- Christ came on the scene from the outside of the establishment. This irritated those in the Sanhedrin as they had no power over Him.
- All Jewish men knew their Scripture, and could point to Galilee as not the home of the Messiah. But, did anyone bother to ask Christ were He had been born?
- Christ did not have the "credentials" to teach and preach. Neither did John the Baptist, but because they taught with authority, those who heard them were moved.
- Envy and the fear of the loss of power caused those in the Sanhedrin to be afraid of Christ. And, as He was speaking the Truth and they had compromised the spirit of the Law and the Prophets, these men were on the defensive
- Does this not remind us of so many chancery offices, and ministries in the Church which demand certifications for people to work who may have gifts from God without such certs?
- Authority comes from God first, men second.
- Nicodemus tried, as one of two who were trying to support Christ, to stem this tide of bigotry Of course, because of God's plan for salvation, Nicodemus failed. The harden wills of the Sanhedrin turned against their own God.
John 7:40-52Douay-Rheims
40 Of that multitude therefore, when they had heard these words of his, some said: This is the prophet indeed.
41 Others said: This is the Christ. But some said: Doth the Christ come out of Galilee?
42 Doth not the scripture say: That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem the town where David was?
43 So there arose a dissension among the people because of him.
44 And some of them would have apprehended him: but no man laid hands on him.
45 The ministers therefore came to the chief priests and the Pharisees. And they said to them: Why have you not brought him?
46 The ministers answered: Never did man speak like this man.
47 The Pharisees therefore answered them: Are you also seduced?
48 Hath any one of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees?
49 But this multitude, that knoweth not the law, are accursed.
50 Nicodemus said to them, (he that came to him by night, who was one of them:)
51 Doth our law judge any man, unless it first hear him, and know what he doth?
52 They answered, and said to him: Art thou also a Galilean? Search the scriptures, and see, that out of Galilee a prophet riseth not