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When the Christ appears, NO ONE will know where he comes from

tonychanyt

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Oct 2, 2011
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Mt 2:

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
According to the chief priests and scribes, Christ was to be born in Bethlehem.

But then, Jn 7:

25 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.”
According to some people of Jerusalem, no one was supposed to know where Christ came from. Some expected him to appear suddenly.

This difference highlighted the tension between popular beliefs and scholarly understanding, and how this affected the reception of Jesus as the Messiah. To the common people's credit, there was some truth to their belief. Jesus replied to them:

28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from.
Horizontally speaking, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a son of Mary.

But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”
Vertically speaking, Jesus came from God. He was the Son of God.

30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
Despite this tension/confusion, some believed Jesus was the Christ because of the signs he performed.

Jn 3:

13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
Jesus was the Son of Man and the Son of God. He was born of the earthly Mary and came from the heavenly Father.