Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said, “This is truly the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?” The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.” So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, “Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
Then each went to his own house.
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Micah’s prophecy is clear in the consciousness of people as to the origin of the Messiah. When Herod asks where the Messiah would be born, the chief priests and the scribes point to Bethlehem in Judea, as written in the prophet Micah (5:1). The people in today’s Gospel also refer to this: “Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” Both Luke (2:4) and Matthew (2:5ff) record that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. But when he begins his public life, Jesus spends most of his time in Galilee; thus, he is mistaken as a Galilean and people reject him as Messiah on the issue of origins. For John, however, the issue of Jesus’ earthly origin is not at the heart of his status as the Messiah. Rather, it is his true origin. Jesus is from God; he comes from heaven and testifies to what he has seen and heard. He speaks the words of God (Jn 3:31-32, 34).
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website:
