaring beyond the heavens” (Homilies on John 7). • Irenaeus links the verse to Christ’s exaltation “beyond the ken of unbelievers” (Against Heresies 3.16.6). Archaeological Corroboration of a Wide Jewish Diaspora Findings such as the Theodotus Inscription (Jerusalem, 1st century BC) mention synagogues built for Diaspora visitors. Ossuaries bearing Greek names in Jerusalem’s Kidron Valley tombs illustrate the bi-cultural context that made the crowd’s speculation plausible. Practical Application Modern readers confront the same decision: seek Jesus on earthly terms or recognize His risen, ascended lordship. The question “Where does He intend to go?” invites personal reflection—will we follow Him now, or will we, like the original hearers, miss the hour of divine visitation? Summary The Jews’ query in John 7:35, born of literal misunderstanding and cultural expectation, masks a providential irony: the very departure they misinterpret secures the atonement, inaugurates global mission, and fulfills prophetic Scripture. Their words stand as a perpetual reminder that disbelief often asks the right question while rejecting the right answer. |
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