Homilies on the Gospel of John

“Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? But, lo, he speaks boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? Howbeit we know this man whence he is.”

1. Nothing is placed in the Holy Scriptures without a reason, for they were uttered by the Holy Ghost, therefore let us enquire exactly into every point. For it is possible from one expression to find out the entire meaning (of a passage), as in the case before us. “Many of them of Jerusalem said, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? But, lo, he speaks boldly, and they say nothing unto him.” Now why is added, “them of Jerusalem”? The Evangelist by this shows, that they who had most enjoyed His mighty miracles were more pitiable than any; they who had beheld the greatest proof of His Godhead, and yet committed all to the judgment of their corrupt rulers. For was it not a great proof of it, that men furious and bent on murder, who went about and sought to kill Him, should be quiet of a sudden, when they had Him in their hands? Who could have effected this? Who thus quenched their absolute fury? Still after such proofs, observe the folly and the madness of the men. “Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?” See how they accuse themselves; “whom,” It says, “they seek to kill, and yet they say nothing to him.” And not only do they say nothing to Him, but nothing even when He “speaks boldly.” For one who spoke boldly and with all freedom would naturally have the more angered them; but they did nothing. “Do they know indeed that this is the very Christ?” “What do you think? What opinion do you give?” The contrary, It says. On which account they said, “We know this man whence he is.” What malice, what contradiction! They do not even follow the opinion of their rulers, but bring forward another, perverse, and worthy of their own folly; “We know him whence he is.”

“But when Christ comes, no man knows whence He is.”

“Yet your rulers when asked replied, that He should be born in Bethlehem.” And others again said, “God spoke unto Moses, but as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.” “We know whence he is,” and “we know not whence He is”; observe the words of drunken men. And again, “Does Christ come out of Galilee?” Is He not of “the town of Bethlehem”? Do you see that theirs is the decision of madmen? “We know,” and, “we know not”; “Christ comes from Bethlehem”; “When Christ comes, no man knows whence He is.” What can be plainer than this contradiction? For they only looked to one thing, which was, not to believe. What then is Christ's reply?