Jn 7:40-53
40Some in the crowd who heard [Jesus’] words said, “This is truly the Prophet.” 41Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But others said, “The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he? 42Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” 43So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. 44Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
45So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this one.” 47So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” 50Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, 51“Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” 52They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” [53Then each went to his own house.]
WHERE THE CHRIST COMES FROM: Many people believed that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem to the royal house of David (Mi 5:2; Mt 2:5). This is the belief developed by Matthew in his story of the Magi. Luke also puts the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem during the census ordered by Emperor Augustus.
But some other people expected that when this Messiah comes, no one will know his origins. His coming shrouded in mystery, the Messiah will remain hidden until the prophet Elijah comes to point him out to the people.
Thinking that Jesus is from Nazareth, people in Jerusalem conclude that Jesus cannot be the Messiah either because, as Nathanael puts it, nothing good comes from Nazareth (Jn 1:46), or because no one is expected to know the Messiah’s origins. Still, these people are puzzled to see Jesus teaching openly in the temple, unchecked by the authorities, which seems to indicate a degree of acceptance.
Jesus, indeed, comes from Nazareth in Galilee. And, yes, he happens to be born in Bethlehem. But his “real origin” is the Father who has sent him. The Jews do not know that Jesus comes from the Father because they do not know the Father (Jn 7:28). No matter how many times Jesus speaks about this, they fail to understand him. Worse, they reject him even more strongly for insisting on his true origin.