Have you ever judged something by how it looked or sounded, only to realize you were wrong? In John 7:52, the religious leaders made a big mistake based on their own perceptions. They said, “Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.” They thought they knew the Scriptures well, but their judgment was clouded.
The leaders in John 7:52 were convinced that no prophet could come from Galilee. They believed the Messiah had to come from Bethlehem, as mentioned in John 7:42: “Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”
This part is true – the Scriptures did say the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). However, they overlooked some important facts and let their own ideas get in the way.
One fact they missed was in 2 Kings 14:25. It tells us that the prophet Jonah came from Gath-hepher, a town in Galilee. So, right there, they were wrong in saying no prophet had come from Galilee. But there was more they didn’t understand. Isaiah 9:1 prophesied that “Galilee of the nations” would see a great light – a hint that the Messiah would minister there. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, shining His light in the very place they dismissed.
In John 1:46, Nathanael also doubted, asking, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” This shows that even good, honest people can have wrong perceptions. The religious leaders and Nathanael didn’t see how God was working because they were focused on their own ideas of how things should be.
Sometimes, we think we know how things ought to go.
The religious leaders thought they knew everything, but they missed the very Messiah standing before them.
It’s a reminder for us to keep our hearts humble to what God is really doing, not just what we think He should do.
