Nicodemus Calls Out the Pharisees! John 7:45-52

 John 7:45-52 Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders

45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” 46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied. 47 “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”

The religious leaders were upset with the temple guards because they hadn't arrested Jesus like they were told to do. In one sense they couldn't lay hand on Jesus because it was not yet time for them to do so. Though God used these men to eventually arrest Jesus, it would be on His timetable not theirs. The guards were also mesmerized by Jesus' teaching.  They saw and felt the authority of Jesus' words and in his person. Though they might not have been highly educated, when they heard the truth it tugged on their hearts. 

The Jewish leaders in their pride and fear rebuke the officers. They try to make them seem naive and ignorant. 

"The pride of the religious leaders was plain, as was their despising of the common people. They hoped to shame and intimidate the officers who didn’t arrest Jesus with the idea all the smart and spiritual people don’t follow Jesus – neither should you." (Guzik)

They also similarly dismiss the crowds, who were are also intrigued by Jesus' teaching. Because the crowds are not "cow-towing" to the Pharisees, they tried to shame them and call them cursed. 

“Even the liberal Rabbi Hillel, of the generation before Christ, summed up this attitude when he said, ‘No member of the common people is pious.’” (Bruce)

Enter Nicodemus, who had approached Jesus alone at night back in John 3 presumably to avoid being seen by his fellow Pharisees. Jesus had told Nicodemus about what it meant to be born again, born of the Spirit, born from above. When he came to faith in Jesus then or later, we know he was at Jesus' tomb (John 19:38) and brought expenisive and a lavish amount of spices and perfumes to anoint and wrap Jesus' body for burial. Nicodemus quizzically points out that they had dismissed their own law in at least four different places in the Torah as they judged and went to arrest Jesus prematurely (read hypocrisy). 

But instead of hearing his legitimate and appropriate question, they mock him again going to their prior false statement that no prophet comes from Galilee. Here we see their arrogance, pride and their ignorance of the their own Hebrew bible. 

"It was not historically true; – for two prophets at least had arisen from Galilee: Jonah of Gathhepher, and the greatest of the prophets, Elijah of Thisbe; and perhaps also Nahum and Hosea. Their contempt for Galilee made them lose sight of historical accuracy.” (Alford)

Why do you think the chief priests and Pharisees are increasingly getting defensive and even making the mistake of misquoting their own scriptures? How is their fear of losing their position clouding their judgment and causing them to act in a paranoid fashion?  How do you react when someone questions you or your reputation? How can you keep from getting defensive like the Pharisees? It has do with the difference between pride and humility. When you lead with humility you are virtually protected from hypocrisy. But when you are judgmental, you are setting yourself up for a fall!