Is There A Better Messiah Than Jesus? John 7:25-34

Division Over Who Jesus Is

25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.” 28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” 30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?” 32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. 33 Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

The people are now asking the question why the Jewish authorities want to kill Jesus. After all, the miracles he is doing are helping people and showing God's power.  He is a competent teacher, and the leaders let him teach and don't stop him. The people of Jerusalem knew the leaders wanted to kill Jesus, though those who had come up for the festival probably did not know. The real question they voiced though was, "Is Jesus the Messiah"?

The people reasoned that since they knew where Jesus was from he could not be the Messiah. This shows their lack of knowledge of Messianic prophecy.  Micah 5:2 predicted Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Isaiah 11:1 most likely points to the fact that Jesus was from Nazareth, as the root word for "branch" in Hebrew was NZR, where the name Nazareth came from.  Also, "Nazareth" meant "despised".  People from Nazareth were generally looked down upon by people from Jerusalem. This fufills Psalm 22:6-7 and Isaiah 53:3, which predicted that Jesus would be a "man or sorrows", "despised and mocked". 

Jesus reasserts that he came from the Father and since the Father sent him, what he says is true. Specifically Jesus says, "I know him because I am from him." 

"The crowds were perhaps confused about where the Messiah would come from, but Jesus knew exactly where He came from. Jesus was not a confused man, wondering if He was really the Son of God." (Guzik)

“The language is simple and unambiguous; the claim is august. Jesus asserts afresh his unique relation to the Father, and his hearers cannot miss the implication of his words.” (Bruce)

Jesus comments caused them to try and seize him. But others did believe in him, citing the miracles he had already done, which were similar to what the scriptures predicted the Messiah would do. 

"They spoke with clear logic when they asked, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?” It is fair to ask, who has done more than Jesus?" (Guzik)

Meanwhile, the Pharisees and chief priests overheard the crowd asking such questions, and they knew it was high time for them to stop this growing threat to their power and authority. Jesus then gives them a glimpse into what is going to happen to him, though they probably would not have understand the importance of what he is saying yet. 

Jesus acknowledges that his time is limited, and just like he came from the Father, he would return to the Father ("the one who sent me"). They would look for him but wouldn't find him, because after the resurrection He would return to his heavenly home. 

If Jesus wasn't the Messiah, how did he fulfill so many Old Testament prophecies he could not have orchestrated? What other religious figure or Messianic figure has done more than Jesus? If Jesus is not the Messiah, what would a better Messiah look like? Do you believe Jesus is the Messiah? If not, why not?