Jesus has recently healed a man on the Sabbath and drawn the ire of the Jewish leaders. Among a variety of claims about Jesus, good and bad, is the claim that he is demon-possessed. This reflect the other gospel writers' reports that Pharisees attributed his healings to the work of the devil.
John 7: 21-24, The Sabbath
Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed.
22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath.
23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath?
24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”
Jesus continues to challenge the Sabbath restrictions. He has healed a man on the Sabbath, yet some are more disturbed by the Sabbath-breaking than they are pleased of the healing. The counter-example to their rigid beliefs is that the Law of Moses is used to defend other Sabbath-breaking.
The people should not be basing their judgment on shallow outward appearances but on true (deep) actions and motives.
John 7: 25-27, Where will the Christ come from?
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.”
The people apparently believed the Messiah must come from an unknown source, a surprise. But they know of Jesus' life in Nazareth.
The people earlier challenged Jesus' claim that the leaders were out to kill him. Here the people are surprised he is be allowed to speak in public. Maybe, they suggest, this is because the leaders recognize his Messianic role.
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