John 7:40-43

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.

Prophet — mentioned by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-18 — The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.” And the LORD said to me: “What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.” (also see John 6:14)

The crowd thought He was from Galilee. He was born in Bethlehem, but they didn’t know that or trouble to find out. It was willful ignorance.

Jesus was the seed of David — Matthew 1:1-18; Romans 1:3-4

Bethlehem — But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2). Jesus was born in Bethlehem — Matthew 2:1-6; Luke 2:1-11.

Jesus never referred to His birth in Bethlehem. He always pointed to His divine origin.

division (v. 43) — in fulfillment of Christ’s own prophecy:

  • Matthew 10:34-35Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to “set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

  • Luke 12:51-52 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three.

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