No One Ever Spoke Like Jesus
April 5, 2025 - Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
John 7:40-53
When Mary brought the infant Jesus to the temple, the aged Simeon took the child in his arms and prophesied that he would be “a sign of contradiction” (Luke 2:34). Today’s Gospel vividly illustrates this truth. The people are divided—some believe in Jesus, while others reject him. Even among the Pharisees, there is a division, as Nicodemus dares to stand for Jesus against his fellow religious leaders.
Those who opposed Jesus argued based on his human origins. To them, he was simply a Galilean, and they believed that the Messiah could not come from Galilee. What they did not know is what we now know: although Jesus grew up in Galilee, he was born in Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy that the Christ would come from the line of David (Micah 5:2). Ironically, some in the crowd correctly stated that the Messiah must come from David’s lineage, but they failed to recognize that Jesus, in fact, did.
The Pharisees’ argument against Nicodemus was that no prophet had ever come from Galilee. They dismissed him outright, not even allowing him the opportunity to search the Scriptures. Yet, had they given him the chance, Nicodemus could have pointed out that Jonah, one of Israel’s prophets, was indeed from Galilee, from a town not far from Nazareth (2 Kings 14:25).
In contrast, those who supported Jesus were captivated by his words. Even the temple guards, sent to arrest him, returned empty-handed, confessing in awe: “No one ever spoke like this man” (John 7:46). His words were unlike any they had ever heard. Some were so moved that they believed he was the Messiah—the very prophet foretold by Moses: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him” (Deuteronomy 18:15).
“No one ever spoke like him” (cf. Matthew 7:29; Luke 4:22). But do we fully grasp the implications of this statement? Jesus’ teaching carried an authority and power that left listeners amazed. Are we still amazed today? Are we familiar with his words? In them, we find answers to life’s deepest questions: Who is God? What is the meaning of life? What does it mean to be truly human? More than that—his words have the power to set us free, transform us, guide our steps, and save us.
The question remains: Do we truly listen to him?