Why did the people believe that no one would know where the Christ came from?

Question

In John 7:25-27, Jesus is speaking to a crowd of people. They seem pretty impressed with Him and begin to wonder if He could be the Messiah. However, one of their objections is that they know where He came from. They believe that when the Christ comes that no one will know where He came from.

Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” John 7:25-27 ESV

Where, then, did they get the idea that no one would know where the Christ came from?

Answer 1

In John 7:27, it is written,

Rather, we know where this man is from, but when the Messiah comes, no one knows where he is from.

ἀλλὰ τοῦτον οἴδαμεν πόθεν ἐστίν ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς ὅταν ἔρχηται οὐδεὶς γινώσκει πόθεν ἐστίν

According to the Gospels, "the chief priests and the scribes" understood that the Messiah was to be of the seed of David and born in Beit-Lechem (Matt. 2:4-5; John 7:42 cp. Mic. 5:2).

People were cognizant of Yeshua's parents (Mark 6:3; John 1:45 cp. John 6:42) and the town he resided in, Natzaret of Galil (Matt. 21:11; John 7:41).

On the other hand, it was prophesied that the Messiah would be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14 cp. Matt. 1:23) and be the seed of a woman (Gen. 3:15). Essentially, a human male would not contribute to the conception of the Messiah.

"Seed from another place"

In the Midrash Bereshit Rabba, Parashat Bereshit, it is written,

"…and she called his name Set, for God appointed me another seed…" (Gen. 4:25). Rabbi Tanchuma in the name of Rabbi Shemu'el said, "She observed the seed that came from another place. And what is this? This is the King Messiah."

ותקרא את שמו שת כי שת לי אלהים זרע אחר וגו׳ רבי תנחומא בשם רבי שמואל אמר נסתכלה אותו זרע בא ממקום אחר ואי זה זה מלך המשיח

The midrash states that the seed from which the Messiah would be conceived would come "from another place" — perhaps an allusion to him being of divine origin.

"Root from dry ground"

Another scripture which seems to hint at a peculiar childhood of the Messiah is Isaiah 53:2.

In his Epistle to Yemen (Iggeret Teiman), Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam) wrote,

And, Yesha'yahu (Isaiah) said similarly, when he (the Messiah) appears without knowing his father and mother and family: "And he will grow up in His presence as a branch, even like a root out of dry ground (etc.)..." (Isa. 53:2).

וְאָמַר יְשַׁעְיָה כְּמוֹ כֵן, כְּשֶׁיִּרְאֶה מִבְּלִי שֶיודע לוֹ אָב וְאֵם וּמִשְׁפָּחָה, "וַיַּעַל כַּיּוֹנֵק לְפָנָיו וְכַשֹּׁרֶשׁ" וְגוֹמֵר יְשַׁעְיָה נ"ג ב'.

Rambam wrote that the Messiah would not know his father, mother, or family. While this isn't true of Yeshua, it demonstrates a traditional Jewish interpretation concerning the Messiah which Rambam received. It is quite possible that this same tradition existed among the Jewish people in the time of Yeshua. That is, some believed that the Messiah's father, mother, and family would be unknown and that the Messiah would appear from obscurity.

Perhaps one of the reasons Rambam interprets the scripture in such a manner is because the ground is said to be "dry." A root in dry ground is essentially dead or on the verge of death, as it receives no sustenance. Trees and plants are often used as metaphors in reference to ancestors. For example, the Messiah is said to be the "root of Yishai" (Isa. 53:11). That the Messiah, the root of Yishai, grows up out of dry ground, indicates that he is from an obscure family, contrary to the belief that the Messiah would be a well-known public figure worthy of pomp and grandeur.

I have also read that Raymundi Martini, in his Pugio Fidei, quotes Rabbi Moshe Ha-Darshan in saying that the Messiah would be fatherless, by connecting Zech 6:12 to Isa. 53:2 and Ps. 110:3 (according to the thought of the LXX). I'm currently searching the Pugio Fidei attempting to locate the page.

Answer 2

It is quite possible that since they knew the messiah should be the "Son of God", they assumed he would have just "appeared" from heaven. Even Christians must admit that it is peculiar that God sent Jesus to be born of a virgin (that is, for him to come from a human).

That is one of the reasons why we celebrate Christmas. It is quite unexpected. Since many of the people in the age when the Bible was being written, probably didn't have access to the Word Of God, they might not have known he was supposed to come from a virgin. Therefore, since they knew where Jesus came from, he couldn't possibly be the Messiah.

Answer 3

Like others I believe that the people of Jesus' day were not ignorant of the PLACE where Messiah would be born (Bethlehem), and the Old Testament also indicates He would be of the lineage of David, but I believe they are referring to a kind of mystery surrounding who the Messiah really was. Isaiah calls Him, "The mighty God and the Everlasting Father." Jeremiah 23:6 calls Him YHWH, Our Righteousness, yet He was to be born of a Woman (Isaiah 7:14) who was a virgin (How did that happen?) and His name would be called Immanuel meaning "God with us." This is the mystery that people were referring to when they indicated that no one would know where Messiah came from - born of a woman, but almighty God and everlasting Father at the same time.

Answer 4

We can never leave out the fact that everything was orchestrated by God for it to go that way in order for every humans to have the possibility of salvation. Which is the purpose of the way the Jews will be in disagreement with the truth. But they knew because it was writing.

The main issue that caused them to be in disagreement is the fact that Jesus had been born from a person that they knew and because they see him like a regular natural man like them. Even though they knew He was going to be born from a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit.

When He came talking about a relationship with the God the Father they knew how intense of a personal thing that was. So they thought. "They knew God" the god they knew wasn't the same God Jesus was talking about. The god they believed is was god created by their own imagination. And he was controlled by them.

Their ancestors may have knowing God in different ways. But these new generation have had last track. Of God by their traditions. They couldn't handle the fact of the intimate relationship that Jesus had with God the Father. It's the same now a days. When we Christians refer to unbeliever. That their needs is to come to know God intimate. And still some of us haven't get there yet in the full capacity yet. And on the same time. No one here on earth will never really reach that in the fullness. Until we get to heaven.

Let me add that even in the old times all of the people never used to believe in the means that God had raised up with different purposes neither.

Answer 5

The Old Testament prophesied that Christ would come twice, once as the Suffering Servant and then as the King of Kings. It is replete in the New Testament and in very early Christianity that the Suffering Servant motif was ignored.

And when I had ceased, Trypho said, “These and such like Scriptures, sir, compel us to wait for Him who, as Son of man, receives from the Ancient of days the everlasting kingdom. But this so-called Christ of yours was dishonourable and inglorious, so much so that the last curse contained in the law of God fell on him, for he was crucified.” Trypho Justin Martyr

But it is the Suffering Servant, the Son of Man, prophesy that explained His arrival and by which He would be known. Born of a virgin, in the town of Bethlehem, of the tribe of Judah, as a root of David, all about which they knew.

What they were looking for was the King of Kings who arrives suddenly in His temple without warning or history.

"I am about to send my messenger, who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming," says the LORD who rules over all. Malachi 3:1

Look, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the LORD arrives. Malachi 4:5

The splendor of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it at the same time. For the LORD has decreed it." Isa 40:5

I will also shake up all the nations, and they will offer their treasures; then I will fill this temple with glory,' says the LORD who rules over all. Hag 2:7

You saw that a stone was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands; it smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold into pieces. The great God has made known to the king what will occur in the future. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is reliable." Dan 2:45

So, they were looking for a miraculous, sudden, overwhelming, ruling Messiah who fulfills the kingdom on earth motif. They thought that would not be known to anyone before it happened. They were not looking for the suffering Messiah with a known family tree who would die, be buried, resurrect, and return.