OUR FATHER WHOSE SON WAS NOT RECEIVED BY THOSE TO WHOM HE WAS SENT

The Lord Jesusˋ presense in Jerusalem was causing a stir among the people and among the religious leaders. They debated among themselves what His words meant and tried to reason together whether He was the promised one or not. Some felt that He was the prophet and the Christ they were waiting for but others objected because He was from Galilee and not from Bethlehem where the Christ was to appear. 

John chapter 7 verses 32 -  53  captures the debate among the inhabitants of Jerusalem over the validity of Jesusˋ ministry and also records  attempts by the religious leaders to arrest Him.

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him. 33 Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. 34 You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.”

35 Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

40 Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” 

43 So there was a division among the people because of Him. 44 Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

45 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?”

46 The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”

47 Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”

50 Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”

52 They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”

53 And everyone went to his own house.

There were some among the religious leaders like Nicodemus who argued that Jesus should be given due process of the law rather than presumptive condemnation but the status quo felt justified in their quest to destroy Jesus.

The political heat was rising and the danger to Jesus was mounting.

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